Zhao Hui arrived at the train station a bit early. Dressed in his dark green military uniform and standing over six feet tall, he stood out conspicuously in the crowd.
In less than ten minutes, three different people approached Zhao Hui—some asking for directions, others inquiring if he was waiting for someone or whether he was married.
Zhao Hui glanced at his watch and returned to his car to wait.
When he went back to the exit later, he didn’t expect the train to have arrived early. A crowd surged out, and he frowned slightly, raising the sign in his hand.
He had never met Xu Xia before and had no idea what she looked like. All he had was a name, so he had to wait for her to find him.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the crowd. Zhao Hui focused his gaze and saw a young girl fiercely dragging a man out.
“Don’t you know men and women shouldn’t touch? You’re just a girl pulling me like this—have you no shame?” The man was short and thin, which was why he couldn’t break free.
Xu Xia held onto the man with one hand and slapped him hard twice with the other. “I’m catching a thief, not trying to take advantage of you. I was careful the whole journey, but I never thought I’d run into a thief even after getting off the train.”
“Who’s a thief? What did I steal from you? You need evidence to make such claims!” The man stubbornly denied it.
“You reached into my bag—if you weren’t stealing, what were you doing?” What’s more, the guy had the nerve to grope her butt.
She absolutely despised these sneaky perverts. She’d already been fuming over the two men she encountered while transferring trains, and now she ran into another one right after getting off. This time, she wasn’t going to let it slide. “Brothers and sisters, could someone please call the police? This man stole from me and groped me!”
Everyone saw how pretty and striking the girl was, while the man looked shifty-eyed. Instantly, they sided with Xu Xia, and a kind-hearted man immediately offered to fetch the police.
Hearing the mention of the police, the man clearly panicked. He struggled violently, even trying to bite Xu Xia’s arm.
Xu Xia simply dropped her bundle, turned around, and executed a perfect shoulder throw, slamming the man hard onto the ground. She pressed her knee into his chest. “Bite me? Since the day I was born, I’ve hated men who get handsy.”
Still furious, she kicked him a couple more times, making him howl in pain.
Zhao Hui, who had been about to step in to help, had just lifted his foot when the young girl swiftly threw the man over her shoulder.
Not bad—the move was executed beautifully.
And she was fierce.
Soon, the police arrived. Only then did Xu Xia pick up her bundle from the ground and follow them to the police station to give her statement.
By the time Xu Xia walked out of the police station, half an hour had passed. It was then that she remembered the Zhao family had sent someone to pick her up. She hurried back to the exit.
Oh no, oh no—had they already left without waiting for her?
Clutching the photo, Xu Xia anxiously scanned the area. Just then, a man with a buzz cut and a military uniform emerged from the exit, his thick brows slightly furrowed. Xu Xia’s eyes lit up immediately.
Such a handsome man—she recognized him at a glance!
She was already late and wanted to make a good impression. Deliberately clearing her throat, she looked at him coquettishly and said, “Hello, comrade.”
Zhao Hui: …Was she talking to him?
Seeing his hesitation, Xu Xia gently smoothed her hair by her temple, shyly glanced up at him, then quickly averted her gaze. “Comrade, my name is Xu Xia. I just had to go to the police station—sorry to keep you waiting. You… you’re my Childhood Sweetheart, aren’t you?”
Xu Xia?
Childhood Sweetheart?
Zhao Hui waited but didn’t see anyone, so he went into the station to inquire. Upon learning that the train had already departed, he wondered if Xu Xia had missed her stop—that would be troublesome.
Unexpectedly, just as he stepped out, the young woman from earlier called out to him.
His family had described Xu Erzhong as dark-skinned and sturdy, but the girl before him had skin as fair as snow. His mother had also said Xu Erzhong was as strong as an ox, and Zhao Hui recalled how she had just thrown a thief over her shoulder.
She had been fierce moments ago, but now…
“Look, this is the photo your family sent me.” Seeing him frozen, Xu Xia raised the photo in her hand.
She glanced at the photo, then at the tall man before her—no mistake, it was him.
Zhao Hui was baffled again. When his family had sent the reply letter, his nephew hadn’t run away from the marriage yet. His father had written the reply based on his nephew’s engagement—how could they have sent his photo?
Xu Xia watched as Zhao Hui’s frown deepened. Was he dissatisfied with her?
That shouldn’t be the case. They had just met, and by all accounts, she was quite beautiful. Without knowing her personality, he couldn’t possibly be disappointed already.
“Look, this is the letter your family sent me. After receiving it, I sent a telegram. You are Zhao Hui, the second son of the Zhao family, right?” Xu Xia confirmed again.
Zhao Hui took the letter and immediately recognized his nephew’s handwriting.
Well, well, this kid actually dared to scheme against him!
To ensure his own successful escape from the marriage, he had pushed him into it instead?
