An Accidental Military Marriage

Jiang Moli took out the local specialties from her luggage.

There were salted and sun-dried peanuts, dried tofu, sesame candy, beef sauce, and about ten pounds of cured meat.

The cured meat was cut into palm-sized pieces. Each piece was wrapped in thick newspaper, so there was no fear of it spoiling during the journey.

Jiang Moli emptied one of the bags and packed the items inside, making it convenient for Lu Cheng to carry back to the barracks.

"It’s getting late. You should go back and rest. I’m going to wash up and go to sleep too."

Lu Cheng took the bag, his dark eyes fixed on her. "Moli, we are a proper, legally married couple."

Jiang Moli glanced at the bed. "Are you planning to sleep here tonight?"

"Yes. As long as you’re here, I’ll be staying here, unless I have a night mission."

Without waiting for her to agree, he put the bag down and strode into the inner room.

By the time Jiang Moli followed him in, he had already deftly taken off his shirt and was starting to unbuckle his belt.

Under the dim light, the man’s physique—broad shoulders and a narrow waist—was on full display.

It was like a perfect work of art.

Every muscle, every line, exuded a power that seemed forged from steel.

On his lean abdomen, an eight-pack was perfectly defined, each muscle as sharply outlined as if meticulously carved.

Further down were the wild, alluring V-lines of his hips.

Jiang Moli wiped her mouth.

’Can I really look at this for free?’

SWISH!

The man bent over and pulled off his trousers, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black boxers.

’Those legs are a mile long!’

’He really doesn’t see me as an outsider, does he!’

Lu Cheng didn’t seem to mind being gawked at. He calmly folded his shirt and pants, placed them neatly on the nightstand, and then lay down on the bed. He didn’t even cover himself with the blanket, just lay there, straight and still, meeting Jiang Moli’s gaze with his steady, dark eyes.

"Aren’t you going to take a bath?"

"I am."

Jiang Moli cleared her throat, found a change of clothes, and grabbed her washbasin and towel. Her face burning, she headed out the door.

Her mind was in a turmoil as she bathed, completely filled with the image of the man in his boxers.

After her bath, she also went ahead and scrubbed her dirty clothes.

When she returned to the room after washing up, Lu Cheng was on the bed with his eyes closed, his breathing even.

Thinking he was asleep, Jiang Moli tiptoed toward the balcony. She had only taken a couple of steps when a voice came from the bed:

"Do you need to hang the laundry? I’ll help you."

As he spoke, he swung his long legs over and was standing in front of her in a single stride.

From an arm’s length away, she could clearly feel the searing heat radiating from his body, as well as his scent—a mix of soap and something else.

It was a scent like musk and fresh-cut grass, and it was intoxicating.

Jiang Moli didn’t stand on ceremony and handed him the basin, then took out a dry towel to dry her hair.

Out on the balcony, Lu Cheng wiped the clothesline twice with a rag to get the dust off before he picked up the clothes from the basin, shook them out, and hung them on the line.

When he got to her bra, he couldn’t help but sneak a few extra glances.

’He felt like a thief—guilty yet thrilled.’

He knew what a bra was for, but very few women wore them in this era. Most wore undershirts or traditional bodices, so he was naturally curious.

After hanging the clothes, he returned to the room. Seeing Jiang Moli sitting at the foot of the bed with her head tilted, drying her hair, Lu Cheng put the basin down and walked over.

"Let me help."

Jiang Moli’s arms were getting sore, so when she heard his offer, she handed him the towel.

Lu Cheng sat down behind her, wrapped the towel around her long, damp hair, and began to gently dry it.

"Wash your hair during the day next time. The temperature in the mountains drops at night, and you could catch a cold washing it so late."

"Oh."

There were no hair dryers in this era. Jiang Moli usually washed her hair during the day and let it dry in the sun. But after two days on the train, her hair smelled awful, and she couldn’t stand it anymore, so she’d washed it.

As he lifted her hair, the fair, white nape of her neck was revealed.

It was smooth and delicate, like the finest white jade.

Leaning in slightly, he could smell a faint, sweet fragrance, like an orchid.

An indescribable heat coiled low in his abdomen.

"Moli."

"Is it dry?"

Jiang Moli was starting to feel drowsy. Hearing Lu Cheng call her name, she subconsciously touched her hair.

It was still damp.

She glanced back at him. "What is it?"

Lu Cheng tossed the towel onto the bed. "There’s still a very important part of our wedding that we haven’t completed yet."

Jiang Moli froze for half a second before she understood. Feigning nonchalance, she said, "And is that my fault?"

"It’s not your fault. It’s mine."

The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Moli suddenly felt her body go light.

Her vision spun, and the next thing she knew, she was sitting on his lap.

Her hands flailed, searching for purchase, and instinctively landed on his broad shoulders.

"Moli."

The man’s breathing was slightly ragged, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and his burning gaze locked onto her face.

"Can I... kiss you?"

"Do you always dither like this on missions?"

As soon as she said it, Jiang Moli herself was stunned.

’What on earth am I saying?’

"No."

’On official business, he was always decisive and swift, domineering and powerful, tolerating no dissent. If she were one of his soldiers, he would have disciplined her on the spot back in the car this afternoon! But she was his wife, the woman he loved. He cared about her feelings and wanted to give her care, love, and respect.’

It was the first kiss for both of them, and "two rookies pecking at each other" was the perfect description.

But when it came to matters between men and women, men seemed to be natural-born learners.

***

Afterward.

Like a little kitten, Jiang Moli lay limply in Lu Cheng’s broad embrace, drowsy and content.

Lu Cheng held her carefully, his voice thick with emotion as he made a promise, "Moli, I will treat you well for the rest of my life."

Jiang Moli lifted a hand to pat his face, murmuring with her eyes closed, "Just do your best. Don’t feel too much pressure. I have legs, you know. If you don’t treat me well, I’ll run away on my own."

Lu Cheng pulled her tighter, but then, worried he was making her uncomfortable, he slightly relaxed his arms.

His voice was both gentle and domineering. "You can’t run away! You’re mine, so don’t even think about going anywhere!"

The only response he got was the sound of her long, even breaths.

He gently pressed his cheek against the top of his wife’s head and closed his eyes in contentment.

...

At 6 a.m., Lu Cheng’s eyes opened right on time.

After quietly getting dressed, he crouched by the bed and watched his wife’s beautiful, sleeping face for a long while before reluctantly leaving.

After morning exercises, Lu Cheng slung his satchel over his shoulder and went to the Zhong Family’s house again.

The Zhong Family was in the middle of breakfast.

Seeing him show up again, Zhong Weiguo stood up and started shooing him out the door. "Why are you here again?"

"Sir, Moli brought some local specialties from her hometown for you and your wife. If you don’t want them, I’ll just leave."

Zhong Weiguo was skeptical.

It was only when he saw Lu Cheng pull beef sauce, sesame candy, and cured meat from his satchel that his expression softened.

"I guess you have some conscience after all, you brat!"

Jiang Wenjuan shot her husband a look before turning to make small talk with Lu Cheng. "Why did you bring us so much? It wasn’t easy for your wife to bring these things from so far away. You should keep more for yourselves."

"Ma’am, please, don’t mention it. Actually, there was something I wanted to ask your advice about."

Seeing Lu Cheng’s hesitant expression, Jiang Wenjuan wisely called him into the inner room to talk.

"Is your wife on her period? I just happened to get two new sanitary belts the other day..."

"Ma’am, it’s not that."