Chapter 2

Chapter 2: She Chose the Wrong Man Jiang Mingyue reached out and nudged Jiang Zhenni. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and catch up with Battalion Commander Zhou.” The shove was a little too hard, and Jiang Zhenni stumbled. She turned and glared at Jiang Mingyue, lowering her voice. “Don’t make me slap you in public.” Jiang Mingyue felt guilty. With an awkward smile, she went over to Zhou Jingchuan. “My younger sister has been spoiled since she was little. She’s been cooped up on trains for so many days, so she’s a little irritable. She’ll be fine in a bit.” Zhou Jingchuan gave a slight nod. “Let’s go.” He didn’t care what kind of temper Jiang Zhenni had. He was only a little concerned that a girl as spoiled as her might not get along with Zhou Lixiao. Zhou Lixiao was proud and hot-tempered; would he be able to put up with her? Jiang Mingyue walked close beside Zhou Jingchuan, putting on a soft, gentle voice. “I’ll call you Brother Zhou from now on. The conditions here are even tougher than I imagined.” “You all have it so hard here. It’s only because of all your hard work and sacrifice that we can live in peace…” Jiang Zhenni rolled her eyes so hard they nearly reached the sky. She couldn’t stand Jiang Mingyue’s sickly-sweet voice any longer, so she slowed down and took in the camp. Tall, straight poplars lined both sides of the road. Beyond them were plots of land filled with lush green vegetables. Rows of orderly barracks with earthen walls stood in the distance. The training ground must have been behind the barracks; she could hear the soldiers’ thunderous, spirited chants. Zhou Lixiao had walked on in silence for quite a while before looking back and seeing Zhou Jingchuan and Jiang Mingyue walking side by side. Jiang Zhenni had fallen far behind, taking her time. After a brief pause, he picked up the luggage and doubled back to Jiang Zhenni. Then, without a word, he slowed down and walked beside her. Even though she hadn’t taken a liking to him, she was a guest. He couldn’t just leave her to fend for herself. Jiang Mingyue chatted with Zhou Jingchuan for a while, and her mood brightened even more. She really had chosen the right man! Zhou Jingchuan held a higher rank and was gentler. He was nothing like the man trailing behind Jiang Zhenni—dark, burly, and slovenly. He looked nothing like the man with a bright future in her dream. Some time ago, she’d had a dream. In it, this world was a book, and she was the female protagonist. The male protagonist’s surname was Zhou, and his father was a high-ranking official. Though the male protagonist came from a Beijing military compound, he kept a low profile and had volunteered to serve in the harshest part of the Northwest. Later, after earning a string of military honors, he was transferred back to Beijing and became a general with three gold stars on his shoulders. Jiang Mingyue was beside herself with excitement. If she could get her hands on that man early, she’d never have to live at someone else’s mercy again. She wouldn’t have to wear herself out sucking up to that pair of old geezers in the Jiang family, or watch the people around her for signs of disapproval. She’d had someone investigate. In the Northwest Military Region, only two men with the right qualifications had the surname Zhou. She’d secretly looked at photos of both. Zhou Jingchuan had an outstanding bearing and looked every bit like someone from a powerful, well-connected family in a Beijing military compound. Zhou Lixiao, by contrast, looked crude and brutish, with a face full of defiance. He seemed like an uncultured thug. Once she learned who was who, Jiang Mingyue immediately hatched a nasty plan: she’d make Jiang Zhenni marry into the same place. She wanted Jiang Zhenni to watch her rise through the ranks, marry into a powerful family, and live the good life. As for Jiang Zhenni, she was meant to spend her whole life in the gutter, a poor nobody forced to look up at her. “Since we don’t have marriage certificates, we can’t go to the Logistics Section for housing yet. For now, you’ll have to stay at the guesthouse.” Zhou Jingchuan’s gentle voice interrupted Jiang Mingyue’s smug thoughts. She came back to herself and immediately nodded sweetly. “All right. We’ll follow your arrangements.” Unlike the easy rapport between them, Jiang Zhenni and Zhou Lixiao didn’t exchange a word the whole way. Jiang Zhenni