Shen Yu walked so fast that the soles of her feet were rubbed sore by the gravel.
Seeing the vehicle about to leave the village entrance, Shen Yu rushed out of the woods, spread her arms, and stood blocking the middle of the road.
"Screech—!"
The dust kicked up by the sudden brakes made her cough.
The front of the vehicle was no more than half a hand's width from her knees, a wave of heat hitting her face.
Xiao Zhang was so frightened his soul nearly flew out of his body. Sticking his head out the window, he shouted, "Good heavens! Are you trying to get yourself killed? This is a military vehicle! You dare block a military vehicle?"
If he had actually hit a civilian, not only would he lose his military uniform, but he would also drag the commanding officer in the back seat into trouble.
"I want to see the leader."
Xiao Zhang was taken aback—the voice sounded familiar.
Looking closely, he recognized the female comrade who had just been slapping people with her shoe sole and kicking them in the crotch.
He glanced back at Gu Huai'an, his tone a bit hesitant. "Commanding Officer, it's the one from just now…"
After a moment, the back door was pushed open.
Gu Huai'an got out of the vehicle.
He was too tall, his military uniform perfectly straight and imposing, making him look unapproachable.
Walking to the front of the vehicle, his gaze swept briefly over her face.
"From Xiangyang Brigade? Didn’t get enough of showing off your power at the threshing ground, so you came to play under my wheels?"
Shen Yu raised her head. "That was self-defense. But I offended the village Party secretary, and the village won’t have me anymore. You’re a high-ranking leader, and since you were there just now, you have to uphold justice for me."
Xiao Zhang stared wide-eyed beside them.
This pretty female comrade had guts—daring to speak like this?
Didn’t she know that Commander Gu’s reputation alone could make children stop crying at night?
Gu Huai'an let out a light scoff, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, tapped one out, and put it between his lips. He turned to head back to the vehicle.
"That’s a matter for the Commune Revolutionary Committee. I’m a soldier—I don’t handle local disputes. If you want to file a complaint, go to the county, the city, even Beijing if you want. Just don’t block my way."
Shen Yu’s heart sank halfway. Seeing Gu Huai'an about to get into the vehicle, she rushed over and grabbed the door.
"You can’t leave!"
Gu Huai'an turned to look at her, a trace of impatience gathering between his brows. "Still want to fight?"
Shen Yu bit her lower lip, her mind racing.
If being soft didn’t work, she’d have to resort to shamelessness.
"You’re the commanding officer, right? You saw everything at the threshing ground just now. Now you’re just going to walk away without taking responsibility?"
Xiao Zhang’s foot slipped, and he accidentally hit the gas, nearly sending the vehicle into a ditch.
Saw… saw everything? When did that happen?
He had been with the commanding officer the whole time—how come he didn’t see anything?
Gu Huai'an raised an eyebrow, took a step closer, and gave a half-smile. "What exactly did I see?"
"They spread rumors that I have a mole on my butt—you heard that, right?"
Shen Yu didn’t back down, leaning closer to him instead. "Once those words entered your ears, you definitely pictured it in your mind. If you thought about it, that means you saw it. A pervert in thought is still a pervert."
"Is that your reasoning?"
"Not done yet." She lifted one foot, pulling up her pant leg to reveal a smooth ankle, still speckled with bits of grain husk. "My foot—you saw plenty of it just now, didn’t you? In these times, if you see a young woman’s foot, you have to take responsibility."
Shen Yu moved her foot closer to his military boot. "If you leave, I’ll hang myself at the military district gate and say you abandoned me after taking advantage."
"Trying to extort me?" Gu Huai'an laughed in disbelief. "Do you know who I am? I have plenty of ways to have you detained before you even reach the military district gate."
Who are you trying to scare?
"I don't care who you are," Shen Yu replied indifferently. "Even if you were the King of Hell himself, I'd still cling to you today. I'm not asking for much—just a way to survive. Take me with you, and my life is yours."
Gu Huai'an stared at her for a moment.
In the army, he was used to seeing people who followed the rules obediently. Someone as untamed as this, willing to shed all dignity just to stay alive, was a rare sight.
After a long pause, Gu Huai'an pulled open the car door, slid inside first, and moved over to make room. He patted the empty seat beside him.
"Get in."
Xiao Zhang was stunned. "Commanding officer? This isn't proper—bringing an unmarried woman back to the Garrison. If the political commissar asks about it…"
"If the political commissar asks, tell him to come to me," Gu Huai'an leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "My word is the rule. Drive."
Afraid he might change his mind, Shen Yu quickly slipped into the car and sat pressed against the opposite door.
By the time they reached the tube-shaped apartment building in the family quarters, it was already pitch dark outside.
Gu Huai'an's dormitory was a single room with only a bed, a desk, and a map hanging on the wall.
As soon as the door closed, the atmosphere of two unmarried people alone together became palpable.
Shen Yu's heart raced, her palms slick with sweat.
The courage she had mustered by the roadside was fueled by desperation, but now that the tension had eased slightly, fear began to creep in.
Gu Huai'an took off his jacket and tossed it casually over the back of a chair.
He walked to the washstand, poured some cold water, and roughly splashed his face.
Water droplets rolled down his chin and into the collar of his shirt, lending him a somewhat provocative air.
He grabbed a towel from the rack, wiping his face as he turned around. Seeing Shen Yu still standing there, he frowned. "What are you doing, standing there like a door god? Waiting for me to fetch you water to wash your feet?"
"Not exactly," Shen Yu rolled her eyes. "I was just thinking there's only one bed in this room. How are we supposed to sleep tonight?"
"Afraid I'll share the bed with you?"
"Who's afraid?"
Her gaze fell on Gu Huai'an's hands as he wrung out the towel.
His fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles and faint veins visible on the back of his hands. Earlier, she had noticed how firmly those hands gripped the car door handle.
If they were to grip her waist…
Shen Yu's face flushed hot, and she quickly shook off those indecent thoughts.
"Commanding officer, since you've brought me here, let's speak plainly."
Gu Huai'an tilted his chin slightly, signaling her to continue.
Shen Yu said, "I want to marry you. Once we're officially married, as the child of a martyr and a military spouse, no one would dare touch me."
"Why should I help you?" Gu Huai'an hung the towel on the rack and crossed his arms. "Just because I caught a glimpse of your feet? I've seen plenty of female spies stripped naked—should I marry them all and treat them like ancestors?"
His words were sharp, without a hint of kindness.
"Because I'm good-looking, of course. I'd make you proud to be seen with me."
Shen Yu spoke with confidence. "I don't believe you don't like what you see. I noticed the look in your eyes by the roadside—it wasn't much different from those lechers who wanted to strip me bare."
Gu Huai'an narrowed his eyes and took two dangerous steps closer.
"Say that again? I'm a lecher?"
His proximity brought an overwhelming sense of pressure that made her legs feel weak.
Shen Yu gritted her teeth and held her ground. "It's a man's nature, nothing to be ashamed of admitting. I'm beautiful, and you're not bad either—strong, capable, with a bright future ahead. We're a perfect match. Marrying me won't be a loss for you."
"Hah."
Gu Huai'an snorted with a laugh, suddenly raising his hand.
Shen Yu instinctively closed her eyes and ducked her head, expecting the slap to land.
But that large hand came to rest on her waist.
So hot.
That was Shen Yu's only thought.
Gu Huai'an's large hand gripped her waist, and with a slight exertion, he lifted her entire body off the ground.
Shen Yu's toes left the floor. Before she could react, she was already pressed against the office desk behind her.
"Didn't you say it wouldn't be a loss for me?"
Gu Huai'an wedged a long leg between her thighs, firmly trapping her in that confined space.
He lowered his head, his voice low and husky. "What did you say your name was again?"
"…Shen Yu." Shen Yu pressed her hands against his chest, unable to push him away.
"Hmm, Shen Yu."
He rolled the two words around in his mouth, his palm rubbing against the small of her back, his calluses scraping against the thin fabric of her clothes.
"Trying to use me as a pawn?"
Gu Huai'an cut straight to the point, his gaze growing darker. "Just being good-looking isn't enough. The women in this Compound who want to marry me could line up all the way to the gate, each with a cleaner background than yours. I'm not some inexperienced boy who loses his mind at the slightest flirtation."
Shen Yu's waist ached from his grip, her heart pounding like thunder. "Then what else do you want? Laundry, cooking, warming the bed—I can learn all of it."
Gu Huai'an scoffed. "I don't need a maid. The orderlies are better at chores than you. What I need is someone who can satisfy me."
"Didn't you want me to take responsibility?" His hand slid upward along her waistline, stopping at the first button of her jacket.
"If I'm already taking the blame, I might as well make it count. Let's test the goods first, see if you're worth the trouble of filing a marriage report."
"…"
Wasn't this plot moving a bit too fast?
Weren't people in this era supposed to be conservative? How was this man even wilder than her?
Shen Yu: "Right now?"
"Not good enough?" Gu Huai'an's hand remained on her waist, his gaze mocking. "Weren't you pretty bold when you stopped the car earlier?"
Shen Yu's competitive spirit was roused.
Before transmigrating into this book, she had been a formidable person herself. How could she let some relic from the seventies look down on her?
Her resolve hardened, and she suddenly reached out, wrapping her arms around Gu Huai'an's neck, leaning in to meet him.