After becoming a widow, I became the apple of a rough man's eye.

The medical tent was dimly lit, with only a windproof kerosene lamp lit in one corner.

Lin Qingqing fell asleep on the simple wooden table.

She was exhausted. After treating the wounded and helping to brew medicine, the tension finally eased, and drowsiness washed over her.

She slept restlessly, her brows slightly furrowed, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyelids. Qin Lie's oversized coat had slipped halfway down, revealing half of her slender shoulder.

The tent curtain was lifted a crack.

Xiao Yong peeked inside cautiously, and seeing that no one was awake, he quietly slipped in.

He was such a big guy, yet he walked on tiptoe like a thieving black bear. He was carrying a military blanket he'd brought from home, which still smelled of soap.

He walked to the table and looked at Lin Qingqing's sleeping face. A kind of almost silly gentleness appeared on his tough and rough face.

"Why are you so thin..." Xiao Yong muttered softly, reaching out to touch her face, but then hesitated, afraid that the calluses on his hands would hurt her. His hand froze in mid-air for a long time before finally pulling it back.

He carefully unfolded the camp blanket and covered Lin Qingqing with it, his movements clumsy as if afraid of waking her up.

After covering it up, he walked around the table twice to make sure there were no drafts, and then nodded in satisfaction.

Xiao Yong grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, and turned to leave.

Just as I reached the door, the curtain moved again.

Jiang He slid in like a ghost.

The two bumped into each other at the narrow doorway.

Xiao Yong's eyes widened, and he lowered his voice: "Fifth Brother? What are you doing here instead of sleeping?"

Jiang He ignored him, his gaze passing over Xiao Yong's broad shoulders and landing directly on Lin Qingqing. In those misty eyes, a light that defied comprehension flickered.

"Second brother didn't sleep either," Jiang He said in a light, ethereal voice, carrying a chilling undertone.

"I'm here to deliver blankets!" Xiao Yong puffed out his chest. "You'd better go back now and stop bothering Qingqing."

Jiang He's lips curled into a slight smile as he squeezed past Xiao Yong.

"I've come to see my sister too."

He walked to the table, his movements much lighter than Xiao Yong's.

Jiang He crouched down, his gaze level with Lin Qingqing's. He looked at her hand sticking out from under the blanket; her wrist was wrapped in gauze, bandaged by Gu Qiangying.

Jiang He extended a finger and gently touched the piece of gauze. His fingertip slid up the back of her hand and finally stopped on her slightly cool cheek.

The touch was so light, yet it was filled with fascination.

"How could my sister get hurt..."

He called out silently, his possessiveness almost overflowing in his eyes.

Xiao Yong watched this scene from the doorway and inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine.

"Fifth Brother! What are you doing! Take your hand away!" Xiao Yong was anxious, but dared not shout loudly, his face turning red and his neck thick with suppressed anger.

Jiang He turned around, raised his index finger to Xiao Yong, and put it to his lips.

"Shh-"

He turned his head and moved closer to Lin Qingqing.

The boy's breath sprayed onto her smooth forehead. He slowly lowered his head, his lips touching her warm skin.

Extremely fast, extremely light.

It's like a brand of piety.

After doing all this, Jiang He stood up, walked to the door, and as he passed Xiao Yong, the smile in his eyes vanished instantly.

"Second brother, keep an eye on the door."

Jiang He patted Xiao Yong on the shoulder, "Don't let anyone wake up your sister."

After saying that, he lifted the curtain and went out, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

Xiao Yong stood there, scratching his head, looking completely bewildered.

"That little brat... what was with that look he gave me just now?"

Xiao Yong muttered something, glanced back at the sleeping Lin Qingqing, and finally plopped down on the stool by the door, standing guard like a door god.

……

The outskirts of the camp.

With both bottles of wine empty, Li Dongye was completely drunk.

He clung to Qin Lie, mumbling incoherently things like "I'm not going back" and "Kill them."

Qin Lie sighed helplessly.

