Chapter 96 - First Update

Qin Yao stared blankly at the man who suddenly appeared before her, taking a long time to react. He was dressed in casual clothes, without a hat, his handsome and well-proportioned forehead and sharp, sword-like eyebrows fully visible. His face never needed any hairstyle to complement it.

However, compared to when they last parted, he had lost a lot of weight.

Qin Yao felt a mix of happiness and concern, her eyes stinging as she looked at his increasingly sharp and defined jawline.

He looked younger and leaner, almost like a younger version of Gu Cheng, but Qin Yao couldn’t help feeling uneasy at the sight of him so thin.

At sea, the food was not good, and he had no appetite. Although Gu Cheng usually ate a lot and claimed he wasn’t picky, after spending so much time together, Qin Yao had observed that he was actually quite particular about food, preferring his meals to be finely prepared and carefully chosen.

Gu Cheng’s family had been relatively well-off when he was young, so he probably hadn’t gone hungry much. In the public’s impression, soldiers endure tough training and are mostly unpicky eaters. Qin Yao’s father from her previous life was like that, able to eat anything. At first, Qin Yao thought Gu Cheng was the same.

In reality, Gu Cheng seemed to be able to eat anything, but upon closer observation, Qin Yao gradually realized that he was essentially a picky and delicate young master.

He could eat anything, but when it came to food he didn’t like, he would only force himself to eat just enough to keep him going and nothing more.

Qin Yao suspected that he enjoyed cooking at home and was quite good at it, often making only what he liked.

As for herself, a hearty eater with an unfussy palate, her body had developed a mouth that wasn’t fussy.

At sea, there really wasn’t much good food—bread, seafood, and canned goods were plentiful, but fresh vegetables were scarce, and fruits were only available in cans. Even a bottle of spicy pickled cucumbers was fought over. Because of this, Gu Cheng liked to secretly chew raw vegetables when he came home.

Qin Yao pretended not to know about his private little habit, but she had already prepared a patch of fresh, crisp lettuce for him in advance.

During this time he was back, she would need to take good care of him again.

"Gu Cheng." Qin Yao called out to him with a smile, their eyes meeting. Beside them, He Lian pursed his lips. Lan Baiyu asked in confusion, "Isn't this Little Tang?"

Lan Baiyu wasn’t face-blind. This man before her was tall and handsome, far more striking than Tang Runjie, a handsome young man in his twenties.

Qin Yao ran closer, holding her clothes, and greeted He Lian. "Comrade He."

"Hey, sister-in-law."

"This is my husband, Gu Cheng, a soldier." Qin Yao pulled Gu Cheng forward to introduce him to the theater troupe.

"Comrade Gu, hello."

The others greeted him, each looking at Gu Cheng with surprise. "Qin Yao, your husband is so young."

"Wow, he’s such a handsome guy!"

"He’s really something!"

Gu Cheng examined everyone’s attire and asked curiously, "Are you participating in a drama competition?"

"Yes, Comrade Qin wrote the script. She’s a great talent."

The people looked at each other. If Gu Cheng wore a police uniform, he’d look more like a police officer than anyone else. It was a pity that with the upcoming stage competition, having him act in the drama would mean he wouldn’t be able to memorize the lines.

"We’ve got a problem with one of our actors. The guy who was supposed to play the police officer came down with food poisoning and can’t perform. Now we’re in a bind, and Comrade Qin said she would take over. We’re altering the clothes for her right now."

"We’ve got two sets of clothes, each one larger than the other..."

Gu Cheng picked up the clearly male-sized police uniform. It was large and long, a bit short for him but still passable.

However, if Qin Yao wore it, ha, it really wouldn’t look right on her as a police officer.

"Where are you performing? I'll go pick a good spot to watch the show." Gu Cheng didn't expect that coming here would allow him to catch his wife's debut performance on stage. This trip was worth it.

Looking around, he realized his tall figure stood out from the crowd. He could easily secure the best viewing spot in a moment.

Being tall has its perks—better views and better luck.

He wished he had brought a pair of binoculars to get a closer look at his wife's performance.

"Captain Gu," Qin Yao said with a sly smile. She noticed that whenever Gu Cheng changed into civilian clothes and left the army, he tended to let loose. Right now, he had the air of someone just looking to enjoy the show.

His eyes sparkled with mischief, and his handsome face had become careless and infuriating.

