Around three in the afternoon, a north wind started to blow.

Su Rui squinted her eyes against the wind, spit out a mouthful of sand, and struggled to hold her stance in a horse-riding position. Her legs trembled slightly. It felt just like a college military training session.

“There are sixteen movements in military boxing,” Fang Chiye explained. “They help improve your physical strength, reaction speed, and combat skills.”

He called over the guard and had him demonstrate the forward lunge punch while explaining the key points: “Watch closely. This move is mainly used to strike an enemy’s face and waist. The throat strike kick can simultaneously hit vital areas.”

The guard demonstrated the move three times. Then, Fang Chiye had everyone practice while he moved through the group, correcting their postures one by one.

When Su Rui saw him approaching, she quickly fixed her gaze straight ahead.

Fang Chiye noticed but still walked toward her.

Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!

It was no use. He stopped right beside her, standing in silence for half a minute.

She had always imagined that male leads would smell like cedarwood or winter plum. But the scent on him was of sun-dried soap—warm and fresh.

His actions, however, were anything but warm.

He tapped her arm with a small stick. “Raise it higher. Why are you shaking?”

How could she not shake? They had been training all day. She was exhausted.

He stood to her side and demonstrated the correct punching form. Su Rui glanced at him from the corner of her eye, then, with a blank expression, reluctantly raised her hand a little higher.

She could only hold it for three seconds before her arm dropped again.

Fang Chiye chuckled: “Come on, let’s go over the moves.”

Su Rui immediately became excited, shaking her head and loosening her muscles, ready to go all out.

Fang Chiye, ever perceptive, said: “Only practice the moves I taught you.”

Su Rui replied with an “Oh,” feeling disappointed as she had planned to throw a chokehold.

Su Rui threw her first punch, but Fang Chiye’s large hand easily caught it and immediately tripped her. Su Rui swiftly dodged and tried to grab his arm for a back throw.

The militia members resting nearby immediately cheered.

Fang Chiye had the advantage of size and strength. He firmly planted his feet, blocking her leg with ease. His biceps flexed as he effortlessly wrapped Su Rui in his arm.

Su Rui was agile, standing on tiptoe and arching her back so her head almost collided with Fang Chiye’s chin. He tilted his chin and said softly, “The moves, the ones I taught you!”

“Here it comes!” Su Rui responded, attempting a hook kick, but Fang Chiye caught her ankle and blocked it.

Su Rui, failing the direct attack, tried to quickly retract her foot and trip him instead.

She pulled, but it wouldn’t budge.

She tried again, still no success.

Standing on one foot, she wobbled and said, “Let go.”

Fang Chiye held her ankle firmly and asked, “Who taught you that move earlier?”

Su Rui froze in place: “Which move?”

Fang Chiye’s voice turned cold as he repeated, “The one where you hooked my ankle with your foot. Who taught you that? How did you learn it?”

Su Rui trembled. That was from a self-defense class she had taken before transmigrating. If she explained, it would be hard to justify.

Just then, the sound of clapping interrupted them.

Sister Zhao walked over and supported Su Rui, saying, “Looks like you haven’t forgotten the moves Old Li taught you. If he finds out his unconventional moves work on Captain Fang, he’ll definitely be happy.”

Fang Chiye let go of her ankle. “Who is Old Li?”

Su Rui, finally free from standing on one foot, stood firmly and muttered, “He was the former militia leader.”

Sister Zhao laughed and added, “He was a coach for the provincial martial arts team and came to teach for two years.”

Fang Chiye, picking up the stick from the ground, smiled apologetically and said, “No wonder the militia’s foundation is so solid. It must have been trained by people from the provincial martial arts team.”

Sister Zhao said, “It’s getting late, should we call it a day?”

“Sure.” Fang Chiye looked at his watch and blew a sharp whistle. “Dismissed!”

Su Rui wasn’t sure if Sister Zhao had deliberately helped her out, but it seemed that Fang Chiye believed it. She felt a little relieved.

Sister Zhao turned to Fang Chiye and said, “We still have some leftover pork from yesterday. The lady who makes big pot rice cooked some pig’s offal noodles for everyone. Want to eat before you go?”

Fang Chiye had more work to do and didn’t plan to stay for a meal. Just as he was about to decline, he saw Zhao Feijing walking back from a distance.

He saw Su Rui perk up, probably interested in that photo, and immediately felt conflicted.

From a distance, Zhao Feijing saw the two of them sticking together and inwardly cursed, “Shameless,” before striding over with a fierce expression and standing in front of Su Rui.

Su Rui was curious, wondering what had been hidden. It was so exciting!

Zhao Feijing’s eyes were red, and she snapped, “Enjoying yourself? Is it fun?”

