Only I Understand His Gentle Heart - Chapter 103.1

Suddenly, a soft and petite woman landed in Zhang Wulin’s arms, leaving him completely frozen. He looked down at her, his face flushed as he stammered, “I didn’t… it was just an accident.” He grabbed the edge of the bed frame, barely managing to steady himself, but Lin Ziyu still clung to him, leaving him even more at a loss. “I can stand now,” he muttered awkwardly.

Lin Ziyu, petite and struggling under the weight of a full-grown man, didn’t look up. Instead, she shifted her grip to support his arm. “I’ll help you get there.”

“No, no, that’s not necessary!” Zhang Wulin said hastily.

He shuffled sideways, trying to keep some distance between them, but it only made him feel more awkward. His entire being felt… strange.

Lin Ziyu was insistent. “No way. What if you fall? I’ll help you to the door.”

She finally looked up at him. At that moment, she froze.

Zhang Wulin’s face was bright red, the kind of shyness she had never seen in a man before. It was fascinating and amusing at the same time. She couldn’t resist teasing him. “Hey, squad leader, why are you blushing?”

Zhang Wulin licked his lips nervously, completely at a loss for words.

Lin Ziyu arched her brow, her smile deepening. This was getting more fun. “Is it because I hugged you earlier? I was only trying to help you, you know.”

He shook his head vehemently, worried she’d misunderstand. “No, no… I wasn’t blaming you at all.”

His heart was pounding, fast and chaotic. He didn’t know why, but he felt a strange sense of happiness.

Lin Ziyu suddenly remembered Tang Xin’s teasing words, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit self-conscious too. After a few seconds of silence, she glanced up at Zhang Wulin and pursed her lips into a smile. “Let me help you to the restroom before you hurt yourself holding it in.”

Zhang Wulin, “…”

He coughed awkwardly. “Thank you.” He let Lin Ziyu guide him to the bathroom door.

Standing outside, Lin Ziyu watched him shuffle his way in, step by step, and couldn’t resist teasing again. “If you need help, just call me. Pretend I’m a nurse, okay?”

Zhang Wulin nearly slipped in fright. He glanced back at her quickly, her smile radiant and delicate. It reminded him of high school, where the boys always gushed about the class and school flowers.

And then his mind wandered back to how soft she’d felt when she hugged him earlier. Were all women this soft?

The thought sent another wave of awkwardness through him. Alone in the bathroom, he took an embarrassingly long time to relieve himself. Muttering a curse under his breath, he reprimanded himself for his indecent thoughts. Lin Ziyu was only helping him out of kindness. Thinking about her that way was disrespectful.

To snap out of it, Zhang Wulin scrubbed his face vigorously, hoping to shake off his tangled thoughts. Only after several deep breaths did he finally muster the courage to shuffle back out.

Seeing him emerge, Lin Ziyu immediately moved to support him.

“I can manage on my own,” he mumbled, staring at the ground.

“But you’ve helped me before,” Lin Ziyu said firmly. “Now that you’re injured, it’s only right I help you. Why are you so shy, squad leader?” She smiled playfully, unable to resist teasing him again.

She knew he’d never had a girlfriend before.

But still, a grown man blushing from a mere hug? That was rare.

What was he, a high schooler?

Lin Ziyu had never met anyone like him.

Zhang Wulin, embarrassed but honest, admitted, “I’m just… not used to being helped by a girl.”

Lin Ziyu giggled. “You’re hilarious.”

Zhang Wulin, “…”

He glanced at her, and despite himself, the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

Fine, let her laugh. Seeing her smile made him happy too.

After that day, Lin Ziyu visited Zhang Wulin daily while he was bedridden. Since Zhang Wulin was usually alone in the dormitory, they spent quite a bit of time together. At first, Zhang Wulin was extremely shy, blushing bright red whenever she teased him.

Lin Ziyu found it incredibly entertaining.

A week later, Zhang Wulin no longer needed to lie face-down all the time. He could move more freely and even sit up slowly without much help.

Still, Lin Ziyu habitually tried to assist him. Seeing her approach, Zhang Wulin quickly waved her off. “I can do it myself.”

“Really?” Lin Ziyu eyed him skeptically.

“Really.” Determined to prove himself, Zhang Wulin pushed himself up a little too forcefully, pulling at the wounds on his back. He winced in pain, his face contorting.

Lin Ziyu frowned and immediately supported him. “Why are you so stubborn?”

At that moment, someone passed by the hallway.

Zhang Wulin panicked and quickly pushed her away, gripping the bed frame to stand on his own.

Over the past few days, Lin Ziyu had gotten used to him doing this. Initially, she thought it was just his shyness, so she played along, teasing him without taking offense. But today, as she glanced out the window, a realization dawned on her. She turned back to him. “Are you afraid of people seeing me help you?”

Zhang Wulin hesitated, then lowered his gaze. “It’s not that… I just don’t want people to misunderstand. You coming to my dormitory—it’s not proper. It might ruin your reputation. Especially here, in the military… I just…”

He trailed off but finished the thought in his mind, I’m afraid it might cause trouble. I’m also worried people might joke behind your back… and, most of all, I’m scared I might get used to this—or start wanting it.

