Chapter 6: Forgetting Friends Because of Attraction

During the rehearsal break, Song Huaizhi was surprised to see Song Huaiwen behind her. Her eyes scanned him like radar; only after confirming he was unharmed did she breathe a sigh of relief.

She felt both proud and worried about her younger brother.

Proud because—

She took Song Huaiwen on a tour around the compound. Everyone who saw him had to praise how promising he was. Probably influenced by their family, he had been determined from a young age to protect the country. At eighteen, he entered military academy, and after graduating, enlisted in the army. Through his own efforts and outstanding military talent, this young man quickly stood out in the army and won many glorious battle honors.

At just twenty-eight, he was already a regiment commander.

Worried because—

He was pushing himself too hard. He rarely came home, and every time he did, it was to recover from injuries. He used to be the carefree, sunny young man of the compound—very cheerful and always smiling. But the battlefield was cruel; after the trials of war, he had become serious, cold, and taciturn.

He was already twenty-eight, and kids his age in the compound were starting to get married, but he was still alone.

Many aunties in the compound wanted to matchmake for him, but he was like a stubborn stone—impervious to oil and salt, refusing stubbornly to settle down. This made their mother worry and get worked up every now and then.

“Not bad, you still came to see your sister. That shows you have a conscience,” Song Huaizhi said, lightly patting Song Huaiwen’s arm with satisfaction.

“Ouch!” The sudden sting made Song Huaiwen frown slightly.

The smile on Song Huaizhi’s face vanished instantly. She sighed deeply—she really couldn’t relax just yet. Needless to say, this time he had come home again to recover from injuries.

“What happened to your shoulder?”

“Nothing, just scraped a bit,” he replied.

No one believed that. She knew well that he never left the front lines for minor injuries.

Song Huaizhi didn’t want to press him further since no matter how much she said, he wouldn’t listen. Since he came home so rarely, she was determined to make sure he was well taken care of.

“Nanqing, come here,” Song Huaizhi called toward the stage.

Shen Nanqing sighed—there was no avoiding this.

This man was too outstanding on the outside: broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, plus a handsome face. Whenever he appeared, many girls couldn’t help but notice him. Shen Nanqing was no exception.

She glanced around; most of the girls had romantic feelings stirring, secretly sneaking glances at him. But inside, she only wished: Don’t look at me, don’t look at me.

Reluctantly, Shen Nanqing walked over, wearing a sweet smile and deliberately avoiding his gaze.

“Regiment Commander, what do you need me for?” she said softly and obediently.

“My family sent someone over; I need to leave tomorrow. You’ll lead the group to rehearse for now. If the committee comes by, please let them know.”

Shen Nanqing nodded, “Okay.”

Song Huaizhi carefully went over the instructions with Shen Nanqing to make sure nothing was missed. As she was about to take Song Huaiwen home, she noticed him looking at Shen Nanqing with surprise but didn’t think much of it.

Out of courtesy, she briefly introduced them to each other.

“This is Shen Nanqing, a dancer in our troupe.”

“This is my younger brother, Song Huaiwen.”

Song Huaiwen was famously observant in the army—extremely sharp. No subtle abnormality or hidden flaw could escape his keen eyes.

He sensed that she was about to leave. The little spark of excitement in her eyes flashed briefly but was caught by him. However, during the introductions, the light in his eyes faded away.

“Nice to meet you”

“I’m Song Huaiwen.” His eyes were steady, his tone calm and composed, and his posture upright like a pine tree—showing all the sharp efficiency and discipline of a soldier.

“Mm!”

At his words, Shen Nanqing was slightly taken aback. She then looked up at Song Huaiwen, wondering if he genuinely didn’t recognize her, or if he was deliberately trying to ease the awkwardness.

His gaze was so determined that Shen Nanqing couldn’t figure it out. Since he was giving her a way out, she decided to go along with it—after all, she wasn’t some highbrow intellectual, just an ordinary person.

“You’re Song, I’m Shen Nanqing. Nice to meet you too.”

After seeing the two of them off, Shen Nanqing turned back to the stage. At that moment, everyone crowded around her. Even if there had been some past friction, no one cared now.

“Nanqing, who was that just now? What were you two talking about?”

“That’s Regiment Commander Song’s younger brother. He came to visit the commander. We just exchanged some simple pleasantries, nothing more.”

Some people obviously didn’t believe it, speaking sarcastically, “Pleasantries that last so long? I think someone’s trying to climb up the social ladder, afraid of getting snatched away!”

Song Huaizhi’s family background in the troupe wasn’t a secret. Her father was a commander, her mother was a women’s federation official—so it was assumed this younger brother was probably of similar standing.

Shen Nanqing lightly frowned, her eyes seeming to be covered by a thin layer of ice. A cold glance swept over, sharp as a knife. The few people who had been complaining felt the sting of that gaze and immediately fell silent.

These past few days, she had changed from her usual arrogant self, simply because she thought it unnecessary to keep up appearances. Some even thought she was weak.

Song Huaizhi lived in the military family compound of Yandu Military District. She and her husband, Yu Hongfang, had met through an introduction—a blind date. He was the political commissar of the 118th regiment; both belonged to the same military district. After marriage, they moved from the work regiment to live in the compound, which was not far away—a ten-minute walk.

“How long is your leave this time?”

“One month.”

“That’s quite a bit of time. You can stay with me longer if you want. The kids are always thinking about their uncle; they’ll be very happy you came.”

“Mm.”

Song Huaiwen hadn’t planned on seeing his sister for long; he would leave the next day. But the image of that lively figure flashed in his mind, and he nodded almost involuntarily.

No one was home at the moment—Song Huaizhi and her husband were both at the unit during the day, the children were at school, and the house was only used for cooking in the evening. After entering, Song Huaizhi told Song Huaiwen to make himself at home while she checked if there was any food left.

Song Huaiwen had been here a few times before, so it wasn’t unfamiliar. He headed straight to the phone and dialed a number, which was quickly answered.

“Hello? Who’s this?” came a rough male voice.

“It’s me, Song Huaiwen.”

When the man heard the name, his voice brightened and became cheerful, “Why are you calling me today? Didn’t you say you’d only arrive tomorrow?”

Song Huaiwen raised an eyebrow, his expression slightly awkward, “I’m calling to let you know I might not be able to come over for now.”

“No way! Didn’t you say you’d come? We’re a few comrades wanting to get together; you can’t bail on us.” The man sounded like an angry cat, losing all the calm he had at the start of the call. After a pause, he seemed to catch a whiff of something unusual.

“Did your family arrange a blind date for you?” He immediately turned gossip mode on, his tone playful and teasing, “Did you meet someone you liked and then forget your old friends, huh?”

“No blind dates arranged,” Song Huaiwen’s lips curled slightly. It seemed only with his comrades could he open up without restraint, “But I did meet a very special person.”

Bang! A bamboo basket fell to the floor.

At the sound, Song Huaiwen looked over and saw his sister staring at him in shock. His smile froze, and after saying a few hurried words into the phone, he abruptly hung up.