The car door was pulled open. Under the dim glow of the streetlights, Lin Wanwan could see the man wearing an army coat. Even hidden beneath the slightly loose-fitting garment, it was immediately apparent that his shoulders were broad and his stature tall. Standing by the car door, he blocked it completely, shielding her from most of the biting cold wind outside.
The army coat he wore was the classic military green, its loose style carrying a distinct sense of nostalgia. Perhaps because the wind was strong that night, he had turned up the collar to fend off the chill. The cuffs and hem showed slight signs of wear from frequent friction.
It looks so warm—this was the first thought that surfaced in Lin Wanwan’s mind, slowed by the cold.
“Cold?”
A thick army coat, still warm with body heat, was handed over. Lin Wanwan instinctively reached out to take it.
Jian Shen hadn’t finished speaking: “If you don’t mind, you can drape it over yourself for now. Alright, cover up. There aren’t any cars at this hour. Where are you headed? I’ll take you back first.”
He wasn’t some clueless blockhead. This pretty girl was likely the girlfriend his younger brother Jian Ming often mentioned—the college student his aunt had introduced.
Seeing how badly she was shivering, her nose tinged red and her eyes brimming with pitiful, unshed tears, Jian Shen regretted ever agreeing to lend the car to Jian Ming. That kid—where had he run off to? Leaving his girlfriend alone in the car, forcing his older brother to clean up the mess.
“I’m Jian Shen, Jian Ming’s older brother.”
A faint scent of soap mixed with the laboratory’s distinctive disinfectant odor drifted into her nostrils. Lin Wanwan’s consciousness was instantly pulled back to reality by his calm, masculine voice. The lingering warmth from the army coat revived every nerve in her body.
Then came the flush of embarrassment that rose to her face.
Gathering her wits, she looked at the man sitting in the driver’s seat. He resembled Jian Ming in appearance but not in demeanor—they were two entirely different types. He was the kind of person Lin Wanwan would normally feel somewhat intimidated by, like a leader or an elder, exuding an overwhelming sense of authority.
But having accepted his coat, it would be impolite not to thank him. Lin Wanwan maintained proper courtesy by introducing herself first, briefly explaining the situation that day, then pointing to the guard post not far outside the car window to clarify why she had stayed in the car to wait.
After finishing in one breath, Lin Wanwan couldn’t help but cough lightly twice. Why did talking to this man feel like reporting work progress to a superior? It must be his intimidating presence.
It was no wonder she felt this way. During her relationship with Jian Ming, he had often spoken about how exceptional his older brother was—how much he had idolized him as a child and how much pressure he had felt growing up under his brother’s perfect halo.
Even without having met Jian Shen in person before, the descriptions from her boyfriend made it clear he was a serious, wise, and mature man.
“Thank you for lending me your coat. I can make my own way back. I’ll return the coat to you another time when I get the chance.” Lin Wanwan didn’t dare trouble this formidable figure to take her home.
Jian Shen and she seemed like people from two different worlds. Originally, because of Jian Ming, there might have been some insignificant connection between them. But today, Jian Ming had left her alone by the roadside, ignoring her and making her feel humiliated. She didn’t want anyone else witnessing these emotions and only wished to leave as quickly as possible.
“I’ll take you back to school.” Jian Shen knew which university his aunt taught at. At this hour, it was both reasonable and proper that he couldn’t let a young woman in her early twenties leave alone.
He started the car skillfully, his long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles gripping the steering wheel as he turned the car around.
“You can keep the coat on for now. Have Jian Ming return it to me later.”
This was the only sentence Jian Shen voluntarily spoke during the entire drive back to campus. Lin Wanwan didn’t feign politeness—without this military coat draped over her, she would have frozen to death walking from the school gate back to her dorm. After getting out of the car, she stood by the vehicle and thanked the man inside once more: “Thank you for driving me back today. Please drive safely on your way back. Goodbye.”
After speaking, Lin Wanwan took a small step back, extending her pale fingers from the overly long sleeves of the warm military coat and giving a gentle wave, as if saying goodbye. Jian Shen watched her through the rearview mirror as he drove away, only withdrawing his gaze when the girl turned and walked through the school gate.
It was the first time someone had told him to drive safely. Had he been driving too fast just now?
Lin Wanwan returned to her dorm just before curfew. She was grateful to Jian Shen. If he had only pretended to be polite and hadn’t insisted on driving her back, there was no way she would have made it before curfew tonight.
Their dorm room housed six girls, all from the foreign languages department. Students who could afford to major in foreign languages generally didn’t come from particularly poor families.
In these times, studying foreign languages wasn’t considered a popular major, especially when it came to job assignments after graduation. It was far less sought-after than finance or economics, which offered more job opportunities. Most students eager to start working and supporting their families after graduation wouldn’t choose foreign languages.
On the surface, the dormitory was harmonious enough, but privately, it was subtly divided into two groups. Lin Wanwan was close with Mao Xiaomin, while the other four girls stuck together.
So, when Lin Wanwan returned to the dorm wearing an obviously oversized military coat meant for a man, someone couldn’t resist commenting.
“Lin Wanwan, your boyfriend is really impressive. He can even get a military coat and let you wear it.”
“What are you jealous about? Teacher Men introduced our department’s beauty to a good match. If you were pretty, he’d introduce one to you too.”
After saying this, the two girls burst into laughter again, playfully teasing each other.
Their words implied that Lin Wanwan had no qualities beyond her pretty face—that she had only caught someone’s eye because of her looks.
Mao Xiaomin was sitting on her bed reading when she heard this. She put down her book, feeling that something about their words seemed off, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint what exactly was wrong. Seeing Lin Wanwan enter the room looking pale and exhausted, she quickly reached out and pulled her to her bedside, drawing the bed curtain to block the other roommates’ view. Lowering her voice almost to a whisper, she asked, “What’s wrong? Weren’t you supposed to have dinner at that guy’s house today? Did his parents give you a hard time?”
Then, she noticed the military coat Lin Wanwan was wearing. From a distance earlier, she hadn’t seen it clearly, but now she could tell it wasn’t the civilian version available on the market. Judging by the style on the chest, it was standard-issue military equipment.
As for how Mao Xiaomin could tell—her father was in the military. Although she wasn’t from Jingshi, she had grown up in a military family back in her hometown and could recognize it at a glance.
Lin Wanwan’s boyfriend Jian Ming came from a family with military connections, so it wasn’t surprising that he could get his hands on a military coat. What was puzzling, however, was why Wanwan didn’t look the least bit happy about it.
After all, during this season, anyone who could wear a military coat while walking around campus would earn immense prestige. Mao Xiaomin had begged her father to let her bring his old military coat to Jingshi for school, but he hadn’t been willing to part with it.
She couldn’t understand—Wanwan had gone to Jian Ming’s home to meet his parents, and returning at this hour clearly meant she had already had dinner there. She was even wearing a military coat that everyone envied. What could have happened to make Wanwan so unhappy?