Chapter 52: Whoever I Hold in My Arms Is My Wife

[52] 52: Whoever I’m hugging is my wife

Separated by an iron gate, the two of them looked at each other in silence.

The night breeze wove back and forth between them, carrying the longing from the depths of their hearts to one another.

Xie Li glanced at the cigarette with more than half left between her fingers, dropped it to the ground, and crushed it gently with her toe, the corners of her mouth curling up uncontrollably.

Jin Zhaoye watched that bright, unrestrained Alpha, her heart pounding violently. As if her body had a mind of its own, she took a step forward, walking toward that person.

She walked right up to her.

Looking at her warm, smiling face, the exhaustion in the depths of Jin Zhaoye’s eyes vanished completely.

'Didn’t you say you were going to be out for several days?'

Xie Li gazed at her with a smile, her eyes moving slowly across her face. Even though they had only been apart for a day, it felt as if they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

'I missed you, so I hurried back.'

Jin Zhaoye’s eyelashes fluttered.

She wanted to hug her—the urge was so intense that her hand lifted into mid-air involuntarily, before reason reclaimed the high ground.

She turned her head to look at the guards at the entrance of the villa area; soldiers in combat gear held their rifles, facing forward, and she didn’t know if they were watching her.

She couldn’t take the risk. The Base was full of Fu Yunsheng’s people; she couldn’t appear too intimate with Xie Li.

Jin Zhaoye withdrew her hand and lowered her voice: 'It’s not convenient to talk here. Shall we go for a walk up ahead?'

Xie Li’s gaze landed on the hand she had lifted and then lowered, lingering for a moment. She didn’t speak, simply taking the lead and walking forward.

She didn’t know if she had disturbed Jin Zhaoye; it seemed she had, so she didn’t reach out to take her hand.

The two of them stepped through the night, strolling side by side in the silent, deserted Base.

Once they left the villa area, the streetlights became sparse, with only one every long distance.

Jin Zhaoye caught the faint scent of tobacco radiating from Xie Li, mixed with a hint of alcohol: 'Did you drink?'

'Yeah, I had a beer. Tang Ran treated me,' Xie Li said. 'Tang Ran is a new friend I made. She shares a tent with me, Lan Ran, and Fang Mai.'

'Where did you go today?'

'I originally planned to go to Lan County...' Xie Li was very patient, recounting everything that had happened today in detail.

Jin Zhaoye listened quietly, enjoying the atmosphere of this casual chatter. Only when she finished did she ask: 'Did you wait for me for a long time?'

They happened to reach a section of the road where the streetlights were dim. The light from the distant lamps became weak here, and everything around them grew hazy and intimate.

Xie Li paused her steps and turned her head to look at her: 'I don’t know how long I waited, maybe a while, but I didn’t notice it.'

'Because I was waiting for you, every second felt like a year, yet I couldn’t feel the passage of time.'

'Did you go out to scavenge for supplies, or to take a crash course in sweet talk?' Jin Zhaoye asked with a smile.

Xie Li scratched the large mosquito bite on her arm, looking a bit embarrassed: 'Is it a bit too cheesy?'

'No, not cheesy at all. I like it very much. Do you want to invite me to see your new place?'

'Aren’t you tired?'

Jin Zhaoye nodded, then shook her head: 'I was very tired, but seeing you, I’m not tired anymore.'

'Then let’s go.'

The two of them walked along the path toward the apartment Xie Li was renting, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

...

Returning to the apartment and closing the door, the two stood facing each other in the darkness.

The room was very quiet, with only the sound of their soft breathing.

Xie Li reached out, fumbling to turn on the room’s light.

Jin Zhaoye pressed down on her palm, her own palm sliding up Xie Li’s firm forearm to climb onto her shoulder.

Using a bit of force, she pulled the other woman into her arms, tilting her head to press her cheek against the side of Xie Li’s neck. She took a deep breath, and the faint scent of tobacco mixed with the fresh lime and mint scent on Xie Li’s body surged into her nasal cavity, enveloping and wrapping around her.

'Just now, I really wanted to hug you,' Jin Zhaoye said, muffled against her neck.

Xie Li hugged her back, one arm wrapping around the woman’s slender waist while the other hand wove into her hair, pressing her into her own embrace—pressing her tighter, until there wasn’t a sliver of space between their bodies.

'It’s okay, hugging now is the same.'

Xie Li didn’t ask why she hadn’t hugged her just a moment ago. Jin Zhaoye must have had her reasons for doing so; there was no need to press for answers. Sometimes, it is better to remain blissfully ignorant.

