Chapter 17

He Hongyuan had anticipated many potential reactions from Lin Xiang but never expected her to casually say something like that.

The warm sunlight danced across her gentle features, her eyes glinting with flecks of gold, reminiscent of a summer night filled with brilliant stars. It was an expression that drew one in, reaching deep into the heart.

He Hongyuan’s heart thudded heavily, leaving him momentarily speechless. Fortunately, their conversation was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Old He, you’re quite something! Having breakfast with a lady so early in the morning?” Zhang Huafeng approached the state-run restaurant with a teasing look in his eyes. “This must be your fiancée, right? Hello, sister-in-law! I’m Zhang Huafeng.”

Lin Xiang was surprised to realize that He Hongyuan’s comrade was the same soldier from the train whom she had assisted in apprehending the trafficker. However, Zhang Huafeng didn’t recognize her, likely due to her disguised appearance back then.

Still, the way Zhang Huafeng said “sister-in-law” carried a hint of begrudging emphasis.

What Lin Xiang didn’t know was that Zhang Huafeng, as a bachelor, often comforted himself with the fact that He Hongyuan was also single.

“Good brothers stick together for life—whoever gets a girlfriend first is a traitor.”

He was willing to be that “traitor,” having already planned to confess to Yan Min, a performing arts soldier, at the upcoming social event. He had high hopes of finally making things official.

But now, just days before the event, He Hongyuan had beaten him to it! This was tough to swallow.

Among their trio of friends, he was now the only single one left!

And to top it off, just yesterday evening, he’d heard from the commander’s aide that He Hongyuan had “a girlfriend.” He had tried prying for details, only to be silenced by one of He Hongyuan’s intimidating looks. Watching He Hongyuan walk away without answering had been pure agony.

And now? Here was He Hongyuan, having breakfast with a lady first thing in the morning!

This was as shocking as the sun rising in the west.

As he greeted them, Lin Xiang turned to look at him.

Zhang Huafeng was taken aback as he studied the pair. Even though he had braced himself, he hadn’t expected He Hongyuan’s fiancée to be this stunning!

Her fair complexion and delicate demeanor gave off an air of fragility. He wondered if she could handle He Hongyuan’s gruff personality without being reduced to tears, given how many women had cried after being rejected by him.

As Zhang Huafeng sat down uninvited, he started chatting with Lin Xiang, acting like an older brother determined to dig up dirt on He Hongyuan. Each time he addressed her as “sister-in-law,” He Hongyuan’s eyelid twitched.

“Zhang Huafeng.” He kicked his comrade’s chair leg as a warning. “Stop calling her that.”

“Oh, come on!” Zhang Huafeng had finally found He Hongyuan’s weak spot. “If she’s not your fiancée, would you take time off to have breakfast alone with her?”

Recently, military operations had wrapped up, and He Hongyuan had been granted a brief vacation following an urgent mission.

He Hongyuan: “…”

Lin Xiang couldn’t help but laugh, especially at the sight of He Hongyuan’s rare look of defeat.

Still, she explained, “Comrade Zhang, He and I aren’t in that kind of relationship. We were just betrothed as children.”

“Oh, childhood betrothal!” Zhang Huafeng’s eyes lit up as he turned to He Hongyuan with envy, looking as if he were marveling at his comrade’s good fortune.

Eventually, He Hongyuan had to drag Zhang Huafeng aside and warn him not to spread rumors before chasing him away.

After the morning’s flurry of activity, Lin Xiang took a roll of fabric to the tailor to have clothes made.

When they returned to the guesthouse, they saw Zhou Yuezhu waiting downstairs.

“Sister-in-law!” Zhou Yuezhu greeted Lin Xiang enthusiastically, but as Lin Xiang came closer, Zhou Yuezhu finally got a good look at her.

Compared to yesterday’s disguised appearance, Lin Xiang’s true beauty left Zhou Yuezhu stunned. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and her cherry-like lips parted in amazement.

“Sister-in-law, you’re so gorgeous!” The young girl’s face lit up as she gushed, “Even prettier than the performing arts soldiers!”

She then glanced at her cousin, He Hongyuan.

Hmm, her cousin was tall and handsome, and alongside her sister-in-law’s delicate charm, they made a perfect match. Truly pleasing to the eye!

“Cousin, this is how you should treat your fiancée! A man should know how to be good to his partner.” Though only seventeen, Zhou Yuezhu critiqued He Hongyuan with confidence, earning herself a cold glare that promptly silenced her.

Zhou Yuezhu affectionately looped her arm through Lin Xiang’s and muttered, “Cousin is even scarier than my dad!”

Lin Xiang chuckled, turning to glance at He Hongyuan. Her smile, subtle but radiant, met his frosty and displeased gaze, which ultimately broke as he looked away.

“Zhou Yuezhu, perfect timing. Why don’t you take Comrade Lin Xiang around?” He Hongyuan, visibly drained after the morning, rubbed his temples, seeking an escape.

“Sure!” Zhou Yuezhu grinned mischievously, taking the opportunity to extort her cousin. “If we’re going out, Cousin, you should treat us to lunch!”

