Jiang Yao returned home and waited for the chief's call. She waited until it was almost noon before it finally arrived. Jiang Yao began to look forward to the time that the chief had set aside for her.

It was the day after the next, which was the day after Lu Xingzhi's birthday.

She seemed to need a reason to deceive Lu Xingzhi ahead of time. She could not let Lu Xingzhi figure out her scheme.

Lu Xingzhi would definitely go home to cook at midday if Jiang Yao was at home. Even though his lunch break was brief and he could opt to bring it back from the cafeteria, Lu Xingzhi did not mind the hassle and went home to cook every day.

They cooked pretty quickly; there were two dishes and a soup. Lu Xingzhi's cooking abilities improved all the time. He could satisfy Jiang Yao's appetite with one meat and one vegetable dish.

"I'm going to the city with Mrs. Lin tomorrow morning." Jiang Yao drank the soup and looked at Lu Xingzhi as she talked about her plans for the next day. "Do you want Colonel Lin and the others to come over for dinner? If so, I'll bring more food back from the city tomorrow."

"No need."

Lu Xingzhi shook his head. He did not intend to let anyone disturb him and Jiang Yao. He had hoped that there were only the two of them during the New Year, and he had hoped for the same on his birthday.

"So you don't have to go to the city to buy groceries," Lu Xingzhi said. "We still have many in the fridge. When Mom and Dad were here, they also brought a lot of bacon from home. They were all frozen on the balcony."

In the north, the temperature could be as low as minus 10 to 20 degrees Celsius in winter, so there was no need to use the fridge. The balcony was a natural refrigerator, so it was convenient to freeze everything there.

For example, the family members in the army who lived in a courtyard would freeze their new year's vegetables and meat in the yard to keep them until the weather warmed.

"I still have to go. I have something to do." Jiang Yao shook her head. "I'll try to be quick and be back at noon. Otherwise, I might not be back for lunch."

Lu Xingzhi's expression froze. He asked, "Are you going to buy me a present?"

"Perhaps."

Jiang Yao giggled; she did not say that she was going to Mrs. Lin's mother's house to use their oven to make a birthday cake for him.

When she looked up, Lu Xingzhi's expression did not look great. However, Jiang Yao's smile grew deeper. That guy probably thought she was going to the city to buy him a present at the last minute, and he was unhappy about it.

At that moment, he had forgotten that she had hidden the gift.

Lu Xingzhi did not say anything. After a few seconds, he said, "Take Moe with you. When you get to the city, let Big Ke and Ah Lu follow you to protect you."

Jiang Yao nodded. Then, she lowered her head and ate her food seriously.

Lu Xingzhi seemed a little busy recently. After he finished eating and washing the dishes, he went into the study. Jiang Yao did not know what he was busy with, but she respected and understood his work. When he was busy in the study, she would not disturb him. Instead, she read and did her homework in the bedroom.

Lu Xingzhi was on the phone in the study room with someone. He was discussing the two Xie sisters in Ping City—Madam Cheng and Mrs. Sun.

"Young Master Lu, I took photos of Madam Cheng and Mrs. Sun when they were young and asked about them with the locals. Everyone said they were the fool's wife, but no one could tell that they were two different people. I even got the wife's name—Xie Qiuran. So it must be Mrs. Sun." The man on the phone paused and said, "The locals said that they heard Xie Qiuran mention her father before, but they had never heard about her other family members. They thought Xie Qiuran only had her father."