He threw the empty bottle into the bushes, bent down, grabbed one of Li Dongye's arms, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and with his other hand, lifted him up by the knees.

Li Dongye's head was down, his stomach was churning, but he still didn't want to vomit, he just felt dizzy.

"Brother... I feel like throwing up..."

"Hold it in. If you dare vomit on me, I'll throw you in a ditch."

Li Dongye chuckled twice and then behaved himself.

Qin Lie carried the person, stumbling and sinking as he walked back.

The road was difficult to walk on, full of gravel and mud, but Qin Lie walked steadily. Carrying his younger brother on his back, although he was usually unruly, Qin Lie knew all about the hardships he had suffered in J City.

He returned covered in injuries, having narrowly escaped death from the fire, and even saved Qingqing.

This kid is a real man.

"Fourth brother," Qin Lie suddenly said, not caring whether the person on his back could hear him.

"Hmm?" Li Dongye mumbled a sleepy reply.

"That's about it for now. We'll head back to the village in a few days."

Li Dongye didn't say anything, but simply pressed his face against Qin Lie's broad back and rubbed against it.

Back in the tent area, I could see Gu Qiangying standing there from afar.

Gu Qiangying had just finished her work, and her white coat was so dirty that its original color was no longer visible, and her gold-rimmed glasses were fogged up.

Seeing Qin Lie carrying back a man who looked like a dead pig, Gu Qiangying raised an eyebrow.

"Did you drink too much?"

"Hmm." Qin Lie placed the person on the cot. "It's good that you've vented."

Gu Qiangying walked over, reached out and touched Li Dongye's forehead, then flipped his eyelids.

"He's alright, nothing serious." Gu Qiangying listened to his heart and lungs again. "Let him sleep, he'll probably have a terrible headache when he wakes up."

Qin Lie straightened up and stretched his sore shoulders.

"How about Qingqing?"

"The second brother is guarding it." Gu Qiangying pointed to the medical tent not far away. "The fifth brother went in just now, but he came out quickly."

Qin Lie frowned slightly but didn't say anything.

"You should go and rest for a while too." He looked at the bloodshot eyes in Gu Qiangying's eyes. "You haven't slept much these past few days either."

"I'm not tired." Gu Qiangying leaned against the tent post, her gaze fixed on a point in the void. "Brother, Li Laosi is soft-hearted, but I can't swallow this insult. I don't want to let it go like this."

Qin Lie was taking off Li Dongye's shoes when he heard this and paused for a moment.

He turned around, his eagle-like eyes gleaming coldly in the darkness.

"Who said that's all?"

"Old Fourth isn't soft-hearted, that's just his temperament. He doesn't hold grudges. Once the people sent from above arrive, we'll go back to the village. I have some acquaintances in the military region; I'll ask them to find out what kind of family Old Fourth comes from."

"Okay." Gu Qiangying pushed up her glasses. "When I go out to see patients later, if there are any people from the Armed Forces Department, I'll ask them about it."

Inside the tent, Li Dongye let out a muffled murmur in his sleep, turned over, and fell fast asleep.

Qin Lie covered Li Dongye with a blanket and then stepped out of the tent.

The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, casting a cool, white light.

On this devastated land, some people are crying, and some are sleeping.

Qin Lie stood in the wind and lit a cigarette.

---

【small theater】

Outside the medical tent, Xiao Yong stood guard at the entrance like a gatekeeper.

A soldier passing by asked curiously: "Brother Xiao, what are you doing squatting here?"

Xiao Yong glared at him and lowered his voice: Go away, go away, go away. I'm here to block the wind, don't wake up the little darling inside.

Soldier A shrank back: What did Fifth Brother do when he went in just now?

Xiao Yong blushed and scratched his head guiltily: He... he went in to have Qingqing's fortune told.

At this moment, Jiang He drifted past from behind and suddenly said: "Second brother, your fortune telling is inaccurate. I'm just carving seals."

Xiao Yong: What chapter?

Jiang He touched his lips, smiling innocently: Private seal.