Chapter 1

The gentle summer evening breeze softly rustled the willow branches lining both sides of the river.

A sudden “plop” echoed from not far away.

Someone had fallen into the water?

A man in military uniform, standing by the roadside, furrowed his brows. Irritated, he lifted his sweat-soaked cap, swiftly shrugged off his uniform jacket, and tossed it aside before dashing toward the river and diving in.

The person who had thrown herself into the river was a woman—young, strikingly beautiful.

She clutched a peculiar-looking suitcase tightly in her hands.

“Comrade, wake up.”

Yan Zeyang had been too focused on saving her to notice earlier. Now, as he got a closer look, he realized that the woman before him was wearing a dress he had never seen before. It was sheer and delicate, neither exactly silk nor chiffon, and when soaked, it clung to her, accentuating every curve of her figure.

The loose neckline had slipped off one shoulder in the struggle, exposing a vast expanse of skin as smooth and lustrous as mutton-fat jade. Even…

He stole only a brief glance before quickly averting his eyes.

The hour was late, and few people were near the riverbank. Seeing that the woman remained unconscious, he wiped the water from his face and prepared to turn her over to drain the water from her lungs. But the moment his hand touched her back, he was met with a sensation of impossibly soft, smooth skin.

…

Soaking wet, he crouched beside her, at a complete loss. This woman, half-dressed in a way that would raise eyebrows, was a minefield—no matter where he touched, it seemed improper.

Just as he was struggling with what to do, the woman suddenly let out a soft cough. Her long lashes trembled before she slowly opened her eyes.

Their gazes collided without warning.

Her bright, captivating eyes looked at him, dazed.

He stared back, about to speak—”Comrade!”—but before he could, her delicate pink lips parted slightly, and in a breathy, weak voice, she murmured,

“So handsome… I like this… Don’t go… Is this a dream?”

Then, she reached out with her pale, smooth arms, wrapped them around his strong, solid neck, and, with apparent satisfaction, gently pressed her soft lips against his.

He had never imagined she would do such a thing.

“You—” He was too stunned to react.

But the moment he opened his mouth, a sweet, supple little tongue slipped in, teasingly tangling with his own, clumsy and tentative yet undeniably enticing.

Every movement sent a shudder through his chest, his mind going utterly blank.

…

Zhao Dongsheng pulled up in his military jeep and parked by the roadside. After searching around for a moment, he spotted some clothes by the riverbank through a screen of willows.

Rushing over, he was met with an absolutely shocking sight—

The “Cold-Faced Devil,” the man who usually trained them like dogs, was…

Kissing a woman. In broad daylight.

The impact of the scene was no less than having a live grenade, pin pulled, land directly on his head. Zhao Dongsheng’s legs nearly gave out beneath him.

But looking closer, he realized—it was the woman who had initiated the kiss.

This was bad. Very bad!

In a time when even holding hands between men and women would invite gossip, and walking together after dark could get you stopped by the security patrol, this woman had actually dared to kiss their regiment commander?!

Was she tired of living?

Their commander had never shown mercy when dealing with offenses.

Zhao Dongsheng anxiously glanced around. If anyone else saw this, no amount of explanations from Yan Zeyang could clear his name.

After all, female hooligans were practically nonexistent in this era…

As he sneakily darted his eyes around, debating whether to cough to announce his presence, he finally saw his regiment commander shove the woman away.

The woman let out a delicate “Ah!” as she fell to the ground, her voice soft and sweet, like a feather lightly tickling the heart—tingling and unbearably pleasant to hear.

Commander Yan stood up, saw that she was unharmed, and turned to leave.

But with two years of experience following Yan Zeyang around, Zhao Dongsheng immediately noticed—despite his imposing presence, his steps were noticeably unsteady.

Zhao Dongsheng craned his neck, trying to get a good look at the woman who had the audacity to flirt with their commander. But before he could—

“Enjoying the view?”

A voice, cold as the depths of hell, ghosted into his ear.

Zhao Dongsheng instantly retracted his head. “Heh, heh.” He wanted to ask what it felt like to be kissed by a woman, but he also knew—if he actually asked, he would be in trouble.

As they walked into the grove, Yan Zeyang’s usual cold and indifferent expression returned. He cast a casual glance at Zhao Dongsheng.

Zhao Dongsheng, quick-witted as ever, immediately said, “Don’t worry, Commander! I swear on my life, not a single word will leave my mouth! Heh heh.”

Hearing Yan Zeyang grunt in acknowledgment, Zhao Dongsheng seized the opportunity and added, “But, Commander, about that woman just now—”

The moment he spoke, Yan Zeyang shot him an icy glare.

Zhao Dongsheng: “…” Terrifying!

“Go get the car.”

“Yes, sir!”

Zhao Dongsheng sprinted off, but after taking just two steps, he glanced back—just in time to see his regiment commander looking toward the riverbank.

…

Just then, in the distance, a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties with shoulder-length hair came running over. The moment she saw the woman sitting by the river, she reached out and pinched her.

“Who are you? Why are you pinching me?” A soft, incredulous voice rang out from the riverbank.

The older woman, gritting her teeth in anger, snapped, “Who am I? I’m your mother! You actually dared to try and kill yourself? Are you out of your mind?! I worked so hard to get you into the Yan family, and you’re still not satisfied? Do you have any idea how difficult it was? Do you think just anyone can marry into a family like that? Your father and I pulled every string we could, sent countless gifts—

And now, after all that effort, I finally found a distant relative’s niece to create this opportunity for you! With your looks, just dress up a little, and that only son of the Yan family will be utterly smitten with you! Once you marry in, a life of luxury will be yours!

But look at you… you’re infuriating! Do you think I’m degrading you by having you serve as a nanny? I’m your mother! Would I ever harm you? Your father offended the Yan family years ago, and they’ve never liked him. This time, he ruined your brother’s future—who knows if they’ll come for him next?

If your father falls, our whole family will be left to starve! Let me make this clear—if you refuse to go, your father will have to find another way. Didn’t Secretary Fu’s family still have that idiot of a son? They’ve been wanting to marry you for ages. I’ve been holding them off, but if you don’t want to go to the Yan family, fine—I won’t force you. Instead, you can marry into the Fu family. That match isn’t bad either…”

“When did I ever try to kill myself?! What Yan family? What Fu family? Hey, hey, lady, if you want to talk, fine, but don’t pinch me! I’m not your daughter—look carefully! Ow, that hurts…”

…

The middle-aged woman was so furious that her voice carried all the way to where Zhao Dongsheng stood by the car.

Zhao Dongsheng discreetly glanced at his regiment commander. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was only one Yan family and one Fu family in all of Beijing—and they were mortal enemies.

This woman’s mother sure had guts…

Yan Zeyang’s sharp, handsome face turned icy in an instant. His soaking-wet tank top and pants clung to him as if frozen in place.

Despite the summer heat, Zhao Dongsheng felt a sudden chill.

Without a word, Yan Zeyang strode out of the grove.

Zhao Dongsheng quickly pulled the jeep up to the roadside. The regiment commander got in alone, slammed the door with a resounding bang, and within moments, the engine roared as the vehicle sped away.

By the time Zhao Dongsheng realized what had happened, he was left chasing after the dust trail.

“Commander! Commander, wait! I haven’t gotten in yet! You promised to let me crash at your place for dinner—I drove your car over for you…!”

But the jeep was already long gone.

He felt like crying but had no tears left.

What had he done to deserve this? No dinner, and now he was eating dust instead…