His expression genuinely seemed displeased now. Lin Xichi paused for a moment, looking somewhat innocent. “It’s not like that. But it’s perfectly normal, isn’t it? If I were afraid of this, how could I be a veterinarian?”
Xu Fang lowered his head, gazing at her wound. “Should we go to the hospital?”
Lin Xichi followed his gaze and then shook her head. “No need. A cat scratch won’t do much harm, and I’ve already taken care of it myself.”
Xu Fang didn’t say anything more; he simply held her hand and headed home.
“You’re actually upset because of this?” Lin Xichi followed behind him, kicking small stones on the ground. “This wound of mine is the same concept as when you were training and got scratched by the rocks on the ground.”
Xu Fang’s face remained cold. “It’s not the same.”
“What’s different?”
“I don’t find it painful.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Xichi raised her arm to show him. “I don’t find it painful either.”
He looked at her arm for a few seconds, then shifted his gaze away, staring into her eyes. “I find it painful.”
Lin Xichi didn’t quite grasp what was happening and exclaimed, “Oh, are you doing this to contradict me? I said I don’t find it painful, and now you suddenly do.”
Xu Fang didn’t respond and continued walking ahead.
Lin Xichi licked her lips, not understanding why he was upset about this. “Xiao Pupu, your way of thinking is not right. Every profession has its own risks. Being a soldier is dangerous too.”
“…”
Xu Fang’s steps paused, and he turned to look at her.
“But it’s not a big deal. Getting a minor injury is nothing. Just do what you love,” Lin Xichi continued. “Even though this cat scratched me today, there were cats that behaved affectionately with me before.”
“…”
“Effort pays off, you know.”
Xu Fang sighed and lightly touched her wound with his fingertip. “Just be more careful in the future.”
Lin Xichi nodded quickly. “I will.”
They fell into a quiet moment.
Xu Fang’s palm moved downward, massaging her hand. His expression seemed contemplative, and after a while, he suddenly asked, “Lin Xichi, do you want me to change careers in the future?”
Lin Xichi was taken aback and instinctively asked, “What would you do if you changed careers?”
Xu Fang scratched his head. “I’m not sure yet.”
“Anyway, I think it’s all fine,” Lin Xichi said, not entirely understanding his concerns. She expressed her thoughts as she saw fit, “I’ve looked it up online before, and it seems that when you change careers after being in the military, you usually work in government agencies or as a civil servant, right? In that case, life seems more stable. But if you don’t want to change careers, you can continue to advance in the military and become really successful. Then, in the future, we can live in that military district compound…”
She seemed particularly eager, her eyes forming crescent moons.
Xu Fang’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He stopped walking and turned to stand in front of her. He reached out to touch her eyes, his voice low and husky, filled with an unknown emotion. “However you want it?”
“However you like it.”
After all, he was with her.
He stared at her brows and eyes, then suddenly smiled. “Good.”
In this lifetime, Xu Fang felt that he hadn’t been particularly ambitious. His character wasn’t great; he liked getting angry with the people around him. However, he was fortunate to have good parents, a good family, and a healthy body.
And the best of all, Lin Xichi.
Becoming a military student, enrolling in graduate school at a military academy, and meeting a group of comrades who laughed and cried together had been experiences he had never had before. These were things he would be grateful for his whole life.
He didn’t regret enrolling as a defense student.
The only thing he found unbearable when he thought about it was that he felt he had let Lin Xichi down.
Being in a relationship with a soldier was tough.
Over the past few years, Xu Fang had watched one after another of his comrades break up with their partners, crying over a bottle of alcohol but never blaming their partners. They understood their partners’ choices.
But in the years he had been with Lin Xichi, she had hardly mentioned how tough it was for her to be alone. She always stayed positive in front of him, wearing a smile on her face. She seemed to have no negative emotions and didn’t need him to be with her all the time.
She supported all his ideas.
In front of him, she seemed like a child who couldn’t do anything, always wanting him to worry about her. But when he wasn’t around, she was as strong as if she feared nothing, allowing him to be at ease even when he was far away.
The scattered moments he spent in the military over the past few years.
One of the most vivid memories Xu Fang had was during the summer vacation of his junior year when he was training at the military base. One Sunday, he called Lin Xichi.
That day, for some reason, they had a sudden argument.
They had argued about trivial matters from their childhood to the present. Even though they were all minor issues, sometimes when Xu Fang got angry, it was hard for him to back down, and he wouldn’t willingly give in.
It was already very late, and Xu Fang was still furious. However, after some time had passed, he didn’t want to keep dragging the issue with her. He was about to apologize when he heard a friend’s reminder from behind.
“Hey, Xu Fang, it’s time to turn in your phone.”
