After dinner,
Pei Zhengnian carried a chair and a small stool to sit by the dormitory entrance, working on his reports.
Inside, the sound of running water occasionally drifted out.
Shen Nanchu was taking a shower.
By the time Pei Zhengnian finished one report, the water had stopped.
When he completed two reports, the door still hadn’t opened.
Just as he stood up to check inside,
the door creaked open,
revealing Shen Nanchu standing there in a striking red dress, its skirt flaring like a blooming peony.
The dress hugged her waist tightly, accentuating its slenderness—so narrow he could encircle it with both hands.
Her dark braid had been undone, cascading in waves over her shoulders, the ends curled into playful little twists.
Her face looked even more delicate and beautiful than usual.
How beautiful?
Pei Zhengnian couldn’t quite put it into words.
But her eyes were especially captivating, and her red lips seemed to invite a kiss.
Like a bewitching little sprite.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he averted his gaze.
Shen Nanchu twirled, the skirt brushing against Pei Zhengnian’s leg. "Do I look good? I brought this from the capital."
She’d already checked the mirror and was thoroughly pleased with her appearance.
Was this just clothing?
No.
It was armor.
As she stepped closer, Pei Zhengnian caught a faint whiff of her fragrance.
"Tonight, that nuisance of yours will definitely try to pick a fight with me. You’d better play your part well when the time comes."
Pei Zhengnian barely registered her words.
His focus was entirely on those alluring red lips.
After staring at the suspiciously vivid shade for three seconds, he suddenly reached out and rubbed her lips with his thumb. "Looks like you’ve been eating pig’s blood."
Shen Nanchu swatted his hand away. "You’re the one who eats pig’s blood! This is lipstick!"
She hurried back inside to inspect her reflection. "Thank goodness you didn’t smudge it."
Top-tier quality, straight from her secret stash.
Pei Zhengnian stood rigidly, hands clasped behind his back. His thumb, which had just touched her lips, subtly brushed against his fingers, as if savoring their softness.
"Don’t mess things up for me tonight."
Shen Nanchu’s gaze was deceptively gentle.
If you ruin this and cost me dearly, I’ll make sure you learn why flowers are so red.
Pei Zhengnian nodded at her serene expression.
"I’ll be sitting with my company first. Wait for me afterward—I’ll come find you."
"Fine."
Shen Nanchu agreed.
They’d be in the same venue anyway. No big deal.
If anything went wrong, a loud shout would suffice.
Through wind and rain, I’ll be here waiting.
...
The field was already set up with a large stage.
A festive red banner hung overhead, and a few young soldiers adjusted the speakers, the screech of feedback mingling with the melody of "Army and Civilians, One Family."
Families of servicemen gradually filled the seats.
Pei Zhengnian suddenly halted.
"Listen," he murmured, "I’ve asked Sister-in-Law Niu Aihua to look after you."
"If you’re unsure about anything, ask her. She’ll help."
After a pause, he added, "And don’t stir trouble. No showing off."
Shen Nanchu tilted her head. "Why?"
"Because..."
Pei Zhengnian’s eyes skimmed over her pale neck and collarbones before he abruptly tugged her collar higher.
"Because I don’t want my face plastered on every target in the division tomorrow!"
In the mess hall today, quite a few comrades were already green with envy.
Though it felt satisfying, Pei Zhengnian had no desire to become the talk of the town.
Sister-in-law Niu Aihua arrived just in time. Niu Aihua, Tian Chengyi’s wife, had a voice as loud as a broadcast speaker.
"Oh my heavens! Is this the Seventh Fairy descending to earth?"
She grabbed Shen Nanchu’s arm, her face beaming with delight.
"For Battalion Commander Pei to marry such a stunning sister-in-law, his ancestors must be burning incense in the afterlife!"
Shen Nanchu didn’t feign modesty at all, nodding earnestly.
"Absolutely right, sister-in-law. You hit the nail on the head."
Pei Zhengnian: "…"
"Don’t worry, Battalion Commander Pei, tonight I’ll tie Little Shen to my waist with my belt!"
Niu Aihua, straightforward and warm-hearted, adored Shen Nanchu’s candor.
"Good, then I’ll leave her in your care."
Pei Zhengnian saluted Niu Aihua.
Only after escorting the two to the family section did he finally relax and return to the officers’ seating.
With such a beautiful military wife in the family section, Shen Nanchu instantly became the center of attention.
Even seated among the officers, Pei Zhengnian couldn’t stop glancing back, restless with worry.
And when he did, what he saw nearly made his blood boil.
Even through five rows of heads, he could spot the commotion Shen Nanchu was causing.
The third platoon leader’s neck was practically twisted into a pretzel, a clerk from logistics had dropped his sunflower seeds all over the ground, and young soldier Wang Xiaohu was so entranced that watermelon juice dribbled down his chin onto his collar unnoticed…
He should’ve just dragged her straight to the drill ground earlier.
He never should’ve taken her back to change into that dress.
Now look—she was attracting admirers like bees to honey.
Pei Zhengnian was filled with regret.
Backstage,
Tang Lina, now fully made up, brimmed with confidence.
She peeked from the edge of the stage and immediately spotted Shen Nanchu in the crowd.
Dressed in that red dress, she was dazzling—like a rose blooming abruptly in the dull, dusty drill ground, impossible to ignore.
Tang Lina cursed inwardly. That vixen, just you wait!
The performance began.
Niu Aihua handed Shen Nanchu a handful of sunflower seeds, and she munched on them while watching the show.
Honestly, the performance was painfully mediocre. The costumes and props were lackluster, and the performers weren’t much better.
Tang Lina was just… meh.
Shen Nanchu, who had been fired up earlier, now felt her enthusiasm wane.
At this level, she almost felt overqualified to even compete.
Finally, the grand finale arrived.
"Next up, the Tea-Picking Dance!"
As soon as the announcer finished, Tang Lina floated onto the stage with eight other girls.
Onstage, Tang Lina, dressed in a fresh green costume, flitted among the dancers like a butterfly.
Twirling, leaping, never pausing…
She crammed in every flashy move she thought showcased her "exceptional" skills.
After all, she was the lead—the others were just backup.
Pan Yue and the others were startled by Tang Lina’s unauthorized changes to the choreography but didn’t dare protest.
Her father was, after all, a division commander in the Dalao Military District.
To be fair, Tang Lina wasn’t terrible—just nowhere near Shen Nanchu’s league.
Shen Nanchu watched, utterly bored.
Tang Lina was feeling quite pleased with herself as she struck her final pose, her fake braid nearly whipping the bald head of the division commander’s father in the front row.
The dance ended to thunderous applause.
Tang Lina shot a challenging glance at Shen Nanchu, only to find her completely ignored—Shen was too busy cracking sunflower seeds and laughing with the other army wives.
Tang Lina was seething.
Before the tea-picking dance music had even fully faded, she snatched the microphone from the announcer and declared:
"Comrades and esteemed leaders! I’ve heard many military wives are here today. Why not invite one of them to perform for us?"
The room fell dead silent.
...
