Hello, Comrade. I'm Here to Marry You!

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: He Is Not Stone-Hearted

Perhaps it was because he had no experience dealing with such a thick-skinned girl.

The girls he usually encountered were nothing like Su Zhaozhao.

If he said anything even slightly harsh, they would get scared and run off.

But Su Zhaozhao was different. It was as if she didn’t care what he said and would just keep sidling up to him.

The night grew deeper, enveloping him like thick ink.

Xie Huaizheng lit a cigarette.

Smoke curled into the darkness, but Xie Huaizheng felt his mood was still exceptionally agitated.

He’d never been this agitated before. In the past, when he felt restless, a cigarette or two would always calm him down.

But now, Xie Huaizheng felt that smoking couldn’t soothe his emotions in the slightest.

Things were spiraling out of his control. But then, the image of the girl’s eyes curving into a radiant smile flashed through his mind.

He bit down on the cigarette butt. ’Hmm... maybe it’s worth a shot.’

「The next day.」

Su Zhaozhao once again slept until Xie Huaizheng came knocking on her door.

She frowned, yawned, and said to him, "I can skip breakfast."

She was a night owl. Even though the nightlife here was boring, she was still used to going to bed late and waking up late.

Xie Huaizheng’s eyes swept over Su Zhaozhao’s sleepwear. Today, she’d changed into a floral nightgown. Colorful cartoon flowers bloomed across the fabric, lending her an inexplicably charming and playful air.

But it was still the type of sleepwear that exposed her arms and legs. The sight of her slender, pale limbs made Xie Huaizheng feel as if his eyes had been burned.

"You can’t skip breakfast," Xie Huaizheng said, handing her the meal box. "You should be more mindful of your appearance from now on. If Xiao Yuanming comes to bring you food, it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to be dressed like this."

’He was her fiancé, so it was one thing, but other men?’

Su Zhaozhao nodded. "Don’t worry, I only dress like this in front of you."

She took the meal box from Xie Huaizheng and started eating.

’She was a little disappointed. To think that Xie Huaizheng had actually brought a spoon! If he’d brought chopsticks again, she could have had him feed her!’

At this thought, Su Zhaozhao asked, "So you’re leaving tomorrow?"

Xie Huaizheng nodded.

Su Zhaozhao felt a pang of sadness.

’He’ll be gone for a whole week. I’ll be here all alone, without my target... it’ll be so boring.’

Watching the girl silently eat her breakfast, Xie Huaizheng could sense her spirits were low.

His thin lips pressed together. "If you get bored, you can..."

"I’m not bored! I think it’s great here," Su Zhaozhao immediately cut in.

"I wasn’t telling you to go back. What are you getting so worked up about?" Xie Huaizheng said, his lips remaining a flat line. ’This girl... it’s like a conditioned reflex with her.’

"You weren’t thinking about making me go back?"

Seeing Su Zhaozhao’s dumbfounded look, Xie Huaizheng couldn’t help but find it a little funny.

"I was saying, if you’re bored, you can go find Aunt Yun. I’ve already spoken to her, but I didn’t tell her the reason for your injury. I was afraid she would blame herself too much. If you want to tell her, you can do it yourself."

Hearing this, Su Zhaozhao immediately shook her head. "No, no, we don’t need to tell her."

’I don’t like that feeling, having someone look at me with guilt. That’s no good.’

Xie Huaizheng knew Su Zhaozhao would say that. He couldn’t help but reach out and pinch her cheek. "So, you’re doing this to me on purpose, aren’t you? Trying to make me feel guilty?"

Su Zhaozhao immediately broke into a sweet smile. "How could that be? Our Camp Commander is so tough, a real man of iron. You wouldn’t feel guilty, would you?"

Staring into the girl’s sparkling eyes, Xie Huaizheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He quickly looked away.

"Don’t talk nonsense. I’m human, too. How am I a man of iron?"

"Right, our Camp Commander Xie is the most warm-hearted person there is! How could he possibly be a man of iron?" Su Zhaozhao’s eyes were filled with mirth.

Seeing her like this, Xie Huaizheng was, for a moment, completely flustered.

’He felt his emotions were being influenced more and more by this girl.’

The next two meals were also delivered by Xie Huaizheng.

Tonight would be the last one. Tomorrow, he would have to hand this duty over to Xiao Yuanming.

Su Zhaozhao took the meal box from him, looking at him wistfully. "So I won’t get to see you for a whole week..."

Her voice was laced with a pitiable tone, like a kitten’s paw scratching gently at his heart.

"Use this time to get used to life in the Northwest. Calm down and really think about whether or not I’m the right person for you," Xie Huaizheng said coolly.

Su Zhaozhao sighed softly. "You still don’t believe my feelings are real?"

"I just think you should consider it carefully. It’s not so easy to get a divorce once you’re married."

’This was a good chance for him, too. He needed to seriously think about whether he really wanted to marry Su Zhaozhao.’

"I’m leaving," Xie Huaizheng said, turning to head out the door.

"Wait!" Su Zhaozhao called out to him.

Xie Huaizheng stopped and turned to look at her.

Su Zhaozhao had already run to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

The girl was small and soft, and a sweet fragrance wafted from her as she threw herself at him.

Xie Huaizheng’s body instantly went rigid.

’Here she goes again. Su Zhaozhao, doing this sort of thing again!’

’As if they were already close enough to be this intimate.’

And yet, he found he couldn’t bring himself to push her away. He just let her hold him.

"We won’t see each other for a week. You have to remember me, and you’re not allowed to look for other women, understand?" Su Zhaozhao instructed while hugging him.

Hearing her words, Xie Huaizheng gripped her chin. "Making demands of me when we aren’t even together? You’ve certainly got some nerve."

Even as he gripped her chin, however, he didn’t dare to use much force.

’This girl’s skin was just too delicate. He was afraid it would break if he used even a little too much force.’

But Su Zhaozhao remained nestled in his arms. She smiled up at him. "Mm-hmm, I am very bold. But what about you? Camp Commander Xie, you’re not as brave as I am. You don’t even dare to be with me."

While still holding him, Su Zhaozhao rose onto her tiptoes.

This brought them even closer together.