Walking toward the dormitory building, Ruan Chaoxi had already put the insignificant little episode from earlier behind her.
Jiang Yaoci’s undisguised scrutiny and self-righteous sense of superiority were simply childish and dull! They couldn’t even compare to the meaningful look of a rookie soldier in Samia’s brother’s military camp!
Following the number on her key, Ruan Chaoxi quickly found her dorm room. A single room, not large, but bright and clean, with an independent bathroom and a small balcony.
Good, she breathed a sigh of relief to herself.
She neither liked nor was accustomed to sharing private space—a vigilance etched into the bloodline of the Mo Family.
After locking the door from the inside and setting down her luggage, Ruan Chaoxi didn’t start unpacking right away. Instead, she swiftly and professionally inspected the entire room: corners, ceiling, vents, sockets, mirrors… confirming there were no hidden cameras or listening devices.
This was the first lesson her family had taught her when she was eight years old: no matter where you are, safety self-checks are instinct.
Only after confirming everything was normal did she begin to slowly unpack.
Clothes were hung in the closet, daily necessities arranged on the desk and in the bathroom… Once all this was done, the room carried a hint of personal presence.
Ruan Chaoxi walked to the window. Dusk was approaching, the setting sun casting a golden edge over the campus buildings.
Pushing open the window, a cool autumn breeze swept in, carrying the faint aroma of food from the distant cafeteria.
Below the building, students walked by carrying books, figures on bicycles sped past, and girls gathered in twos and threes, chatting and laughing…
No maids on standby at all times, no ubiquitous bodyguards, no banquets requiring her to maintain decorum, nor those gazes filled with either reverence or calculation.
And no… that figure who always appeared silently whenever she needed him.
This was the “ordinary” life she was about to immerse herself in for the next three months. Strangely, she found it held a sense of novelty.
Ruan Chaoxi took out the black encrypted phone again, snapped a few photos of her dorm room, and sent them separately to her parents and brother:
「All settled in the dorm. It’s a single room, very quiet. Everything’s fine, don’t worry.」
Replies from her family came quickly, still filled with those familiar reminders and concerns. She responded to each one, warmth blooming in her heart, the loneliness of being alone in a foreign place fading somewhat.
Finally, her fingertip hovered over the contact labeled “My.” After a moment’s thought, she proactively initiated a video call.
It was answered almost instantly.
Samia’s face appeared on the screen.
The background was his military camp office in Myanmar—austere and stark. The lighting accentuated his sharp, defined features. A trace of weariness lingered between his brows, but upon seeing her, it quietly melted away.
“Xixi.” His voice came through the receiver, deep and clear.
“Miya, I’m all settled in!”
Ruan Chaoxi switched the phone camera to the rear lens and slowly panned it across every corner of the room.
Samia watched carefully, his gaze lingering for a moment longer on the window lock, door lock, and power sockets before nodding slightly. “Hmm, the location is good, basic security is acceptable. Remember, lock the windows and deadbolt the door at night.”
“I know, Commander Samia~” she deliberately drew out the words, a hint of playful coquetry in her tone. “This isn’t a war zone.”
“Any place can become a war zone if you’re not careful enough.”Samia’s tone was calm, but Ruan Chaoxi could sense the seriousness behind it. He was always like this, assuming the worst possible scenario for every environment she might face.
“Alright, I remember,” Ruan Chaoxi changed the subject. “It’s quite peaceful here, and the classmates all seem very friendly…”
She recalled the little incident and added a hint of complaint to her tone: “Except for running into a somewhat noisy local peacock!”
“A peacock?” Samia’s eyes darkened, and the air around him seemed to grow a few degrees colder.
“Yeah… just a local boy who seems to come from a well-off family. The way he looks at people…” Ruan Chaoxi thought for a moment, searching for the right word, “isn’t very subtle. He seems to think he’s very eye-catching, like he’s showing off!”
She pursed her lips with a hint of bystander’s teasing, clearly not taking the encounter seriously.
Samia didn’t speak, just looked at her.
His Xixi, even when deliberately keeping a low profile, couldn’t completely hide her innate grace. It was only natural for her to attract some annoying “flies.”
A “peacock” was nothing to fear.
But… that was in Southeast Asia, on his turf.
In China, in this place he couldn’t reach at all, where he could only watch through a small screen, any potential source of instability was enough to trigger his most sensitive nerves.
“Stay away from people like that,” he finally spoke, his voice cold and hard. “China isn’t like home; people’s hearts are complicated here.”
“I know, Miya-gege,” Ruan Chaoxi nodded, then said enthusiastically, “By the way, I want to check out the cafeteria later and get familiar with the campus.”
“Mhm. Be careful with your belongings in crowded places, and don’t stay out too late,” Samia replied, glancing at the time. “Nine p.m., video call. I need to confirm you’ve returned safely to your dorm.”
“Okay, got it,” Ruan Chaoxi agreed with a smile. “That’s it for now? I’m off to explore the new map!”
“Go ahead,” Samia’s lips curved ever so slightly, a faint smile. “Stay safe.”
The video call ended, and the screen went dark, reflecting Samia’s own stern, tense face.
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on another open tablet on the desk. The screen displayed an electronic map.
A tiny, blinking green dot rested quietly at a location labeled “Jingda University.” Beside it, simple latitude and longitude numbers flickered, along with a line of small text showing vital signs data: Normal.
It was the satellite positioning signal embedded in Ruan Chaoxi’s ring, representing her safety thousands of kilometers away.
This was the only way he could “see” her now.
No longer the ever-present watchful eyes in the estate, no longer the shadow-like bodyguards, no longer the ability to clear any obstacle for her with just a glance or a command.
He couldn’t even know in real time which road was outside her dorm window, whether the cafeteria was crowded, or if that so-called “peacock” would bother her again.
He could only wait.
Wait for the nine p.m. video call, judging her state from her few words and expressions.
Wait for the green dot’s daily, regular movement patterns, guessing where she went and what she did.
He was accustomed to control, to placing everything about her within an absolutely secure fortress. And now, that fortress had a breach he couldn’t personally reinforce.This passivity, this unprecedented sense of losing control, churned an indescribable anxiety and violence within his chest.
He closed his eyes, yet her vivid expression—the slight pout when she complained about the “peacock”—clearly surfaced in his mind, along with the curious glimmer in her eyes when she said she was going to the cafeteria.
That kind of liveliness belonged to another world, one without him.
Three months.
He silently repeated the timeframe once more in his heart.
These ninety days felt longer and more agonizing to him than the decade-plus of waiting he had endured before.
But for the sake of the “ordinary” life she desired, he had to endure this “loss of control.” He had to believe she was capable of handling everything, including dealing with those nonsensical “peacocks.”
However… if that day truly came—if that light point lingered abnormally, or if the video call failed to connect…
A flicker of coldness passed through Samia’s eyes.
Then, so-called “rules” and “boundaries” would no longer need to be considered.