The waiting room was right next to the military district’s main gate. When the man sprinted toward the exit, he glanced outside—and in the very next second, before the sentry could even call out to him, he backed up and walked back in.
He straightened his clothes and casually walked inside, already thinking about how to greet the woman waiting there.
Then the sentry came over.
“Report, Deputy Battalion Commander Lu, sister-in-law has arrived!”
The man shot him a cold glance, as if saying, Did I ask you to say that? The sentry shrank his neck and silently complained to himself that Deputy Battalion Commander Lu was still as fierce as ever.
Hearing the voice, Shen Ruanruan abruptly stood up and looked over.
Lu Mingye…
The man was very tall, well over six feet, with a neat buzz cut and wheat-colored skin. His features were sharp and intimidating, his eyes slightly upturned, and there was a scar less than two centimeters long at the corner of his left eye, adding a touch of wildness to his appearance.
He wore a military uniform, the cuffs of his pants still stained with dirt. Because the weather was hot, his clothes weren’t very thick, and the tight lines of muscle underneath were clearly visible. His sleeves were rolled up, veins pulsing along his forearms with every movement. His entire body radiated raw masculine energy.
To Shen Ruanruan, he felt strangely unfamiliar.
She only had a vague memory of him—something about playing with a big brother named Lu Mingye the year her parents brought her back from abroad.
But he definitely hadn’t looked like this back then, right?
A man who had disappeared from her life for so many years had long since become blurry in her memory. Yet now she suddenly learned that in her previous life, he had secretly loved her, even taken the blame for her and lost his life because of it…
Shen Ruanruan didn’t know what kind of attitude she should have toward him.
“Shen Ruanruan?”
The man’s deep magnetic voice rang out, carrying a teasing tone, as if he wasn’t very familiar with her and was only confirming her name.
This wasn’t what she had imagined at all.
Shen Ruanruan nodded helplessly and lowered her head, speaking softly. “Lu Mingye, I… I came to marry you.”
Her voice was soft and sweet, just like her name, sounding almost like she was acting spoiled.
What she didn’t see was the flash of amusement in the man’s eyes after she said that. He stared at her fluffy little head, his thick fingers curling twice before he restrained himself.
Without responding to her words, he walked toward the suitcase.
“Yours?”
“Huh?” Shen Ruanruan looked up in confusion before realizing he meant her luggage. “Mm-hmm.”
The next second, she watched him effortlessly lift the suitcase that had nearly exhausted her.
“A-Ah… I can carry it myself.”
The man ignored her completely, turned around, and walked outside. Shen Ruanruan froze for a moment before hurrying after him.
As they passed the sentry, Lu Mingye waved casually.
The sentry waved back while watching their backs disappear, sighing inwardly. Two days ago, Deputy Battalion Commander Lu had suddenly submitted a marriage application, shocking everyone. They had thought he had finally opened up emotionally.
But facing such a beautiful female comrade, he was still this cold and fierce!
…
Neither of them knew about the sentry’s complaints.
Lu Mingye strode ahead with long steps, carrying the suitcase in front, while Shen Ruanruan trailed behind with tiny steps, struggling to keep up.
She had already spent forever on the train and dragged heavy luggage around for so long. She was exhausted.
And this man still walked so fast.
Shen Ruanruan puffed up her cheeks in grievance.
Was that person in her previous life lying to her after all?
He barely spoke, looked terrifying, and wasn’t considerate at all. Was this really how someone acted toward the person they liked?
After walking a while, Lu Mingye finally realized he had left Shen Ruanruan far behind. A trace of annoyance flashed through his eyes. He slowed down and waited for her to catch up, his tone still cold.
“You walk too slow.”
“…”
Shen Ruanruan looked at his legs, then at her own. She really wanted to snap, So what if you have long legs?
But she held herself back.
Even she was surprised by that reaction.
In front of Su Jingming, she had always maintained an elegant image. This kind of childish sulking side of her only ever appeared around her parents.
Could just hearing that he had secretly loved her affect her this much?
Seeing her cheeks puffed up, Lu Mingye found it amusing, though his face remained cold. His voice carried a mocking tone.
“You came slowly, and you walk slowly too. I don’t think you should be called Shen Ruanruan. You should be called Shen Slowly.”
“…You’re the slow one! I came late because I had to deal with things on Su Jingming’s side. It’s not like I did it on purpose.”
The moment she finished speaking, she saw the man’s expression darken instantly, as if someone owed him eight million yuan. He stopped talking to her altogether.
This man was even moodier than she was, always fierce and unpredictable.
Then he sped up again without caring whether she could keep up.
Shen Ruanruan puffed her cheeks again.
That man from her previous life absolutely lied to her!
But she failed to notice one thing—she had only said Su Jingming’s name and never explained who he was, yet Lu Mingye clearly knew exactly who she meant.
…
The two of them stayed silent the rest of the way. Lu Mingye first brought her to his dormitory. Since he was a deputy battalion commander, he lived in the officers’ building. During training hours, there weren’t many people around. The room was shared by two people, small but fully furnished.
He shared it with the deputy political commissar.
After opening the door, Shen Ruanruan hesitated at the entrance.
“Lu Mingye, isn’t it inappropriate for me to go in?”
“No one’s here. Come in.”
His voice was cold as he placed her suitcase beside his bed. Then he pulled out a pile of snacks from the cabinet and placed them on the table in front of her.
“I’m going to take a shower first. Wait here.”
“If you’re hungry, there’s food. If you’re thirsty, that’s a brand-new mug. There’s hot water in the thermos—pour it yourself. If you’re sleepy, you can take a nap. The bedsheets are new. Once I’m done cleaning up, I’ll take you to the cafeteria.”
A shower?
Only when he turned around did Shen Ruanruan notice what looked like bloodstains on the back of his pant leg.
His pants weren’t torn, meaning it belonged to someone else—or maybe some animal.
So he had gone to find her immediately after finishing a mission?
And those snacks… none of them had been opened, and they were all her favorites.
Was that just a coincidence?
Shen Ruanruan pushed away her thoughts. She really was tired, but after sitting on the train for a day and a half, her clothes were definitely dirty. She didn’t feel right sitting on someone else’s freshly changed bed sheets.
After looking around, she spotted a stool nearby and happily dragged it over before sitting down.
“Then where am I staying tonight? Your dorm?”
Her voice dropped lower toward the end, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Looking at her actions, the veins at Lu Mingye’s temple twitched. Then he let out a mocking laugh.
“You want to stay in my dorm… no way! No hooligan behavior before marriage.”
“I already applied for family housing. After dinner, I’ll take you to see it.”
Who was being a hooligan?!
Shen Ruanruan’s face heated up from his earlier words, but hearing the latter part filled her with surprise.
“You already applied for it? Is it the apartment-style housing or a small courtyard? I still prefer a courtyard. If it’s the apartment building, can we switch?”
She would be living here for quite a while, so naturally she hoped to live comfortably. Whether with her parents or during her previous marriage to Su Jingming, she had never suffered when it came to living conditions.
“It’s the small courtyard that a spoiled young lady like you prefers.”
The man gave a fake smile.
Before Shen Ruanruan could wonder how he once again somehow knew her preferences, she suddenly noticed him staring at her coldly.
“Do you dislike me?”
“???”
Shen Ruanruan was genuinely confused. How did the conversation jump there?
“What would I dislike about you?”
Lu Mingye pointed at the stool beneath her.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Is that thing more comfortable than my bed?”