Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

Yang Sixue and Song Qingwan, who had been strangers just a short while ago, were now chatting happily in the back seat, laughing from time to time.

Zhao Dong smacked his lips, got into the car, and buckled his seatbelt before glancing at the back. "Superstar Song, where do you live?"

Song Qingwan's expression grew slightly uneasy.

Yang Sixue chuckled beside her. "Qingwan, are you worried Zhao Dong will find out your address? Don't be. I'll vouch for his character. He's a good guy. He even used to be in the special forces."

Song Qingwan looked at Zhao Dong in surprise. "You were a soldier?"

Zhao Dong nodded. "Served for a few years. I was just discharged."

Song Qingwan gazed at him for a moment. "So you're a veteran. In that case, I can rest easy. I live in Waterside Lake Garden."

Yang Sixue exclaimed, "You moved? I remember the media reporting you lived somewhere else."

Song Qingwan gave a bitter smile. "I moved last year. The other place was swarming with paparazzi all the time. It was really getting on my nerves."

"I get it," Yang Sixue said sympathetically. "Especially for a huge star like you. The slightest thing can cause a media frenzy."

Then, Yang Sixue turned to Zhao Dong. "Zhao Dong, Qingwan and I don't live in the same direction, and my place is closer from here. You should drop me off first, then take her home. Besides, Waterside Lake Garden is near your place, so you can go straight home after dropping her off. You can use the car tonight; just return it whenever you have time."

Zhao Dong thought it over and agreed. He stepped on the gas, and the car shot forward.

In the car, the two women in the back seat whispered to each other, their laughter occasionally floating to the front. Even the usually cold and indifferent Song Qingwan had a smile on her face. In just one evening, they had become good friends, which made Zhao Dong give a wry smile to himself.

They soon arrived at the villa complex where Yang Sixue lived. As she got out of the car, she looked at Zhao Dong, a charming smile on her pretty face. "Zhao Dong, I'm leaving Qingwan in your hands. You have to get her home safely!"

"No problem."

Yang Sixue's beautiful eyes sparkled. After a moment, she smiled again. "Right, I still have to thank you for tonight. I owe you a big one. If you ever need my help, just ask."

Zhao Dong smiled. "Got it, Superstar Yang. You should hurry back and get some rest!"

Yang Sixue gave him a playful smile and stuck her tongue out at him before waving goodbye.

Zhao Dong pressed the accelerator, and the car drove off. Once Yang Sixue was gone, silence descended inside the car. He didn't know how to start a conversation with Song Qingwan, who was even more taciturn than he was.

Glancing at the rearview mirror, Zhao Dong suddenly realized Song Qingwan was also looking at him. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second before she quickly looked away. He rubbed his nose to hide his embarrassment.

Still, he had to admit, Song Qingwan's beauty was truly nation-toppling. Wherever she went, she was guaranteed to be the center of attention. Bathed in the soft, ambient light of the car, her delicate features were so stunning they were mesmerizing.

Unable to bear the oppressive silence any longer, Zhao Dong decided to break the ice. "Superstar Song, I've seen a lot of your movies. Many of my friends are huge fans of yours."

Song Qingwan glanced at him and said coolly, "Are you that desperate to find something to talk about?"

"No, I'm speaking from the heart," Zhao Dong chuckled awkwardly. "My friends would probably go insane if they knew I was in the same car as the goddess of their dreams!"

He couldn't help but laugh at his own words, and surprisingly, Song Qingwan let out a soft chuckle from the back seat.

"You're quite funny."

"I try. As long as you don't find my chatter annoying." Zhao Dong glanced at her again in the rearview mirror and said sincerely, "You look much prettier when you smile than when you have a cold expression. On screen, you always play the 'ice queen'—aloof and reserved. You should try smiling more often."

Song Qingwan's cheeks flushed slightly. She glanced at Zhao Dong but said nothing.

Zhao Dong scratched his head apologetically. "That might have been a bit forward of me. Please don't take offense."

