“Alright, it’s done. You can open your eyes now,” Lei Wen’s voice cut through the air.

When Yunchang opened his eyes, he found her fully dressed, perched atop a chopped log, tracing her fingers thoughtfully over its rough bark. She glanced up at him, eyes gleaming with the trace of a smirk.

“Remember that little debt you owe me?”

“Huh?” he stammered, momentarily confused.

“I was going to haul all this wood back to camp myself, but since you’re here, I figure you can do it instead—consider it payback.”

Curse my luck, Yunchang thought, rolling his eyes internally.. Both of these sisters are ruthless, clearly cut from the same cloth.

But his conscience kicked in. I did get her into this mess, after all. Guess I can’t let her down now—it’s what any respectable guy would do.

Realistically, however, Yunchang had no idea how to transport such a massive haul back to camp on his own. “Not like I can just wake up the guys, they’re probably out cold by now. Wait, it’s not like getting 3,000 logs back to camp is any easier than chopping them ".

As Lei Wen was about to leave, a thought seemed to cross her mind. She paused, glancing over her shoulder.

“Actually, maybe that was a bit much. You did outsmart me in the drill, after all. Fine, I’ll carry them, but I definitely could use some help here.”

“Seems there’s a shred of decency left in you after all,” he muttered, smiling in relief. “By the way, I did try to stick up for you, but your sister’s more stubborn than an ox.”

“And you made it worse for me. Seriously, who asked you to play the hero?”

“Someone had to. She’s merciless! Always sweet-talking everyone with her ‘charm,’ but the moment things don’t turn out like she wants them to, it’s like flipping a switch.”

“You seem to understand her well—are you into her or something?”

“No way! After today, I’d sooner take my chances wrestling a tiger than getting mixed up with her again.”

“If my sister’s a tiger, you’re no less of a wolf yourself, are you?”

“I'm not a—...“Listen,” I’m sorry for what I did ok, and right now, I really just want to help you out. Even if you’re still mad at me after this, that’s fine.”

“Well, I’m not mad, but unless you want me to, you better learn to talk less than do more.”

“Oh, I will. Just don’t expect me to do it all alone, though—I’m here to help, not do the whole thing myself.”

She chuckled, unable to hold back her amusement. “You know, it’s been a while since anyone’s made me laugh like this, again and again. You really are something, you know that?”

“My friends say I’d be better off as a comedian than a soldier, and I’m starting to think they’re right.”

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“Definitely. So, why don’t we drop the formalities from now on? Drop the Lethal Tempest thing, just call me by my name, and I’ll call you ‘Wolf.’”

“How many times do I have to say it? I’m not a—” he started, but she playfully placed a finger over his mouth.

“Didn’t I say no formalities? Lighten up, Wolfie.”

This family really knows how to mess with a guy, huh. He thought, bewildered. But despite himself, he couldn’t help but smile.

“So, what do you need, Lei Wen?”

“I parked some carts on the edge of the forest. Go fetch them for me, will you?”

He nodded, intending to use his light-foot technique to get there quickly. But after an unsteady start, he misjudged his jump and collided with a tree, landing with a thud, which only made her laugh harder.

“My sister said your light-foot skills were a joke, but I thought she was kidding. I mean, you’ve been in the army a month now, and you’re still that clumsy?”

“Excuse me, I just had a little too much to drink last night,” he muttered, embarrassed. “Normally, I’m flawless!”

“Sure thing,” she teased. “But you can forget about the carts, there aren’t any. I just wanted to see your ‘legendary’ light-foot skills in action. Guess the stories were true.”

And so, both began their work and as expected, Lei Wen did most of the literal ‘heavy lifting’. They finished by 4 a.m, with Yunchang frequently gassing out and biting his tongue at her endless teasing about his carrying techniques. That morning, Yunchang reported early to Han Yin, visibly sleep-deprived and irritated.

“Where’s Lei Wen?” Han Yin asked, noticing her absence.

“She’s still sleeping. We finished around 4 a.m., so she requested thirty more minutes to rest.”

“Well, aren’t you getting presumptuous, allowing her to sleep in?” Han Yin’s tone turned icy. “Who do you think is in charge here?”

“She’s stronger than I am. If I’d tried to order her around, I’d probably be nursing my wounds in the infirmary by now,” he replied, exasperated. “You two can settle this yourselves.”

Han Yin noted his fatigue and irritation, but a soft smile played on her lips as she pulled out a bar of chocolate from her desk.

“Lei Wen and I used to love this type of chocolate when we were kids. It’s sweet, but has a subtle touch of bitterness—It tasted pretty good then, now, It also brings a sense of nostalgia.”

She popped a piece into her mouth. Yunchang, too tired to pay much attention, was caught off guard when he looked back to see her perched on her desk, holding the chocolate bar out to him.

“What are you doing?”

“You look exhausted. Have some chocolate, it’ll wake you up. Say ‘ahhh.’”

Yunchang initially planned to refuse, but something about her unspoken authority held him captive, and he accepted the chocolate.

“Good, isn’t it?”

“It’s… alright.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Their eyes held for a moment, the silence thick with tension, until she broke it.

“Oh, by the way, I have to return to Beijing for the day. You and Lei Wen are in charge while I’m away. Try not to do anything reckless, okay? I’ll be back tomorrow.”

She handed him the chocolate and, after taking one last bite, walked out the door. Five minutes later, Lei Wen showed up.

“Wolf, where’s my sister?”

“She had to head back to Beijing, she’ll be back tomorrow,” he replied, stifling a yawn.

Noticing the chocolate in his hand, Lei Wen grinned mischievously.

“I didn’t peg you for a chocolate-lover, Wolf. You like sweets too, huh?”

“I don’t usually, but... once in a while doesn’t hurt.”

Snatching the chocolate bar from him, she inspected the label, then snickered knowingly.

“Don’t tell me—this was a gift from Han Yin?”

“Maybe.”

“Let me guess: ‘I’m sorry for being harsh yesterday, so here’s some chocolate to make up for it.’ Well, don’t get your hopes too high, she’s got a boyfriend already.”

“Wait—she does?!”

“Yeah. What’s with the attitude? Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

“Jealous? Hardly. I’ve only known her for a month after all. But whoever that guy is, I feel bad for him, his life must be miserable.”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it, naive Wolfie.”