After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

In the northern part of the city on a winter night, the cold wind howled.

The jeep's headlights, like two sharp blades, forcefully cleaved through the oppressive darkness of the military compound.

The car lurched violently as the wheels rolled over the speed bump. In the passenger seat, Ye Zhen nearly hit her head on the center console. She was exhausted; the lack of rest for several days, coupled with the farce that ensued upon returning to the village, had taken its toll even on her otherwise strong frame.

Gu Zheng brought the car to a steady stop.

Using the faint green light from the watch face, he turned to the side and his gaze fell on the woman's face.

After falling asleep, Ye Zhen's aloofness and coldness softened considerably. Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow on her eyelids, making her look... so adorable that it made one's heart itch.

"arrive."

Gu Zheng unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned forward, and gently brushed his rough fingertips against her eyelids. The calluses from years of holding a gun scraped against her delicate skin, and Ye Zhen jolted awake, groggily opening her eyes.

"Hmm?" Her voice was hoarse from just waking up, soft and gentle, like a little hook scratching at his heart.

Gu Zheng's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice lowered two octaves: "Get out of the car, go home and sleep."

Gu Zheng got out of the car, and without saying a word, he lifted Ye Zhen out of the passenger seat and closed the car door with his foot.

Ye Zhen reached out and hugged his neck: "There are still chickens in the car, don't let them freeze to death..."

"I'll come down and get it in a bit."

……

After washing up, Ye Zhen came out of the bathroom, drying her half-dry hair. She paused, almost thinking she had gone to the wrong door.

Under the dim light of the bedroom lamp, Gu Zheng leaned against the headboard. He had just taken a cold shower, and his military green vest was damp in several places, clinging tightly to his body, revealing the bulging outline of his pectoral muscles.

But that's nothing.

What made Ye Zhen's eyelids twitch was the book he was holding.

The cover was badly curled at the edges, and the large, bold font read: "Postpartum Care of Sows and Piglet Breeding Techniques".

The man was completely absorbed in what he was looking at, his brows furrowed and his eyes deep. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was studying the parameters of some new type of artillery or border infiltration tactics.

Ye Zhen's lips twitched violently twice.

To tease the man about his insomnia, she made up a story and sent him a telegram asking him to buy this "strange book." Her intention was that he would read something boring when he couldn't sleep, and that he would fall asleep while reading it.

Did this person actually take it to heart?

"Chief Gu, is this book... good?" Ye Zhen walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, suppressing a laugh.

Gu Zheng looked up at the sound, his dark eyes calm as still water. He closed the book, his large, thick hand tapping on the illustration of the big white pig on the cover, his expression as serious as if he were giving a report to the entire regiment.

"Dr. Ye, this book is profound and extensive."

The man's voice was deep and mellow as he said earnestly, "I used to think this was just a folk remedy for the villagers. But after thinking about it carefully, I realized that the science of raising pigs is similar to... well, to taking care of a wife."

Ye Zhen almost dropped the towel in her hand.

She raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement creeping into her cool eyes: "Oh? I'd like to hear more."

Gu Zheng remained unfazed, stretched out his long arm, and precisely pulled the person into his arms.

"Splash!"

He opened the book with one hand, pointed to the first chapter, "Environmental Cleaning and Disease Prevention," and read aloud: "The book says, 'If you want to raise sows well, don't be afraid of dirt or hard work. Clean the pigpen thoroughly and keep germs and filth out.'"

Gu Zheng slammed the book down on his lap, staring intently at Ye Zhen: "This corresponds to the Liu Fen incident today, which applies to the two of us."

Ye Zhen was taken aback.

"You just focus on gaining weight. All the dirty and tiring work—throwing filth, gossiping, tripping people up—is my problem." Gu Zheng reached out and pinched her cheek, his fingertips tracing her face. "Even if I had to jump into a cesspool to retrieve you, I wouldn't bat an eye. For you, this 'dirt' and 'tiring' is my medal."

What was originally a joke instantly took a turn for the worse.

Looking into the man's earnest eyes, Ye Zhen felt as if her heart had been struck hard, a mixture of soreness and tenderness. What kind of lousy metaphor was this? It was utterly vulgar, yet somehow it sounded...so pleasant?

Before she could finish feeling moved, Gu Zheng turned the page again.

"Let's look at this one—'The feed ratio should be scientific.'"

Gu Zheng looked Ye Zhen up and down, his brows furrowing into a deep frown, his face full of disgust: "Postpartum and weak sows need high-protein concentrated feed, small meals frequently, and it is strictly forbidden to feed them coarse bran. Comrade Ye Zhen, look at your body, you're as thin as a newly hatched chick, it's hard to hold you."

Ye Zhen: "..."

"From now on, eat less of the communal food in the hospital cafeteria." Gu Zheng seriously planned, "You'll have a special meal every day. Braised pork, stewed ribs, and old hen soup—that'll be your 'fine feed.' I'm going to fatten you up and get you to the right weight; that's my immediate order."

