Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The green military truck roared dully as it parked below the building. Gu Lan held Lin Wan Yi tightly, crying like a weeping doll, continuously muttering, "Wanyi, if you face any grievances over there, just send me a telegram, and I'll let my dad deal with my brother!"
Lin Wan Yi smiled as she patted her back, her gaze passing over Gu Lan to rest on the man standing a short distance away, dressed in military uniform, tall and firm like a pine tree.
Gu Yanshen did not urge her; he just stood quietly by the truck, easily tossing their two large luggage bags onto the truck bed.
After saying goodbye to Gu Lan, Lin Wan Yi stepped onto the pedal and climbed into the truck. Sitting in the truck bed were already seven or eight young soldiers in similar uniforms, each with sun-tanned skin, eyes curiously sizing up this suddenly appearing beautiful "family member."
"Sit down properly!" Gu Yanshen was the last to get on the truck, and with a low command, all the soldiers immediately straightened their backs, eyes staring ahead.
The truck started, and amidst violent bumps, it drove away from the military courtyard.
The road to Beijiang was even more challenging than Lin Wan Yi had anticipated. The cement road quickly turned into a bumpy dirt road. The wheels rolled over, raising clouds of dust into the sky. Each jolt felt as if it might shake the very organs inside a person.
The soldiers in the truck bed were clearly used to it, stable as mountains. Only Lin Wan Yi, wearing a clean white shirt and trousers, seemed like a jasmine flower accidentally fallen into the mud amidst this group of rough men.
A soldier sitting in the corner with a slightly sly expression exchanged glances with his companion and shouted loudly, "Hey, I say this road is really bumpy, the little sister-in-law from the city probably can't take it, huh? Look at her delicate skin, don't let her get bounced up too much!"
Just as he finished speaking, a cold gaze shot over.
Gu Yanshen didn't even open his mouth; he just lifted his eyelids and gave the soldier a faint glance. That gaze was sharp as a knife, carrying a murderous aura honed on the battlefield.
The soldier who was just grinning moments ago instantly froze, like a chicken caught by the throat, his remaining words stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word. His companions beside him immediately shrank their necks, not daring to make a sound.
The atmosphere in the truck bed instantly dropped to freezing point.
Gu Yanshen withdrew his gaze, expressionless, as he took off his military jacket, folded it into a neat square, and wedged it behind Lin Wan Yi's back, separating her from the cold, hard truck bed wall.
Throughout the entire process, he didn't say a word, his actions firm and indisputable.
Leaning against the jacket that bore his body warmth and faint scent of tobacco, Lin Wan Yi felt the bumps eased considerably. She turned her head to look at the man's distinctly contoured profile, her lips quietly curling up.
A few hours later, the truck stopped at a roadside for a short rest.
Lin Wan Yi jumped down, taking only two steps before her stomach churned violently. She held onto a nearby poplar tree, her face turning pale, dry heaving several times.
A military enamel cup filled with water was handed to her.
"Drink some water." Gu Yanshen's voice was still hard-edged.
Lin Wan Yi took the cup and said, "Thank you." She turned away from the crowd, pretending to drink, while swiftly using her thoughts to draw a drop of spiritual spring water from her space, mixing it into the cup.
The clear, sweet spring water slid down her throat, instantly calming the nausea, and a warm current spread through her body, sweeping away all fatigue and discomfort.
She drank more than half the cup, feeling revived.
Turning around, she handed the remaining water back to Gu Yanshen, her face naturally flushed, "You drink it, I'm not thirsty anymore."
Gu Yanshen didn't doubt, took the cup, and tilted his head to drink the remaining water in one go.
The next second, he paused.
An indescribable sense of comfort spread from his throat to his stomach, instantly dispelling the fatigue from the long journey. He could feel every cell in his body infused with new vitality.
He looked down at the now-empty cup, then raised his head, gazing at Lin Wan Yi with a probing look.
Meeting his gaze made Lin Wan Yi's heart skip a beat, but she maintained a nonchalant façade, blinking, "What's wrong? Doesn't the water taste good?"
Gu Yanshen stared at her white, glowing face, devoid of any fatigue, swallowing back the words on the tip of his tongue. Eventually, he just shook his head, saying in a deep voice, "Nothing."
As night fell, the truck finally arrived at a midway barracks.
The person in charge of reception and room allocation was a slightly chubby logistics officer in his forties. As soon as he saw Lin Wan Yi alight from the truck, a look of amazement and disdain flashed in his small eyes.
"Oh, Mr. Gu, is this the new sister-in-law? She's… quite exquisite." As he spoke, he fumbled a key out of a drawer, tossing it onto the table with a sarcastic tone, "The barracks have simple conditions, rooms are tight, only one left. You two will have to manage for a night."
Nearby, a young communication soldier ran over, whispering to Gu Yanshen, "Leader, Mr. Li gave you the storeroom-turned room in the corner, it's small and damp…"
Gu Yanshen's face instantly darkened.
He stepped forward, the powerful aura pressing Mr. Li to involuntarily retreat half a step.
"Li Changfu," Gu Yanshen's voice was cold as ice, "Say that again?"
Just as Li Changfu turned pale with fear, about to change his tune, a soft hand pressed onto Gu Yanshen's arm.
"Husband, don't be angry."
Lin Wan Yi stepped out from behind Gu Yanshen, her face adorned with a sweet and harmless smile. She walked to the counter, picking up the key and waving it at Li Changfu.
"Mr. Li, right? Thank you so much." Her voice was soft and sticky, making bones melt halfway.
"Our Old Gu has been enduring hardships at the border for the country's safety; no matter the place, he doesn't complain. As a family member, naturally, I'll follow his lead, no complaints, whether chicken or dog."
Hearing her words, Mr. Li showed a smug expression, thinking he had the delicate young lady under control.
Lin Wan Yi shifted her tone, her smile unchanged, though her gaze carried a sharpness.
"However, I just arrived today and heard from the young soldiers on the way that Mr. Li here is known for being impartial and just. The materials allocated from above, once in your hands, nothing goes amiss."
She paused, her voice not loud, yet clearly reaching every corner of the logistics office.
"But how is it I also heard that your nephew's wedding last month used bedding material exactly the same as the batch of special supply materials allocated to our officers?"
Li Changfu's smug expression froze, turning into a pale sheet.
"W…what nonsense are you talking about!"
"You know best whether it's nonsense." Lin Wan Yi put away her smile, tossing the key in her hand, "Making a war hero stay in a storeroom, while diverting battalion resources for your home. Mr. Li, if this reaches the military district's disciplinary committee, can you keep wearing that uniform?"
A deadly silence filled the surroundings.
Everyone was stunned, watching this delicate beauty who was all smiles a moment ago, now striking with precision, catching Li Changfu's weakness.
Cold sweat trickled down Li Changfu's forehead. He looked at Lin Wan Yi as if he had seen a ghost.
Gu Yanshen was also stunned; he looked at the slender but upright figure standing before him, his eyes filled with unprecedented shock and… a hint of admiration.
Lin Wan Yi no longer looked at the nearly wobbling Mr. Li; she turned around, lifting her bright little face, and playfully winked at Gu Yanshen.
She placed the key into his warm hand, pulling his arm, whispering in a way only the two could hear, breath fragrant and ambiguous:
"Let's go, husband. A smaller bed… is warmer."