Under the starlit sky, the two held hands and embraced for a while, hiding in the shadow of a wall. They only separated when someone walked by.

“It’s getting late. I should head back now. I still need to boil water for a bath tonight,” Qin Yao said.

Gu Cheng nodded. “I’ll walk you home.”

“No need.”

Gu Cheng insisted, “I’ll walk you downstairs at least.”

“Fine, fine.”

Gu Cheng glanced at his wristwatch, wishing the time could move slower. Tonight, they hadn’t done much—just watched the “stars argue” for a bit—and somehow time had slipped away unnoticed.

Comparing this to his efficiency during naval training drills, Commander Gu rated himself a failing grade.

After their last blind date, Gu Cheng had quietly asked around about what men and women usually discussed on such occasions. The general topics seemed to be “hobbies,” “family background,” and “income.” There was also the question of “how many kids after marriage”… cough.

He already knew the basics about her, so the rest could wait until the Year of the Tiger. For now, they could just stargaze.

Before they parted downstairs, Qin Yao stood still in the wind. They were still some distance away from the dormitory building, and the sounds of children playing in the family compound echoed faintly in the background.

Gu Cheng, wearing a cap, had long since removed his mask. In the dim light, only the outline of his tall figure was barely visible.

Qin Yao had long known that his posture was impeccable. It amazed her how she could identify him just by his shadow. She also noticed that Gu Cheng had a habit of standing straight unless he deliberately hunched over. His posture was firm and striking.

When he wasn’t speaking, Gu Cheng often wore a stoic expression. His well-defined features gave him a cool and detached aura, making him seem unapproachable.

Looking at him now, Qin Yao found it hard to reconcile this image with the same man who had just called her “sister” in a high-pitched, playful tone just now.

She much preferred his current demeanor—distant and dignified like an untouchable “mountain flower.” It kept her from falling too deeply.

If he spoke in that high-pitched tone all the time, she wouldn’t be able to handle it. She’d probably turn into a tyrant like King Zhou.

Feigning seriousness, Qin Yao said, “I prefer you like this. You seem authoritative, handsome, and admirable. Many young women must admire men like you, Commander Gu.”

“Really?” Gu Cheng’s intense gaze locked onto hers.

Qin Yao nodded.

To add credibility to her words, she grabbed his left hand with both of hers and shook it while blinking her eyes. “Really.”

“You have good taste,” Gu Cheng replied, adjusting his cap with his other hand. Though his expression remained unchanged, the subtle upward tilt of his voice betrayed his delight.

Qin Yao pursed her lips and muttered inwardly, “Narcissist.”

“Go up, I’m leaving.”

The light in the stairwell stretched their shadows. Gu Cheng stood where he was, watching as Qin Yao ascended step by step. She reached the third floor, waved at him, and disappeared into her room.

The warmth by his side vanished. Gu Cheng tilted his head back. The stars in the sky were still twinkling.

Those mischievous stars all transformed into the image of the girl he adored. Just moments ago, she had clasped his hand and given it a playful shake.

Gu Cheng couldn’t help but savor the moment, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He took long strides toward the shadows, and once fully hidden beneath the trees, he jumped forward twice like a child.

The sound of his polished shoes hitting the ground was different from the light step of a child’s sneakers. It landed with a resonant “thump, thump”, heavy and firm, like a weight crashing down, spinning the world around him.

Stepping out of the shadows, he was once again the stern and serious Commander Gu.

Gu Cheng had a youthful face growing up—or perhaps it was better described as pretty. His appearance as a child resembled that of a girl, though his personality was rough and unruly. Mischievous and troublesome.

After joining the military as he grew older, his youthful looks became a challenge. As a teenager, he was tall and thin like a bamboo pole, often underestimated. Many mocked him, calling him an inexperienced kid. Gu Cheng was determined and strong-willed. To establish his authority, he became increasingly composed, his expression always serious. One lift of his brow was enough to strike fear in others. With his exceptional abilities, no one dared question him anymore.

Only during his time off or while undercover would he allow himself to relax.

When it came to “pretending,” even he couldn’t tell which version of himself was real. He only knew he could adapt perfectly to both.

After being tense for so long, one should take the time to unwind.

He hadn’t expected to meet this little chubby girl during his relaxation time. The girl he liked seemed to appreciate both sides of him. They were truly a match made in heaven. This was fate, a gift from above.

On the way back, Gu Cheng was in a great mood. During the evening roll call, he didn’t say much. Political Commissar Zhou, on the other hand, went on and on about discipline. After the team was dismissed, Gu Cheng and Political Commissar Zhou walked into the office while chatting.

Once inside, Political Commissar Zhou took a sip of tea and asked, “How did your date go today?”

Gu Cheng also took a sip of water, letting out a puff of white steam. He met the commissar’s sharp eyes under the lenses of his glasses, noting the curiosity hidden within.

