Chapter 3 : Is he single?

The best solution she could think of was to get married as soon as possible and stay as far away from the male and female lead as possible! Ideally, so far away that they would never cross paths again in their lifetime!  

Unfortunately, the men she had been meeting on blind dates lately didn’t seem that great!  

Spending the rest of her life with a man like that, was that really an escape from the plot? If that was her fate, she might as well just jump into the river and end it all!  

While she was lost in thought, Zhou Tingyue, sitting next to her, was actually observing her.  

He found this little girl quite amusing one moment she was making faces, the next moment she was sighing!  

She was petite, about 1.6 meters tall, barely reaching his chest. She was also very pretty, with fair skin. When she made faces, instead of looking silly, she looked… cute! Yes, cute!  

Completely different from the women on his island who were always exposed to the wind and sun!  

Unconsciously, the corners of his lips lifted into a smile.  

Just then—  

“Gurgle…”  

A sudden growl interrupted both of their thoughts.  

Zhou Tingyue rubbed his stomach, smiling.  

He had come here on a mission with his teammate. They had split up, and he had finished his task earlier than expected. Since it was lunchtime, he had planned to wait for his teammate in this restaurant.  

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped inside, this little girl had grabbed his arm.  

And he had been in such a hurry this morning that he hadn’t even eaten breakfast, no wonder he was starving!  

Song Shiwei heard the sound and felt a little embarrassed.  

“Sorry for holding you up. Are you hungry? I’ll treat you to a meal! Just consider it my way of thanking you for saving my life!”  

Zhou Tingyue chuckled and waved his hand.  

“No need, it was just a small favor, nothing life-saving.”  

But Song Shiwei thought otherwise. If it weren’t for him, she really had no idea how she would have gotten through today’s plot!  

She was not the kind of person who liked to owe people favors, so she had to treat him to this meal.  

Since they were already in a restaurant, she pulled Zhou Tingyue over to sit at the table she had been at before.  

“Don’t be shy! Order whatever you want, it’s my treat!”  

Zhou Tingyue looked at her confident expression and couldn’t help but laugh.  

This was the first time in his life that a little girl had invited him to dinner, and not just that she had even told him to order whatever he wanted!  

He waved to the waiter, thought for a moment, then looked up at Song Shiwei.  

“Can you eat spicy food?”  

Song Shiwei nodded. “Yes!”  

It was already mealtime, and she was starving. In her past life, she had been a food livestreamer and had eaten delicacies from all over the country, she especially loved spicy food.  

But ever since she came to this era, she had been craving flavorful food. Meat was scarce, salt and oil were limited, and cooking delicious meals was difficult.  

If she didn’t add some chili, she could hardly eat!  

Hearing that she could eat spicy food, Zhou Tingyue glanced at the small blackboard on the wall and ordered a few of the restaurant’s special dishes for the day.  

One serving of braised pork, one serving of spicy and sour cabbage, one serving of stir-fried pork with chili peppers, and a cold cucumber salad!  

He also ordered five large steamed buns.  

When Song Shiwei heard the number five steamed buns she was a little surprised. It wasn’t that she minded spending money, but she hadn’t expected the man in front of her to eat so much.  

After all, the steamed buns of this era were different from the ones in modern times that could be casually grabbed and eaten in a few bites. These buns were dense and filling, she could barely finish half of one.  

She quietly raised her eyes and took in his broad shoulders and strong chest.  

She understood immediately. Someone this tall must have a big appetite. Besides, wasn’t he a soldier? He must train regularly, which had to be exhausting!  

How could they defend the country if they weren’t eating enough?  

Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a deep sense of respect for him.  

The food arrived quickly. Song Shiwei pursed her lips and spoke with some embarrassment.  

“Um… Big brother, I’m sorry for using you as a shield just now! I hope you and sister-in-law don’t mind!”  

Hearing this, Zhou Tingyue’s hand, which was holding a steamed bun, paused for a moment.  

Sister-in-law???  

He couldn’t help but chuckle and handed the steamed bun in his hand to the girl across from him.  

Lifting his head casually, he said, “Don’t worry, I don’t mind. As for my sister-in-law… you don’t have to worry about that, I don’t have a wife!”  

As he spoke, he gestured for her to eat.  

Song Shiwei nodded. “Okay!”  

Just as she was about to pick up some food, she suddenly processed what he had just said.  

No sister-in-law?  

NO SISTER-IN-LAW!!!  

He’s single???  

Wasn’t this just like a sleepy person finding the perfect pillow?  

Song Shiwei’s eyes instantly lit up!  

When she looked at Zhou Tingyue again, her gaze became fiery.  

He had the looks, he had the job, and as for his personality based on what had just happened, it was clear that he was warm-hearted and kind to others!  

Most importantly, his appearance was completely in line with her aesthetic preferences!  

Moreover, he was a soldier a regiment commander, no less. She had heard that the family members of officers ranked battalion-level and above could accompany them.  

If she married him, wouldn’t that mean she could follow him to the army?  

Wouldn’t that be exactly what she had planned from the start, staying far away from the male and female protagonists?  

She just didn’t know where his unit was stationed or how far away it was.  

Thinking of this, she bit the chopsticks in her mouth and asked softly, “Um… Brother, can I ask—what unit are you from?”  

Zhou Tingyue, who was eating, looked up and met her burning gaze. He nearly choked on the bun in his mouth and quickly swallowed it.  

“I’m from the East China Sea Naval Garrison.”  

“Where is that? Is it far from Beijing?”  

Zhou Tingyue met her sparkling eyes and nodded.  

“Far!”  

When Song Shiwei heard the word far, she almost burst into laughter from sheer joy.  

Perfect! Absolutely perfect!  

Seeing the way her face practically lit up, Zhou Tingyue was a little confused.  

What’s going on? Why does this little girl look so happy just because my unit is far away?  

Does she not want to see me that much?