Chapter 165: Chapter 163: The Matchmaker Visits Again

Su Tang walked up and looked at Wang Xinxin.

The hospital was back to its normal work schedule, so of course, Su Tang had to go in.

After all, the analysis of the bacteria sample from Su Xinyao wasn’t finished yet.

On top of that, with all the other messy things going on, she felt that only by keeping busy could she stop her mind from racing.

She didn’t know what stage Zhou Rui had reached, or just how much danger still remained in the Northwest.

But Lu Xiao was right. Since trouble hadn’t found them yet, they would prepare themselves and not just sit back and wait for the worst.

’Zhou Rui will definitely come back.’

“Who was that?”

Su Tang asked, nodding toward Sun Zhijie as he walked away. Wang Xinxin quickly explained.

“You ran into Chen Zhengnian, too?”

Su Tang raised an eyebrow.

’Wouldn’t Chen Zhengnian get jealous seeing her with Sun Zhijie?’

Just as the two were talking, they reached the front gate and ran into the same matchmaker from last time.

“Sister Hong?”

“Oh, Xinxin, you’re back?”

Sister Hong smiled and walked over, taking her hand.

“I didn’t come for any other reason today, it’s still about that blind date.”

“Last time, wasn’t he too shy to talk about himself? Well, this time, he said that if you’re willing, he’ll come to your home personally to meet you.”

Wang Xinxin subconsciously glanced behind her, as if afraid someone might overhear. Her cheeks instantly turned red.

“Sister Hong, didn’t I tell you before? I’m not looking to be set up right now.”

But Sister Hong acted as if she hadn’t heard the rejection, squeezing her hand and smiling even more warmly.

“Aiya, that young man is a real catch! He works at the county tractor station—that’s an iron rice bowl! He’s asked me three times now, said he saw your photo and felt an immediate connection.”

“He likes you a lot, otherwise he wouldn’t have come to me time and again. He said if you agree, he’ll provide the ’three rounds and a sound,’ and he won’t be stingy with the betrothal gift either.”

Su Tang, watching from the side, saw clearly that Wang Xinxin’s face was flushed crimson. She quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Sister Hong, Xinxin is still young. There’s no rush for this.”

“Young? In two more years, she’ll be an old maid!”

Sister Hong’s eyes roved over Wang Xinxin’s figure.

“Besides, we’re ordinary people. We shouldn’t be thinking about climbing to a higher branch.”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but she deliberately drew out her tone, and the appraising look in her eyes made Wang Xinxin completely uncomfortable.

She had heard about the matter between Wang Xinxin and Chen Zhengnian.

But the two of them still hadn’t made things official. Didn’t that mean he wasn’t interested?

Chen Zhengnian was a great catch, but he and Wang Xinxin were worlds apart.

Their statuses were different, and so were their family backgrounds.

Wang Xinxin pulled her hand back and clutched the corner of her clothes. “Sister Hong, I’ll make my own decisions about my life. Please don’t bring this up again.”

After speaking, she turned and walked into the courtyard, her steps so fast it was as if she were fleeing.

Su Tang gave Sister Hong an apologetic smile and followed her into the courtyard.

As soon as she closed the door, she saw Wang Xinxin sitting on the sofa.

“You really don’t want to go?”

Su Tang handed her a cup of hot water.

Wang Xinxin looked up, her eyes misty. “Su Tang, I don’t like him.”

“Then what about Chen Zhengnian?”

Su Tang asked the question in a soft voice.

Wang Xinxin froze. Her fingertips traced the little daisies on the fabric, and after a long moment, she said sullenly, “He just sees me as a little sister.”

“Would he have specially saved that floral fabric you admired just for a ’little sister’?”

Wang Xinxin looked up and pouted. “You’re teasing me too, Su Tang!”

“I’m being serious with you.”

Su Tang’s smile vanished. “If you really have no feelings for him, why did you get so flustered when Sister Hong mentioned the blind date?”

Her words shattered Wang Xinxin’s feigned composure.

She buried her face in her knees, her voice muffled. “I just feel… I feel awkward.”

’Why did she feel awkward? Because she felt his attitude was unclear.’

