Love Lock

Chapter 211, embroidered with the character "Song".
"Let's go!"

Han Lei handed over the work here to Uncle Li, and walked forward while talking, with Song Yuanqing slowly following behind.

"Let me show you the construction process over there. Our concrete mix has been improved three times, and its load-bearing capacity is three times stronger than that of traditional rammed earth!"

Han Lei talked as she walked, her light steps reminding Song Yuanqing of a mountain deer.

At the construction site, dozens of laborers were pouring mortar onto the road surface. Some were pushing wheelbarrows to transport mortar, while others were using long wooden rulers to smooth the surface.

Han Lei picked up a stick and squatted down to draw a diagram on the sand:

"This is a layered construction method. The bottom layer is made of crushed stone and compacted, the middle layer is made of coarse mortar, and the top layer is made of fine mortar mixed with quartz sand... General? General?"

"Huh? Oh!" Song Yuanqing suddenly snapped out of his daze and realized that he had been staring at Han Lei's hair, which swayed slightly as she explained.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on her face and making the beads of sweat on her nose appear particularly vivid.

"Ahem... Miss Han's explanation was very detailed." He coughed to cover his embarrassment. "Would you mind coming to the military camp for a chat? I'd like to learn more about these... these..."

"New building materials?" Han Lei replied with a smile, casually tossing the wooden stick into the distance. "Of course. But the general must first tell me the specific needs of the military camp so I can prepare samples and plans."

She tilted her head slightly as she spoke, and sunlight danced on her eyelashes.

Song Yuanqing suddenly noticed a tiny beauty mark at the corner of her right eye, like an ink splatter that had been accidentally applied, adding a touch of liveliness to her appearance.

"General?" Han Lei waved her hand in front of his eyes. "You're daydreaming again."

Song Yuanqing's ears burned, and he hurriedly said, "I was just wondering... how could Miss Han, a woman, be so proficient in these crafts?"

He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth, but to his surprise, Han Lei didn't mind at all and just chuckled.

"What's wrong with women? In Fufeng County, female workers make up 30% of the workforce." Han Lei patted the tool bag at her waist. "Skills don't discriminate between men and women; it just depends on whether you're willing to learn."

This answer gave Song Yuanqing a jolt.

He had seen too many well-bred ladies who constantly said "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent," but he had never heard such unorthodox remarks.

Strangely, it sounded so natural coming from her.

"Miss Han is very insightful," he said sincerely. "Would you be so kind as to invite me to my military camp tomorrow for a more detailed discussion?"

"No problem!" Han Lei readily agreed, took out a flat object from her tool bag and pressed it a few times. "Tomorrow at 9:00 AM, I've got it in mind."

"What is this?" Song Yuanqing asked curiously, looking at the glowing phone in her hand.

Han Lei winked mysteriously: "This is a cell phone; you can set an alarm."

Just then, a bodyguard came over and whispered a reminder: "General, it's already noon."

"Oh right, we should head back now. We'll be waiting for you at the military camp tomorrow."

Song Yuanqing cupped his hands in farewell and said goodbye, but his feet seemed to be rooted to the spot.

He watched as Han Lei retied her slightly loose bun, a wisp of hair playfully hanging down her neck, trembling gently with her breath.

"Is there anything else, General?" Han Lei asked, tilting her head. This childlike gesture made Song Yuanqing's heart skip a beat again.

"Uh, no... it's just..." He racked his brains for a reason to stay a little longer, when he suddenly noticed a fresh scratch on her wrist. "You're injured!"

Han Lei looked down and said, "Oh, I just scraped myself while moving the steel bars. It's just a minor injury."

Without hesitation, Song Yuanqing took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket, moistened it with water from the kettle, and said, "Even a small wound needs to be treated promptly. I'll bandage it for you."

"Actually, it's no problem." Han Lei subconsciously pulled her hand back, feeling that he was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Seeing that his hand was still outstretched in mid-air, looking somewhat embarrassed, Han Lei didn't want to refuse his kindness. Besides, it was just a simple bandage, nothing serious, so Han Lei let him do as he pleased.

Song Yuanqing carefully lifted her wrist, as if he were holding some rare treasure. The skin felt warm and delicate, making him unconsciously move even more gently.

"General, you also know medicine?" Han Lei asked curiously, her breath brushing gently against his ear.

"In military campaigns, it's inevitable..." Song Yuanqing's voice was a little tight. She was too close, and the scent of lime and jasmine lingered around his nose, making his heart pound like a drum.

After the bandaging was finished, Han Lei looked at the handkerchief wrapped up in a ball and couldn't help but twitch her lips. She shook her wrist and still thanked them profusely.

