To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

He used so much force...

Moreover, his lips were rough from the winter sun, and his coarse stubble hurt her terribly...

It felt like they were going to crush her...

But she didn't say anything.

If he really can't, it would be good to comfort him like this...

For a long time.

He only retreated after she had been breathing for so long.

Lying in bed, she could hear his breathing, rapid and heavy.

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

But she really felt sorry for him, so she leaned close to him, wanting to comfort him again, "Juncheng..."

"Shut up! Go to sleep! Behave yourself!" he said gruffly.

Lin Qingping felt a little wronged: she had been very obedient just now, not daring to move at all...

But she wouldn't mind. He was already so powerless, he must be feeling unhappy, how could she care about such a small thing? Even women are more anxious during their period, let alone someone with something so important!

Lin Qingping said softly, "Okay, Juncheng, then you..."

"Say one more word and you're going to recite the text from memory!"

Lin Qingping: ...

Well, they've really escalated the challenge; it's gone from memorization to reciting from memory...

She obediently shrank back into her blankets and fell asleep in no time.

Unbeknownst to her, after she fell asleep, Gu Juncheng got up and went to take a shower...

The next day, before dawn, the bugle sounded.

Lin Qingping slept very comfortably that night, warm and peaceful. She vaguely heard the sound of bugles, but she was not conscious of waking up.

Until a nerve in her brain suddenly jolted, she sat up abruptly.

The bugle call was still sounding, and Gu Juncheng was already dressed and ready to depart.

"Juncheng!" She jumped out of bed. "Why didn't you call me?"

Gu Juncheng stood at the door, turned around, and said, "What are you doing up? Go back to sleep!"

"No! I have to see you off!"

Lin Qingping, in a panic, hopped barefoot to him, only to have her feet dangling in mid-air. He picked her up and threw her back onto the bed, his face dark with anger. "You're not even wearing shoes!"

Ignoring his tone, Lin Qingping said anxiously, "Juncheng, be sure to be careful! Also, remember to write home when you get back."

I'm letting you know I'm safe.

“I know.” He suddenly remembered something else. “You’re in charge of things at home. Spend the money I’m given as you please. Don’t worry about it. I’m not very capable, but I can still support you.”

Lin Qingping was taken aback. "You knew?"

"Yes, my older sister wrote to tell me." He said calmly.

"Aren't you afraid I'll lose all your money?"

“Even if you lose it all, there’s still some left. It’s not like you’re completely gone. Even if…” Gu Juncheng stopped there, turned his head away, and said, “I’m leaving now. Someone will take you to the train station. Be careful on your way.”

"Okay! Be careful too!"

Lin Qingping watched his figure disappear outside the door and close the door behind him. She was filled with mixed emotions. It was only then that she realized that she had actually slept in his bed last night. She didn't know when he had pulled her into his arms again. No wonder it was so warm.

He left, and the room suddenly became empty.

Actually, he couldn't be with her during the day, but the feeling was just different. Even when he wasn't in the room, she felt full. The room and her heart were full. As soon as he left, everything felt empty.

The evening gathering with Lei Sufang and the others also became rather dull.

Even Lei Sufang and the others noticed her dejection. "Is Xiaolin missing Commander Gu?"

"No, no..." Lin Qingping was a little embarrassed.

“Hey! What’s there to be shy about? We were just like you when we first came here. We felt so nervous whenever they went out. But we got used to it after a while. What can you do if you’re not used to it? It’s their mission.” Lei Sufang’s tone was wistful and concerned.

It turns out that although everyone was joking and laughing, they were all thinking the same thing.

“If Xiaolin were also with the military, she would see Commander Gu more often and wouldn’t be so worried,” said one of the military wives.

"Yes, in principle, Xiao Lin should be able to accompany the army, so why didn't you?" someone else asked.

Lin Qingping didn't know why, but in both her past and present lives, Gu Juncheng had never mentioned accompanying the army. However, her mother-in-law had mentioned it once in her past life, hoping that the Gu family could have more descendants. Lin Qingping retorted with a barrage of words, and then no one ever mentioned it again.

But why didn't Gu Juncheng mention it?

In her past life, she wondered if Gu Juncheng didn't care about her either, just as she didn't care about him.

At that time, she thought it was fine this way; they didn't care about each other, which saved them from any entanglements.

But when asked about it now, she still felt a little disappointed.

She smiled and said, "I'm busy at home, so it's better for me to take care of the family."

“That’s true.” Lei Sufang was quite understanding. “That’s how we married them. We wanted to take care of the family, but we couldn’t take care of this side. If we could take care of this side, we couldn’t leave the family behind. Little Lin, don’t worry, they will be fine.”

"Mm." Lin Qingping nodded, focusing on her work, and made two cakes.

The cake was a hit with the military wives and children as soon as it came out of the oven. One military wife, Zhou Jiarong, who came from a big city, praised it highly, saying, "It's exactly the same as the cake I used to eat at fancy restaurants!"

Everyone said it was a pity; if Lin Qingping had gone with the army, they could have learned from her.

Yes, it's a pity, Lin Qingping is leaving the next day.

Lin Qingping slept through the night, but the blankets were cold.

So, he was so warm-hearted...

The next morning, just as Gu Juncheng had said, someone came to pick her up; it wasn't Xiao Tian.

“Xiao Tian went out with the regimental commander. I’ve come to see you off, sister-in-law. My name is Lu Liang,” Lu Liang said.

"Thank you, Xiao Lu." Lin Qingping had very little stuff. She only brought a few changes of clothes and some local specialties for Gu Juncheng's family. Now that she had put down the specialties, her luggage was very light.

Oh, and that sweater too.

Lin Qingping opened the closet and found the sweater still lying quietly inside.

"Xiao Lu, these are Commander Gu's things..."

"Oh, please pack it up. I'll take it into Commander Gu's barracks later."

Lin Qingping nodded, "Thank you for your trouble."

And so, I left...

As Lin Qingping boarded the bus to the city, she kept looking back at the snow-covered mountain peak, her heart filled with reluctance.

I wonder when we'll meet again?

The journey back was smoother than the journey there; she even managed to buy a sleeper ticket. Lu Liang accompanied her all the way to the station before leaving with peace of mind.

She fell asleep on the way home. The closer she got to home, the warmer the temperature gradually rose. When she returned to the county town, it was a clear and crisp autumn day.

Without delay, she went straight back to Gujia Village. To her surprise, Gu Youlian and Du Gen were both home. As soon as she arrived, everyone came up to greet her, "Oh my, we've been waiting for you to come back!"