RMM – Chapter 13 The Colonel’s Wife Returns to Her Parental Home

Dressing up excitedly, Su Ruo’s hurried steps slowed down under Xi Yuechen’s stern gaze, bringing a hint of embarrassed composure. When she reached him at the door, where he had been waiting, she grinned and said, “Commander, let’s go.”

On this bright and breezy day, Regiment Commander Xi took his little wife back to her parental home.

“You actually have a car, Commander?”

Sitting in the off-road vehicle, Su Ruo turned to ask Xi Yuechen.

“This is Yue Hui’s. I’m using it for now.”

“Oh.”

Su Ruo glanced at Xi Yuechen, who was focused on driving. She noticed that the cold and distant aura he used to exude seemed to be fading. In fact, today, she couldn’t feel it at all—he was just quietly reserved.

Without that chilling indifference, Su Ruo became bold enough to scrutinize his profile in detail.

Xi Yuechen actually had deep, striking double eyelids, but the sharpness of his gaze and the straightness of his sword-like eyebrows concealed the beauty of his eyes, making it hard for most people to notice. His nose was well-defined, his lips were elegantly shaped, and his wheat-toned skin was smooth and refined. Tsk, tsk—if we’re talking about physical features, Xi Yuechen was definitely top-tier.

As Su Ruo stared at him, she suddenly recalled her first impression of him—calm, cool, and refined.

By the second time she saw him, however, she had completely scoffed at that initial assessment. He was nothing but a block of ice—where was the refinement in that? Cold and distant, almost indifferent. While he was polite to elders, even smiling occasionally, when it came to her, he was all furrowed brows and curt replies, barely speaking an extra word.

At some point, though, his icy aloofness had vanished. In a daze, Su Ruo once again found him looking like a noble gentleman—handsome and elegant.

“If you’ve stared enough, get out of the car. Let’s buy some things.”

Just as Su Ruo was fixated on him, Xi Yuechen suddenly turned his head, meeting her gaze with a faint smirk. His voice carried a hint of amusement, though the flustered Su Ruo didn’t catch it.

Was she… was she drooling over him? She was actually infatuated with Xi Yuechen?!

Following him out of the car in a daze, Su Ruo was so absorbed in regretting her behavior that she didn’t notice the crowd around her.

“Be careful. Why aren’t you watching where you’re going?”

Frowning, Xi Yuechen pulled Su Ruo away from the oncoming throng, his voice stern.

Su Ruo no longer feared his strictness. She wasn’t sure if she had gotten used to it or if she simply didn’t care anymore. Right now, her entire focus was on his hand.

Because his large, warm hand was firmly gripping hers…

The heat from his palm spread through her, turning her delicate face red. Instinctively, she tried to pull away, but Xi Yuechen didn’t loosen his grip in the slightest. She could only watch helplessly as he led her forward, looking completely unaffected. Su Ruo ground her teeth in frustration.

The feel of her small, soft hand in his was unexpectedly pleasant. Their hands fit together so well that he suddenly didn’t want to let go. Ignoring the slight struggle in his grasp, he simply slowed his pace as they walked.

Su Ruo, struggling to keep up with his long strides, glanced down at his legs. Compared to her pace, he was clearly moving much faster. Finally, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Commander, I can’t keep up!”

Xi Yuechen stopped and turned to see Su Ruo’s slightly flushed face as she caught her breath, her clear eyes glaring at him in frustration. He was a bit surprised—he had already slowed down. Then, he looked down at her shoes. Mid-heeled. No wonder she was struggling.

“Wear better shoes next time,” he said before resuming his pace, though this time it was noticeably slower.

Su Ruo was both amused and annoyed. Clearly, he was the one walking too fast, yet he blamed it on her shoes. Did he even realize how long his strides were?

“It’s not my shoes—it’s your giant steps! Of course, I can’t keep up. If you let go of my hand, you wouldn’t have to slow down for me.”

Su Ruo protested from beside him, but Xi Yuechen ignored her and kept walking. Seeing his indifference, she huffed and turned her attention to the surroundings. Soon, they had finished their shopping and were back in the car, heading toward the military compound.

“Sis! Brother-in-law! You’re here! We’ve been waiting forever!”

