Su Yemang, “……”
The convoy drove all the way to the back mountain, heading straight for the southwestern border.
Xiao Ye braced himself against the car door and quickly got out.
Su Yemang tried to open the door but couldn’t, her cheeks flushing with anxiety.
Xiao Ye looked at her, then climbed up onto the vehicle.
His arm swept across in front of her
A nine foot tall body leaned toward her and reached for the car door handle.
He didn’t move.
At this moment, they were only two inches apart.
Xiao Ye turned his head and saw Su Yemang’s stunning face.
His breath caught, and in his mind, only the sound of his heartbeat echoed.
Su Yemang forgot to breathe.
One second, two seconds.
“You… you’re still not opening the door?” Su Yemang said, shoulders stiff.
Xiao Ye’s mouth twitched. “I can open the door.
But first… a kiss.”
Su Yemang froze. “Huh?”
“Just kidding.” Xiao Ye twisted the handle and got out of the car.
Su Yemang, still holding her breath, felt her cheeks trembling and froze in her seat.
Xiao Ye looked at her. “Still not getting out?”
Su Yemang finally gasped for air. “Heh… uh… okay.”
Xiao Ye leaned against the car with a military style backpack. “Nervous?”
Su Yemang swallowed her lower lip. “You… what are you talking about? Who’s nervous…”
Xiao Ye bit his tongue. Suddenly, he felt a twinge of nervousness too. He was afraid what if she resisted this time?
He had once been so confident, so persistent and flirtatious in winning Su Yemang over.
But she had left before. Now he wasn’t sure. If he pushed too far, what if she… disappeared again?
What to do…
He lowered his head. He heard Su Yemang angrily stepping out of the car with her tool bag. He pulled back his thoughts and smiled.
At that moment, the company commander arrived.
He gave instructions seriously: “Yezi, we handle the rescue. You and Professor Su go to the battery graveyard center…”
Xiao Ye nodded. “Okay, senior company, you go ahead.”
After the briefing, the rescue team moved to the last known signal points of Fu Yang and Wei Xiaoqing…
Xiao Ye’s voice was sharp. “Border patrol squad, assemble!”
The squad leader saluted. “Awaiting orders, Captain.”
Xiao Ye’s voice was calm and commanding. “Bring automatic rifles, portable radios, ropes, and proceed to the edge of the minefield…”
After the squad departed, Xiao Ye and Su Yemang headed to the battery graveyard center, which had many deep, dark, hidden pits.
He looked at Su Yemang seriously. “Professor Su, be careful around the pits near the nuclear battery graveyard. Once you fall in, it’s very hard to get out.”
Su Yemang adjusted her tool bag. “Mm, got it.”
The sky darkened further.
Su Yemang held a detector…
The southwestern border was noisy.
Hours later, a phone call brought good news “Captain Fu and Guard Wei Xiaoqing are rescued!”
The entire forest erupted with cheers.
Then came the crackling sound of electric sirens.
“Attention all! Rescue successful. Except for the border patrol squad, all personnel withdraw to the military district immediately…”
Rustling sounds. Boots stamping. The rumble of jeeps descending the mountain kept echoing.
Night had fallen completely.
On the mountain remained only Xiao Ye’s border patrol squad and Su Yemang.
Xiao Ye spoke into the radio. “Border Patrol Team One. Immediately circle the mountain and maintain the area cleared by the Wild Wolf Special Forces…”
At the nuclear battery graveyard, Xiao Ye assisted Su Yemang in completing the data collection.
They then spent two more grueling hours searching the graveyard.
Su Yemang directed Xiao Ye with precision, digging out an enemy experimental battery.
She carefully packed it into a special case.
The work was nearly complete.
At that moment, a wolf howl came from a distance on Fengyun Mountain.
Su Yemang shivered slightly at the shoulders.
She accidentally stepped on an animal bone, panicked, and stumbled.
“Ah…”
Xiao Ye immediately steadied her.
Su Yemang whispered, “Thank you.”
His palm held her arm, the space between his thumb and forefinger supporting her waist.
So delicate.
Xiao Ye frowned, the line of his jaw tightening, giving his face a sharp, sculpted look.
