Volume One, Chapter 19: Moving Back Home!

The next day, Shen Qingran was just returning from buying groceries when she noticed several large army-green bags piled up at the gate of the courtyard.

“Whose luggage is this?” she wondered aloud.

Turning around, she saw Xiao Sun rushing over, carrying two huge bags in a hurry.

Panting, he said, "Sister-in-law, you're back?"

Shen Qingran paused for a moment, her gaze falling on the luggage at her feet.

“Is this Captain Huo’s luggage?”

Xiao Sun wiped the sweat from his brow casually. “Yeah! This is the captain’s stuff—I helped him bring it back.”

Shen Qingran hesitated briefly before piecing it together. The whole mess with Zhao Cuifang had clearly put pressure on him from above. After all, in any era, leaders demand stability in their subordinates’ families.

He must have had no choice but to move back.

Otherwise, given how coldly Huo Tingxiao had treated her, he wouldn’t willingly come back under the same roof.

But if he really moved back in, her freedom would be compromised.

Shen Qingran pondered quietly. It seemed she would have to talk to Huo Tingxiao, try to maintain a peaceful coexistence.

And she needed to find a job soon, get a divorce, and move out.

With that decided, she stood and helped Xiao Sun carry the bags inside.

“Sister-in-law, you handle the captain’s things. I have some work at the regiment, so I’ll head back first.”

Shen Qingran smiled and nodded. “Alright, thanks for your help.”

Then, as if remembering something, she added softly, “Comrade Xiao Sun, wait a moment.”

Turning toward the kitchen, she fetched a coconut from the cupboard and handed it to him.

“Here, take this. I stopped by the service center today and saw someone selling coconuts from Qiongdao.”

“Thank you, sister-in-law!” Xiao Sun hugged the coconut happily as he headed back to the regiment.

What a kind and beautiful sister-in-law; these coconuts weren’t cheap.

With such a good sister-in-law, once the captain moves back, he’ll surely regret how he treated her before.

Just as she sat down and pierced the coconut to drink, the internal phone rang.

“How’s it going?”

Xiao Sun took a sip and quickly sang Shen Qingran’s praises, just a few flattering words.

“Captain, the luggage is all taken care of. Sister-in-law is very pleased.”

In his office, Huo Tingxiao’s expression was complicated, a shadow passing over his eyelids, dark and unclear.

She’s pleased?

He silently ended the call, his knuckles curling as they rubbed against the edge of his pen.

So, it might really have been her who made the report?

If it was, her malice exceeded even his worst imagination.

No matter what, now that he was moving back in, he would inevitably have more contact with her.

He had to be extremely cautious.

Though she couldn’t defeat him outright, her cunning tricks could sometimes catch him off guard.

—

That evening, after finishing the last report on his desk, Huo Tingxiao packed up and prepared to go home.

With broad shoulders and long legs, his mere walk attracted attention.

Many in the residential compound saw this scene.

The young couple seemed very happy.

Under the hazy moonlight, Huo Tingxiao stood outside the gate, his gaze fixed on the lit-up room inside.

He had thought about marriage before.

Whether respectful and courteous, affectionate, or plain and simple.

But never about scheming.

The warm summer breeze billowed his shirt.

Finally, he pushed open the gate and stepped inside.

As he opened the door, Shen Qingran had just finished showering.

She wore a white nightgown, a conservative version she had deliberately chosen after learning a lesson last time.

A round neckline, sleeves covering her elbows, hem falling past her knees.

But the thin summer fabric made her figure even more alluring, the swell of her chest almost calling out.

Her hair was casually tied up, strands falling over her chest, a blend of charm and a hint of innocence.

Huo Tingxiao stared for two seconds before quickly averting his eyes and turning away.

Sensing his discomfort, Shen Qingran instinctively put on the shirt left on the sofa.

“All your things, Xiao Sun put them in your room.”

Huo Tingxiao paused. “I’ll sleep in the study.”

Shen Qingran exhaled in relief.

At least he wasn’t making her sleep in the study.

Still, she felt a little embarrassed.

After all, he was the owner; she was just a guest.

Otherwise, considering rent prices, if she earned money, splitting costs wouldn’t feel like freeloading.

But that depended on her having a job first.

Watching him pack, Shen Qingran stopped talking and sat on the sofa, writing up Qin Dahai’s medical cases.

It had become a habit over the years.

She kept detailed files on each patient for easy tracking.

The whole room was silent except for occasional sounds of objects being moved.

After Huo Tingxiao finished organizing the study, he saw her leaning back on the sofa, biting the end of her pen, sometimes frowning, sometimes relaxing.

She seemed to be grappling with something important.

A while later, after he showered and came out, the living room was empty.

He walked over to turn off the light and noticed a book on the coffee table with a note tucked inside.

Bold characters were scrawled on the slip:

“Thank you, Comrade Qingran.”

Huo Tingxiao’s expression darkened instantly.

Those were Qin Xiangbei’s handwriting, a student he had once tutored; he recognized the script.

Why was Qin Xiangbei thanking her?

Had they already been corresponding?

Was she writing a reply just now?

Looking at the light seeping from under her door, his expression grew complicated.

Had she forgotten his warnings?

In the dead of night, thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and rain pattered steadily against the window.

The storm was fierce, drumming loudly enough to keep one awake.

He got up to check if the doors and windows were properly secured.

Suddenly, he heard a startled cry from the bathroom.