RMM – Chapter 52 Comrades-in-Arms

Su Ruo still felt pain in her legs—especially at the base of her thighs. It felt as if the muscles had been torn.

So, with great pride, she lay on the lounge chair “recuperating from her injuries,” sunbathing while watching Xi Yuechen busily cleaning and tidying up the house, thoroughly enjoying herself.

This was truly a case of reaping what one sowed. He had insisted she do the splits. See? Now they were both left hurting.

The two dawdled until noon. Just as Su Ruo was thinking about dragging herself up to cook, Xi Yuechen’s phone rang.

After hanging up, he turned to Su Ruo and said, “Let’s eat out for lunch—my comrade’s treating.”

The caller was Xi Yuechen’s comrade from boot camp. Although they had since been assigned to different units, the two had hit it off back then and had formed a close bond. They still kept in touch occasionally. When the comrade heard Xi Yuechen had gotten married—and to someone he was already vaguely aware of—it piqued his interest. After all, the wedding had caused quite a stir among the upper echelons of Beijing’s military and political circles. The union of two prominent families was hard to miss.

This comrade, Lin Ge, was himself part of that upper circle. But due to his age and profession, he had never actually met Su Ruo. All he’d heard was that she was both talented and beautiful. But women like that were usually proud and aloof—could she really get along with someone like Xi Yuechen? Lin Ge had his doubts. With Xi Yuechen’s icy demeanor, what kind of life could the two of them even have together?

By chance, they were both on leave at the same time. On top of that, Lin Ge had heard about Xi Yuechen’s stellar performance during the recent military exercise—a feat that had caused a sensation throughout the armed forces and made him a role model. Lin Ge wanted to celebrate the occasion and take the opportunity to congratulate the newlyweds as well. He hadn’t been able to attend the wedding due to a mission, so he also invited a few other comrades to make it a small gathering.

When Su Ruo heard, she hesitated. “I’m going too? Is it okay for me to crash your gathering with your comrades?”

“It’s fine. Just a few people I’ve always been close with. You’ll have to meet them eventually,” Xi Yuechen replied casually. Besides, he’d already mentioned her during the call.

“Can I not go?” Su Ruo honestly didn’t want to. She didn’t know anyone and figured it would be awkward.

“Go get changed. We’re heading out soon.”
What would she do at home alone anyway? He’d still have to cook for himself—what a hassle.

…Tyrant! Su Ruo was silent for a moment. Seeing Xi Yuechen’s expressionless face, she didn’t dare protest further. She grumbled to herself but eventually dragged herself into the bedroom to change.

“What should I wear?” she asked, turning around at the door. It was her first time meeting his comrades—she couldn’t be too casual, right?

“Whatever,” Xi Yuechen said after glancing at her. She wouldn’t look bad no matter what she wore.

Tch… “Whatever” it is then. Su Ruo mumbled to herself in front of the wardrobe, They’re not my comrades anyway.

But while her heart said “whatever,” her hands didn’t agree. She couldn’t really be careless—she had to make a good impression, after all.

She pulled out a dress that Zhang Huaqing had bought for her. Zhang had excellent taste and knew her daughter well. The dress’s style and fabric were top-notch and looked great when worn. Su Ruo had never worn it before. This was as good an occasion as any.

“Commander, how about this one?” she asked.

Xi Yuechen looked up when he heard her voice—and his eyes froze for a moment. The pure white dress complemented Su Ruo’s temperament perfectly. Its fitted cut traced her figure with stunning precision. She was… both pure and sexy.

Suppressing the sudden urge that rose within him, he coughed before answering, “Mm, it’s nice.”

Still… Was it really necessary to dress up this beautifully just to meet his comrades? Xi Yuechen felt a bit uncomfortable. He almost told her to change into something else—but in the end, he didn’t say it aloud.

When Su Ruo happily announced she was going to put on makeup and fix her hair, Xi Yuechen couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“This is fine. No need for makeup.”

There was a hint of something off in his voice—something Su Ruo didn’t quite catch. She usually didn’t wear makeup, but Xi Yuechen clearly remembered how stunning she looked on their wedding day when she had. Why go all out now for no reason? He felt even more unsettled.

But then again, even if Su Ruo did wear makeup, it would only be a light, everyday look. How could it possibly compare to the meticulous styling from their wedding?

“Huh? Isn’t it a bit too casual for a first meeting?” Su Ruo was puzzled.

“It’s fine. Let’s just go,” Xi Yuechen replied calmly.

“Well, okay then.” They’re his friends, she thought, If he says it’s fine, then it’s fine. She pouted and nodded.

Still, when they headed out, Su Ruo wore high heels. Even if they were being “casual,” she couldn’t be too casual, right? It might come off as disrespectful.

“Commander, are we leaving now? Are you going to change?” she asked.

Xi Yuechen looked over her outfit, paused, and said calmly, “Wait a moment.”

When Xi Yuechen came out again, Su Ruo was momentarily speechless…

Why was he wearing white too? Were they doing couple outfits now?

Xi Yuechen looked excellent in white. With his tall, lean, and muscular build, and his handsome but stern features, the color softened his usually intense aura and lent him an elegant air.

Together, the two looked like a perfect pair—beautiful and well-matched—turning heads wherever they went.

Xi Yuechen seemed to be enjoying it too. The corners of his eyes held a faint smile, and he appeared much more relaxed than usual.

By the time they arrived at Guose Tianxiang, Lin Ge and the others were already there.

When Su Ruo followed Xi Yuechen into the private room, she saw four men rise to greet them with smiles.

“There you are. Beauty at your side, no wonder you took your time,” Lin Ge joked.

He glanced at the stunning woman by Xi Yuechen’s side and raised his brows. “So this must be the missus? Yuechen, you really were stingy—keeping such a beauty hidden from us.”

He took note of their matching white outfits. Couple look? No way…

Someone as stiff as Xi Yuechen couldn’t possibly care about that stuff. Must be a coincidence…

That said, Su Ruo truly was a knockout—no exaggeration.

“We’re here now,” Xi Yuechen nodded toward the group, his tone calm. But the faint smile in his eyes betrayed his good mood.

These men had been his close comrades since boot camp. Though they were no longer stationed together and couldn’t meet often, the bond remained. Seeing old friends put him in good spirits.

“This is Su Ruo,” he introduced her to the group.

Then he turned to Su Ruo and said, “This is Lin Ge. That’s Zhang Xiangyang. Over there is Liu Hui. And that one is Guo Linxi. They were all my comrades during training.”

The men nodded and smiled at Su Ruo. “Sister-in-law.”

Hearing herself called sister-in-law by these men—each several years her senior—Su Ruo felt a bit embarrassed and smiled politely. “Hi, nice to meet you.”

Noticing her discomfort, Xi Yuechen stepped in. “Alright, let’s all sit.”

He walked to the table and pulled out a chair for Su Ruo, motioning for her to sit.

The others watched in surprise at his thoughtful gesture. Since when did the famous Iron-Blooded Commander become such a gentle and considerate husband?

Aside from a bit of initial awkwardness, the atmosphere gradually relaxed. Lin Ge had a natural knack for livening up a room, and by the end, Su Ruo was chatting and laughing with ease.

How did someone like Lin Ge, so enthusiastic and outgoing, end up friends with our icy Commander? Su Ruo glanced at Xi Yuechen as he sipped his drink.

The other men were surprised too. They’d expected Su Ruo to be difficult or standoffish. But she turned out to be warm, graceful, stunning, and even a successful career woman. Xi Yuechen had really struck gold.

It was clear that Su Ruo left a great impression on all of them.