This unexpected phone call from He Teng sent He Zhilan’s emotions soaring. Even through the phone line, the marked contrast between her initial greeting and her subsequent questions was something he could easily perceive.
"No, I’m still at the SWAT team base, I’ll leave soon." He Teng replied. He borrowed the phone from the SWAT team. This call hadn’t initially been part of his schedule. But the pained look in He Zhilan’s eyes as she sat in the car, made him ask for the phone.
He Teng knew that his quiet, laconic nature might be off-putting. From the moment he accepted this mission until his separation from He Zhilan, he had been neglectful. Apart from the time they spent together while moving from the army base to the SWAT team base, he hadn’t spent quality time with her or explained anything to her.
Even though He Zhilan did not express the dissatisfaction he feared, he easily noticed the reluctance in her last glance.
All of a sudden, He Teng realized that He Zhilan seemed to have truly grown up, knowing how to conceal her emotions and keep them from him.
He Teng actually wanted to chat more with He Zhilan, but, by nature, he was a man of few words. Unless it was necessary, he rarely initiated communication. He was not one to start a conversation, nor could he humor her with wit and levity, nor could he prolong a conversation by following her line of discussion.
In this aspect, he was undeniably foolish. Accustomed to his long singleton life, he tended to keep matters to himself, reluctant to express his emotions or share them with others.
Facing He Teng, who was about to leave for his mission, the only things she could say were to be careful and encouraging, and wish him success on his mission.
"Zhilan." He Teng’s voice was low and appealing as he called her name, "I will try my best." He would fulfill her wishes, successfully complete the mission, and strive for advancement, giving her more security and relieving her worry.
"Hmm!" He Zhilan couldn’t help but lift the corners of her mouth, "I believe you!"
On the other side, He Teng was short of time. They only spoke for a couple of minutes, yet the moods of both parties had subtly shifted. Their once worrying faces now sported a light smile and softened.
He Teng thought, maybe after marriage, he ought to change himself a bit, at least to accommodate his new wife, He Zhilan. He should adapt to living together with her, at the very least making her happier when they were together.
Once she packed up some stuff and tidied up the dormitory, He Zhilan saw it was time to leave for dinner in the school cafeteria. However, she and the person entering the room from outside ended up startling each other.
The keys were still in Gu En’s hand as she stared at the person inside the room angrily. She was about to lose her temper, but when she saw it was He Zhilan, she exclaimed puzzledly, "He Zhilan, weren’t you off visiting your brother’s army base? Why are you back in the dormitory at this hour, looking like a ghost, and scared me half to death?"
"I came back temporarily. I was just about to go out and didn’t expect you to come back to the dormitory at this time." He Zhilan explained, then smiled at Lin Deng who was standing behind Gu En, "Instructor."
"After military training is over, I’m not your instructor any more, just call me Lin Deng. It feels awkward to be called ’instructor’ all the time!" Lin Deng smirked.