At daybreak the next morning, Huo Tingyun, who had not slept a wink all night, still couldn’t figure out why he had agreed to pretend to be Jiang Zhinian’s boyfriend.
Was it because he was worried about her safety?
Or because of his own selfish desires?
Jiang Zhinian’s breathtakingly beautiful face kept appearing in his mind, replaying over and over like scenes from a movie.
Could this be what people called love at first sight?
“Huo Tingyun!”
A cold voice abruptly interrupted his thoughts.
“Present!”
Huo Tingyun instinctively snapped to attention and answered loudly.
“What are you thinking about?”
Sitting across from him, Huo Lin tapped his long fingers lightly against the desk, his expression cold.
Ever since morning training, Huo Tingyun had obviously been distracted. Huo Lin had called him into the office for a reprimand, yet he still dared to zone out.
“Reporting to the Commander, I didn’t rest well last night.”
Although they were biological brothers, within the military camp, they always addressed each other by rank.
“Hm. Your mission may be important, but you should still pay attention to your rest.”
Huo Lin no longer looked at him.
“You may leave.”
But Huo Tingyun didn’t move.
A rare look of awkwardness appeared on his face.
“Brother… have you ever been in love?”
With doubts weighing on his mind and no one else to ask, he could only turn to the elder brother he had always admired most.
“Hm?”
Huo Lin’s thick brows drew together as his deep eyes studied him.
“Well… I think I might like a girl, but I don’t know what I should do.”
Huo Tingyun chose his words carefully.
He had asked Huo Lin many questions before, but this was the first one that truly stumped his elder brother.
Huo Lin suddenly realized that the first person who came to mind when he heard that question was Jiang Zhinian—that seductive, captivating little face of hers.
His expression darkened even further.
In all his twenty-seven years of life, Jiang Zhinian was the only woman he had ever had physical contact with.
And that so-called “physical contact” had consisted of her punching and kicking him.
“Treat her well. Don’t skimp on gifts or taking care of her. When the time is right, bring her home for the family to meet.”
After saying that, Huo Lin picked up a document beside him and stopped looking at his brother.
Huo Tingyun understood that the conversation was over. He saluted and withdrew.
Three days later, in the military compound’s apartment building—
As Jiang Zhinian sat with her head lowered over a book, Tuanzi anxiously bounced up and down inside her mind.
【Host Niannian, you only have half a day of life left! Aren’t you worried at all?】
Jiang Zhinian turned a page without even lifting her eyes.
“Don’t panic. Your host here is exceptionally intelligent.”
Tuanzi glanced at the book in Jiang Zhinian’s hands.
The pages were densely filled with difficult English.
Fine. Host Niannian really was unbelievably smart.
“Isn’t today Huo Tingyun’s birthday? This is the perfect opportunity.”
【But how do you know Huo Tingyun will invite you? Tuanzi asked in confusion.
Just then—
Knock, knock, knock.
There was a gentle knock at the door, light and exceedingly polite.
A knowing smile curled across Jiang Zhinian’s lips as she stood and opened it.
Sure enough, Huo Tingyun was standing outside.
He had evidently rushed over immediately after finishing training. His short black hair was slightly disheveled.
“Zhinian, today’s my birthday. I’d like to invite you to my home to celebrate with my family. Would you… be willing to come?”
He said it all in one breath, clearly nervous.
The sentence wasn’t particularly long, but he had practiced it in front of the mirror for hours before finally being somewhat satisfied with it.
“Hmm… sure.”
Jiang Zhinian thought for two seconds before looking up at him with a smile.
“But I haven’t prepared a present for you.”
Huo Tingyun visibly relaxed. A brilliant smile spread across his handsome face.
“Zhinian, I don’t need a gift from you. As long as you come, I’ll be happy.”
Jiang Zhinian nodded.
After changing into a slightly more formal qipao, she followed Huo Tingyun downstairs.
Today, Huo Tingyun had brought a driver instead of driving himself.
In the back seat, Huo Tingyun was sitting beside a woman for the first time in his life—and Jiang Zhinian was the girl he liked.
He couldn’t help feeling even more nervous.
His already straight posture became even more rigid, as though he were practicing military drills.
Jiang Zhinian spoke up to ease the atmosphere.
“Commander Huo, don’t forget to announce our relationship later.”
Huo Tingyun froze, then looked pleasantly surprised.
“Is that okay?”
Over the past few days, he had thought about Zhinian constantly. By now, he was certain that what he felt for her was love.
If he told her about his feelings now, he might scare her.
It would be better to let time prove the sincerity of his feelings.
“Of course.”
Jiang Zhinian smiled until her eyes curved into crescents, like a bright sliver of moon.
Otherwise, how was she supposed to raise the male lead’s anger meter?
A woman who had abused him for years had turned around and immediately hooked up with his younger brother.
How shameless!
Wouldn’t that make Liu Yuerou’s gentleness and sweetness stand out even more by comparison?
Sigh. I really am such a dedicated and responsible villainess.
Huo Tingyun’s birthday celebration was being held at the Huo family’s ancestral residence, in the capital, the neighboring city.
The drive took a long time. Jiang Zhinian gradually grew sleepy and leaned against the side with her eyes half-closed.
“Zhinian, wake up. We’re almost there.”
Huo Tingyun had stared foolishly at her sleeping face for quite some time before gently reminding her.
Jiang Zhinian rubbed her bleary eyes and looked out the window.
The Huo family truly deserved its reputation as the most powerful military and political family in Huaxia.
The seemingly endless stretch of traditional red walls before her eyes was merely the outer wall surrounding the Huo family’s courtyard residence.
The car finally stopped before a magnificent, elaborately carved gate.
Two exquisitely sculpted stone lions stood proudly on either side.
Huo Tingyun got out first and attentively opened Jiang Zhinian’s door for her.
Jiang Zhinian gave him a sweet smile and naturally looped her arm through his.
Huo Tingyun’s body instantly stiffened.
Jiang Zhinian secretly reminded him, “Act more natural, boyfriend.”
“Okay.”
Huo Tingyun took a deep breath, steadied himself, and led Jiang Zhinian into the courtyard.
The Huo family’s courtyard was vast and spacious. The bluestone-paved ground was polished smooth, while the trees and plants were lush and clearly meticulously cared for.
The buildings followed a traditional wooden design, with red walls and golden decorations complementing one another, displaying the family’s extraordinary power and status.
Before they even entered the house, several people came out to greet them.
The moment they saw Jiang Zhinian, all of their expressions changed.
Yet no one dared say anything. They merely surrounded the two of them and ushered them inside.
A large bouquet of flowers sat neatly on a rosewood table.
Pink—the color Jiang Zhinian liked—was the bouquet’s main theme.
There were pink moth orchids, cherry-pink ranunculus, pale-purple dahlias, and anemones woven throughout as accents.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Jiang Zhinian’s attention was immediately captured.
After all, this was the resource-scarce 1980s, and flowers like these were exceptionally rare in Huaxia.
But when she lifted her gaze, she unexpectedly met a dark, gloomy pair of eyes.
Huo Lin stood there, his expression far from pleasant, his icy gaze fixed directly on her.
Jiang Zhinian wasn’t afraid in the slightest.
Instead, she tightened her hold on Huo Tingyun’s arm and gave Huo Lin a soft, coquettish smile.
“Big Brother.”
Huo Tingyun hadn’t noticed the silent exchange between the two of them. Smiling, he said, “Thank you for bringing the flowers for me. Niannian is definitely going to love them.”