The next morning, Xi Yuan and Rong Xinghe sat in the living room, enjoying their breakfast, as the Xi trio accompanied them.

"Sister-in-law, can I ask you a question?", Xi Wei grinned at the girl, stuffing his mouth with the cupcakes baked by her. "When you were little, did you play that 'Doll Marriage' act? Xiao told me that you hated those typical-little-girl games. And that she blackmailed you into playing them, most of the time. Is it true?"

Rong Xinghe's lips curled up as she reminisced her childhood, "I did. I disliked those games. Actually, my favorite toys were guns."

"Really?", Xi Yuan raised his brows as he passed her his glass of juice, "So you were born to be the Military Chief?"

"Maybe. I don't know.", the girl chuckled, "I enjoyed reading the war stories. About all those brave soldiers. I read a lot back then. It made me feel like I was on the battlefield. I used to imagine myself holding guns and grenades and forming combat strategies. I always had a thing for the Military.

"I have lost the count of all those street fights I have been involved in, when I was a teenager. I used to beat up all those eve-teasers and drug dealers. Let's just say, I liked picking fights with them."

"Sister-in-law! That's insane.", Xi Wei stared at the girl with his wide-open eyes, amused, "Didn't your brothers tried to--"

"Oh, they did. They tried everything they could to stop me.", the girl laughed, "But after a few attempts, instead of stopping me, they started protecting me. They knew I was a born rebel. There was no point in fighting what I was."

"Alright, rebel with a cause. Now eat your breakfast.", Xi Yuan smiled, "You are yet to take your medicines."

"I need to get more ketchup. I will be back soon." a few minutes later, Xi Ying stood up and rushed towards the kitchen through the hallway. The girl frowned as she looked at the housekeeper mopping the exact location she had seen him in, an hour ago. "Brother!", the girl turned to face Xi Yuan, "By any chance, have you hired new cleaning staff?"

"No.", Rong Xinghe responded on behalf of her darling, "He isn't one of the staff, Sweetie."

"What do you mean? Who is he then?", Xi Wei furrowed his brows.

"My confidant. Lieutenant General Ashfakh Ali.", the girl responded indifferently, siding the boiled spinach in her plate.

The moment the man mopping the floor listened to the girl's words, he clenched his fists and strode inside the living room. He glared at the girl and roared, "Are you fucking kidding me?! You let me mop the floor, despite the fact that you knew it was me? And how did you even know that I had replaced the staff?"

"Your perfume, Ashfakh.", Rong Xinghe said the matter-of-factly, "Both my memory and my senses are sharp.

"And why would I even bother stopping you? Since you volunteered to clean this place, how could I possibly be an obstacle in your path?

"Go ahead. Clean it all up. Also, in Fang's bedroom, there is a spider web in the top-right corner. Please clean that up too."

"You are joking, right?", Ashfakh folded his arms, staring right into the woman's eyes.

Rong Xinghe let out a sigh and stood up from her chair, approaching the infuriated man leisurely. "What can I say? You still suck at fooling me.", the girl pulled the man in for a quick yet comforting hug, "Welcome back, old friend. The Army missed you."

The man stood frozen for a few seconds before he finally wrapped his arms around her and laughed, "I missed you all too."

"By the way...", the man smirked at the girl after the formalities had been taken care of, "You never told me about the boyfriend, woman."

Rong Xinghe turned to look at the calm and composed man before she let out a soft laugh, "Well, sure. Meet Yuan."

Xi Yuan walked in from the girl's behind and shook hands with the soldier, acknowledging his presence. "I would like to apologize to President Xi regarding the swap in servants today. They are safe though Just unconscious. They will join back tomorrow. You have my word."

"It's alright.", Xi Yuan nodded, "You two seem to be pretty close. I haven't really seen officers speaking so casually with her." Rong Xinghe could literally smell the jealousy in the air. So did Xi Ying and Xi Wei. Why was this man so possessive? And so overbearing?

"We are friends, President Xi.", Ashfakh smiled, "A few common missions in the past helped us bond, you could say."

___________________

"Hey Yuan! Are you okay?", Rong Xinghe waited for Ashfakh to leave the place before she hauled the man into his bedroom and cupped his face, "He is just a friend. Okay? I love you."

"I am fine, Xinghe.", the man sighed, "For a moment, I was worrying and overthinking. Like how I always do. But then the insecurities just disappeared into the thin air. All of a sudden.

"I can't be so petty. I can't let myself forget that I trust you more than I am scared to lose you."

"So that means I don't have to explain?", the girl stared at the man as if she had just had an encounter with some ghosts.

"What kind of a man would I be if I push my woman to prove her loyalty towards me?", the man laughed, "I would be a jerk, a monster, then.

"I trust you more than anything, Xinghe. I can't ask for explanations from you. I don't have any right to make such demands. I love you. That's what matters in the end."

Rong Xinghe looked into the man's eyes and smiled, the corner of her eyes stinging with tears. How could he be so understanding? Sometimes, she thought he respected her honour more than she herself ever did. That he cared about her self-respect more than anyone, including herself. This man was hopelessly in love with her. And so was she.

Next she knew, she could feel the softness of his lips against hers. She didn't know if she leaned into him first or if he pulled her towards him. Maybe both. But this kiss was magical. Phenomenal. Like the one before this. And the one before that. Every single touch of his was breathtaking. It was at this moment, that Rong Xinghe realized one thing. She couldn't let go of him. Not in this lifetime. Not until her heart was beating.