Su Yemang panicked, her hands suspended in the air. “What… what are you going to do?”
Xiao Ye looked at her calmly. “Do? I’m going to throw it away.”
The next day.
Snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
Reconnaissance Camp.
Xiao Ye, who had slept soundly all night, was already slamming the table in frustration by morning.
The report he had just submitted accusing Shen Yuetao, with evidence was returned to him.
Along with it came his own pre enlistment background, including his shady dealings on the black market.
Then, the Deputy Commander of the Provincial Military District, Shen Qiang, personally called him.
Shen Qiang spoke of two past lives saved, subtly threatened him: if he caused more trouble, he would face a top level false accusation and lose his military status.
Military District Headquarters.
Su Yemang was called over. The commander’s expression was grave.
“Professor Su, during an inspection mission, Fang Fuyang and Wei Xiaoqing of the CBRN Camp were trapped in the mixed minefield of Rear Mountain Area 1. There is a nuclear cemetery there…”
Rear Mountain Area 1.
Pristine snow blanketed the uphill paths. In the distance, whistles called soldiers to assembly.
Every soldier carried a heavy pack, ready for emergency field stays.
Su Yemang got out of the jeep and immediately noticed an uninvited presence.
Shen Yuetao?
Squinting, Su Yemang asked, “What are you doing here?”
Shen Yuetao looked smug. “Oh, I’m fine now. But you’re impressive… I really can’t get to you.”
Her gaze carried mischief.
Then, a familiar figure appeared in the distance, dust and snow clinging to him.
Xiao Ye.
He carried a huge pack.
His wrist, swollen and exposed to the wind and snow, was wrapped in blood stained bandages.
It was Xiao Ye.
Shen Yuetao wiped her runny nose and suddenly grabbed Su Yemang’s toolkit.
“How’s that? My dad is the Deputy Commander, you’re powerless now!”
Hearing her mention her father, Su Yemang just smiled.
“Give me back my bag.”
Shen Yuetao grinned rogueishly. “Nope. This is a limited edition bag from the department store. I’m keeping it!”
Suddenly, footsteps sounded.
Xiao Ye came forward, snatched the bag back, and with one command, the guards lifted Shen Yuetao.
Smack! She hit the ground.
“Ah!”
Shen Yuetao scrambled up and grabbed Xiao Ye’s sleeve. “Brother Ye, you hit me?”
Xiao Ye lowered his eyelids, watching her hand clutch his sleeve, but he didn’t move.
He just stared, his gaze dark and unreadable.
Su Yemang’s heart tightened as her eyes fell on Xiao Ye’s bandaged wrist.
“You’re not afraid I’ll go back home and tell your grandfather? And… do you even know I was just… bullied?”
Xiao Ye still didn’t move. He looked at Shen Yuetao and flicked a cigarette.
Shen Yuetao shivered under his gaze, loosening her hand. “And… you don’t know I was just… just bullied by a homeless guy?”
Being watched by his deep, penetrating eyes, she was both flustered and nervous, and her grip loosened involuntarily.
Finally, Xiao Ye lifted his eyes. “Hit you? I just threw something.”
“You’re calling me ‘something’?” Shen Yuetao pointed at herself.
His gaze was cold as a blade. “From the moment you started hurting others, you stopped being a decent person.”
Shen Yuetao was furious. “Brother Ye, how dare you say that to me?”
Su Yemang, nearby, snickered, glancing meaningfully at Xiao Ye.
He seemed different now not as blunt as the old village tyrant.
Smoke from the cigarette drifted, making his features vague and mysterious.
Xiao Ye lazily brushed his nose. “Hey, don’t talk nonsense. I said, from the moment you hurt others, you weren’t a decent person.”
Shen Yuetao’s eyes were bloodshot as she pointed at Su Yemang. “Hurt others? Su Yemang is a person too? Brother Ye, are you crazy? I hurt Su Yemang, not you. How dare you scold me! And push me was Su Yemang putting a spell on you?”
Suddenly, Xiao Ye began coughing, pretending to adjust his hand in his coat pocket
He lightly pressed it against a silver rectangular object.
He continued, “Shen Yuetao, who told you to ignore me? On the train, flirting with the male attendant, and having a boyfriend in the village and town… I didn’t like that.”
Su Yemang’s pupils dilated, her mouth wide open.
She couldn’t believe it at all.
Seeing Su Yemang’s expression change, Shen Yuetao instantly felt triumphant.
