Chapter 59: Two Hours—A Full Two Hours!!!

All the tension and anxiety vanished in that moment.

Seeing the wild, burning look in Sheng Zexi’s eyes, Gu Jianing couldn’t help but recall her previous life—how this man had called her name and rushed into the sea of fire to find her.

In this instant, Gu Jianing hesitated no longer.

She wrapped her arms around him in return.

The heated kang bed was warm, and so were the two people on it.

Inside the house, the night was pitch black. Snow continued to fall outside, as if determined to blanket the entire world. Everything around was silent.

The wind was bitterly cold.

But inside, the warmth kept rising.

In this life and the last, two lonely, frozen hearts finally came together in this moment, warming each other.

Two hours—two whole hours passed!

Afterwards, utterly exhausted, Gu Jianing cursed Sheng Zexi under her breath and drifted off to sleep in a daze.

She was simply too tired, completely spent.

Sheng Zexi, on the other hand, was like a starving wolf finally sated. He was full of energy, satisfaction written all over his face.

He got up to heat some water, wiped himself down, then brought the basin over to gently clean his little wife. After that, he dressed her in her sleepwear.

The whole time, Gu Jianing slept soundly, letting him do as he pleased.

Once everything was done, Sheng Zexi blew out the kerosene lamp and climbed onto the kang.

As soon as he lay down, Gu Jianing, still asleep, instinctively snuggled into his arms, as if seeking out warmth.

Sheng Zexi wrapped his long arms around her, pulled her close, and kissed her smooth forehead. His deep eyes brimmed with contentment.

He thought to himself: The woman he loved was now his wife, and holding her in his arms like this was the happiest moment of his twenty-something years of life.

“Ningning, good night. Sweet dreams.”

Outside, the snow was cold, but inside, the two of them slept in each other’s arms, warm and cozy.

That night, Gu Jianing really did have a sweet dream. In her dream, she cured Sheng Zexi’s illness, took the Sacred Pregnancy Pill, and soon became pregnant. At the end of the dream, a bunch of adorable, beautiful children were calling them Mom and Dad.

Nestled in Sheng Zexi’s arms, Gu Jianing slept soundly, a faint smile curling unconsciously on her lips.

—

When she woke the next day, the man was already gone.

Gu Jianing glanced outside at the bright sky, then at her watch. Her lips twitched—it was already past ten in the morning.

Supporting her sore waist, she got off the kang and saw a note and breakfast left on the table.

She picked up the note and recognized Sheng Zexi’s strong, bold handwriting. He had gotten up early to bring her breakfast, then gone off to training. The time was a little after five. Gu Jianing gasped.

After what he’d put her through last night, he could still get up so early to train? His stamina was truly something else.

Gu Jianing felt like Sheng Zexi was some kind of demon who had sucked her dry, and she was the one being drained.

She was sure she must look completely wilted right now.

But when she pulled out her little mirror, she was surprised by what she saw—a rosy complexion, cheeks like a ripe peach, and an irresistible allure in her eyes that she couldn’t hide no matter what.

Well, maybe she hadn’t lost out after all.

Still...

Gu Jianing started browsing the system’s marketplace, looking for any pills that could help her “battle” Sheng Zexi on the kang. She didn’t want to end up a limp noodle, unable to get out of bed until noon, every single time.

[Host, no need to look. Once you cure the male lead’s illness, the reward—Peerless Beauty Pill—will have that effect.] The childbearing system chimed in at just the right time.

Gu Jianing: The Peerless Beauty Pill can do that too?

Alright then, just half a month to go.

The stove was still warm, so Gu Jianing reheated the cold steamed buns and side dishes, then boiled some water to wash up.

By the time she finished breakfast, it was already noon.

Sheng Zexi hadn’t come back, but Gu Jianing could guess why—he’d told her before that if he didn’t return for lunch, she should just go to the canteen herself.

But since she’d just eaten, she wasn’t hungry and didn’t need to go.

“Shuwan-jie, Shuwan-jie…” Gu Jianing knocked on the door next door, where Zhang Shuwan lived.

Soon, Zhang Shuwan opened the door, with little Guoguo trailing behind.

“Jianing, you’re here.”

“Mm, Shuwan-jie, I wanted to ask you about something.”

“Oh, don’t be so polite! Just ask. Don’t stand out there, come in.”

Guoguo was delighted to see Gu Jianing and called her “Auntie” as she followed her in.

Gu Jianing slipped a few White Rabbit candies into her little hand.

“You don’t have to give her those,” Shuwan said. “Those are precious.”

“It’s fine, I just like Guoguo.”

Once inside and seated, Gu Jianing asked about the upcoming “warm house” event.

“I heard most of the food is cooked by the military wives themselves, but I… I don’t know how to cook.” Gu Jianing’s delicate face wrinkled with worry.

Zhang Shuwan remembered seeing Captain Sheng busy at the stove yesterday and suddenly understood.

“That’s nothing! I can help you,” Shuwan said, patting her chest confidently.

“We can discuss what dishes to make first. Once we decide, you prepare the ingredients, and I’ll come over and help you cook.”

It could be that easy?

“But won’t that be too much trouble for you?”

“Not at all. I’m good at cooking, and it doesn’t have to be fancy—just a few big pots of food will do.”

“Alright, let’s do that then.”

With Shuwan’s help, a big worry was off Gu Jianing’s mind. She’d definitely have to repay her later.

The two of them began discussing what dishes to prepare. When Gu Jianing suggested a few meat dishes, Shuwan exclaimed, “With these meat dishes, I guarantee everyone will be thrilled!”

After all, this was the resource-scarce northwest, and meat was even scarcer. Lin Xing had said the canteen rarely had any, and once the snow sealed the mountains, even vegetables would be hard to come by—let alone meat.

Leaving Shuwan’s house, Gu Jianing felt relieved. One more thing off her mind.

Shuwan was a bit worried about how she’d get the meat, but Gu Jianing wasn’t concerned. She’d see if she could buy some at the market in two days, and if not, she could always get it from the system’s exchange shop, where all the ingredients were very cheap.

Back home, Gu Jianing took out some envelopes and paper, planning to write to her family and her grandparents to let them know she was safe.

She wanted to tell them she’d arrived safely in the northwest. It was cold, but they had everything they needed and were doing well.

It was just that, with the snow blocking the roads during the New Year, they’d have to stay here for the holiday and couldn’t go anywhere.

The letter to her family was long—she had so much to say to each of them."