Xie Huaizhen had never met a girl like Shu Xue. She was pure sunshine. Even though he never replied to her letters, she still sent him one every half-month, regular as clockwork.

She loved to chat. Every letter was filled to the brim, covered in her neat and elegant handwriting.

At first, Xie Huaizhen didn’t respond. He would read the letters when they arrived, and seeing Shu Xue describe her daily life, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.

He wasn’t put off by a cheerful, outgoing girl like Shu Xue, but he only felt a slight fondness for her, and that was all.

She had written him so many letters, and Xie Huaizhen didn’t know how he should respond.

He had never met a girl so passionate, like a blazing fire. He’d heard she was originally Xie Huaizheng’s real fiancée.

That must mean the girl came from a very good family.

But when he thought about his own family situation, Xie Huaizhen suddenly felt that even if he truly liked her, he wasn’t good enough for her…

So, even though Shu Xue wrote to him for months, Xie Huaizhen never responded.

But he would read every single letter carefully, picturing her lively, spirited self as she lived her bright life at school and complained about little things.

They were like people from two different worlds. Here he was, training every day, dripping with sweat, with no entertainment to speak of—only the sand and wind of the Northwest for company.

But on the other side, he could read about Shu Xue’s colorful life at school. She wrote about everything in her letters—classes, meals, going shopping with classmates, all the little details of her day.

The more she wrote, the more Xie Huaizhen learned about her. But it only made him feel that Shu Xue was a world away from his own life.

This continued until the fifth month of Shu Xue’s letter-writing.

Shu Xue wrote in her letter: “Xie Huaizhen, you are such a cold and heartless person! Why haven’t you replied to a single one of my letters after all this time? If you don’t write back, I’m never going to bother with you again!”

It was only when Xie Huaizhen read that line that he truly started to panic.

He hadn’t realized his actions had made Shu Xue so upset.

But he still didn’t know if he should reply. After all, they were from two different worlds.

If he replied, they would continue to be entangled. Their connection might even grow stronger.

He still felt he shouldn’t get too close to Shu Xue.

But seeing Shu Xue’s words in the letter, her constant accusations, moved Xie Huaizhen in spite of himself.

He’d once had his heart broken by a woman, and then another had pursued him with a maddening obsession.

It had given him a complex about women.

But Shu Xue’s attitude toward him was very normal. Her affection wasn’t a desperate entanglement, but a frank and open show of goodwill.

It was as if she was saying she liked him and was pursuing him, but she was also waiting to see his reaction.

After so long without a response from him, she was ready to give up on her feelings.

It wasn’t the same suffocating obsession as Gu Qingran’s.

Xie Huaizhen’s thin lips pressed together. ‘Screw it,’ he thought. ‘I’ll give it a try. I’ll worry about the future later.’

So, Xie Huaizhen wrote a letter to Shu Xue, telling her about his current situation, his family circumstances, and his feelings about her.

He ended the letter by saying: “You say you like me, but I don’t know if it’s because of my appearance or if you truly like me for who I am. But one thing is for sure: if you want to be with me, life will probably be hard. Your family background is so good, and I don’t want to hold you back.”

After writing it, Xie Huaizhen read it over and over. Once he was sure it was okay, he sealed it in an envelope and mailed it.

After sending it, he waited for a reply every day.

He guessed it would take a week for his letter to reach her and another week for her reply to get back. All in all, more than half a month would pass.

He didn’t know what the outcome would be, but Xie Huaizhen felt he was following his heart. He didn’t want to have any regrets.

‘If I really like a girl, I have to be honest with her about my background. I can’t deceive her.’

‘If Shu Xue really accepts it,’ Xie Huaizhen thought, ‘maybe we could try dating.’

Time passed by, bit by bit. Then one day, to Xie Huaizhen’s surprise, someone called out to him.

“Camp Commander Xie, there’s a young woman here to see you. She’s at the gatehouse. Says she’s your girlfriend.”

The man’s eyes held a teasing glint as he looked Xie Huaizhen up and down.

“Camp Commander Xie, when did you get a girlfriend? How come I never knew?”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Xie Huaizhen said, his expression cold. But he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his lips.

‘So, Shu Xue came to find me?’

He walked quickly to the gatehouse and saw a girl sitting inside. She was wearing a small-print floral top and denim bell-bottoms.

She was petite, sitting there quietly and obediently.

The moment she saw Xie Huaizhen, her eyes lit up. “Xie Huaizhen, long time no see!”

She practically flew into his arms with a joyful run, almost knocking him over.

Xie Huaizhen hadn’t expected her to be so passionate. They had only met once, and it had been so long.

He couldn’t believe that just one letter from him had made Shu Xue treat him like her boyfriend, hugging him like this in front of everyone.

The girl’s body was soft and fragrant, and for a moment, he was in a daze.

But even though a part of him really wanted to hold her, Xie Huaizhen still pulled her away.

“Alright, don’t hug me. I’m dirty,” Xie Huaizhen said in a low voice.

He had just finished training and was covered in sweat. On such a hot day, wasn’t she bothered by the smell?

“I don’t think you’re dirty!” Shu Xue said with a grin.

‘Ah, that hug just now… that broad chest, those firm muscles… I’m so excited.’

‘And Xie Huaizhen is so handsome! After not seeing him for a while, he seems even better looking.’

It was probably because of all the training; his features were more defined, his face sharper.

Seeing Shu Xue staring at him with a beaming smile, it was like she didn’t even know the meaning of the word “shy.” Her eyes and lips were full of mirth, and her bright gaze made even Xie Huaizhen feel a bit embarrassed.

‘This girl, she’s really something else…’

Xie Huaizhen couldn’t help but smile back at her.

“I took the train to find you. I was on it for a whole day and night. I’m exhausted.”

“You didn’t go to the guesthouse?” Only then did Xie Huaizhen notice that Shu Xue had even left her luggage there.

“Nope! As soon as I arrived, I came straight here to find you!” Shu Xue said with a grin.

“Aren’t you tired?” Xie Huaizhen reached out, picked up Shu Xue’s luggage, and started walking her to the guesthouse.

Along the way, Shu Xue chattered away to him like a little bird.

She talked about everything that had happened on her journey.

They were just ordinary little things, but the way she told the stories was so vivid that Xie Huaizhen listened with great interest.

“Oh, what about you? Has anything fun happened to you lately?” Shu Xue asked Xie Huaizhen.

By this point, Xie Huaizhen had already helped Shu Xue carry her luggage upstairs.

He was even helping her make the bed.

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