Zou Zhanyang’s expression remained blank. “So your way of thanking me is taking me to the park?”
“What do you mean taking a walk? It’s for cultivating the mind, okay? Walk a bit, stroll a bit… and you might even meet some ladies. Who knows, you might stumble upon a romantic encounter…”
Before he could finish, Lu Siyuan’s expression changed drastically, as if he’d seen a ghost. “Damn it! She shows up when I don’t want her to… Why is Cao Qinqin here?! I’m really scared of her. Old Zou, I’ll hide for now. If she asks about me, just tell her I’m not here.”
Before Zou Zhanyang could respond, Lu Siyuan vanished like the wind.
…
To reach the destination, one had to cross a bridge over the water, shaped like the character “己,” entirely made of wood and painted red. The path wasn’t wide, barely enough for two or three people to walk side by side.
A few people were scattered on the bridge—just a handful.
“Move aside!”
A sharp female voice came from behind. Shen Qingjun quickly stepped aside, her loose hair fluttering in the wind. In the next instant, someone dashed forward, straight toward the end of the bridge, where the red railing barely reached half a person’s height.
Seeing the woman about to fall into the water, Shen Qingjun reached out and grabbed her collar, pulling her back.
Cao Qinqin landed on her butt, stunned for a moment. She looked down and saw grayish-black stains on her white dress, and cursed loudly, “Can’t you watch where you’re going? My dress is dirty now!”
Cao Qinqin was clearly annoyed. She had put effort into dressing up today, all for seeing Lu Siyuan, and now her dress was ruined—how could she face him?
Shen Qingjun was speechless. She saved someone’s life, only to get scolded in return.
A cold snort escaped her. “Yeah, my head doesn’t have eyes at the back either, but today I finally see someone whose eyes are actually on top of their head.”
Someone nearby snickered.
Cao Qinqin finally realized what had been said. Her face turned red and pale in turn. Seeing Shen Qingjun about to leave, she angrily grabbed her arm.
“Hey, lady, I just saw it! That girl clearly saved you, and you’re not grateful? On top of that, you flip it around and blame her! You dress well, but your manners are terrible—shameful!”
Cao Qinqin’s face reddened further, whether from anger or embarrassment, she glared at Shen Qingjun and stormed off.
Shen Qingjun didn’t dwell on the minor incident. The priority was to find the person she was supposed to meet.
Scanning around, her gaze fell on a man sitting on a bench by the lake. He wore a military uniform, sitting upright. From the way his legs were bent, he seemed quite tall. But when she noticed his full beard, she hesitated.
Maybe he hadn’t arrived yet?
Another glance confirmed that, besides that man, no one else in the park wore a military uniform. Everyone else was in pairs, clearly couples.
Shen Qingjun had to accept the harsh reality. Taking a deep breath, she stepped toward the man.
“Zhou… Comrade Zhou?”
The woman’s voice sounded familiar. Zou Zhanyang recognized her—she was the woman from the state-run restaurant.
Zou Zhanyang instinctively thought she was hitting on him, and his previous goodwill vanished. His mind went blank, no interest in anyone else.
He looked up, ready to refuse,
…But froze in the next instant.
Shen Qingjun saw that the man didn’t respond at all, not even looking up. Already unimpressed by his appearance, her impression worsened.
How strange. In the book, Zhou Weiguo was described as handsome, gentle, and kind. How could the man in front of her look like a wild man? If he weren’t wearing a uniform, she might have thought he was a homeless person from some remote corner.
Could it be deliberate? Maybe this Zhou didn’t like her, and purposely looked messy to scare her off?
Realizing this, Shen Qingjun’s feelings became complicated. She’d always known she was beautiful, and many admirers had chased her. This was the first time someone outright rejected her.
She felt disappointed. Maybe the story couldn’t be changed, and she’d have to go with the Shen family to the countryside?
Thinking of her original self’s miserable fate, serving the Shen family in the countryside and dying tragically, she became anxious.
She decided to try one last time. If he clearly refused, she would look for someone else. Given her limited social circle compared to Shen Hanyang, the most suitable choice was probably still the man in front of her.
Taking a deep breath, she softened her voice, appearing pitiful. “Comrade Zhou, you probably know my family situation. The Shen family is about to be sent down. As their biological daughter, I might be implicated. I know it’s inappropriate to say this, but I really have no one else. Could… could you marry me?”
Her voice wavered with forced tears.
Zou Zhanyang felt a pang in his heart, wanting to hold her in his arms. Firmly, he said, “I will.”
Shen Qingjun froze. Tears still on her lashes, she looked up and fell into a deep, bottomless abyss—the man’s black eyes were intense, a mix of suppressed passion and ecstasy.
Feeling slightly awkward, she pressed her lips together. “You really will?”
Looking at the person she had longed for, Zou Zhanyang’s heartbeat raced. Every beat struck his chest forcefully.
He realized what had been stirring in him all day—he was probably in love at first sight.
At that moment, he felt like he had been chosen like a precious treasure, trembling, careful, afraid it was all a dream.
Shen Qingjun, dazed, thought: He agreed? So easily? And what about that full beard?
Catching his glance that hadn’t yet been withdrawn, she suddenly realized: he liked her.
Her heart relaxed, and a sweet smile spread across her face. “Can we get the marriage certificate first?”
“Tomorrow… no, today I’ll go submit the marriage report.”
Shen Qingjun’s voice was like it had sugar in it. Zou Zhanyang’s ears burned.
Ah, she almost forgot—military marriages couldn’t directly go to the civil affairs office; they needed to submit a report first, undergo political vetting, and so on, which usually took at least two weeks.
At this point, they couldn’t risk losing it.
Shen Qingjun tugged at his sleeve, looking pitiful. “Can it be faster? I’m afraid we won’t have time.”
Zou Zhanyang felt his heart about to leap out. He nodded solemnly, “I’ll apply for a green channel. If all goes smoothly, we can get it tomorrow.”
Shen Qingjun’s smile widened. Her already beautiful face became even more captivating. “Comrade Zhou, thank you!”
“Zou Zhanyang,” he corrected with a light cough.
“Oh,” she said. “I’m Shen Qingjun, the… biological daughter of Chief of Staff Shen Hanyang.”
She glanced at Zou Zhanyang. Seeing no reaction, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t realized that the person supposed to meet him today was Shen Xinwei—good, no need to find an excuse.
So, he wasn’t Zhou, but Zou.
On second thought, could a battalion commander really get the fast track to submit the marriage report and have the certificate the next day? That seemed a bit too much power.
Maybe Shen Hanyang helped. If he found out she married someone he had specifically chosen for Shen Xinwei, he would probably be furious. But she wasn’t planning to tell him now.
After seeing her beloved leave, Zou Zhanyang couldn’t wait to go home and write the marriage report.
“Commander Zou, you’re still here?”
Zhou Weiguo looked exhausted. That female comrade was incredibly difficult. He had accompanied her to the park entrance. She wanted him to escort her home, then asked him in for tea, and finally made it home—only for him to dash off in panic.
Returning, wiping the sweat, he scanned left and right, spinning 360 degrees, but couldn’t find anyone.
Seeing Zou Zhanyang still there, he stepped forward to greet him.