“Oh? Isn’t that a good thing? Why are you acting like you’re questioning an inmate?” Su Zhan cut in as he glanced at Zong Jinghao. It wasn’t easy to find someone as accomplished as Tawan, so he didn’t want Zong Jinghao to scare the former away.
“Come, have a seat.” Su Zhan ushered Tawan in warmly.
To which the latter nodded and replied, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. We might become a family soon. Don’t stand on formalities.” Su Zhan gave Qin Ya a slight shove and whispered, “Get him a cup of water.”
“You should go get it.” Qin Ya refused to budge and gave him a hard stare.
Su Zhan smacked his lips. “Fine. I’ll go.”
He was used to Qin Ya ordering him around.
If one day she started being gentle to him, he might not get used to that.
When he returned with two glasses of water, both Tawan and Zong Yanxi were still rooted to their spots. He placed the glasses on the table and questioned, “Why won’t you sit?”
After asking that, he belatedly realized why they were acting this way. Flashing a grin, he told Zong Jinghao, “Just say yes. You and Tawan are neighbors, aren’t you? You can see your daughter every day. Isn’t that great?”
Zong Jinghao glared daggers at Su Zhan, causing him to immediately zip his mouth shut and plop onto the couch. “He’s being ungrateful,” Su Zhan muttered under his breath.
Su Zhan was being this enthusiastic because he didn’t want Zong Yanxi to miss out on Tawan.
After Su Zhan’s words, Zong Jinghao couldn’t bring himself to say what he had in mind. He waved impatiently and told them, “Sit down.”
“Dad.” Zong Yanxi took the seat beside Zong Jinghao and took his arm. “Does that mean you agree?”
Lin Xinyan glanced at her husband.
Zong Jinghao patted his daughter’s hand. He felt reluctant, but she was an adult who should form a family of her own now. He couldn’t be by her side forever, so it would be pathetic if she spent her whole life alone.
His wish would be fulfilled if his daughter found someone who would take care of her forever.
“If you don’t speak, I’ll consider it a silent consent.” Lin Xinyan, who had been quiet the whole time, broke the silence.
Immediately, Zong Jinghao murmured in assent.
“That’s great!” Su Zhan uttered excitedly. His enthusiasm made it seem like it was his son who was getting married.
That night, after Zong Yanchen left Zhuang Zijin’s room, he went out with Tawan.
Zong Yanchen had previously met the man a few times for work, but they weren’t that close.
He didn’t say anything after finding out about his sister and Tawan’s relationship.
“Did you ask me out so we could talk?” asked Tawan.
Zong Yanchen suggested they should go somewhere else to have this conversation.
Shortly after, the two men arrived at the river.
There was a cool breeze blowing by the river. On both sides of the river were neon lights that flashed over the river, causing the surface of the water to sparkle.
Zong Yanchen rested his arms on the railing and leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the rippling surface as he recalled the past. “We were close back then. After that, I became a soldier, and she started dating other men. We were no longer as close as we used to be. I wasn’t home for the past few years, and a lot had happened back home.”
“Mm,” came Tawan’s reply as he stood beside Zong Yanchen. They had served in the military, so their figures were imposing and formidable.
Even though they weren’t in their uniforms, they were easily recognizable in a crowd.
Suddenly, Zong Yanchen turned and posed a question. “Why do you like Ruixi?”
Tawan’s skin wasn’t really fair, but he wasn’t that tanned either. He would pass off as a local easily. With his bushy eyebrows and sculptured features, he made a tough man. Now, the tough guy’s expression had softened upon recalling Zong Yanxi.
“I don’t know.” He was telling the truth, for he couldn’t pinpoint what he loved about Zong Yanxi exactly.
“Perhaps it’s a feeling you can’t see or touch. There’s no exact reason, but I know I love her.”
“Really?” Zong Yanchen arched his brows.
“What makes you doubt? Have you never ever been in a relationship? Have you never fell in love with a girl?” Tawan questioned in disbelief.
Zong Yanchen gazed at him sharply. “Are you looking down on me?”
“No, but it’s abnormal for you not to fall in love with someone of the opposite sex at your age—”
“You’re the abnormal one.” Zong Yanchen had been approachable when he was a kid, but after he became a soldier, he started exuding an imposing aura.
He wasn’t at the military base anymore, but the integrity and qualities of a soldier had been carved into his bones.
“I heard you’re a high-ranking military officer. Should we enter a friendly duel to see if you’re qualified to protect my sister?”
Both men exchanged gazes solemnly. This wasn’t a normal duel between them – they were representing their own army.
It soon escalated to the qualities and capabilities of soldiers from two different countries.
Neither of them was willing to lose, so they attacked at the same time.
Both men fought on the lawn right next to the river.
They were evenly matched.
An hour later, they both collapsed onto the lawn, sweating profusely.
Tawan, whose back was wounded, panted heavily on the ground.
Even though the grass poked at his wound, he didn’t even moan or frown at the pain.
For a qualified soldier like him, a wound that minor was nothing.
“From now on, be nice to my sister or risk facing my wrath,” warned Zong Yanchen as he stared at the sky.
At that remark, Tawan’s lips twitched. There was a bruise on the corner of his lips after he got punched by Zong Yanchen.
Grinning, he answered, “Got it.”
Tawan had dinner at the villa earlier, but he was staying at the hotel.
Zong Yanxi and he weren’t officially married; they had just confirmed their relationship as a couple, so they weren’t staying together yet.
After parting with Zong Yanchen, Tawan returned to his hotel.
Unbeknownst to him, Zong Yanxi was waiting for him in his room.
Tawan was surprised to see her in his room. Immediately, he covered the bruise on his face and asked, “Why are you here?”
“The wound on your back hasn’t healed yet. I came to give the ointment to you.” Zong Yanxi came to him and pushed his hand away to reveal the bruise at the corner of his lips. Frowning, she demanded, “Where did you get this from?”
She was about to reach out to touch it but was afraid of hurting him. “Did you get into a fight?” she asked as her frown deepened.
Tawan strode in and mumbled a “yes.”
“Are you still a kid?” Zong Yanxi was both mad and worried at the same time. She got some ice and wrapped them up in a towel to hold it against his bruise.
“What hit you? The bruise looks horrible,” she inquired as she pressed the crudely made ice pack against his bruise.
Tawan answered, “A fist.”
The woman was dumbfounded by his answer.
After icing his bruise, she proceeded to tend to the wound on his back. Upon seeing the scabs being rubbed away, she couldn’t help but chide, “Aren’t you aware that you have an injury? Why did you fight with others like a kid?”
Tawan listened to her grumbles without retorting back. Instead, he found her puffy cheeks and angry expression adorable. “I did it on purpose to see you showing concern for me.”
“No one is concerned about you!” Zong Yanxi applied force to his wound on purpose, causing him to gasp in pain. He immediately rolled over and grabbed her into his arms. Swiftly, his lips captured hers in a kiss.
It was a deep kiss compared to the gentle pecks Zong Yanxi used to receive from him.
She didn’t move an inch and allowed Tawan’s warm lips to delve deeper.
Slowly, her body went limp as she took in his handsome face, the heady scent of his sweat combined with the smell of the ointment, and his hot breaths on her skin.
Buzz! Buzz!
Tawan’s phone began vibrating out of nowhere.
That snapped Zong Yanxi back to reality, and she shoved him. “Mm, your phone is ringing.”
