The street was empty, the light from the streetlamps casting a dim, chilly glow.

Lin Xiaoxiao stood frozen, watching the man approach. He wore a military-green greatcoat that reached his knees—a garment that would have looked bulky on anyone else, but on him, it accentuated a stature as straight and solid as a pine tree.

A sudden mist blurred her vision, obscuring his features, yet she knew his face by heart.

Zhou Huai'an also halted, his eyes fixed on the motionless figure of Lin Xiaoxiao. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, before calling out, "Xiaoxiao, I'm back."

He had just arrived home. After exchanging only a few words with his family, and without even thinking to glance at the children upon learning Xiaoxiao was still at school, he had hurried out to find her.

Now, seeing her standing there, he felt a flicker of strangeness, and a thread of fear. His memory held an image of Xiaoxiao pregnant, her belly rounded. The fear stemmed from the scar marring his own face. He remembered her saying she liked handsome men, that if he ever became ugly, she might not fancy him anymore.

So after calling her name, his gaze remained on her, tinged with unease.

Xiaoxiao's eyes reddened instantly. She dashed forward, leaped up, and threw her arms around his neck. "Zhou Changsuo…"

Then, overwhelmed by a tumult of emotions—all the pent-up feeling and the sudden surge of joy—she was rendered speechless, able only to gaze at him through a veil of tears.

Huai'an's hands came up to support her. Watching her cry, her nose turning red, he could only repeat, "Don't cry. I'm back. I'm not leaving again."

Held in his arms, Xiaoxiao found herself looking down at him. In the dim light, his familiar face seemed changed; his stern handsomeness was half in shadow, yet the scar by his eye stood out—a serpentine mark, thin as a thread, carving a pale track from his right brow to his temple.

It was exactly where he'd been injured in her dream. Her fingers reached up to touch it gently, her voice choked. "Zhou Changsuo, why did you take so long?"

Even though he was back nearly a month earlier than planned, it still felt like an eternity to her.

Holding her, Huai'an ached to speak, yet knew any words would be futile. A sharp twist of frustration struck him—he was a man with a thick tongue, useless for soothing the woman he loved.

Some workers on their way home from the night shift passed by—a few young men. Spotting the couple locked in an embrace, the man even holding the woman aloft, they stared curiously, whistling and causing a stir.

Xiaoxiao felt no embarrassment, refusing to let go of Huai'an.

Huai'an, however, grew slightly self-conscious. He set her down gently. "Let's go home first, alright?"

Xiaoxiao waited until the group had moved on, then stood on her toes and planted a firm kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Home."

On the way back, she refused to walk properly. She gripped his hand tightly, tucking it into the pocket of his greatcoat, while her other arm wound firmly around his, half-leaning her weight against him.

Huai'an thought to say that this wasn't very proper, that people might see, but when he glanced down and saw the brightness in Xiaoxiao's eyes, washed clean by tears and now sparkling with happiness, her lips curved in an irrepressible smile, the words died on his tongue.

Dragging Huai'an along for a stretch, her heart swelling with joy, Xiaoxiao finally felt the reality of his return sink in. "How did you get back early? Dad said you probably wouldn't be home until the New Year."

Huai'an nodded. "Mn. The original plan was to return for the New Year, but the troop rotation schedule was moved up, so we came back early." He didn't mention the minor incident that had also contributed to the early return.

As Xiaoxiao's fingers absently traced the warm, callused lines of his palm, a deep security washed over her. In this newfound peace, the crunch of their footsteps in the snow became a gentle rhythm, and the world felt right again.

"When did you get home? Did Qianqian, Xuanxuan, and An'an cry when they saw you? Did you hold them? Aren't they beautiful?"

Huai'an was silent for a beat. "I just arrived. I put my things down and came to find you. I didn't really get a look at the children."

Xiaoxiao stared at him for a moment, then moved around to stand directly in front of him, forcing him to stop. She looked up, studying his face under the streetlamp, questioning the truth of his words. What father comes home and doesn't first look at the children he's never met?

Huai'an looked down at her, answering with complete seriousness. "When I saw you weren't home, I asked Mom for directions to your school and came straight to find you." Besides, he hadn't noticed the three children in the living room either, or he might have glanced at them.

A sudden laugh burst from Xiaoxiao. She wrapped her arms around him again. "Hearing you say that makes me really happy. It means I'm the most important person in your heart."

Then, her eyes curving mischievously, she said, "Bend down."

Obediently, Huai'an leaned down. Xiaoxiao kissed him again, reluctant to pull away.

She knew that once they got home, with the whole family waiting, they'd have no time alone together. So she had to seize this moment to do what she wanted with Zhou Huai'an.

Huai'an thought that even though it was dark, such intimacy on a public road wasn't appropriate. Just as he was about to gently disengage her arms, he felt her press close to his ear and whisper, "Zhou Changsuo, I missed you so much."

Those words shattered his resolve and broke through his defenses. His arms tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest as he bent his head and kissed her with a fierce intensity.

His lips were cold from the outdoors, yet carried a searing heat that felt capable of melting the icy world around them.

The occasional passerby jumped in surprise, startled by such audacity. Shameless! Scandalous! They hurried on their way without a word, not daring to linger.

Back at home, Zhou Huai'an's sudden return had thrown the household into a happy chaos.

Li Yunlan was instructing the housekeeper to prepare a proper dinner. The initial plan for noodles was scrapped; she urged her to take out the meat. It was too late to buy anything else, so she directed her to cook whatever was available in the house.

She kept talking to Zhou Liyun. "Huai'an looks so much thinner this time. He must have suffered a lot over there. We need to build his strength back up properly."

Liyun agreed. "Yes, and I saw a scar on his face! He must have been injured. Ai, he's definitely been through hardship."

Yunlan hadn't noticed. "A scar on his face? How did I miss it? Is it very bad?"

Zhou Xiaoling had been upstairs playing with the three children. By the time she heard the commotion and came down, Huai'an had already left to find Xiaoxiao. Now, watching Yunlan and Liyun bustling around like headless chickens, while Zhou Zhennan and Zhou Bingwen sat on the sofa happily holding the children and beaming, she couldn't help but laugh. "Mom, try to be a little calmer. If you carry on like this, you'll scare Big Brother half to death."

The little one in her arms, An'an, wriggled and giggled, looking toward the door as if expecting someone. "Uncle…"