Upon seeing Gu Xiaobei's face blooming into a smile, Lu Zhanguo was taken aback, though he didn't let it show on his face. He pulled over a chair, sat down and placed the lunch box on the bedside table. He opened the aluminum lunch box, revealing red oil wontons. Unable to resist, she swallowed her saliva, truly she was hungry. But how was she supposed to eat with an IV drip in her right hand?
Before she could ponder further, Lu Zhanguo had already scooped up a wonton and brought it to her mouth. Gu Xiaobei opened her eyes wide in surprise but then narrowed them into a crescent moon shape, before happily opening her mouth to eat. She inwardly declared that this man was hers to take, as she had been stranded in this place, without anyone to rely on.
While eating, Gu Xiaobei calculated her next steps, savouring each moment like a sly mouse nibbling on stolen oil. Her eyes gleamed brightly with cunning.
Lu Zhanguo frowned as he watched Gu Xiaobei consuming the wontons and chuckling wickedly. He bitterly realized that she had never wished for a child, and intended to divorce him. His grip on the spoon tightened involuntarily. Despite having no particular affection for his new wife, his pride as a man was deeply wounded.
The pair, each with their own agenda, finished a box of wontons in a somewhat harmonious atmosphere. But there were no napkins. Gu Xiaobei, her mouth corners reddened from the spicy food, a tender sweat on her small, pert nose, and a light flush on her face, looked endearing. After hesitating for a long while, Lu Zhanguo offered his handkerchief.
In the past, Gu Xiaobei had shunned everything that belonged to him, keeping a distance as if he carried a virus. But she failed to realize that the Gu Xiaobei of the present was not the one from the past. She now regarded him as her own.
Without any hesitation, Gu Xiaobei took the handkerchief and began to wipe her mouth, grumbling, "Not spicy enough, add more spice next time."
Lu Zhanguo didn't say a word but just nodded, taking the lunch box to wash. Gu Xiaobei scratched her head. This wouldn't do. They needed to have a proper conversation. They couldn't just keep acting so formally around each other.
Before Lu Zhanguo returned from washing the box, there was a knock on the door. Gu Xiaobei invited the visitor in. The door gently opened to reveal a female soldier in her late twenties, with short ear-length hair, wheat-colored skin, and an indescribably handsome face.
Gu Xiaobei stared, bewildered at Qin Mei. She remembered her from the original timeline, as the troop leader of the female soldiers. But she didn't recall having a close relationship with Qin Mei. Undeterred, Qin Mei smiled at Gu Xiaobei and said, "I came to visit a soldier, hearing you were hospitalized, I thought I'd come to see how you were. How are you feeling?"
As Gu Xiaobei pondered whether Qin Mei was interested in Lu Zhanguo - after all, many time-travel novels portrayed such scenarios - she smiled and nodded, "Much better, I should be able to be discharged soon."
Once, Qin Mei did harbor some admiration for Lu Zhanguo, but that diminished to comrade-like fondness after he got married. However, she found his new wife quite unlikable, what with the various scandals circulating in the troop. Only visiting out of courtesy upon hearing of Gu Xiaobei's hospitalization, Qin Mei glanced at her and couldn't resist saying, "Lu Team Leader works hard every day. He's often tasked with heavy training and perilous missions. As his wife, you should try to understand and empathize." She wanted to give more advice but feared Gu Xiaobei would take offense as her reputedly 'spoiled and wilful' characteristics were well-known.
Unexpectedly, Gu Xiaobei gently smiled and nodded, "You're right. I was immature before. I will definitely heed your advice in the future."
Qin Mei was taken aback, Gu Xiaobei didn't seem as capricious and wilful as the rumors made her out to be.
When Lu Zhanguo returned with the lunch box, he found the two women chatting amicably. He was somewhat surprised. Nodding at Qin Mei, he asked, "What brings you here?" Qin Mei rose and replied, "A new recruit called Zhang Xiaohao twisted ankle during emotional training. I came to check on him."
Lu Zhanguo nodded, "New recruits may not fully understand their assignments, so it's also important for you to offer psychological assistance."
Then, they delved into a discussion about work, completely forgetting about Gu Xiaobei on the hospital bed. She didn't understand their conversation, but she was genuinely attracted to Lu Zhanguo's serious and earnest demeanor when discussing work. Before long, Gu Xiaobei's face started to change color - she needed to go to the bathroom urgently. Luckily, her drip was almost finished. So, she softly interrupted, "Lu Team Leader, my drip is done."
Qin Mei quickly excused herself to call a nurse. Lu Zhanguo's face turned green. Team Leader Lu, so she wanted to cut ties like that.
The nurse came to remove the needle, and Gu Xiaobei immediately got off the bed, put on her shoes, and rushed out, leaving a bewildered Qin Mei and Lu Zhanguo behind.
After a trip to the bathroom, Gu Xiaobei was out in the corridor where she spotted a full-length mirror at the end. Written above it were the words, "Pay attention to military appearance and discipline." But that wasn't important. What was important was that Gu Xiaobei finally got to see her present self reflected in it. She stood a little over 1.6 meters with waist-length hair. She had a baby-faced look with somewhat round big eyes, a pert nose with a slightly rounded tip and plump lips. She wasn't exactly beautiful but not bad looking either.
By the aesthetic standards of the 21st century, she would be classified as a cute Lolita type. Her figure was well-endowed, looking at her chest, it was easily a C cup. This reminded Gu Xiaobei of her own previous flat-chested figure and she grinned, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth.
Her smile was still intact when she noticed another figure in the mirror. Other than Lu Zhanguo, who else could it be? She scratched her head awkwardly and laughed, "I can be discharged now, right?"
Lu Zhanguo replied coldly, "No need, let's just go ahead with the surgery tomorrow."
Gu Xiaobei exclaimed, "I don't want surgery, I want to give birth to this child. Lu Zhanguo, let's get discharged."
Lu Zhanguo gave Gu Xiaobei a deep, meaningful look, and said quietly, "Let's go back to your room first." Then, he turned to leave.
Panicked, Gu Xiaobei grabbed hold of Lu Zhanguo's arm and pleaded anxiously, "No, I want to be discharged. I want to go home. Let's go home."
Lu Zhanguo glanced at the hand gripping his arm and said, "Let's go, we'll talk more after we get home."
Gu Xiaobei hastily went back to the room, Qin Mei had already left. Neither of them spoke. After a quick packing, Lu Zhanguo went to handle the discharge process. Gu Xiaobei breathed a sigh of relief. Once home, she would slowly work on winning over this man, both physically and emotionally.
The Northwest in March was still quite cold and the accumulated snow was just starting to melt. The countryside roads, especially those leading to the troops, were muddy and difficult to navigate.
After walking less than two miles, Gu Xiaobei could not go on. Her black cotton shoes were completely covered in mud, causing her to slip with every step. Her trousers were also dotted with mud splatters. The original owner's family was rather well-off for that time, affording them thick cotton coats and pants. However, she was dressed in a brown woolen coat. After much disdain, Gu Xiaobei had finally put it on and now it too was covered in mud.