Chapter 272
In the backseat of the military vehicle, the four people were tied up like crabs.
Zhou Shiyu sobbed loudly, "We really aren't spies, my wrists hurt so much..."
Tang Mi cried and shook her head, "I won't run, I will definitely cooperate with the investigation. Can you untie us first?"
Sheng Yun coldly scolded, "Keep arguing and I'll throw you out to feed the wolves."
The four of them instantly went as quiet as mice.
Right at that moment—
The piercing sound of brakes rang out as an off-road vehicle blocked their path. Its headlights blazed, so blindingly bright that people couldn't open their eyes.
The car door was pushed open, and a young woman appeared on the sandy ground.
"Miss Rong, save us!" Si Lin was so excited he nearly bounced out of his seat. "This is illegal detention!"
Zhou Shiyu's eyes welled with tears. "Rong Yu, quickly explain to them, we really are employees of the support team!"
Tang Mi pleaded, "Rong Yu, my grandfather thought so highly of you. He has barely been laid to rest, you can't just leave me..."
Rong Yu was just about to speak.
When she saw the person sitting in the passenger seat, she froze.
It was Sheng Qingyan.
After parting ways in the capital, they hadn't seen each other for a while. He was completely different from before; he had lost the pampered air of a wealthy young master and gained a tough, iron-blooded aura.
Sheng Qingyan saw her too.
He immediately pushed the door open and stepped out. Under the moonlight, his tall figure looked like an unsheathed military knife.
He wore a crisp military uniform with sharp shoulder lines and a narrow, lean waist. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing well-defined forearms with veins faintly bulging beneath the skin.
She stared blankly for a moment before slowly breaking into a smile. "Sheng Qingyan, do you still remember me?"
Sheng Qingyan nodded. "Miss Rong."
His serious demeanor made Rong Yu want to laugh.
Who could have imagined that the clingy, obedient large wolf-dog from her past life would now have such an unapproachable expression.
She suddenly wanted to tease him a little.
It would probably be very interesting.
But suddenly, seeing another person step out of the car, she realized there was someone else. She recognized him as the younger uncle of the Sheng family's previous generation, Sheng Yun.
She immediately restrained her expression and spoke calmly, "This must be Lieutenant Sheng from the Base 4 Military District, right?"
Upon hearing the words 'Lieutenant Sheng', Sheng Yun's face turned green.
When he first joined the unit, he was a second lieutenant and quickly got promoted to first lieutenant. However, he had been stuck at the rank of lieutenant for over a decade. Those in the military who disliked him would deliberately emphasize the word 'Lieutenant' to humiliate him.
But this Miss Rong probably wasn't humiliating him on purpose, right?
"So it's Miss Rong, my eldest nephew's benefactor," Sheng Yun said. "This is a military zone. What brings Miss Rong here?"
Rong Yu looked at the four unlucky souls in the backseat of the car. "Those are my people, temporary members of the support team. Here is their identification. Lieutenant Sheng, sorry for the trouble."
Sheng Yun was just about to reach out and take it.
Sheng Qingyan, standing beside him, suddenly spoke up, "Lieutenant Sheng, let me handle it."
Without waiting for Sheng Yun's agreement, he walked up to Rong Yu and took the ID badges.
With a serious face, he went through the routine with utmost diligence, checking the four messy faces one by one. He verified one and let one go. After finishing, he handed the four ID badges back to Rong Yu. Just as he was about to speak.
Suddenly!
He pulled Rong Yu into his arms.
Rong Yu: "..."
She was truly stunned.
In her past life, Ji Zheng had been well-behaved and honest. It was only after they had been together for a long time that he dared to carefully hold her hand.
In this life, Sheng Qingyan was actually this bold. It was truly...
Sheng Yun: "..."
Damn it.
This eldest nephew had just returned to normal, could he have already learned how to flirt with girls?
Sure enough, picking up girls was a man's innate skill.
Meanwhile, the four people who had just been untied widened their eyes in shock, their pupils quaking.
