He Teng was right, He Zhilan’s boldness had indeed increased substantially. If this were the past, where would He Zhilan dare to cozy up to He Teng so intimately? It would have been enough for her not to hide when she saw people.
"Lie properly, stop flopping around like a boneless chicken!" He Teng grumbled, his voice somewhat low and hoarse.
He Zhilan lifted her head from his chest with kitten-like eyes, blinking innocently at him.
But seeing He Teng furrow his brows, He Zhilan reluctantly moved a little bit away, also petulantly attempting to push away the hand that he had placed on her waist.
However, He Teng had been a soldier for twelve years after all, a robust man with a lot more strength than her. She could push and shove all she want, his hand remained fixedly place, immovable like a firmly rooted old tree stump.
A mocking laugh came from above her, He Teng was like a giant elephant amused by an ant’s futile attempt to move him. He Zhilan harrumphed, withdrew her hand and then realized how foolish she had seemed.
"Angry?" Only then did He Teng move his hand but merely moved it from her waist to hold hers.
"I wouldn’t dare!" He Zhilan responded ruefully.
"Is there anything in this world that you, He Zhilan, wouldn’t dare to do? Your attitude and boldness has grown over the month that we’ve not seen each other. But, you’ve lost some weight." He tightened his grip on her hand slightly, but not enough to cause pain, hidden inside the dim room.
"The food at the school canteen isn’t as delicious as what Dad makes!" He Zhilan pouted her lips. However, she felt a bit elated because He Teng had taken the initiative to hold her hand. She enjoyed the sensation of holding his hand, even if no one else could witness it.
"Hmm." He Teng examined He Zhilan as if he were a reviewing leader. As soon as he saw her, he could tell that she had lost a lot of weight. In the first place, she had looked frail, and now she looked even thinner, as if she could be blown down with a gust of wind.
"So, how is school? How do you get along with your classmates?" He Teng had asked these questions in the letters he had replied to He Zhilan, but she arrived before the letters could reach her.
"Great! I get along with my two roommates, one is named Jiang Biyun and the other is Chen Xiting. They’re really nice! And another one, a male student named Tan Heqian, he’s also very nice! Both Jiang Biyun and Tan Heqian know that I’m married and that you’re a soldier. They both want to meet you! Especially Tan Heqian, he admires soldiers. He told me that if it wasn’t for his family holding him back, he would’ve gone to military school! Oh right! The drill instructor who trained me is Lin Deng! That other guy who was with you at the start of school, Lan Li’s cousin is my bunkmate below." He Zhilan answered with a smile, which clearly indicates that there was no pretense in what she said, "Oh right! Brother, I got a job at the school’s library! Not only is it relaxing, but there are also countless books to read, and I often run into some professors from the department who would teach me lots of things!"
Seeing He Zhilan speaking freely about her school life, He Teng was significantly relieved, he could feel that He Zhilan’s cheerfulness when speaking about these things was genuine, which meant that indeed, as she claimed, she seemed to be doing well in school.
He Teng, like a caring parent, asked about some school-related things from He Zhilan, and upon seeing that there was nothing worrying, he also felt at ease.