Li Shuying had just begun walking toward Zhang Wenhao when she felt a gaze.
It was not loud, not intrusive, yet it carried a weight that pressed lightly against her senses, as though a blade rested unseen at her back.
She turned and met his eyes. For a fleeting moment, her breath caught. The man standing beside Zhang Wenhao seemed… out of place. Not because he did not belong, but because everything around him felt diminished in comparison.
He stood tall, his figure straight as a drawn spear, shoulders broad beneath the crisp green military uniform that fit him as though it had been tailored by fate itself. The fabric was plain, the color austere, yet on him, it carried an unspoken authority like a banner of iron discipline.
His complexion held the healthy wheat tone of one tempered under sun and wind, yet it did nothing to dull the sharpness of his features.
Rather it enhanced them.
His face was finely cut, as though sculpted with deliberate care. A straight, high nose. Defined jawline. Brows like ink strokes, bold yet controlled. And those eyes, deep, steady, carrying the quiet coldness of someone accustomed to command, yet not devoid of warmth. They were not gentle, but neither were they harsh—only… distant, like a still lake reflecting the sky. There was no softness in him. Only restraint.
Yet it was precisely that restraint that made him arresting.
Even in the simple, worn setting of a county railway stop, surrounded by dust, noise, and ordinary people, he stood apart like a pine rising from scrubland—unbent, unyielding.
A man who clearly did not belong to such a place and yet, here he was.
Li Shuying's heart skipped, just for a moment. In her previous life, she had lived until 2018. She had seen countless faces—actors, models, idols whose beauty had been praised by millions. But even among them this man would have stood at the very peak.
A face that could ignite entire cities. A presence that could command attention without a single word. The kind of man who, with just one glance, could become a nation's obsession.
For the first time, Li Shuying felt something unfamiliar stir within her chest. Not infatuation, not yet. But curiosity.
Behind her, Li Jianmin and Li Jianguo also noticed him. They had only taken a glance yet both instinctively straightened. There was something about the uniform. It inspired both admiration and unease.
Li Jianmin, usually quick-tongued and fearless, found himself unusually quiet.
Li Jianguo's gaze lingered for a second longer before he lowered it slightly, as though acknowledging an unspoken hierarchy.
Meanwhile, Zhang Wenhao noticed none of this subtle tension. He simply smiled warmly as the siblings approached. "You two," he said with a light chuckle, "what a coincidence to meet you here. Are you going somewhere?"
"We are going to Baicheng to visit our father," Li Shuying said, her voice soft yet composed.
Zhang Wenhao nodded at once, as though something had just clicked into place.
"Ah, yes, now I remember," he said with a light chuckle. "You mentioned it before. Your father is stationed in Baicheng."
He turned slightly, gesturing toward the man beside him.
"Come, let me introduce you. This is Deputy Company Commander Gu. He is also stationed at the Baicheng military compound."
At those words, Gu Zhenhua's brows drew together ever so slightly.
His gaze flicked toward Zhang Wenhao.
Information on someone's military postings was not something to be spoken of lightly, much less revealed so casually, even to children.
But he said nothing.
On the other hand, the three Li siblings were visibly taken aback.
Li Jianmin blinked, unable to restrain himself. "You look so young," he blurted out, his voice filled with undisguised astonishment. "How did you become a Deputy Company Commander?"
Before Gu Zhenhua could respond, He Jianci, standing just behind him, puffed up with pride.
"Our Deputy Company Commander Gu is exceptionally capable and diligent," he declared. "Ordinary people cannot achieve such merit so quickly, but he is no ordinary man."
A sharp glance cut across him. Gu Zhenhua turned his head slightly, his gaze cold and warning.
He Jianci stiffened immediately and fell silent, as though a lid had been firmly placed over his enthusiasm.
Zhang Wenhao burst into laughter. "Little Jianmin, your surprise is only natural," he said, still smiling. "Anyone would be astonished. But believe me, you are standing before someone truly remarkable. As the saying goes, heroes often emerge in youth."
Li Jianmin and Li Jianguo exchanged a quick glance. There was a spark in their eyes now, admiration, unmistakable and growing.
