Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Her Betrothed Was Switched from the Start “Zhenni, once you marry Zhou Lixiao, you’ll have to rein in that spoiled-young-lady temper of yours. Don’t let people look down on us girls from the south.” “Aren’t you marrying Zhou Lixiao while I marry Zhou Jingchuan?” Jiang Zhenni sat slumped in the carriage, her head bowed and her spirits low. At Jiang Mingyue’s words, she abruptly looked up at her. Jiang Mingyue froze for a moment, then hurriedly shook her head. “You must have remembered wrong. Godmother was afraid you’d get it mixed up, so she even wrote a letter. I’ll show you.” Jiang Zhenni shot her a sidelong glance and said nothing more. Turning her head, she looked out at the desolate Gobi. A few withered camelthorn bushes stood there, stubbornly clinging to life. It was almost exactly like the scene in her dream. That dream was how she’d learned that she was actually living inside a book, and Jiang Mingyue was its beloved female protagonist. As for her, she was a cannon-fodder character, there to serve as a foil to the heroine’s happy life. In the dream, she and Jiang Mingyue had come to Northern Xinjiang together to get married. Jiang Mingyue and her husband were loving and happy, the model couple everyone in the family compound envied, and she even had a glamorous career of her own. And her? On their wedding night, her husband had left her behind to go on a mission. When he returned, he was captivated by Jiang Mingyue’s intelligence. His eyes held admiration for her, along with regret. He even went to his study at night, stared at Jiang Mingyue’s photograph, and did things he shouldn’t. What had devastated her most was the earthquake. She’d been trapped beneath a beam, covered in blood and barely alive. When the man rushed in, he’d merely glanced at her before charging anxiously toward Jiang Mingyue, whose only injury was a sprained ankle. Even now, thinking about it, Jiang Zhenni could still feel the suffocating despair she’d experienced in the dream, along with the pain of her internal organs shifting as she lay crushed beneath the beam. The thought made her chest feel tight. Jiang Mingyue really was the heroine: ever since she’d come to live with them, Jiang Zhenni’s parents had cared more for their goddaughter than for their own daughter. Even this trip—traveling thousands of kilometers from Southern Jiangsu to Northern Xinjiang to get married—had started with Jiang Mingyue’s rallying cry: “If you’re going to marry, marry one of the most lovable people!” Her parents had then pressured her to come along, saying the sisters could look out for each other. The two single officers from the Northern Xinjiang Military Region they’d been introduced to were both surnamed Zhou, but their family backgrounds couldn’t have been more different. No one had told Jiang Zhenni that, though. They’d only asked her to choose between the two names. She’d fought against it, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t escape the plot of the book. So she’d chosen the name that seemed more refined: Zhou Jingchuan. The other man was called Zhou Lixiao. His name sounded fierce, and she didn’t like it. Her parents had agreed to her choice, but then Jiang Mingyue had said something, and her parents had secretly switched the men the two of them were supposed to marry. The more Jiang Zhenni thought about it, the worse she felt. She gave a bitter laugh to herself. Sometimes, Jiang Zhenni felt that Jiang Mingyue was more their daughter than she was. Jiang Mingyue saw that Jiang Zhenni had her hat on, her face wrapped up tightly, and her head bowed as she sat in silence. A glint of satisfaction flashed in Jiang Mingyue’s eyes. She nudged her. “Zhenni, are you in a bad mood? Want to read Godmother’s letter?” Irritated, Jiang Zhenni tugged at her scarf and glared at Jiang Mingyue. “Keep yapping and I’ll shove you into a sand dune and let you dry out into a mummy!” Jiang Mingyue fell silent at once. When no one else was around, Jiang Zhenni really did get physical. The carriage rounded another dune, and an oasis came into view. The road widened, and tall, straight poplars lined both sides. The breeze stirred their leaves, bringing a faint coolness. Jiang Zhenni pulled down the scarf covering her face. She finally felt a little more comfortable. The sun in Northern Xinjiang was so harsh that she felt like she’d melt if she stayed out in it much longer. When Jiang Mingyue spotted the barracks in the distance, she excitedly nudged Jiang Zhenni’s arm. “Zhenni, Zhenni, we’re almost there! I wonder what they look like. What if they’re really ugly?” Jiang Zhenni glanced at her. “You’re so excited, I’d think you already knew what they looked like.” Jiang Mingyue’s smile stiffened. “Oh, how would I know? But no matter what they look like, they’re the most lovable people in the world.” Jiang Zhenni gave a quiet scoff and couldn’t be bothered to answer. As they drew closer to the barracks, they could see the watchtower at the gate and the sentries standing there. Jiang Mingyue stared at the gate. When two tall figures emerged, excitement colored her cheeks. Jiang Zhenni didn’t move. In the dream, she hadn’t been able to make out the man’s face—or even his name. But she’d learned one thing: whoever she married, she couldn’t escape the fate written for her in the book. So she didn’t care whether he was tall or short, fat or thin, or what he looked like. In the end, he’d fall for Jiang Mingyue anyway. The carriage stopped at the entrance to the military base. Jiang Mingyue jumped down and eagerly scanned the two men’s faces. When she saw Zhou Lixiao—dark-skinned, scruffy, and looking poor—disdain rose in her heart. She secretly curled her lip in disgust. Then she hurriedly turned to the fair, refined-looking Zhou Jingchuan. Her eyes lit up, and her voice rose into a coy pitch. “Hello, I’m Jiang Mingyue. I’m here to see Zhou Jingchuan.” Zhou Jingchuan, with his refined and scholarly appearance, stepped forward. “Hello. I’m Zhou Jingchuan. You must be tired after such a long journey.” Hearing Jiang Mingyue’s voice, like a duck with its neck stepped on, Jiang Zhenni climbed down from the carriage with a blank expression and stood quietly to one side. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at the man beside Zhou Jingchuan. He was half a head taller than Zhou Jingchuan, with darker skin and a sturdier build. She quietly looked away. Thinking that she was supposed to marry this man—and that after they married, he’d be infatuated with Jiang Mingyue—she couldn’t help sneaking him a little eye roll. Zhou Lixiao had been called over from the training ground without warning and hadn’t even had time to change out of his training uniform. It was dusty and rumpled. He’d been against the idea of a blind date to begin with. But when he saw Jiang Zhenni sitting in the carriage, her hair wrapped up and only her fair little face showing, something seemed to slam into his heart. It began beating fast. For some reason, he suddenly felt nervous. Then Jiang Mingyue said she was looking for Zhou Jingchuan, and for some reason he felt relieved. But then the fair, tender girl, white as a little rice dumpling, glanced at him and rolled her eyes. So… she wasn’t interested in him. Zhou Jingchuan worked in political work. He had a refined manner and was easygoing. After warmly greeting Jiang Mingyue with a smile, he nodded to Jiang Zhenni. Then he introduced himself again. “My name is Zhou Jingchuan. I’m the deputy political commissar of the 319th Regiment. This is Zhou Lixiao, commander of our Special Operations Battalion.” Jiang Mingyue immediately introduced herself too. “Hello, I’m Jiang Mingyue, and this is my younger sister, Jiang Zhenni.” Zhou Lixiao nodded to them both, his gaze lingering especially on Jiang Zhenni. He noticed that the young woman didn’t even look at them. She seemed utterly indifferent as she watched the crows hopping about in the trees nearby. He gave a quiet scoff to himself. Her reluctance was written all over her face. Zhou Jingchuan smiled warmly. “Let’s go to the guesthouse first. Battalion Commander Zhou, could you help Comrade Jiang with her luggage?” Zhou Lixiao started over. Just as he was nearing Jiang Zhenni, he saw the little rice dumpling wrinkle her nose in distaste, then stiffly shuffle a small step to the side. Zhou Lixiao: “…” Was he really that unpleasant? Feeling dejected, Zhou Lixiao went over, picked up Jiang Zhenni’s luggage, then turned and strode off in silence.