After eating her fill, Lin Qianyi leaned back on the sofa, while Meng Junchuan went to the kitchen to clean up.
“Tea?” Lin Qianyi asked as she sat up and saw Meng Junchuan coming out after tidying up.
“Don’t move, just tell me where it is, I’ll make it,” Meng Junchuan said, not letting her get up.
“The tea is in the second slot from the left in the cabinet, yes, in that jar,” Lin Qianyi said, watching as Meng Junchuan found the tea and started brewing it. He was even more like the master of the house than she was.
“Where are you staying tonight?” Lin Qianyi asked. There were two rooms in this apartment, but it didn’t seem quite appropriate for him to stay over.
“I’ll head back to my station later,” Meng Junchuan poured two cups of tea.
“Ah, in such a hurry?” Lin Qianyi was a little surprised.
“I came straight after finishing my business, haven’t returned to the station yet,” he said, handing her a cup.
“Oh, I see,” Lin Qianyi didn’t expect him to come straight over after work, and her heart felt a little fluttery for some reason.
“I’ll come see you again in a few days,” Meng Junchuan said, a faint smile on his lips.
Lin Qianyi felt a slight blush creep onto her face, and the air in the room seemed to thicken. The two quietly sipped their tea.
Meng Junchuan looked around the room. The furniture was simple, and the bookshelf held many books, giving off a scholarly atmosphere. Yet the simplicity of the room couldn’t hide Lin Qianyi’s radiance. She was like a precious jade, elegant and luminous. Her posture was graceful, her movements refined, and her dining etiquette precise, like a young lady from a noble family trained to perfection. Every gesture was appropriate, dignified, and natural.
Meng Junchuan couldn’t help but wonder about her parents, the senior engineer couple—they had clearly raised a remarkable daughter, one who could easily rival any high-born young lady. He realized he had truly found a treasure. Not only was she exactly to his taste, but everything about her pleased him.
His deep, charming eyes lingered on Lin Qianyi with affection. She managed to stay composed at first—after all, she came from the future and had seen much of the world. “I’ve seen plenty of handsome guys as a designer,” she thought, trying to stay calm. But internally, her heart was screaming: Please, control yourself! This handsome soldier is staring at me so directly… I can’t handle it!
Meng Junchuan watched the changing colors on her face, from a faint pink to a deeper blush, and his lips couldn’t help but curve into a smile.
Lin Qianyi, unable to hold back any longer, blushed deeply and grabbed a book from the sofa, tossing it at him with a “thwack!”
Meng Junchuan caught the book with a laugh, the smile on his lips refusing to fade.
“I’ll report it back as soon as I return,” he said, his magnetic voice full of amusement.
“Hmph!” Lin Qianyi pouted in a tsundere fashion.
“I’ve submitted the report. Your unit should receive the inquiry soon. Once it’s completed, we can submit the marriage application,” he said, still smiling.
“That sounds complicated,” Lin Qianyi said, not understanding.
“Ordinary soldiers can submit a marriage application directly. We have to submit a report first, and after the investigation, we can submit the application. The investigation takes about a month,” Meng Junchuan explained.
“Oh,” Lin Qianyi replied, realizing it wasn’t as simple as she thought.
“Now I’ll tell you about my family situation,” Meng Junchuan said seriously. He didn’t hide anything, laying all his cards on the table.
Lin Qianyi was stunned. Her luck—just grabbing someone from the streets, and it turned out to be the absolute best. Meng Junchuan’s grandfather was a famous founding general, his grandmother a true lady of a prestigious family. His father and uncles were all high-ranking military officers, and his generation mostly followed military careers. They were essentially the top military family.
The family background was intimidating, and Lin Qianyi felt a bit overwhelmed. But she didn’t feel unworthy—she was also born into a privileged, cultured background and had seen a lot. Plus, she had the advantage of decades of technological progress knowledge that he hadn’t experienced.
Sometimes, “matching social status” wasn’t about arrogance—it was that people with similar upbringing, environment, and life experiences naturally shared values. Such people would be comfortable together.
“What’s wrong?” Meng Junchuan asked, noticing her silence. He worried she might be intimidated—but she didn’t seem like someone who could be easily scared.
“Intimidated,” Lin Qianyi said with a laugh.
“My family is fine, they’ll like you,” he reassured, setting down the snacks.
“I’m fine too,” Lin Qianyi laughed lightly.
“Of course,” he said proudly, confident that the girl he chose was the very best.
Lin Qianyi smiled at his confidence, and the atmosphere in the room became relaxed. They sipped tea and chatted casually, sharing little anecdotes, feeling closer with each passing moment. Their perspectives and thoughts were surprisingly aligned.
Lin Qianyi, physically twenty but with the mind of a twenty-five-year-old, felt slightly immature compared to Meng Junchuan, who, though only a year older, was much more mature and composed.
They couldn’t linger any longer. “We really should go now,” Meng Junchuan said reluctantly, standing up.
Lin Qianyi also stood. Meng Junchuan wanted to hug her but hesitated, afraid of startling her or seeming rash. After a long moment of restraint, he finally controlled himself.