In the end, Zhou Yuezhu walked away happily with five yuan and two pounds of ration tickets from He Hongyuan, taking Lin Xiang along.

Zhou Yuezhu was a lively and cheerful seventeen-year-old girl with a clean-cut appearance, thick brows, bright eyes, and two adorable dimples when she smiled.

At first glance, Lin Xiang could tell she was someone who had grown up in a loving family, as her eyes sparkled with pure happiness.

The straightforward Zhou Yuezhu stuck out her tongue playfully and told Lin Xiang, “Cousin may seem cold and strict, but he’s not so bad. You see, this is the first time he’s ever spent money on a girl, sister-in-law.”

“Yuezhu, just call me Xiangxiang for now,” Lin Xiang suggested, figuring it would be best not to provoke He Hongyuan further. “He doesn’t even want to acknowledge the childhood betrothal.”

Zhou Yuezhu nearly jumped up, feeling her cousin was being utterly clueless! But since Lin Xiang insisted, she reluctantly changed her way of addressing her. Still, she encouraged Lin Xiang to make sure to win over her cousin!

He Hongyuan was already feeling a headache from the sudden appearance of the fiancée arranged by his family. Fortunately, Zhou Yuezhu helped distract Lin Xiang, and watching the two of them leave arm in arm, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

For some reason, in front of this childhood engagement partner, his usual decisiveness in rejecting women’s advances felt as useless as punching a pillow. His sharp tactics seemed completely ineffective.

After leaving the guesthouse and returning to his single dormitory, He Hongyuan encountered several soldiers in passing. They would go from laughing and chatting to immediately straightening up, saluting him, and addressing him as “Captain He.”

His subordinates feared him—he was known for being ruthless during training, showing no favoritism and always pushing hard.

But now, even someone as composed and strategic as He Hongyuan found himself in a bind.

---

He Hongyuan’s single dormitory was in the officers’ quarters for staff ranked company level and above. Unlike the shared dorms of lower-ranking soldiers, he had a small private room, which, while not spacious, at least offered some peace and quiet.

Or so he thought—until someone decided otherwise.

“He Hongyuan!”

He had just flopped onto his wooden bed, feeling stifled, when a loud banging at the door shattered the peace. Zhang Huafeng and Jiang Weijun barged in.

Jiang Weijun, evidently catching wind of some juicy gossip from Zhang Huafeng, exclaimed, “You actually have a girlfriend now? Man, you’re something else!”

Rolling onto his side lazily, He Hongyuan muttered, “Don’t spread rumors… She’s someone my mother arranged for me; I didn’t agree.”

“Are you even human?” Zhang Huafeng’s temper flared, and he kicked the wooden bed. “Such a beautiful girl traveled a thousand miles to see you, and you’re planning to send her back?!”

Jiang Weijun chimed in, “Seriously, man, that’s heartless!”

He Hongyuan: “…”

Zhang Huafeng kept fanning the flames. “You know how hard it must’ve been for her to come all this way, and you’re still pushing her away? She’s probably crying as we speak!”

Hearing this, He Hongyuan’s brow furrowed imperceptibly. Images of Lin Xiang—her unrecognizable, camouflaged appearance on the train as she chatted enthusiastically with other passengers, and her sparkling eyes this morning when she teased him—flashed through his mind.

Crying?

Somehow, he found that hard to believe.

---

Lin Xiang, for her part, wasn’t crying at all. She was happily wandering around the naval base with Zhou Yuezhu, who was proving to be a much better guide than He Hongyuan—enthusiastic and considerate.

By lunchtime, the two girls had eaten at the state-run restaurant, with Zhou Yuezhu insisting on paying with money and ration tickets under the guise that it was her cousin’s treat.

Lin Xiang’s presence at the naval base for just half a day hadn’t gone unnoticed. In the morning, people refrained from approaching due to He Hongyuan’s intimidating presence, but now, with just the two girls roaming about, curiosity got the better of some military wives.

“Yuezhu, who’s this relative of yours? We saw her with Captain He this morning. She’s so beautiful!”

Lin Xiang’s striking appearance drew plenty of attention. Had she still been wearing her camouflaged disguise from the day before, no one would’ve given her a second glance. But now, with her natural beauty on display, she turned heads wherever she went.

Mindful of He Hongyuan’s feelings, Lin Xiang subtly signaled Zhou Yuezhu with her eyes. Reluctantly, Zhou Yuezhu clarified that Lin Xiang was a relative of the He family.

The explanation only fueled the crowd’s excitement.

“A relative of Captain He? And so pretty!”

“Lin Xiang, are you seeing anyone?”

“What kind of partner are you looking for? My son is a soldier here too.”

“My brother’s a company commander. Marry him, and you’ll get a house!”

…

“She’s not looking!” Zhou Yuezhu was exasperated, feeling protective of her cousin’s fiancée. “This is my sister-in-law—how could you all even think of snatching her away!”

Lin Xiang: “…”

The enthusiasm here was overwhelming!

It wasn’t just the military wives; even some young recruits on leave couldn’t help but steal glances at Lin Xiang as they passed by, craning their necks to look back long after they’d walked away.