Political Commissar Zhou smiled kindly, almost too warmly. “Tell me. If there’s anything concerning, let your sister-in-law give you some advice.”

Entertainment was scarce on the island, and military training was even more monotonous. These little domestic tales and matchmaking stories were the only fresh topics.

Political Commissar Zhou genuinely hoped Gu Cheng would settle his family matters soon. After all, he was thirty. Remaining single at this age was a bit unusual. Some officers close to his age already had kids who could run errands for soy sauce.

Rumor had it that Gu Cheng was still vetting the girl. No one knew if Nurse Qin could win him over.

Gu Cheng was notoriously stubborn.

“I don’t need advice,” Gu Cheng replied confidently, picking up the pen on the desk and twirling it casually. “None of the concerns I had came to pass, but there were quite a few unexpected surprises.”

Of course, he wouldn’t tell Political Commissar Zhou that every scenario he had rehearsed in his head had failed. None of his contingency plans worked. Commander Gu gave himself a failing grade for his performance.

Still, Gu Cheng was optimistic. Given the current situation, the main issue was that he wasn’t familiar with the “opponent.” He didn’t know what weapons or strategies she might use, and the unfamiliar environment was full of complexities. He also lacked knowledge about her allies.

A failing grade simply meant there was immense room for improvement. He believed that with a few more “training sessions,” he would graduate with outstanding results.

Political Commissar Zhou raised an eyebrow. “Concerns? Surprises?”

He shot Gu Cheng a baffled look, thinking, What could you possibly be worried about?

Gu Cheng crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, thinking, Why should I let you enjoy a free show? Some things are best kept mysterious to pique curiosity.

No one else in this world would ever know that Gu Cheng feared being punished by his date and forced to stand at attention, shouting “Yes, ma’am!” in public.

“There are a lot of stars tonight,” Gu Cheng remarked.

Political Commissar Zhou clicked his tongue. “Such cheesy nonsense. Even Commander Gu can’t escape this. I heard the girl is quite pretty.”

“She argues fiercely too,” Gu Cheng added.

Political Commissar Zhou: “???”

“Hidden treasures lie beneath the sand,” Gu Cheng recited.

Quickly spouting his freshly created “three-line poem,” he felt a surge of poetic inspiration this time. No need to force it or wrack his brain, the words came naturally.

Commander Gu began to think he had the soul of a poet.

Suppressing the urge to jot it down on the spot, he glanced at Political Commissar Zhou, who was now looking at him with an even stranger expression.

Gu Cheng: “?”

He recalled that Political Commissar Zhou also enjoyed flaunting his literary talents and had previously written a terrible rhyming poem, insisting on showing it to him.

Now he was simply returning the favor, trading small talk for inspiration.

Political Commissar Zhou frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Gu Cheng shook his head and took a deep breath. “I think I smell seafood. I want something from the ocean.”

Political Commissar Zhou’s face nearly cracked.

seafood? After all these years on the ship, haven’t you had enough? You’ve only been ashore for a few days, and you already miss it? He was utterly baffled.

Was this guy struggling with his date? Could it be he couldn’t get along with the girl and had a fight? Did he prefer the solitude of life at sea?

Political Commissar Zhou, at a loss for words, walked over to the desk. Pulling open a drawer, he took out a handwritten booklet. “These confiscated items will be destroyed tomorrow. Why don’t you take a look at a few pages tonight?”

The dormitories for officers and soldiers were regularly inspected to ensure no contraband items were hidden. Recently, a handwritten booklet was confiscated. It turned out to be a love story secretly circulating at the time, its author unknown. These kinds of novels were passed around as handwritten copies.

Political Commissar Zhou flipped through a few pages. It was nothing scandalous. He had lived through the earlier era himself and knew that everyone, in their youth, had read a few love stories. Gu Cheng was at an age where he needed to awaken to such things. He ought to understand the value of having a wife sooner rather than later.

Gu Cheng flatly refused, “Not interested.”

“Just take a quick look,” Political Commissar Zhou insisted, nudging him with the booklet.

With a reluctant expression, Gu Cheng furrowed his brows and took it. He had no interest in such sentimental matters. Flipping to a random page, he saw the slightly messy handwritten words staring back at him.

“Ridiculous.” Gu Cheng snapped the booklet shut and tossed it onto the table.

Political Commissar Zhou shook his head and didn’t push further.

Gu Cheng struggled to maintain his composure, suppressing the surge of heat rushing to his head. Those crooked characters felt like steel engravings, stubbornly imprinting themselves on his mind.

When he opened the booklet earlier, it contained a description of a woman’s body.

The sentences weren’t vulgar, just a few lines. But when those words connected to a real person, they transformed into an alluring enchantment, pulling him into a spellbinding trance.

Back in his dormitory, Gu Cheng lay on his bed. He thought he might have a vivid and pleasant dream that night.

As it turned out, he did have a vivid dream.

But it came with certain consequences that disturbed his physical peace in reality.