Zhao Hui’s thin lips pressed together coldly, which Xu Xia interpreted as the man’s displeasure. Could it be that he was unhappy with this arranged marriage?
Fortunately, Xu Xia had mentally prepared herself before coming. As Xu Chun had said, someone as outstanding as him might very well be dissatisfied with a prearranged Childhood Sweetheart marriage.
Putting herself in his shoes, Xu Xia wouldn’t want it either.
Of course, Xu Xia hadn’t fallen head over heels in love with him just because he was handsome and wanted to marry him. It was only after considering everything that she concluded marrying Zhao Hui would allow her to live more comfortably in this era, which was why she chose him.
For Xu Xia, having traveled through time, what mattered most wasn’t romance or love, but ensuring her own comfort and happiness.
Marriage was like her job—if there was a suitable partner who was also good-looking, why not go for it?
As for whether she liked him or not, they had just met, and she wasn’t some lovesick fool.
Since he seemed unwilling, she wouldn’t force it. But as he stood there staring at the letter without moving, her stomach chose that moment to growl twice. She quickly covered her abdomen and whispered, “Comrade?”
Her tone was soft and slightly timid. When Zhao Hui looked over, her bright eyes fluttered, her eyelashes blinking as if tickling him.
Almost involuntarily, he replied, “Yes.”
Hearing his confirmation, Xu Xia breathed a sigh of relief. “Where should we go now?”
Zhao Hui heard her stomach growl again. “Let’s eat first.”
They went to a nearby state-owned restaurant. Xu Xia couldn’t figure out what Zhao Hui was thinking, but she was certain he wasn’t very satisfied with her. From start to finish, he had been aloof, exuding an aura that kept others at a distance.
All the strategies Xu Xia had planned along the way were now useless, so she gave up. Since the marriage might not happen, she needed to secure her job. After the meal, wanting to learn about the Zhao family’s situation, she cautiously asked, “Zhao… Comrade Zhao, does your family all live together now?”
“Not exactly. I mostly live at the military base.” Zhao Hui was driving, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young woman hesitating to speak. He thought to himself that when she was catching the thief, Xu Xia hadn’t been like this—who knew she had two different sides to her.
Xu Xia couldn’t get any answers from Zhao Hui and gave up again. Watching the car enter the family compound, her heart tightened.
The Zhao family lived in a detached house with a large yard where cars could be driven directly into the garage. As soon as Xu Xia got out of the car, she saw a half-gray-haired elderly man walking briskly toward them. Without needing to guess, she knew it was Old Master Zhao.
She instinctively called out, “Grandpa Zhao.”
Zhao Hui turned his head to look at Xu Xia: …Grandpa Zhao?
Zhao Manfu was too happy to notice anything unusual about Xu Xia’s address. “They say girls change greatly as they grow up. You were already pretty as a child, but I never expected you to become so beautiful. Come inside quickly. We’ve prepared food and have been reheating it repeatedly since you were late.”
Hearing this, Xu Xia felt somewhat embarrassed but didn’t dare say she had already eaten. She obediently followed Old Master Zhao inside.
When He Hongying saw Xu Xia, she froze directly. “You’re Xu Xia? Xu Erzhong’s daughter?”
Xu Xia nodded yes.
“This…” He Hongying rubbed her eyes, thinking she might be seeing things. Wasn’t it said that daughters resemble their fathers? How come Xu Xia turned out so beautiful?
Zhao Manfu chimed in from the side, “Xu Xia takes after her mother. You’ve never met her mother so you wouldn’t know. Come, come, have a seat. I didn’t know what you like to eat, so I had them prepare braised pork and braised ribbonfish. Please try them.”
He genuinely welcomed Xu Xia from the bottom of his heart. This delicate young girl seemed gentle and soft-natured. Without parental protection all these years, she must have suffered countless hardships. Just thinking about this made the old man’s eyes moisten.
He Hongying quietly asked what was wrong.
“Thinking about how much Xu Xia and her brother have suffered these years breaks my heart.” Zhao Manfu wiped his eyes. “Xu Xia, may I call you Xiaxia from now on?”
Xu Xia nodded shyly, “Of course, Grandpa Zhao. That’s what my grandmother calls me too.”
Watching Old Master Zhao serve her food, she quickly said, “That’s enough, that’s enough. I… actually…”
Before Xu Xia could finish, Zhao Manfu interrupted, “Look how thin you are – clearly you haven’t been eating properly. Xiaxia, you’ve suffered too much. From now on, this is your home. I’ll take charge of your marriage to my second son – tomorrow I’ll have you two go file the marriage report!”
The old man desperately wanted his son to marry quickly. As soon as he finished speaking, his wife beside him changed the subject, asking Xu Xia about her journey and whether she encountered any dangers.
“Everything was fine.” Xu Xia knew elderly people liked obedient and sensible children, so she didn’t mention the thief incident since it had already been resolved.
