"Remarried."
"That's good." Lin Zhilan let out a long breath, inadvertently speaking her thoughts aloud.
She looked up, and Su Lang was watching her with a smile.
Lin Zhilan shot him a playful glare. "Isn't it good that I remarried? If I hadn't, how would you have a wife now?"
"Good, remarrying is good!"
Su Lang lifted her onto the bed, knelt on one knee beside it, leaned down to cup her face, and kissed her lips.
His kiss was gentler than ever, filled with a soothing power.
The weather was hot, and with her pregnancy hormones rising, soon Lin Zhilan felt sticky all over. She couldn't help pushing his face away and whispering, "I need to go to the bathroom."
Su Lang paused, then picked her up again and turned to walk out.
Lin Zhilan grabbed his muscular arm, "Put me down, I can walk by myself."
But Su Lang had already stepped outside.
Jiang Chengzhou was quick-witted, covering Linlin's eyes with one hand and his own with the other. "We didn't see a thing."
...
But the gaps between their fingers were wider than a strait!
Linlin honest as ever, covered her mouth with her little hand and giggled. "I saw it, Daddy is carrying Mommy."
Lin Zhilan's cheeks flushed red. She tightened her grip and tugged hard at Su Lang's sleeve. "Put me down right now!"
Su Lang gazed at her, saw she was genuinely embarrassed, hesitated briefly, then slowly set her down. "Then I'll go with you to the bathroom."
Lin Zhilan glared at him, grabbed the flashlight herself, and ordered him to stay in the room.
Su Lang sighed, watched her leave, and quickly coaxed the two children back to their room to sleep.
Lin Zhilan quickly washed her hands and came out, only to bump into Su Lang standing right by the doorframe.
Lin Zhilan bit her lip and glared at him. "Did you hear anything?"
"Hear what?" Su Lang pretended to be clueless, asking with a grin.
As if anyone would believe that!
Lin Zhilan balled her fists and pounded his chest, calling him a jerk.
After a few punches, Su Lang burst out laughing, then suddenly wrapped his arms around her hips and lifted her high off the ground, her feet dangling.
In that position, his head was buried right against her chest.
With summer clothes being thin, Lin Zhilan grew sensitive and quickly pushed his face away.
Unable to enjoy what he couldn't have, Su Lang stopped teasing her.
Lin Zhilan laughed and pinched his cheeks as they made their way back to the room.
Jiang Chengzhou, still awake, heard their laughter from outside and couldn't help smiling to himself as he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
The couple played around for a while, with him squeezing her into the corner of the bed, until she was weak from laughter. Suddenly, she let out a dry heave.
Su Lang immediately stopped, his hand stroking her back.
Once the nausea passed, Lin Zhilan looked up to see him staring at her intently, his expression full of tenderness. A sweet warmth welled up in her chest. "It's nothing. Just that one moment, I felt like throwing up."
Su Lang helped her lie down and said, "You sleep first. I'm covered in sweat, I don't want to bother you. I'll take a shower and come back to sleep with you."
Lin Zhilan nodded.
Su Lang took a cold shower. In the dimness, he climbed into bed, lay down, and reached out his arm to pull her close. "Sleep," he whispered softly in her ear.
His body was cool and moist from the water.
Lin Zhilan slept soundly and peacefully in his arms, waking up the next morning feeling refreshed.
Worried about Lin Zhilan having morning sickness, Su Lang consulted Chen Hehua and bought some preserved plums from Huicheng.
But after that single episode, Lin Zhilan never experienced any discomfort again.
The leftover preserved plums were turned into a dish of plum spareribs, which became a new favorite for the two children.
Shortly after Jiang Chengzhou started school, it was time for Linlin to begin kindergarten.
Commander Su had already looked into the military district's affiliated kindergarten, but on the first day of school, the whole family was a bit nervous.
When sending the little one to school on her first day, Jiang Chengzhou held his sister's hand and reminded her, "If anyone bullies you, don't be afraid. I'm right next door at my school, and whoever messes with you, I'll beat them up!"
Su Lang tapped Jiang Chengzhou on the shoulder. "Who are you going to beat up?"
Then he looked at his daughter and made a clicking sound. "Your brother's got a point. If you're bullied or treated unfairly, be sure to tell us, got it?"
Linlin nodded obediently.
She was the only one in the family who wasn't nervous.
Lin Zhilan didn't see kindergarten as a terrible place like the father and son did, but she still worried about how her daughter would adapt. "Listen to the teacher at school…" Lin Zhilan said to her daughter, then finally got to the point, "And don't let anyone bully you, okay?"
She quickly added, "But don't bully others either."
"Alright," Linlin said, blinking her eyes.
The three of them watched the teacher lead her away. The little girl waved at them and followed the teacher without looking back.
They were left standing outside the fence—two adults and one child.
It wasn't until someone greeted Lin Zhilan that they finally looked away.
Jiang Chengzhou went off to school as usual, and Su Lang dropped Lin Zhilan off at the hospital before turning back.
The principal saw him and came out of the classroom. "Commander Su, is there something else?"
Su Lang's eyes searched through the window for Linlin. "It's my daughter's first day of school. I'm worried she might cry."
The principal smiled and led him to the classroom window. "Take a look from here, but don't let her see you. If kids know their parents are around, they're more likely to cry."
"Alright," Su Lang agreed.
Inside the classroom, Linlin sat in her seat, looking a bit lost.
Crying filled the room.
The teacher comforted one child after another, struggling to keep up.
Linlin's little brows furrowed slightly. She stood up from her chair and shouted, "Stop crying!"
The classroom fell silent for a moment, then the kids cried even harder.
"Oh dear," Linlin said, climbing back into her chair and spreading her little hands. "I've done all I can."
The principal couldn't help laughing. "Commander Su, your child is quite something."
Su Lang rubbed his nose. "She's particularly smart and adorable."
He didn't hold back in his pride, leaving the principal momentarily speechless—though not without reason.
That day, Su Lang had styled Linlin's hair into a cute double-bun look. She had a lovely face, clear and innocent eyes.
Compared to the row of crying children nearby, she was indeed both smart and endearing.
"Su Lang?"
Lin Zhilan had just arrived at the hospital but couldn't stop worrying, so she turned back. She hadn't expected to see Su Lang there.
Su Lang turned around and immediately went over to support her. "Why are you here too?"
"I should be asking you that. Don't you have work today?"
Su Lang said quietly, "Nothing important today. I took the day off. I was worried she might struggle to adjust."
"You're being too much. Linlin has to adapt eventually. We're raising her day by day, and we need to let her branch out and have her own world."
Even as she said this, Lin Zhilan's heart and eyes were already drifting toward their daughter in the classroom.
