The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

Qiao Xinxin tilted her head and thought for a moment, her bright eyes darting around.

My brother is right.

"Alright, brother, then I'll trouble you to make the trip!" Qiao Xinxin readily agreed, adding, "Tell Brother Lu that we've decided on the shop, and ask him to help us schedule a time with Uncle Zhou. The sooner we sign the contract, the better, to avoid any unforeseen complications!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this."

Bai Zhengyuan laughed heartily, reached out and ruffled his sister's fluffy hair, casually picked up the military cap from the table, put it on properly, and strode out the door.

"Zhengyuan!"

Hearing the commotion, Bai's mother hurriedly poked half her body out of the kitchen, holding a dripping spatula in her hand, and called out into the hallway, "Are you coming home for lunch?"

"Not necessarily, it depends on the meeting!"

Bai Zhengyuan's strong voice came from around the corner of the corridor, accompanied by steady and powerful footsteps, fading into the distance, "If you're not coming back, I'll have Bai Zhou pass on a message—"

The sound gradually faded away at the top of the stairs.

Holding the spatula, Bai's mother shook her head helplessly, then turned to look at Qiao Xinxin standing in the doorway, sighing with heartache: "Your brother is good in every way, except he's reckless when it comes to risking his life! He finally came back from a mission that nearly killed him, and before he could even rest for two days, he's been going to meetings and training sessions, not even getting a proper night's sleep!"

Qiao Xinxin stepped forward and naturally took Bai's mother's arm, her soft voice filled with pride: "Mom, my brother is a battalion commander now! He has hundreds of real men under his command. How can he stay at home all day like an idler? It's normal for him to be busy! Once he finishes handing over his work and the shop is open, he can finally take a good rest."

"Sigh, I hope so. When are soldiers ever truly at ease..."

After muttering something to herself, Bai's mother turned around and went back into the narrow kitchen to start thinking about lunch.

***

On the other side, a regimental headquarters of the Imperial Capital Military Region.

Bai Zhengyuan sped into the compound. He first went to the commander to give a concise report, then turned and headed straight for the regimental commander's office.

"Knock knock knock—"

Three firm knocks on the door.

"Come in."

A deep, cold, yet penetrating male voice came from inside the door.

Bai Zhengyuan pushed open the door and entered, only to see Lu Baizhou sitting upright behind a large desk in the spacious and bright office.

He was dressed in a crisp Type 65 military uniform, his shoulders and back straight as a pine tree. He held a red-headed document in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, and his cold and stern face exuded an aura of unapproachability.

Hearing the noise, Lu Baizhou looked up and saw that it was his old comrade-in-arms. Only then did his fierce aura subside a little.

"Wow, did the sun rise in the west today? You're here so early?" Lu Baizhou put down the documents and leaned back slightly.

"I need to speak with you about something important."

Bai Zhengyuan, of course, didn't stand on ceremony. He pulled out a chair opposite his desk with an air of authority, plopped down, and went straight to the point: "Do you remember those three shops Xin Xin went to see with you yesterday?"

"The one in the middle of Huaihua Street?" Lu Baizhou raised an eyebrow, his well-defined fingers tapping lightly on the table as he asked confidently.

"Yes! It's the one with the kitchen!"

Bai Zhengyuan slapped his thigh, his eyes shining brightly: "Last night, my whole family had a meeting and discussed it. We think the shop has a good location and a spacious layout, so we want to finalize it. I came here specifically to see you today so you can help me talk to Uncle Zhou and arrange a specific time for us to sign the contract as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Baizhou's cold face showed little surprise, but a hint of understanding flashed in his deep eyes.

"That shop is definitely the best choice. When I showed it to her yesterday, I guessed you would ultimately choose it."

"Wow, you're something else, Lu the Fortune Teller!" Bai Zhengyuan's eyes widened, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You can even predict this?"

"It's not a guess, it's an analysis based on on-site investigation."

Lu Baizhou crossed his arms in front of him, his tone calm and his logic clear, as if he were conducting a tactical deliberation: "I've already surveyed the few vacant shops on Huaihua Street. Only the one in the middle has a reasonable rent, a large enough area, and comes with a complete kitchen and some ready-made tables and chairs. It has the best cost performance and is most suitable for a food business like yours that's just starting out."

He paused, and the image of the shrewd, calculating girl with her bright, darting eyes from yesterday involuntarily surfaced in his mind. A slight, almost imperceptible twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Your sister is very quick-witted and has a sharp eye; she'll definitely be able to tell which one is the best deal."

"That's right! Don't you even know whose sister she is!"

Upon hearing others praise Qiao Xinxin, Bai Zhengyuan, the fully awakened "sister-complex," immediately became incredibly proud, raising his chin with an air of smug satisfaction.

Too lazy to waste any more words, he reached out and pulled over the black crank phone on his desk, expertly cranked the handle twice, and dialed the number for the supply and marketing cooperative's residential compound.

"Feed? Is that Uncle Zhou?"

Bai Zhengyuan's voice was loud and clear, carrying the crispness characteristic of a soldier: "My sister and family have discussed it and decided to rent your shop in the middle of Huaihua Street! ...Yes! When would be a convenient time to meet? ...Okay! Let's meet at the shop entrance tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock! ...Alright, I'll relay this to my sister word for word. Thank you, Uncle Zhou, goodbye!"

With a "click," Bai Zhengyuan hung up the phone and looked at Lu Baizhou on the other end.

"Did you hear me? Meet me at the shop entrance tomorrow at 2 PM, and we'll sign the contract and pay the deposit on the spot."

"Okay, I understand." Lu Baizhou nodded slightly.

Bai Zhengyuan stood up, grabbed the hem of his shirt with both hands and pulled it down forcefully, smoothing out the wrinkles on his trouser legs. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked up and extended an invitation warmly:

"Then I'll go home and talk to Xin Xin about it in a bit. By the way, Bai Zhou, don't eat at the cafeteria tomorrow at noon, come to my house for lunch! After lunch, we can go to Huaihua Street together to sign the contract!"

Lu Baizhou's thin lips twitched slightly, instinctively wanting to refuse. He had never liked visiting other people's homes, and he was even less willing to add trouble to the already impoverished Bai family.

But as soon as the words were on the tip of his tongue, his mind inexplicably flashed back to the little girl's bright eyes that curved into crescent moons every time she saw him, and her crisp "Brother Lu" in her voice.

The refusal that was on the tip of my tongue was abruptly reversed.

"...Okay." He replied in a deep voice and nodded.

When Bai Zhengyuan saw that he had actually agreed, he was so happy that he patted his strong shoulder across the table: "Then it's settled! Alright, I won't disturb your busy schedule any longer, I'm leaving now, I still have to go to the Second Battalion's training ground to keep watch!"