Commander Li's tone softened, carrying the earnestness of an elder.
Pei Jiwang remained silent.
The soldier's duty and personal desires clashed fiercely within him.
He looked up and saw the worry in Commander Li's eyes about his age and lack of marriage, as well as the fatherly concern in Shen Huai Ren's eyes.
"Yes, sir! Pei Jiwang...will obey the organization's arrangements!"
After a long while, Pei Jiwang took a deep breath, suddenly stood up, and snapped to attention.
Three days later, Pei Jiwang, dressed in a brand-new naval summer uniform, boarded a train to Shanghai.
The hard-seat carriage was noisy, filled with the smells of sweat, tobacco, and poor-quality food.
Leaning against the window, he watched the farmland and villages rushing past outside, his heart filled with unease.
His life trajectory was forcibly reversed after he received that mission.
He's about to transform from a pure soldier into a soldier with a capitalist's wife.
The sensitive term swirled in his mind, bringing a touch of unreality.
“Shen Zixi…”
Pei Jiwang silently recited the name.
Commander Li showed him a black and white photograph. The girl in the photo had two jet-black braids, her eyebrows and eyes were so delicate they looked like they had been painted, and she had a faint smile on her lips.
She is indeed a beautiful girl, but she is the kind of delicate girl who needs to be carefully protected in a glass greenhouse.
This is precisely the type of person Pei Jiwang is least adept at dealing with.
His soldiers are all tough guys who can crawl through mud and water and stand firm in their posts during hurricanes and raging waves.
They are familiar with how to train new recruits using the strictest commands, how to formulate meticulous reconnaissance plans, and how to survive in dire situations.
But he had absolutely no idea how to get along with a young lady who supposedly never lifted a finger, spoke in a soft voice, and might faint at the sight of a cockroach.
How do you know if you've taken good care of yourself?
Should we ensure she has enough to eat and wear, or should we tolerate her potential bourgeois spoiled temperament?
But how should the observation number be defined?
Is it to observe her every word and action, record her thoughts and feelings, and then report to higher authorities?
Pei Jiwang felt a sudden surge of inexplicable irritation.
The train roared through the tunnel, and the carriages suddenly became dark.
In the darkness, Pei Jiwang clenched his fist.
In any case, a mission is a mission, and he will fulfill his duties.
He will provide her with the necessary protection and livelihood support, fulfilling his obligation to care for her.
As for romance, he never dared to hope for it.
Let's just consider it as another special target in our lives that needs long-term protection and monitoring.
Pei Jiwang told himself this.
The Shen family's residence is located in a quiet garden villa in western Shanghai.
It felt like a completely different world from the hustle and bustle of the train station.
Tall plane trees shaded the wrought iron gate, the lawn inside the yard was meticulously manicured, and a faint floral fragrance floated in the air.
Guided by his orderly, Pei Jiwang entered the elegantly decorated living room.
Rosewood furniture, velvet sofas, landscape paintings with a profound artistic conception hanging on the wall, and a gramophone in the corner playing soothing Western music.
All of this contrasted sharply with the military camps and islands that Pei Jiwang was familiar with.
Shen Huai-ren, who had already returned to Shanghai, warmly greeted them.
"Zixi, come down quickly, Company Commander Lu is here."
After exchanging pleasantries, Shen Huai-ren turned his gaze toward the stairs, a hint of barely perceptible tension in his voice, and called out softly.
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