"Thank you, General. Your bandaging technique... is very professional."

"Tomorrow at 9:00 AM, I will be waiting for you at the military camp."

He solemnly clasped his hands in greeting, and after walking a short distance, he couldn't help but look back once more.

Han Lei had returned to the shade of the tree and was instructing the craftsmen to adjust the angle of the steel frame. Her busy and capable figure was deeply imprinted in Song Yuanqing's eyes.

On the way back to camp, a personal guard whispered to Song Yuanqing, "General, that woman's attire was strange, and her behavior was inappropriate..."

"What do you know?" Song Yuanqing rebuked softly, the image of her spiritedly explaining the technology flashing before his eyes again. "She was... an extraordinary woman."

A gentle breeze rippled across the newly paved cement road, carrying the faint sounds of laughter and conversation from the construction site in the distance.

Song Yuanqing touched the price list Han Lei had given him in his pocket, and suddenly felt looking forward to tomorrow's meeting...

Night quietly descended amidst the hustle and bustle, and the streets of Ganluo County were nearly deserted.

Han Lei dragged her tired body and walked slowly back to the inn.

During the day, she worked alongside the laborers on the construction site, sweating profusely. At this moment, her clothes were still covered with dust, her hair was a little loose, and a few strands of black hair fell down beside her ears.

"Miss Han is back?" The innkeeper greeted her as she entered. "Hot water is ready and will be brought to your room right away."

Han Lei forced a smile: "Thank you." Her voice was already filled with deep weariness.

Once inside the room, she didn't bother to change her dirty clothes; she simply slumped into a chair.

The handkerchief wrapped around her wrist had come loose, revealing a shallow wound underneath.

She stared at the white handkerchief embroidered with the character "Song," recalling the scene at the construction site earlier that day when Song Yuanqing bandaged her wound.

The tall, imposing general carefully held her wrist, his brows furrowed, which was rather endearing.

"Knock knock!" The knocking on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Girl, the hot water is here."

Han Lei roused herself and had the waiter fill the bathtub with hot water. After the door closed, she took off her clothes and immersed herself in the warm water.

Amidst the rising steam, she closed her sore eyes, letting her fatigue melt away little by little with the hot water.

"Zhao Zun is probably going to be busy until very late again tonight," she murmured to herself.

Magistrate Cheng arranged for them to stay here. Although the two shared a room these past few days, they almost never saw each other.

Zhao Zun always left before dawn and returned late at night, busy training the new management team. She, on the other hand, had to ensure the laborers' logistics and handle various affairs on the construction site. They couldn't stay in Ganluo County for too long. Therefore, they had to train the new leadership team to work independently here. Only then could more teams be formed from these existing groups.

After taking a shower, Han Lei changed into a plain white nightgown and casually placed the clothes she had taken off on the table.

She glanced at the handkerchief on her wrist, hesitated for a moment, then took it off and tossed it next to her dirty clothes.

Thinking that she had to go to the military camp to discuss business the next day, she needed to rest early. She blew out the oil lamp, crawled into the quilt, and fell into a deep sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

After an unknown amount of time, the door was gently pushed open. Zhao Zun tiptoed in, and by the faint moonlight from the window, he saw Han Lei's strangely sleeping figure on the bed.

She wasn't properly covered, with one foot sticking out. Zhao Zun's lips curled into a slight smile as he tiptoed to the bedside and tucked the blanket around her.

After lighting an oil lamp, Zhao Zun quickly washed up and prepared to rest.

Just as he took off his outer robe, his gaze swept over a crumpled handkerchief on the table, lying quietly next to Han Lei's clothes, seemingly embroidered with something.

He knew that Han Lei never used handkerchiefs, but always carried a very soft type of paper called tissue paper.

Out of curiosity, he picked up the handkerchief and unfolded it, revealing a neat "Song" character.

Zhao Zun frowned slightly, glanced at the handkerchief, and put it back. He blew out the oil lamp, lay down fully clothed next to Han Lei, and soon fell into a deep sleep, exhausted.

As dawn broke, Zhao Zun woke up.

He turned his head to look at Han Lei, who was still fast asleep, and smiled indulgently.

Han Lei's sleeping posture was really bad. At this moment, she was lying across the bed, with one arm draped over his chest and her hair scattered messily on the pillow.

Zhao Zun gently placed her arm back under the covers and tucked the blanket around her again.

Before leaving, his gaze fell on the handkerchief once more. After hesitating for a moment, he turned and left the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Han Lei was startled awake by her phone alarm. Still half asleep, she reached for her phone under her pillow and turned off the alarm.

