Can't Take My Eyes Off You

C 296-297

"You are early, Sergeant Lu. What about your wife who's alone at home?" Zhou Junmin ran toward Colonel Lin after saying that to Lu Xingzhi, trying to avoid him.

Lu Xingzhi was in a good mood and ignored Zhou Junmin. He walked toward Colonel Lin and said, "Colonel, I request for an increased-difficulty training. Since the weather is still pleasant, I propose we plan that with the wilderness training in mind."

"Sounds great, just send me the training proposal once you are done with it." Colonel Lin was pleased hearing Lu Xingzhi's suggestion. He liked how Lu Xingzhi was still thinking about the platoon's well-being, desiring for the soldiers to better themselves through training.

Lu Xingzhi stood there talking to Colonel Lin regarding his training plans. It was a while before he got to the morning training.

After that, he went and got breakfast from the cafeteria. Walking through the door, he could see Jiang Yao all dressed up, doing some stretches on the balcony.

"Go wash your hands and come have some breakfast." Lu Xingzhi called out. Laying the borrowed cutleries on the table, he lightly prepared the food he brought back.

Entering the living room, Jiang Yao could smell the intense aroma of soybean milk brought back by Lu Xingzhi.

"Why didn't you sleep for a little longer?" Looking at Jiang Yao, Lu Xingzhi was pretty sure that she had been awake for quite some time.

"Right after you left, Zhou Weiqi called," Jiang Yao pointed at Lu Xingzhi's cell phone on the table and explained. "He wanted to know when we were going to arrive at Jindo City. Since he is in Jin City now, he wanted us to get him on our way."

Zhou Weiqi called right after Lu Xingzhi left. After picking up the call, Jiang Yao had no intentions of going back to sleep.

Lu Xingzhi nodded and thought to himself, 'I'd better talk to Zhou Weiqi next time, how dare he wake Jiang Yao up with that ill-timed phone call.'

Lu Xingzhi had eaten before coming back. He took a set of clean clothes and walked toward the bathroom.

After an hour and a half worth of training, he could not stop sweating even though the weather had been chilly for some time.

The two-bedroom-one-bathroom unit was not too spacious. Even with him showering in the bathroom, he could clearly hear Jiang Yao making sounds while eating her breakfast.

It felt weird, but welcoming.

The entire house felt lively, even when it was quiet, all thanks to the presence of Jiang Yao.

Walking out of the bathroom, he heard a knock on the door. After getting dressed, he walked out of the bedroom to see two extra people standing in the living room.

Mrs. Ge was holding on to Ge Wenwen's hand standing right in the center of the living room. It seemed like she was planning to go out, as she had a backpack on her.

"Do you need something, Mrs. Ge?" Lu Xingzhi could see that Jiang Yao's face had darkened. He figured that Mrs. Ge was up to her own shenanigans again.

"Mrs. Ge said that she is going to the hospital to see Sergeant Ge. She wants my help in looking after Ge Wenwen for a couple of days." Jiang Yao could feel the anger boiling inside her. She explicitly mentioned yesterday that she was going to Jindo City with Lu Xingzhi to attend a wedding. To her surprise, Mrs. Ge still brought Ge Wenwen over, asking for her help in taking care of the little girl.

"We're not free." Lu Xingzhi rejected right off the bat. "Jiang Yao and I are going to Jindo City today. It's the holidays, Wenwen does not have to go to school for a few days. If you are still worried about leaving Wenwen with other people, bring Wenwen to the hospital together with you. Also, Wenwen has not seen her father for quite some time, she must be missing him."

Seeing that Lu Xingzhi had rejected her, Jiang Yao turned away and went back to the bedroom to take her backpack. She left Mrs. Ge and Ge Wenwen to Lu Xingzhi.

Mrs. Ge's face darkened when she heard Lu Xingzhi's rejection.

When she opened her mouth once again, she was obviously unhappy about it as she complained without holding back.

"There is nowhere to stay at the hospital, and Wenwen is still so young, how can I bring her there? Everyone in this platoon looks down on people from the countryside like us, how can I possibly leave Wenwen to them without feeling worried? I was thinking that we are neighbors living opposite each other, and my husband is under you, Sergeant Lu. What's more, my husband was injured on the mission with you. I would definitely not worry if I leave Wenwen in both of your hands. I also know that you are going to Jindo City. Wenwen has been very obedient, she has been suffering with me and her father since young and she hasn't been to any big cities. Aren't you going to Jindo City to attend a wedding? Just bring her along!"

Jiang Yao, who was in the bedroom, was infuriated by Mrs. Ge's words.
Lu Xingzhi's face was even darker.

"Mrs. Ge, you need to go to the hospital and tell Sergeant Ge about this first. If Sergeant Ge requests that I bring Wenwen to Jindo City, then and only then, you can come and tell me that! I am going out with my wife now, please go back, Mrs. Ge!" Lu Xingzhi sent her out without giving her any face.

Ge Wenwen was very scared of Lu Xingzhi. Although her mother told her to behave well in the morning and pester Uncle and Auntie Lu to bring her along the night before, the child's sensitive heart could feel Uncle Lu's anger. At this moment, she was clinging onto her mother's sleeve as she was frightened, and she hid behind her mother while peeking at them. However, neither did she dare to say a word, nor did she dare to follow her mother's instructions and badger them.

Mrs. Ge quivered out of anger after hearing Lu Xingzhi's words. If she really were to tell her husband about this, her husband would definitely slap her back to her hometown.

The only reason she dared to make such a request to Sergeant Lu was because her husband was at the hospital. She initially thought that Captain Lu would feel bad about her husband's injuries and agree to bring her daughter to Jindo City.

Thinking that when her daughter arrives at Jindo City and starts crying, looking for her mother, Sergeant Lu would then bring her along to Jindo City as well.

She had not been to Jindo City before but she heard that Jindo City was a bustling city. Jindo City had wide streets, a palace where the emperor from the ancient times lived in, and tall skyscrapers.

However, Sergeant Lu rejected her bluntly, and he did not even care about her feelings.

Mrs. Ge was feeling resentful deep down. She felt that the richer people were, the stingier they were.

The people in the platoon said that Sergeant Lu was loaded. She thought that since Sergeant Lu was not short of money, he would not mind bringing a child to Jindo City. By that time, she could follow them to Jindo City too due to her daughter's pestering, and Sergeant Lu would have to take good care of her.

She had been daydreaming about this the whole night. She was hoping that she could follow Sergeant Lu to Jindo City, stay at an expensive grand hotel and have a luxurious feast.

"Mrs. Ge, bring Wenwen along with you, I'm not available right now." After Lu Xingzhi finished saying so, he turned away and called out to Jiang Yao, "Dear, let's go when you're ready."