Straightening slightly, all three siblings spoke together with polite respect, "Hello, Deputy Company Commander Gu. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Gu Zhenhua inclined his head faintly in acknowledgment. His expression remained calm, distant, neither warm nor cold.
Zhang Wenhao nodded approvingly, then turned back to Gu Zhenhua.
"These childrens are my friends," he said with a warm smile. "The young girl is Li Shuying, the boy beside her is Li Jianmin, and this one..." He paused, clearly at a loss.
Li Shuying stepped in smoothly. "This is my second brother, Li Jianguo."
"Ah, yes." Zhang Wenhao smiled warmly and nodded to Li Jianguo before continuing, "Their father is also stationed at the Baicheng military unit."
At this, Gu Zhenhua's gaze sharpened slightly. Instead of offering pleasantries, he asked directly, "What position does he hold?"
The question came without preamble, his tone steady, authoritative.
Li Jianmin and Li Jianguo instinctively stiffened, exchanging another quick glance, a trace of unease surfacing.
But Li Shuying remained composed. "He is a squad leader," she replied evenly. "Second Battalion, Third Company, First Platoon's First Squad. His name is Li Guoqiang."
Gu Zhenhua gave a small nod. He did not ask further. For a brief moment, an awkward silence settled between them.
Sensing it, Zhang Wenhao clapped his hands lightly, breaking the stillness.
"Well then," he said with a grin, "since you are all heading to the same place, why not travel together? It would be safer, and the journey would pass more pleasantly."
Li Shuying shook her head at once.
"There is no need, Uncle Zhang," she said politely. "We would not wish to trouble Deputy Company Commander Gu. It may cause him inconvenience."
Before anyone else could speak, Li Jianmin chimed in quickly, "Exactly. Deputy Company Commander Gu must be traveling in a sleeper berth, while we only have hard seats. It wouldn't be possible anyway."
Zhang Wenhao frowned slightly. "With so much luggage, and no elder accompanying you, it is not safe," he said. "Why did you not purchase sleeper tickets?"
Li Jianmin's expression turned faintly irritated. "The woman at the ticket window refused to sell them to us," he said. "She barely even looked at us before dismissing us."
Zhang Wenhao let out a dissatisfied snort. "Hmph. These people…" he muttered. "Acting as though they own the railway. Truly, they do not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth."
His tone hardened.
"Do not worry. I will see what can be done. I will get sleeper tickets for you."
Li Shuying immediatelystopped him. "Uncle Wenhao, there is no need," she said gently. "I was already planning to speak with the train attendant once we board. We will manage."
Zhang Wenhao shook his head, a knowing look crossing his face. "Little Shuying, you are still too young," he said with a faint sigh. "People like them… they will not lift a finger unless there is something in it for them."
Li Shuying pondered for a brief moment, her clear eyes lowering as if weighing propriety against necessity. Then she inclined her head slightly. "Then… I will trouble you, Uncle Wenhao."
At her signal, Li Jianguo immediately took out their previously purchased tickets along with the money and handed them over.
Zhang Wenhao waved his hand with a warm laugh. "Little Shuying, there is no need for this," he said. "I receive a military subsidy on travelling by train, and you are also a soldier's family. How could I take your money?"
He accepted only the tickets and turned toward the ticket window.
Gu Zhenhua's gaze flickered slightly, he intended to step forward and assist, but Zhang Wenhao had already moved ahead, his manner firm—clearly unwilling to let anyone else intervene.
Li Jianmin and Li Jianguo followed after him without delay.
Only Li Shuying remained behind. She did not move, because she needed to take care of something. She knew she could not simply accept such help without thought.
She felt Gu Zhenhua's gaze and lifted her head. His gaze steady was fixed upon her with a quiet intensity that was neither intrusive nor careless.
Li Shuying hesitated for a fraction of a second, then offered a faint, polite smile. "Deputy Company..."
"Call me Officer Gu." He cut her off calmly, his tone even, leaving no room for argument.
She paused, slightly startled, but quickly recovered. "Officer Gu," she corrected smoothly, her voice gentle, "please do not worry. Once we board the train, we will not trouble you further."
