After several days of effort, Ye Wenshu finally managed to gather a stack of grain coupons and meat coupons.

She pulled out her best clothes and changed, looking at herself in the small mirror again and again. Seeing that the redness and swelling on her nose had almost completely subsided, leaving only a faint pink tinge, she felt not ugly at all, but rather a little charmingly innocent. She became even more excited, clutching her ticket and preparing to leave.

"Wen Shu, wait!" Lin Wanqiu hurriedly chased after her and grabbed her. "Your nose isn't completely healed yet. Why don't you wait a couple of days before going?"

"It's all better now." Ye Wenshu brushed her hand away, her tone smug. "I specially bought some ointment to apply, so no one can tell now."

Lin Wanqiu wanted to find another excuse, "Maybe you didn't exchange enough tickets. It would be more sincere to get more..."

"No need, I want to go now." Ye Wenshu suddenly stopped and stared at her suspiciously. "Why are you stopping me? Do you also like Commander Jiang? I advise you not to waste your time. I am an only child, and my conditions are better than yours. Unlike you, who has to help your brothers, you are not good enough for him at all."

Lin Wanqiu's face turned pale instantly. She had only mentioned her family's affairs to the village chief once, so how could Ye Wenshu know?

If word gets out, who knows what the people at the educated youth settlement will say about me.

She had two brothers, yet she was the only woman sent to the countryside. It's obvious she wasn't favored at home.

Lin Wanqiu forced herself to remain calm, "Wen Shu, I'm really doing this for your own good..."

"If they want to go, they should go. What's the point of stopping them time and time again?" Liu Mengyao, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore and said calmly with her arms crossed.

After hearing this, Lin Wanqiu had no reason to stop her anymore; continuing to pester her would only make her seem more suspicious.

Ye Wenshu ignored her and rushed out of the educated youth settlement with her cloth bag.

Lin Wanqiu bit her lip, steeled her resolve, and followed.

Seeing this, Liu Mengyao put on her coat and stood up, saying, "I'll go with you to take a look."

The news spread quickly, and several other educated youths, having nothing else to do, joined in the fun, and the group marched towards the military headquarters in a grand procession.

The spring sun is exceptionally strong, and the snow on the ground has begun to melt.

Upon arriving at the military headquarters, Ye Wenshu smiled and waved to the soldiers on guard, "Comrade, could you please call Commander Jiang Linchuan for me? Tell him I'm here to see him."

The soldier was immediately annoyed when he saw it was her.

Commander Jiang had specifically instructed that if Ye Wenshu came, she should not be given anything and should be sent away immediately.

"Comrade Ye, I'm sorry, Commander Jiang is busy and doesn't have time to see you. You should go back first."

Ye Wenshu's smile froze instantly. "How do you know he's busy if you haven't even gone in to ask? I have a very good relationship with Commander Jiang. Don't take it upon yourself to do anything. Go and report him right away, or I'll have him deal with you!"

The soldier's face also darkened. How could this female educated youth be so stubborn and dare to use Commander Jiang to intimidate people?

He patiently explained, "This is what Commander Jiang meant."

"You're talking nonsense!" Ye Wenshu exclaimed, pulling out the grain and meat coupons from her pocket and waving them around. "He already accepted my gifts, and now he's asking me for these coupons? I specifically paid for them, how could he possibly refuse to see me?"

"Comrade Ye, please don't speak recklessly!" The soldier's tone became serious. "Our military has regulations that absolutely forbid accepting even a needle or thread from the people, and Commander Jiang would never accept anything from you!"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Lin Wanqiu. "Oh, I remember now. Last time, after you left your things behind, this comrade came and took them, saying he wanted to return them to you."

Lin Wanqiu's legs went weak, and she almost couldn't stand up. Her face turned ashen.

She never expected the soldier to be so direct!

She was followed by a group of educated youth. If word got out, how could she ever face anyone at the educated youth settlement again?

"I didn't! Don't make false accusations!" she hurriedly defended herself, her voice trembling.

Ye Wenshu didn't listen at all, only focusing on her own thoughts, "I don't care, I want to see Commander Jiang, make him come out now!"

"We said we wouldn't see you, and that means we won't. Please don't make a scene here and disrupt the military order!" The soldier stepped forward, his tone becoming firm.

The entrance to the military compound was a main road, and the argument between the two quickly attracted the attention of many passing villagers.

Hearing the commotion outside, the people in the military headquarters also peeked out to see what was going on, and even several logistics soldiers who were organizing supplies came out.

"What's going on?"

"I heard it was a female educated youth who came to see Commander Jiang, insisting that he had accepted her gifts and was even demanding grain and meat coupons from her!"

"That can't be right. Commander Jiang's monthly allowance is enough to live on, and he eats and lives at the military headquarters. What would he need those tickets for?"

A group of educated youth blocked the doorway, and the soldiers did not dare to be too forceful, so they could only soften their tone.