The embrace lasted for a long time before Jin Zhaoye tilted her head up and pressed her lips against Xie Li’s.

Xie Li’s lips were dry and warm, rubbing gently against her own, sparking waves of numbing pleasure.

Jin Zhaoye caught Xie Li’s upper lip and sucked on it lightly, her tongue tip exploring, slowly tracing the shape of her lips until those two dry, warm lips became soft and moist under her touch. Only then did she pull back slightly.

'Have you not had water for a long time?'

'Does Doctor Jin want to feed me water?' Xie Li asked with a low laugh, her voice rising at the end, carrying a touch of deliberate, teasing mischief.

Jin Zhaoye’s ears turned hot instantly.

In her mind, the image of Xie Li holding her... and burying her head to drink water flashed by many times.

She raised her hand and, both shy and annoyed, slapped Xie Li’s shoulder hard.

Not wanting to give this brat a chance to ruin the mood with her words, she parted her lips and blocked her mouth again.

Her tongue pushed past the teeth, driving straight in to entwine with her tongue.

Xie Li let out a soft hum as she was kissed, her hand behind Jin Zhaoye’s waist moving downward involuntarily to rest on the full curve, holding her even tighter.

After a long while, they pulled a tiny distance apart again.

Their lips remained pressed together, their breaths tangled; every single breath felt like a kiss.

Xie Li opened her eyes, barely making out Jin Zhaoye’s face in the faint light from the window.

'Do you want me to turn on the light?'

Jin Zhaoye shook her head, whispering coquettishly: 'I don’t want to. Let’s just hug like this for a while.'

'Okay,' Xie Li replied, holding her as she leaned against the door.

After a while, she spoke again: 'I have a feeling like I’ve only just started dating you now.'

Jin Zhaoye, nestled in her arms, nodded slightly at the words: 'I have that feeling too.'

Before, they were exhausted every day, struggling to survive, and rarely had time like tonight to just slow down—no zombies, no mutated creatures, only each other.

Just basking in the moonlight, strolling and chatting, saying things of no consequence.

Jin Zhaoye lifted her head from her embrace and asked: 'Are you going out tomorrow?'

'Do you not want me to go out?'

'If you look at it from a long-term perspective, you should take advantage of the fact that the supplies near the Base haven’t been scavenged by other survivors yet, and hurry to seize more supplies to bring back to the Base and exchange for Contribution Points.'

As Jin Zhaoye spoke, her tone shifted: 'But you aren’t an ordinary person.'

Xie Li chuckled: 'I’m certainly not lacking in supplies to exchange for Contribution Points.'

'So my suggestion is, you can take the people in your team and train properly in the Base for a few days. The physical fitness of Lan Ran, Liu Zhaoyang, and the others has been enhanced by the X Virus; after systematic training, their combat effectiveness will be greatly improved, and their survival rate when going out in the future will be much higher.'

Xie Li agreed immediately: 'If my wife says train, then we train. Tomorrow I’ll take them to train with the soldiers in the Base, and we’ll go out once we’re ready.'

'Don’t talk nonsense, who’s your wife?' Jin Zhaoye gave her a sidelong glance and stood up straight, pulling away a little distance.

Xie Li’s hand on her waist tightened, unwilling to let her go: 'Whoever I’m hugging is my wife.'

'Let me go, I should head back. Just take the team to train tomorrow; I’ll make the arrangements.'

'Shall I walk you back?'

Jin Zhaoye was tempted but refused: 'You go to sleep. Train well tomorrow; I’ll come see you when I’m done.'

'It’s so late, I’m worried about you going back alone.'

Jin Zhaoye’s hand was already on the doorknob; hearing this, she looked back at her: 'The Base is very safe, and you don’t need to worry about my combat ability.'

Xie Li leaned in close, acting clingy and spoiled: 'Kiss me one last time before you go.'

Jin Zhaoye turned her head and pecked her on the lips, then patted her head: 'Alright, be good, go to sleep. See you tomorrow.'

'See you tomorrow.'

Xie Li watched with reluctance as she opened the door and walked out. Her footsteps were very light, and the voice-activated lights in the hallway didn’t even turn on.

Closing the door, she walked through the dark to the bedside, lay down, and closed her eyes to sleep, lingering in the scent of Jin Zhaoye that remained in the room.

...

The next day, just as dawn broke, Xie Li crawled out of bed.

She went into the bathroom to use the toilet, splashed cold water on her face, bit a hair tie between her teeth, and used both hands behind her head to tie her hair into a neat ponytail.

After brushing her teeth and wiping the water from her face, she returned to the room, took a set of sportswear from her Space, changed, put on her shoes, and walked out the door to knock on her teammates’ doors one by one.

Lan Ran opened her door with squinted eyes, looking at the high-spirited Xie Li with a face full of confusion: 'So early, what for?'

'Get dressed, go downstairs,' Xie Li replied concisely.

'What the heck, not even letting people sleep,' Lan Ran grumbled, her face still showing lingering sleepiness.

Xie Li tilted her chin, signaling her to hurry up.

Lan Ran rolled her eyes, turned back into her room to wash up and change.

The others were much the same. Once everyone was ready and downstairs, Xie Li led them toward the training grounds.

She explained: 'Doctor Jin pulled some strings so we can train with the military for a few days.'

'Wow, can we go to the shooting range?' Lan Ran asked excitedly.

Xie Li: 'I don’t know. We’ll see when we get there.'

The training ground was about a twenty-minute walk from the apartment they were renting. It was vast, divided into areas for physical training, shooting practice, and a large open space in the center for drills and hand-to-hand combat training.

When they arrived, the military soldiers were already running laps while shouting slogans.

A tall, muscular officer stood by the edge of the training ground with her hands on her hips. She was in her thirties, her skin tanned to a bronze color, her facial features sharp, and she radiated an oppressive aura of someone who had seen long years of battle.

Seeing Xie Li and her group approach, she turned her head, her gaze sweeping over their faces before landing on Xie Li, who was in the lead: 'Xie Li?'

'Yes,' Xie Li stood still, her spine straight, her right hand raised with fingers pressed together, the tips touching her temple, and she snapped a salute.

The woman looked at her gesture and posture, then nodded: 'I am Tian Tian Tian—'

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by a soft laugh.

Tian Tian Tian frowned slightly, squinting at the people behind Xie Li who were bowing their heads, trying hard to stifle their laughter.

Xie Li cursed to herself; these idiots, how could they offend the instructor the moment they arrived? Although she also wanted to laugh when she heard the instructor’s name, she had held it in.

'You lot, step out.'

Lan Ran, Liu Zhaoyang, and Zhou Yu immediately wiped the smiles off their faces, stepped forward, and stood with their spines rigid.

Tian Tian Tian’s gaze swept over the three of them, and she shouted: 'Names!'

'Lan Ran!'

'Liu Zhaoyang!'

'Zhou Yu!'

Tian Tian Tian nodded, her expression remaining serious: 'Attention!'

The three obeyed.

'At ease.'

The three stood at ease.

'Running—march! I didn’t say stop, so you’re not allowed to stop!'

The three of them took off running without a second’s hesitation.

Tian Tian Tian watched them run into the distance, then withdrew her gaze and looked back at Xie Li: 'Doctor Jin already greeted me this morning, saying you were coming for training. Since you want to train, you need to have the right attitude. Assemble at the training ground at 5:30 sharp every morning. Today is the first day, so I’ll let the lateness slide, but everyone owes me ten kilometers—quick march!'

Wait, didn’t she say the lateness would slide? Why was there still a ten-kilometer penalty? Xie Li was bewildered, but she started running, with Fang Mai and Tang Ran following close behind.

Ten kilometers was nothing to them; their physical fitness was far beyond what it had been at the start of the Apocalypse. Running ten kilometers now felt like a warm-up.

But today was different; they had Instructor Tian Tian Tian behind them.

'Are you out for a stroll?' She blew her whistle sharply. 'My ninety-year-old grandmother runs faster than you! Can’t you lift your legs? Run faster!'

The soldiers training in the distance all turned to look, wearing gloating smiles. Everyone was happy to see the newcomers being disciplined by the stern-faced Instructor Tian Tian Tian.

Xie Li gritted her teeth and accelerated, and the others did the same.

Tian Tian Tian was clearly unsatisfied with their speed, shouting angrily: 'I said faster, can’t you understand human speech? Accelerate, run!'

The shrill whistle sounded again, and the six of them were like little lambs being chased by a wolf pack, running for their lives.

Under Tian Tian Tian’s constant shouting and scolding, they picked up speed, eventually finishing the ten kilometers at a full sprint.

When they stopped, Xie Li’s head was buzzing. She leaned on her knees, gasping for air, her cheeks covered in sweat, and her sportswear soaked through.

Lan Ran and the others were even worse, kneeling on the ground, hands supporting their weight, heads hanging low as they gagged.

Tian Tian Tian stood before them, her breathing steady, a stopwatch in her hand. She glanced down at the disheveled group with a calm expression: 'Ten kilometers, nineteen minutes. Barely acceptable.'

Lan Ran straightened her back, supporting herself on her knees, and apologized decisively: 'Instructor Tian, I’m sorry, I laughed earlier.'

Tian Tian Tian snorted coldly: 'You think I didn’t know? Stand up once you’ve rested, and head to the shooting range.'

Xie Li reached out and pulled her teammates up one by one, following Instructor Tian Tian Tian toward the shooting range.

The shooting range was empty. Nowadays, the Base had cut off ammunition supplies, and to save bullets, the military soldiers had basically stopped shooting practice.

The soldiers would only go out into the wild to practice their aim on zombies; they wouldn’t waste ammunition at the range.

Bringing them here for shooting practice was truly pulling a massive favor.

Tian Tian Tian took a rifle from the rack and handed it to Xie Li: 'Do you know how to use it?'

Xie Li took it; the rifle felt cold and heavy in her hand. Unlike the toy guns she played with as a child, this was the real deal, with significant weight.

'I’ve used a handgun, but this is my first time with a rifle.'

Tian Tian Tian took another rifle from the rack and demonstrated for them in slow motion: removing the magazine, checking the chamber, and chambering a round.

After preparing, she lay prone on the sandbags with the rifle, the butt pressed against her shoulder, her cheek against the stock, closing her left eye to aim at the human-shaped target a hundred meters away, and pulled the trigger.

'Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—'

The gunshots rang out one after another, echoing across the empty training ground. Tian Tian Tian put the gun down, stood up, and asked the group: 'Did you get it?'

'I got it, Instructor. Can I try now?' Lan Ran asked impatiently.

Tian Tian Tian nodded: 'You can. One miss, and you’re penalized ten Contribution Points. Go ahead.'

The smile on Lan Ran’s face froze, and the others’ expressions turned much more serious.

Being penalized Contribution Points wasn’t fun at all; they absolutely couldn’t afford to miss.

Xie Li shook her head and smiled, mimicking Instructor Tian Tian Tian’s actions. She checked the rifle, prepared herself, lay down at the shooting position, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

'Bang!'

The moment the bullet left the chamber, the recoil slammed into her shoulder through the stock, and the muzzle jumped upward, aiming at the sky.

Xie Li frowned. It was a good thing she only fired one shot; otherwise, the second would definitely have missed. Even though she was a wealthy woman, she would still feel the sting of losing Contribution Points.

She re-aimed and fired another shot, but the muzzle still jumped upward. Xie Li adjusted her grip, pressed her center of gravity lower, and fired several shots in a row.

The muzzle shook slightly, and bullet after bullet flew spinning from the barrel, piercing the target a hundred meters away.

After emptying the magazine, the gunfire ceased. Xie Li put the gun down and stood up, rubbing her shoulder, which was sore from the impact of the stock.

Tian Tian Tian raised her binoculars and looked at Xie Li’s target.

On the target, the bullet holes were scattered, mostly fives and sixes, with one eight and one nine. There were no misses, but it wasn’t exactly impressive—barely a passing grade.

Lowering the binoculars, Tian Tian Tian continued her sharp-tongued critique: 'With your marksmanship, if you meet a zombie in the wild, you’d better hope you can make it stand still and listen to you.'

Xie Li: 'Instructor, I usually just shoot zombies face-to-face.'

'Don’t talk nonsense. I’ll teach you one more time, watch closely.'

Tian Tian Tian raised the rifle, stood in place with her feet shoulder-width apart, her body slightly angled toward the target, and lowered her center of gravity.

Her posture was completely different from when she was prone; it looked very casual and relaxed. She didn’t really aim, then pulled the trigger.

Several shots fired in rapid succession, almost without pause. Xie Li noticed her muzzle was very steady, barely shaking at all.

Tian Tian Tian put the gun down and tilted her chin at Xie Li: 'Take a look.'

Xie Li raised her binoculars and aimed at the human-shaped target a hundred meters away. Well, almost every shot was a ten.

Tian Tian Tian swept her gaze over the group: 'This morning, each of you will fire one hundred rounds. Practice well, don’t waste them.'

'Understood, Instructor Tian,' the group replied in unison.

They lay at the shooting positions, their expressions much more serious and earnest. Opportunities like this were rare, and they all cherished it.

If it weren’t for Jin Zhaoye, they would never have had such a chance. In the Apocalypse, having one more skill meant one more path to survival.

The sound of gunfire rang out intermittently across the range. The sun rose higher and higher, the white light shining down and baking the concrete ground until it was hot.

Before noon, everyone had finished their bullets. They were all still wanting more, looking at Tian Tian Tian with longing eyes.

Tian Tian Tian spread her hands helplessly: 'Looking at me won’t help. Being able to spare six hundred rounds for you to practice is already a massive favor from Doctor Jin. If you want to practice more, go to the logistics department and exchange for them with the Base yourself.'

Xie Li’s eyes lit up, and she leaned in to ask: 'Instructor Tian, can firearms and ammunition also be exchanged? Can guns be taken out of the Base?'

Tian Tian Tian winked at her. Honestly, Xie Li almost couldn’t hold back her laughter.

That winking gesture didn’t fit Instructor Tian Tian Tian’s rough-and-tumble image at all; it was both funny and a bit cute, like a black bear trying to flirt with you—it was hard not to laugh.

Tian Tian Tian glared at Xie Li, looking like she would beat her to death if she dared to laugh.

'If you have Contribution Points, of course you can exchange for them, but firearms cannot be used inside the Base. You have to hand them back to the Base for safekeeping when you return.' After saying this, she clapped her hands. 'Alright, since the bullets are gone, go to the canteen to eat. Assemble at one o’clock sharp; we’ll practice physical fitness in the afternoon.'

'Let’s go, let’s go.' Lan Ran came over, wrapping both hands around Tian Tian Tian’s thick arm and dragging her outside. 'Instructor, let’s go get a special meal on the second floor. My treat.'

'Right, right, Instructor, don’t be polite with her. She has plenty of Contribution Points; order a couple more meat dishes later,' Zhou Yu chimed in.

The group chatted and joked, surrounding Tian Tian Tian as they walked to the canteen.

On the second floor of the canteen, it was the same spot as last night. Lan Ran picked up the menu, leaned over, and handed it to Tian Tian Tian with both hands: 'Instructor, would you like to see the menu?'

'Hmph, do you think I’d be polite with a brat like you?' Tian Tian Tian snatched the menu, waved her hand, and ordered two meat dishes. 'Alright, you guys handle the rest.'

After ordering, it wasn’t long before the staff brought the food over.

None of them had eaten breakfast, and after a morning of shooting practice, they were already starving. No one bothered with formalities; chopsticks flew, and if you were a second too slow, you wouldn’t get any food.

After eating, Xie Li put down her chopsticks, stood up, and went to the counter to pay the bill. It didn’t matter if Lan Ran paid or she paid; the girl was always clinging to her anyway.

Returning to the table, Xie Li called out to the group: 'I’m going out for a bit; I’ll meet you at the training ground later.'

'What are you going to do, Gift?' Lan Ran asked.

Xie Li: 'I’m going to send some Contribution Points to Jiang Nanxu and the others.'

'I’m coming too.' Lan Ran put down the bone she had gnawed clean, grabbed two napkins to wipe her hands, stood up, and followed Xie Li.

The living area for Omega and Beta was completely separated from the Alpha side by a concrete wall, and with soldiers guarding the gate, Alphas couldn’t get anywhere near it.

Xie Li and Lan Ran were stopped as soon as they reached the gate.

An Omega soldier holding a rifle looked at them expressionlessly: 'You can’t enter here.'

'We’re not going in, we’re looking for someone,' Xie Li said. 'Jiang Nanxu, Luo Peishan—could you please help us call them?'

The soldier turned and went into the guard booth, picked up the walkie-talkie, and said a few words. About five minutes later, two familiar figures came jogging out.

Seeing Xie Li and Lan Ran, Jiang Nanxu’s eyes lit up: 'Xie Li, you’ve come to the Base too? When did you arrive?'

'Senior, didn’t you see there’s someone else standing next to Xie Li?' Lan Ran waved at her.

Jiang Nanxu smiled gently: 'I saw. Junior Lan Ran is here too.'

Lan Ran muttered softly: 'So perfunctory.'

Luo Peishan, who was standing to the side, heard this and burst into laughter.

Xie Li didn’t make small talk with them. She took the Contribution Point card from her pocket, counted out one thousand, and handed it to Jiang Nanxu: 'Take this. You guys can rent a room together so you don’t have to suffer being squeezed in a tent. Keep the rest for food.'

Jiang Nanxu stared at the stack of cards, stunned, not reaching out to take them for a moment.

