With expressions of disbelief, the group of people stopped in front of a villa area. The villas were located in the center of the provincial capital, rows of red bricks and green tiles, a sight to behold.
Bai Chen couldn't help but exclaim, "This is so beautiful!"
After identifying himself to the security guard, he turned and made a phone call. With permission granted, he opened the gate and let the car in. Following directions, the car parked in the yard. Led by the butler, they walked towards the living room.
The door opened, revealing a refined man with graying hair, dressed in loose-fitting loungewear, sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. The interior was luxurious, clearly designed by a professional designer.
Seeing the commotion outside, the man stood up and smiled slightly.
"Commander Bai, it's been a long time. You look increasingly healthy."
Chief Zhang exchanged a few polite words and winked at his assistant. Behind him, a line of people carrying gifts stood waiting for their leader to speak.
"Chief Zhang, you're really going too far. I already said this is a family dinner, why did you bring so much stuff?"
Commander Bai—Bai Xiuye—frowned slightly as he looked at the gifts in their hands. He was a fair and incorruptible superior, and upon seeing the expensive gifts, he instinctively refused.
"Take it back, take it back right away."
"Commander Bai, these are just some small trinkets that I prepared on my own initiative. I thought it would be nice for you to try some of our hometown's specialties on our first visit."
Li Xue hurriedly tried to smooth things over, worried that she might upset everyone. Although Chief Zhang had reminded her that superiors didn't care about such things, the proper etiquette still had to be observed.
"This must be your wife? She's so poised and elegant. You're a lucky man."
Upon noticing Li Xue, Bai Xiuye offered her a polite compliment.
"Xiuye, they've come all this way and brought so many local specialties, so please accept them."
At the top of the stairs on the second floor, a woman in a dark green cheongsam slowly descended, holding onto the handrail. She was slender, and her gait was alluring. Especially captivating were her fox-like eyes; every smile and gesture was mesmerizing.
Her voice sounded very gentle, and after she finished speaking, she winked at the servants. They then took the gift box and placed it in a corner of the living room.
"This is my wife, Yin Yali."
As Bai Xiuye introduced the group, he casually raised his arm to support her, worried that it might be unsafe for her to go down the stairs in high heels.
"Hello, madam."
Everyone greeted each other politely and reservedly. Yin Yali, feeling flattered, smiled and took Bai Xiuye's arm, ready to walk forward.
"Everyone, please don't just stand there, take a seat. I knew you were coming, so I specially asked the cook at home to prepare some food. I don't know if you'll like it."
She walked and introduced the man, glancing behind her every now and then, appearing extremely enthusiastic. When she glanced at Shen Ying out of the corner of her eye, a slight look of shock appeared on her face. She admitted that she had never seen such a handsome man before, and under the guise of greeting him, she took a few more glances.
The dishes on the table were very plentiful. After everyone was seated, Bai Xiuye instructed his servants to bring out all the good wines from his wine cabinet.
"It's a rare treat to get together tonight, let's drink until we drop!"
With the leader speaking, no one dared to say much. They chatted about national news and recent arrangements from higher-ups. Bai Xiuye's gaze fell on Shen Ying, and after a two-second pause, he addressed Chief Zhang:
"Commander Zhang's soldiers are all very good. I just wonder if Comrade Shen Ying, who has won the title of Outstanding Model Soldier for seven consecutive years in our provincial capital, has come?"
He had seen Shen Ying's picture in the newspaper, but he hadn't expected him to have even more of a passionate and masculine air in person than in the photo. He was worried he might have mistaken someone else for someone else, which was why he asked that question.
"Commander Bai, you flatter me. I was just following instructions from my superiors and got lucky."
Shen Ying stood up, saying polite words he was extremely reluctant to say. He wasn't quite sure why Bai Xiuye had suddenly brought up the topic of him, but he had a pretty good idea of the reason.
"This young man looks upright and honest. Add to that his handsome face, and he must have quite a few girls pursuing him in the army, right?"
Yin Yali picked up a shrimp and put it on her husband's plate, wiped her hands, and couldn't help but tease him.
“It just so happens that my husband has a niece who is about your age and has returned from studying abroad. You young people have a lot to talk about, so you can chat more.”
She glanced at Bai Xiuye and spoke in a serious tone, making Li Xue's heart leap into her throat. She thought, "Just what I feared has come to pass."
"I am already married and have two children, so I won't bother your daughter any longer."
Shen Ying explained his situation clearly, implying that he was only devoted to his wife and children and would not have affairs outside the marriage.
"Look at this kid, we just wanted you young people to chat a bit, it's not like you're on some dangerous mission, and he just refused."
Seeing that the man's rebuttal made her lose face, Yin Yali explained that he had misunderstood her meaning.
"Eat first, eat."
Bai Xiuye didn't say much, but gestured for everyone not to put down their chopsticks. No one dared to speak out of turn, worried about saying something they shouldn't, so they kept their heads down and ate in silence.
The quiet scene paused for a few seconds. Yin Yali seemed to have thought of something and beckoned to the maid to speak.
"Go call Ling'er and ask her when she's coming home. It's so late, it's not safe for a young woman to be out alone."
Turning to the group of people at the table, he explained:
“Ling’er is my husband’s niece. She’s been busy with company matters lately and rarely comes home. It’s heartbreaking to see a young woman working so hard. If she had a boyfriend who could pick her up from school so late, we would feel at ease.”
Hearing her say that, even though Shen Ying had prepared in advance, he still felt a little apprehensive. If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn't have come.
Of course, the expressions of others upon hearing this varied: some watched with amusement, some were worried for him, and some were gloating.
However, as long as he thought about it, if Shen Yingzhen and Commander Bai's family were to become related by marriage, then those in the army who had opinions about him would no longer dare to offend him.
While they were still wondering when such a good thing would happen to them, Bai Xiuye spoke up again:
“My niece is quite beautiful, one in a million. Chief Zhang, please take the trouble to finalize her marriage for me, so her father won’t keep nagging me.”
Bai Ling is the daughter of Bai Xiuye's younger brother. Upon seeing Shen Ying, a handsome and talented man, in the newspaper, her brother immediately took a liking to him and even brought the newspaper to inquire about the man's location. He was determined to make something happen between the young man and his daughter, claiming it was a match made in heaven.
"Yes, yes, yes, I will definitely pay more attention."
Chief Zhang verbally agreed to live up to the trust placed in him, but it was unclear what he was really thinking.
A moment later, the maid who had made the call came over and whispered a few words in Yin Yali's ear, and her expression turned grim.
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