Chapter 23: Early Adaptation

Shen Qingqing knew that Lin Fengmian did not like her, and she had no intention of going to the Lin family early. It was far more practical to return to the hostel and translate a few pages of her manuscript to earn some extra money.

"Where are you going?"

Shen Qingqing did not even look back. "Back to the hostel."

Had this been earlier, Jiang Zhixun would have had no objections. However, the words of Sister Wang had left a mark on his mind after all. Imagining Shen Qingqing alone in her room, looking lonely, he inexplicably felt a sense of pity. She had endured so much hardship just to make it to the Great Northwest. Since she would only be here for a few days, he decided he might as well be a little kinder to her for the time being.

He tucked his hands into his overcoat pockets, his expression indifferent. "Come with me to the dormitory to get some things."

Shen Qingqing refused. "I can't even get into the dormitory; it would be better for me to just wait for you here."

Jiang Zhixun’s expression turned stern. "Is this your attitude?"

"What attitude?" Shen Qingqing found the man bizarre. Since he wanted to draw a clear line between them, shouldn't he be happy about this? She glanced at him nervously, wondering if he had taken Sister Wang and the others' words to heart. She hurried to ask, "When are you going to submit the application?"

His hands, tucked inside his pockets, curled slightly. Jiang Zhixun said, "If you keep acting like this, don't blame me for not cooperating with you. After all, you haven't been cooperating with me properly either, which got me criticized by Sister Wang."

Shen Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Sister Wang was still standing at her doorway watching them, she forced a smile and said, "Whatever makes you happy."

The corners of Jiang Zhixun's mouth twitched, but he quickly straightened them again. He had felt all along that since arriving in the Great Northwest, Shen Qingqing seemed different from before. Thinking that three years had passed, it was impossible for a person to remain unchanged, and Jiang Zhixun felt a sense of relief. With long strides, he walked ahead of her. "Keep up."

Shen Qingqing waved at Sister Wang to signal for her to go back inside, then turned to follow Jiang Zhixun. Just as before, the two walked one after the other. However, anyone who knew Jiang Zhixun could tell that he was deliberately slowing his pace.

Shen Qingqing’s arrival at the compound on the first day had caused quite a stir. After two days of fermentation, everyone knew that Jiang Zhixun was married and that his wife was a great beauty. Walking along the path now, Shen Qingqing noticed people secretly sizing her up. There were even groups of women who hurried over, but instead of coming forward to speak, they stood in the distance, watching her and Jiang Zhixun with awkward expressions.

Shen Qingqing guessed that these were Jiang Zhixun’s admirers. An outstanding man is always prone to attracting the attention of women; this was normal. With the strict codes of conduct between men and women, even though she hadn't been here for three years, Shen Qingqing never doubted whether Jiang Zhixun might have done anything inappropriate. He simply didn't like her and felt he had been manipulated by her and Grandpa Jiang. He was not the type of scumbag to play games with multiple women.

The man in front suddenly stopped, and Shen Qingqing stopped as well. There was a distance of at least three meters between them. Jiang Zhixun looked back at her. "Are you a tortoise? Why are you walking so slowly?"

Shen Qingqing had a temper of her own. "Then go get your things yourself; why insist on making me follow?"

Her expression was cool and aloof, not looking like she was deliberately acting spoiled. More gazes fell upon them. Jiang Zhixun pressed his lips together and turned back toward her.

He draped an arm around her shoulder, leaving Shen Qingqing stunned. Back at the county hostel, he had held her in a similar grip, but that had been an exceptional situation and was understandable. But now, why was he suddenly holding her?

"Don't move."

Shen Qingqing took a deep breath. "It's broad daylight; watch your influence."

Jiang Zhixun suddenly felt like teasing her. *Would it be fine at night, then?* The words reached his lips, but he changed them. "With so many people watching, don't give others a chance to speculate wildly."

Shen Qingqing tilted her head to look at him. Jiang Zhixun happened to be looking down, allowing her to see his deep, sharp eyes. She chuckled. "Since when did you start caring about such things?"

Jiang Zhixun looked perfectly calm. "Since now."

He reached for her hand and led her away at a brisk pace. Seeing this, someone whispered, "Didn't they say their relationship was bad? Why is Captain Jiang being so proactive? It doesn't look like the rumors at all."

"Comrade Shen is beautiful, and she is Captain Jiang’s legitimate wife. There are plenty of ways to coax him; they've probably made up."

"I never thought Captain Jiang could be so proactive. He’s as cold as a block of ice and usually tries to stay as far away from women as possible. I thought he was never going to wake up to romance and would remain a bachelor for life."

"Once you have a wife, of course you don't look at other women anymore..."

As soon as these words were spoken, some of the women covered their faces and ran off. They had come here just to see what kind of woman could make Jiang Zhixun agree to marriage. Now they had seen. Shen Qingqing was indeed beautiful. Standing together, the man was handsome and tall, and the woman was pretty and slender. She possessed an air of refinement, clearly someone of culture and sophistication. How could they compete with a woman like that?

Besides, they were already married, so there was no room for competition. One couldn't just throw away all shame and ruin someone else's marriage. That would be courting disaster, and the consequences would be dire. No sensible, normal person would do such a stupid thing!

Someone shook their head. "With Captain Jiang married, so many women who like him must be heartbroken."

"There are so many other outstanding men. If Jiang Zhixun is married, just find someone else to like. It's not a big deal."

"Is it really that simple?"

"What else can you do? They're married. You can't do anything immoral."

"Unless one day Captain Jiang and Comrade Shen divorce, there's no chance for anyone else."

The man's body heat was rising, and as he held her hand, Shen Qingqing’s own hand began to feel scalding. The warmth spread all the way to her face. Jiang Zhixun’s mind was also feeling a bit dizzy; this was the first time he had held Shen Qingqing’s hand. Three years ago, when they went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register, Shen Qingqing had been the one to take his arm. Compared to that, holding hands felt significantly more intimate. He didn't know what she used, but her hand was soft and smooth, as if it had no bones. Jiang Zhixun subconsciously squeezed; the texture was so pleasant it made him want to hold on tighter.

His calloused fingertips brushed over the back of her hand, and Shen Qingqing’s face flushed red. In her peripheral vision, Jiang Zhixun remained his usual cold self, looking somewhat distracted, as if he didn't know what he was thinking. It felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her; the flush on her face dissipated instantly.

Shen Qingqing regained her composure. "We've walked quite far."

Just as she tried to pull her hand back, the man suddenly tightened his grip. "There are twenty more meters. Wait for me downstairs."

Jiang Zhixun turned his head and gave a stern instruction: "Don't talk to any other men."

Shen Qingqing glared at him and turned her head away in annoyance, but she did not struggle further. The weather was very cold, yet Jiang Zhixun’s ears were burning hot, a heat that he couldn't suppress. In the end, he told himself: Shen Qingqing is his wife on the household register, and they would have to have children in a while. Starting with holding hands was a good way to adapt. It would avoid embarrassment when they eventually had to do "that."

Perhaps... he would run away from the battlefield again.