Zhou Yuezhu couldn’t help but sigh, “I’ve got to tell my cousin—he really needs to act fast, or he’s going to lose such a beautiful wife!”

Lin Xiang couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes curving into crescents. She playfully tickled Zhou Yuezhu, and the two girls ended up laughing and chasing each other under the shade of the trees.

---

By evening, Zhou Yuezhu invited Lin Xiang to dinner at her home. Lin Xiang had prepared some gifts for the Zhou family—having been too rushed the day before, she now had a parcel ready with oil paper-wrapped goodies.

“Is your cousin coming?” Lin Xiang asked.

“I wanted to invite him, but he said he wouldn’t come,” Zhou Yuezhu pouted.

The Zhou family warmly welcomed Lin Xiang, treating her with kindness and hospitality. Likely due to He’s mother’s requests, they were especially attentive to Lin Xiang.

During dinner, Lin Xiang gave them peach crisps, orange candies, and three salted duck eggs that He’s mother had pickled, expressing her gratitude. Mrs. Zhou, in turn, had Zhou Yuezhu pack a bunch of wild red fruits they had gathered from the mountains for Lin Xiang.

“Wild red fruits” turned out to be lychees! The rough, bumpy red shells hid translucent, juicy flesh that was sweet and fragrant.

Lin Xiang was overjoyed, thanked them profusely, and left with a bag full of lychees.

Not long after leaving the Zhou family home, Lin Xiang found herself face-to-face with three women.

Each of them was beautiful in her own way, and one of them looked familiar—Shen Chunli, who had sat beside her on the train.

However, it was clear that Shen Chunli didn’t recognize her, likely because Lin Xiang’s appearance had changed entirely.

“Jingjing, don’t worry about it. That fiancée of He Hongyuan’s really…” Shen Chunli tried to console her cousin. “Let’s just say she’s nowhere near as good as you.”

Earlier that day, Meng Jing had heard rumors that He Hongyuan had escorted a female visitor to the guesthouse the previous evening and had been spotted with a particularly beautiful woman at the supply cooperative and a state-run restaurant.

Although the official word was that the woman was a relative of the He family—perhaps a cousin—Meng Jing didn’t buy it. She had approached Zhang Huafeng for details, and after some probing, she managed to extract the truth:

He Hongyuan’s family-arranged fiancée, Lin Xiang, had arrived!

Meng Jing’s heart was nearly shattered. She had always liked He Hongyuan and couldn’t bear the thought of him marrying a woman chosen through an arranged marriage.

Meanwhile, her visiting cousin, Shen Chunli, mentioned that she’d met someone claiming to be Lin Xiang on the train—someone headed to visit the 119th Division. From all the details, it seemed to match. But Shen Chunli also delicately added that Lin Xiang was not exactly attractive and could not possibly be the stunning woman seen with He Hongyuan earlier that day.

The two cousins decided to check things out but were soon joined by Jiang Xiurong, a member of the opera team and one of He Hongyuan’s admirers. Having overheard their conversation, Jiang Xiurong was adamant about tagging along to see this so-called fiancée.

And so, the three women hurried over and just happened to catch sight of a strikingly beautiful woman stepping out of the Zhou family home.

Meng Jing scrutinized the unfamiliar woman and felt a pang of doubt. “Could she be He Hongyuan’s fiancée?”

Jiang Xiurong also eyed Lin Xiang with suspicion but remained silent, her thoughts evident.

Only Shen Chunli was certain. Upon seeing the woman, she blurted out, “It’s not her. I’ve seen Lin Xiang before. Her skin is dark and sallow, with freckles. This isn’t her!”

Still skeptical, Meng Jing pressed on, addressing Lin Xiang directly: “Comrade, are you here to visit family? Are you He Hongyuan’s fiancée?”

Taken aback by the sudden questioning and the intense stares from the two other women, Lin Xiang couldn’t help but feel the situation was absurd.

Wasn’t He Hongyuan supposed to be a man who avoided women? Why did he seem to attract so much attention?

---

Meanwhile, in the bachelor’s dormitory, Zhang Huafeng, realizing he had caused a mess, rushed into He Hongyuan’s room.

“Old He, I… I accidentally let it slip to Meng Jing that your fiancée is here. And Jiang Xiurong overheard it too. Now they’re all planning to confront Lin Xiang!”

He Hongyuan, in the middle of drafting a political report, froze mid-sentence with his pen.

“This is bad. Meng Jing and Jiang Xiurong might give Lin Xiang a hard time. They’re upset about not being able to win your affection, so now they’re targeting her,” Zhang Huafeng rambled on.

“Shut up and get out. And keep your mouth shut from now on,” He Hongyuan said irritably, dismissing Zhang Huafeng.

After sending him off, He Hongyuan couldn’t shake the words from his mind. Meng Jing, the niece of the division commander, and Jiang Xiurong, the daughter of a high-ranking officer, were both from prominent families with notoriously fiery tempers.

And Lin Xiang… she was alone in an unfamiliar place.

With a loud scrape, He Hongyuan pushed back his wooden chair, abandoning his half-finished report, and headed out.