Ye Zhen laughed in exasperation and slapped him on the shoulder: "Gu Zheng! Are you treating me like a pig? And giving me death orders like that?"

"This is not just a mission, it's the top priority for the entire regiment."

Gu Zheng grabbed her hand, preventing her from pulling it back, and pulled it down so that her palm was pressed against his burning lower abdomen.

Ye Zhen felt a burning sensation in her palm and tried to pull her hand away, but he pressed it even tighter.

The heat emanating from the man seeped through the thin fabric, making one's face flush and heart race.

"And this last one is the most crucial."

Gu Zheng's voice became hoarse, and his eyes seemed to burn with two small flames. He turned to the corner of the book and pointed to the line of bold text: "'Maintain a constant temperature, avoid getting cold, and if necessary... take artificial heating measures.'"

Ye Zhen felt a surge of heat rush to the top of her head.

"Dr. Ye," Gu Zheng leaned close to her ear, his hot breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe, "I see your hands and feet are ice cold, which is a serious case of 'insufficient heating.' As an excellent 'caretaker,' I have the responsibility and the obligation to immediately carry out the task of 'artificial heating.'"

"You...that's just sophistry!"

Ye Zhen blushed and tried to push him away, but her hands were soft and weak, and when she pushed against his hard chest, it seemed as if she was trying to refuse him.

"How is that sophistry?" Gu Zheng chuckled, hooking his long leg around the blanket and wrapping the two of them together like a spring roll. "This is called applying theory to practice."

Inside the blankets, the temperature suddenly rose.

The man's embrace was like a giant furnace, forcefully dispelling the chill in Ye Zhen's bones.

Ye Zhen struggled for a moment, but found that this person was incredibly strong, so she simply gave up. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, smelling the faint scent of tobacco and soap on him, and her nose felt a little sore.

"Gu Zheng," she called out in a muffled voice.

"Hmm?" Gu Zheng patted her back casually with his large hand, like coaxing a child or soothing some small animal.

"I found this book to disgust you," Ye Zhen told the truth.

"I know." Gu Zheng rested his chin on the top of her head, his stiff stubble brushing against her soft hair.

He dropped his playful grin, his voice deepening with a reassuring weight: "Zhenzhen, the books you read were haphazard, but the principles are true."

Ye Zhen looked up and met his unfathomable eyes.

"Before, I only knew how to lead troops into battle; I didn't know how to care for people. Looking at this book, I thought, even raising pigs requires so much care—worrying about them being cold, hungry, or sick… how much more so should I care for my beloved wife?"

Gu Zheng's fingers ran through her long hair, gripping the back of her head and forcing her to tilt her head back.

"From now on, all you need to do is wield the scalpel to save lives. The storms, the mud, the warmth, the cold, and the scheming in life will all be taken care of by me. I'll do the thinking you don't want to do; I'll do the beatings you don't want to do."

This was the most touching and hardcore love confession Ye Zhen had ever heard.

It's more real than any vow of eternal love.

In this era of scarcity and unease, there is someone willing to stand in front of you, shielding you from all the hardships and dangers, just so you can hold that scalpel cleanly and steadily.

Ye Zhen's defenses completely collapsed.

Her eyes welled up slightly, she sniffed, but refused to admit defeat: "Who's your wife... we're still in the probationary period."

"Still conducting an inspection?"

Gu Zheng raised an eyebrow, looking at the woman's luscious red lips in his arms, his eyes filled with an intense, unyielding darkness. "It seems the 'artificial heating' isn't strong enough."

"Gu..."

The remaining sounds were completely swallowed up.

Gu Zheng lowered his head and kissed the small mouth that was still trying to argue.

This kiss wasn't urgent or domineering, but rather filled with immense patience and soothing, gently tracing the shape of her lips, slowly prying open her teeth, and conquering her territory.

Just as he was putting the "high-standard feeding" theory into practice, every detail was full of control and care.

"Clatter".

The book that had made such a significant contribution, "Postpartum Care of Sows and Piglet Breeding Techniques," slipped from the bedside table and fell to the floor. The pages turned, stopping precisely on the page about "soothing emotions."

After a long while, Gu Zheng finally released Ye Zhen, who was panting heavily.

Seeing the usually aloof and arrogant Dr. Ye now melt into a puddle of spring water and slump in his arms, Gu Zheng smiled with satisfaction, and that roguish air of his once again resurfaced.

"Has the inspection been approved, Leader Ye?"

Ye Zhen's face turned so red it looked like it could bleed, and she buried her head in the blanket, not wanting to pay any attention to this shameless scoundrel who had gotten the better deal and was now acting innocent.

Gu Zheng chuckled softly and leaned over to turn off the table lamp.

"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes."

In the darkness, he held her even tighter, as if guarding a priceless treasure that had been lost and found again.

Outside the window, the cold wind howled, but inside, it was warm and cozy.

After an unknown amount of time, the man behind me began to breathe evenly and heavily.