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

After saying that, he turned around, opened the door, and swept out of the office like a whirlwind.

Lu Baizhou remained seated. He slowly leaned back in his chair, turned his head, and his deep gaze pierced through the clear glass window, landing on the dusty training field in the distance.

A gentle breeze stirred the documents on his desk, and a rare hint of tenderness, unnoticed even by himself, flickered in his usually calm, dark eyes, as if he were lost in thought.

***

The next day, around noon.

The Bai family's house in the tenement building was filled with an irresistible aroma that made the passing neighbors swallow hard.

To entertain Lu Baizhou, Bai's mother went all out today, queuing up at the grocery store early in the morning with a shopping basket to grab meat. Wearing a clean old apron, she wielded a spatula in the cramped kitchen, managing to prepare a feast that was so lavish it was astonishing.

On the round mahogany table, six dishes and a soup were laid out in abundance.

Braised pork ribs, glistening red and coated in a rich broth; sweet and sour fish, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce; twice-cooked pork, fatty yet not greasy, rendered with red oil; plus hot and sour shredded potatoes, hand-torn cabbage, and a plate of crisp, green water spinach with garlic. Right in the center, a large bowl of steaming seaweed and egg drop soup, drizzled with sesame oil, sits steadily.

Next to it, a large wooden steamer was filled to the brim with a pot of perfectly cooked, glistening white rice.

Bai Zhengyuan, who had just rushed back from the regimental headquarters, was so overwhelmed by the aroma as soon as he entered the door that he nearly fell over.

He stared wide-eyed at the table laden with elaborate dishes, barely a single leaf of vegetable in sight. He couldn't help but swallow hard, jokingly saying, "My goodness, what day is this? Why are you making so many fancy dishes? Are we celebrating the Lunar New Year early?"

"Go away, get out of my way!"

Mother Bai brought the last dish out of the kitchen, giving her son a disapproving look, but her face beamed with barely concealed joy: "Your brother Lu has helped our family a lot. Since he's here for dinner today, can't we at least cook something nice for him?"

As she spoke, she peeked at the clock on the wall, then turned and called out to the inner room, "Xin Xin, hurry up and go to the stairwell to see if your Brother Lu has arrived yet!"

"Okay! I'm off!"

Qiao Xinxin's clear voice came from inside the house.

Today she wore a beige polyester shirt and a simple navy blue straight-leg trousers. Although she wore no makeup, her fair and sweet face was more eye-catching than the stars in the movie magazine.

She darted out the door like a nimble little swallow, but as soon as she peeked halfway into the stairwell, she froze.

At the end of the dimly lit corridor of the tenement building, against the afternoon sunlight, Lu Baizhou strode towards this side.

He was still wearing his faded but impeccably ironed military uniform, the belt emphasizing his lean, muscular waist, and gleaming black military boots. His tall, imposing figure seemed out of place in the dilapidated stairwell, yet possessed an indescribable air of strength and elegance.

Qiao Xinxin's eyes lit up, and she immediately flashed a bright smile, greeting him warmly:

"Brother Lu! You're here! Come in, come in!"

Her voice was already soft and sweet, but she deliberately raised it a few decibels, giving it a comforting and intimate quality.

Lu Baizhou paused slightly, his gaze falling on the little girl's bright, smiling face, his usually cold and hard features softening slightly. He walked to the door, stood ramrod straight, and gave a slight nod to the elders inside, his tone polite and courteous:

"Uncle, Auntie, sorry to bother you."

"Oh, no, no, don't bother me! Please don't be so polite!"

Upon hearing the commotion, Bai's mother quickly wiped her hands on her apron and came out with a beaming smile: "Little Lu is here? Come in and sit down! The food is just ready, it's all still warm on the table!"

Bai Shouguo, who had been sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, put it down, stood up, and a rare, warm smile appeared on his usually serious and stern face: "Xiao Lu, make yourself at home, don't be shy, sit wherever you like!"

"Don't just stand there, come on, the whole family is waiting for you!" Bai Zhengyuan had already sat down at the dining table with an air of authority, chopsticks in his hand, and waved to his old comrade-in-arms.

Lu Baizhou walked into the house, deftly took off his military cap and hung it on the wooden coat rack by the door. He then walked to the dining table and sat down in the empty seat that Bai Zhengyuan had specially reserved.

A wave of hot air, a mixture of the aroma of meat and scallion oil, wafted over.

Before he could react, a pair of fair and slender hands presented him with a large, full celadon bowl.

"Brother Lu, let's eat! My mom queued for ages to buy this meat today!" Qiao Xinxin looked at him with a bright smile, her eyes as clear as a spring.

"……Thanks."

Lu Baizhou took the bowl of tightly packed white rice with both hands. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against the little girl's warm palm, and his eyes suddenly twitched.

He quickly lowered his eyes, his deep gaze sweeping over the table laden with a feast for the eyes and the palate, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Having grown accustomed to communal meals in the army canteen, he had indeed not seen such exquisite and tempting home-style dishes in a long time.

"Auntie, your cooking is really good." Lu Baizhou looked up and praised sincerely.

Overjoyed by the praise, Mrs. Bai's smile deepened, but she waved her hand repeatedly, generously giving all the credit to her own daughter:

"Oh, not at all! Xiao Lu, don't flatter me. All these unusual recipes on the table, like sweet and sour, garlic, were all taught to me by Xin Xin! That kid has an amazing collection of cooking recipes in her head. Today, I'm just her assistant in the kitchen!"

In the cramped tenement building, the meal was eaten in great enthusiasm.

The family sat around the round mahogany table, chatting and laughing, their chopsticks clinking against the porcelain bowls.

"Come on, Xiao Lu, this spare rib has lots of meat, eat more! And the meat from the fish's belly, it's boneless, try the sweet and sour sauce Xin Xin taught me to make, see if it suits your taste!"

Mother Bai held the serving chopsticks in her hand, her enthusiasm was fiery. In the blink of an eye, a steaming "small mountain of meat" had already piled up in the large celadon bowl in front of Lu Baizhou, and even the white rice at the bottom could not be seen.

Sitting across from him, Bai Zhengyuan looked at the two lonely green vegetables in his bowl, then at his old comrade's "mountain of flesh," and couldn't help but tap the rim of his bowl with his chopsticks, pursing his lips in a teasing tone:

"Mom, aren't you being way too biased? Anyone who didn't know better would think Bai Zhou was your own son, whom you carried for ten months!"

"Get out of here! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Bai's mother glared at her own son, but when she turned to look at Lu Baizhou, her smile blossomed like a chrysanthemum: "Isn't he even closer than our own son! Little Lu picks Xin Xin up from the station for us, and he helps out at the shop, putting in both money and effort! What's wrong with me giving him a few extra bites? What, are you jealous, brother?"