During the days Qi Taiguo was out on a mission, Cheng Su was both working at the restaurant and busy making jam, leaving home early and returning late with Qiulan every day, living a busy yet fulfilling life.
As for Qi Taiguo, it was probably the first time he felt eager to return home after a mission. He swiftly jumped off the military truck and headed straight for the compound.
"Yo, Commander Qi is missing his sister-in-law!" a young soldier teased him with a whistle from the truck window.
"Get lost," Qi Taiguo spat back with a laugh and a mock curse before he moved on.
Arriving at his front door, he took a moment to tidy up his collar, thought better of it, and left it disheveled to look worn out, then knocked on the door feigning exhaustion.
Women are all soft-hearted, after all.
Thud, thud.
He waited a while, but there was no response. Qi Taiguo’s thick brows furrowed, and he knocked again, yet still there was silence inside.
What’s going on? Wasn’t she home? Could she still be at the restaurant?
Qi Taiguo took his keys out of his military backpack, unlocked the door, and stepped inside, only to be stunned.
This...
He stepped back to make sure it was indeed his home, but everything inside had changed. Gone were the familiar furnishings, replaced with a completely different layout.
Walking further inside, Qi Taiguo looked around, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity in the room that was now steeped in a cozy and warm atmosphere. A potted rhododendron, full of life, was swaying gently in the breeze on the windowsill.
He set down his backpack and looked around the inside and outside of the house. He could sense the female owner’s diligent effort in every corner, and only then did he open the door to Cheng Su’s room, which had undergone a major transformation. The bed was covered with a festive, yet not gaudy, new quilt, neatly laid out as if waiting for someone, and most importantly, there were two pillows on the bed.
A surge of emotion gripped Qi Taiguo’s heart. Had she prepared all this especially for him?
A wide smile spread across his face as he walked out of the room and glanced once more at the rejuvenated living room before he said humorously, "This irresponsible woman, who knows how much money she spent again!"
Despite what he said, his eyes sparkled with joy, quite clearly delighted.
After all, she had done it all for their shared home, hadn’t she? And with the house fixed up, didn’t it feel much more like they were truly living together?
But where had she gone?
He had rushed home with an eager heart, only to find her absent, leaving Qi Taiguo with an indescribable sense of loss.
"Who’s home?" someone called out from the doorway upon noticing the Qi family’s door wide open.
Qi Taiguo went out and saw it was Hualing peering curiously from the entrance.
"Oh, has Commander Qi returned?" Hualing asked with a smile upon seeing him.
"Just got back."
"I thought Cheng Su had come back. I wanted to chat with her, but if she’s not here, then never mind," Hualing said before walking away.
Qi Taiguo glanced at the small clock, noting it was nearly six in the evening. Was she really that busy?
Thinking it over, he went upstairs to the Lu Family. Qiulan was there, playing with her little nephew. She greeted him with a smile and, on learning that he was looking for Cheng Su, told him, "Sister Su mentioned something about going to the glass factory or somewhere like that. She’ll probably be back late."
Qi Taiguo thanked her with a smile and headed towards the restaurant, but finding it empty, he squatted by the door to wait.
If she was picking up the goods, she would surely have to come back here first to drop them off.
Qi Taiguo hadn’t guessed wrong, but his wait lasted until all the lights in the Wan Family homes were lit, and only then did a small truck pull up, along with a woman looking completely worn out—Cheng Su.