’If he doesn’t like me, why does he keep stringing me along?’

’Could it really be like Sun Zhijie said? That because he’s older, he has more to consider?’

“When it comes to matters of the heart, you’re the only one who can figure it out. We can’t help you with that.”

Su Tang stood up and left her with those words.

If the people involved can’t think it through themselves, it’s useless no matter what anyone else says.

Meanwhile, Chen Zhengnian returned to the barracks, his mind still on the image of Wang Xinxin and Sun Zhijie’s retreating backs.

He didn’t even see the fellow soldier who walked right past him.

“Commander Chen, what are you thinking about? I called you and you didn’t even hear me.”

Chen Zhengnian snapped back to reality. Seeing it was the signals soldier, Xiao Li, he frowned slightly. “What is it?”

“A call just came in from division headquarters. There’s an emergency combat meeting at three this afternoon.”

Xiao Li handed over the notepad, his eyes scanning Chen Zhengnian’s face.

“Commander Chen, you don’t look so good. Didn’t you rest well last night?”

He gave a vague grunt of acknowledgment and turned toward the office building, his steps much heavier than usual.

Sun Zhijie’s appearance had given him a strong sense of alarm.

The office door had just closed when Lao Zhang lifted the door curtain and came in, a file in his hand. “Heard you went out this morning and saw Wang Xinxin?”

Chen Zhengnian’s fingers, clutching a fountain pen, paused. A drop of ink fell onto the paper, spreading into a dark blot. “You’re well-informed.”

“Is there anyone in the whole barracks who doesn’t know about you two?”

Lao Zhang leaned back against the chair, a mischievous grin on his face.

“A while ago, I introduced you to that functionary from the Political Department, but you said you were too busy. Then that girl from the Logistics Department sent you a silk banner, and you had the communications orderly return it. What’s the deal? Is Wang Xinxin the only one who can catch your eye?”

He didn’t answer, his mind a tangled mess.

“I hear she has quite a few suitors. Even the matchmakers have been knocking on her door time and again.”

Hearing this, Chen Zhengnian’s knuckles rapped dully on the desktop, cutting him off.

“It’s almost time for the meeting.”

Lao Zhang tactfully dropped the subject but threw out one last line before he left.

“You didn’t even blink an eye storming fortified positions back in the day. How come you turn into a turtle hiding in its shell when it comes to romance?”

“If you’re really interested, then go for it. Stop dilly-dallying, or someone else is going to snatch her up.”

Chen Zhengnian sat in his chair, but Lao Zhang’s words seemed to bore into his mind from all directions.

And so, the next day, as Wang Xinxin was coming home from her job at the commune, she saw Chen Zhengnian waiting at her gate.

The setting sun stretched Chen Zhengnian’s shadow long across the ground. His olive-drab service uniform was impeccably pressed and straight.

He just stood there under the tree, his gaze heavy as he watched her. There was a certain indescribable gravity to him that hadn’t been there yesterday.

“I heard about the situation with Sister Hong.”

“I’m not here to call you to account.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Lao Zhang said if I didn’t come soon, I’d be attending your wedding banquet.”

Wang Xinxin looked up and found herself caught in his gaze.

They were churning with emotions she couldn’t comprehend.

“You…”

“Xinxin.”

Chen Zhengnian took a step closer to Wang Xinxin. “I know I was too hesitant before.”

“I overthought things, I was timid. But Lao Zhang was right. If I keep waiting, someone else is going to steal you away.”

“A stable job at the tractor station is great, but what I can give you is the confidence of knowing that no matter how far you go in the future, you’ll always have someone watching your back.”

Wang Xinxin lowered her head, not quite daring to look at him anymore.

From above her came his voice, tinged with a smile. “So, Comrade Wang Xinxin, are you willing to give me a chance to stop being a turtle in its shell?”

After he finished speaking, Chen Zhengnian was so nervous he didn’t dare look at her.

Wang Xinxin didn’t say anything. He opened his mouth, about to explain further, when he suddenly felt a soft touch on his cheek.

“Chen Zhengnian, you really are… a turtle in its shell.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep