Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

"I wanted to say..." Yang Sixue bit her lip, mustering her courage to continue shyly, "I think you're a good man. You're very nice."

Zhao Dong felt a sense of unreality. The goddess adored by millions on screen was shyly calling him a good man? It felt like a dream.

"Really? You can tell I'm a good man just from our first meeting?"

Yang Sixue smiled, revealing a pair of small dimples as her eyes twinkled. "Of course. Although your gaze is as lecherous as any other man's, your actions make me feel you're actually quite honest. You're different from other men... Specifically, you're honest, but with a hint of roguishness."

Yang Sixue laughed after saying her piece, and Zhao Dong laughed along with her.

"This is the first time I've heard an assessment like that."

"It's my first time giving one," Yang Sixue said, her gaze captivated by Zhao Dong's profile.

Zhao Dong was undeniably handsome, with sharp, well-defined features and a strong jawline. That, combined with his suit and the crisp, decisive aura of a soldier, was a potent mix. Yang Sixue had seen countless pretty boys in the entertainment industry; she was long since immune to their heavily made-up faces. A man like Zhao Dong... he was a breath of fresh air.

A jolt went through Yang Sixue's heart and her expression shifted. Yang Sixue, oh Yang Sixue, what are you thinking? He belongs to your best friend, Lin Qingyun! You have to maintain some boundaries...

"Zhao Dong, can you drive me home?"

"Sure. Where do you live?"

"Silver Lake Villas."

Zhao Dong clicked his tongue. "I've heard the prices in that area are over two hundred thousand per square meter. A single villa must be worth tens of millions. A lot of celebrities live there."

Yang Sixue pouted slightly. "What's so great about that? If you want to live there, I have plenty of spare rooms. You're welcome to stay."

Zhao Dong glanced at her, and she immediately blushed, wondering why on earth she had just blurted that out. Inviting him to stay over? She must be crazy!

Zhao Dong said nothing. He just rubbed his nose, hit the gas, and pulled the car onto the road.

As the car sped through the rain, Yang Sixue's face grew redder and redder, her eyes becoming glazed and unfocused...

"Zhao Dong, stop the car!" she shouted suddenly.

Zhao Dong immediately pulled over to the side of the road. Yang Sixue wretchedly pushed the door open and began vomiting violently onto the ground. She was heaving so hard she almost fell out of the car, but Zhao Dong quickly grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

When she finally finished, an unhealthy flush was spread across her face. After closing the door and rinsing her mouth with a bottle of water, she looked at Zhao Dong, panting. With a weak and embarrassed smile, she said, "Sorry you had to see that."

"It's alright. Just don't drink so much next time. Your health is important."

Yang Sixue's body trembled slightly, and her eyes began to redden. Wiping the corner of her eye, she whispered, "Thank you. Very few people tell me to drink less..."

"If you're feeling unwell, try to sleep. Just tell me your house number."

"I'm okay, I can manage... Zhao Dong, how did you and Lin Qingyun meet?"

Zhao Dong smiled wryly. "You still have the energy to ask about that?"

Just then, his phone rang. It was Lin Qingyun. Zhao Dong answered.

"Zhao Dong, how is Sixue?" Lin Qingyun's voice came through the speaker.

Beside him, Yang Sixue smiled and leaned in. "Qingyun, I'm much better. I drank a little too much, so Zhao Dong is taking me home. You don't mind, do you?"

Lin Qingyun laughed on the other end. "Of course not. I was actually calling to check on you. I was going to ask him to take you home if you weren't feeling well, but it looks like he's already on it."

Yang Sixue took the phone and giggled. "You're awfully trusting, you know. I've been drinking. Aren't you afraid I'll steal your man?"

"Go ahead and steal him. If you really like Zhao Dong, I don't mind sharing a man with my best friend."

Zhao Dong's face darkened as he snatched the phone back. "Are you serious? I'm your man! Don't you care about me at all?"

Lin Qingyun pursed her lips. "I do care. But I'd actually be quite happy if you and Sixue really got together."

"You're insane!"

Zhao Dong hung up. Beside him, Yang Sixue was laughing so hard she was trembling. "Zhao Dong, Qingyun and I actually used to joke about that. Since we're best friends, we should share any good men we find!"