She gave Su Yemang a provocative glance, leaning close to Xiao Ye.
She grabbed Xiao Ye’s sleeve again. “Ah, Brother Ye, I was just playing around with that train conductor. Liu Wu and Zhao Xudong in the village and town are both married, and I only met him a few times. How could I possibly fall for him?”
“I only like you, Brother Ye.” Shen Yuetao said shyly, even flicking her sleeve.
Xiao Ye finally unclenched his fists, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Admit it?”
His expression suddenly turned icy. “You’re even more naive than your father.”
Shen Yuetao stepped back. “You… what do you mean? What about my dad?”
Xiao Ye took a step toward Su Yemang, looking at Shen Yuetao.
“Shen Yuetao, your father keeps our family’s ancestral favor in mind. At the same time, he tried to threaten me slandering me about fights in Yongbei Village, black market dealings, and harassing female educated youth.”
He paused and glanced at Su Yemang.
Su Yemang’s mouth twitched. Xiao Ye had indeed harassed a female educated youth in Yongbei Village. And those other things in his past… were probably true too.
Shen Yuetao said, “My dad didn’t mean to target you, he was just worried about me…”
She babbled on.
With a click, Xiao Ye pressed a mechanical button.
Shen Yuetao’s eyes shot up.
Then, the atmosphere froze.
Xiao Ye pulled a palm sized Sony portable tape recorder from his inner pocket.
He pressed it once, and the recording was saved.
Shen Yuetao shivered. “Brother Ye! You actually recorded it?”
Xiao Ye blew on the recorder and pressed play, turning the volume to maximum.
Everything Shen Yuetao had just said played back instantly, and everyone company commander, officers, and soldiers could hear it…
Su Yemang’s eyes lit up, looking at Xiao Ye with a new respect.
He was no longer just the blunt village bully.
Shen Yuetao screamed hoarsely, “Xiao Ye, you bastard! You repay kindness with enmity and go after my family! Don’t forget my grandfather saved your second uncle’s life!”
She raged, clawing and yelling, but Xiao Ye’s guards held her down like a pig…
At that moment, the Wild Wolf Company commander, chewing on a root, walked over.
“Shouting and screaming! Don’t you feel embarrassed?”
His voice was like thunder, making Shen Yuetao shiver.
He put away his walkie talkie and patted Xiao Ye on the shoulder. “Yo, Yezi, you spent five allowances to buy this gray gadget. Is the recording clear?”
Xiao Ye bent one leg. “Fine, enough for judgment.”
Then he pointed at Shen Yuetao and said sharply, “Take the logistics soldier Shen Yuetao to the security office! Charge her with hooliganism and investigate…”
As he pointed, Su Yemang noticed Xiao Ye’s wrist wrapped in bandages.
After Shen Yuetao was taken away, the scene finally quieted down.
The company commander spat out his root. “Move out!”
The rescue convoy began heading toward the back mountain.
Xiao Ye gave the commander a look.
The commander grinned, pretending to give orders. “Professor Su, someone else will ride in that car. You ride with Captain Xiao in the same vehicle.”
Su Yemang looked puzzled. “Huh?”
Xiao Ye remained silent, turning away, a subtle curve tugging at the corner of his mouth in the shadows.
The commander, seeing Xiao Ye’s faint smile, thought to himself, “Looks like Yezi likes Professor Su.”
The convoy departed one after another…
Xiao Ye glanced at Su Yemang, slightly moving his jaw. “Sit in the passenger seat.”
His gaze was irresistibly commanding.
“Okay.” Su Yemang stepped into the car.
In the next jeep, the window rolled down, revealing a stern face.
Zhou Lu stared at Su Yemang in the front car, like a hunter laying a long trap.
“Vroom ”
The jeep started…
Xiao Ye drove in silence.
The mountain road was bumpy, the car swaying.
Suddenly, Su Yemang pitched forward
“Ah…”
Xiao Ye held the steering wheel with one hand and quickly brushed her forehead with the back of his hand.
Su Yemang leaned back, her collar slipping slightly, revealing a patch of snow white skin.
Xiao Ye quickly averted his gaze, his ears flushing red.
“Thank you,” Su Yemang said from the passenger seat.
Xiao Ye drove silently, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror, his eyes landing on her forehead.
Su Yemang touched her seatbelt. “That recorder… when did you start recording?”
“Guess.” Xiao Ye’s tone rose slightly.