Lu Jinting stared blankly and replied a bit more slowly. Yet he didn’t admit he was drunk.
“Go back home?”
He sounded as if he were asking for permission. But it was already late.
Ye Guanguan waited until he wanted to leave willingly. It was after ten o’clock in the evening when they finally left the military residential quarter. Zhang drove the car while Lu Jinting sat in the back seat, with a strong smell of alcohol in his breath. His usually serious face looked much gentler.
“Mister, do you want to throw up?”
With concern, Ye Guanguan stroked his forehead and found his body hot. Since Lu Jinting got into the car, he had been sitting still like a sculpture and he said nothing at all.
Zhang, sitting in the driver’s seat, looked back curiously.
“We saw Commander Lu drunk for the first time. It was just like your wedding dinner tonight. We didn’t really enjoy ourselves at your real wedding.”
“Commander?”
Ye Guanguan frowned slightly. It was the second time that she heard someone calling Lu Jinting Commander.
She tried to recall, but in her mind, Lu Jinting was a mere military officer. If he was a very high-ranking officer, why didn’t he tell her?
Zhang covered his mouth immediately, realizing he shouldn’t have said that. “No. No. He always wants to be a commander. So, we call him like that privately.”
“Don’t do stupid things. Don’t you fear you’ll get punished?”
Ye Guanguan believed him. She nodded, took out the tissue and wiped Lu Jinting’s forehead. His face was burning.
It was the middle of night when they finally reached home and Tuanzi had fallen asleep. With the nursemaid’s help, Ye Guanguan carried Lu Jinting to the second floor. The nursemaid was worried to see Ye Guanguan have difficulty supporting her husband.
“Shall we ask Zhang to help?”
“Forget it. Don’t bother him for such a small problem. I’ll take care of it.”
Ye Guanguan had never looked after Lu Jinting before, especially when he was drunk. Suddenly, she remembered that Lu Jinting was once drunk in the previous life. She hated it when he threw up all over their home and let him sleep all night on the sofa in the living room.
The next day, when she woke up and went downstairs, the vomit was gone. So was Lu Jinting, with the smell of alcohol.
At that time, she might have done a lot of things to hurt him. Fooled around by Lu Mingye, she didn’t want to get close to her legal husband at all.
Water was filling the bathtub with the splash. After all the trouble, Ye Guanguan eventually carried Lu Jinting to the bathtub. Unexpectedly, she slipped. The water splashed all over her.
Lu Jinting sobered up a bit. He stared at the wet woman with gleaming eyes.
“Guanguan.”
Ye Guanguan flushed and she asked, unabashed, “Mister, would you like a bath with me?”
Lu Jinting’s Adam’s apple rolled. Ye Guanguan walked closer, with a blushing face, and began to unbutton her coat unskillfully.
Lu Jinting was too impatient to wait. He reached out and pulled her buttons directly. Some of the buttons fell into the water.
Ye Guanguan reached out to push him. She didn’t want to be sleepless all night again. Unfortunately, Lu Jinting, in the water, didn’t mean to let her go.
Water splashed in the bathtub, as if welcoming her arrival in this home.
Conventionally, after a few days of their wedding, Ye Guanguan could go back to her own family with her husband for a visit. She had wanted Ye Qiancheng to book a restaurant, but she didn’t know she could be too busy to even ask him.
A pain in his head woke Lu Jinting up from his dream. As he stirred slightly, Ye Guanguan turned around, looking into his dim eyes.
“You’re awake?”
It was still early. Ye Guanguan had thought that he would sleep late because of the hangover. The fixed biological clock of a soldier like Lu Jinting, however, never changed for any reason.
“Don’t do morning exercise today, will you? I’ll go get you a cup of honey water.”
Ye Guanguan was about to get out of the bed when Lu Jinting seized her arm tightly. Ye Guanguan was pulled into his arms and Lu Jinting put her hand onto his hot joystick.
Ye Guanguan flushed immediately. She struggled to get up, but was held tightly in his arms.
There came Lu Jinting’s low whisper above her head. “Don’t struggle. Or you can’t get out of the bed.”
Ye Guanguan stayed in his arms obediently. She didn’t come out until the deafening heartbeat in her ears gradually died down. A warm blush rose to her cheeks.
“Hurry up… Go get washed. You’re going home with me today.”
Lu Jinting stretched comfortably in bed. He had a smile on his stern face as he saw his shy wife running into the bathroom like an ostrich.
So, it felt so good to have her!
Ye Guanguan had prepared the gifts for returning home. Her father loved antiques and paintings. After asking Ye Qiancheng what their father’s favorite was, Ye Guanguan bought some and packed them in gift boxes before she asked the driver to put them in the trunk.
Before she left home, Lu Jinting had someone bring in a potted red pine. Ye Guanguan smelt its fragrance from afar.
Upon seeing it, Ye Guanguan realized it must be expensive. “It must have cost a lot.”
“It’s an important gift, to make my father-in-law happy.”
The red pine was put into a pick-up truck that was parked behind Lu Jinting’s military car whose trunk had been repaired.
They were ready to go.
Ye Guanguan got into the back seat with Lu Jinting. Before Zhang came to drive the car, she urged in a low voice.
“We can no longer spend money so wastefully. Tuanzi will go to school. Don’t…”
Before she finished, Zhang got into the car, wearing his gloves. Ye Guanguan stopped immediately. She wouldn’t disrespect Lu Jinting in front of his subordinate.
Lu Jinting chuckled and replied indifferently, “Don’t worry.”
When Lu Jinting turned a deaf ear to her advice, Ye Guanguan poked him with her elbow. “Did you hear me? If you keep wasting money, just give me your salary card!”
The allowance for soldiers was paid monthly, just like salary.
Lu Jinting took out his purse right away and put the card on Ye Guanguan’s hand.
“I’m giving it to you right now.”
Zhang, in the driver’s seat, chuckled. He teased, “What a surprise! You’re now a hen-pecked husband.”
Lu Jinting’s face clouded. Seen from the driving mirror, Zhang started the engine and began to drive carefully like a frightened cat.
Ye Guanguan didn’t know how much money Lu Jinting made every month. She believed when she saw him having only one card in his purse.
“I’m keeping it for you. You don’t smoke or drink wine. I’ll give you 200 yuan per month. Is that enough?”
Now, Ye Guanguan was totally like a housekeeper. She not only kept her own accounts, but also held the purse strings of their family.
Speaking of this, Lu Jinting took out another card from his jacket pocket.
“I’m giving you this, too.” said he.
Ye Guanguan was surprised. Could he have some other part-time jobs that she didn’t know?
“What’s this?” asked Ye Guanguan.
Lu Jinting replied with a mysterious smile, “Private money.”