"There you go! Remember to return it in time after using it, you know this period..."

Yang Xue, who got a definite answer from Old Xu, couldn’t bother to listen to the rest of his instructions. She hurriedly said, "I know, Captain Xu, we’re on anti-bandit duties lately. Don’t worry, I’ll return the Hand-held Radio to you right after I finish talking to Wang Qiang."

Watching Yang Xue’s bouncing figure leaving, Old Xu smiled helplessly, "I really didn’t expect it. That punk Wang Qiang sure is charming. It’s not just Yang Xue; even Li Huiru seems to have feelings for him."

"Achoo!" Wang Qiang’s sneeze was so loud it startled Old Zhao, who was focused on spreading putty. The latter couldn’t help but tease, "Yo, Qiang, I wonder which girl is talking about you."

Old Zhao’s teasing words made Wang Qiang immediately think of Yang Xue. Speaking of which girl in this world might be thinking about him, probably it would just be Yang Xue, who is nominally his girlfriend. It’s just that...

"Come on, Old Zhao, stop making fun of me. I’ve been told since I was a child that I’m not the kind of guy girls take a shine to. Hehe, but that’s good too; at least I won’t get nagged or bothered by anyone, don’t you guys think so." Wang Qiang spoke lightly, yet inside, it felt like he had swallowed a bitter fruit, filled with a sour feeling.

"Sour grapes!" Teasing Wang Qiang had become a habit for Tang Xiaoquan, so these words slipped out of his mouth. Yet, what was said unintentionally hit a nerve with Wang Qiang, and it seemed a spat was about to unfold.

"Damn, Quan, what are you saying, sour grapes?" Tang Xiaoquan hadn’t expected Wang Qiang’s ears to be so sharp, almost like a cat’s. He scratched his head, chuckled twice, and dismissed it, "I said sour grapes aren’t tasty, why are you so serious about it?"

"Tch, alright, I know what you mean. I can’t be bothered to argue with you." Wang Qiang originally planned to reason with him, but thinking about his girlfriend and comparing her to Wei Yang, for the first time, he admitted defeat without a fight.

There was no comparison; one was brash and unreasonable, while the other was gentle and virtuous. They were simply incomparable.

Old Zhao gleefully watched the two preparing to start a verbal duel, hoping it would bring some excitement to the dull life, yet he didn’t expect Wang Qiang to back down voluntarily, which left him somewhat surprised.

"Wang Qiang, it’s Yang Xue, are you there? Over!"

Yang Xue’s voice suddenly came from the Hand-held Radio’s speaker, echoing in the empty room. Tang Xiaoquan uncertainly said to Wang Qiang, "It seems to be for you!"

Old Zhao picked up the Hand-held Radio and handed it over, "It’s Yang Xue!"

Wang Qiang was stunned. How could Yang Xue contact him via the Hand-held Radio? The thought of her resentful and scolding face made his just-calmed heart restless again.

"Wang Qiang, reply if you hear me, it’s Yang Xue, over!" Yang Xue confirmed again, her tone noticeably firmer.

"I...I am Wang Qiang, anything?" Wang Qiang said into the Hand-held Radio as he walked toward the living room. He didn’t want the other person to angrily scold him in front of Tang and Zhao, for if they heard, where would he show his face afterward?

Tang Xiaoquan and Old Zhao, being considerate, didn’t follow him but continued to focus on their work.

"Are you sick? Why do you sound so downcast? Over!"

"No, I’m not sick! Over!"

"Haha, good, you’re not sick. You didn’t expect me to contact you, did you? Over!"

"Honestly no, what’s up? Over!"

"Are you nervous? Or don’t you want to talk to me? You sound lifeless! Over!"

This baseless suspicion and putting labels on others was one of the things Wang Qiang couldn’t stand about Yang Xue. She always seemed so free, with endless imagination popping into her head and then just tagging it onto others.

Wang Qiang didn’t dare to express his true feelings too openly, so he forced himself to sound natural and said, "Haha, how could that be? I’m just surprised, didn’t expect to get a call from you while on a mission! Over!"

"Oh, that’s more like it. How’s the mission going? Over!"

"It’s alright, better than expected! Over!"

"Have you missed me? Over!"

If it was before the Liu Yunpeng hallway shouting incident, he might have been excited by such words, but now...

Wang Qiang replied insincerely, "Yes, I did, over!"

"Well, contacting you just to mention something; I might have been in a bad mood the other day and said some harsh things, hope you won’t take it to heart. I’m straightforward and say whatever comes to my mind. If I’ve hurt you or done anything that displeased you, just let me know. By the way, you’re not mad at me, are you? Over!"

"No, I’ve forgotten about those things! Over!" Wang Qiang replied without a pause, yet the apology somewhat relit the passion in his disheartened heart.

"That’s good, you’re out there, take care of yourself. It’s cold, don’t catch a cold. Be cautious, safety first! Got it? Remember what I’ve told you, you’re not alone anymore; you have to think about me too! Over!"

Warmth, in the cold living room, seemed to surround Wang Qiang. He felt so blessed; the feeling he had always been seeking was exactly this: "I know, I’ll be careful! Over!"

"Your voice is so low! Could it be that you’re with another girl?"

Wang Qiang hurriedly raised his voice, "No, how could it be, there’s no way Wang Qiang would do that. Over!"

"Haha, just teasing you, I know you wouldn’t do that. Alright, I won’t disturb your work anymore, come back early, I’m waiting for you! Over!"

Turning off the Hand-held Radio, Wang Qiang stupidly smiled, savoring Yang Xue’s last words, "I’m waiting for you!"

Those simple three words made him completely forget all the past unhappiness. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm his excited heart, pretending nothing had happened as he returned to the bedroom.

But the distorted faces of Old Zhao and Tang Xiaoquan, suppressing their laughter, made him realize his disguise was completely in vain. Those two must have eavesdropped on his conversation with Yang Xue just now.

"Well then, Xiao Wang! Go get another bag of sand; I think we’re running low and might need more later!" Old Zhao found an excuse to send Wang Qiang away to break the awkward atmosphere.

Right after he left, the two burst into laughter.

Yang Xue’s apology, which Tang Xiaoquan heard clearly, also earned her some points in his mind. As for Tang Xiaoquan himself, he hoped Yang Xue would keep correcting and getting rid of her bad habits so he could be assured of Wang Qiang’s interaction with her. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)