Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

The two soon arrived at a bar. It was more of a lounge, really, with no noisy DJ or dance floor. In one corner, a small area was set up with some musical instruments where a busker was singing.

The atmosphere in the lounge was tranquil, filled with the sound of simple, lyrical pop music. Young men and women were scattered around, sitting at low tables on the floor. It wasn't crowded, and the quiet environment made it a great place for a drink.

Jiang Nianyu went straight to the bar and sat down, tapping on the counter. A moment later, a beautiful woman came out.

Zhao Dong looked over and was taken aback. The woman was stunning. Her hair was styled in a bun, and she wore a white silk tube dress. She had a snow-white, oval face and exquisite features, as if sculpted by a god. Beneath her fine, delicate nose was a pair of lustrous, cherry-red lips. She was gorgeous, resembling the female influencers on short-video platforms, but even more beautiful than them.

The woman seemed to know Jiang Nianyu. She sat down at the bar beside her and smiled. "What wind blew this great beauty here?"

Jiang Nianyu smiled playfully. "It wasn't the wind. I just missed you."

The woman laughed. "I don't believe you. More trouble at the corporation?"

Jiang Nianyu smiled. "Sort of. But I'm not here to complain tonight. I want to introduce you to someone."

"Oh? Who?"

Jiang Nianyu pointed to Zhao Dong. The woman's gaze fell upon him, her fine eyebrows rising slightly.

Jiang Nianyu beamed. "What do you think? Isn't he handsome?"

A faint blush colored the woman's cheeks as she laughed. "He is indeed very handsome. Is he a friend of yours?"

Jiang Nianyu beckoned to Zhao Dong with her finger. "Come sit over here, Zhao Dong."

With a wry smile, Zhao Dong walked over and sat down at the bar. Jiang Nianyu smiled at him warmly. "Let me introduce you. This is my best friend, Xia Ruyan. She's also the owner of this bar. You should come here next time you want a drink."

Zhao Dong gave Xia Ruyan a friendly smile and extended his hand. "Hello, Miss Xia. I'm Zhao Dong."

Xia Ruyan's cheeks flushed as she met his eyes, extending her own hand to shake his.

As he held her soft hand in his palm, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly released her. Xia Ruyan smiled, a flicker of curiosity appearing in her limpid eyes. "So you're Zhao Dong. I've often heard Nianyu talk about you."

Zhao Dong chuckled. "I'm sure she didn't have anything good to say about me."

Xia Ruyan shook her head, laughing. "Actually, it was all good things. She said you're handsome, interesting, and very masculine... In short, she said nothing but good things about you."

A blush spread across Jiang Nianyu's face. She feigned composure and said, "That's not true! Ruyan, you're exaggerating. I never said this guy was *that* great."

Xia Ruyan covered her mouth to hide a laugh. "I never knew you could be so shy. Nianyu, you haven't fallen for Zhao Dong, have you?"

Jiang Nianyu grew flustered. "That's ridiculous! Hey, Zhao Dong is right here. You're making things so awkward."

Xia Ruyan finally smiled brightly. "Alright, I'll stop. Today, a drink for each of you is on the house."

She mixed a drink for each of them. Jiang Nianyu picked up her glass and sipped it slowly. The crimson liquid flowed between her blood-red lips, adding a layer of deadly allure to her.

Zhao Dong also took a sip. It was spicy and pungent! But it had a uniquely stimulating flavor. In a word—exhilarating!

He gave Xia Ruyan a deep look. I'm interested in this beautiful and seductive woman who knows how to mix drinks. Since she's best friends with Jiang Nianyu, she must be someone extraordinary, not just a simple bar owner.

Beside him, Jiang Nianyu suddenly drained her glass in one gulp. A flicker of pain crossed her face, and her brows knitted tightly. A moment later, they relaxed, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

Xia Ruyan asked softly, "Nianyu, is something on your mind?"

With her eyes closed, Jiang Nianyu felt the fiery liquid burn its way through her body. A single tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She opened her eyes and gazed pensively at her glass in silence.

Suddenly, her quiet voice broke the stillness. "Ruyan, I might have to leave East Sea soon."

Xia Ruyan's expression changed. "Nianyu, you..."

Zhao Dong also looked at her in surprise, a confused look on his face. The Jiang family's businesses are all in East Sea. Why would she say something like that?

