The night was alluring, a cool summer breeze gently caressing the face. The wide Minjiang River shimmered, the lights of countless homes on both banks reflected on the water like twinkling stars. Brightly lit pleasure boats occasionally drifted downstream; from the bank, one could see the silhouettes of people on board, but hear not a sound, as if watching a silent film.
Chen Yang, casually dressed, sat at a riverside table in a Western restaurant on the north bank of the Minjiang River, but had no interest in appreciating the beautiful night view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Opposite him sat the beautiful and charming Xu Qingya. Her beauty was captivating; Xu Qingya's elegant and fragrant aura, like a lily, deeply attracted Chen Yang's gaze. No matter how beautiful the view outside the window was, Chen Yang paid it no heed.
Xu Qingya wore a chiffon dress today, the round neckline revealing her beautiful and sexy collarbone. Her shoulder-length, layered hair accentuated her heroic military bearing, perfectly complementing her feminine style. The two qualities coexisted harmoniously and enhanced each other beautifully.
Under the soft light, a radiant smile appeared on Xu Qingya's delicate face, revealing two small, white canine teeth that added a touch of playfulness. Xu Qingya smiled gently and said,
"Chen Yang, I think the night is especially beautiful tonight..."
"Flowers shed tears at the passing of time, birds startle at the sorrow of parting," Chen Yang said leisurely. "Sister Qingya, when you're in a good mood, everything looks beautiful! Conversely, when you're in a bad mood, even the most beautiful scenery won't be appreciated!"
Xu Qingya smiled slightly, deeply agreeing. This afternoon, Fan Zihong slunk back to Beijing. Upon hearing this news, Xu Qingya felt a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. Although the marriage alliance between the two families was temporarily on hold, Fan Zihong still relentlessly pursued her to Rongcheng, frequently visiting her at the military base, making the air thick with tension for Xu Qingya.
However, today, news suddenly arrived that Fan Zihong had been ordered by his father to return to Beijing immediately. It was said he had gotten into some trouble in the southeast and wouldn't be returning to Rongcheng anytime soon. This delighted Xu Qingya.
In a great mood, Xu Qingya remembered her promise to treat Chen Yang to dinner, which she hadn't kept, so she called and invited him out.
Chen Yang readily agreed to the invitation. Having achieved a minor victory in his struggle with Fan Zihong, Chen Yang was in a very good mood.
"I heard Fan Zihong suffered quite a loss because of you..." Xu Qingya asked, looking into Chen Yang's eyes with a smile.
Although Xu Qingya didn't want to mention the name she loathed, she couldn't suppress her curiosity.
Chen Yang, focused on his foie gras, said without looking up,
"Qingya, you overestimate me! What a noble figure Second Young Master Fan is! How could he possibly be at a disadvantage against a country bumpkin like me? Rumors… they're all rumors!"
Xu Qingya looked at Chen Yang, who called himself a "country bumpkin," yet ate his Western food with impeccable elegance and grace. A slight smile curved her lips into a perfect arc.
Chen Yang was becoming increasingly mysterious in her eyes. Although he came from a poor family, his every move exuded the refined manners of someone from a wealthy family. He possessed a familiar air about him—an air that couldn't be faked.
From their first encounter on the highway, to the immense surprise of the limited-edition Yabeah doll at her birthday party, to the apparent resolution of her biggest problem by successfully preventing a marriage alliance between the Xu and Fan families, and now, with relatively reliable information indicating that Fan Zihong's attempt to harm Chen Yang backfired, resulting in the downfall of a high-ranking Fan official and a severe reprimand from his elders, even leading to his recall to Beijing…
All of this fueled Xu Qingya's intense interest in this seemingly harmless, sunny boy. The more nonchalant Chen Yang was, the more mysterious he seemed to Xu Qingya.
Was he truly as simple as he appeared? Could a rural boy possess such high calligraphy skills, even prompting Master Baiyan to take him on as a disciple? Could a rural boy master such skillful military first-aid techniques? Could a rural boy manipulate the powerful and influential Fan family's纨绔 (spoiled brat) with ease?
A thoughtful expression crossed Xu Qingya's face.
Chen Yang finished his foie gras, then took a sip of his red wine before smiling and saying, "Qingya, foie gras tastes best when it's around 35 degrees Celsius. It'll get cold if you don't eat it soon..."
"Oh..." Xu Qingya snapped out of her reverie, realizing she had been staring at Chen Yang rather inappropriately. A cute blush rose to her cheeks, and she quickly picked up her knife and fork.
Despite being several years older than Chen Yang, Xu Qingya had a strange feeling that she had suddenly become a little girl in his presence, while Chen Yang seemed like an older brother.
After dinner, neither of them wanted to go home, so they strolled together in the riverside park next to the restaurant. A gentle river breeze caressed his face, bringing a sense of tranquility. Strolling along the swaying tree-lined riverside path with his lover from a past life, Chen Yang couldn't help but feel a stirring in his heart, as if he had been transported back to those bygone days.
