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

Lu Baizhou flicked his wrist slightly, avoiding her hand, and moved the bag to his side, his voice low and gentle: "No need, this weight is nothing to me, it's not heavy. With your skinny arms and legs, why would you need this?"

He paused, turned his head, and his deep gaze fell on Qiao Xinxin's face. He tentatively asked, "That person standing across the street just now... is he your older brother?"

Qiao Xinxin pursed her lips and nonchalantly hummed in agreement: "It's him. Don't worry about him. I don't know what kind of mush is in his head all day. Let him think whatever he wants. Anyway, I have nothing to say to him."

Hearing this, Lu Baizhou understood and didn't press the matter further. Actually, he had clearly seen the ruthless and resentful look in Qiao Lijun's eyes earlier. But how could a dignified regimental commander like him take a nobody like Qiao Lijun seriously? He just felt that the look was a bit off, but then he thought, he was now the rightful "target," so even if Qiao Lijun was unhappy, what could he do to him?

The two chatted casually for a while and walked on for a bit longer.

Qiao Xinxin looked up at the sky. The sun had completely set, and twilight, like a huge gray-blue curtain, was slowly descending. The air carried the crisp coolness unique to early spring evenings, and the streetlights on both sides of the road flickered on one after another, casting a dim yellow light on the street, exuding a sense of tranquility.

Lu Baizhou followed her gaze and glanced at the darkening sky, then naturally suggested, "It's getting dark. You must be tired after running around all afternoon. Why don't we find a place to eat first? I'm hungry too."

Qiao Xinxin rubbed her stomach, realizing she was indeed a little hungry, and nodded with a smile: "Okay, let's go eat first. If you're still not sleepy after eating and there's nothing urgent at the army base, we can go see a movie."

Upon hearing this, a clear smile instantly appeared in Lu Baizhou's deep eyes, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up slightly: "Alright, I'll listen to you today, so let's do it your way."

The two wandered around the neighborhood for a while and then found a clean-looking state-run restaurant nearby. The restaurant wasn't crowded, so they chose a quiet spot by the window to sit down.

Lu Baizhou ordered a braised pork, a stir-fried cabbage, and two bowls of steaming rice. The two ate while chatting quietly, the atmosphere as warm and cozy as that of an old married couple who had been together for many years. After they leisurely finished their meal, they sat there drinking tea and chatting for a while, until the sky outside the window was completely dark, as if ink had been splashed on it.

Stepping out of the restaurant, the wind was noticeably colder than during the day. Lu Baizhou turned to Qiao Xinxin and asked, "Where do you want to watch a movie? I remember there's a Red Star Cinema a couple of blocks ahead. It's not far from here; we can stroll over there in about ten minutes."

Qiao Xinxin put her hands in her pockets and said with a smile, "Okay, whatever you say, let's go to that place then."

The two walked slowly along the street toward the movie theater. The night wind was chilly, and Qiao Xinxin couldn't help but shrink her neck and pull up the collar of her thin cotton-padded jacket.

Lu Baizhou noticed her little action. He silently quickened his pace, walked to the outside of Qiao Xinxin, and used his tall and broad body to completely block the cold wind blowing in her face.

The Red Star Cinema wasn't large, but it was quite lively. The somewhat old lightbox at the entrance shone with a bright red light, and the titles of the films to be shown that evening were neatly written in chalk on the small blackboard next to it.

Lu Baizhou told Qiao Xinxin to wait at the door while he strode to the ticket office and bought two tickets for seats next to each other. When he returned, he not only had the tickets in his hand, but also a bottle of steaming orange soda and a small packet of roasted sunflower seeds wrapped in newspaper.

He handed the warm bottle of orange soda to Qiao Xinxin. Qiao Xinxin felt a warmth in her heart, lowered her head, bit the straw, and took a small sip. The sweet and warm taste warmed her stomach.

The two entered the screening room after having their tickets checked. Tonight's showing was an older romance film, but Qiao Xinxin was completely engrossed. The film's poignant scenes of joy and sorrow made her laugh and sigh intermittently. Although Lu Baizhou wasn't particularly fond of these kinds of love stories, seeing the girl beside him so absorbed made the movie seem less bad.

When the movie ended and the lights in the theater came on, the two of them followed the crowd out of the theater. They glanced at their watches and saw that it was almost 10 p.m.

The two left the movie theater and walked slowly along the quiet street toward the residential compound. The dim streetlights cast long, long shadows of the two of them, sometimes even overlapping.

Qiao Xinxin walked beside Lu Baizhou. For some reason, she didn't feel tired at all. Her pace even slowed down unconsciously. She felt a little reluctant to walk to the end of this road.

She turned her head and quietly looked at Lu Baizhou beside her. The dim yellow light of the street lamp shone from behind him, gilding his angular profile with a warm golden edge, making him look unreal yet incredibly reassuring.

"Bai Zhou," Qiao Xinxin stopped and called his name softly, her eyes sparkling, "I'm really happy today. Thank you for spending so much time with me and helping me carry my things all afternoon."

Lu Baizhou stopped and turned to look at her. In the night, the girl's eyes shone like stars in the sky, making his heart soften and burn.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and all his unspoken words finally coalesced into a low but firm sentence: "Yes, from now on, I'll spend every day with you whenever I have time."

He said it so fluently and naturally, without a trace of flowery rhetoric, like an ordinary yet weighty promise.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Xinxin felt a surge of indescribable bittersweetness, as if the corner of her heart that had been hanging in mid-air, unable to find its place, had finally settled down and taken root in those words.

The two stood there on the quiet street for a while. The night was deep and still, with the faint sound of a dog barking from a distant yard, which was quickly carried away by the night wind.

"So... will you come see me again tomorrow?" Qiao Xinxin asked, somewhat reluctant to part.

"Come on," Lu Baizhou answered without hesitation, looking intently at her. "I'll come to your house tomorrow night after class."