A whirlwind marriage with a high-ranking official: Lights out, don't force me to take the initi

After taking the group photo, the members of the clothing company returned to their workstations one after another to continue their work. Ye Wenxi, Wang Yingxue, and several models moved to the inner room in a large group to prepare for the official photoshoot.

Qin Tianyu emerged from the fitting room wearing a grey men's trench coat. The material wasn't thick, about as thin as a regular jacket, but it looked exceptionally crisp on him. Compared to a traditional wool coat, this trench coat was lighter and more comfortable, and standing in front of the mirror, his entire demeanor changed.

He looked down at himself, then looked up and glanced at Ye Wenxi's clothes. The styles were indeed novel, each piece had its own unique flavor. Although everyone's tastes were different, wearing them could truly transform a person's temperament and image.

Like Ding Jiahe, she was wearing a white jacket with delicate lace trim at the neckline, over which she wore a rayon V-neck blouse, paired with straight-leg trousers of the same texture as the jacket, and black leather shoes. She stood by the window waiting to have her picture taken.

The sunlight shone on her, making her appear gentle and soft, a stark contrast to Ding Jiahe's usual dashing and heroic demeanor in her military uniform.

Ye Wenxi began to direct: "Everyone's changed, right? Let's take a few shots here by the screen first, and then we'll go outside to take more shots."

She picked up her camera and beckoned to Ding Jiahe: "Come here, Jiahe. Stand here... knees slightly bent, hands clasped..."

"Look diagonally ahead, don't move... keep smiling..."

Like a professional photographer, Ye Wenxi directed Ding Jiahe to adjust her poses and expressions. Under her guidance, Ding Jiahe moved one pose after another, her smile gradually changing from stiff to natural. Compared to the first time she took a photo, she was much more relaxed this time; her shoulders were loose, and her eyes were more lively.

Qin Tianyu stood to the side, watching Ding Jiahe change poses in front of the camera, and for a moment he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Qin Tianyu, stand next to Jiahe. You two are wearing the same material, men's and women's styles, take a picture together." Ye Wenxi waved to him.

"Huh? Why are we standing here?" Qin Tianyu snapped out of his daze, walked over, and stood next to Ding Jiahe. The two of them stood there stiffly, like they were standing at attention.

"How about this, you two stand alternately, a little closer... a little closer... no, too far apart..."

Ye Wenxi peeked out from behind the camera. She didn't want Ding Jiahe and Qin Tianyu to have any physical contact. She just wanted them to be in a close-up, so they could fit in the same frame.

Ding Jiahe was almost a meter away from the other person, like the Chu-Han border. She pursed her lips and looked at Ding Jiahe, who rolled her eyes at her and moved to the side.

Ye Wenxi sighed. It really wasn't Wang Hao; Ding Jiahe's safe distance was a bit too far.

Later, Ye Wenxi simply brought over two chairs and had them sit on either side, or one sitting and the other standing, finally managing to frame the two of them in one frame.

With a more natural posture, Ding Jiahe's shoulders relaxed.

"Achoo—!"

Wang Hao sneezed, rubbed his nose, and looked out the window at the overcast sky. Ding Jiahe hadn't come over for two days. Without her, Wang Hao was really bored lying in bed by himself.

He slowly got out of bed, changed his clothes, went to the duty room to borrow a phone, and dialed Lu Weidong.

"Hey? Chief of Staff, let's have lunch together? It's on you."

After a couple of joking and cursing remarks on the other end of the phone, Wang Hao grinned and replied, "Okay! See you at the cafeteria."

More than half an hour later, Wang Hao finally "moved" to the entrance of the canteen. He stood holding onto the door frame and waited for Lu Weidong. During this time, many comrades passed by and saw him coming out of the sanatorium. They all came over to ask about his recovery.

"Much better, much better, I can walk now."

"Hey, Company Commander Wang looks great!"

"Of course, I'm just lying around all day fattening myself up."

Wang Hao responded with a smile, his voice not loud, but with much more energy. As he was speaking, he saw Lu Weidong walking towards him from the office building in the distance, his steps quick and his clothes billowing in the wind.

"Why didn't you come in a wheelchair?" Liu Weidong asked.

"I can't walk, can I? If I could walk, why would I be in a wheelchair in the military region? People would laugh at me." Wang Hao waved his hand. "Come on, treat me to some meat."

"Okay, let's eat!" Lu Weidong smiled and took Wang Hao's arm, half-supporting and half-carrying him as they walked inside.

Lu Weidong quickly prepared several good dishes: a plate of stewed river fish, a plate of pork bone stew with pickled cabbage, two servings of dumplings, a serving of stir-fried potatoes, green peppers, and eggplant, and a serving of scrambled eggs.

"Great, that's very kind of you. This meal is a good improvement." Wang Hao picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

Lu Weidong: "How much longer until I can leave the sanatorium?"

Wang Hao: "Half a month at most. I can take care of myself now, but I'm still a bit slow at everything."

"I have some good news, do you want to hear it?" Lu Weidong kept everyone in suspense.

"Is it that thing?" Wang Hao leaned forward excitedly.

Lu Weidong picked up a piece of food, smiled and nodded: "Otherwise, why do you think I invited you to dinner?"

He put down his chopsticks and looked at Wang Hao.

"Come on, congratulations to our Deputy Battalion Commander Wang! During your mission to Yunnan, you were outstanding in rescuing the wounded on the front lines and were bravely wounded yourself. You have been awarded a second-class merit. Also, your appointment as deputy battalion commander has been finalized. Once you leave the sanatorium and return to your unit, you can go straight through the formalities to take office."

Wang Hao's chopsticks froze in place. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Really?" Wang Hao asked incredulously.

"The official document has been issued; would I lie to you?"

Wang Hao sniffed and picked up the teacup on the table: "Thank you, Chief of Staff. Here, let me toast you with tea instead of wine."

Lu Weidong picked up his own jar and tapped it against his; the sound of the porcelain jars colliding was crisp and clear.

"Respect yourself," Lu Weidong said. "You deserve it all."

Wang Hao tilted his head back and took a big gulp, put down the jar, wiped his mouth, picked up his chopsticks and continued eating.

While eating, he suddenly blurted out, "So... does Xiao Ding know?"

Lu Weidong glanced at him: "Your matter is yours to discuss with her yourself."

"Hmm... but I haven't seen her for two days. I wonder what she's been up to lately. Isn't she on vacation? Why doesn't she come to see me?" Wang Hao picked up a piece of stir-fried eggplant, potatoes, and green peppers with his chopsticks, chewed it a couple of times, and found it tasteless.

"Didn't she tell you?" Lu Weidong picked up a piece of fish. "They're taking promotional photos today, probably taking pictures."

"How did you know?" Wang Hao stopped eating.

"Your sister-in-law asked me to be a male model, but I refused," Lu Weidong said, then lowered his head and ate a mouthful of rice. "Later, they found someone else."

"What?!" Wang Hao's voice suddenly rose a mile. "Ding Jiahe was taking photos with a new male model today?"

Lu Weidong was startled by his reaction.

Wang Hao put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his chair, and turned his face to look out the window. The cafeteria was noisy, but his table was quiet for a few seconds.

"Do you know who the new male model is?" Wang Hao turned around, his eyes gleaming fiercely.

"Ah... I don't know." Lu Weidong lowered his head and focused on picking the bones out of the fish.

Wang Hao sat there with his arms crossed, sucking his cheeks a few times, as if he were struggling with himself. After a while, his expression gradually softened, as if he had come to his senses.

"It's okay. In Xiao Ding's eyes, I'm the most handsome."

Lu Weidong: "........."