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

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the heavy blackout curtains, casting a blinding glare on the carpet.

Ye Zhen opened her eyes; she had slept for a full ten hours.

On the bedside table was a glass of water that was still steaming slightly.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom, but it quickly stopped.

Gu Zheng pushed open the frosted glass door and walked out, his upper body bare, water droplets still clinging to his strong muscles, and a dry white towel casually wiping his short hair in his hand.

Noticing the commotion, Gu Zheng turned his head.

"woke up?"

He draped the towel over the back of the chair next to him, strode over to the bedside, and picked up the glass of water.

He first took a sip to make sure the temperature was just right before handing the glass to Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen propped herself up on the mattress and sat up, the silk quilt slipping down her shoulders to her waist.

She took the water glass and drank most of it in one go, finally suppressing the knife-like dryness in her throat.

Gu Zheng opened the mahogany wardrobe next to him, inside which hung a brand-new white shirt that the hotel had ironed in advance.

He pulled off the coat hanger and put it on, his slender fingers starting from the bottom button and fastening it one by one upwards.

"Xu Wenqiang and Officer Li are already waiting in the lobby downstairs."

Gu Zheng neatly rolled up the cuffs of both sleeves to his forearms and casually picked up the military green jacket draped at the foot of the bed.

"Let's go out for a walk today."

Ye Zhen put down her water glass without any objection, lifted the covers, got out of bed, and went into the bathroom to wash up.

Twenty minutes later, the two walked out of the hotel elevator side by side.

On the opulent sofa in the lobby of the InterContinental Hotel, Xu Wenqiang and Secretary Li were huddled together, studying a colorful English map.

Hearing rhythmic footsteps, the two of them looked up at the same time.

Gu Zheng was dressed in a simple white shirt and casual trousers, with an upright posture and an imposing aura.

Ye Zhen followed beside her, wearing a floral print long dress, looking beautiful and elegant.

Xu Wenqiang quickly put the map away and stuffed it into his briefcase, then straightened up.

"Dr. Ye, how is your recovery going?"

Ye Zhen nodded to indicate that it was alright.

Without saying a word, Gu Zheng walked in front and pushed open the hotel's heavy brass revolving door with one hand.

A yellow Ford taxi with its hazard lights flashing was waiting in the driveway outside.

Xu Wenqiang stopped them at the intersection beforehand.

The four people got into the car one by one, and the Ford merged into the morning rush hour traffic in Rochester.

The air in Minnesota has a dry, cool freshness.

The streets are lined with glass curtain wall buildings that are thirty or forty stories high, and giant GG signs with neon lights flashing Coca-Cola.

Half an hour later, the taxi stopped in front of the main entrance of Macy's department store, which occupies a huge area in the city center.

The four people got out of the car and stood at the entrance on the first floor. In the huge, floor-to-ceiling glass window, plastic mannequins were wearing the latest luxury clothes of the season.

The mall's interior space is extremely spacious, with countless crystal chandeliers hanging overhead, illuminating the spotless marble floor.

The open display case showcases rows of exquisite cosmetics, perfumes, and luxury watches.

Officer Li stood there, swallowed hard, and scanned the dazzling array of goods with his eyes.

Back home, they need ration coupons to buy a bar of soap, and they have to queue for half a day to get two feet of cloth.

Even the best items in the largest Friendship Store in the north of the city can't compare to the corner of this ordinary counter.

"This capitalist shopping mall is indeed quite impressive."

Officer Li rubbed his hands together, his voice filled with shock.

Xu Wenqiang patted him on the shoulder.

"Stop looking, our country will have these kinds of big shopping malls in the future too."

Ignoring the sighs of the two behind him, Gu Zheng naturally took Ye Zhen's hand with his broad palm, completely disregarding the miscellaneous items on the first floor, and strode towards the boutique women's clothing section on the second floor.

As soon as I stepped into a large, upscale store, a blonde, blue-eyed saleswoman in high heels came to greet me.

Her gaze swept over Ye Zhen's slightly outdated domestic clothes. Her attitude was polite but distant. She greeted her in English with a heavy Minnesota accent.

Ye Zhen didn't care about the sales assistant's attitude. She casually fiddled with the coats on the hanger, showing little interest in these luxury items.

Gu Zheng, however, was very patient. He went straight around the outer shelves and walked to the innermost part of the display window.

He picked up a khaki, British-style haute couture trench coat, turned around, and walked up to Ye Zhen.

I held the trench coat up against her and it fit perfectly.

The fabric has a crisp and delicate texture, and the khaki color makes Ye Zhen's originally pale face look bright and rosy like autumn.

Gu Zheng didn't even bother to check the price tag; he turned around and handed the trench coat to the stunned sales assistant next to him.

"wrap up."

Xu Wenqiang hurriedly translated.

Upon hearing this, the sales assistant quickly averted her gaze, took the trench coat with both hands, and headed towards the packaging counter.

Gu Zheng pulled Ye Zhen further inside and stopped at the shoe section.