Perhaps sensing their confusion, Jiang Nianyu forced a resigned smile. "Alright, just pretend I was talking nonsense. Is there any more wine? I want another drink."

Xia Ruyan studied her friend for a long moment before mixing another drink and handing it to her.

This time, Jiang Nianyu didn't down it all at once. She looked at Zhao Dong, an indescribable emotion in her limpid eyes.

Zhao Dong lowered his voice. "Is there something you want to say? Also, what were you doing in that villa district tonight?"

Jiang Nianyu sighed softly. "Zhao Dong, I never thought I would become the next Lin Qingyun."

"What do you mean?"

She managed a wretched smile. "Xiao Hongtian forced Lin Qingyun into her situation, and now someone else is going to do the same to me."

Zhao Dong frowned, understanding instantly. "You have an arranged marriage?"

Jiang Nianyu's body trembled violently. Her knuckles turned white as she instinctively tightened her grip on the glass.

Zhao Dong knew he had guessed correctly and sighed softly. "It's so pitiful for you women from major families. Can't you even decide your own marriages? Why do your parents always insist on arranging them?"

Jiang Nianyu said quietly, "To be born into a major family and enjoy the prestige it provides, you have to accept the cost. Our cost is to serve as tools for marital alliances."

"Can't you refuse to form these alliances?"

Jiang Nianyu took a sip of her drink, her cheeks flushing even more. "It's not that simple," she murmured. "That's why I want to run away. I want to leave East Sea."

Zhao Dong fell silent. Jiang Nianyu gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Zhao Dong, do you think I'm pathetic? Being forced to run away from my own home."

Zhao Dong smiled. "Not at all. I understand completely... Are you two already engaged?"

Jiang Nianyu shook her head. "Not yet, but it's happening soon. In the next few days."

"Who is he?"

She sighed faintly. "He's from East Sea."

Zhao Dong was astonished. "There's a power in East Sea that can force your family into a marital alliance?"

Jiang Nianyu sighed again. "On the surface, East Sea seems simple. But as one of China's most prosperous prefecture-level cities and an international metropolis, the real powers at play are far more complex than you can imagine. Besides the four major, well-known families—the Han, Zhang, Gu, and Chen—there are also three hidden families. Their power surpasses our imagination and is comparable to factions like the Xiao Family in the Provincial City."

Zhao Dong was utterly shocked. Three hidden families? He suddenly recalled that Yun Keqing's family was supposedly one of the three hidden families of East Sea. The man Jiang Nianyu is supposed to marry... it couldn't be someone from the Yun Family, could it?

With this doubt in mind, he asked, "So, which family is the Jiang family forming an alliance with?"

Jiang Nianyu considered it for a few seconds before answering quietly, "The Yun Family of East Sea. Yun Kefeng of the Yun Family has taken an interest in me. He came to my home a few days ago to discuss it with my parents and the rest of the Jiang family... My parents, and the family, they can't refuse."

Zhao Dong was stunned. What a coincidence! It's really the Yun Family?

Noticing his expression, Jiang Nianyu asked, "What's wrong, Zhao Dong?"

Zhao Dong coughed twice. "Nothing, it just feels... so helpless. Do you even like this Yun Kefeng?"

Jiang Nianyu gave a self-mocking laugh. "Like him? How could I possibly like him?"

As she spoke, her gaze unintentionally fell on Zhao Dong, making his heart skip a beat. For an instant, he felt there was a hidden meaning in her gaze, but he didn't dwell on it.

"Anyway, Zhao Dong, enough about my problems. Let's talk about you. What have you been up to lately?"

Zhao Dong shrugged. "I'm a cultivator. Of course, I'm busy getting stronger."

Jiang Nianyu smiled. "So how strong are you now?"

Zhao Dong shook his head. "I'm still not strong enough. I've been collecting medicinal herbs recently."

"Collecting medicinal herbs?"

Jiang Nianyu's eyes lit up as she suddenly said, "Zhao Dong, I heard my family mention something the other day. In the northern district of East Sea, on a tidal flat, there's a plant called Violet Profound Grass. Someone from my family saw it, but apparently, only cultivators can get close to it, so my family members didn't touch it."

Zhao Dong's pupils constricted in shock. "Violet Profound Grass? Are you sure?"