Hai Chang'an: "Holy crap, this guy is taking advantage of Miss Rong. Old Master Ji will kill him."
Tang Mi: "No, what is going on? Are they a couple?"
Zhou Shiyu: "Damn it, I had my eye on this handsome guy first. Rong Yu is actually fighting me for him?"
Si Lin: "Hey, don't think I'm afraid of you just because you're wearing a military uniform. Is Miss Rong someone you can take advantage of..."
He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly choking on his words.
He stared intently behind Rong Yu, his eyes almost popping out of his head. His voice got stuck in his throat, "There's, there's, there's..."
Before he could get the word out.
"Whoosh!"
A dark shadow swept up, lunging toward Rong Yu's back. Sheng Qingyan hugged her, spun around to switch their positions, and then raised his hand. He grabbed the creature by its weak point and slammed it onto the hood of the military vehicle with a loud smack.
Everyone's gazes simultaneously shot over. They saw that it was a sand python over a meter long. Its black and yellow scales gleamed coldly in the moonlight, its tongue hissed, and venom dripped from its fangs.
Immediately after, screams erupted.
Tang Mi passed out from sheer terror, Zhou Shiyu frantically backed away, and Si Lin and Hai Chang'an hugged each other, jumping up and down wildly. "A snake! Oh my god, there's a snake ahhh!"
Sheng Qingyan protected Rong Yu with one hand and drew his military knife with the other. With a swift "swish," he threw it. The tip of the blade accurately pinned the snake's head down. The sand python thrashed wildly a couple of times and then stopped moving.
Rong Yu's eyes lit up.
His combat skills were still so clean and efficient.
Curving her lips, she asked, "Sheng Qingyan, how long will you be staying here?"
Sheng Yun whistled and intentionally asked with a wicked grin, "What's wrong, Miss Rong? Do you like my eldest nephew?"
Rong Yu sized up the two of them with her eyes and said unhurriedly, "Compared to Lieutenant Sheng, his appearance is more outstanding and his physique is taller. It's hard for me not to like him."
She hadn't forgotten that during their first meeting at the hospital, Sheng Yun had shoved her. For a gentlewoman's revenge, ten years is not too late.
From the corner of her eye, she kept staring at Sheng Qingyan.
Under the moonlight, she saw that his face had actually turned red.
Compared to his thick skin after their marriage, this blushing version of him made her incredibly nostalgic.
Sheng Yun puffed in anger, "Miss Rong only looks at the exterior and ignores the interior. That's a bit superficial, huh."
"Sheng Qingyan graduated from the Capital Military Academy. What about you, Lieutenant Sheng?" Rong Yu smiled. "Sheng Qingyan can kill a sand python barehanded. What about you, Lieutenant Sheng?"
Sheng Yun: "..."
Fine, fine, fine. In the end, he was the clown.
He kicked the damn sand python away and got into the car.
The sand python was kicked right to the feet of the four people. Scared out of their wits, they scrambled and crawled toward Rong Yu's car.
The man in front of her was blushing so hard his face was practically dripping blood, which put Rong Yu in an excellent mood. She stopped teasing him and smiled, "Sheng Qingyan, it's getting late. I'll take these four away first."
Sheng Qingyan stood in place, watching the taillights of Rong Yu's car disappear behind the sand dunes before he got into his own vehicle.
Inside Rong Yu's car, the four people huddled in the backseat, still recovering from the shock.
She glanced at them through the rearview mirror. "Still going to run?"
The four of them shook their heads frantically.
"In the desert, aside from sand pythons, there are also venomous scorpions, wolf packs, quicksand... You guys got lucky today." Rong Yu's voice was icy. "Making everyone work in the middle of the night to search for you—tomorrow's breakfast is canceled. Hurry up and get back to the dormitory area. If you cause any more trouble, you'll face the consequences!"
The four of them didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
After a whole day of torment, the four were exhausted beyond belief. They no longer complained about the hard bed boards, nor did they mind the rough blankets. They made do with a cold shower and fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillows.