Chapter 12: Warm Color_1

As soon as Lu Zhanguo stepped inside, he was met with an even stronger aroma of food. On the Eight Immortal Table was a small pot filled with braised pork, its color was a bright and shiny red, appetizing at first glance. A porcelain basin full of chicken and potatoes, and the pickled cabbage had dried red peppers in it, making for a wonderful combination. Each dish was plentiful and the color coordination was pleasing to the eyes. Lu Zhanguo had no idea that Gu Xiaobei possessed such skills.

Seeing that Lu Zhanguo had returned, Gu Xiaobei ran towards him, boasting, "How is it? I did pretty well, didn't I? Does it look delicious?"

Lu Zhanguo looked down at Gu Xiaobei, who was expecting praise, and said warmly "Yes, well done, you've worked hard."

"If you think I've worked hard, why don't you give me a kiss?" Gu Xiaobei shamelessly suggested.

Lu Zhanguo stiffened slightly, rebuking sharply, "What on earth are you saying in broad daylight? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at us?"

"So, it's alright if it's nighttime?" Gu Xiaobei squinted as she chuckled, thinking to herself that he was such an old-fashioned man. As Lu Zhanguo was caught off guard, she swiftly stood on tiptoes and planted a kiss on the corner of his lips. Before he could react, she dashed off to go check the pot.

Lu Zhanguo stared at the retreating figure: How can someone's personality suddenly change so drastically?

Not long after, the family of six from Zhang Lijun's house, and the couple Guo Huaqiang, came over. Because there weren't enough chairs, they brought over a few from Zhang Lijun's house.

Once everyone was seated, Gu Xiaobei brought over the fish and sat down next to Lu Zhanguo. She smiled to Fengmei and said, "Don't be shy, Madam. This meat has been stewing all afternoon, it's tender and easy to chew."

The Eight Immortal Table was designed to comfortably seat eight people, but with two children added to the mix, it didn't feel crowded.

Guo Huaqiang tasted the braised pork and praised heartily, "This braised pork is absolutely delicious! It's simply impossible to stop eating!"

Xiangmin shot Guo Huaqiang a glance, but she couldn't deny that Gu Xiaobei's cooking was indeed delicious. Their two children, who rarely had the chance to eat meat, were happily munching away, one bite after another.

Fengmei was a bit embarrassed and subtly pulled at her children's clothes. While Fenghua enjoyed the meal, she was jealous of the one who cooked it, which dampened her own enjoyment.

The three men, however, were none the wiser. They were enjoying their 50-degree strong liquor, immersed in hearty conversation. Lu Zhanguo, as a result of a few cups of strong liquor, felt a bit warm. He loosened the top two buttons of his military shirt, rolled up his sleeves exposing his muscular arms, revealing a less rigid and stern demeanor, and even appeared to be approachable.

Gu Xiaobei looked over at Lu Zhanguo while eating, thinking how incredibly attractive he was. She was sure she could hear her own swallowing sounds. Lu Zhanguo casually glanced over, getting the impression from her adoring looks and worshipful eyes that she was biting her chopsticks all the while looking at him. This amused Lu Zhanguo and put him in an especially good mood. He laughed and spurred on Guo Huaqiang and Zhang Lijun to drink more.

Gu Xiaobei, noticing the chicken in the basin was nearly gone, went out to prepare the next dish. She proceeded to flatten and stretch the dough, thin sheets of noodles that cooked quickly in boiling water.

Once ready, she scooped up the noodles, brought them inside, and poured them into the large basin, which still had plenty of chicken soup left. She stirred them with a serving chopstick. The wide noodles were thin and translucent, with an elasticity that everyone present found intriguing due to its novelty.

The noodles tasted heavenly. Stirred into the chicken soup, the rich fragrance imparted a unique taste, and the texture was perfectly firm. Delicious.

Feeling refreshed, Guo Huaqiang said, "Younger sister, these noodles you made are fantastic. When you have free time, could you teach my wife? I would love to have some good noodles."