Zhao Dong rolled his eyes. "What am I, a toy?"

"You are our toy!"

***

Meanwhile, in the president's office of the Lin Corporation, Lin Qingyun stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, staring blankly at the city outside.

Her secretary gave a wry smile. "President Lin, you shouldn't make jokes like that. Mr. Zhao might really take it the wrong way and get some bad ideas."

Lin Qingyun gazed out the window, her voice distant. "No, I wasn't joking."

The secretary froze, staring at Lin Qingyun in disbelief.

Lin Qingyun's voice was tinged with melancholy, and her smile was complex. "Zhao Dong is a cultivator. To people like him, the rules of the mundane world are like mist. They aren't binding in the slightest. It's perfectly normal for them to meet several women on their lifelong journey of cultivation..."

"But President Lin, are you truly willing to let another woman occupy your man's heart? Can you really accept that?"

Lin Qingyun's gaze remained fixed on the distance as she spoke softly. "I couldn't before. Now... perhaps I can."

"Why?"

A tear glistened in Lin Qingyun's eye as she looked out the window, her face a mask of indescribable emotion. "Because I owe him too much... Yes, he ruined my reputation at the beginning, but I was also to blame for what happened that night. I was drunk... After that, he stepped forward to protect me time and time again, twice nearly dying for my sake. I am the one who owes him. So, I will persuade myself to be tolerant."

As a daughter from a great family, Lin Qingyun had seen a lot. It was common for men in such families to have several women—even her own father was an example. She had come to terms with this reality...

"Besides, wasn't I the one who shattered his peaceful life? I haven't given him enough care. I'm supposedly his woman, yet there's so much I fail to do. I even started our relationship with the intention of using him. What right do I have to demand his absolute devotion?"

The secretary said no more, simply letting out a soft, understanding sigh.

"Sixue is a good girl. If something really were to happen between them, I think I could accept it more easily. In any case, as long as I have a place in his heart, that's enough."

The secretary gave another wry smile. "President Lin, what... are your feelings for Zhao Dong?"

Lin Qingyun swept a strand of hair from her face, revealing her stunning profile. Her gaze was distant. "I... I can't quite put it into words. Perhaps... I'm slowly starting to fall in love with him."

***

Zhao Dong pulled up in front of a villa in Silver Lake Villas and parked. "We're here. Time to get out."

Getting no response, Zhao Dong frowned and turned to look.

Yang Sixue's face was flushed, and she was so drunk she could barely keep her eyes open.

Zhao Dong was at a loss for a moment. "Hey, don't fall asleep in here! Sleep in your house!"

Her eyes opened a crack. "You... take me upstairs," she slurred.

"I can't do that. You should walk up yourself." Zhao Dong felt it was important to maintain his distance. Taking her upstairs would mean carrying her, which he felt would be too awkward.

"No... I can't walk... If you don't take me, I'll just sleep in the car..."

"You can't sleep in the car. You could get carbon monoxide poisoning."

"Then take me upstairs!" Yang Sixue managed a hazy smile. "What... are you scared? Scaredy-cat. Such a wimp!"

The corner of Zhao Dong's mouth twitched. "Alright, you've successfully goaded me."

He got out, walked over to the passenger side, and scooped Yang Sixue up into his arms without another word.

Yang Sixue let out a soft cry, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. Feeling his broad shoulders and hard abdominal muscles, she felt a wave of embarrassment, and her face grew even redder.

The sudden embrace sent a jolt of heat through Zhao Dong. Her figure... it was incredible! He would never have guessed. Yang Sixue looked so slender at five-foot-seven, barely weighing over a hundred pounds, but she was curvy in all the right places. His mind began to wander, and he quickly forced himself to calm down as he carried her toward the villa.

At the front door, he fished the keys from her pocket. Zhao Dong had planned to just put her down on the sofa.

But Yang Sixue wouldn't let go, muttering unclearly, "Take me... upstairs."

Resigned, Zhao Dong carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. Upon entering the room, he quickly placed her on the large bed.

Just as he was about to leave, Yang Sixue murmured from behind him, "Zhao Dong, wait..."

Zhao Dong froze and turned back to look.