This was a small lake not far from the art troupe.
During the day, countless soldiers, both men and women, would sneak over here to whisper sweet nothings and share laughter in secret.
But at night, only the ducks raised by the cooks remained, paddling quietly through the still water.
Shi Man and Ling Zhen’s arrival disrupted the ducks’ evening routine, sending them flapping their wings and scattering to deeper waters.
After all, Shi Man had shared a bed with Ling Zhen for years in her dreams.
So even though his face showed no outward emotion, she could easily guess his true feelings:
He was definitely furious, practically seething inside.
In her dreams, she often drove him half-mad with anger. Yet he always remained silent, suppressing his emotions, keeping everything bottled up inside—just like his cold, detached demeanor right now.
Shi Man didn’t care why he was so angry, nor did she care if he had overheard her saying she didn’t want to marry him.
She wrinkled her nose and struggled to break free from his grip.
But Ling Zhen’s hand clamped around her wrist like an iron vise, refusing to loosen. Instead, he leaned closer and asked, “Shi Man, who do you want to marry?”
Shi Man understood more in his words, like he wanted to add, “…except for marrying me.”
Just like in my dream,she thought, this man is so bossy! We’ve only met for a blind date, and he’s already acting like I’m his wife, insisting I marry him!
Annoyed, Shi Man tried to pull away, but he gripped her arm tightly.
She could feel the strength in his fingers pressing against her slender arm. His hand was directly on her skin, since the summer military uniform had short sleeves.
One soft and delicate, the other hard as iron—they were like water and fire, completely incompatible.
Shi Man felt like he was made of steel. Every touch was sharp and uncomfortable, so she raised her other hand to push against Ling Zhen’s broad chest.
He was tall, his muscles honed like a leopard’s from years in the wolf pack. He stood before her like a mountain, looming so close.
This is so annoying! she thought. But no matter how hard she pushed with her tiny bird-like strength, she couldn’t move him an inch. It was all in vain.
Finally, losing her temper, she blurted out through gasping breaths, “Commander Ling, who I marry is none of your business! Let go of me right now. We’re both single—men who aren’t married and women who aren’t married—and being seen like this would look bad.”
Ling Zhen immediately released her wrist.
Shi Man lowered her gaze, inwardly scoffing. Just like in the dream, she thought. His weak spot is “looking bad.”
Ling Zhen silently examined Shi Man’s wrist, noticing a faint red mark. Her skin bruised easily, even with the slightest pressure. Fearing he might hurt her, he had no choice but to release her.
Shi Man absentmindedly rubbed her wrist and turned to leave.
Ling Zhen blocked her path again, his towering figure casting a long shadow over her.
He didn’t speak, merely stared down at her with rigid features, his expression cold and fierce.
The more time Shi Man spent with him, the more the nightmarish events from her dream resurfaced. Her patience finally snapped. Raising her chin defiantly, she declared, “Commander Ling, I’ve told you—we have nothing to do with each other!”
Each word was emphasized with sharp precision, conveying her emotion and unwavering resolve.
Ling Zhen finally reacted, his eyebrows lifting ever so slightly.
Shi Man, not looking at him, hurriedly tried to leave, but the night was so dark she accidentally tripped over some tall grass.
A terrifying loss of balance overwhelmed her. Just as she braced for a hard fall, Ling Zhen’s arm shot out and caught her.
This man was like a fierce and cold Wolf King, not just in temperament but in instinct as well. The pitch-black night meant nothing to him; his keen senses of sight, hearing, and touch allowed him to easily assess his surroundings.
Shi Man felt his iron-like arm grip her tightly. Her brow furrowed immediately. “You—”
She only managed to utter one word before realizing something even more mortifying: her shoe had come off when she tripped.
Panic seized her. Glancing down, she saw only her jade-white bare foot, unconsciously planted on Ling Zhen’s shoe.
So, she hadn’t been standing on the rocky ground after all.
Ling Zhen followed her gaze downward. Realizing the situation, Shi Man’s rosy, plump toes curled up in mortification…
Shi Man felt utterly humiliated. Losing her shoe in a fit of anger was mortifying, especially since she was wearing her warrior cloth shoes for today’s performance. The plain black shoe had vanished into the dark, overgrown grass, making it impossible to spot.
