"She’s gone! She left the money behind." Lin Xuan thrust the money into Shen Chunfen’s hands.
"Gone? Where did she go?"
Lin Xuan didn’t offer much of an explanation. For some reason, he felt as though something were lodged in his chest; it was incredibly uncomfortable, making it hard for him to breathe.
He turned to Shen Chunfen and said, "Mom, I have business at the base. There’s noodles by the bed; you eat those." With that, he walked straight to his car and drove off.
***
Six months later – Yandu City
Lin Xuan’s battalion had been stationed in Yandu City.
One day, his Company Commander, Zhao Cheng, approached him with a form. "Battalion Commander Lin, the base’s special supply isn’t reaching our battalion for the time being. The Regiment Commander has ordered us to procure tents and picnic mats through a third-party vendor. As long as they are qualified and meet the standards, the soldiers can use them. It’s only for this season, anyway!"
Lin Xuan took the form and studied it carefully. "This expensive?"
"That’s the market price," Zhao Cheng replied. "And that’s only because our battalion needs so many; the supplier is actually limiting the quantity. Xiao Zhang, who is handling the procurement, has already negotiated the price down to the absolute minimum."
"Battalion Commander Lin, they said that if we push the price any lower, they’ll have to cut corners on the quality of the materials to make the tents. Otherwise, they can’t even cover the labor costs. We really can't squeeze them any further."
Lin Xuan stared at the prices. "Still too high."
"Commander, these are outside factories. They have material costs, wastage, labor, assembly, and they’re working day and night to rush the order. Plus, there are utility costs—all of this is unavoidable. Just sign it."
Lin Xuan locked eyes with Zhao Cheng. "Zhao Cheng, how do you understand all this so clearly? You even know about material costs, assembly fees, and labor? Who told you all this?"
Zhao Cheng pointed toward the conference room. "The people over there—they calculated it all out. It’s a very clear breakdown."
Lin Xuan stood up. "Let’s go take a look!" He wanted to see what kind of person could explain things so clearly and organize the accounts so precisely that even Zhao Cheng, who had barely finished elementary school, could recite it all so convincingly.
Seeing that he was going personally, Zhao Cheng said, "This way, Commander!"
As Zhao Cheng led Lin Xuan around a corner, they bumped into Li Chunqiu, a nurse from the infirmary. She approached and smiled at Lin Xuan.
"I brought you your Vitamin C."
Lin Xuan nodded, accepted the vitamins, and walked on briskly as Zhao Cheng rushed to open the door to the conference room.
Li Chunqiu, still holding Lin Xuan’s coat, was about to finish what she was saying, but seeing Lin Xuan hurry into the conference room, she took a few steps forward. She knew he must have business to attend to. Knowing she shouldn't just barge in, she decided to wait outside.
Once inside, Lin Xuan saw the back of a woman in a bright red short-sleeved top. She was petite and delicate, with long, glossy black hair styled in big, wavy curls. On her feet, she wore a pair of sky-high, thin stilettos—at least eight inches tall.
Worse yet, the woman was wearing a black, side-slit bodycon dress.
Even as she sat there, the young, naive soldiers passing by the room couldn't help but steal extra glances.
*So that’s why the price is so high,* he thought. *It makes sense now.*
How disgraceful!
Using her looks to make this kind of money? And she had the nerve to try it on him.
As soon as Zhao Cheng saw her, he smiled and said, "Director Shen, this is our leader. Our Third Battalion Commander!"
Hearing movement, Shen Chunfen stood up politely, reaching out to shake his hand. "Hello, I am Shen Yuchu. It’s a pleasure to—"
The rest of the sentence died in her throat the moment she saw Lin Xuan’s face.
Their eyes locked. She hadn’t expected to see Lin Xuan here. She had heard he was stationed at a remote military base, not in the bustling city of Yandu.
Clearly, Lin Xuan hadn’t expected to see her either. The annoyance he felt over the prices shifted into shock, and then, just as quickly, morphed into fury.
*Why is she dressed like this?*
*Doesn’t she know there are mostly men in the military?*
Lin Xuan’s dark eyes fell on the V-neck of Shen Yuchu’s red top. In the past, she had always been bundled up tight. Even that time she had framed him by the haystack back home, he hadn’t looked closely; he had been too consumed by rage. Now, however, he couldn't help but notice her refined, shapely figure.
An inexplicable fire surged through Lin Xuan’s chest.
Meanwhile, Zhao Cheng rinsed a large green tea mug several times, poured a cup of clean water, and placed it beside Shen Yuchu. "Director Shen, have some water."
"Thank you, Company Commander Zhao. You’re too kind."
"It’s the least I can do, the least I can do. Please, sit," Zhao Cheng said, before leaning toward Lin Xuan. "Commander."
Lin Xuan looked down at Zhao Cheng. *He poured water for her, but didn't think to grab one for me? He didn't even pour himself a glass.*
Lin Xuan pursed his lips, tapped his index finger against the smooth tabletop, and said in a low voice, "You step out."
"Commander!" Zhao Cheng didn't want to leave; he felt like his feet were glued to the floor.
"Out!"
"Yes, sir!"
Lin Xuan quickly unbuttoned and took off his jacket. Just as he was about to drape it over Shen Yuchu, Zhao Cheng—who had been lingering at the door, reluctant to leave—happened to look back and saw Lin Xuan removing his coat.
He rushed back in, trying to stop him. "Commander, Commander, what are you doing?"
"Commander, you can't make a mistake like this! Sister-in-law, sister-in-law..."
Zhao Cheng shouted out the door toward the hallway, "Sister-in-law! You need to come here, quick!"
Hearing the commotion, Li Chunqiu rushed into the room. "What’s wrong?"
Lin Xuan shoved Zhao Cheng aside with one hand and gave him a kick. "What are you yelling about?"
He then tossed his jacket at Shen Yuchu. "Put this on!"
Zhao Cheng: "..."
Li Chunqiu: "..."
Women are emotional creatures. Seeing Shen Yuchu, Li Chunqiu stepped forward with an "aggressive smile" and said to her, "Miss, what’s the meaning of coming to our military base dressed like this?"
Zhao Cheng didn't want to hear it. "Sister-in-law, who are you calling 'Miss'? This is Director Shen, the Sales Director from a big factory!"
Shen Yuchu smiled faintly. "Thank you, Company Commander Zhao, for the courtesy. I’m only here on behalf of my company. Have I offended the Commander’s partner?"
Before Zhao Cheng could respond with a laugh, Lin Xuan pushed him aside. He stepped forward and clarified to Shen Yuchu, "She is not my partner, nor is she anything to me. Just a college classmate. From now on, I don't want to hear any more nonsense!"
Li Chunqiu stood frozen. *Why was Lin Xuan so eager to distance himself? He was never like this before!*