Xie Li shoved the cards into her hand: 'Take them. We have things to do, so we’re leaving. Bye, Xiao Luo.'

Luo Peishan waved at her: 'Bye, Senior.'

Jiang Nanxu clutched the cards, watching the backs of Xie Li and Lan Ran as they walked away, her eyes gradually growing moist. Only those who had lived in the Base understood how precious these Contribution Points were.

...

Lan Ran followed Xie Li for a long stretch of road before she couldn’t help but speak up.

'Gift, how can you be so generous, giving them so many Contribution Points? One thousand points is too much; you’d have to haul bricks for fifty days to earn that.'

'It’s not much,' Xie Li analyzed seriously. 'It’s just enough for a month’s rent and a little food money. It’s not like you haven’t lived in a tent; it’s so hot and stuffy in there. We’re classmates, after all. Since we aren’t lacking food and drink, shouldn’t we give our classmates a hand?'

Lan Ran was convinced: 'You’re right. But next time, can you let me do the seducing? You already have Goddess Jin, and you’re still sending warmth to other Omegas. If you don’t treat me to dinner tonight, this isn’t over.'

'Do you want me to treat you to a hammer?'

'Is it a beef hammer or a pork hammer? I don’t like iron hammers; they get stuck in my teeth.'

'A Mama-style one, I’m going to hammer you right now.'

The two of them bickered back and forth, jogging all the way to the training ground under the bright, scorching midday sun.

The physical training in the afternoon was much more grueling than the shooting practice in the morning.

Instructor Tian Tian Tian turned into a sheepdog again, and Xie Li and her five teammates turned into weak, helpless little lambs.

They were driven through one training project after another—barbed wire, balance beams, climbing walls, single-plank bridges, deep pits, and high platforms. Looking at it, one might have thought they’d arrived at a playground.

For the entire afternoon, Xie Li and her group ran back and forth on the physical training ground until the sky grew dark, and only then did Tian Tian Tian mercifully let them go.

'Alright, training over. Go back and take a shower. Assemble at 5:30 sharp tomorrow morning.'

Xie Li crawled up from the ground, dragged her teammates up one by one, and walked out of the training ground, leaning on each other for support.

The setting sun stretched their shadows out very, very long, and the six figures overlapped on the road.

By the time they returned to the apartment, it was already dark.

Xie Li went back to her room, her limbs feeling soft and weak as she went into the bathroom to shower.

The initial training intensity had been simple for her, but she didn’t know if Instructor Tian Tian Tian had realized she was handling it with ease; later on, she was practically chasing them, which exhausted her.

Plus, being exposed to the sun all afternoon, she felt like she’d almost peeled a layer of skin.

After showering, she wiped her hair haphazardly, threw on a tank top and shorts, and collapsed onto the bed.

The back of her neck was burning with pain; she’d probably really gotten a sunburn. She was hungry, but she was too lazy to go to the canteen. Anyway, there was plenty of food in her Space. She’d find Jin Zhaoye after a nap. With these messy thoughts swirling in her head, she drifted off to sleep.

...

When she woke up again, the room was pitch black, and there was a knock at the door.

Xie Li opened her eyes, dazed, shuffled to the door in her slippers, and pulled it open to see the woman standing in the hallway. Before her brain had even cleared, the corners of her mouth had already curled up.

'Jin Zhaoye, why are you here?'

Jin Zhaoye lifted the bag in her hand: 'I guessed you probably didn’t go to the canteen to eat, so I brought you some.'

Xie Li stepped aside to let her in, then closed the door. She reached out to pull the woman into her arms, resting her chin on her shoulder and taking a deep breath.

'I missed you so much.'

Jin Zhaoye hugged her back: 'Instructor Tian praised you.'

'What did she praise me for?'

'She praised your physical fitness and your shooting instinct. Said you’re a good seed for a soldier.'

Xie Li felt great being praised, looking up with a grin, her eyes sparkling: 'Am I that good? Did she praise anything else?'

'That’s plenty, isn’t it?' Jin Zhaoye patted her. 'Let go of me first and eat your food.'

'Can I eat something else first?' Xie Li whispered against her ear.

'No, you trained all afternoon. Eat your food first—'

Before Jin Zhaoye could finish, she was blocked by Xie Li, who tilted her head to seal her lips.

Xie Li wrapped her arms around her waist, trapping her between herself and the door, and deepened the kiss, biting gently at her lips.

'Mmph...' Jin Zhaoye gasped softly, clinging to her shoulders.