Chapter 18

Jiang Luobei had just turned 18 this year. His father was the director of a steel plant in H Province, and his mother was also the head of a government department.

He had grown up in a privileged family, and as the youngest son, he had been spoiled terribly.

The reason he was in the small county town today was that he had come with his parents to visit their old family friend.

Jiang Luobei had a restless personality. He watched as the elders exchanged pleasantries and flattered each other, occasionally steering the conversation towards him. He even hinted, both openly and subtly, that he was of a similar age to the spoiled daughter of the family friend.

Although he was young, he wasn’t foolish. Not to mention that Liu Jiaojiao, the girl in question, was only 16 years old, but her even more spoiled personality made it impossible for him to tolerate her.

He was really fed up with the situation and found an excuse to slip away.

Before leaving, he couldn’t resist and secretly took the car keys from his father.

Jiang Luobei was about to graduate from high school and hadn’t decided whether to enlist in the army or attend university, so his father had suggested that he learn to drive in the meantime.

After learning for about a month, the young man felt he was ready to hit the road. It was precisely the time when he became most addicted to cars.

Especially when sitting in the driver’s seat, listening to the sounds of admiration and envy from outside the car, he felt even more pleased with himself.

However, this vanity was quickly interrupted when a gaze, unlike any he had ever experienced, drew his attention away.

When Jiang Luobei turned his head, he came face to face with a delicate, enchanting face.

It was a beauty like none he had ever seen before.

Caught off guard, he stared in a daze. Jiang Luobei could feel his ears heating up, but he just couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Before he could even take another look, confirming whether this exquisite girl was real, a tall wall suddenly appeared in front of him.

Jiang Luobei furrowed his brows, instinctively looking up. He then realized that the “wall” was actually a young man, about his own height.

And the girl was standing behind him, completely blocked from view.

At that moment, for some reason, Jiang Luobei found himself feeling competitive as he looked at the young man’s striking height and handsome features. He couldn’t help but open the car door and get out.

Both of them were over 1.8 meters tall, with the slender figures typical of young men. One looked serious, the other arrogant. Neither of them was willing to back down, and they stood there, staring at each other, their gazes locked in a silent standoff.

Not understanding what was happening, but sensing something was off, Chen Jun immediately stepped over and stood beside his younger brother, watching Jiang Luobei warily.

It was then that Jiang Luobei realized that the two young men were twins, looking almost identical.

Chen Nongmo rubbed his brow, looking at the suddenly tense atmosphere, completely unable to understand why males would so easily become defensive like this.

She pulled each of them by an arm. “Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, didn’t we come to look at the red notice on the wall? There’s no one over there now.”

At her words, the three boys relaxed in unison, like roosters about to fight suddenly losing interest.

Chen Yi turned around and put his arm around his little sister’s shoulder, drawing her close to his chest, making sure not a single strand of hair was visible to the suspicious boy. He seemed satisfied and led her to the wall to look at the enlistment list of new soldiers.

On this side, aside from that one stunning glance, Jiang Luobei didn’t get another chance to see the girl, not even a glimpse.

He wanted to follow them and take a closer look, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to.

Especially with the twins’ watchful, almost defensive demeanor—it made him feel uncomfortable. When had he ever been treated like this? Jiang Luobei, a boy who prided himself on his own arrogance.

With that thought, the proud young man tightened his lips, hesitated for a few seconds, then, not daring to follow, slumped back into the driver’s seat.

Still, his gaze couldn’t stop chasing the graceful figure of the girl, and even the sounds of admiration and envy from around the car, which had once made him feel smug, failed to stir his usual reaction.

“What’s going on just now?” Once they had distanced themselves, Chen Jun furrowed his brow and asked his younger brother.

Chen Yi glanced at Little Sister, whose expression remained calm. He didn’t want her to know about these troubling matters, so he shook his head. “Nothing happened.”

Chen Jun didn’t believe him—he wasn’t stupid. “Really?”

Chen Yi smiled. “Really. If something had happened, would I not tell you, my older brother?”

Chen Jun liked hearing this and immediately grinned, lifting his chin proudly. “Of course. I’m your older brother.”

Amid their playful banter, the three of them had already reached the wall with the red notice.

Chen Jun looked up at the red paper on the wall and immediately spotted Cao Liu’s name. He excitedly reached out. “Look! Second Brother’s name.”

Seeing how easily her Fourth Brother’s attention could be diverted, Chen Nongmo gave a light sneer. She thought to herself that Fourth Brother was such a fool—he was the type who would happily count the money if Fifth Brother sold him out.

They had almost identical faces, yet their personalities were so different.

“What’s wrong?” Feeling her gaze, Chen Yi looked down at his younger sister and asked gently.

Chen Nongmo smiled slightly. “Nothing.”

Of course, she wouldn’t say that at 28 years old, she understood everything.

It was just that the boy had only pure amazement in his eyes, without any ulterior motives, so she didn’t mind.

People are drawn to beautiful things. If she saw a pretty girl on the street, she’d take a few extra glances too.

Besides, the most important thing right now was to get through Second Brother’s troubles safely.

The process of receiving the enlistment notice was more complicated than Chen Nongmo had expected.

In addition to the official paperwork and distribution of uniforms, there was an uplifting motivational meeting.

Not only the boys, but even Chen Nongmo, who was fortunate enough to be standing at the back of the hall as an observer, felt her blood boil with excitement. She could hardly wait to pick up a weapon and rush to the battlefield to fight the enemy.

