Chapter 9

Lock, holding the boss lady who was burning with fever, strode up the stairs. Guided by Xiaoxi, he arrived at the farthest room upstairs. He rudely kicked open the door and threw the beautiful boss lady onto a large bed in the middle of the room. He quickly stripped off his clothes and pounced on Xiaoxi, and for a moment, the room was filled with springtime colors.

After the storm had passed, the room finally quieted down. In the silent room, only the sound of their breathing remained. The bright moonlight shone through the window, and Xiaoxi, holding Lock's left arm, looked even more alluring with her slightly flushed cheeks. She wished time could stay still at this moment.

After releasing his pent-up energy, Lock felt a sense of relief both physically and mentally. He suddenly remembered a small black stick in Uncle Jiaxue's tent drawer, which was called a cigar. It was a gift from the baron, and he had seen Uncle Jiaxue light it and take a few puffs after each meal before immediately extinguishing it, waiting for the next time to smoke it again. The comfortable expression on Uncle Jiaxue's face after smoking the cigar was vivid in his mind. Lock wondered if smoking a cigar now would make the moment even more perfect.

The beautiful boss lady was now lazily hugging Lock, her head resting on his chest, looking like a small, dependent bird. Lock also held the woman in his arms. Although he wasn't a good person, he wasn't heartless either. He didn't help the boss lady earlier because they were strangers, and the little affection he had for her was already used up in helping her out of trouble today. However, now that they had this kind of relationship, he felt he had to think of a way to help her. He didn't want his woman to end up on the streets.

While Lock was still thinking about the future, Xiaoxi enjoyed the warmth of this much younger man's embrace. She looked up at Lock, seeing him frown from time to time, and felt a pang of pain in her heart. She said softly, "The wine in the tavern can last for a week. If no one comes to rob us, we can earn a decent amount of money in a week. I'll take this money to the occupied area and find a job. You don't need to worry about me."

Lock was still deep in thought. Hearing what the boss lady said, he blurted out without thinking, "How can that be? You can earn at most two silver coins in a week. What can you do with that?" It was the truth. Two silver coins would indeed be enough for her to live comfortably for two months or even longer in the heart of the Fostan Kingdom or in Lock's hometown, a small village. However, in the occupied area, it was a different story. The "wise men" of the Charlot Kingdom had already seen that the kingdom was about to fall, and a large number of merchants and capitalists were flooding into the Peters territory to obtain Fostan citizenship. It was said that even the nobles of Charlot were "surrendering." Although the area was chaotic, the cost of living was not much different from that of large cities or even the capital, Flore City. With that amount of money, she would be lucky to live for a week.

Hearing Lock's words, Xiaoxi also became silent. She subconsciously hugged Lock tightly. Lock, feeling the boss lady's embrace, realized that his words had hurt this beautiful woman. He comforted her, saying, "Don't worry. I'm not the kind of person who walks away after a meal. I will help you." "Really?!" Xiaoxi immediately became excited. "Of course, I'm thinking of a way," Lock said.

Xiaoxi hadn't been cared for like this in a long time. Even if she had, it was always by people with ulterior motives, either lusting after her beauty or her wealth. Although Lock might also be helping her because of her beauty, she dismissed this thought. She wanted to be Lock's woman. Who wouldn't want a man with power and strength, even if his power and strength were still small? "You are the best person to me in these years. I won't look for any other men. I'll be your mistress," Xiaoxi suddenly said, her voice low but resolute.

Lock also heard her. He realized that this beautiful boss lady was not just a fleeting affair but wanted to be his woman. Who wouldn't like a beautiful woman? And Lock was just a common soldier, with no power or influence. Before, if he wanted a beautiful woman, he could only go to the military supply camp or dream about it. He also tightly hugged the beautiful woman in his arms and said, "Have you really thought it through? I might die in battle one day."

"Don't talk nonsense! Of course, I've thought it through. If you die in battle, I'll mourn you and remain a widow!" Although they had only truly known each other for a day, Xiaoxi had made up her mind to follow this young man from now on.

"Heh, the person who can kill me hasn't been born yet. Don't worry, I've been through many battles. I won't stumble at the last step," Lock laughed.

"Um..." Xiaoxi responded softly.

Both were excited by this deep expression of affection and began to chat about their pasts in bed. Lock learned that the woman's name was Xiaoxi, she was 23 years old, and she was from the town. Her parents had died of illness when she was very young, and she had only one brother left. Because there were only two of them in the family, she had been self-reliant from a young age, selling wooden stools and tables made by her brother in the town. She was smart and had worked part-time in a hotel, learning to read and do basic arithmetic. At 17, she was introduced to her husband, who ran a tavern, through a matchmaker. However, less than a year after their marriage, the war broke out. Although she had considerable talent and wanted to run the tavern well, four years of war, turmoil, and poverty extinguished her passion. Her husband also had little affection for her and eventually abandoned her. She thought her life would just go on like this.

Hearing Xiaoxi's story, Lock felt a pang of pain. This woman had suffered more than he had. At least his parents and family were still alive, and he was a man, so he could manage. How had this woman borne such a heavy burden? He comforted Xiaoxi and promised her that he would not let her down. He also told her about his own background. He was now 18 years old, from Maple Village in the Kaidoqi territory of the Fostan Kingdom, and had loving parents and a sister. When Xiaoxi heard that Lock had been a soldier for four years, she was initially surprised but then understood why he could be a squad leader at such a young age. However, she was troubled by his age. Lock didn't usually shave in the camp, so the years of war had made him look much older. Xiaoxi had noticed that Lock was younger than her, but she didn't realize he was so much younger—five years, no less. "Oh my, I'm so much older than you..." Xiaoxi lamented.

Lock also noticed Xiaoxi's discomfort but didn't care. He showed affection and called her "Xiaoxi." "Don't call me that. Only my brother and my aunts called me that when I was little. You're so young, it sounds strange," Xiaoxi quickly rejected. "No, aren't I your 'big brother' now? I'll call you that!" Under Lock's insistence, Xiaoxi had to accept it.

After learning about Xiaoxi's past, Lock realized that this seemingly weak woman had considerable abilities, especially when he learned that she could read and do arithmetic, which he found astonishing. Lock was illiterate and could barely write his own name. As for arithmetic, he could do basic addition and subtraction, but anything more complex was beyond him. He evaluated Xiaoxi as someone who lacked affection but was shrewd and capable. After some consideration, he decided to tell her about the problem he was currently facing with his military rank, as he realized that only by becoming a corporal and a squad leader could he have the means to support Xiaoxi. Only a few squad leaders and above in the camp could keep a mistress without being criticized.

So, Lock told Xiaoxi about the election for squad leader and the upcoming attack on the city of France in a week. After the initial shock, Xiaoxi quickly regained her composure. She knew that Lock was treating her as his own, someone who wouldn't be abandoned. Lock also clearly told her that only by becoming a squad leader could he protect her in this war-torn era.

Xiaoxi immediately took on the role of Lock's supportive partner. She carefully asked about the structure of the higher-ups in their camp and Lock's personal connections. Lock answered all her questions, trusting that Xiaoxi wouldn't harm him. Besides, this information wasn't a secret; anyone with a bit of effort could find it out. After understanding Lock's situation, Xiaoxi pointed out that he should seize the opportunity with Young Master Solon.