Jiang Li did not notice.
The path through the cornfield was not easy to walk.
As Jiang Li staggered forward, she cleverly lowered her body, guiding the corn stalks to bend inward.
The man behind her scrambled to his feet to chase, only to be struck in the face by the falling stalks, unable to see clearly.
The distance between them quickly widened.
Suddenly, Jiang Li recalled the startled cry of the corn stalks in her mind:
“He threw a knife! It’s over, this woman is going to be hacked to death!”
Jiang Li shuddered in fright and quickly darted into the row of corn on the left.
She pushed through several rows in succession.
Looking up, she saw light ahead—it was clearly the edge of the field.
Overjoyed, she instantly quickened her pace.
“Who’s there?”
A tall, upright figure suddenly blocked the light.
The voice was low and cold, sharp as a blade.
Jiang Li was startled, thinking it was an accomplice.
Just as she lamented her bad luck, she caught sight of a green military uniform through the sparse gaps in the corn leaves.
A soldier.
“Comrade, help!”
Jiang Li rushed forward and threw herself into the man’s arms.
Panting, she pointed behind her.
“There’s a spy—he has a knife! Hurry, go after him!”
A thin sheen of sweat rolled down her fair, jade-like face,
carrying a faint, elegant floral scent from her pores,
stirring and enticing.
Her waist, within reach, was soft and boneless.
At the moment she rushed over,
the impact against his chest seemed to ripple into his heart.
Si Nanchen heard his own heartbeat, uncontrollable, pounding like thunder.
Jiang Li, however, did not notice anything unusual about the man.
In her panic, she looked up.
Against the light, she couldn’t clearly see his features.
She could only make out his chiseled, resolute outline and the sensual movement of his Adam’s apple.
Her palm pressed against his chest, where his heartbeat was clearly audible.
“Commander Si!”
Two guards who had followed closely behind spoke in low voices.
The man suddenly came back to his senses, pushed her away, and said in a deep voice, “Chase!”
“Yes!”
The two guards quickly plunged into the cornfield.
The man was about to move as well, but Jiang Li suddenly grabbed his wrist.
“Wait!”
Don’t rush—she hadn’t told him where the man had run yet!
Her slightly cool palm was damp with lingering panic.
It sent a numb sensation through his arm.
His heartbeat became even more chaotic, and he instinctively shook her hand off.
Jiang Li stumbled backward from the force, instinctively reaching for support.
But she grabbed a piece of cold metal.
There was a click.
When she came to her senses, she found a section of a military belt in her hand.
She had actually pulled his belt loose.
Their eyes met.
Only then did she clearly see the man’s face.
His features were cold and sharp, his skin pale, exuding authority and nobility.
It completely overturned her impression that soldiers were all rough and burly men.
“How long are you going to hold it?”
The tips of the man’s ears were red, and his deep voice had turned slightly hoarse.
Jiang Li’s face instantly flushed red as she quickly let go.
“Sorry, I…”
But she forgot that her body was still supported by the belt.
She was about to fall straight to the ground,
when a large hand suddenly pulled her up and held her tightly in his arms.
The half-loosened belt pressed against her lower abdomen.
The man’s warm breath brushed her cheek like a blazing furnace,
making her body tremble uncontrollably.
Having lived two lifetimes,
she had never been this close to any man.
Her small hand pressed against her chest, flustered.
“Co… comrade.”
With the distance so close, that elegant, alluring floral scent became even more intoxicating.
Si Nanchen suppressed the stir in his heart and quickly released her, his distinct fingers swiftly fixing his belt.
“What were you trying to say just now?”
At the mention of business,
Jiang Li snapped back to her senses, forcing down the flutter in her heart and calming herself.
She closed her eyes, carefully discerning the noisy chatter of the surrounding plants.
After a moment, she pointed in a direction.
“He ran that way. Someone’s there to meet him. Comrade, hurry.”
The man’s dark eyes scrutinized her with suspicion.
“How do you know?”
Jiang Li was focused on catching the spy and couldn’t explain, so she casually brushed it off.
“He said it when he was holding me hostage just now.”
The man’s gaze fell on her slender, fair neck, noticing the wound cut by the blade.
The coldness in his eyes deepened.
“Go wait by the military vehicle. Don’t run around.”
After speaking, he turned and chased in the direction Jiang Li had indicated.
In less than ten minutes, they returned. The two guards escorted the captured spy and the person who had come to assist him.
“Commander Si, good thing you were sharp and guessed the direction he ran. If we were any later, that kid would’ve gotten into the car and escaped.”
Si Nanchen’s sharp gaze once again turned toward Jiang Li.
It wasn’t his sharpness—it was this girl.
Even if she had heard something,
the cornfield stretched for hundreds of acres—how could she know the exact direction so precisely?
Even he would need to track footprints to confirm.
Who exactly was this girl?
Jiang Li felt uneasy under his intense gaze, an inexplicable sense of being stripped bare making her uncomfortable.
Her heartbeat became chaotic again.
Embarrassed, she tugged at her collar, only to touch the wound on her neck.
She hissed in pain.
“Are you alright?”
The man stepped closer,
his pleasant scent almost enveloping her entirely.
The sense of pressure was overwhelming.
She quickly shook her head.
“I’m fine, just a small injury. Thank you today.”
The man’s gaze darkened slightly, his cold lips pressing together.
“Why are you here?”
A military zone, and she had just happened to encounter a spy.
It was indeed suspicious.
Jiang Li wasn’t offended by his questioning—it was understandable.
She immediately took out a letter of introduction from her bag.
Her eyes were clear and bright,
calm and composed.
“I’m here to marry into the military.”
The man paused upon hearing this. Seeing the official stamp on the letter, he felt relieved, yet a trace of disappointment rose in his heart.
So she was a military family member. No wonder.
The men in the army were all outstanding; naturally, their families were as well.
In that case, it wasn’t surprising that this girl had some abilities.
Still, she looked quite young—
and she was here to get married?
The inexplicable stir in his heart gradually faded into calm.
His gaze softened slightly. He didn’t take the letter, only said,
“I see. It’s still some distance to the guard post, and it’s not easy to find. Xiao Li, take her there.”
The man took custody of the suspects and signaled Jiang Li to follow the guard.
Jiang Li thanked him again and got into the military vehicle, heading toward the station.
Dust rose and scattered across the surrounding cornfields.
No one noticed
that one patch of corn grew differently from the rest.
Its leaves were lush and upright,
full of vitality,
as if they had just drunk their fill of water.
Another guard watched the departing vehicle and clicked his tongue.
“People really can’t be compared. That girl just now was not only beautiful but also brave and calm in danger. I wonder who’s so lucky to have such an outstanding fiancée.”
Si Nanchen shot him a sharp glance.
His tone turned cold.
“Who are you comparing her to?”
“Of course to your fiancée who ran away because she feared hardship—”
The guard stopped midway, realizing his mistake, and quickly shut his mouth.
Standing at attention, he admitted his fault.
“Commander Si, I’ll add extra training when we get back.”
Si Nanchen turned to look again in the direction Jiang Li had left.
A faint emptiness lingered in his heart.
“I’ve already submitted an application to the political commissar to cancel the engagement. Don’t bring this up again.”
The engagement had only been arranged by the older generation. Since the other party was unwilling, he wouldn’t force it.
Once the application was approved, he would send the notice back to the village, and from then on, they would have nothing to do with each other.