“Let’s go, I’ll see you downstairs,” Lin Qianyi said, leading Meng Junchuan toward the door.
Meng Junchuan didn’t want her running up and down the stairs, but he also didn’t want to part with her so soon. In the end, reluctance won out, and they went downstairs together.
“Be careful, and drive safely,” Lin Qianyi reminded him earnestly by the car window.
“Wait for me. I’ll come as soon as I’m off duty,” Meng Junchuan said, looking at her with clear reluctance as he started the car and slowly drove away.
Lin Qianyi watched the car disappear into the distance before turning to head back upstairs.
Then—whoa. So many people peeking around corners.
She jumped slightly in surprise, but pretended not to see anything and went upstairs.
……
The next morning, after breakfast, Lin Qianyi changed into a newly altered outfit.
It wasn’t just a minor adjustment—it had been significantly modified, though still in line with the style of the era.
But once she put it on, she looked especially bright and pretty, no longer the low-key, inconspicuous girl she used to be.
Now that her relationship was out in the open, she didn’t need to be so cautious anymore. She could live more freely, in a way that matched her actual age of twenty.
She braided her hair loosely into a single plait and let it fall over her left shoulder.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she looked lively and beautiful—there wasn’t a trace of the “plain country girl” anymore.
Satisfied, she went downstairs to get her bicycle.
But… where was it?
Don’t tell her someone stole it—there was theft even in this era?
She walked around the building once, but her female bicycle was nowhere to be found.
“Qianyi, your boyfriend left, didn’t he?” an older woman asked her.
Her boyfriend? Oh right—he had come yesterday, so maybe he took the bike back with him.
“Yeah, he went back to the military base,” she replied with a smile, then walked toward the office building.
“Your boyfriend looks so impressive,” someone nearby said enviously.
Hearing that, she quickly sped up her steps.
Along the way, people kept greeting her. The looks she received were still intense, but no longer sympathetic—now they were more complicated, mostly envy.
When she reached the office building, even more people were there, not just staring but asking questions.
“Sorry, I’m late, I need to hurry upstairs,” she said quickly and headed to her office.
“Qianyi, you’re here!”
Goodness—everyone in the office was staring at her with eager eyes.
Resigned, she walked in. There was no escaping it today; yesterday’s events had clearly made a big impact.
Her “revolutionary partner” had made quite a high-profile debut.
The moment she sat down, the crowd surged around her.
“Qianyi, was that really your boyfriend yesterday?” Wang Lan asked eagerly.
“Yes, it really was,” she nodded.
“Your boyfriend is amazing! He’s actually a deputy regimental commander, and he looks so young!”
News really traveled fast here—almost like the internet era.
“He’s so handsome and tall!”
“So many people were staring at him!”
“And—”
Everyone chattered excitedly, making her dizzy.
“How did you two meet?” someone asked.
“Blind date,” she said smoothly.
Well… it was kind of like a blind date. She couldn’t exactly say she picked him up on the roadside.
“Your matchmaker did such a great job,” someone said enviously.
I can’t tell you I was my own matchmaker, she thought, smiling politely.
“Qianyi, you’re really going to have a good life now. You’re so lucky.”
Everyone was full of envy. Just a few days ago, she had still been pitifully entangled with Ma Zhenqiang.
People had even thought her life was ruined.
But look at her now—everything had turned around in just a few days. With this boyfriend, who in the whole county of Yuanshan could compare?
A twenty-six-year-old deputy regiment commander—that alone was shocking enough. Who would even believe it?
And not only that—he was incredibly handsome.
Her luck was simply unbelievable.
“Stop chatting and get back to work!” the office director’s stern voice rang out, and everyone immediately scattered.
The director glanced at Lin Qianyi with a complicated expression. She had seemed so quiet and unremarkable—but she had been hiding something big.
With a boyfriend like that, not even the entire machinery factory—or even the whole county—could compare. Ma Zhenqiang was nothing.
Soon after, Zhang Xiuying came in and called her to her office.
“Qianyi, come to my office for a moment.”
Inside the office, Zhang Xiuying gestured for her to sit.
“Your boyfriend is quite impressive. How did you two meet?”
“Blind date,” she repeated.
Zhang Xiuying asked a few more questions. Lin Qianyi answered what she could, but she avoided mentioning Meng Junchuan’s family background, thinking it wasn’t appropriate.
After hearing her answers, Zhang Xiuying felt relieved—but also complicated. This girl had really surprised everyone; what once seemed like a hopeless situation had suddenly turned around completely.
As for who introduced them, since Lin Qianyi didn’t say, she didn’t press further.
Someone who could introduce a military officer like that was clearly not ordinary—and probably wanted to stay low-key.
In any case, she was happy for her.
Given her looks, she really did need someone capable to protect her.
Speaking of looks, Zhang Xiuying suddenly realized Lin Qianyi seemed even more beautiful than before—like she had blossomed overnight. Her personality also seemed brighter.
It looked like having a boyfriend had lifted her worries, letting her shine.
“You’re a lucky girl, Qianyi. Things will only get better from here,” she said kindly.
“Thank you, Sister Zhang,” Lin Qianyi replied with a gentle smile.
After that, she returned to work.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of curiosity and questions. People from other departments kept coming over to ask about her boyfriend.
She had always been quiet and kept to herself, so today’s attention was overwhelming.
The entire machinery factory was buzzing with gossip about her relationship—especially since her boyfriend was no ordinary man.
She used to be an orphan, someone people barely noticed, and her previous entanglement with Ma Zhenqiang had even been treated as entertainment.
But now things were different. She had a promising young military officer as her partner, instantly elevating her social standing and creating distance between her and others.
People’s attitudes toward her gradually shifted, and more and more tried to get close to her.
Still, it didn’t affect her too much. Overall, the atmosphere in the machinery factory was quite good.