The night grew deeper, but the rain showed no sign of stopping.
Thunder outside the window sounded as though it would split the heavens and earth apart. Every now and then, a flash of lightning illuminated the room in a ghastly white.
Su Man curled up beneath the military coat. The pain in her back and the swelling in her ankle made it impossible for her to sleep. She could only half-close her eyes and listen to Lu Zhan’s steady breathing.
The man had his back to her, sleeping so rigidly that he looked as though he were standing at attention.
The air in the room had not yet completely settled from the commotion earlier when an even more oppressive atmosphere quietly descended.
Su Man’s ears twitched.
Something was wrong.
Apart from the sound of rain, there were footsteps in the hallway again.
This time, they were nothing like the chaotic footsteps from when Zhao Guihua had been making a scene. These footsteps were steady, forceful, and perfectly synchronized.
Military boots striking the concrete floor.
And there was more than one person.
Su Man’s eyes flew open, and her heart instantly leaped into her throat.
“Commander…” she whispered, trying to wake the man on the bed.
Lu Zhan had never been fully asleep. Before Su Man could even finish speaking, he had already turned over and sat up.
Even in the darkness, his eyes were frighteningly bright as they locked precisely onto the door.
He had heard them too.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
The knocking came again.
This time, there were no curses or shouting. Only a suffocating restraint and an unmistakable air of authority.
“Comrade Lu Zhan, are you asleep?”
A deep, middle-aged man’s voice came from outside the door. His voice was not loud, but it carried the unquestionable authority of a man accustomed to being in charge.
Su Man’s face instantly went pale, and her body began trembling uncontrollably.
She recognized that voice.
In her previous life, although she had never entered the military compound, she had heard this man’s voice countless times on the radio and seen his name in the newspapers.
He was Zheng Guobang, the political commissar of the military region.
He was famously impartial and uncompromising, a man who could not tolerate even the slightest wrongdoing.
That shrew, Zhao Guihua, had actually gone and brought this big shot here!
Lu Zhan’s expression darkened instantly, becoming even gloomier than the night outside.
He got out of bed and swiftly pulled on his military trousers. His upper body remained bare, the muscles in his body taut, every line radiating explosive strength.
“Hide.”
Lu Zhan lowered his head and glanced at Su Man on the floor. His voice was cold enough to freeze.
Su Man hurriedly tried to crawl underneath the bed.
“No.”
Lu Zhan grabbed her by the back of her collar and lifted her like a frightened chick.
“The political commissar is here. A place like under the bed is the first place anyone would check.”
According to regulations, if the political commissar personally led a team to inspect the quarters, they were authorized to search every corner.
Su Man was almost in tears.
“Then what do we do? The window?”
“Third floor. Jumping from there will leave you crippled.”
Lu Zhan cut her off coldly.
His gaze quickly swept across the cramped dormitory before finally settling on the large wardrobe standing in the corner.
It was an old wardrobe made of red pine, deep and spacious.
“Get inside.”
Lu Zhan pointed toward the wardrobe.
Su Man forgot all about her aching ankle and scrambled toward it.
But just as she opened the wardrobe door, Lu Zhan suddenly frowned.
His sharp eyes fixed on her.
Her padded jacket was completely soaked through, muddy water still dripping from it and giving off an unpleasant, sour smell.
Even worse, because of her frantic movements earlier, two buttons had popped off, revealing the coarse cloth shirt underneath. The shirt was soaked through as well, clinging tightly to her body.
Her figure was clearly outlined beneath the wet fabric.
Lu Zhan’s Adam’s apple bobbed once, and his eyes darkened.
“Take it off,” he ordered.
Su Man froze and instinctively covered her chest with both hands.
“What?”
“Do you want to fill my wardrobe with the smell of mud and rain?”
Lu Zhan gave her no time to react. He strode over, grabbed the white shirt hanging over the back of a chair—the uniform undershirt he was supposed to wear tomorrow—and tossed it at her.
“Wear this.”
He threw the shirt over Su Man’s head, shoved her directly into the wardrobe, and shut the door.
“If you don’t want to die, hold your breath.”
“Click.”
The instant the wardrobe door closed, the voices outside came again, this time more urgent.
“Lu Zhan? Open the door. Someone has reported that you’re hiding a fugitive in your quarters. This is a serious matter. I have to personally investigate.”
There was a trace of sternness in Political Commissar Zheng’s voice.
Lu Zhan took a deep breath and adjusted his breathing.