As soon as Su Ruo and Xi Yuechen reached the doorway, they heard Su Heng’s voice.

“We’re here. Didn’t I call ahead? What were you waiting for?” Su Ruo handed over the things she was carrying as she spoke casually.

Xi Yuechen nodded slightly at Su Heng. “Su Heng.” That was his version of a greeting.

Su Heng didn’t mind at all. If anyone else treated him this coldly, he’d be annoyed. But if it was his powerful and awe-inspiring brother-in-law, Xi Yuechen? He was totally fine with it.

Su Ruo glanced at Su Heng’s eager expression and rolled her eyes before heading inside. Just as she reached the entrance, she saw Zhang Huaqing coming out to greet them, her face full of joy.

“Mom, why are you coming out? It’s not like we wouldn’t find the door ourselves,” Su Ruo said with a laugh, linking her arm through Zhang Huaqing’s.

“How could I not come out when my daughter is back? Where’s Yuechen?”

Zhang Huaqing’s words warmed Su Ruo’s heart, making her appreciate the value of family even more.

“Of course, you only care about your son-in-law. Spare a little concern for me too, will you? Look, he’s right there.” Su Ruo teased with a grin.

“You cheeky girl. Haven’t seen you in a few days, and you still haven’t matured a bit!” Zhang Huaqing tapped Su Ruo’s forehead playfully, scolding her with a smile.

By then, Xi Yuehui and Su Heng had caught up. Xi Yuechen greeted Zhang Huaqing with a polite, “Mom.”

Su Ruo leaned against the doorframe, squinting as she watched her mother beam with joy. She couldn’t help but grumble internally: Seriously? One ‘Mom’ and she’s this happy?

Watching the three of them chatting so warmly, Su Ruo awkwardly turned her gaze away. Ugh, who’s the real family here? They’re being way too enthusiastic.

“Mom, where’s Dad?”

Scanning the room and not seeing Su Feng, Su Ruo asked curiously.

“He’s at the base. He’ll be back later. You two sit down first. Aunt Li, bring out some tea and fruit.”

After having Xi Yuechen sit on the sofa, Zhang Huaqing subtly tugged at Su Ruo’s sleeve, signaling her to follow.

Su Ruo followed Zhang Huaqing to the kitchen with a puzzled expression, watching as she closed the kitchen door.

“What’s wrong, Mom? Why are you closing the door?”

“Keep your voice down. Come here, let me ask you—how have things been these past few days?”

Su Ruo looked at Zhang Huaqing’s serious face, confused.

“I mean, how have you two been getting along these past few days?”

“Oh, just like that. We respect each other, everything is peaceful, don’t worry.” Unlike Zhang Huaqing, Su Ruo was completely nonchalant.

“You—what about your married life?”

“I told you, we respect each other. No arguments, no fights.”

“You…” Zhang Huaqing wasn’t sure if her daughter was playing dumb or truly clueless, so she asked directly, “I’m asking if you two have shared a bed.”

“Mom, what are you thinking? Of course not!” Su Ruo was startled and quickly defended her innocence.

But to Zhang Huaqing, this wasn’t good news at all. As expected, upon hearing Su Ruo’s answer, her expression darkened immediately.

“You really—how can you be this frustrating? You’re already twenty-five and still so clueless. Married but not consummating—what’s the point?”

Zhang Huaqing looked exasperated, as if she wanted to pinch the innocent-looking daughter in front of her.

“What? Mom, we’ve only known each other for a short time. Why rush into that? Shouldn’t we build some emotional foundation first?”

Su Ruo rebutted confidently. Sleeping with Xi Yuechen? What a joke. They could barely communicate properly.

“You think you’re making sense? If your father and I had been like you, who knows when you’d have been born? If we could do it, why can’t you?” Zhang Huaqing poked Su Ruo’s forehead, irritated.

“Ouch, Mom, that hurts! And you’re talking about back then—how can you compare it to now? That was over twenty years ago!”

Su Ruo grabbed Zhang Huaqing’s hand, speaking urgently.

