A Gentleman is Open-minded, While a Petty Person Sighs | Chapter 46 | Post-Service Quirks | Novela.app

The atmosphere was heavy. Chang Ying squinted his left eye, aiming at the distant bullseye. His right hand rose slowly, and he pulled the trigger. *Bang!* A perfect ten. Lowering the gun, Chang Ying gave Tan Junzi a meaningful look, then followed it with a breezy, provocative smile. "It’s been a while, but I haven't lost my touch." The score was neck-and-neck. There was only a one-point difference between them, with Tan Junzi currently in the lead. After Chang Ying’s ten-point shot, Tan Junzi had to hit a ten in the final round to win. Tan Junzi took a deep breath. She raised the grip of the gun, then lowered it again. Chang Ying stood by with his arms crossed. "Officer Tan, after four years in the military, I bet you thought victory was in the bag. It seems winning against me isn't quite that easy, is it?" Tan Junzi shot him a sidelong glance and smiled. With full confidence, she raised her hand and fired at the target. The gunshot pierced the air as the surrounding onlookers held their breath. Zero points. She had missed the target entirely. Tan Junzi put the gun down and gave Chang Ying a doting smile. "If we're talking about winning or losing, I lost myself to you a long time ago." It was obvious she had thrown the shot. ... "Have a heart, you two. Please," the stall owner pleaded. "I’m running a business here, not hosting an idol drama. If you're done, move along. You only paid five yuan each; don't give me a full theatrical performance. People are waiting." The owner pointed to a chubby kid behind them who was blowing bubbles with his gum. "This kid has been waiting for ages." Tan Junzi and Chang Ying nodded sheepishly and hurried out of the way. The chubby kid blew a massive bubble until it popped with a loud *snap*. He leisurely pulled the gum back into his mouth, raised the gun, and fired three times in quick succession—*bang, bang, bang*. Every shot popped a small balloon marked with a ten. Tan Junzi and Chang Ying watched, dumbfounded, as the kid wordlessly claimed the grand prize—a massive plush Poké Ball—and walked away. Tan Junzi was filled with immediate regret. It was all her fault for trying to act cool at the critical moment. Chang Ying had scored 29 points; she’d thought she had it in the bag, so she missed on purpose just to make her husband happy. Now, that little brat had walked off with the grand prize. As the kid left, he even blew a giant bubble at them, his expression full of disdain. Carrying the groceries they had just bought at the supermarket, the two walked home dejectedly. They had originally just gone out for groceries, but they’d stumbled upon a carnival in the mall's plaza. When Tan Junzi saw the balloon-shooting stall, her hands started itching, and she dragged Chang Ying over to play. They both prided themselves on their superior marksmanship, only to be upstaged by a middle schooler. It was incredibly frustrating. "Officer Tan, the new generation truly surpasses the old," Chang Ying remarked dryly, teasing her. "Shut up. Not another word from you." Tan Junzi swung the plastic shopping bag at the back of his knees. Chang Ying dodged, and Tan Junzi, refusing to let it go, began chasing him. Two people in their mid-twenties were running and playing under the shade of the trees like children. Just as Tan Junzi was about to pinch Chang Ying’s arm, he barked out a command: "Attention!" Tan Junzi instinctively froze in place. Her legs snapped together, her chest puffed out, and her head held high. A second later, she glared at him. "You did it again!" Chang Ying shifted both bags to one hand and reached out to pat the top of her head, laughing. "This trick never gets old. Sorry, I couldn't help myself." Since Tan Junzi’s return, Chang Ying had slowly discovered that she suffered from a sort of "post-military syndrome." For instance, earlier in the supermarket, Chang Ying had wanted to grab some Arctic shrimp from the freezer. He handed the shopping cart to Tan Junzi and said casually, "Wait for me here." When he returned with a box of sweet shrimp, he found Tan Junzi standing ramrod straight by the potato chip shelf, pushing the cart and not moving an inch—even when an old man accidentally bumped into her. When he told her to "wait," she literally *waited*. She was the epitome of "obeying orders and following instructions." Not only that, but Tan Junzi even felt the need to "report" before using the bathroom at home. Sometimes, when they were both home and Chang Ying was working in the study, Tan Junzi would trot over, poke her head through the door, and say, "Chang Ying, I need to use the restroom." Only after Chang Ying nodded and said, "Go ahead," would she trot off to the bathroom. * Because the pace of their reunion had been so fast—within a week of her discharge, they had reconciled, confessed, slept together, and registered their marriage—they faced a few lifestyle adjustments once they actually moved in together. For example, there was the small but important matter of sleep. When Tan Junzi slept, she would talk in her dreams, shouting "One, two, one!" in cadence. Chang Ying was a light sleeper. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, he would hear Tan Junzi roar, "Serve the people!" and he would nearly bolt upright in shock. Unlike him, Tan Junzi slept like the dead. Even if she talked or acted out her dreams, the only one suffering was the person next to her. She would sleep soundly and wake up to tell Chang Ying all about her vivid dreams. Her sleep-acting was particularly unique. She would sometimes perform a goose-step in bed, her legs swinging wildly. Occasionally, her knee would drive straight into Chang Ying’s groin. In the dead of night, he would find himself curled up like a shrimp, clutching his vitals in agonizing "refreshment," watching his years of physical maintenance being dismantled by his wife. He decided he couldn't just sit back and take it anymore. He prepared a whistle—the kind of stainless steel whistle a drill sergeant might use. Every time Tan Junzi started her "Long March" in her dreams, he would fish the whistle out from under his pillow. *Tweet-tweet! Tweet-tweet!