First Night with the Army: The Stoic Big Shot Is Done Pretending

WenCistruggledtosurviveintheapocalypseforthreeyears,onlytotransmigrateintothe1980sastherealheiressforcedintoasubstitutemarriage.Themomentshearrived,herownmotherpressuredhertomarryinanother’splace.WenCihadneverbeenonetosubmit,evenindeath.Ratherthanbemanipulated,sheleaptintotherivertoescape—Onlytoberescuedtheverynextsecond.Lookingup,shefoundherselfstaringatatall,broad-shoulderedmanwithafacesohandsomeitcouldruinnations.Practicallydrooling,WenCiblinkedandasked,“Justpassingby?”Themanrepliedcoldly,“Yourhusband.”WenCifroze.Herarrangedhusband…Wasthisdevastatinglyhandsomebigshot?Ifshe’dknownsooner,whywouldshehavejumpedintotheriver?Shewould’vehappilygonestraighttoenjoyingmarriedlife!—Later,WenCiwasassignedtoassistatahospital,wheresheoftenheardthedoctorsspeakinaweofacertain“LivingYama”intheNorthwest—Amanswiftanddecisive,sternandimpartial,sointimidatingthatanyonewhomethimtrembled.RememberingWenCiwasmarried,onedoctoraskedcuriously,“Whereisyourhusbandstationed?”JustasWenCiwasabouttoanswer—ShelookedupandsawHuoJingyuanstandinginthedoorwayincivilianclothes,hisexpressionascoldasever.Thedoctorhurriedlytuggedhersleeveandwhispered,“That’shim—theLivingYama!”WenCiwalkedovertohim.“Whyareyouhere?”HuoJingyuanlookedatherandansweredevenly,“Totakeyouhome.”