Early the next morning, Lin Shuyao set off with a heavy bundle on her back.
The temperature difference in the late autumn morning was significant. The wind cut across her face like tiny knives. Fallen plane tree leaves carpeted the roadside, crunching softly beneath her feet and leaving flecks of golden yellow clinging to the hems of her pants.
The train station was bustling with noise and activity. Everywhere, people carried luggage and parcels on their backs and in their hands.
“Dad, you should head back now.”
“Alright. Take good care of yourself. Keep your valuables safe and don’t be careless. When you get there, get along well with your husband. There’s nothing between husband and wife that can’t be talked through, so don’t be stubborn. If you run into any problems you can’t solve, call the institute. And don’t forget to write to your eldest and second brothers.”
“I know!”
The train slowly pulled away. Its wheels rolled over the tracks with rhythmic clanking sounds, steady and prolonged, carrying her farther and farther from the capital.
Only after her father’s figure had completely disappeared from sight did Lin Shuyao make her way to her berth.
It was a simple hard-sleeper berth. Her father had pulled strings through several connections just to secure the ticket. Though it wasn’t spacious, it was far more comfortable than a hard seat. At least she wouldn’t have to spend the entire journey squeezed among crowds of passengers.
The capital was a long way from the Southwest. Even by train, the trip took three full days.
Most of the time, Lin Shuyao leaned against her bunk reading books to familiarize herself with the local customs and conditions, or writing notes on agriculture. Occasionally, she ate the dried food and pickled vegetables her mother had prepared for her, washed them down with cool boiled water, and rested whenever she felt tired.
But the train’s air was poorly ventilated. The smells of sweat, tobacco, and food mixed together, making the atmosphere stifling. Combined with the constant rocking of the train, she gradually began to feel dizzy and weak. Her appetite worsened, the healthy color faded from her face, and exhaustion settled into her features.
The nights were especially noisy. Snores came from neighboring berths, and children cried endlessly. Getting a proper night’s sleep was nearly impossible.
By the time the train finally arrived in the Southwest, Lin Shuyao had to support herself as she stepped off. Her legs were numb, her head spun continuously, and she barely had the strength to lift her luggage.
“Comrade, be careful!”
“Comrade… Comrade…”
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed. An IV drip was attached to her hand, and oxygen flowed through a tube beneath her nose.
As she turned her head, she came face-to-face with a man whose features felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
Lu Chengjing?
It was a striking face. His features were sharp and deeply sculpted, as though carved by blade and chisel. His eyes were dark and penetrating like a cold abyss, bright and keen. Beneath his high nose bridge, his thin lips were pressed into a straight line. His skin was a healthy wheat color, and his military uniform was impeccably neat, revealing the discipline of a career soldier.
Lin Shuyao’s heart skipped a beat.
This was her bargain-bin husband?
He was far too handsome!
The novel had only briefly described Lu Chengjing as upright, fearless, and an outstanding officer who died young. His appearance had never been detailed, and the original owner’s memories of him were vague at best.
Now that she saw him in person, Lin Shuyao finally understood how powerful his presence truly was.
It was the steady, sharp aura of someone who had spent years in the military, weathering countless hardships. He was completely different from Chen Zhiheng, whose refined appearance concealed selfishness and hypocrisy.
Yet the sense of unfamiliarity was equally real.
She was not the original owner. She held none of the original owner’s contempt or dislike toward Lu Chengjing, nor any intimacy expected between husband and wife. To her, this imposing and handsome soldier was merely a stranger whose name she had seen on a marriage certificate.
Even knowing they were legally married, Lin Shuyao still felt awkward around him.
Noticing that she had awakened, Lu Chengjing’s brows shifted slightly. His deep gaze settled on her pale face.
“You’re awake?”
Lin Shuyao instinctively pressed her lips together, looking somewhat uneasy.
“I… I’m still a little dizzy.”
Just then, a nurse entered to replace her IV bottle.
“It’s good that you’re awake! You had acute altitude sickness. You really can’t be careless about that. Luckily your husband got here in time. The way you reacted back then was frightening.”
“Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s nothing. No need to be polite.”
Feeling embarrassed, Lin Shuyao avoided Lu Chengjing’s gaze and looked out the window instead.
Outside lay a bleak autumn landscape. Distant mountains were shrouded in mist, carrying the vast and desolate atmosphere unique to the plateau.
Lu Chengjing’s expression remained serious.
He had been in training when he received the call informing him that Lin Shuyao had arrived in the Southwest and collapsed, requiring hospitalization. Though surprised, he had rushed over immediately.
As rumors suggested, he and Lin Shuyao had only met twice. Soon after their marriage, he had been assigned to the Southwestern Military Region. They had virtually no interaction afterward and had barely exchanged a proper conversation.
He knew about the situation between Lin Shuyao and Chen Zhiheng.
And he was fairly certain that her sudden trip to the Southwest was not for the purpose of preserving their marriage.
“After receiving your letter, I already submitted the divorce application. There was really no need for you to come all this way.”
“Huh?”
Lin Shuyao abruptly raised her head. The embarrassment on her face was instantly replaced by panic. Even the lingering dizziness seemed to lessen.
“What did you say? Divorce? I’m not getting divorced!”
She instinctively sat upright. The movement tugged at the IV needle in her hand, causing her to gasp in pain.
She absolutely could not get divorced.
Under no circumstances could she get divorced.
She had come to the Southwest for many reasons, but divorcing Lu Chengjing was definitely not one of them.
That ridiculous divorce application would cut off her future completely!
“Be careful.”
Seeing how agitated she was, Lu Chengjing quickly pressed her hand down, signaling her not to move recklessly.
“Um… Battalion Commander Lu, I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m not here for a divorce!”
“Not for a divorce? Then why did you come?”
The question made Lin Shuyao’s face flush red. After cycling through countless explanations in her mind, she finally condensed them into a single sentence.
“I came to join my husband!”
Since she couldn’t afford to offend this convenient husband of hers, she needed his approval for her job transfer. Otherwise, she would be sent straight back to the capital and end up following the original owner’s tragic fate.
Once the words left her mouth, the rest became easier.
Lin Shuyao cleared her throat and adopted a serious expression.
“Comrade Lu Chengjing, I admit that I was immature and foolish in the past. I misjudged people and made many mistakes. Now I sincerely repent, and I’m willing to face my mistakes and correct them.
“To demonstrate my sincerity, I have already applied to be transferred from my current position and volunteered to support the Southwestern Grain Seed Experimental Station. As long as you sign the paperwork, my transfer can be finalized.
“From now on, husband and wife will work together, contributing our efforts to the development of our motherland.”
The speech was only half true, but it did explain the core reason she had come to the Southwest.
The key point Lin Shuyao wanted to emphasize was the job transfer.
The key point Lu Chengjing heard was…
She wanted to live a proper married life with him?
His frown deepened.
How could a woman who had spent years trying to escape him suddenly change her mind? Not only was she refusing a divorce, but she was claiming she wanted to stand beside him and build a future together.
Lu Chengjing did not believe it at all.
The dozen or so letters urging him to divorce her were still sitting beside his bed, every word as cold and merciless as ever.