Various styles of high heels were displayed on the shelf, but Gu Zheng didn't even glance at the styles with their slender heels.

He tapped his knuckles on the glass counter, signaling the clerk to bring out a pair of dark brown flat sheepskin shoes.

These shoes feature an extremely soft composite sole and are free of any unnecessary straps or cumbersome designs.

The shop assistant took out a shoebox, knelt down attentively, and prepared to help Ye Zhen change her shoes.

Gu Zheng stepped forward and took the pair of sheepskin shoes.

He knelt down on one knee in front of Ye Zhen, the tall and upright man bending one leg and grasping Ye Zhen's slender ankle with his hand.

He skillfully helped her take off her worn-out hard-soled leather shoes from back home and slipped her feet into soft sheepskin shoes.

The whole process was natural and smooth, without the slightest hint of affectation. The blonde shop assistant standing behind the counter was completely mesmerized.

Ye Zhen took two steps on the thick pure wool carpet.

The leather fits the instep perfectly, is soft and comfortable, and won't tire your feet at all.

"These are the ones."

Xu Wenqiang and Officer Li stood by the railing outside the store, watching the shop assistant pack up three beautifully printed shopping bags.

Officer Li leaned close to Xu Wenqiang's ear and whispered.

"That trench coat, I just glanced at the price tag, it costs several hundred US dollars."

Officer Li smacked his lips, his face full of disbelief.

"Commander Gu really doesn't treat money like money when he spends it."

Xu Wenqiang coughed lightly.

"Stop looking."

"We shouldn't be concerned about the money the Gu family spent on Dr. Ye. Let's go over there and see if we can find any cheap souvenirs to take back and report."

The two tactfully moved to the other discount section.

Gu Zheng, carrying three shopping bags, walked back to Ye Zhen's side.

Ye Zhen glanced down at the gold-stamped English logo on the bag. In the 1980s in America, this kind of brand would definitely not be cheap.

Gu Zheng freed his right hand and naturally put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.

"This money was well spent."

"My wife should wear the best."

The two left the women's clothing store and took the escalator to the third floor, where they went to the crafts and home furnishings section.

Ye Zhen stopped in front of a stationery counter.

Inside the glass display case, limited edition Parker and Montblanc fountain pens are neatly arranged, their nibs gleaming with a cold metallic sheen under the lights.

Ye Zhen's gaze fell on a Montblanc pendant made of pure black matte material.

The pen has a slender body and a well-designed center of gravity, so your wrist shouldn't get sore when writing thick surgical records and medical orders.

Before she could speak, Gu Zheng had already noticed her gaze.

He tapped directly on the glass counter and pointed at the black fountain pen.

"Take it out, I want it."

The shop assistant deftly packed the pen into the velvet gift box.

Throughout the morning, Gu Zheng's hands accumulated more and more paper bags.

When he passed by the top-tier skincare counter on the first floor, he stopped and bought the most expensive plant-based hand care essence.

The reason was irrefutable: "The disinfectant in the operating room is too harsh on your hands; your hands are more precious than anything else."

Ye Zhen didn't even have a chance to pay the money the whole time.

The clock struck 12:30. Xu Wenqiang and Officer Li, carrying a few thin paper bags, returned to the fountain hall on the first floor to meet.

Officer Li rubbed his protesting belly and looked at everyone with a bitter expression.

"These past few days I've been eating nothing but lettuce leaves and cold sandwich salads every day at the hotel."

"My stomach is full of cold air."

He turned to Xu Wenqiang, who was in charge of external liaison, and asked eagerly.

"Comrade Xu."

"Is there a decent place to eat around here, where I can get a hot meal?"

Xu Wenqiang took out the handwritten itinerary booklet from his briefcase and flipped through a couple of pages.

There aren't many Chinese people in Rochester.

"However, just a few blocks to the south, there is a small Chinatown area."

Xu Wenqiang pointed to the records in the booklet.

"There's a Cantonese teahouse and a Sichuan restaurant over there. I heard the food is quite authentic."

Upon hearing the words "Sichuan restaurant," Officer Li swallowed hard.

"Let's go there!"

"Forget about teahouses, a steaming plate of Mapo Tofu is better than anything else."

Gu Zheng rearranged the dozen or so shopping bags in his hands, putting them all in his left hand, and steadily took Ye Zhen's hand with his right.

"Walk."

The four pushed open the mall door, walked to the street, and hailed a taxi.

Xu Wenqiang sat in the passenger seat and gave the Black driver the street address of Chinatown in English.

The driver was just about to step on the gas pedal when he heard the address, and his foot stopped abruptly above the accelerator pedal.

He turned his head and glanced at the three Chinese people sitting in the back row.

"Are you sure you want to go to that neighborhood?"

The driver's expression was somewhat strange, even revealing a hint of apprehension.

"Things aren't safe over there."

Gu Zheng sat in the back seat, his hand resting on the edge of the car window, without even changing his posture.

"drive."