At the military hospital in the area, Gu Cheng walked out of the hospital director’s office. Not long after, he saw Ge Yunxia standing in front of the file rack in the consultation room. He walked over, his gaze on the round clock on the wall. Seventy-two hours had passed since the blind date—it had been three days.

Head Nurse Ge was a busy person, flipping through files in her hands. When she saw someone standing in front of her, she thought it was Nurse Xiao Ma.

“Xiao Ma, please ask Tingting to come over.”

She looked up, and Gu Cheng’s gaze shifted to her face. They locked eyes.

The smell of disinfectant filled the air. Gu Cheng stared calmly into Ge Yunxia’s eyes and asked indifferently, “Isn’t there anything you want to say to me?”

The ticking of the second hand drowned out the creaking of the old fan above them. Gu Cheng’s heart wasn’t as calm as his face suggested. He’d walked around the hospital for a while before finally finding his way to Ge Yunxia.

“Oh, Commander Gu, thank you for coming to the rescue the other day. Xiao Ma told me about it.” When this topic came up, Ge Yunxia smiled. Today was the day Qin Yao would meet Doctor He for another blind date.

Usually, she was busy with work, but introducing people to each other had become a pleasant diversion.

“Although there was an unexpected situation, everything went smoothly. Today, Xiao Qin will meet Doctor He. If they get together, I’ll have Doctor He send you some wedding candy as well.”

The ticking of the second hand stopped. It made Gu Cheng’s heart skip a beat, and all his blood rushed to his head.

After a long pause, he regained his voice and asked calmly, “Did she say anything about me?”

“She? You mean Xiao Qin? It was all a misunderstanding. Fortunately, Xiao Qin understood. She said there’s too big an age gap between you and her, twelve years. She said that at your age, you two didn’t have much in common. I thought about it, and I guess she’s right. She’s a smart girl.”

“She might see you as an elder. Commander Gu, you’re not young anymore. As for marriage, I have nothing to say about that. Xiao Qin will be starting training soon. Please help Doctor He take good care of Xiao Qin.”

Gu Cheng’s face turned cold. The emotions he’d felt during the past three days of waiting surged up—restlessness, anticipation, sweetness, joy—all turning into embarrassment and anger.

That chatterbox said they had no common language.

The girl who called him “younger brother” and addressed hersel as “Sister Yaoyao” complained that he was too old.

…

Now she realized he was too old, but didn’t she call him “younger brother” when she was ten years younger?

Gu Cheng’s mind coldly mocked her three times, his brows furrowing as he felt a sense of disdain. Taking care of her?

Hah, he’d kick her into the sea to feed the fish.

Ge Yunxia watched as Gu Cheng stormed off. His stride was confident and orderly, almost like a parade. Even the new nurse who had just entered couldn’t help but take a second glance at him.

Ge Yunxia lowered her head to look at the files. The nurse glanced at her briefly and walked to the door, just in time to see Gu Cheng’s profile as he turned the corner. Then, she turned back to see Ge Yunxia’s serious expression.

The nurse lowered her gaze to the floor.

Ge Yunxia didn’t say anything. She shook her head, thinking to herself that girls like Qin Yao, who were intelligent and perceptive, were rare.

After the nurse left, Ge Yunxia touched her nose, recalling Gu Cheng’s cold expression earlier. The corners of her mouth couldn’t help but rise.

She remembered how she had tried so hard to set him up with someone in the past, but he had been indifferent, ignoring her. Now, it seemed like he was getting a taste of his own medicine.

Ge Yunxia guessed what was on his mind—young, with an outstanding family background, good looks, and a bright future. He thought every girl would be enamored with him.

Even if he didn’t particularly care for Qin Yao, the city girl, he still wanted to hear her opinion of him. Did she like him and want to continue their relationship, or did she dismiss him because he was too old?

Heh, men.

Before Commander Gu could say anything, Head Nurse Ge had already rejected him, explaining that it was the young girl who had decided they weren’t a good match first.

Head Nurse Ge had become so used to Commander Gu’s cold and indifferent words that they barely affected her anymore. This time, however, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

In her heart, she felt pity for Qin Yao, who was just eighteen years old. Her parents were ordinary workers, with her father being a cook. As the only daughter, she was pampered and cherished by her parents. There was no reason for her to endure any unnecessary hardships.

