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

The following afternoon, a jeep with military license plates bumped along the dirt road, kicking up a cloud of dust at the entrance of Heishan Village. Villagers sitting idly in the sun craned their necks, their eyes following the unusual iron vehicle as it moved until it came to a steady stop in front of the Ye family's low mud-brick house.

The car door opened, and a young man in military uniform jumped out; it was Xiao Wang. He walked around to the other side, opened the car door, and politely called out to the house, "Uncle Ye, Auntie, we've come to pick you up."

Mr. and Mrs. Ye had already heard the commotion and came out of the house anxiously, repeatedly rubbing their hands on their faded trousers. They looked at the brand-new, gleaming car in front of them, never having seen anything like it in their lives, and their feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move.

"This...this is too much trouble..." Mr. Ye stammered.

"It's what the commander ordered, so it's only right." Xiao Wang smiled and added, "We'll pick up Brother Ye Cheng from the county hospital first, and then we'll go into town together."

Hearing that they were going to pick up their son, the elderly couple felt half relieved. Xiao Wang half-helped, half-invited them into the car, where they sat ramrod straight on the incredibly soft seats.

The jeep arrived at the county hospital first. Ye Cheng was practicing walking in the yard with his crutches when he saw the car driving straight towards him and finally stopping in front of him. He was stunned. When he saw his parents get out of the car, he was even more astonished.

"Dad? Mom? What's going on here...?"

"Your sister is getting married, and your brother-in-law has sent people to pick us up to attend the wedding." Ye Guoliang got out of the car and helped him up.

"Huh? Getting married!" Ye Cheng looked completely bewildered.

Ye Cheng's leg wasn't fully healed yet, and with Xiao Wang's help, he carefully sat in the back seat. The car started up again, leaving the county town and heading towards the capital. The car was so quiet that only the hum of the engine could be heard. The three members of the Ye family watched the fields and trees rushing past the window, then the buildings and wide asphalt roads gradually appearing, their palms sweating with tension.

Ye Cheng was calmer than his parents. He sized up Xiao Wang, who was driving, his mind churning. He knew his sister had married a man of high status, but he hadn't expected him to be this extraordinary.

As the car entered the heavily guarded military compound, the Ye family held their breath. The sentries at the gate, seeing the license plate, straightened their posture and gave a crisp salute. The compound was quiet and solemn; rows of gray buildings were nestled behind towering poplar trees, the air thick with an aura of authority that made one afraid to even breathe loudly.

The car eventually stopped in front of an elegant two-story building.

Uncle Fu was already waiting at the door, greeting us with a big smile.

"Sir, Madam, please come in."

The wooden floor was so smooth it reflected a person's image; the carpet was soft and plush to the touch; the walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings they couldn't understand but found impressive; and there was that leather sofa that looked incredibly expensive… The Ye family elders stood awkwardly in the center of the living room, feeling as if their cloth shoes were covered in mud, defiling this spotless place. Ye Cheng, leaning on his cane, also appeared unusually restrained.

"Dad, Mom, Big Brother, please sit down."

Ye Zhen came downstairs, her voice carrying a comforting quality. She took her parents' hands and gestured for them to sit on the sofa. But the elderly couple only leaned lightly against the edge of the sofa, their backs ramrod straight. Ye Cheng also simply stood, leaning against the sofa armrest.

At this moment, Gu Zheng came out of the kitchen.

He changed out of his crisp military uniform and into a plain white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. He tried to appear approachable, but his tall stature and the aura he had cultivated over years in a high position still exerted an invisible pressure on the Ye family.

Holding a peeled apple, Gu Zheng strode up to his parents, forcing what he considered to be his most amiable smile: "Dad, Mom, have an apple."

Father Ye took the apple in a daze, but his gaze was drawn to what Gu Zheng was holding in his other hand—a complete, thin as a cicada's wing, almost transparent apple peel, without a single break from beginning to end, hanging down in a spiral shape, swaying slightly in the air.

Mr. Ye opened his mouth, but couldn't speak for a long time. He had peeled countless potatoes in his life, and he had never seen anyone peel them like that.

Ye Cheng, standing to the side, also narrowed his eyes. He had witnessed his sister Ye Zhen's precision and composure when wielding a scalpel, and this man before him showed him a similar, ultimate control over strength and skill. This wasn't peeling an apple; it was defusing a sophisticated bomb.

