The county town at this time was rather plain—mostly low buildings with hardly any high-rises—but to Lin Qianyi, it was still clearly much better than the countryside.
She rode her bicycle aimlessly through the streets, not knowing where to go. Wherever she ended up was fine.
Watching the bustling crowds, she let her mind go blank.
Suddenly, she realized the bike wouldn’t move forward—but it wasn’t tipping over either. Frowning, she realized someone was holding onto the back of her bicycle.
She quickly put her foot down on the ground. Thankfully, she was tall enough, and the bike wasn’t too high.
She turned around—and saw a very unpleasant smiling face.
The man wore a Zhongshan suit and had a neatly parted little hairstyle. It was Ma Zhenqiang from the original owner’s memory.
“Qianyi, where are you going?” Ma Zhenqiang smiled as he held onto the back of her bike and refused to let go.
“Let go,” Lin Qianyi said sharply, frowning.
“Don’t be like that. Let’s go on a date together,” Ma Zhenqiang said in a suggestive tone, moving to the front and grabbing her handlebars.
The people with him started jeering from the side.
Lin Qianyi forcefully pedaled forward, aiming straight at him. Ma Zhenqiang didn’t expect her to be so aggressive and was knocked slightly off balance.
Just as she was about to ride away, someone behind quickly grabbed her bicycle again.
Ma Zhenqiang steadied himself and once again held onto the back of the bike, refusing to let her leave.
“Feisty now—I like it,” he said.
This was the first time he had seen the usually quiet and timid Lin Qianyi react so strongly, and it only made him more excited.
He also noticed she looked even more beautiful than before, with an indescribable charm that drew him in even more.
The people around him jeered louder, and passersby glanced over—but when someone tried to step forward, Ma Zhenqiang shot them a glare.
“She’s my girlfriend.”
At that, many people recognized him—and none dared to interfere.
Ma Zhenqiang blocked her bicycle again.
Lin Qianyi got angry.
She didn’t want to waste words or time on this trash.
She lifted her leg and delivered a clean, sharp kick.
With a “thud,” Ma Zhenqiang fell to the ground, dragging the people beside him down as well.
He was all show and no substance—completely powerless—and had no time to react to the sudden attack.
The others were also stunned for a moment.
“Useless,” she sneered coldly.
Then she rode off without looking back.
She was done holding back—whatever happened, so be it. Better to beat him first and deal with consequences later.
She had trained taekwondo and sanda in her past life; it wasn’t for nothing.
If he was going to force her into marriage, whether she avoided him or hit him, what difference did it make? He wouldn’t simply give up anyway.
She didn’t care if anyone suspected anything. She only used a kick—nothing fancy like throws or techniques. Ordinary people wouldn’t think much of it.
Even if the original host was quiet and timid, even a rabbit bites when pushed too far.
At a street corner, a jeep turned past just in time to see her kicking someone and riding away.
“That girl’s pretty fierce,” said the handsome soldier in the passenger seat with a smile.
The man driving was even more striking—cold, refined, and carrying a noble, restrained aura.
He said nothing, but his gaze lingered on her figure as she rode away.
After venting her anger, Lin Qianyi strangely felt much better.
She continued cycling leisurely around the county town, slowly familiarizing herself with it through the original owner’s memories.
After a long ride, she decided there wasn’t much else to see and began heading back.
Click.
The bicycle chain suddenly came off, and the bike stopped moving.
She got off quickly and looked down—yep, the chain had slipped.
She parked the bike and stared at it for a while. She wasn’t really sure how to fix it.
Digging through the original owner’s memories, she recalled that she needed to open the cover and use a small stick to guide the chain back onto the gear.
She found a twig and started fiddling with it.
“Jun Chuan, look, that girl’s bicycle seems to be broken,” Zhao Xiangdong said, noticing her from inside a passing car.
Before he even finished speaking, the car had already slowed down—Meng Junchuan had seen her long before that.
“Get out and take a look,” Meng Junchuan said, opening the door.
Zhao Xiangdong froze. Usually, he was the one who handled these situations. Meng Junchuan rarely got personally involved, especially with women.
He quickly followed him out.
“Need help?” a low, magnetic voice sounded beside her.
It was calm and cold—but unexpectedly alluring.
Lin Qianyi turned her head and was momentarily stunned.
What a handsome face—so striking it was hard to describe. Cool, refined, and carrying an air of nobility.
A true “military nobleman.”
Judging by the uniform, his rank was definitely not low.
“The chain came off,” she said, pointing at it with the stick.
“I’ll do it,” he said, taking the twig from her.
“Thank you, I really don’t know how to fix it,” she replied, stepping aside.
Even repairing a bicycle looked good on him—his fingers were long and strong, his movements clean and efficient. In just a few motions, the chain was back in place.
He stood and tested the bike, then checked it briefly again.
“All done. No problem now,” he said.
“Thank you so much. Sorry—I even got your hand dirty,” she said a little embarrassedly.
“Nothing,” he replied with a faint smile.
His companion brought over a military water flask and towel so he could wash his hands.
Watching him casually wipe his hands, Lin Qianyi couldn’t help but think: both are young soldiers, yet such a stark contrast.
One group was upright and helpful to the people, while Ma Zhenqiang’s gang only bullied others.
Looking at the uniform again, she suddenly asked:
“Comrade, do you have a girlfriend? Are you married?”
Both soldiers froze.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at her with amusement.
“No. Why? Are you trying to introduce someone to me?”
“Can I introduce myself instead?” she said seriously.
“Pfft—”
Zhao Xiangdong couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Even Meng Junchuan had been teased by a young girl. This was too bold, too funny.
“What a coincidence,” the handsome man chuckled, his smile relaxed and unrestrained.