Suddenly, Ling Zhen bent down and picked something up. In the moonlight, Shi Man recognized it as her shoe. His long, slender fingers held it by the heel as if he were carrying some odd object. He tilted his head, examining the shoe with an unreadable expression.
This was even more awkward than if he had been staring directly at her feet. *What’s so interesting about my shoe?!* she thought frantically. *It’s just sweaty from dancing!*
Even though her sweat didn’t smell bad—it actually had a faint, pleasant scent—Shi Man snatched the shoe from Ling Zhen’s hand, slipped it on, and turned to leave.
“Commander Ling, please don’t come looking for me again!” she called over her shoulder, waving her hand dismissively without looking back.
Ling Zhen watched her retreating figure, his brow furrowed slightly.
Commander Ling.She had spat out the title three times today, each syllable emphasized with deliberate force.
…Commander, huh?
Alright, he seems to understand what she meant by being so dramatic.
….
Meanwhile, Shi Man stomped along the road, kicking small stones as if they were Ling Zhen himself, sending them flying with each frustrated kick.
Her shoes still carried the warmth of Ling Zhen’s grip, and her arms still felt the hard pressure of his hand squeezing tightly. It was as if his intense masculine presence lingered around her, impossible to shake off.
Shi Man felt relieved she hadn’t married him.
If he came charging over to confront her so fiercely just for rejecting his proposal, what would he have been like if they had actually married?
She recalled how “fierce” he had been to her in her dream while they were under the covers, and she pouted even more, sulkily trudging back home.
The next day, Shi Man hurried to find Sister Mei during her lunch break.
Sister Mei had been worried Shi Man wouldn’t show up. Seeing her looking so delicate and pretty, she quickly put aside the matter of her failed courtship with Ling Zhen.
After all, she thought, there are plenty of matchmakers. We can take our time choosing!
Before Shi Man could even speak, Sister Mei pulled her into the inner room.
“Xiao Man, come take a look at this.” Sister Mei opened a drawer and pulled out a worn blue notebook, its pages yellowed and tattered from frequent use.
Shi Man took the notebook. Sister Mei wore a mysterious, encouraging smile, urging her to open it.
Opening the first page, Shi Man saw Sister Mei’s meticulous handwriting, line after line listing names, ages, occupations, ranks, monthly stipends, family situations, and other details.
Shi Man’s long eyelashes fluttered twice as she heard Sister Mei say, “I’ve had so many people asking me to introduce them to you lately that I can’t keep track. I had to write it all down.”
Sister Mei continued, “And look here—these are all the gifts people sent through me for you. The room is almost overflowing! I didn’t want to bring them to your courtyard without asking you first, right?”
Shi Man nodded, flipping through the blue notebook. She estimated that Sister Mei had listed at least several dozen names.
Sister Mei, who adored Shi Man, proudly boasted, “And this isn’t even everyone! These are just the ones I carefully screened and kept.”
In her mind, Shi Man was far too exceptional to be courted by just any Tom, Dick, or Harry.
Shi Man glanced at the pile of gifts. Many were quite valuable; some, perhaps fearing she wouldn’t consider them worthy, had sent items nearly as extravagant as betrothal gifts.
Of course, Shi Man wouldn’t accept them. Though she was picky, trendy, and particular about quality, she wasn’t one to take advantage of others.
These gifts represented precious intentions, and she wouldn’t use them casually until she had made her choice.
So she told Sister Mei, “Take all this back. I’ll just look through this book.”
She waved the blue-covered book in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Shi Man never abused her beauty. She might seem capricious, but she was always mindful of her principles.
Sister Mei recalled how many pretty young girls had been easily swayed, accepting gifts from anyone and everyone, only to find themselves in a mess later on—or worse, hurting honest young men…
She clapped her hands. “Good idea. This way, they won’t get the wrong idea just because you accepted their gifts.”
“…Xiao Man, then you go ahead and study this carefully. Come find me when you’ve made your choice.”
Shi Man nodded, grabbed the blue book, and headed to the Practice Room.
During breaks or when it wasn’t her turn to practice, she’d pull it out and flip through a few pages.
Sister Mei had recorded everything in detail, noting not just their appearances but also their personalities and character.
Shi Man was picky, but she believed—
With so many candidates, surely I’ll find someone who suits me.