Su Rui thought it was actually kind of fun and nodded slightly, saying, “It’s not bad.”

Zhao Feijing was about to explode. God knows the shock she felt when she opened the drawer and saw that little face. The woman in the photo was happily holding a banana, looking exactly like the person in front of her—there was no doubt, it was her!

Fang Chiye stood by, watching Zhao Feijie’s every move, fearing she might suddenly harm Comrade Su Rui. From his perspective, Su Rui was innocent.

But seeing her excited little expression, he began to think that maybe she wasn’t so innocent after all.

As the old saying goes, those who watch the drama often get hit.

If she’s not going to hit her, who else would she hit?

Su Rui noticed Zhao Feijing staring at her, seemingly frozen in anger. Tentatively, she extended her hand, carefully watching Zhao Feijing’s expression, and lightly beckoned, saying, “Sister, remember our deal?”

Seeing Zhao Feijing still glaring, Su Rui thought for a moment, took out some leftover rice crackers from her pocket, and quietly offered, “I sprinkled sugar on them.”

She owed her one.

Fang Chiye closed his eyes.

Maybe he should step in and block her next.

Zhao Feijing had never met someone so infuriating. Sprinkling sugar on the rice crackers was just rubbing salt in her wounded heart.

She slapped the crackers away and coldly pulled out her bag.

Fang Chiye thought she was going for a weapon, but instead, she pulled out a camera. “You know I’m a reporter, right?”

Su Rui nodded, enviously saying, “It’s so cool, being able to travel everywhere just with a work badge.”

Was she mocking her hardships?

Zhao Feijing sighed, “Stand still.”

Su Rui asked, “Huh?”

Click.

Before Su Rui could react, Zhao Feijing snapped a photo with the other militiamen in the background. Afterward, she coldly said, “I don’t want to say anything else. You better behave. Don’t play any tricks once you marry into the family.”

Su Rui, still grinning with her little tiger teeth, responded, “Oh, everyone has a bit of cunning, even silly Si’er has her tricks.”

Zhao Feijing had learned about Fang Chiye’s family background before the matchmaker introduced them. His parents were incredibly picky about their son’s marriage prospects—more strict than political screenings. She never expected him to end up with a village girl. She thought men were always after pretty girls.

Zhao Feijing said, “Can’t you understand good advice? Do you want your mother-in-law to chase you out of the house?”

Su Rui replied seriously, “I’m a married woman. How could they kick me out? It would be them I would be kicking out!”

Zhao Feijing looked at Su Rui again and her expression didn’t seem like she was lying.

Her gaze shifted to Fang Chiye, scanning him up and down before bursting into laughter. “A live-in son-in-law? Haha, Captain Fang must be thrilled.”

Fang Chiye replied, “…As long as it’s a marriage in line with the New Marriage Law, all couples deserve respect. We shouldn’t look down on them with discrimination.”

Zhao Feijing shook her head. “Who would respect a live-in son-in-law?”

Su Rui said, “What’s wrong with that? Women can marry out, so why can’t men marry in? We all have two eyes and a mouth. There are many live-in sons-in-law in our village living happy lives. What’s the problem? My dad is a live-in son-in-law too.”

Zhao Feijing realized she had misspoken as she felt the piercing glares from around her. A few strong women, gathered in small groups nearby, were eyeing her as if assessing where her flesh was thickest.

“So it’s a family tradition,” Zhao Feijing said, placing her camera in her leather handbag and carefully clutching it to her chest. “Alright, I misspoke. Since your family tradition is so profound, I’ll wish you all a prosperous daughter.”

Fang Chiye waved his hand, and a guard swiftly ran over. “Report!”

Fang Chiye said, “Send Comrade Zhao to the train station.”

Zhao Feijing sneered, “Thanks. I wish you and your in-laws harmony and prosperity.”

Fang Chiye, unflustered, replied, “Thank you for your blessings. I will explain to the organization later.”

Zhao Feijing chuckled. “You’d better explain it clearly, there’s a long line of people waiting to arrange marriages with you.”

“…”

Fang Chiye watched her leave and turned to Su Rui.

Su Rui was still annoyed by her slow reaction earlier, wondering what kind of photos she might have taken. Seeing Zhao Feijing leave, she asked Fang Chiye, “Do you think they’ll make it to the newspaper?”

Fang Chiye replied, “It depends on the editor’s review. Usually, they don’t publish unflattering ones.”

Su Rui sighed, “Ah, that’s it. I’m so good-looking, I’m definitely getting in.”

Fang Chiye laughed.

Su Rui said, “What are you laughing at? I’m just being self-aware.”

Fang Chiye shook his head. “You’re something else. I’m leaving.”