Xu Fang’s voice paused, and he casually replied, “Okay, I know.”
The next moment, he heard Lin Xichi’s voice on the phone, and her previously elevated tone instantly lowered, “Xiao Pupu, are you turning in your phone now?”
“Yeah.”
There was a brief pause.
Lin Xichi said, “Then I won’t argue with you now.”
“…”
“Just pretend that we didn’t argue, and when you call me next time, we can continue arguing,” her voice was slow and tinged with a hint of sadness, “Otherwise, I feel a bit wronged too…”
She was still upset about their recent argument.
But because they wouldn’t be able to contact each other for the next week, she chose to compromise.
That night, Xu Fang couldn’t sleep a wink. He listened to the snores of his roommates and the buzzing of mosquitoes around him, staring at the silver moonlight that poured in through the window.
He spent the whole night regretting his pettiness, his nitpicking with her, his bad temper, and his argumentative nature.
It was the toughest time he had endured in the military.
He had practiced crawling in the rain, drank muddy water, suffered from peeling skin due to the scorching sun, and endured muscle strains from excessive training. The pain was excruciating even with the slightest movement.
But none of that compared to the unbearable feeling he experienced hearing her voice so vulnerable and distressed.
Perhaps after they hung up, she had started crying.
With such a long distance between them, unable to contact her, he could only imagine.
All he knew was that it was because of him that she felt so miserable.
It probably started from that incident.
In front of Lin Xichi, Xu Fang had completely removed the thorns from his own character, tamed his temper, and restrained his sharp tongue. Even when he couldn’t help but get angry, he would apologize and make amends on the same day.
After they returned home.
Lin Xichi finished eating the dinner Xu Fang had prepared and supervised him as he washed the dishes. Then, she went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out, she saw Xu Fang sitting on the living room sofa.
Next to him was a first-aid kit.
Lin Xichi was about to return to her room.
Without even looking up, Xu Fang called her, “Come here.”
Lin Xichi responded with an “Oh” and obediently walked over, sitting down beside him.
The sofa sank slightly.
Xu Fang grabbed her arm and lightly pursed his lips as he tended to her wound.
Lin Xichi couldn’t sit still and chatted with him, “A-Pupu, I have a day off tomorrow. How about we go to the animal shelter together? I haven’t been there in a long time.”
In the past, they used to visit the shelter for a few days during every vacation. But since she started working, she rarely had the time to go.
Xu Fang blew on her wound and casually said, “We’ll go house hunting tomorrow.”
Lin Xichi was taken aback. “House hunting? What for?”
He raised his eyes, and his smile was enigmatic. “You said, ‘What house?’”
Lin Xichi obediently said, “What house?”
She didn’t insist on the previous topic and brought up what she had mentioned earlier, “A-Pupu, do you still remember the shelter director I told you about before? She’s still there.”
“Yeah.”
“And she’s married now, got married two years ago. Her husband is really supportive of her and what she wants to do.” Lin Xichi looked at him and said softly, “They got together three years ago and got married two years ago.”
Every time she mentioned “married,” she emphasized the pronunciation.
Her hint was quite obvious.
Xu Fang remained silent for a few seconds and then redirected the conversation, “Marriage and houses.”
Lin Xichi acknowledged and snuggled up against him, using both her hands and feet to hang onto him. There was a first-aid kit nearby, and Xu Fang was worried she might accidentally knock it over, so he gently moved her a bit further away. However, she wasn’t done being playful. She tried to squirm closer, almost clinging to him.
With the first-aid kit still nearby, Xu Fang was concerned she might knock it over, so he used one hand to keep her hands restrained. Lin Xichi, unable to move her hands, tried to nuzzle closer to him with her body.
But she exerted too much force, and accidentally kicked him in the face.
There was a soft smack.
The air became tense.
Xu Fang turned to look at her, and their eyes met.
Lin Xichi’s foot, as if it were glued, remained on his face, giving her a somewhat comical appearance.
After a few more seconds, her lips moved, and just when Xu Fang thought she was about to apologize or act coy…
Lin Xichi blinked and continued to use her foot to rub against his face.
“…”
Xu Fang’s expression remained unchanged, but his brow twitched slightly. He allowed her to continue.
After a dozen seconds or so, with Xu Fang still showing no resistance, Lin Xichi started to feel a bit unsure.
She clenched her fist, cautiously withdrew her foot, and sat up straight.
Xu Fang watched her slowly sit up, as if she were a mischievous child who had done something wrong, and he observed her reflecting on her actions.
He chuckled softly, pulled her towards him, and pressed her face against his own. He forcefully made her kiss the spot where her foot had touched his face earlier.
“…”
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