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

"Besides, even if Zhou Liguang and I really got together, whether Qiao Mingzhu could get over that hurdle in her heart is her own fault! Instead of coming here every day to try and seduce me, you should go back and manage your own wife properly, and stop her from thinking about all sorts of nonsense all day long!"

Qiao Lijun trembled with rage, his hands clenched into fists in the pockets of his military overcoat, veins bulging on the back of his hands. He wanted to explode in anger, to point his finger at Qiao Xinxin and berate her for being heartless, but reason told him that he couldn't find any suitable pretext.

Seeing his murderous look, Qiao Xinxin was too lazy to waste any more words on him and simply reached out to shoo him away:

"Alright, you've torn up the ticket, taken a shower, and explained everything you wanted to know. Now that you've achieved your goal, hurry up and leave. Don't stand here and delay my work; there are other people waiting in line."

Qiao Lijun stared intently at Qiao Xinxin for several seconds, his gaze so intense it seemed he wanted to pierce her. But in the end, he couldn't utter a word. He abruptly flung his arm, turned, and strode out of the bathhouse.

As the heavy footsteps faded into the distance, Qiao Xinxin shook her head speechlessly.

This Qiao Lijun is really a troublemaker. Every time he comes to the bathhouse, he either picks a fight or makes some inexplicable and unreasonable demands. Does he really think the whole world has to revolve around his precious Qiao Mingzhu?

However, upon further reflection, she realized that the verbal battle she had just fought had been quite satisfying, leaving Qiao Lijun looking pale and probably unable to sleep for days. Although he had never treated her well, she was no longer the pushover she used to be, and she would never let him lead her by the nose.

She picked up her pen again, lowered her head, and continued to diligently organize the registers on the table.

After Qiao Lijun walked out of the bathhouse with a dark face, a gust of cold wind blew over him, making him a little more awake.

He didn't go straight back to his dorm, but instead trudged through the cold wind. Although Qiao Xinxin's words were as sharp as knives, upon reflection, he couldn't really refute them.

She has no obligation to sacrifice her own happiness for his relationship with Qiao Mingzhu. Who she chooses and who she is with is her own freedom.

But he just couldn't shake the thought. Although Mingzhu was now pregnant with his child, he, as her husband, was perfectly aware of her lingering feelings for Zhou Liguang. He had actually seen the adoring and shy look in Mingzhu's eyes when she looked at Zhou Liguang before.

If Qiao Xinxin really gets together with Zhou Liguang, then Mingzhu will naturally give up completely and live a peaceful life with him. He won't have to live in constant fear anymore and can live his life in peace.

"Zhou Liguang..." Qiao Lijun murmured the name.

He suddenly remembered that a few days ago at the regimental headquarters, someone had mentioned that Zhou Liguang had been sent to the southwestern border for patrol and reconnaissance due to a mission, and would probably not be back for half a month to a month.

Qiao Lijun was quickly calculating in his mind. Once Zhou Liguang returned from his mission, he had to find an opportunity to have a serious talk with him about this. If he put in a little effort and acted as a go-between, maybe he could actually get Qiao Xinxin and Zhou Liguang together.

Qiao Lijun thought about it more and more and felt that this was a reliable plan. He had to find a way to get Qiao Xinxin to choose Zhou Liguang. As long as Zhou Liguang was also interested, and since the two of them were both in the military and would see each other all the time, they would naturally get together eventually.

……

The next day, the capital city was blessed with a rare sunny day. The golden sunlight shone on the snow, so bright it hurt people's eyes.

Qiao Xinxin had just finished the busiest part of lunchtime at her small restaurant. She had just taken off her white apron, neatly folded it, and placed it on the counter when she heard a clear "ding-a-ling" of a bicycle bell outside the door.

She subconsciously looked up and gazed towards the door.

In the sunlight, Lu Baizhou stood upright outside the door, pushing a slightly worn black eight-inch bicycle. He wore a gentle smile as he looked at her through the glass window.

Seeing her looking over, Lu Baizhou pushed open the door and walked in, his voice deep and magnetic:

"Xin Xin, the weather is nice today, I want to take you somewhere."

Qiao Xinxin glanced at him. Today, Lu Baizhou wasn't wearing his usual serious military uniform or training clothes; instead, he had changed into casual clothes. He wore a navy blue woolen overcoat over a clean gray turtleneck sweater, making him look less sharp and more casual and handsome than he usually did in the military.

"Did you just buy this? It looks pretty good." Qiao Xinxin's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but compliment her.

Lu Baizhou blushed slightly, a suspicious blush rising on his tanned skin, his ears turning a little red with embarrassment. He awkwardly tugged at the hem of his coat and explained in a low voice:

"I bought this before the New Year, but I haven't had a chance to wear it. I thought I'd take you out for a walk today, so I changed into it. Get in the car, I'll take you to a fun place."

Qiao Xinxin smiled and didn't ask any more questions. She walked out the door and lightly sat on the back of the bicycle.

This time, she wasn't coy like before. Instead, she naturally reached out and gently placed her hands on Lu Baizhou's strong, broad waist. The movement was fluid and natural, much more so than when she was so nervous the first time she rode in his car that she didn't even know where to put her hands.

Feeling the soft little hands around his waist, Lu Baizhou's body stiffened slightly, then the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. He pushed off with his long legs, and the bicycle glided steadily forward.

Qiao Xinxin sat in the back seat, feeling the warm sunshine on her body. The shops, old locust trees, and pedestrians on both sides of the street rushed past like scenes from a movie. The wind whistled in her ears, but her heart inexplicably felt bright and cheerful.

After riding for about twenty minutes, Lu Baizhou slowly stopped at the entrance of a not-too-wide old alley.

He braced himself with his long legs, pushed the bicycle to the side against the wall, locked it, then turned around and said gently to Qiao Xinxin:

"Let's go inside."

Qiao Xinxin followed him deeper into the alley.

Qiao Xinxin was following Lu Baizhou, stumbling along, when suddenly the alley ahead came to an end. Lu Baizhou led her to turn right, and the view suddenly opened up before them.

A charming little shop unexpectedly came into Qiao Xinxin's view.

The shop was indeed small, but it was extremely clean and tidy. The door frames and window frames were painted a brand new, glossy dark green, gleaming softly in the warm winter sun. On the windowsill facing the street, two pots of lush asparagus ferns were neatly arranged, their delicate leaves so green they seemed to drip with moisture.