He casually picked up the cigarette case from the table, pulled out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips without lighting it.
Then, unhurriedly, he walked to the door and rested his palm on the handle.
In that instant, all the irritation and murderous intent on his face disappeared, replaced by the lazy impatience of a man who had just been awakened.
The door opened.
The hallway light streamed in, harsh and glaring.
Four or five people stood outside.
At the front was Political Commissar Zheng, wearing a Zhongshan suit, his expression stern.
Beside him stood the same security officer who had been so timid earlier. He was wiping sweat from his forehead, not daring to meet Lu Zhan’s eyes.
And bringing up the rear was Zhao Guihua, who had returned after leaving earlier.
The shrew had clearly found herself some powerful backing. Her back was straight, and her triangular eyes gleamed with malice and excitement.
She pointed at Lu Zhan and shouted shrilly,
“Political Commissar! It’s him! I saw it with my own eyes just now. That girl definitely came into this room! And he wouldn’t let us search it. He must be hiding something!”
Lu Zhan leaned against the doorframe, his bare upper body glowing bronze beneath the hallway lights.
The wound that had just been bandaged was faintly seeping blood, adding a wild, almost bloodthirsty edge to the man’s appearance.
He did not even look at Zhao Guihua. He merely gave Political Commissar Zheng a lazy salute.
“Commissar, it’s the middle of the night. What exactly is this supposed to be?”
Seeing Lu Zhan’s careless attitude, Political Commissar Zheng’s brows knitted into a deep frown.
“Lu Zhan, watch your attitude!”
Zheng stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp gaze sweeping through the room.
“This woman came to my house, crying that you were harboring her daughter-in-law, who had run away from an arranged marriage. Our military follows the principle of maintaining close relations between the army and the people. Conduct and discipline are a red line. Since you insist that no one is here, why are you afraid to let us take a look?”
“Let you take a look?”
Lu Zhan gave a cold laugh.
His tall body blocked the doorway, refusing to move an inch.
“Commissar, I’m a regimental-level officer. My quarters may not be a classified area, but that doesn’t mean some shrew from outside the military compound can search them whenever she pleases. If word gets out, where does that leave my dignity? And where does that leave the dignity of our military region?”
“Don’t use your rank to intimidate people!”
Zhao Guihua jumped forward, spittle flying as she shouted.
“I’ve already made inquiries. That girl never returned to the village! You’re the only one around here with a light on. Where else could she have gone? You saw that she’s pretty and got improper ideas about her!”
“Shut up!”
Lu Zhan suddenly turned his head.
His gaze was as vicious as an enraged wolf.
Zhao Guihua trembled in fright and instinctively retreated behind Political Commissar Zheng.
“Lu Zhan!”
Political Commissar Zheng shouted sharply.
“Whether there’s someone inside or not, we’ll know after we check. If there’s no one, I’ll have this woman apologize to you. I’ll even write you a formal apology myself. But for now, step aside!”
Political Commissar Zheng was, after all, Lu Zhan’s superior. With the matter put so bluntly, refusing any further would amount to disobeying an order.
Lu Zhan clenched his back teeth, then stepped aside and made room.
“Please.”
He uttered only one word, but his icy gaze remained fixed on Zhao Guihua as though he were staring at a dead woman.
Zhao Guihua was overjoyed and rushed inside first.
“You little brat! Let’s see where you can run now!”
Like a mad dog, she tore around the room.
Under the bed. Behind the curtains. Beneath the table…
Lu Zhan stood with his arms crossed, watching coldly.
The room was sparsely furnished and easy to see through at a glance.
“Nothing?”
Zhao Guihua crawled out from beneath the bed with a mouthful of dust, but there was nothing there.
Unwilling to give up, she got to her feet and frantically scanned the room.
Then her eyes locked onto the enormous red-pine wardrobe in the corner.
“There!”
Zhao Guihua screamed and pointed at the wardrobe.
“She’s in there! She has to be! That wardrobe is so big you could hide two people inside!”
Everyone’s gaze instantly converged on the wardrobe.
Lu Zhan’s fingers curled ever so slightly.
Political Commissar Zheng’s expression also turned grim.
If they really found a woman inside that wardrobe, Lu Zhan’s career would be completely ruined.
“Open it.”
Political Commissar Zheng’s voice was low and heavy.
Zhao Guihua’s hands trembled with excitement as she rushed over and grabbed the wardrobe door handle.
“Come out, you little slut!”