But when Shen Yiguang made his entrance, he was nothing short of dazzling, clad in a military coat, radiating an aura of determined coldness, his features sharp and spirited, managing to awe and intimidate the crowd.
Moreover, his snow-shoveling prowess completely overshadowed others, extinguishing any flickering flas of competition in their hearts.
Among them was a male student nad Gu Zhiqiu, a seemingly gentle soul. Those who knew him well understood he was cunning to the core. However, his face was always wreathed with a benign smile as he set traps for the unsuspecting, earning him the moniker "Smiling Tiger" among his peers.
This young man, barely in his twenties and unmarried with a well-to-do family, had never thought much about finding a university sweetheart. But after laying eyes on Yang PeiMin, he began idealizing such a relationship, especially with a classmate, as sothing out of a fairy tale... Seizing the chance during a seat reshuffle, he stealthily moved seats to sit behind her. Sitting there had its pros and cons: the advantage was being close to the goddess, but the downside was inadvertently overhearing that the goddess... was already married...
This revelation dealt Gu Zhiqiu a heavy blow. It took him over a month to co to terms with reality. Later, he found out that the goddess was pregnant, which crushed any sliver of hope he had harbored.
Even though he maintained a nonchalant facade, heaven knows the bitterness he felt inside. He wished he had a chance, anguished over why they hadn’t t sooner, and yearned to know who her husband was—the man of such outstanding rit.
Occasionally, he would hear her speak to Li Yue, always sounding quite content. He was curious to see for himself what this man was like. Unfortunately, he hadn’t caught a glimpse of her husband during his hospital visit.
He had overheard in passing that he was a soldier, which got him thinking: not many soldiers ca from military academies nowadays, and even if they did, they wouldn’t share much in common and would often be apart due to the job.
Now, having finally seen the man, his first impression was that he seed alright. Soldiers always looked sharper than others, their movents while shoveling snow brisk and efficient, revealing a vigor that was unmistakably that of a military man’s—far beyond what ordinary people could compare with.
But this was all secondary; when it ca to cultural knowledge, he should certainly be out of his league compared to Gu and his peers.
So, seizing the mont during a break in conversation, he sidled over quietly, "Mr. Shen, that was an impressive performance. Coming from the military really does set you apart from us civilians. I’ve always admired soldiers and I’m curious about military life. I know we have a military region here, and I’ve wondered if regular training includes tasks like this?"
Shen Yiguang glanced at him, his eyes deep and piercing. When he looked straight at you, it was almost involuntary to feel a sense of guilt. Gu Zhiqiu felt it too—not without a reason—and he suddenly felt uneasy, shifting his gaze away before chuckling again, "If it’s inconvenient for you to say, Mr. Shen, just pretend I didn’t ask."
Shen Yiguang withdrew his gaze and continued to shovel snow into the cart, answering indifferently, "This is the bare minimum. Aside from the army, don’t you have to shovel snow at ho too?"
Gu Zhiqiu nodded with a smile, "Indeed, I was just struck by the speed of your work and asked out of curiosity."
Shen Yiguang rely tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Gu Zhiqiu’s gaze never left him, feeling sowhat frustrated by Shen’s apparent indifference.
Soone nearby said, "Military folks don’t train like what we typically see. Their skills and reflexes are far beyond ordinary, haha... Zhiqiu, what kind of question was that?"
Gu Zhiqiu laughed awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed, "I was wondering if, besides physical training, they also learn about strategy, theory, or take cultural classes. As a distinguished military leader, these are essential skills."
Soone helped answer, "Of course, they do. They’ve got military academies for further education, where cultural courses are available for those who excel."
Gu Zhiqiu then said, "Mr. Shen, may I inquire what your rank is in the military? How about we guess? Considering your youth, you must be a company commander, what do you guys think?"
As they spoke, Shen Yiguang had cleared another area of snow, including the spot near Gu Zhiqiu, and along with what others had done, nearly finished the task.
Yiguang then packed the tools away and helped cart off the piled snow to be dumped.
Gu Zhiqiu was dumbstruck by the sudden change; the task was completed too quickly, and he hadn’t even finished speaking.
A classmate was tidying up, gathering the shovels. Gu’s shovel fell to the ground, and as he bent down to pick it up, the student, not watching his step, trod on the blade. The shovel was face-up on the ground, and this action ant that the handle was bound to spring up and strike Gu, who was collecting the shovel.
Gu yelped as the handle hit his forehead. The classmate, responding to the yell, turned hastily and his own shovel was poised to crash into Gu’s face. Gu shouted again, trying to dodge, but in that split second, he realized he couldn’t avoid it. There was no ti to even raise his hands to shield himself.
To his surprise, Shen Yiguang quickly grabbed the shovel handle, preventing it from hitting his face. Gu didn’t even see where Shen had swooped in from, as fast as a gust of wind.
"Sorry, that was close," said the classmate.
Gu rolled his eyes at the klutz before thanking Yiguang.
.
Shen Yiguang nodded at him and bade farewell to everyone. His task was complete, and he didn’t linger.
After facing the danger of disfigurent, Gu no longer harbored any ulterior motives in his heart.
Yang PeiMin took a chair to sit by the window and occasionally checked on the situation outside. Seeing the shoveling was done, she quickly gathered her books and rushed outside with joy. She was already hungry.
Shen Yiguang was on his way to call her when she charged at him like a rocket, startling him so much that he felt his heart leap. He quickly opened his arms and strode forward to steady her, scolding, "Slow down, slow down!"
Yang PeiMin, supported by his arms, realized she had once again forgotten she was a pregnant woman. She smiled brilliantly at Shen Yiguang, with an apologetic air. Shen Yiguang glared at her, and Yang PeiMin playfully stuck out her tongue, "I know now."
Gu Zhiqiu turned just in ti to see Yang PeiMin’s radiant face, her eyes twinkling with joy, transford into a living portrait... all thanks to that man... Wishing her everlasting happiness, he thought.
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