Military District Regiment Headquarters, second-floor office.
Sunlight came through the window, casting a bright patch of light on the spotless cement floor.
In the air, there was a faint smell of ink mixed with a barely noticeable hint of tobacco.
Lu Tingchuan sat behind the large desk, head lowered as he reviewed documents.
He wore a white short-sleeved military shirt. His shoulder insignia was perfectly straight, and the discipline button at his collar was fastened neatly. His whole body carried a cold, strict, untouchable sense of abstinence and authority.
He read quickly. His long fingers held a fountain pen, and the pen tip moved across the paper, making a light scratching sound.
The office door was knocked.
“Come in.”
His voice was like him—cold and firm, without any extra warmth.
Company Commander Zhang from the security unit entered, holding a report.
“Commander, this is the security patrol briefing for this afternoon.”
Lu Tingchuan replied with a short “Mm,” not lifting his head, telling him to continue.
Zhang cleared his throat and began to report: “At around three o’clock this afternoon, the patrol team caught three idle troublemakers who were committing extortion in the alley on the west side of the military district. They have all been handed over to the local police.”
“Mm.”
Lu Tingchuan’s pen did not stop.
This kind of small incident happened every day. It wasn’t worth his attention.
Zhang noticed his indifference and quickly added, “Commander, the situation this time is a bit unusual. The person who subdued those thugs wasn’t one of our soldiers—it was a… female comrade.”
For the first time, Lu Tingchuan’s hand paused.
He slowly lifted his head. His dark eyes looked at Zhang, with a hint of inquiry in them.
Zhang felt his heart jump under that gaze, but he forced himself to continue, embellishing the story he’d heard.
“…You should’ve seen it. According to Xiao Wang, the scene was incredible! That female comrade looked thin and weak, but she used a leftover candy chopstick to pin down the leader—the blond one—just like that! Clean and sharp!”
Zhang spoke animatedly: “And she was extremely clear-headed. Right in front of our soldiers, she listed those thugs’ crimes one by one—extortion, public indecency—explained everything in detail. She knew the law better than us big men!”
“The most impressive part is that she kept both children behind her the entire time. She didn’t let them get scared at all. Brave, calm, smart! Commander, I think a military family member like this should be commended. We should set an example!”
Lu Tingchuan listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table without realizing it.
A military family member?
In his mind, Lin Nian’s bright yet stubborn face flashed.
He asked casually, “What’s the woman’s name? Which unit is her family from?”
Zhang scratched his head awkwardly. “Well… the situation was urgent, and Xiao Wang and the others were focused on catching the criminals, so they forgot to ask. But according to Xiao Wang, the woman was very pretty and brought a pair of—right, dragon-phoenix twins.”
Clack.
Lu Tingchuan’s fountain pen fell onto the desk with a crisp sound.
The office instantly became silent.
Zhang stared in shock at the commander who normally stayed calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him.
Was he imagining things?
He had just seen a flash of shock on the commander’s face.
Lu Tingchuan quickly returned to normal. He bent down, picked up the pen, and held it again—his grip so tight that his knuckles turned pale.
“Dragon-phoenix twins?” he repeated, his voice slightly rough.
“Yes. One boy and one girl. Xiao Wang said they looked like New Year’s picture children—very cute.”
Lu Tingchuan fell silent.
It was him.
No—it was her.
It had to be her.
Who else would it be?
A beautiful woman, with a pair of dragon-phoenix twins, appearing near the military district?
But…
The Lin Nian he remembered was nothing like this.
Three years ago, Lin Nian was a typical rural girl—timid, easily embarrassed, and always hiding somewhere to cry whenever she was wronged.
Forget subduing thugs with a chopstick. She couldn’t even argue with someone in public; she couldn’t get out a complete sentence.
But the woman in the report—calm, decisive, sharp-tongued, and even skilled in basic self-defense—was truly her?
These three years…
What had she gone through?
How had she survived alone with two children?
Countless questions poured into his mind like a tide, making his chest tighten and his thoughts restless.
“Commander? Commander?” Zhang called softly when he didn’t respond.
Lu Tingchuan returned to himself. His eyes returned to their usual calm, deep stillness.
“I understand.” He said lightly, “Handle the matter according to regulations. Follow all proper procedures. As for the commendation… wait until we confirm her identity.”
“Yes!”
Zhang saluted and left.
The office door closed.
Lu Tingchuan could no longer focus on his documents.
He suddenly stood up and walked to the window.
From his office window, he could overlook the lively night market area down the hill.
Now it was daytime, so the place was empty, with only a few children running around.
His gaze landed precisely on a place he knew all too well.
—Lin’s Snack Stall.
Yesterday, he had stood there and used the coldest tone and the cruelest words to warn her.
He expected to see her panic, see her cry and beg—just like she had three years ago.
But she didn’t.
She only looked at him with those cold eyes—eyes filled with hatred.
Now he understood.
That wasn’t hatred.
It was the defense of someone completely violated, someone who had raised every thorn on her body.
Lu Tingchuan realized he had never truly known that woman.
He thought he had broken her wings.
He never imagined she had already grown armor strong enough to withstand any storm.
A strange emotion, mixed with regret, heartache, and a trace of admiration he had never noticed before, quietly grew inside him.
He stood for a long time, until the sunset stretched his shadow long across the floor.
Then he finally realized something.
From the first day he was transferred to this military district, he had gone to the night market at the same time every day.
He told himself it was for discipline inspection.
But deep down, he knew very well—his eyes had always been searching uncontrollably for that familiar yet unfamiliar figure.
His private intention had already been revealed.