did sneak a few glances at Zhou Lixiao. He was really tall; she didn’t even reach his shoulder. He wasn’t bad-looking, either. In fact, he was rather handsome, with a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and strong, clean-cut features. Maybe his size made his gaze seem a little fierce? At first glance, his imposing, intimidating presence made people overlook his looks. But Jiang Zhenni scoffed inwardly. Too bad he had terrible taste, liking a phony like Jiang Mingyue. Zhou Lixiao keenly caught the glances she kept sneaking his way. He straightened his back even more and slowed his steps. The two of them ambled to the guesthouse. Zhou Jingchuan and Jiang Mingyue were already waiting outside. Zhou Jingchuan looked apologetically at Jiang Zhenni. “The guesthouse here is pretty basic too; it’s all single-story buildings. I’m afraid you’ll have to make do.” Then he turned to Zhou Lixiao. “Take Miss Jiang to the room on the right in the second row.” Zhou Lixiao said nothing. He took the key and the suitcase and headed off without a word. Jiang Zhenni glanced at the room Jiang Mingyue had entered, then turned and followed. She was in full-on give-up mode now. If all these lousy men liked Jiang Mingyue, she had no reason to be nice to them. The more they disliked her, the better. Maybe they’d give her the paperwork she needed and let her leave as soon as possible. Zhou Lixiao unlocked the door, picked up the suitcase, and was about to set it on the bed. Jiang Zhenni hurriedly stopped him. “No, no! How can you put such a dirty suitcase on the bed?” Zhou Lixiao paused, then started to set it on the floor instead. Jiang Zhenni stopped him again. “No! You can’t put it on the floor either. You’ll get my suitcase dirty.” Zhou Lixiao turned to stare at Jiang Zhenni. This girl, speaking in that soft, sweet, almost coquettish voice—was she picking a fight with him? Jiang Zhenni met Zhou Lixiao’s dark eyes, deep as a pool. Her heart tightened, but she lifted her chin and pointed at the chair beside them with her slender, pale finger. “Put it on the chair.” Zhou Lixiao obediently set the suitcase on the chair. He tugged at his trouser leg and was about to sit on the edge of the bed when Jiang Zhenni stopped him again. “You’re not allowed to sit. You’re covered in dirt. You can’t sit on the bed.” Zhou Lixiao almost laughed in exasperation. “Missy, there’s only one chair in this room. You’ve put the suitcase on it. Where do you expect me to sit?” Jiang Zhenni looked around the bare room, with only a bed, a table, and a chair, and frowned. “You still can’t sit on the bed.” For once, hot-tempered Zhou Lixiao didn’t feel the least bit angry. He’d never met anyone whose anger sounded so much like a pout, or whose eyes held such a bewitching charm even when she glared. He couldn’t bring himself to raise his voice at her. “Fine. Rest here for a while. I’ll go take a look around, then come back to take you to dinner in half an hour.” He had just turned when Jiang Zhenni caught hold of his sleeve. Zhou Lixiao looked back at her, puzzled. “What is it now?” Jiang Zhenni frowned and hesitated. “I want to take a shower.” Zhou Lixiao was surprised. “Now?” Jiang Zhenni nodded firmly. “Yes. Now.” She showered every day at home, but in the half month since she’d left, she’d only bathed twice. Even she could smell how bad she stank. She couldn’t stand it another minute. Zhou Lixiao looked at Jiang Zhenni’s stubborn face and sighed helplessly inwardly. She might not have taken a liking to him, but she certainly didn’t hesitate to make demands. And yet, somehow, he didn’t think any of them were unreasonable. “All right. I’ll take you there, but you’ll have to be quick.” Jiang Zhenni frowned again. “Why?” She was already slow when she showered, and after going so long without one, she’d take even longer. “Because there’s only a men’s bathhouse here. No women’s.” After wrestling with the idea for a while, Jiang Zhenni went to bathe in the men’s bathhouse anyway. She also unabashedly made Zhou Lixiao stand guard outside the door, so she could take her time and wash for as long as she wanted. Zhou Lixiao leaned against the parallel bars beside the entrance, bored out of his mind. He waited for an hour and a half. Only then did Jiang Zhenni stroll out with her washbasin, running her fingers through the damp ends of her hair. Zhou Lixiao stared at her and straightened without meaning to…