Qin Junbao was waiting outside the dance troupe’s courtyard, ready to escort people to the departure assembly point.
When he saw that the one coming out was Shi Man, he froze.
She’s so pampered and delicate—she’s really willing to go to a quarry?
But when he noticed the male soldier beside her, carrying large bundles of luggage for Shi Man, this looked nothing like a trip to a quarry. It looked more like heading off to a summer resort.
Qin Junbao was speechless again. When Shi Man walked over, he reminded her, “Comrade Shi Man, the quarry is just outside the capital. Including travel time, it’s only a two-day trip.”
What he meant was that she’d brought far too much stuff.
Shi Man glanced at the male soldier from the same unit helping carry her luggage. There were quite a lot of bags on his shoulders and in his hands, but—
She lifted her gaze to Qin Junbao and asked oddly, “Did the troupe set a luggage weight limit?”
Qin Junbao realized he simply couldn’t win an argument with this sharp-tongued, vain, and finicky woman. He turned his head, ground his teeth, and led the way.
After claiming victory, Shi Man curved her lips into a smile and followed behind.
She knew Qin Junbao was Ling Zhen’s good friend, but in her dreams, Qin Junbao had never come to the art troupe, and she hadn’t interacted much with him.
Especially after learning that he often spoke badly about her to Ling Zhen, Shi Man liked him even less. Whenever she saw him, she’d glare at him with no good attitude at all.
Ling Zhen also knew the two didn’t get along, so he often tried to keep them from running into each other.
But now the course of events had diverged from her dreams. Qin Junbao had come to the art troupe and was even the deputy commander in charge of the dance team. The two met often, yet neither could stand the other, and it showed clearly.
The male soldier from the first dance squad caught between them was sweating buckets. It was hard to tell whether it was from Shi Man’s heavy luggage or from the needle-sharp hostility between the two.
When they reached the motor pool assembly point, the soldier quickly set down Shi Man’s luggage and fled as if escaping.
This trip to the quarry wasn’t just for Shi Man—an entire company of soldiers was heading there to rotate out troops who had been stationed there for a long time.
So the motor pool had dispatched trucks to transport a full company.
Shi Man, going to perform, was essentially hitching a ride.
There was still time. Shi Man waited while the logistics soldiers loaded supplies, boarding only after everything was ready.
Qin Junbao hadn’t left either. Shi Man was under his command after all, and she was going alone on a performance assignment—he couldn’t relax until he saw her get on the vehicle.
But the two had nothing to say to each other. They just stood by the roadside, looking awkward no matter how you saw it. Several passing drivers couldn’t help but sneak extra glances.
Finally, Qin Junbao couldn’t hold back and warned her, “Shi Man, conditions at the quarry are harsh. Don’t start acting delicate once you get there and refuse to perform. Don’t embarrass our art troupe.”
Shi Man rolled her eyes at him. “If Deputy Commander Qin is so worried, why not send someone else?”
Didn’t he even understand the principle of trusting those you assign and not assigning those you doubt? What kind of leader was he?
If she hadn’t lost Ling Zhen as a backing, she would’ve said that last line out loud.
Qin Junbao felt suffocated by her words. If he could find someone else to perform, would he really pick someone as pampered as her?
It was precisely because the quarry’s conditions were terrible—rough roads, remote location—that everyone knew a single performer couldn’t even set up a proper stage. They’d have to use the natural terrain to perform.
The quarry was nothing but rocks—uneven ones at that. Performing there would definitely be difficult.
With a perfectly good auditorium available for competition, no one would ever choose the quarry.
So Qin Junbao truly was shocked that Shi Man had agreed to go.
Could it be that beneath her spoiled appearance, her ideological consciousness had reached an unimaginable height?
As Qin Junbao pondered this, he suddenly saw Ling Zhen’s tall, lean figure approaching from afar.
Ling Zhen was carrying a duffel bag and heading straight toward them.
In that instant, everything clicked for Qin Junbao.
So that was it—Shi Man’s true target wasn’t the performance at all. She was after his brother!
This vain woman was terrifying.
Rejecting Ling Zhen on one hand, yet finding ways to get close to him on the other.
Playing hard to get so seamlessly.
No wonder Ling Zhen was completely wrapped around her finger.
Qin Junbao felt heartbroken once again.