Gu Zhenhua did not respond immediately. Instead, he studied her. He had long been accustomed to the intimidating effect he had on others. Even seasoned soldiers, men who had faced life and death on the battlefield, often lowered their gaze when speaking to him. Few dared to meet his eyes directly.
Yet this girl stood before him without flinching. Her gaze clear, steady and unyielding. She was quite gutsy, he thought.
After a brief pause, he spoke. "There is no direct transport to the military compound," he said. "Even if you take a public bus, it will only bring you halfway."
Li Shuying's brows almost imperceptibly knit together. Something about his words felt… deliberate. As though he were guiding the path ahead.
But then again why would a man like him take interest in her? She dismissed the thought almost immediately. There was nothing about her worth such attention.
"Than I thank you in advance Officer Gu," she replied with a faint smile.
Silence fell once more.
Li Shuying found it… strange.
This man stood as naturally as if silence itself were his domain. There was no awkwardness in him, no need to fill the air with words.
What a peculiar person, she thought.
Shaking off the distraction, she crouched down beside her bundle. Turning her back slightly toward him, she opened the cloth wrapping just enough to conceal her movements.
Within that brief cover she reached into her system space using her conscious and four apples appeared in her hands.
When she stood again, holding them casually, neither Gu Zhenhua nor He Jianci paid much attention at first, assuming she had merely adjusted her belongings.
But then they saw them clearly. Large, round and skins smooth as polished jade, glowing with a deep, lustrous red apples that seemed almost unreal.
He Jianci's eyes widened in disbelief. "I...Is that… an apple?" he blurted out. His voice was not quiet. It carried and maby heads turned.
In an instant many eyes tuned to her and the subdued murmur reached Li Shuying's ears.
"Apples? Did he just say apples?"
"Heavens it really are Apples… look at that color, so red, so bright…"
"Such size! Such sheen! Even in my younger days, I've never seen apples of this quality…"
"Where did that little girl get them? Could it be from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative?"
A man nearby let out a dry laugh. "The Supply and Marketing Cooperative?" he scoffed. "Even in the provincial capital, you would be hard-pressed to find apples now, let alone ones like these. And you think a small county like this would have them?"
Another voice whispered, tinged with longing, "If one could taste even a single bite of such fruit… ah, it would be worth it."
Someone even took an unconscious step forward, as if tempted to ask to buy one...
But the moment their gaze shifted to the two uniformed soldiers standing beside Li Shuying they stopped. No one dared approach.
Feeling so many gazes, Li Shuying felt her fingers stiffen slightly around the apples. For all her composure, she was still a young girl. Under such open scrutiny, even she felt a trace of unease.
She subtly turned her wrist, attempting to shield the apples against her body, but it was of little use.
Gu Zhenhua's cold gaze flicked toward He Jianci and he straightened immediately, his earlier excitement vanishing like smoke. His lips pressed into a firm line, his posture snapping back into disciplined stillness. Yet his eyes betrayed him. They lingered, unable to leave the apples. After all, how many years had it been since he had last seen Apples?
Gu Zhenhua noticed the faint awkwardness in Li Shuying's posture and after a brief pause, he spoke, "Comrade Li," he said evenly, his voice calm but edged with quiet meaning, "you are rather bold, bringing out such valuable food in a public place."
Li Shuying exhaled softly. How was she supposed to explain? She could not very well take these out in front of her brothers.
Still she lifted her eyes and smiled. "With a distinguished officer of the People's Liberation Army standing beside me," she replied lightly, "why should I feel afraid?"
For a fleeting moment Gu Zhenhua was taken aback. He had expected caution. Perhaps even embarrassment. But not this.
Then unexpectedly he let out a low chuckle.
He Jianci froze completely. In all his time serving under Gu Zhenhua, he had rarely seen him smile let alone laugh. But he did not dare react. He stood rigidly in place, as if nailed to the ground.
As for Li Shuying that single sound seemed to strike somewhere unguarded.
Her breath hitched ever so slightly. Her ears, delicate and pale, flushed with a faint crimson.
It was ridiculous, and yet she could not deny it. That low, restrained chuckle was unexpectedly pleasant. Almost… dangerous.
If such a voice were heard more often, she thought to herself, half amused, half flustered, it would be enough to pregnant once ears.
