Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

Zhao Dong recognized Wang Han. Their families had always been neighbors, and the two had known each other since they were little. They were quite close as children, and their parents had even joked about arranging a childhood betrothal.

But as they grew up, Zhao Dong joined the military, and his contact with Wang Han dwindled until they eventually lost touch. They could have been considered childhood sweethearts, but as time passed and they matured, some feelings simply couldn't endure.

In Zhao Dong's heart, however, Wang Han had always been a good friend. Seeing her now, a smile appeared on his face. "What a coincidence. When did you get back? I didn't see you around the last couple of days."

Wang Han's face also lit up with a smile. She had been a cute and pretty child, but now she had blossomed into a graceful young woman. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a beautiful profile. "I'm back for a day off to rest," she said with a small smile. "When were you discharged?"

"I just got back a couple of days ago," Zhao Dong smiled. "It's been years, and you've grown into a real beauty."

Wang Han gave him a playful look and laughed. "The way you say that, it's as if I wasn't a beauty before."

"You were then, but you're even more beautiful now." Zhao Dong scratched his head, his smile genuine in the presence of his childhood playmate.

"You smooth-talker! But I don't mind if you compliment me some more." Wang Han smiled softly, then looked at him again. "By the way, what do you plan to do now that you're back? Have you found a job yet?"

Zhao Dong laughed. "I'm not in a rush to find work. What about you? What are you doing these days?"

Wang Han bit her lip, a complex look flashing in her eyes. It vanished in an instant, replaced by a smile. "It's a secret! I'm not telling you!"

Zhao Dong sighed inwardly. Wang Han used to tell him everything, but now she was keeping secrets. People really do grow up and change. He understood, though; after all, they hadn't seen each other in years.

"By the way," Zhao Dong added, "are your parents home? What are you doing for dinner? How about I go buy some groceries, and you can come eat at my place?"

Wang Han hesitated for a moment before smiling. "No, thanks. I have some things to sort out. You guys enjoy your dinner; I won't come over."

With that, she gave Zhao Dong another smile and returned to her own courtyard.

Zhao Dong scratched his head and sighed softly. There used to be no distance between them. Back then, they could talk about anything, but in their brief exchange just now, he could clearly feel a barrier. He felt a pang of melancholy that the close friend with whom he once shared everything now seemed so distant. It was just a fleeting feeling, however.

He returned to his own yard as well. When he got home, Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei were in the middle of cooking. Seeing their son return, the old couple's faces broke into smiles.

"Xiaodong, you're back? Quick, wash your hands and get ready for dinner!"

Looking at his parents, Zhao Dong felt an immense warmth in his heart. He washed his hands and sat down at the table with them.

Zhang Cuimei had made a spread of their favorite dishes. "Xiaodong," she said with a smile, "I made all the dishes you and your sister Qirou love. After we're done, I'll send some over to her."

Zhao Dong hummed in agreement as he ate. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Mom, I saw Wang Han just now."

"Wang Han?" Zhang Cuimei and Zhao Kangyou exchanged a glance, a strange expression on their faces. "Did you two talk?" Zhang Cuimei asked softly.

Zhao Dong was taken aback. "Yeah, we did. Why? What's wrong?"

His parents looked at each other again before Zhang Cuimei said with a heavy sigh, "Well, at least that girl is still sensible. Alas..."

This only made Zhao Dong more confused. "Mom, what's that supposed to mean? And I've been meaning to ask, don't Uncle Wang and Aunt Li live next door anymore? I haven't seen anyone in their yard since I got back."

Zhao Kangyou tapped his pipe against the table. "Your Uncle Wang's family moved out a long time ago. If you happen to run into them, don't just call out to them. He's not your 'Uncle Wang' anymore."

Zhao Dong was even more astonished. "Dad, what do you mean? Weren't you and Uncle Wang friends for many years?"

Zhao Kangyou fell silent for a moment, a bitter, self-deprecating smile on his face. "Why would people like that want to be friends with poor folks like us? Back in the day, your Uncle Wang was close with our family. But then he got lucky and won over two million in the lottery. That money turned their lives around. They bought a house in the city and stopped coming back here. Once they got rich, they cut off all contact with us."

Zhao Dong frowned. "Does the Wang family look down on us?"

"Look down on us?" Zhang Cuimei cut in. "It's worse than that. Your dad ran into him on the street once and called out to him, but he just ignored him. He even said he didn't know your dad and told him not to shout after him. And that Aunt Li of yours was even worse. She said we're forbidden from telling anyone that we know their family."

Zhao Dong's brows knitted tightly. "How could Uncle Wang's family be like that? I never would have guessed!"

Zhang Cuimei sighed. "We didn't see it coming either. But you can't blame them entirely. You can only blame us for being too poor and embarrassing them. After they moved, Wang Han was the only one who'd occasionally come back to stay for a bit. She's still a sensible and polite girl, but she's grown distant from us too. Her nature isn't bad, though."

Now Zhao Dong finally understood. So that's it. They got rich and became snobs!

Zhang Cuimei then looked at her son. "Xiaodong, your father and I, along with Wang Han's parents, arranged a childhood betrothal for you two. You know about this. Back then, both our families thought you two were a good match. But the Wang family has changed. And it seems Wang Han has a boyfriend now, from a pretty wealthy family. You can't go around talking carelessly about the betrothal."

Zhao Dong nodded. "I know, Mom. Wang Han and I never took it seriously anyway. We always treated it as a joke."

The family of three dropped the topic and continued their warm, harmonious dinner. Zhao Dong didn't say anything else, but he felt a sense of unease.

How could the Wang family have changed so much? In his memory, Wang Han's father, Wang Jianguo, and mother, Li Mujing, had always been such friendly and approachable people. He never imagined they were so snobbish deep down. And Wang Han, too... He shook his head and sighed inwardly. In this society, money really is the most important thing. Without it, no one will respect you!

As they ate, Zhao Dong said to his parents, "Mom, Dad, after we finish eating, get ready. I'm taking you out shopping to buy you some things."

He had already decided to buy his parents some nice clothes and jewelry. They had worked hard their entire lives. Now that he had money, he was determined to give them a better life. The next day, he would buy them some property so they could live comfortably and without worry.

Zhao Kangyou and Zhang Cuimei immediately tried to refuse, but they couldn't win the argument against Zhao Dong. The old couple was touched and happy, even though they were reluctant to spend his money. Their son was now successful; for parents, there was no greater happiness in the world.

After dinner, just as Zhao Dong was about to take his parents out, he suddenly heard shouting from the courtyard next door.

Zhao Dong froze. Wasn't that Wang Han's house? From inside her yard, he could hear the sounds of her choked sobs mixed with angry shouts. Listening more closely, he realized there was also a man's furious voice.

His first instinct was to not get involved. After all, there was now a rift between their families. But the shouting grew louder, punctuated by the sound of things being thrown and smashed.

Zhao Dong couldn't just sit there. He and Wang Han had once been good friends, and she hadn't ignored him earlier. As a neighbor, the least he could do was take a look. He couldn't just pretend nothing was happening.

With this thought, Zhao Dong left his yard and walked over to Wang Han's front door. The scene inside made his brows furrow tightly.