Doctor He didn’t mind Qin Yao’s fuller figure and even thought she was beautiful. The two of them had compatible backgrounds, and their life together after marriage would likely be stable and peaceful.

Though Doctor He wasn’t very talkative, he spent more time at home compared to other officers and didn’t mind doing housework. Qin Yao, on the other hand, didn’t seem very diligent, and marrying Doctor He might even make other wives envious.

Head Nurse Ge nodded in approval, considering the pair of them a good match based on their conditions.

Gu Cheng left the hospital building, passing a few bins of medical waste near the entrance. A young officer was preparing to take a few attendants to incinerate and dispose of it. Under the scorching sun, a bad smell lingered in the air.

He took out the handkerchief from his pocket, squeezing it in his palm. The pink cloth, which usually smelled of lilac, now had a bitter, foul stench. With a flick of his wrist, he could easily set it alight and bury it in the ground, where it would never be seen again.

Gu Cheng tried to throw it away several times, but the handkerchief, as if stuck with glue, clung tightly to his hand.

“Commander Gu, do you have any instructions?” someone asked.

“No, nothing,” he replied, retracting his hand. The pink handkerchief, once fragrant, was now too bitter to discard. He thought of the starry night on the sea and couldn’t bring himself to throw it away.

Meanwhile, Qin Yao had met with Doctor He at the same place.

Doctor He was a refined and handsome man, not tall and rather mild in demeanor. He spoke with a slight nervousness, his right hand trembling when he drank tea. During their one- or two-hour meeting, he excused himself several times to visit the restroom.

Qin Yao found Doctor He quite charming. Honestly, Doctor He seemed like a good match for marriage. Marrying him would lead to a quiet and warm life.

Unfortunately, despite his many good qualities, her body told her that she felt no spark with him at all.

It was harder to reject Doctor He than it had been to refuse Commander Gu.

From anyone’s perspective, Doctor He was a good catch with no clear reason to reject. Was he too reserved? This time, he was very proactive, buying candies, cakes, and even vegetables for Qin Yao after their chat, and then escorting her home to Chen Baozhen’s house.

He didn’t mind doing the housework either, rolling up his sleeves to cook and allowing Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen to taste his dishes.

Chen Baozhen praised Doctor He’s cooking: “Doctor He, your skills are much better than my husband’s.”

Doctor He smiled shyly.

Doctor He cooked a lot of food, but the three people didn’t finish it. Tian Shuyun, who lived next door at her cousin’s house, learned that Doctor He was having a blind date with Qin Yao and he rushed to Chen Baozhen’s house to cook for them. She secretly hated him so much that she gritted her teeth.

“Yaoyao, Doctor He is such a good match for you,” Chen Baozhen persuaded her, already fully won over by Doctor He.

Doctor He had a good appearance and was polite. Though he was a little quiet, he was hardworking and didn’t have the bad temper of a typical man. He even had cooking skills.

If Qin Yao married Doctor He, one would be a doctor and the other a nurse. After marriage, the families would be nearby, and they could maintain close ties and stay lifelong friends.

Qin Yao sighed, “It’s not right, I don’t feel anything for him.”

She apologized to Doctor He and then said to Head Nurse Ge, “Head Nurse Ge, I’ll be starting training soon. I want to focus on learning some skills. I’m only eighteen and still too young. After thinking about it, I don’t want to date or get married right now.”

Head Nurse Ge smiled, not pressing her further, “Get to know each other, talk slowly. There’s no rush, marriage is a big decision.”

“If you encounter any problems in the future, talk to Doctor He more. Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

“Feelings take time to develop.”

After Qin Yao’s blind date with Doctor He, Gao Jianguo felt uneasy. Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen were old acquaintances and good friends. Since Qin Yao came over, Chen Baozhen had a good friend and was happy every day. The relationship between the couple has eased a lot. Gao Jianguo was quite satisfied with his current marriage life.

So, he genuinely hoped that Qin Yao would stay on the island.

However, he wasn’t thrilled about her dating Doctor He. Doctor He had been overly attentive, and Chen Baozhen kept praising him, saying that marrying someone like him would make Qin Yao the happiest woman on the island. He was diligent, could cook, looked refined, and was a kind doctor.

