Xu Xiaoyue recalled a news report she had once read in the newspaper—how, in the 1990s, female university students were abducted and sold to remote villages to become wives for men old enough to be their fathers.

Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She was about to be dragged off the train when, at the last possible moment, she felt something warm press against the back of her neck.

Before she could process what was happening, her collar was grabbed, and she was lifted like a helpless kitten.

Her petite frame was pulled tightly against the icy fabric of someone’s coat. The sudden contrast jolted her into a moment of clarity.

Barely able to keep her eyes open, she instinctively reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around the man’s waist.

The girl nestled herself into his embrace, her entire body limp. Yan Ye hadn’t even reacted before he felt the firm grasp of delicate hands encircling his waist.

Xu Xiaoyue clung to him as if he were her last lifeline. Her pale fingers instinctively sought the warmth beneath his coat, gripping his shirt tightly.

Yan Ye stiffened instantly. A flicker of heat spread from his waist, his throat bobbing slightly as he forced out two cold words:

“Let go.”

Xu Xiaoyue, however, was in no state to hear him. Her mind was hazy, and she was clinging to him purely out of instinct.

The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. The male trafficker was the first to react, immediately reaching out to snatch Xu Xiaoyue back.

But before he could lay a finger on her, Yan Ye shielded Xu Xiaoyue within his embrace and delivered a brutal elbow strike straight to the man’s face.

With swift precision, he unfastened the belt from his waist and, in a flash, had both the man and the woman restrained.

The entire process took less than three minutes—before anyone could fully grasp what had happened, the traffickers were already subdued.

“Damn, Commander Yan, that was way too fast…”

The man who had witnessed everything couldn’t help but marvel at the efficiency. He hadn’t even had time to step in before Yan Ye had already finished the job.

Then, his gaze landed on the girl still curled up in Yan Ye’s arms. Amused, he chuckled, “Not only did you tie them up fast, but you hugged her even faster.”

A vein twitched in Yan Ye’s forehead. Shooting a cold glance at him, he barked, “Wang Jianhua, take these two to the nearest police station immediately and await further instructions!”

At the sound of his full name, Wang Jianhua straightened up instantly. Normally, Commander Yan never minded their jokes, but if he called someone by their full name, it meant a direct order had been issued—no room for negotiation. Without hesitation, he grabbed the handcuffs linking the two criminals and dragged them off the train.

Yan Ye then strode into the next train compartment, effortlessly lifting Xu Xiaoyue by the waist as if she were a child. Turning, he locked the door behind them.

Xu Xiaoyue kept her head down, curling herself deeper into Yan Ye’s embrace. She wanted to lift her head to see what had happened to the traffickers, but as she moved, the loosely tied scarf around her face brushed against his chest and unexpectedly slipped off.

Their eyes met in midair, catching each other completely off guard.

For the first time, Yan Ye was momentarily stunned.

The woman in his arms was breathtakingly beautiful. Her delicate face was no larger than the palm of his hand, her fair skin tinged with a faint blush. Her wide, watery almond-shaped eyes shimmered, and her lips were a soft, enticing red.

Xu Xiaoyue hesitated for a moment. Reflexively, her fingertips twitched, brushing against the firm, heated muscles beneath his shirt.

Unintentionally, she gave his abs a light squeeze—solid and unyielding.

A low, involuntary sound escaped Yan Ye’s throat. He nearly tossed her out of his arms on reflex.

His face darkened, his Adam’s apple shifting as he ground out in a hoarse voice, “Where do you think you’re touching? Behave yourself.”

The reprimand snapped Xu Xiaoyue back to reality. Her face turned scarlet as she hurriedly withdrew her hand from under his clothes, accidentally tugging the hem of his shirt in the process.

The sudden movement brought his sculpted, tanned abdominal muscles into full view. His body radiated a searing heat, carrying a faint woody scent that made her limbs weak.

Xu Xiaoyue shrank further into his arms, mumbling an embarrassed explanation, “I… I didn’t mean to.”

Yan Ye remained silent, his icy expression unreadable as he lowered his gaze to the top of her soft, raven-black head.

“You seem to have regained some strength. Get down.”

“I can’t.”

Xu Xiaoyue wasn’t lying. Her head was still spinning, and the little strength she had mustered earlier was completely drained.

Yan Ye clicked his tongue in frustration. The woman in his arms was soft everywhere, and her subtle fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose. He wanted nothing more than to pry her off, but she was nestled so snugly against his chest that there was no easy way to do it.

Good thing they were in a private compartment—if anyone had seen them like this, it would have drawn too much attention.