“Oh, now you’re arguing with me? I’m doing this for your own good! This will only benefit your marriage—don’t you get it? Besides, Yuechen is always stationed at the army. If you don’t take advantage of his leave, when will you ever get pregnant? When will we finally have a grandchild? Huh? It’s better for a woman to have children while she’s young, so her body won’t suffer. And you just ignore my words—”

Hearing Zhang Huaqing’s increasingly exaggerated speech, Su Ruo quickly interrupted, “Yes, yes, I get it! Calm down, I understand!”

Hearing this, Zhang Huaqing looked at her suspiciously. “Do you really understand? You’re not just trying to appease me, are you?”

Of course, she was just trying to appease her. But Su Ruo wouldn’t dare say that out loud.

“Mom, I’ll do my best. Let nature take its course, okay? You know this kind of thing can’t be forced.”

Seeing Su Ruo’s sincere expression, Zhang Huaqing thought she had finally gotten through to her. She didn’t say more, knowing her daughter’s temperament—pushing too hard might backfire.

In her mind, though, she scoffed. Can’t be forced? If a woman takes the initiative, what husband would refuse? Especially with her daughter’s looks—she didn’t believe Xi Yuechen could resist. But she kept these thoughts to herself.

In the living room, Xi Yuechen sat in silence, occasionally responding to Su Heng’s questions. Most of the time, though, he remained quiet. It wasn’t that Su Heng didn’t know how to be a good host, but Xi Yuechen’s aura was simply too overwhelming. Su Heng had no confidence in holding a casual conversation with him and could only ask occasional questions about military life to keep the atmosphere from going completely cold.

Seeing that their mother and sister had finally come out of the kitchen, Su Heng sighed in relief and called out loudly, “Mom, Sis, what were you two doing in the kitchen for so long? If you have any secrets, share them with us too!”

Zhang Huaqing glanced at him and said, “Go away, you’re so improper.”

Su Ruo, however, instinctively looked at Xi Yuechen, who was sitting on the sofa with an indifferent expression. She wondered—if he had heard their conversation just now, how would he react? She couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Xi Yuechen noticed the redness on Su Ruo’s forehead as she rubbed it and asked, “What happened to your forehead?”

Hearing this, the expressions of Zhang Huaqing and Su Ruo changed subtly—one feigned nonchalance, while the other shot a teasing glance at her mother before smiling and saying, “Nothing, I just bumped it by accident.”

Xi Yuechen didn’t press further.

Just then, a noise came from the entrance. They all turned to see Su Feng returning home.

“Dad.”

Almost simultaneously, Su Ruo and Xi Yuechen greeted him.

“Hmm, you’re here? Have a seat.” Su Feng handed his coat to the orderly beside him and addressed his daughter and son-in-law. But who would really dare sit down?

Unlike Zhang Huaqing, Su Feng simply asked Su Ruo a few casual questions before turning to speak with Xi Yuechen.

During dinner, Su Ruo stayed away from the kitchen. Who knew if the real Su Ruo could even cook? If she stepped in and someone questioned her about it, she wouldn’t be able to explain. Besides, Aunt Li was there—she could just wait for the meal to be served.

After dinner, Su Feng straightforwardly issued an order to leave, saying it was late and they should return home.

Su Ruo didn’t mind being sent off by her father. He had always been a strict and serious man.

As they were leaving, Zhang Huaqing felt a little embarrassed and explained to Xi Yuechen, “That’s just how Old Su is—don’t take it personally, Yuechen.”

After receiving Xi Yuechen’s affirmation, she reminded them to visit again and to drive safely.

“Alright, alright, I got it, Mom. Don’t worry. Your daughter will always think about coming home to visit you. Now, go back inside.”

Growing impatient, Su Ruo interrupted.

“This girl is getting more and more unruly. Is that how you talk?” Zhang Huaqing glared at Su Ruo in disapproval.

As the mother and daughter bickered, Xi Yuechen stood by the car, watching silently. Su Ruo’s lively and unabashed manner clearly amused him, and his usual cold demeanor softened slightly.

Sitting in the car, Su Ruo was in a great mood, her lips curved in a constant smile. She was rather pleased that Xi Yuechen had taken her back to visit her family.

So, Commander Xi wasn’t as aloof and unapproachable as he seemed—at least he knew to take his wife home for a visit.