Lin Ziyu froze for a moment, realizing his concerns weren’t entirely baseless. That’s why she always tried to sneak over quietly whenever she came. Tang Xin and Ming Zhu seemed aware of it, but they had a tacit understanding not to mention it, and she pretended not to notice.

Just yesterday, Tang Xin had teased her again about the squad leader.

Tang Xin had said, “How do you know the squad leader isn’t good for you? Who knows, in seven or eight years, he might be the next Captain.”

That comment had left Lin Ziyu stunned.

She had thought about it for a long time.
Right. He’s just young now. In a few years, who knows how much he could change?

Lin Ziyu looked at Zhang Wulin and asked, “What kind of misunderstanding are you worried about?”

“That people might think we…” Zhang Wulin answered instinctively but stopped halfway. He knew his own limits, and he also knew most girls wouldn’t want to marry a soldier. It was a hard life—bitter and full of long separations. And he wasn’t like Captain Lu, who already had a military rank and was set to move up to the rank of major soon. Maybe if he worked really hard, he might achieve something someday too. But… that would take years.

Zhang Wulin wasn’t dumb. He understood many things clearly. He finally said, “I just feel… it might not be good for your reputation.”

This guy obviously liked her but couldn’t hide it well. Yet he didn’t dare say it outright. Lin Ziyu didn’t know why, but seeing him like this made her both annoyed and amused—and a little pained. She’d never met a man like him.

“Is that really the only reason?” she pressed. She suddenly wanted to dig deeper, to find out what he would say if she pushed him further. Maybe it was curiosity—or maybe she had unknowingly started feeling something for him.

Either way, she wanted to know. She wanted to hear him say it.

Zhang Wulin glanced at her, his ears turning red. He was at a loss for what to do. On one hand, he was afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting her. On the other, he was a man of integrity who rarely lied unless absolutely necessary for a mission.

And, most importantly… he liked her. He didn’t want to lie to her.

Looking down, he mumbled, “Well, there’s also…”

“What else?” Lin Ziyu urged.

Just then, footsteps echoed from outside the room. Judging by the noise, someone injured was being carried into the dormitory to rest.

Zhang Wulin immediately straightened up. Lin Ziyu glanced at him and smiled faintly. “I’ll head back now. I’ll visit you again when I have time.”

With that, she turned to leave.

But Zhang Wulin suddenly grabbed her wrist, his voice hurried. “Miss Lin…”

Lin Ziyu turned back to look at him. “Hmm?”

Compared to Zhang Wulin, Lin Ziyu was three years older and had been in several relationships before. When it came to matters of the heart, she was bolder, more open, and less restrained. While her personality could sometimes be spoiled, short-tempered, or less than ideal, she never allowed herself to be wronged in a relationship. If things worked out, she stayed. If they didn’t, she left.

At this moment, she had to admit she felt a certain fondness for Zhang Wulin.

Why? Maybe it was because of the purity and sincerity deep in his bones.

Lin Ziyu had never dated someone like him before. There was something inexplicably captivating about him. Impulsive, even. It made her want to try, to experience what it might be like to be with someone like him.

Zhang Wulin felt her gaze on him and suddenly let go of her hand like it was a hot potato. “S-sorry…”

Lin Ziyu chuckled softly and asked in a gentle voice, “What are you apologizing for? Grabbing my wrist? Is that something to apologize for?”

Zhang Wulin, “…”

He had hardly interacted with girls, let alone liked anyone before. Lin Ziyu was the first.

There were things he wanted to say but didn’t dare.

Lin Ziyu stepped closer, standing face-to-face with him. She looked up at the man, whose face was flushed red as he pressed his lips together, refusing to speak. He was dressed in his camouflage uniform, and years of training had given him a solid, rugged demeanor.

To Lin Ziyu, his maturity and respectfulness toward women were the mark of a true man.
He was already quite the man in her eyes.

“Squad leader,” she asked with a teasing smile, “do you like me?”

Zhang Wulin’s head shot up to look at her, his eyes wide with shock. He hadn’t expected her to ask so directly, laying bare the secret he’d buried deep in his heart. He stared at her in a daze, fumbling for words. “I… I…”

“You don’t?” Lin Ziyu tilted her head playfully, her expression adorably curious. “Really? If you don’t, just shake your head.”

Zhang Wulin, “…”

He stood there stiffly, his neck frozen in place like he was standing at attention. His face turned redder and redder as he stared at her, his veins bulging slightly. “What do you mean by asking me that? You…”

He didn’t dare ask her directly, Do you like me too?

The commotion outside suddenly grew louder. Someone from the neighboring dorm shouted, “Bring over a basin of water!”

Startled by the noise, Zhang Wulin grew even more nervous. He didn’t dare say another word and just kept staring at Lin Ziyu, as if trying to bore a hole through her with his gaze.

Lin Ziyu found it amusing. He suddenly had the nerve to look at her now? After a moment’s thought, she realized she might have gone a bit too far. Smiling gently, she said, “I’ll head back to my dormitory now. Be careful, okay? If you can’t manage, just ask someone in the next room to help you.”

This time, she truly left.

Zhang Wulin didn’t try to stop her again. He just stood there, watching her leave.

Afterward, he felt a pang of regret. Why was he so tongue-tied? He smacked himself on the lips and muttered angrily, “Idiot. What an idiot.”

Even after everything, he couldn’t say it. No wonder he deserved to be a single dog.