Time seemed to freeze in that instant.
The wardrobe handle twisted in Zhao Guihua’s rough, calloused hand, letting out an ear-piercing creak.
Lu Zhan stood at the doorway. His arms, which had been folded across his chest, slowly dropped to his sides. Every muscle in his body was taut, like a bow pulled to its limit. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant—
If Su Man were dragged out, how was he supposed to explain this?
Say he was helping a woman in distress? A man and woman alone together in a room, with the woman barely dressed—no one would believe that excuse.
Say she was a spy? That would be even worse. The security department would intervene, and Su Man would be taken away for interrogation. Even if she survived, she would suffer terribly.
The only solution would be to suppress them by force. He could protect her first, even if it meant receiving a disciplinary penalty.
Just as Lu Zhan was about to make his move—
The wardrobe door opened.
There was no scream or struggle as expected.
A fair, slender hand, trembling ever so slightly, emerged from the darkness of the wardrobe and gently rested on the edge of the door.
The hand was so pale that it seemed to glow like jade beneath the dim lamplight, forming a stark contrast with Zhao Guihua’s rough, bark-like hand.
Then—
A figure slowly stepped out.
The entire room fell silent.
It was as though even the air had stopped moving.
Zhao Guihua’s mouth fell open. A strange, choking gurgle escaped her throat, as if someone had grabbed her by the neck.
Political Commissar Zheng, standing behind her, and the few security officers who had come to watch the commotion nearly had their eyes pop out.
It really was a woman.
But she was absolutely not the dirty, disheveled village girl they had imagined.
Su Man was barefoot, her feet touching the cold concrete floor.
She wore an oversized white men’s shirt—the one belonging to Lu Zhan. It fit him snugly, but on her, it looked as though a little girl had secretly borrowed an adult’s clothes.
The hem of the shirt barely covered the tops of her thighs, revealing a pair of long, straight legs, fair and shapely enough to catch the eye.
Because she had been soaked by the rain and was running a fever, her skin carried a delicate, feverish flush. Her wet black hair fell loosely over her shoulders, with several strands clinging to her cheeks. Droplets of water traced the elegant line of her collarbone before disappearing beneath the suggestive neckline.
Innocent, yet irresistibly alluring.
Like a naïve little enchantress who had only just taken human form.
Su Man was actually terrified.
Her legs were weak, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt as though it might burst. But she knew this was her only chance.
Show weakness.
Take advantage of a man’s instinct to protect.
She didn’t look at Zhao Guihua or Political Commissar Zheng.
The moment she stepped out, her misty, reddened, almond-shaped eyes fixed directly on Lu Zhan.
Then, in front of everyone, she took two quick steps on her bare feet and darted behind him.
Her small, delicate hand timidly reached out and tugged at the seam of his military trousers.
“Brother Zhan…”
Her voice was soft and sweet, thick with a nasal tone and grievance.
It was like a feather gently brushing across the heart, or an electric current shooting straight down the spine.
Lu Zhan’s entire body stiffened.
Brother Zhan?
What had this woman just called him?
In his twenty-eight years of life, people had called him “Regimental Commander Lu,” “Commander,” “the Devil,” and even “Madman.”
But no one had ever dared to call him “Brother Zhan” in such a soft, sweet voice.
He instinctively lowered his head.
And happened to meet Su Man’s upturned face.
Her eyes were full of acting. Three parts fear, three parts dependence, and four parts desperately blinking at him:
Save me! Play along!
Lu Zhan’s temple throbbed.
This woman was unbelievably bold.
“This… this is…”
Political Commissar Zheng was the first to recover. His old face flushed, and he hurriedly looked away, not daring to glance at Su Man’s bare legs again.
“Lu Zhan, what’s going on?!”
Zhao Guihua also snapped back to reality. Pointing at Su Man, she shrieked, “It’s her! That little hussy! Look at how she’s dressed… Shameless! Absolutely indecent!”
“Shut up!”
Lu Zhan suddenly moved.
He didn’t push Su Man away. Instead, he reached behind himself and pulled her close with one strong arm, wrapping it around her shoulders and shielding her completely against his chest.
He even grabbed the military coat from the nearby chair and draped it over her head and shoulders, covering those troublesome legs.
The entire sequence of movements was smooth and commanding, carrying an unmistakable possessiveness.
“Political Commissar.”
Lu Zhan raised his head. His expression was frank, with even a hint of displeasure at being disturbed.
“Let me introduce her.”
His large hand tightened slightly around Su Man’s trembling shoulder, as though warning her—or reassuring her.
“This is my fiancée from my hometown, Su Man.”
“She came to see me tonight. The rain was too heavy, so she’s staying here for the night.”
His voice was deep and firm, each word ringing clearly through the room.
“What? Does Lu Zhan have to report to all of you just because I’m meeting my own wife?”
Boom—
Those words exploded through the barracks like a thunderclap.
Political Commissar Zheng froze.
The security chief was dumbfounded.
Zhao Guihua stood rooted to the spot as though she had been struck by lightning.
A fiancée?
The famously woman-averse “Devil,” who wouldn’t even let a female mosquito into his room, actually had a fiancée?
And she was such a… stunning beauty?
“You’re… you’re lying!” Zhao Guihua finally recovered and shouted, jumping up and down. “She’s clearly the daughter of Old Third Su! She’s supposed to marry that fool Wang! How could she possibly have anything to do with you? You’re carrying on an illicit relationship! You’re deceiving the organization!”
“An illicit relationship?”
Lu Zhan gave a cold laugh. The chill in his eyes made Zhao Guihua’s voice die in her throat.
He lowered his head and looked at Su Man in his arms, the corner of his mouth curling into a cruel, teasing smile.
“Wife, tell this auntie what our relationship is.”
Su Man’s heart pounded wildly.
She knew Lu Zhan had accepted the script.
Now she had to play her part well.
Su Man took a deep breath and poked her little head out from beneath the military coat. Tears came instantly, streaming down her cheeks.
“Auntie, how can you slander me like this…”
She cried with a heartbreaking, tearful expression, her voice choked with emotion.
“Brother Zhan and I… we’ve known each other for a long time. I ran away from my arranged marriage this time. My father forced me to marry a fool. My heart belongs only to Brother Zhan, so I walked dozens of li just to find him…”
“Brother Zhan said he’ll take me to register our marriage tomorrow.”
As she cried, she buried her face against Lu Zhan’s bare chest, her hot tears rubbing against his skin.
“Brother Zhan, I’m scared… Are they going to take me away?”
Behind Lu Zhan’s back, she secretly traced a circle with her finger against his lower back.
It was an extremely subtle gesture of provocation and warning.
The message was clear:
If you dare hand me over, I’ll tell everyone you abandoned me after having your way with me.
Lu Zhan’s body instantly went rigid, as though he’d been electrocuted.
Damn this woman!
She actually dared to threaten him!
Yet he couldn’t do anything about it.
Lu Zhan took a deep breath, suppressing the strange heat rising within him. He raised his head and looked at Political Commissar Zheng, his gaze becoming utterly resolute.
“Political Commissar, that’s the situation.”
“This is a family matter. That shrew wants to sell my wife off, so my wife ran to me for protection. It’s reasonable, proper, and completely legal.”
“What? Are you saying that even soldiers aren’t allowed to protect their own wives?”
Political Commissar Zheng looked at the scene before him.
A tall, stern military officer, protecting his petite, crying fiancée in his arms.
No matter how he looked at it, they seemed like a pair of star-crossed lovers being bullied by a tyrant.
Although something still felt off—like how this perennial bachelor, Lu Zhan, had suddenly found himself a woman—he had personally admitted it, and that changed the nature of the situation completely.
It had gone from a “conduct violation” to “protection of a military marriage.”
Political Commissar Zheng’s expression softened. He turned toward Zhao Guihua, his gaze stern.
“Comrade, I think you’ve gone mad with greed!”
“The young couple are clearly in love. You’re trying to force an arranged marriage! You’re engaging in the trafficking of women! This is feudal thinking!”
“If you continue causing trouble here, I’ll have the security department take you to the police station and investigate you for trafficking women!”
Zhao Guihua panicked completely.
She never expected things to turn out like this.
She had come to catch someone in an illicit affair. How had she suddenly become the one committing a crime?
Seeing the murderous look in Lu Zhan’s eyes and Political Commissar Zheng’s dark expression, Zhao Guihua knew she had suffered a crushing defeat tonight.
“I… I must have mistaken her for someone else…”
She backed away awkwardly.
“Since she’s the commander’s fiancée… then… then it was all a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding…”
With that, she turned and fled, faster than a rabbit.
She was afraid that if she stayed even a moment longer, she’d be arrested.
Political Commissar Zheng sighed and waved for the security officers to leave.
He walked to the doorway and gave Lu Zhan a long, meaningful look before glancing at Su Man, who was still nestled in his arms.
“Lu Zhan, since she’s your fiancée, hurry up and complete the paperwork. It’s late at night, so be mindful of your conduct.”
“And this girl looks rather delicate. Don’t keep letting her stand barefoot on the floor.”
With that, Political Commissar Zheng considerately closed the door behind him.
Click.
The lock fell into place.
At last, the world was quiet.