Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

No matter what Lu Xingzhi said, Jiang Yao remained as quiet as a lamb. She took the watermelon from him and ate it with her head hung low. After she finished the slice, she peeped at Lu Xingzhi quietly, wondering if he was angry about the letter of admission.

Lu Xingzhi rarely displayed his emotions physically. He always wore an impassive expression regardless of his actual emotions that no one knew how he really felt.

From the kitchen, Lu Yuqing’s raging voice resonated faintly across the house. Meanwhile, in the living room, Mr. Lu exchanged pleasantries with Zhao Zhuangzong, asking him about the trivial matters in work and life. Occasionally, Zhao Zhuangzong conversed with Lu Xingzhi. Jiang Yao was sitting among them like invisible air.

It was not as if Mr. Lu and Zhao Zhuangzong were intentionally ignored her, but they all knew that Jiang Yao was taciturn. She was more reserved and untalkative than Lu Xingzhi in the house. She only answered when she was asked something, and even so, she only answered the question without further elaboration. Her words were simpler and more monotonous than Lu Xingzhi’s at times. Fortunately, Lu Xingzhi would hand her fruit from time to time.

In the middle of the conversation, Jiang Yao suddenly raised to her feet. Lu Xingzhi shifted his surprised gaze at her and quickly asked, “Where are you going?”

Lu Xingzhi was worried that Jiang Yao was annoyed because of Lu Yuqing’s accusation earlier. He sounded anxious and hurriedly stood up and held Jiang Yao.

“Nowhere. I’m going back to the room to put this thing away,” Jiang Yao said as she waved the letter in her hand.

“Let’s go together, I’ll rub some ointment on your face.” Lu Xingzhi let go of Jiang Yao’s hand. He heaved a sigh of relief when he heard her speaking gently, with the motion of waving the letter relaxed and leisurely.

“Huh! So finicky! It’s just a small red mark, it will fade away in less than an hour. You are overreacting like she is some sort of expensive treasure,” Lu Yuqing mocked when she heard Lu Xingzhi while coming out of the kitchen with lunch dishes in her hands. Knowing Lu Xingzhi’s temper, she instantly returned back to the kitchen as soon as she finished talking.

Jiang Yao had intended to go back to the room by herself, but now, she followed Lu Xingzhi up the stairs. Lu Xingzhi walked on two steps ahead of her. His long and thin shadow casted on her and blocked the light in front of her. Jiang Yao stared at his back all the way upstairs and retracted her gaze when they entered the room.

Lu Xingzhi was a professional soldier. After four years at the university, he officially joined the military base. His years of training had equipped him with the characteristic of being hyperalert. Therefore, how could he not notice the intense stare behind him? He managed an amused smile. He bet that the person behind him did not expect him to know that she had been staring at him all the way.

“Sit down. Where did you keep the first aid kit?” The room had been redecorated when they were married. At that point, Lu Xingzhi had already joined the base and rarely came home. Jiang Yao was the one keeping the room tidy. He remembered that he had bought her a first aid kit in case of emergencies before he left to the base, but he did not know where she had kept it.

Jiang Yao pointed to the closet. “The bottom drawer on the left.” She continued, “I’m not finicky, this mark will fade in a moment.”

“You are my woman, I allow you to be finicky,” Lu Xingzhi blurted out as he looked for the kit. He bent over, retrieved the first aid kit, and checked the expiry date of the ointment before applying some on the red mark on Jiang Yao’s face.