Captain Gu, you're a commanding officer. Can you please act like one?

It seemed like he was about to scare the nearby Comrade He Lian. He Lian's mouth opened slightly, and if he hadn't been too stunned to stick out his tongue, he would have looked like a bewildered puppy.

Qin Yao thought to herself: That look of anticipation on his face was infuriating!

She had to take him down a peg.

"Comrade Gu Cheng," Qin Yao said, standing in front of him with her arms crossed, raising her head to reveal a section of her slender swan-like neck. She patted the man's shoulder and, after a cough, said seriously, "Commander Qin Yao is assigning you a special task."

Qin Yao decisively handed him the script. "You're going to play the police officer. Start memorizing your lines."

Gu Cheng: "?"

"This kind of task isn't common, you know."

Qin Yao wasn't wrong. Whether it was in movies at that time or later in TV dramas, many extras and supporting actors in war and military dramas were actual active-duty soldiers, including the Japanese soldiers.

Before Qin Yao transmigrated, her father, a demobilized cadre, knew a comrade-in-arms' son who had been pulled to play a Japanese soldier and complained about it after joining the army.

Qin Yao thought with amusement: Having you play a police officer instead of a Japanese soldier is already doing you a favor.

"I don't know how to act in a play," Comrade Gu Cheng refused.

"Don't try to disobey a superior's order. If you don't know how, learn," Qin Yao said, unable to hold back her laughter.

Gu Cheng: "Tyranny, authoritarianism."

Qin Yao firmly made an "X" gesture.

Gu Cheng took the script and couldn't help but laugh. "Where are my lines? You’re really making me do this?"

"Here, here. All the lines marked in red, you need to memorize them. Time is running out, and you need to change into the clothes first..."

Qin Yao dragged Gu Cheng to change clothes, leaving the others looking at each other in bewilderment. He Lian was stunned. Was this really Captain Gu and Sister-in-law??!!

They were acting so playful and lighthearted—it was like seeing the sun rise in the west!

In the office, with the curtains drawn, Gu Cheng quickly undressed. Seeing his physique, Qin Yao felt an immediate pang of heartache. Whether man or woman, losing weight can make chest muscles appear flatter. Fortunately, his chest and abs were still there, though they didn't seem as firm and full as before.

But they still looked elastic, not emaciated.

Qin Yao loved Gu Cheng's lean and well-developed muscles. Unlike the exaggerated, fragile muscles of bodybuilders, his were strong, durable, and incredibly practical. The natural curves formed by these muscles were also incredibly sexy.

Gu Cheng first put on his pants, which were a bit short but manageable. Then he put on the shirt, and Qin Yao helped him button it up.

Gu Cheng bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Qin Yao pushed him away. "Go memorize your lines."

Captain Gu smiled, the corners of his mouth curling up. He had already committed his lines to memory. His instant recall was strong, much like when young commanders are trained, always required to memorize all weapon models and markings within a limited time. Captain Gu had always excelled in this area.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he took in his wife's beautiful, alluring face, suppressing the urge to ask about characters like "Little Tang."

Captain Gu trusted his wife completely, but that didn’t stop him from feeling a little jealous. He treated it like a drill, making a mental note to discuss it with her later in the evening.

"Perform well on stage later," Qin Yao said with a slight smile, helping Captain Gu put on his hat. He looked great in uniform. Donning the police uniform, he appeared even more handsome and imposing, exuding a strong presence.

"I'll follow the leader's orders," Gu Cheng said.

The couple walked out. When Lan Baiyu and others saw Gu Cheng's appearance, they couldn't help but gasp. He was perfect for the role!

Qin Yao's husband wasn’t the type of man Lan Baiyu usually went for. Seeing how handsome he was, she assumed he was some kind of logistics officer.

Qin Yao's husband was really something!

"It's coming soon. We just got notified that there was a sudden change, and we're next." Cui Ying was frustrated. One of the drama teams had an issue, and Jia Hui volunteered to perform the cultural center's two plays earlier.

At this moment, everyone was too anxious to care about Gu Cheng's appearance. Their hearts were troubled as they prepared for the upcoming competition.

At this point, even a quick rehearsal was out of the question, and performing a selected scene could easily throw them into disarray.

Qin Yao said calmly, "Don't panic. Improvise once you're on stage. Don't forget, the name of our play is 'Cracking the Case.'"

It didn't matter if they panicked. When Gu Cheng appeared as the police officer, the more flustered the others were, the more they would forget their lines, making their acting seem more authentic.

The audience wouldn't know if the fluster was real or just part of the act.

Qin Yao was concerned that when she appeared on stage, without having rehearsed a stern tone, she might not be able to control the stage and might seem like they were just playing house.

"Captain Gu, just be yourself," she said. Bring out the authority you use when giving a speech.

Gu Cheng: "..."

"Sister-in-law, can I join in too? Don't we need two police officers? I won't say anything; I'll just add to the presence," He Lian said eagerly.

"Sure, go change clothes," Qin Yao said.

He Lian happily went to change clothes, not expecting to be part of such a fun "official duty" today.

"We've got a situation!"

At that moment, there was a commotion in the audience. The actors on stage were startled. Everyone's eyes focused, and to their surprise, the one causing trouble was "Jia Hui." She had been sitting in the audience, watching her own play and imagining herself winning an award.

But this year, she had been overly confident. After coming in fourth place last year, she was sure she would take first place this year. She wanted to pursue depth and meaning, with more actors needed... The fantasy was beautiful, but reality was harsh.

Her lines only moved her. The other audience members found it baffling, with disjointed and rambling dialogue that seemed all over the place. Halfway through, they still weren't sure what the play was about.

"A total mess of a play."

"Yes, the worst one today."

"Too scattered. Was it necessary to add those two characters? It felt repetitive."

The criticism and complaints from those around made Jia Hui uneasy. She tried to explain the dialogue and then said reluctantly, "This play can only be appreciated by those with good taste."

"Pfft," someone nearby scoffed. "The person who wrote this script should stick to writing essays; what were they thinking, writing a drama?"

Jia Hui started arguing with him, and the argument grew louder, attracting everyone's attention.

Seeing that the stage was affected, Jia Hui looked upset and sat down without saying a word, while the performance on stage continued.

She was confident that her script would definitely win an award; it was a top-notch script, and the judges would surely praise it highly.

As the play came to an end, Jia Hui smiled confidently, certain that they would win the award that day.

Qin Yao's play had already begun.

Jia Hui sat up straight, hoping to see the actors stumble and falter in panic.

To her surprise, however, all the actors performed steadily. The play's strong conflicts and powerful dialogues kept the audience engaged, with twist after twist heightening their curiosity.

The audience was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone awaited the unfolding plot, their heads involuntarily leaning forward, much like the first time they watched *Thunderstorm*, eager for the tension to reach its peak and for the truth to be revealed step by step, making their hearts race.

For the actors, performing the play was an exhilarating experience. Since the plot progressed with time and was coherent, it was easy for them to immerse themselves in their roles.

"Captain Gu, good luck," Qin Yao gave Gu Cheng a thumbs-up backstage. Gu Cheng blinked and then his face turned cold as he led He Lian onto the stage.

Gu Cheng had a long dialogue confronting Lan Baiyu.

Lan Baiyu was already in character, vividly portraying a woman who had stolen money, pretended to be innocent, and, after being exposed, harbored resentment while continuing to feign innocence for sympathy. She was unrepentant and smug, making the audience clench their teeth in anger.

She thought no one could do anything to her.

Until the two men in front of her stepped out and gave her a cold look. She tried to pull the same trick again, but little did she know that what awaited her was the merciless punishment of imprisonment.

"Even if the hospital doesn't pursue it, she will..."

Lan Baiyu on stage was stunned.

She was truly terrified.

The man's face had the aura of a judge from the underworld, his eyes coldly gazing at her, making people feel nervous. Lan Baiyu's voice trembled, perfectly capturing the mix of guilt and defiance, and upon learning her character's fate, she cried as if the world was ending in regret.

The audience felt a sense of satisfaction.

After exiting the stage, Lan Baiyu was still shaken. She looked up at Qin Yao with admiration; this comrade was truly formidable.

With someone as intimidating as him by her side, even his glance made Lan Baiyu instinctively look down. Qin Yao was really bold.

Qin Yao said, "You acted quite well."

Gu Cheng calmly replied, "I was just staying true to the character."

Lan Baiyu: "..."

He Lian chuckled.

"Comrade, your acting was so realistic, I was almost scared," He Lian flattered Lan Baiyu.

Lan Baiyu: "..."

After the competition, their play took first place, and Lan Baiyu was named the best actress.