Chapter 18: Worrying Unnecessarily

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Lan found a brand new clay pot in the kitchen, and it was clear that Tang Ye had never used it after buying it.

She boiled a pot of water to clean the chicken, then cut the meat into pieces and placed the chicken bones and some nourishing herbs into the clay pot, slowly simmering them. When the kitchen was filled with the aroma, she added the chicken meat.

Afterward, she cooked a pot of rice and stir-fried two side dishes. She thought that Tang Ye must have a big appetite due to his daily training in the military.

When everything was ready and the chicken soup had simmered for a while, it was almost six o’clock. Normally, Tang Ye should have returned by now, but she hadn’t seen him. Chen Lan was getting worried, wondering if something had happened at the military base.

Thinking about how she had hit Sun Zhi earlier, this guy would not take revenge on Tang Ye because of this, right?

At the thought of this, she took off her apron and quickly headed in the direction of the military base.

At the gate, it was still Lu Ming and the other one on duty.

From a distance, Lu Ming saw Chen Lan running over, and his legs started trembling with nervousness.

“Lu Ming, is there something going on in your battalion today? Why hasn’t Tang Ye home yet?”

Lu Ming looked at Chen Lan, who seemed a bit out of breath, but he hesitated to respond. Instead, he glanced at his companion on the other side, his eyes filled with a plea for help.

However, his companion seemed oblivious and stood straight, refusing to acknowledge the situation.

He had heard from Lu Ming earlier that he had been criticized by the battalion commander for leaving his post today, and he didn’t want to get scolded too.

Lu Ming’s hesitancy made Chen Lan even more convinced of her suspicions.

“Did something happen to Tang Ye? Tell me the truth. Don’t worry, I can handle it!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming widened his eyes and quickly waved his hands. “No, it’s not that. The battalion commander, he’s fine, he just…”

“Chen Lan!” Tang Ye’s voice reached them, relieving Lu Ming’s anxiety.

Hearing Tang Ye’s voice, Chen Lan turned to look, and indeed, she saw him standing there as straight as a sword.

She hurried over, circled Tang Ye a couple of times, and, after confirming that he was fine, let out a sigh of relief.

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s late. Why aren’t you coming home?”

Both of them spoke at the same time, paused, and then smiled at each other.

“There was some business at the camp. I’m about to go back after dealing with it,” Tang Ye replied, his hand guiltily touching his nose. Little did Chen Lan know that he had been feeling a bit upset since her words in the afternoon, and he thought she might not be at home, so he hesitated to return.

Chen Lan held onto his large hand and walked alongside him towards home. “You scared me to death. I thought something had happened to you.”

“You worry too much. What could happen to me at the camp?” Tang Ye teased, but he unconsciously tightened his grip on Chen Lan’s hand and smiled.

“Well, you never know. Next time, if you can’t come home on time, at least send someone to inform me,” Chen Lan said as she hooked her arm around Tang Ye’s, looking up at his face and adding a touch of playfulness to her words.

Tang Ye lowered his head, gazing into her bright, starry eyes that seemed to hold a galaxy within them. Once indulged in those eyes, it felt like he could never escape. “Alright.”

Just like that, hand in hand, they continued their stroll back home, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.

After entering the house, the rich aroma revitalized Tang Ye, and he looked at Chen Lan with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Chen Lan didn’t mind and urged him to wash his hands, saying, “Today, I took a trip to the county with Wen Jing and visited my family. Dad mentioned that you’ve suffered many injuries, so I bought a chicken and made chicken soup for you.”

“You made the chicken soup yourself?” Tang Ye came out of the bathroom and asked in surprise as he saw her looking busy.

He remembered how Chen Lan’s mother had repeatedly reminded him that Chen Lan had never done any work before and to take good care of her. How did she manage to make such delicious chicken soup?

Chen Lan paused for a moment while ladling the soup and then continued casually, “Back when my grandmother was alive and not feeling well, I secretly learned how to cook. Cooking is comprehended by analogy. Once you know one type of dish, you can figure out others by following recipes.”

Tang Ye had memories of Chen Lan’s grandmother.

During that time, he was studying at a university in another province, and the elderly lady’s health had deteriorated rapidly. She passed away within a few months. Chen Lan and her grandmother had a close relationship, so it wasn’t surprising that she had learned to cook for her.