Previously, Li Tingxuan had wanted to transfer to the Northwest Military Region—not because he was afraid of participating in the mission, but because he wanted to find the doctor from his dreams: Gu Jianing.
Unexpectedly, he had already found Gu Jianing, only to discover that she was now married.
Li Tingxuan thought to himself that, in that case, there was no longer any need for him to transfer to the Northwest Military Region.
He didn’t want to disturb Gu Jianing’s life.
He only wanted to quietly watch over her from afar.
But…
It was a little too late.
His application to transfer to the Northwest Military Region had already been approved.
He had to go.
Li Tingxuan figured, Fine, I’ll go. After a year, I can apply to transfer back or to another location.
The only thing was…
While in the Northwest Military Region, he would have to restrain himself.
That night, Li Tingxuan was sound asleep when he faintly heard a sharp, shrill cry—a cat’s wail.
He jolted awake instantly.
But when he strained his ears to listen more carefully, there was no sound at all.
After a while, Li Tingxuan fell back into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, in Li Shuyao’s room, separated from his by one wall…
Under the cold, pale glow of the light, Li Shuyao’s face looked grim, almost sickly white.
In her hands was the same cat that had scratched her earlier that day. A chilling, eerie smile curled on her lips as she muttered, “You little beast. I’m your owner. How dare you scratch me? You’ve got some nerve. If I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never learn your place…”
And then there were Li Tingxuan and the old man…
At the thought of those two, a shadow of resentment darkened Li Shuyao’s eyes.
…
The next morning, during breakfast, Li Tingxuan noticed the cat curled obediently at Li Shuyao’s feet, seemingly unharmed.
“Why are you staring at my cat, Brother? Do you want to keep it?” Li Shuyao, who was also eating, noticed his gaze and asked.
Li Tingxuan shook his head, his eyes shifting to the bandage on her hand. “Be careful with that wound. Don’t let it get wet.”
Li Shuyao snorted coldly and didn’t respond.
Li Tingxuan said nothing more either. After finishing his meal, he set down his chopsticks, tidied up, and left the Li residence.
Sitting in the car as it drove out of the compound, a figure suddenly darted in front of the vehicle. The driver slammed on the brakes, and Li Tingxuan lurched forward from the momentum.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Regiment Leader Li, a young woman stopped the car.”
Soon after, Li Tingxuan saw the woman approach the car window and knock on it.
Squinting, his sharp memory allowed him to recognize the person in front of him.
He rolled down the window. “Comrade Fang, do you realize how dangerous your actions just were?” His expression and tone were stern.
If the driver had braked even a second later, she could have been hit.
Standing outside the car was Fang Manping.
Of course, she knew how risky her actions had been. The car had stopped less than half a meter away from her.
Truthfully, she was still terrified—her heart was pounding wildly.
But she had to stop Li Tingxuan. She needed this chance to talk to him. Otherwise, once he left for the Northwest Military Region, it would be even harder to reach him.
“Brother Li, can you step out of the car? I’d like to talk to you alone,” Fang Manping pleaded, her eyes full of desperation.
Li Tingxuan’s brows furrowed slightly. “Comrade Fang, if you have something to say, say it directly.”
He didn’t see any reason why they needed to speak privately.
After all, he wasn’t familiar with this girl.
The only reason he knew of her was because he had occasionally seen Comrade Fang around his sister. His sister had also mentioned her in passing, so he remembered her.
That was all.
He truly couldn’t think of anything they needed to discuss.
“Brother Li, please, I really have something very important to say. Just give me a little time, okay? I promise I won’t take long.” Fang Manping pleaded again.
After a moment of consideration, Li Tingxuan finally relented—out of respect for her being his sister’s friend—and stepped out of the car.
He led her to a more secluded spot nearby, with the driver standing guard at a distance to avoid any misunderstandings.
Fang Manping glanced at the driver, who stood with his back turned not far away, bit her lip, but ultimately said nothing.
“Comrade Fang, speak your mind directly.”
Fang Manping raised her head, wanting to look at Li Tingxuan but not quite daring to meet his eyes, her demeanor timid.
To her, Li Tingxuan was too dazzling—she couldn’t even look at him directly.
Clenching her fists, she finally mustered the courage to say, “Brother Li, I heard you’re being transferred to the Northwest Military Region?”
Li Tingxuan frowned. How did she know?
“Y-Yao Yao told me.”
His lips pressed into a thin line. It seems I’ll need to have a talk with Yao Yao later. Some things shouldn’t be casually shared with others.
Although his transfer wasn’t classified information, it wasn’t appropriate for it to be spread around.
“Yes.” Since Fang Manping already knew, he saw no point in denying it.
His straightforward confirmation reassured Fang Manping that she had made the right decision in coming today.
She was afraid that if she didn’t act now, Li Tingxuan would soon leave for the Northwest Military Region—and then how would she find him? Chase him all the way there?
Fang Manping felt that if she couldn’t seize the opportunity to be with Li Tingxuan while he was still in the capital, she would have even less of a chance once he left.
So despite her nervousness and hesitation over the past few days, she had come anyway.
Now, facing Li Tingxuan, she clenched her hands tightly and finally gathered her courage. “Brother Li, do you remember the first time we met? Back then…”
She recounted how Li Tingxuan had once saved her.
As she spoke, her heart swelled with sweetness and nostalgia, her expression softening.
As for Li Tingxuan…
While listening, he did recall the incident.
But…
Could he admit that he had merely acted on impulse that day and hadn’t even noticed whether the person he saved was male or female?
Just then, Fang Manping looked up at him, her eyes burning with fervor. “Brother Li, do you know? From that moment on, I fell in love with you.”
“Brother Li, what do you feel about me? C-Could you… be with me?”
At last, she had mustered the courage to voice the words she had kept buried in her heart for years.
No one knew just how much bravery it had taken, but she knew—if she didn’t say it now, she might never get another chance.
Li Tingxuan, however, was utterly stunned by her sudden confession.
He had never imagined that Fang Manping had stopped his car just to confess her feelings.
Of course, someone as outstanding and privileged as Li Tingxuan—the heir of the Li family—had naturally been liked by many girls since childhood.
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