But the rice in her bowl was truly too much. She secretly glanced at Zhao Hui – strange, why wasn’t he objecting?
After the meal, He Hongying took Xu Xia upstairs to see the bedroom. She never expected Xu Xia to be so beautiful – just based on appearance, she was quite satisfied. But her son hadn’t said a word the entire time – did he not fancy this girl?
He Hongying wanted her son to be happy, so regarding the marriage report, she specifically said, “Your Uncle Zhao was too excited seeing you today and spoke too hastily. But marriage is a serious matter. You and my second son should get to know each other first, don’t you think?”
“Actually, I…”
“I understand completely. As a girl, you’re naturally more reserved. I’ll have my second son spend more time with you during this period.” He Hongying patted Xu Xia’s shoulder. “If there’s anything in the room you’re not satisfied with, just tell me and I’ll replace it for you.”
Xu Xia wanted to say that they didn’t have to force themselves to get along, but He Hongying didn’t give her a chance to speak, so she had to swallow her words.
The things prepared by the Zhao family were naturally all excellent—pure cotton bedding, with quilts that were fluffy and soft to the touch, completely different from those in the Xu family.
Exhausted from barely sleeping on the train, Xu Xia fell asleep as soon as she lay down on the bed.
Meanwhile, in the study, Zhao Manfu was lecturing his son, “What, you’re not happy about being told to submit the marriage report?”
“Dad, I’ll make my own decisions. When it comes to marriage, no one else gets a say.” Zhao Hui hated being forced into anything. Since childhood, it had always been this way. His father wanted him to join the army, but he insisted on joining the air force. Over this matter, father and son had a huge argument. Zhao Hui was beaten so badly he couldn’t get out of bed, yet he still stubbornly signed up to become an air force pilot.
“What? Is the girl not good enough for you? She’s pretty and gentle. With your terrible temper, I’d say you’re the one who’s not good enough for her!” Zhao Manfu felt like scolding his younger son every time he saw him. “Am I wrong? That delicate young girl doesn’t even dare to smile in front of you. Who would like someone so fierce?”
Delicate?
Zhao Hui laughed, which only made the old man angrier. He slammed the table and yelled, “Get out! Submit the marriage report tomorrow, you hear me?”
Zhao Hui left the study expressionlessly and ran into his mother eavesdropping.
He Hongying didn’t feel embarrassed at all and tried to talk to her son, but he walked straight out the door.
She had no choice but to go into the study and scold her husband, “Why are you so harsh with our son? Xu Xia is already here. Why not let them spend some time together naturally? Your rush is only making both kids awkward and resistant. You really don’t understand young people’s feelings at all!”
“What do you mean I don’t understand? Such a beautiful girl—I really don’t know what’s wrong with our second son!”
When it came to beauty, He Hongying quite agreed. Even in the military’s cultural troupe, she had never seen such a pretty girl.
This made her equally puzzled—could it be that her son didn’t like pretty girls?
He Hongying frowned deeply. This was a serious problem!
The next day, Zhao Hui indeed didn’t submit the marriage report because his unit was suddenly assigned a mission. He didn’t return until three days later.
Just back at the dormitory, before he could even change his clothes, his roommate gave him a mysterious grin.
“Spit it out if you have something to say.” Zhao Hui picked up a water glass and drank heavily.
“Never would’ve guessed—you always act so serious, but it turns out you have a Childhood Sweetheart,” Bai Shijian said in a teasing tone. “Hey, there’s no one else here. We’ve been roommates for so long, good buddies—tell me the truth. Are you unhappy because she’s ugly?”
Lately, he could clearly sense Zhao Hui’s foul mood. Normally grumpy, he’d been even worse these past few days.
Ugly?
Zhao Hui frowned and looked over, “Where did you hear about this Childhood Sweetheart?”
“Your dad mentioned it while drinking with my grandpa. He said the girl is at your place, but you deliberately went off on a mission. He insisted you must’ve done it on purpose. He also said the girl is really great—sweet-tongued, beautiful, and with a wonderful personality.”
Bai Shijian shook his head as he spoke, “But my grandpa said he remembers your Childhood Sweetheart’s father—built like a brick outhouse. You can never take elders’ descriptions of beauty seriously. Like when my grandma set me up on a blind date, she said the girl was gorgeous. But when I met her, she had enough freckles to fry up a whole plate.”
Bai Shijian was speaking animatedly, failing to notice Zhao Hui’s face had turned as dark as charcoal.
Was the old man switching tactics from coercion to solidifying this arranged marriage within the family compound?
“Hey Zhao Hui, don’t leave! You haven’t told me what that girl looks like yet!” By the time Bai Shijian turned his head, Zhao Hui had already opened the door and left. Not daring to make enough noise for others to hear, he could only press his lips together, planning to personally see what Zhao Hui’s Childhood Sweetheart looked like when they returned to the family compound.