Completely unaware of how inappropriate their proximity was, Xu Xiaoyue gripped the collar of his shirt and asked, “Are you with the police? What will happen to those two traffickers?”

“They’ll be executed.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yan Ye noticed Xu Xiaoyue trembling in his arms. He looked down.

“I still don’t know your name. How should I thank you?” Xu Xiaoyue raised her head again, her almond-shaped eyes glistening with moisture as she gazed at him.

Before Yan Ye could respond, a voice came from outside the door.

“Are you sure it’s this compartment?”

“Wang Jianhua?” Yan Ye frowned, just about to put Xu Xiaoyue down and open the door when it was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

Bright light poured in, stabbing into their eyes. Xu Xiaoyue instinctively squeezed her eyes shut and burrowed into Yan Ye’s embrace.

“Commander Y-Yan?” Wang Jianhua stared wide-eyed at the two people holding each other tightly.

He had only left for a short while, and things had already progressed this far?

Although Commander Yan still wore his usual eternally expressionless, icy face, Wang Jianhua keenly noticed the deep red tint on the man’s earlobes. Good heavens—was this really the same strict and aloof Commander Yan who usually avoided female comrades like the plague?

Yan Ye furrowed his brows slightly and unconsciously shifted his body to block Wang Jianhua’s view. His tone was serious. “Why are you back again?”

At the mention of business, Wang Jianhua put aside his curiosity. “The police need to take a statement. Those two might have accomplices…”

Hearing this, Yan Ye immediately understood. He freed a hand and placed Xu Xiaoyue on the nearby bed. Just as he was about to get up, he felt her slender fingers tug softly at his collar. Her silky black hair brushed against his cheek, carrying a faint fragrance and a tickling sensation.

“You’re leaving?” Xu Xiaoyue herself hadn’t realized the trace of dependence in her voice.

Yan Ye lowered his gaze to her face, then turned toward the train attendant. “I’m Yan Ye, regiment commander of the 181st Regiment. Please take care of this comrade for me.”

With that, his eyes landed on the dirty scarf lying on the floor. His fingers twitched slightly before, almost instinctively, he took off his coat and draped it over her head, covering that overly striking face.

The train attendant was momentarily stunned. Earlier, they had seen these two swiftly subdue the human traffickers in just a few moves. Now, it turned out they were from the military. Their smile instantly became more enthusiastic.

“Rest assured, I will.”

After such a major incident, the train staff remained on high alert for the rest of the journey, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

As for the attendant who had previously mocked Xu Xiaoyue, her expression was now as wilted as a frostbitten vegetable, dreading the consequences from higher-ups.

…

Outside the train station, the distant sound of a train whistle echoed. A young girl tapped her toe against the ground impatiently, occasionally glancing down at her watch.

“Brother Shuli, it’s already time, so why hasn’t Sister Yue’s train arrived yet?”

As she spoke, she took a few steps forward, raising her wrist to show the man beside her. “Look, do you think my watch is broken?”

Yan Shuli frowned, glancing at the time. It was already midday. They had been waiting under the scorching sun for hours. It seemed that the train’s arrival had been delayed.

Noticing the beads of sweat on the girl’s forehead, he hesitated for a moment before saying, “Maybe the train is running late. It’s lunchtime now too. Jiao Jiao, if you’re hungry, we can go eat first.”

Zheng Jiaojiao froze for a moment, then hurriedly shook her head. “Brother Shuli, how can we do that? Sister Yue hasn’t arrived yet! Even if we’re hungry, we should wait for her so we can eat together.”

Yan Shuli pressed his lips together. “It’s fine. We can eat now and bring her a meal too.”

“Well… okay then, Brother Shuli. But we need to hurry. Otherwise, Sister Yue might not find us when she arrives.”

Yan Shuli’s frown deepened slightly. Though he hadn’t met Xu Xiaoyue yet, he already felt a subconscious resistance toward her. If it weren’t for picking her up, they wouldn’t have to endure the scorching sun, rushing even for a meal.

“It’s fine, Jiao Jiao. We can take our time. Comrade Xu should know we’re here to pick her up. She won’t wander off.”

His eyes were filled with tenderness as he looked at Zheng Jiaojiao, his concern for her nearly overflowing. At nineteen, she was at an age when she should be pampered by her parents, yet she had to stay at the Yan family’s house as a guest, always being cautious.

Zheng Jiaojiao followed behind him, watching as their shadows stretched across the ground. A fleeting trace of satisfaction flickered in her eyes.