"It's alright," she said softly. After a moment of silence, she continued, "I have to thank you for tonight. You're my savior. If it wasn't for you, I might have been…"

A shadow of sadness crossed her eyes. Zhao Dong remarked, "It can't be easy in the entertainment industry. Even major stars like you can't always avoid things like that."

"It's a dirty business. My biggest regret is ever getting into it, but it's also the thing I'm most grateful for. If I hadn't, I can't imagine what my life would be like now."

Zhao Dong paused, recalling that Song Qingwan had become famous overnight. She had appeared out of nowhere, and no information about her background could be found online.

Curiosity got the better of him. "Miss Song, pardon my asking, but what did you do before entering the entertainment industry?"

Song Qingwan hesitated for a moment. "If I tell you, promise you won't laugh."

"Why would I laugh at you?"

She glanced at him and fell silent for a moment before saying apologetically, "Can I choose not to answer that question?"

Zhao Dong nodded. "Of course. We'll skip it." He noticed a flash of melancholy in her eyes and guessed the answer must be a painful memory for her.

"By the way, you and Sixue seem to be pretty close?"

Zhao Dong gave a wry smile. "We're okay."

Song Qingwan said meaningfully, "I'm very curious about how you two met. What is it that you do?"

Zhao Dong scratched his head and smiled. "I'm just a retired soldier, as ordinary as they come. As for a job… I haven't found one yet. Meeting her was just a coincidence."

Song Qingwan looked at him intently. "I think the way Sixue looks at you is a little… different. It's a woman's intuition, a sixth sense."

Zhao Dong chuckled. "Even a sixth sense can be wrong sometimes."

Song Qingwan said no more. They soon arrived at the villa complex where she lived. The complex was semi-open, allowing vehicles to drive right in. However, the security guards clearly played favorites; they would wave luxury cars through but subject ordinary vehicles to intense scrutiny. As he was in a luxury car, the guard opened the gate for him immediately. Zhao Dong figured he might as well see things through to the end and drove right in.

He soon pulled up in front of a European-style garden villa deep inside the complex.

As the car stopped, Song Qingwan said softly, "Thank you for everything today. It was a lot of trouble."

"You're welcome," Zhao Dong smiled.

Song Qingwan pressed her lips together and said nothing more as she opened the door and got out. Just as she started walking toward the villa, a rustle came from the nearby bushes.

Zhao Dong's brow furrowed. His senses on high alert, he barked out, "Who's there?!"

A figure shot up from behind the bushes and scrambled away without a second thought.

Song Qingwan cried out, startled. Her palms were slick with sweat. "Zhao Dong, what was that?"

He scratched his head. "Paparazzi, probably? It's alright, nothing to be afraid of."

Her face was pale. "But what if it wasn't? What if it was those people from tonight, hiding here to grab me?"

Zhao Dong gave a bitter smile. "I don't think they'd go that far."

Her face was a mask of tension and bitterness. Biting her lip, she asked timidly, "Zhao Dong, can I ask you a favor? Could you come inside with me and check around the house? I'm scared to go in alone."

Zhao Dong looked at her and replied with a wry smile, "Miss Song, I could, but it's so late. I'm afraid it might be misunderstood."

"Believe me, I'm more worried about being misunderstood than you are," she said helplessly. "Please, I'm begging you. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep at all tonight."

Since she'd put it that way, and seeing the pitiful look in her beautiful eyes, Zhao Dong sighed. "Alright then. I'll come in and check things out for you."

He got out of the car and walked toward the villa side by side with her. A faint, pleasant fragrance drifted into his nose. He glanced sideways and saw her small face was taut with nervousness. Even so, she was still incredibly beautiful, and the night air added a touch of enchantment.

His heart skipped a beat. Entering a villa in the middle of the night with one of China's top stars, the aloof goddess… isn't this a little too intimate? He gave another wry smile and quickly shook the thought away.

When they reached the front door, Song Qingwan unlocked it and said softly to him, "Please come in, Zhao Dong."

He hesitated for a moment before stepping into the villa.