Gu Zheng didn't notice their shock. He put down the apple and turned to pour tea for Ye's mother.

He remembered Uncle Fu saying that good tea should be served to guests. He opened an exquisite tin can and saw that it contained curled, dark tea leaves that smelled delicious. So, imitating how he usually watched people brew tea, he grabbed a large handful and stuffed it into an enamel teacup, then poured boiling water over it.

A cup of hot tea was handed to Ye's mother.

Mother Ye accepted the tea with a flattered expression; the tea was a dark color, like Chinese medicine. She carefully blew on it, took a small sip, and her brows immediately furrowed. The tea was so bitter that it made her tongue go numb.

"This...this tea..." Mother Ye didn't know what to say; she couldn't bring herself to spit it out or swallow it.

Seeing that her expression was off, Gu Zheng assumed she had burned herself, so he picked it up and took a bite himself. The intense, overpowering bitterness hit him right in the head, making him wince.

Uncle Fu watched from the side, shaking his head and sighing inwardly, "My young master, that's top-grade Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao. One sip from you is enough for this old man to drink for a month."

Ye Zhen watched all of this from the sidelines. Seeing this man, who had been so shrewd and decisive on the southwestern battlefield, now acting like a bewildered young man, clumsily trying to please her family in the most awkward way imaginable, she wanted to laugh, but her eyes welled up with tears.

Behind this clumsiness was a cautious sincerity she had never seen before.

We had dinner at Gu's house.

Grandpa Gu made a special trip back from the sanatorium, dressed in an ordinary Zhongshan suit, and sat in the main seat, watching everything with a smile. The old man was not at all pretentious, and took the initiative to ask about the harvest in Ye's father's village and how Ye Cheng's leg injury was recovering.

Gu Zheng put in even more effort. He barely touched his own chopsticks and bowl, spending the entire time serving food to the Ye family.

"Dad, eat some fish, this one has no bones." He used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish belly meat that had been carefully removed and put it into Ye's father's bowl.

"Mom, these ribs are stewed until tender. You have good teeth, so please try some." He picked up another large piece of rib and piled it into his mother's bowl.

Then he turned to Ye Cheng: "Brother, you need to nourish your leg injury, have a bowl of bone broth."

In no time, three small mountains of food piled up in the bowls of Mr. Ye, Mrs. Ye, and Ye Cheng. The elderly couple wanted to refuse, but when they met Gu Zheng's sincere and expectant eyes, they couldn't bring themselves to say no. They could only bury their heads in their food and eat heartily, feeling like they had never eaten so much in their lives. Ye Cheng looked at the food in his bowl, then at Gu Zheng. The seriousness in the man's eyes didn't seem like he was treating a guest; it was more like he was completing a task that had to be done well.

After the meal, Ye's mother took Ye Zhen's hand and called her into the courtyard.

Under the moonlight, the night breeze carried a hint of coolness. Looking at her daughter's thin face, and then turning back to look at the tall figure inside the house being glared at and scolded by Old Master Gu, who was still occasionally stealing glances in their direction, Ye's mother's eyes reddened.

"Daughter," she patted Ye Zhen's hand, her voice choked with emotion, "this young man... although he looks a little intimidating, he's honest and kind. I could tell from the way he looked at you. When he served food to your older brother, he only asked about his leg injury; he treats us like family. With you by his side, I... am relieved."

A single sentence sent a warm, unfamiliar feeling through Ye Zhen's heart.

That evening, Ye Zhen returned to their room.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Gu Zheng sitting at his desk, his back to her. He sat upright, the warm orange light of the desk lamp outlining the broad contours of his shoulders. He held a book in his hands, his expression serious as if he were studying an important battle map.

Ye Zhen walked over curiously, wanting to see what was making him so focused.

She leaned closer to look and saw that the book's cover prominently displayed several clumsy, Song-style characters: "The Self-Cultivation of a Son-in-Law in the New Era." The pages were brand new; it was clearly a recent purchase.

Hearing the noise, Gu Zheng looked up and saw her, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face. He subconsciously slammed his book shut, cleared his throat, and tried to hide his discomfort with a serious expression.

"Um..." He picked up a gold-embossed invitation from the table and handed it to her. His expression had returned to its usual composure, but his eyes held complete respect and inquiry. "Regarding the Lin family's invitation, do you think... we should send it?"