……
When Ling Zhen saw the piles of luggage at Shi Man’s feet—and Qin Junbao as well—he immediately understood.
He had an excellent memory. He still remembered the details of his past life clearly, especially major missions.
He just didn’t know why Yao Wenjing hadn’t come this time, and it was Shi Man instead.
After his rebirth, many things had quietly changed.
Ling Zhen put his duffel bag into the military jeep behind him—the vehicle he’d be riding in.
As the regiment commander, his treatment level was a notch higher.
After securing his things, Ling Zhen turned to Shi Man and said in a low voice, “The quarry isn’t suitable for you.”
Qin Junbao agreed, but the problem was—there was no one else now. They couldn’t possibly send him back to convince Yao Wenjing to rush over.
So he flipped his stance entirely and spoke up for Shi Man. “Ling Zhen, that’s not right! Our troupe believes Comrade Shi Man can overcome difficulties and successfully complete this performance. Why are you the only one who doesn’t trust her?”
Shi Man also disliked the way Ling Zhen looked down on her and snapped back, “None of your business.”
“Exactly!” Qin Junbao chimed in enthusiastically. “This was decided by the art troupe. Don’t interfere.”
Only Ling Zhen had actually been there before. He knew exactly how harsh the conditions were.
He frowned slightly, his gaze falling on Shi Man’s tender, pale, fragile skin. He repeated firmly, “It’s still not too late to back out.”
That made Shi Man even angrier. She glared at him. “Do I need your approval to decide where I perform? Are you my regiment commander?”
Qin Junbao couldn’t help clapping his hands. When both Shi Man and Ling Zhen turned to look at him, he realized he’d gotten too excited.
Honestly, he loved seeing Shi Man lose her temper at Ling Zhen. That way, Ling Zhen could wake up early and realize that a woman with such a temper was absolutely unsuitable.
“Well, um—let’s hurry and depart. If you keep arguing, there won’t be time left.”
Save the arguing for the road—how perfect.
A mischievous idea popped into Qin Junbao’s head. He bent down, hoisted Shi Man’s pile of luggage, and carried it straight toward Ling Zhen’s jeep.
“I’m not riding this one,” Shi Man stopped him. “I’ll take the one in back.”
“Shi Man, just ride in Regiment Commander Ling’s jeep. There are extra seats anyway. The road’s rough—you won’t have to squeeze with those smelly men in the back. Isn’t that better?” Qin Junbao had her figured out perfectly.
Sure enough, with that said, Shi Man put on a stiff little face and climbed into the jeep.
The vehicles behind were large trucks crammed with over a dozen people each. Compared to that, this jeep was clearly more comfortable and shock-resistant.
Considering the hardship of the journey, Shi Man decided not to wrong herself.
After all, she’d endured years of daily life with Ling Zhen in her dreams. Sitting in the same car for a few hours now was nothing.
……
And so, under Qin Junbao’s eager “hope-you-two-fight” gaze, Ling Zhen and Shi Man left the camp in the military jeep.
Shi Man had brought a lot of luggage, all piled onto the front passenger seat. She and Ling Zhen sat in the back.
Ling Zhen was long used to her pampered habits. No matter where she went, she acted as if she needed to carry her whole house with her—bringing multiple outfits even for a single night, plus all kinds of oddly purposed items he couldn’t even name.
He sat calmly, unfazed. But he was large-framed and always sat upright and proper in vehicles. Before long, his neck started to ache.
It didn’t matter. He was very good at enduring discomfort. Even if he ended up stiff and sore after hours, nothing would show on his face.
Shi Man, on the other hand, began slumping against the seat as soon as the jeep left the northern outskirts of the capital.
Ling Zhen glanced over and immediately saw—she was carsick.
He’d said it before. She couldn’t handle it. Roads in this era weren’t smooth at all. It would take several more years of riding cars with him before she’d improve.
“Slow down,” Ling Zhen suddenly said.
The driver, Zhong Lin, froze. This was the first time he’d ever heard such a request from the commander—usually it was complaints that he drove too slowly.
Though Zhong Lin hadn’t noticed Shi Man’s condition, he still tapped the brakes and reduced speed.
He continued driving, but not long after, Ling Zhen spoke again.
“Pull over. We’ll take a break.”
Zhong Lin: ?
