"Alright, He Qian, you can head back now. Today was primarily for you to conduct a preliminary assessment of Comrade Shen. As for whether she will be appointed, that remains to be determined. You may go."
"Yes, Division Commander."
As He Qian reached the door, he turned his head to glance at Shen Niantang, who was sitting quietly on a single-seat sofa. It was hard to believe such a soft, delicate-looking girl possessed such profound knowledge; her rigorous, professional standard of English translation was a rare find indeed.
While He Qian was lost in thought, he suddenly caught the icy gaze of Gu Tingchuan. Gu Tingchuan’s solemn expression seemed to carry a hint of warning. This amused He Qian—could it be that Gu Tingchuan viewed him as a romantic rival?
Facing Gu Tingchuan’s cold stare, He Qian felt both intimidated and amused, so he turned and quickly left the office.
After He Qian left, Gu Tingchuan sat down beside Shen Niantang. He leaned to the side, openly observing her. The young woman beside him had fair skin, bright eyes, and a pearly smile; she carried a subtle scholarly air and moved with natural grace.
Jiang Wenzhou, sitting at his desk, felt a surge of happiness when he saw the blatant look in Gu Tingchuan’s eyes. He had always worried that his prize pupil would remain a bachelor forever, but who would have thought the boy finally had a clue?
Jiang Wenzhou’s gaze met Shen Niantang’s. His expression grew more vibrant; he liked this girl more and more by the second. He truly hoped that boy, Gu Tingchuan, would put in the effort to marry the girl he liked.
"Little Shen, I never expected that someone as young as you would have such an incredible command of English. Truly, the youth of today are impressive. I’m curious—why does a young girl like you want to work in the military? It’s quite dull here, after all. If you looked for work outside, the conditions would likely be no worse than this."
Shen Niantang had long anticipated that securing a position here would not be easy. To enter the military, one’s background had to be spotless. Jiang Wenzhou’s question was, in effect, a veiled inquiry into her background.
From the moment she decided to stay in Qingyang District, Shen Niantang had no intention of hiding her thoughts or the situation with her troublesome family.
"The Division Commander may not know this, but I studied desperately hard in high school just to escape my original family. Not long ago, my younger sister married my fiancé. Although I have no feelings for them, I knew that if I didn't leave that house as soon as possible, my stepmother would soon find any excuse to marry me off to someone else."
"I don’t want to be controlled by anyone. I want to live the life I choose."
Listening to her account, Jiang Wenzhou didn't know what to say. For someone so young to speak such words without a trace of sorrow on her face left Jiang Wenzhou, a father himself, momentarily at a loss.
"So, you want to join the military because..."
"I want to join the military simply because I enjoy a peaceful working environment."
Shen Niantang knew full well that joining the military was her best outcome. Even if Xiao Liang and Shen Rou wanted to torment her, the Military Region wasn't a place just anyone could enter; in a sense, it served as her protective umbrella. She couldn't say this aloud, however, as the military had no desire to take in someone who brought trouble with them.
Jiang Wenzhou picked up the letter of introduction on his desk, his eyes sharp. "This letter was written by He Shaobai. To my knowledge, it is very rare for him to write such a letter for anyone."
Shen Niantang nodded slightly. "Professionally, I have the ability; personally, He Shaobai is my uncle-in-law."
Her answer truly exceeded Jiang Wenzhou’s expectations. He hadn't expected this young woman to be so calm and mature; she handled every question with ease, her words even revealing a hint of playfulness.
"Very well, Comrade Shen. You are officially hired. However, there are many procedures to complete before you start. Spend this time getting familiar with the place, and let... let Commander Gu beside you show you around and introduce things to you."
"All right."
Shen Niantang turned and looked up at the tall, stern man beside her. Honestly, this was the first time she felt insecure about her height; at 1.65 meters, standing next to the 1.80-plus Commander Gu felt quite awkward.
"I’m sorry to trouble you, Commander Gu."
The woman’s voice was sweet, and Gu Tingchuan’s gaze toward her grew even more inquisitive. Was this woman made of sugar?
"It’s no trouble. Come with me."
Gu Tingchuan led her out of the office, deliberately slowing his pace to walk beside her.
"Ahead are the administrative and departmental offices. The first floor has three medical rooms, the second houses the archives, and the third is He Qian’s office. You will be sharing that office with him."
At this, Gu Tingchuan seemed to realize something; his eyes narrowed, and he stopped mid-sentence. After a long while, he led her to the military barracks.
"The Military Region is quite large. Not far ahead are the staff quarters, but they aren't separated into male and female wings yet. I will see to it that they are organized this afternoon."
"Is there a supply depot here? I didn't bring many things, and I’d like to buy some daily necessities."
Gu Tingchuan pointed toward a small building to the south. "That’s it. They carry all the daily essentials you’ll need."
Shen Niantang nodded and continued to follow him.
Gu Tingchuan stopped and looked at her. "My office is next to the Division Commander’s. If you have any questions in the future, you can come find me."
Shen Niantang wouldn't dare bother such an imposing man. His aura was too strong. Walking beside him, she felt like a wayward primary school student trailing behind a principal.
She followed him quietly. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground that swayed gently with their footsteps. Gu Tingchuan intentionally slowed his pace, as if to accommodate her, while Shen Niantang kept her head slightly bowed, her eyes fixed on his military boots, which were polished to a shine and stepped firmly and steadily with every stride.
"That’s the canteen ahead. It’s almost noon, so I’ll take you to eat first. After that, I’ll take you to the supply depot." Gu Tingchuan spoke suddenly, his voice deep and magnetic.
"Mm, okay."
Soon, led by Gu Tingchuan, they arrived at the canteen window. He stepped aside, signaling for Shen Niantang to get her food first, and then placed his own meal tickets on the counter.
Uncle Wang and Uncle Li at the canteen looked as if they had just discovered a major secret, their mouths curling into faint, imperceptible smiles. Look at that—who would have thought the "Devil Gu," the most terrifying man in the entire Military Region, would be bringing such a beautiful young woman to eat and even using his own meal tickets for her?
It was still half an hour before the main mealtime, so the canteen was relatively quiet. Everyone from the logistics and kitchen staff had their eyes fixed on Shen Niantang; though no one spoke, their eyes were busy exchanging silent observations.
"Commander Gu, this... you don’t have to pay for me. I can buy my own."
Gu Tingchuan looked at her with unusual gentleness and ignored her protest. "I have more than enough meal tickets."
Seeing this, Shen Niantang felt it would be rude to decline further, so she accepted with a calm heart. "Alright, then."
Yan Heng, who was serving at the window, had been deeply captivated by Shen Niantang the moment he saw her. He believed no man could resist her appearance, let alone a man of his hot-blooded age.
After quickly plating her food and setting it on the counter, Shen Niantang thanked him politely and sat down at the nearest table. Gu Tingchuan, naturally, saw every young soldier in the canteen with their eyes glued to her. He inwardly wanted to grind his teeth in frustration; he would have to give them a harsh training session tonight for having so much time to think about other things.
As soon as Gu Tingchuan shot a lethal glare in their direction, everyone whipped their heads away and began pretending to be frantically busy.