He lowered his eyes to look at Su Yemang. Her once vibrant, beautiful face had grown much slimmer over the years.
Xiao Ye took a step back. “Have you been in a bad mood all these years?”
Su Yemang lowered her gaze. “Why do you ask that?”
Xiao Ye looked away. “When you’re in a bad mood, you eat less.”
Su Yemang felt a heaviness in her chest and didn’t argue.
Xiao Ye continued, “Your marriage didn’t go well, so you divorced, and that’s why you’re unhappy?”
He instinctively avoided himself, bitterly implying: she wouldn’t be upset over me.
She left decisively and cleanly.
Su Yemang took a deep breath. “I don’t want to talk about those things.”
“Don’t want to talk about it.”
“Then let me ask something simple who was your ex husband?” Xiao Ye asked, his voice hoarse.
Su Yemang answered softly, “You don’t need to know.”
Xiao Ye smiled. “I don’t need to know… or does no one need to know?”
“Su Yemang, you really are mysterious. No one in the entire compound knows who you married and divorced in our military district.”
Su Yemang felt her eyes sting. “Don’t ask me. I… I don’t want to talk about it.”
Her voice grew hoarse as she spoke. The arranged marriage with Xia Guanfeng had been short and awkward. It had saved her father, but hurt everyone else.
Including herself.
The moonlight outside streamed in, hitting her reddened eyelids.
Xiao Ye looked at her eyes, red and shining, and felt as if someone had grabbed his heart he could hardly breathe.
He asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”
She parted her lips slightly, the ripples in her pupils blurred. “I’m fine, Ye…”
“No. Captain Xiao.”
Xiao Ye’s heart suddenly sank.
His hand loosened.
It had been five years since she last called him by his name.
He turned, warm breath rolling off him.
Su Yemang looked up.
Their eyes met.
Xiao Ye’s eyes were dark and unreadable. “Su Yemang, even now…”
“Do you still think I’m bad in bed?”
Su Yemang’s mind went numb. “Yes!”
She felt guilty, because that night, Xiao Ye had left her trembling with ecstasy as usual.
Xiao Ye’s eyes glistened with red. “Then… five years ago?”
Su Yemang bit her lip. “I don’t remember.”
Xiao Ye’s gaze darkened. “You don’t remember?”
He stepped closer. “Should I make you remember?”
Su Yemang: “……”
After that, Xiao Ye slung his military backpack over his shoulder and headed toward the riverside in the back mountain…
Su Yemang panicked. “Xiao Ye, where are you going?”
From a distance, he looked at her. “If you don’t dare come, fine.”
Su Yemang’s hair stood on end, her heart pounding.
After five years of distance, being close to Xiao Ye now, his words ignited something in her.
But she couldn’t agree.
Xiao Ye ran back, teasing her. “Professor Su, have you thought it through?”
Su Yemang turned. “Stop messing around. I need to take notes.”
She headed to the nuclear battery graveyard.
Xiao Ye’s lips twitched, regaining his serious demeanor, and followed to assist.
He helped with lighting. Forty minutes later, Su Yemang finished recording the graveyard data.
Night had completely fallen.
Su Yemang exhaled. “Captain Xiao, the mission is complete. Shall we go?”
Xiao Ye said, “Mm,” and turned to her.
He removed his backpack and fumbled for something…
A moment later, he handed Su Yemang a thermos. “Drink this. It’s cold on the mountain.”
Su Yemang didn’t answer, didn’t bother being polite, and drank.
It was honey water.
Just like a few years ago, when they were dating, he still remembered she liked this kind of grapefruit honey water.
Her thoughts returned, and her amber eyes reflected the complexity in Xiao Ye’s gaze.
Su Yemang handed back the thermos. “Why are you staring at me?”
Xiao Ye took it. “If you don’t look at me, how would you know I’m looking at you?”
Su Yemang raised her eyes. “Why would I look? You’re fierce and unreasonable. I don’t have time for that.”
Xiao Ye suddenly became serious. “You say I’m fierce… does that mean you like gentleness?”
Su Yemang exhaled twice. “Yes, the complete opposite of you. I like gentle men the most.”
Xiao Ye suddenly fell silent.
After a while, he said in a low voice, “Is that so… was your ex husband the gentle type?”