If Qin Yao married Doctor He, could Gao Jianguo still live a comfortable life?

Gao Jianguo secretly began to look for a match for Qin Yao. The man didn’t have to be in the military, just someone on the island with slightly lesser conditions than him.

On a whim, he asked around about young unmarried men, and eventually, the search led him to Commander Gu.

“Commander Gu, you have good connections. Can you help me find out if there are any suitable young men?” Gao Jianguo asked.

Commander Gu coolly replied, “Isn’t Qin Yao already seeing that Doctor He?”

“You heard about that?” Gao Jianguo didn’t think much of it. He had no one else to vent to, so he shared his frustrations with Commander Gu, knowing he wasn’t much of a talker. “I wasn’t even home that day. I wasn’t there, but this guy took over my house, cooked a whole feast for my wife, and now she can’t stop praising him.”

“If Qin Yao really ends up with Doctor He, it might not be a bad thing. He’s a good marriage prospect, and if I’m away, Baozhen would have a place to get a meal. But still, this whole thing just doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Luckily, Qin Yao isn’t interested in Doctor He,” Gao Jianguo said with a grin, rubbing his hands and watching the dark sea birds circling overhead.

The scene of the seabirds flying gracefully over the sea was quite beautiful. To outsiders, it seemed peaceful, but to those in the navy, it wasn’t quite as serene. In the past, when a flock of seabirds circled around a warship, what was usually left behind?

——It’s all bird shit.

Dense bird droppings.

Gao Jianguo had unfortunately been hit by them a few times, and despite being caught off guard, he now felt incredibly lucky. He found himself oddly fond of the seagulls in front of him.

“Didn’t like it?” Gu Cheng’s voice rose a little, and as soon as he said it, he noticed the joy he couldn’t hide. He quickly pursed his lips and turned his attention to the distant seagulls.

Commander Gu, you’re hopeless!

Gu Cheng scolded himself inwardly. What was there to be so happy about? How pathetic could he be?

He bit his lip hard, and even though it stung, a smile spread across his face.

“No, I guess Xiao Qin is still a little young. She’s only eighteen, after all. No rush. She hasn’t experienced much yet. She’s from the city, and city girls at eighteen still feel like they’re too young. In the countryside, eighteen-year-old girls are considered mature. If we calculate by Chinese age, she’d already be twenty. Back in the village, they’d be starting to look for marriage, some even already mothers. But Xiao Qin, like Baozhen, grew up in the city. Right now, she still thinks of herself as young and isn’t in a hurry to find a partner. The city favors late marriage.”

Gao Jianguo kept talking, not noticing Gu Cheng’s reaction. What could Gu Cheng do anyway? He’d probably get impatient after listening for a while.

It was only the deputy captain standing at the observation post, holding a telescope, who accidentally caught the smile on Gu Cheng’s face. His eyes nearly popped out, and he almost lost grip of the telescope.

When he looked again, there was nothing there. It was as though the whole scene had been an illusion.

Gu Cheng had already noticed his gaze. He gave him a cold glance, and the deputy captain quickly coughed, not daring to look any longer.

“If Xiao Qin were twenty-five or twenty-six, she’d probably be anxious by now. With someone like Doctor He, such a good marriage prospect, why wouldn’t she take advantage of it?”

“Younger girls like those sweet talkers who know how to say romantic things. We have a beautiful older sister in our village, and when she was young, a good-for-nothing from the village would sing love songs to her every time she passed by. He was poor, had nothing, but she still eagerly wanted to marry him. They say love is all you need to get by… but she didn’t have a good life.”

Gao Jianguo sighed and continued, “It’s still men like Doctor He, who come to my house and cook, that are dangerous. How could a woman resist that? My wife now talks about him all the time in front of Xiao Qin.”

“Hey, Commander Gu, look at me—how did I end up talking to you about all this?” After finishing his words, Gao Jianguo suddenly realized he was talking to Gu Cheng. He probably must be tired of hearing it but didn’t interrupt out of politeness.

Gu Cheng, deep in thought, responded, “Oh, I remember.”

Gao Jianguo froze. “?”

Gu Cheng glanced at him nonchalantly, his arms crossed. He spoke lightly, “I’ll keep an eye out for you.”