* At the sound of the whistle, Tan Junzi would perform a perfect kip-up and bounce off the bed. It worked every single time. They spent some time adjusting to each other. Tan Junzi also had her moments of melancholy. Once, after the lights were out, she suddenly said, "I realized I’m still not used to lying side-by-side with someone in one bed." She turned on her side, propping her head up on her hand, and looked at Chang Ying. Chang Ying rested his hands behind his head, eyes closed. "Oh? Then how are you used to sleeping?" Tan Junzi thought for a moment. "One on top of the other would be better." Chang Ying’s eyes snapped open. He was shocked. *She’s being this proactive?* He quietly pulled her into his arms, his fingers tracing slow circles on the back of her neck. "You on top, or me?" Tan Junzi looked confused. "Does it matter? Usually, I’m on top. I like the feeling of being up high." Chang Ying: ?! Two days later, a set of bunk beds Tan Junzi had ordered online arrived at the house. Chang Ying rubbed his temples as he watched the workers clattering away, assembling the frame. Eventually, they placed the bunk beds in the guest bedroom for the time being. * Tan Junzi had been back for two months. Both were busy, but no matter how hectic things got, they made sure to cook one meal together at home every week. Since it was the peak of crab season, they went to the supermarket and bought scallions, ginger, and eight crabs—four male and four female—along with some other seafood, planning to have a feast that night. Tan Junzi had a terrible tolerance for alcohol. After much pleading at the supermarket, Chang Ying agreed to let her buy two cans of pineapple beer, but she was only allowed to drink one that night. She had promised readily. Back at home, they put the crabs in the sink to let them purge the sand. While one minced ginger and garlic, the other set the water to boil for steaming. Once the water was boiling and the steamer basket was ready, Tan Junzi went to the sink to grab the crabs, only to find that one female crab was missing. It was as if the crab had vanished into thin air. They got down on their hands and knees, searching every nook and cranny of the kitchen, but found nothing. They looked at each other, feeling defeated—this was yet another blow after their failure at the shooting stall. To comfort Tan Junzi, Chang Ying agreed to let her drink both cans of pineapple beer. That night, after the lights were out, they lay in the bunk beds. Tan Junzi was on the top bunk, letting out a small pineapple-scented burp toward the ceiling. She had eaten too much and couldn't fall asleep. Chang Ying chuckled softly from the bottom bunk. "Junzi, have you ever heard the ghost story about bunk beds?" "What story?" Tan Junzi leaned over the railing to look down at him. Chang Ying’s eyes were like a hawk’s in the dark, staring back up at her. His voice turned mysterious. "Have you heard of 'Sisters Back-to-Back'?" Tan Junzi swallowed hard. The name alone sounded creepy. Chang Ying began to narrate in a low, late-night radio host voice. "It happened in a girls' dormitory... One day... and then... they thought..." When he reached the part where "the girl looked up and saw—" Tan Junzi couldn't take it anymore. She covered her ears, scrambled down the ladder, and dove into Chang Ying’s covers. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Chang Ying let out a muffled laugh from deep in his chest as he pulled her tight. Tan Junzi poked her head out from his embrace and whispered, "Maybe we should go back to the big bed?" Chang Ying kissed the bridge of her nose, feigning hesitation. "But aren't you used to the bunk beds?" Tan Junzi thought about the "Sisters Back-to-Back" story and shuddered. "I’m throwing those bunk beds out tomorrow!" Chang Ying curled his lips into a smile and threw back the duvet. "Then let's go back to the big bed." Just as they were about to get up, a faint *click-clack, click-clack* sound echoed from the hallway. Still shaken by the ghost story, Tan Junzi felt a chill race up her spine. She grabbed Chang Ying’s waist. "It’s here! It’s here! Aaaaah!" Chang Ying gently covered her mouth. "Shh—" For a moment, he thought a burglar had broken in. But the security system had been installed by Qin Ke’s company; it was reliable. Any forced entry through the door or windows would have tripped the alarm. They listened intently. The sound drew closer. *Click-clack, click-clack...* Tan Junzi’s hair stood on end. She squeezed Chang Ying’s waist so hard she nearly choked him. Chang Ying patted her arm to signal her to relax. Keeping her behind him, they crept toward the door and peered through a tiny crack into the hallway. The hallway was bathed in moonlight, but otherwise empty. Then, an eight-legged creature scuttled into view sideways, making a faint *fwoosh-fwoosh* sound as it blew bubbles. Chang Ying pushed the door open, walked over, and picked the crab up by one leg. He waved it at Tan Junzi, who was still clinging to the doorframe. "Wife, you can come out now." Tan Junzi walked over and tapped the crab’s shell. They looked at each other and burst into laughter. Later, they decided to keep the crab as a pet. They kept it in the enamel washbasin Tan Junzi had brought back from the army. She named it "Pearl." Because it had escaped and then reappeared. Something lost and then found is a pearl. And so, following in the footsteps of their dog, Tan Changchang, Chang Ying gained another pet: a crab. Tan Junzi stopped sleeping in the bunk beds, and Chang Ying’s "post-traumatic stress" regarding keeping pets was finally cured. ***