When she opened her eyes, she found that the bed next to her had been slept on, but Zhao Zun was nowhere to be seen.

"They've left again..." She rubbed her eyes and got up to wash up.

While washing up, she noticed a handkerchief on the table. She was going to the military camp today and absolutely had to return it to General Song.

She picked up a handkerchief, washed it while washing her face, and then quietly went into the room to quickly dry it with a hairdryer.

Han Lei changed into a light blue dress, which was also a set of clothes that Zhao Zun had bought for her when she was in the capital.

She styled her hair into a simple bun in front of the bronze mirror, inserted a white jade hairpin, and applied some lip balm, making her look delicate and innocent.

“This should be formal enough…” She nodded to herself in the mirror, picked up the folded handkerchief, went out and hired a carriage to go to the military camp.

At the hour of Si (9-11 AM), Song Yuanqing had been waiting eagerly at the entrance of the military camp for a long time.

Today, he specially changed out of his usual armor and wore an indigo blue casual outfit with a silver belt around his waist.

His hair was no longer tied up haphazardly, but was neatly fixed on top of his head with a jade crown, making him look less like a rugged military general and more like a refined scholar.

The soldiers guarding the gate of the military camp whispered among themselves, secretly laughing at Song Yuanqing's elaborate attire today.

"Why is the general dressed so handsomely today?" one of his guards joked.

Song Yuanqing adjusted his collar awkwardly: "Stop talking nonsense, we have a distinguished guest visiting today."

"A distinguished guest?" Several soldiers exchanged glances. "What distinguished guest could warrant the general dressing up like this?"

Song Yuanqing's ears turned slightly red, and he was about to scold them when he saw a carriage slowly approaching from a distance.

He immediately straightened his back and stared intently at the approaching carriage.

The carriage stopped in front of the military camp gate. The curtain was lifted, and a slender hand reached out. Song Yuanqing hurriedly stepped forward to greet it.

"Miss Han, you must be tired from your journey." Song Yuanqing couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

Han Lei's women's attire today caught Song Yuanqing's eye. The light blue dress made her skin look as white as snow, and the simple hairstyle made her look even more elegant and refined.

When she looked up and smiled at him, Song Yuanqing felt his heart skip a beat.

"General Song, I apologize for disturbing you." Han Lei bowed gracefully, her voice clear and soft.

Song Yuanqing quickly returned the greeting: "Miss Han, you are too kind. It is my honor to have you here."

He noticed that the wound on Han Lei's wrist had scabbed over and wasn't bandaged. "Is the wound any better?"

Han Lei nodded and took out a neatly folded handkerchief from her sleeve: "Thank you for your concern, General. I'm fine now. This is the handkerchief I borrowed yesterday; I've washed it."

Song Yuanqing took the handkerchief, and his fingertips inadvertently touched Han Lei's hand. A jolt of electricity almost made him lose his composure.

He looked down at the handkerchief and found it was washed clean, had a faint jasmine scent, and was folded neatly with all the corners aligned.

"You're too kind, young lady. It was nothing at all..." He carefully tucked the handkerchief into his pocket, as if it were some precious treasure.

The two walked side by side into the military camp, attracting curious yet knowing glances from the soldiers along the way.

Some whispered with amusement, "Oh—the general really is here today to welcome a young lady..."

"I knew it! The general dressed up specially because he's lovesick."

"Staying in this military camp every day, surrounded by men, it's no wonder I'm feeling puberty."

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let the general hear!"

"This girl is truly beautiful; standing next to our general, they are a perfect match..."

Although the rough men's whispers were not loud, they still reached Song Yuanqing's ears.

He glanced at Han Lei beside him, and seeing that she didn't seem to notice, he breathed a sigh of relief, but felt a little disappointed.

"The general's camp is quite large." Han Lei had actually heard it, but her attention was focused on business, so she didn't care about such trivial matters. She simply looked around and sincerely admired it.

Song Yuanqing snapped out of his daze and began to explain the situation to Han Lei.

"This is a branch of the Xuzhou camp, mainly responsible for border patrols. It currently has more than 5,000 soldiers."

He pointed to the soldiers drilling in the distance, “As you can see, the entire camp is made of yellow earth, dusty on sunny days and muddy on rainy days. That’s why I wanted to ask Miss Han for help to see if it could all be paved with your... cement.”

Han Lei nodded, took out a small notebook and a ballpoint pen from her cloth bag, and checked the records as she walked.

"I understand. General, which part do you want to start with? The road from the main gate to the main tent? Or should we pave the training ground first?"

Song Yuanqing was somewhat lost in thought as he watched her diligently taking notes.