CHAPTER 4 

Lu Xiao didn’t make a move. He continued his silent stakeout. The high-precision sniper rifle he held had an effective range of around 800 meters. Firing near the enemy command post would obviously be unwise.

The soldier who had emerged was extremely cautious and left the command post quickly. By this stage of the exercise, anyone coming out of HQ wouldn’t be an ordinary grunt.

Lu Xiao’s face, smeared with camouflage paint, remained hidden in the grass. His crosshairs stayed locked on the figure, who had no idea he was being watched.

Lu Xiao mentally calculated the distance: Seven hundred fifty meters… Five… Four… Three… Two… One—

Whoosh! — Hit.

A puff of white smoke erupted from the soldier’s body, signaling that he had been eliminated.

After firing a shot, Lu Xiao quickly shifted positions.

A gunshot rang out—“Bang!”—this time aimed at him.

As expected, there was more than one soldier near the enemy’s command post. Someone had spotted him, but Lu Xiao dodged in time.

Taking cover behind a dirt slope, he stayed hidden for a moment. When no more gunfire followed, he crawled back a short distance.

That shot just now—he could tell by the sound it was from an 87, not a sniper rifle—meant the shooter was close.

Lu Xiao knew he couldn’t stay long. There were bound to be plenty of Blue Army soldiers near their command post. He turned his scope back toward the command post exit, planning to take out one more target before heading back to report.

Sure enough, after patiently waiting, another figure emerged from the command post. Judging by the rank insignia, he was a captain—a big catch.

Lu Xiao waited until the man had moved a fair distance from the command post, then fired without hesitation.

A puff of white smoke rose—hit.

Lu Xiao immediately got up, changed positions, and bolted in the opposite direction from the Blue Army command post.

Gunfire cracked behind him, close, but he darted away with quick, agile movements.

By the time the Blue Army soldiers arrived to give chase, he was long gone.

With two men taken down near their command post, the Blue Army knew their location had been compromised.

They quickly organized a large-scale sweep centered on the command post, but by then Lu Xiao had already slipped to the outer edges of their territory.

Once clear, he moved stealthily but swiftly back to the Red Army base to report the enemy command post’s location.

Three to four hours later, under the cover of night—

Lu Xiao led an elite squad toward the Blue Army position.

Using his sharp memory of the terrain and mountains, he guided the squad precisely into Blue Army territory.

The squad’s scouts moved with caution, taking an alternate route along the river to reach the rear of the Blue Army command post.

The water was icy at night, but every soldier in the squad was handpicked and rigorously trained. They waded silently across the river and reached the rear undetected.

The Blue Army was caught off guard. They hadn’t expected the enemy to launch a raid that very night, let alone via the backwater route. Lu Xiao had gambled on this exact mindset—risky, but with high odds of success.

First, the enemy wouldn’t be able to muster reinforcements quickly. Second, they would never anticipate a counterattack just hours later.

The raid was a resounding success. The enemy command post was destroyed—though the exercise rules hadn’t yet declared them defeated, so the drill continued.

Still, with the Red Army holding the advantage, momentum was on their side.

The Blue Army launched a fierce counterattack on Lu Xiao’s squad. But the infantry’s mobility and positioning in the mountainous terrain gave them the upper hand; they took out several more enemy troops.

Three days later, the exercise ended. The Red Army claimed victory—though at the cost of a 50% casualty rate and Lu Xiao’s arm injury.

—

In the regimental office—

“Report, Third Captain Lu Xiao reporting.”

Regimental Commander Zhao Weidong put down his work and looked at the man in front of him—still standing ramrod straight despite the bandaged left arm—with a hint of satisfaction. “Sit. You’ve done me a great service this time.”

In this military exercise between the two armies, Lu Xiao’s contributions were decisive. If he hadn’t found the Blue Army command post and led the squad’s successful raid, the outcome might have been very different.

Zhao Weidong grew more and more fond of this soldier. Good thing he’d managed to recruit him—other regiment commanders were always sighing in envy when Lu Xiao took first place in something, wishing they could steal him away.

“Yes, sir.” Lu Xiao saluted crisply before sitting properly on the sofa directly across from the commander.

“With me, you don’t have to be so formal. Relax a little. I didn’t call you in to assign a mission—your arm’s injured, so take this time to rest. You’ve been on edge long enough.”

“Report to the Commander: no need.”

Zhao Weidong had expected that answer. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. “Your father—”

Before he could finish, Lu Xiao’s gaze flicked up, brows knitting.

Zhao Weidong quickly rephrased, “—your mother asked him to find out when you’re going to settle down. You’ve been in the army for years now. This year, when you take leave, she wants to set you up on a blind date.”

Zhao Weidong had known Lu Xiao’s father for years—they were old friends.

He admired Lu Xiao’s drive and capability. Under his command, Lu Xiao was his best soldier, sure to make a name for himself in the future.

Because of that, their relationship wasn’t just superior and subordinate; Zhao also treated him with the concern of an elder.

At the mention of his mother, a flicker of helplessness passed through Lu Xiao’s eyes. At home, he and his father were both men of few words, and his father rarely interfered in his affairs. But his mother never stopped worrying—his father couldn’t even rein her in.

In the family, things mostly went the way she wanted.

“I’ll go home for leave this year. No need to arrange any blind dates.”

“She said you’d say that. So—since your arm’s injured, I’ll give you another task.”

Hearing the word “task,” Lu Xiao immediately straightened. “Yes, sir!”

“Now that the exercise is over, the cultural troupe will be coming to our infantry regiment for a military tribute performance. You remember the last time I sent you to relay a message? The Red Detachment of Women performance? You’ll be in charge of coordinating with them and keeping an eye on things every day.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Lu Xiao’s eyes. He hadn’t expected Zhao Weidong to assign him this kind of job. Not only was he a rough, battle-hardened soldier unfamiliar with the world of performance, but since when did an infantry captain oversee a cultural troupe’s program?

But at the mention of the cultural troupe, an image suddenly flashed in his mind—Sang Miao in the rehearsal hall that day. He paused, momentarily distracted.

When the regiment commander saw that Lu Xiao didn’t refuse outright, he immediately straightened up and added, “This military entertainment performance is also important. The soldiers need some cultural activities to boost morale. Besides, the others in the company are still undergoing training. You’re the only one with an injury and unable to train, so this task suits you perfectly.”

Zhang Weidong emphasized again, “This is an order, Lu Xiao.”

A soldier’s instinct is to obey orders. As a qualified soldier, Lu Xiao was no exception.

After a brief pause, he replied, “Yes, sir.”

Seeing that Lu Xiao agreed, Zhang Weidong breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in satisfaction. “Alright then, go back and get some rest. I’ll leave the matters at the cultural troupe to you. Report there tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

With that, Lu Xiao gave a crisp salute and turned to leave at a steady military pace.

Once Lu Xiao was gone, Zhang Weidong wiped the sweat off his forehead. He’d just been to an old friend’s house for a meal, and during dinner, his sister-in-law had specially reminded him: if there were any decent female comrades in the army, he should help keep an eye out for a potential match for Ah Xiao. Maybe they’d hit it off.

Otherwise, with that cold personality of his, he might just stay single for life. Those were Lu Xiao’s mother’s exact words.

That was when Zhang Weidong thought of the cultural troupe. This time, with Lu Xiao’s injury as a valid reason, it was the perfect opportunity to give him a break and take care of matchmaking at the same time. Two birds with one stone.

So Lu Xiao was temporarily reassigned to assist at the cultural troupe.

He would be seconded for a month.

—

The next day, Yang Xin received a notice from higher-ups: Lu Xiao, captain of the third company of the infantry regiment, would be temporarily transferred to the cultural troupe to assist for one month. At first, Yang Xin was a bit confused by the news.

Lu Xiao was a captain in the infantry regiment—why would he be involved in a performance like this?

Seeing her puzzled expression, her direct superior, the troupe leader Chen Hong’an, explained, “Lu Xiao injured his arm during the last large-scale military drill and is temporarily unable to participate in training. The higher-ups arranged for him to help coordinate performance matters here. Don’t worry, he won’t interfere too much with the program’s choreography.”

Only after hearing this explanation did Yang Xin feel more at ease.

The cultural troupe’s performances had always been her responsibility. They had never had anyone from a combat unit involved in directing. With that reassurance, she felt more comfortable.

Yang Xin stood at attention and saluted. “Understood. I’ll take him through the cultural troupe’s operations tomorrow.”

After leaving the office, Yang Xin headed straight to the rehearsal hall. Since an outsider was joining them, she needed to give everyone a heads-up.

When she entered the practice hall, she gathered the group. “Everyone, stop what you’re doing for a moment and gather around.”

Though confused, the group assembled.

Sang Miao also paused her dancing and joined the rest of the dance department.

“As you all know, we’ve been rehearsing The Red Detachment of Women for the infantry regiment’s military performance. Starting tomorrow, Captain Lu Xiao from the infantry regiment will be seconded to our troupe to assist with coordinating the performance.”

Lu Xiao? The group immediately started whispering amongst themselves.

Xiao Honghong was the most excited. “Ah? Lu Xiao? The Lu Xiao I know? Why is he coordinating our performance?”

Another female soldier, Zhou Qin, answered confidently, “It must be him. Our infantry regiment doesn’t have another captain named Lu Xiao.”

Seeing everyone start to whisper and stir, Yang Xin clapped her hands. “Quiet, everyone. Captain Lu was injured during a military exercise, so he’ll be assisting with our performance temporarily. There’s no need to be nervous.”

“But since he’s from the infantry regiment, I hope all of you will take the next month’s rehearsals seriously. Don’t embarrass our cultural troupe in front of outsiders. Show them the standards of our art soldiers.”

Seeing her serious expression, everyone quickly responded with a respectful “Yes, ma’am.”

Now that it was confirmed that this Lu Xiao was indeed that Lu Xiao, the female soldiers grew visibly excited. Lu Xiao’s reputation preceded him—he was the youngest captain in the infantry regiment and always placed first in every military competition.

Zhao Weiwei’s eyes lit up slightly upon hearing his name. Lu Xiao is going to be transferred to the cultural troupe? That didn’t happen in her last life.

Could this be one of the changes caused by my rebirth?

Unable to resist the idea, she started to wonder if Lu Xiao’s arrival had something to do with her.

She remembered clearly the sight from her past life—during a performance at the infantry regiment, Lu Xiao had sat in the front row, tall and striking. Just the memory made her cheeks flush.

By the time she left the cultural troupe in her past life, Lu Xiao had already become the youngest regimental commander in their entire division.

If I can stand in the center of the stage this time, as the lead dancer… and he sees me…

She imagined herself dancing gracefully under the spotlight, while the handsome and exceptional Lu Xiao watched from below. Surely, he would be captivated by her and fall for her…

Excited by the thought, Zhao Weiwei’s heart started racing. A dangerous idea began to take root.