The two chatted idly as they strolled, and time slipped by unnoticed. Finally, Xu Qingya felt a little tired and asked Chen Yang to sit down with her on a stone bench by the roadside.
A streetlamp stood beside the bench, casting a warm, dim glow. Under its light, Xu Qingya's face appeared even more radiant. She had drunk a glass of red wine that evening, and a faint blush lingered on her cheeks, making her look exquisitely beautiful.
Sometime later, neither of them spoke, and an air of ambiguity filled the quiet riverside park. Chen Yang sat next to Xu Qingya, a familiar fragrance wafting from her. He turned his head slightly, just in time to see Xu Qingya's exquisitely beautiful profile, and he was completely stunned…
Just then, a willow catkin gently landed on Xu Qingya's hair. Chen Yang instinctively reached out and gently removed the catkin, then habitually tidied her hair, which had been ruffled by the river breeze.
Chen Yang's action made Xu Qingya's face flush instantly. Her heart pounded, and she hurriedly tried to find a topic to talk about:
"Chen Yang, what are your plans after you graduate from university?"
Chen Yang snapped out of his reverie, realizing that this wasn't his past life, and Xu Qingya wasn't his fiancée with whom he shared mutual affection. Their relationship now was at most that of close friends. Chen Yang felt a pang of regret for his slightly inappropriate actions, fearing he had disturbed the beauty.
Seeing that Xu Qingya didn't seem particularly angry, Chen Yang relaxed and casually replied,
"I haven't thought about it yet! I still have a year before graduation, I'll think about it then... But I do have a goal recently, I'm planning to start my own cultural communication company."
"Really?" Xu Qingya's interest was piqued by this topic, and she forgot her earlier slight embarrassment, asking curiously, "Why are you in such a hurry to start a business?"
Chen Yang chuckled and said,
"Children from poor families mature early! On one hand, I hope to earn some money so my mom can have a better life; on the other hand, I also want to accumulate more experience, even the experience of failure, it's all invaluable..."
Although Chen Yang's tone was slightly teasing, Xu Qingya... But sensing he was actually speaking sincerely, she couldn't help but glance at Chen Yang and say with a smile, "Then I wish you success! When you become a big boss, remember to treat me to a big meal!"
"Absolutely! I'll pick the most expensive!" Chen Yang laughed heartily, then suddenly added, "By the way, Sister Qingya, when can I visit your unit? I've loved airplanes since I was little, and I especially admire pilots, especially fighter pilots! Could you take me to the airport to see the planes?"
Chen Yang's idea wasn't sudden. Since his rebirth, he had always wanted to return to his previous life's military unit. He was destined to be separated from the military in this life, but Chen Yang couldn't let go of that azure blue color, those warplanes. He wouldn't be able to fly fighters anymore, but even just seeing them one more time would be wonderful.
However, military-controlled areas aren't places just anyone can enter, especially air force units where security is even higher. If he rashly went to the airport, he'd definitely be arrested as a military spy. "No problem! I'll report to the station leaders another day; they should usually agree..." Xu Qingya replied with a smile.
As the eldest daughter of the Xu family, who would dare object to her taking a friend to the airport for a visit? Xu Qingya also knew about Chen Yang's heroic emergency landing and that he was a flying enthusiast, so she trusted him implicitly.
"That's great! Thank you so much, Sister Qingya!" Chen Yang's joy was palpable.
"You're welcome!" Xu Qingya joked, "Just treat me to a few more big meals!"
Chen Yang was naturally more than happy to accept this request and nodded with a smile.
"It's getting late; I should get back to my unit!" Xu Qingya said, glancing at her watch.
Chatting with Chen Yang was very relaxing; before she knew it, it was almost ten o'clock.
"I drove here; let me take you home!" Chen Yang quickly said.
"Didn't you drink tonight?" Xu Qingya asked, staring into Chen Yang's eyes with a half-smile.
"Just a little bit of red wine, it's fine!" Chen Yang replied nonchalantly.
Normally, Chen Yang was very particular about such things; he would never drive after drinking. But today, he wasn't willing to miss this rare opportunity to spend time with Xu Qingya.
"Nonsense! Even a little bit of red wine isn't enough! I'll take a taxi home myself," Xu Qingya said seriously.
Then, Xu Qingya gently tapped Chen Yang's forehead with her slender finger and said solemnly:
"Little guy! You either find a designated driver, or leave the car here and take a taxi home! No drunk driving! Understand?"
"Yes, sir! I will obey orders!" Chen Yang replied earnestly, even giving a deliberately awkward military salute.
Seeing Chen Yang's antics, Xu Qingya, who had only been feigning anger, couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing. Then, she gave Chen Yang a charming glance and said,
"Let's go!"