After the meeting, it was close to noon.

Everyone was hungry, but Second Brother was being held back by a soldier for a conversation, so they had to wait.

The three siblings, standing at a distance, couldn’t hear what was being said, but they saw that Second Brother had been left alone to talk with the officer, who occasionally patted his shoulder and laughed heartily. From that, they could tell it was something good.

When the officer finally released him, the entire grand hall was nearly empty.

Dressed in a brand new military uniform with a bright red flower pinned to his chest, Cao Liu approached his siblings-in-law with a different, refreshed energy. Ignoring the eager Fourth Brother, who was practically jumping all over him, he ruffled Little Sister’s head and smiled, asking, “Are you hungry? Let’s go eat.”

Chen Nongmo naturally had no objections but was curious. “Why did Brother Tie Zhu leave early? Isn’t he coming back to the village with us?”

Cao Liu replied, “He’s not going back today. He’s going to his sister’s house.”

Seeing Little Sister’s confused look, he added, “Tie Zhu’s sister works at the textile factory in the county and is married in the city.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Nongmo pressed her lips together and didn’t ask any more questions. However, when they left the military office, she couldn’t help but glance in the direction where the car had been parked earlier.

“Hey? The car’s gone.” Chen Jun shouted.

“What car?” Cao Liu followed Fourth Brother’s gaze.

Chen Jun explained, “A black sedan was parked here earlier. It looked very impressive.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Liu recalled having seen the car earlier, but he hadn’t paid much attention. He led his siblings-in-law straight to the State-Owned Restaurant.

Today was a special day for the entire county.

Even the locals, who usually couldn’t afford to dine out, were feeling generous and celebratory.

With money in hand, they came to order a bowl of meat noodles, looking happy and content.

Families with better conditions would even order a couple of meat dishes to share.

By the time the four siblings arrived, the large restaurant was already crowded.

Fortunately, the State-Owned Restaurant had some experience, and the supplies had been prepared in greater quantities than usual. Otherwise, the late-arriving siblings might not have been able to find a meal.

Even so, they still had to wait about half an hour before finally squeezing into a round table with some other diners.

Chen Zong, whose family was well-off, made a habit of taking his wife and children out to eat at a restaurant once a month.

Today was a special occasion, so he wasn’t holding back. Cao Liu ordered all the signature dishes listed on the Xiao Hei board at the State-Owned Restaurant.

The chef’s skills were as excellent as ever, and the four siblings walked out of the restaurant, holding their full stomachs.

“Don’t you want to go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to take a look?” Cao Liu asked his Little Sister Yuyu.

Chen Nongmo shook her head. “I don’t need anything, let’s just go home.”

Yes, at this moment, all she could think about was going home. If it weren’t for the enlistment notice, she wouldn’t have wanted Second Brother to come to the county town today.

Cao Liu thought his Little Sister was just tired, so he said, “Alright, you can ride with me in the car, and Fourth and Fifth Brothers can ride their bikes.”

Chen Jun instinctively protested, “I’m taking the bus with Sixth Brother.”

Without even giving him a glance, Cao Liu simply pulled his Little Sister along with him.

Chen Jun… was furious!

As they made their way to the bus station, Chen Nongmo appeared outwardly calm, chatting normally with her brothers, but internally, she was on edge.

She didn’t know the time or place of the incident, nor whether it was a car accident or something else. All she could do was stay close and follow…

In short, with everything still unknown, she couldn’t help but stay alert.

To put it dramatically, she felt like a taut string, ready to snap at any moment.

“Second Brother, isn’t that Liu Yuanyuan up ahead?”

As they got closer to the bus station, still having encountered no surprises, Chen Nongmo was starting to focus her attention on the area when Fourth Brother’s surprised voice came through.

Liu Yuanyuan!

Hearing the name, Chen Nongmo felt as if she had been struck by a lightning bolt, every hair on her body standing on end.

Liu Yuanyuan, whom she had never seen, really appeared!?

Which meant… Second Brother…

Before Chen Nongmo could recover from the shock, the screeching sound of tires grinding against the road pierced her ears.

Even though she had been mentally prepared for several months, when the moment truly arrived, Chen Nongmo, an ordinary person who had never experienced anything like this before, stood frozen, unable to move.

All she could do was watch in horror as the black car crazily veered toward them, crashing in their direction.

Cao Liu was the fastest. Before his siblings-in-law could react, he had already dashed toward the roadside, charging straight toward the stunned Liu Yuanyuan.

“Second Brother!” The twins cried out in unison.

The shout snapped Chen Nongmo out of her daze. Her body moved faster than her mind, and without thinking, her only thought was to save Second Brother.

In that moment, she couldn’t hear her brothers’ frantic shouts.

She didn’t see the twins, who had originally rushed toward Second Brother, suddenly turn around, their faces now filled with fear as they followed her.

All she knew was that she didn’t want her Second Brother to get hurt.

She didn’t want the strong young man, full of life and vigor, wearing that bright red flower on his chest…

To spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair…

People are capable of surpassing their limits.

At least, when she came to her senses, Chen Nongmo realized she was half hanging out of the car window.

Her body was half inside the vehicle, desperately holding onto the handbrake.

The out-of-control car screeched to a halt, just a few centimeters away from Cao Liu.

Inside the car, Jiang Luobei, who had been startled by a cat suddenly darting out of an alley, stared blankly with a pale, terrified face, seemingly still in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.