"Comrades, this is military headquarters, please refrain from making noise..."

"I won't listen!" Ye Wenshu interrupted him directly. "Make Jiang Linchuan come out to see me. If he doesn't come out, I'm not leaving today! He took my things, so he has to give me an explanation. I think it's not that he's refusing to see me, it's that you're the one interfering!"

The soldier was speechless, but could only grit his teeth and say, "Fine, I'll go report it."

I just hope she won't cry later!

They should have left already, but they insisted on staying here and making a fool of themselves!

Half an hour later, Jiang Linchuan finally arrived, but he wasn't alone; Xu Xinghe was with him.

Ye Wenshu's expectant expression froze instantly, and her face darkened.

"You wanted to see me?" Jiang Linchuan's tone was indifferent and detached, as if he were facing a stranger. "What is it?"

Ye Wenshu bit her lip and handed over the coupons in her arms. "I've come to deliver some things to you. These are the food coupons and meat coupons you requested."

Jiang Linchuan glanced at them, without even raising his hand, "I have never asked for these. Comrade Ye, please leave and do not disrupt the normal order of the military headquarters."

"You clearly wanted to!" Ye Wenshu's voice trembled with tears, her heart aching as if pricked by needles. "You even accepted the gifts I gave you on February 14th. You must know what day that was, it was..."

"Comrade Ye, you've misunderstood." Xu Xinghe stepped forward to interrupt her. "He really hasn't accepted anything from you, and he would never. You should go back and clarify things first."

She couldn't bear to see Ye Wenshu reveal her feelings in public. In this day and age, if a young woman publicly expressed her feelings to a man she was engaged to, her reputation would be ruined.

She's probably spoiled by her family, which is why she did something like this without thinking.

"Everything I said is true, I have evidence!" Ye Wenshu didn't appreciate her efforts at all, and instead thought that she was doing it on purpose.

Xu Xinghe sighed, "Comrade Ye, let's go over there and talk for a bit. There are some things I'd like to discuss with you privately."

Ye Wenshu glared at her, a surge of competitive spirit rising within her. If she didn't agree, it would make her seem afraid!

She followed Xu Xinghe in a huff and walked to a corner away from the crowd.

"Comrade Ye, do you like Jiang Linchuan?" Xu Xinghe asked bluntly.

"So what if it is?" Ye Wenshu crossed her arms, her whole body exuding defensiveness.

Is it because he saved you?

"Yes! So what if it's none of your business?"

Xu Xinghe softened her tone, "If it's just because of that, then it's very likely that it's just a temporary illusion. There's a term called the suspension bridge effect. When a person encounters danger or pain, their body is in a state of stress, their heart rate increases, and their nerves become tense. If someone comes to rescue you at this time, the brain can easily mistake this physiological reaction for attraction to the rescuer."

"Comrade Ye, you're like this now. Don't let this illusion blind you and ruin your life. You have a good family background, you're young, and you have a bright future. Don't make mistakes in this kind of thing."

"What suspension bridge effect? ​​I've never heard of that!" Ye Wenshu sneered, her face full of disdain. "I'm a high school graduate, and you look younger than me. Don't try to fool me with this nonsense! Stop pretending to be kind. Aren't you just afraid I'll steal Jiang Linchuan away? That's right, I'm going to steal him! I can't watch him be with someone he doesn't love. That's torture, that's a tragedy!"

Looking at her serious expression, Xu Xinghe was sure she wasn't joking. "How do you know he doesn't love me?"

"Is that even a question?" Ye Wenshu rolled her eyes. "If he loved you, why would he only get engaged and not married? If he didn't love me, why would he accept my things? You should let go of him and stop being so selfish. You can't force feelings."

Since they couldn't see eye to eye, Xu Xinghe didn't try to persuade her any further.

She spoke up because she was a woman and the other person was young. Since the other person didn't appreciate it, she would have to bear the consequences herself.

She turned around and walked back.

Looking at her back, Ye Wenshu felt that she was arrogant and hypocritical. What gave her the right to stand on the moral high ground and preach?

She quickened her pace angrily, rushing ahead of Xu Xinghe to Jiang Linchuan, "Commander Jiang!"

Jiang Linchuan didn't even lift his eyelids, his gaze remaining fixed on Xu Xinghe. "Finished?"

Xu Xinghe nodded. "Okay, you can handle the rest."

For her to say that, it seems Ye Wenshu truly doesn't appreciate kindness.

Jiang Linchuan's eyes instantly turned cold, and his tone was devoid of any warmth. "Ye Wenshu, let me make this clear again: I did not accept the things you gave me, and I will not accept them. I have never had any romantic feelings for you. I have a fiancée, and everyone knows that."

"I didn't make things clear before because I was concerned about your feelings as a young woman. But since you insist on making it public, I have no choice but to be frank: even if I didn't have a fiancée, I would never like you. I saved you simply out of a soldier's duty, nothing more."