For a moment, he felt like they were on a loaded endurance run or formation training—since when did driving include rest stops?
But orders were orders. Zhong Lin instinctively braked and pulled the jeep to a steady stop by the roadside.
Shi Man opened the door with both hands and feet, jumped out, braced herself against the back of the vehicle—and started vomiting.
She felt awful.
After such a long dream life, she’d almost forgotten she got carsick.
Just as she finished vomiting, she saw Ling Zhen about to approach and hurriedly called out, “Don’t come over!”
She was mortified. If Ling Zhen saw that mess—how embarrassing, how uncomfortable.
Ling Zhen stopped in time and didn’t come closer.
But with his long arm, he handed her a canteen, signaling her to rinse her mouth and drink water.
“Whose is this?” Shi Man still remembered to ask.
Ling Zhen’s cold, deep voice carried a trace of helplessness. “New.”
Only then did Shi Man drink.
Once she felt better and got back into the car, she realized Ling Zhen had taken the driver’s seat.
She glanced through the rearview mirror and met his eyes—dark, sharp, deep—completely unreadable, giving no hint of what he was thinking or why he’d chosen to drive.
Shi Man quickly looked away, leaning her head against the window to continue fighting the nausea.
Strangely enough, once Ling Zhen took over driving, she felt much better.
She had to admit—Ling Zhen was truly capable. Even his driving skills ranked among the best in the unit.
His clutch, brakes, and accelerator were steady and smooth. Shi Man no longer felt jolted or nauseous. Apart from a slight dizziness, she even managed to chat a bit with Zhong Lin in the car.
The journey was long and dull, but Zhong Lin was quite interesting. He was young and liked trendy things, so he and Shi Man had plenty to talk about.
As Zhong Lin got more animated, sitting upright and enthusiastically describing his vinyl record collection, he suddenly sensed something—
In the rearview mirror, the commander’s cold gaze was fixed straight on him.
Zhong Lin shuddered.
No wonder he’d felt chilly the whole ride!
He’d committed a grave sin—chatting so happily with the woman the commander liked, in the commander’s own jeep, while the commander was driving!
This was outrageous!
Realizing it, Zhong Lin wanted nothing more than to smash himself with a block of tofu.
He quickly grabbed the handhold, straightened his chest, and shouted, “Reporting, Commander!”
“Speak,” Ling Zhen replied flatly, with no warmth.
Zhong Lin trembled again and clenched his teeth. “I request to get out of the vehicle and proceed on foot!”
“What?” Shi Man was shocked. “You can run there?”
“I can,” Zhong Lin made something up. “I’m physically weak. I need more training.”
Compared to Ling Zhen, Zhong Lin did look like a frail little chick.
But when Shi Man saw Ling Zhen ruthlessly stop the car and approve the request, she was still stunned.
Zhong Lin eagerly jumped out, then opened the front door and moved Shi Man’s luggage into the back seat, urging her, “Sister Man, you should sit in front. Sitting in the back makes you carsick.”
With the back seat now packed with luggage, Shi Man ended up in the passenger seat, still dazed.
Zhong Lin shut the door. Watching the jeep roar off in a cloud of dust, he finally let out a long breath.
Waiting by the roadside, he soon flagged down a military truck from the motor pool.
He climbed aboard, and the soldiers inside looked at him oddly. “Zhong Lin? Weren’t you driving for the commander?”
“You wouldn’t understand.” Zhong Lin smiled mysteriously and slipped into a corner.
The soldiers exchanged looks—until one quick-witted fellow suddenly slapped his thigh.
“Oh! I get it!”
“What?”
“That female art troupe soldier—Shi Man—she’s in the jeep too, right?”
Everyone suddenly understood and shot Zhong Lin looks of admiration, raising their thumbs in unison.
Zhong Lin felt very satisfied. His eyes darted, and another thought struck him.
“Do you guys think our Commander Ling and Comrade Shi Man are a good match?”
“They are!”
“Then how about we assist Commander Ling these two days?”
“Sure!”
“Do you have confidence in helping Commander Ling secure a marriage partner within two days?!”
“Yes!”
“……”
Back in the jeep, Shi Man faintly heard the soldiers’ booming voices from the truck behind them.
The wind was too loud to make out the words. She asked Ling Zhen, whose hearing was excellent, “Are they shouting battle slogans?”