Even though Xiangmin acknowledged the noodles were tasty, there was no way she would lower herself by asking Gu Xiaobei to teach her how to make it.

Gu Xiaobei didn't mind, happily agreeing "Sure." She noticed that Lu Zhanguo was looking at her. The warmth in his deep eyes was unlike any she'd seen before. She instantly felt that her afternoon spent cooking was worth it.

After everyone had their fill, they got up and said their goodbyes. Fenghua stayed behind to help clear the table. The dishes and noodles were almost completely polished off. Gu Xiaobei politely said, "Fenghua, you don't have to clean up. Let me do it."

Li Fenghua glanced over at Lu Zhanguo, who was sitting at the table drinking water, and said with a suppressed laugh, "No problem, Sis-in-law, you've been working all afternoon and you're pregnant too. You should rest first."

You expect me to go inside, and let you ogle Lu Zhanguo in broad daylight? Gu Xiaobei wasn't stupid. With a change in her gaze, she said, "Alright, I am indeed a bit tired." She then gently led Lu Zhanguo inside, whispering, "Zhanguo, you should rest inside too."

Lu Zhanguo, who was deep in thought, didn't resist upon hearing her, and followed Gu Xiaobei inside. Li Fenghua was upset, she'd originally hoped that if Gu Xiaobei went inside, she could be left alone with Lu Zhanguo, and even if they didn't speak, she would be content.

Sitting on the bed, Lu Zhanguo said to Gu Xiaobei, "Didn't you want to take a shower? I can take you there now."

"But, you drank so much. Are you sure you'll be alright?" Gu Xiaobei was happy that Lu Zhanguo still remembered, but she was worried about him since he'd just finished drinking.

"It's alright. Pack your things, we'll go now. This is also a good opportunity for me to sober up."

Hearing Lu Zhanguo say this, Gu Xiaobei didn't argue any further. She gathered her clean clothes, grabbed a basin, and left the house with Lu Zhanguo.

Watching the two leave, Li Fengha's jealousy knew no bounds as she angrily did the dishes.

Under the deep haunting night sky filled with glimmering stars, Gu Xiaobei held the basin, quickly matching Lu Zhanguo's stride. She reached out with her free hand and took Lu Zhanguo's left hand.

"I'm afraid of the dark," she said hurriedly, fearing that Lu Zhanguo might refuse.

Lu Zhanguo indeed seemed startled, but he did not shake Gu Xiaobei off. Instead, he tightened his hold on her hand and slowed his pace. The warm, soft, and smooth hand in his own, Lu Zhangui enjoyed this feeling and didn't want to let go.

Given that the female soldiers were not stationed in the same barracks, there was no female bathhouse on site. Lu Zhanguo brought Gu Xiaobei over at this time, when the soldiers were engaging in an hour of academic learning after dinner. The bathhouse was empty, Lu Zhanguo stood guard at the entrance, "You go in, I'll be waiting outside. Take your time. They'll be studying for another hour."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiaobei quickly went in. The bathhouse had four rows of showerheads lining the walls. She picked the one furthest from the entrance, undressed, and started showering.

When Gu Xiaobei, with her wet hair, came out, she saw Lu Zhanguo standing guard at the entrance, his back to the door, enveloped by the dense darkness of the night. His figure was as commanding as a mountain, yet it also held a touch of solitude. Gu Xiaobei sighed internally, reasoning that even a hero faces his moments of loneliness.

Hearing a noise, Lu Zhanguo turned around. Although the night was pitch black with only a handful of stars dotting the sky, as an excellent special operations soldier, Lu Zhanguo's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's in the dark. He took in the sight of Gu Xiaobei's blushing cheeks from the hot bath and the water dripped from her long hair.

"Why didn't you dry your hair?" he inquired, his eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly.

"I'll use a dry towel when we get back, the towel I brought is already wet," Gu Xiaobei said as she grabbed his hand, and laughed off lightly. They then quickened their pace to get back home.