She shouldn’t be here!
Su Wanwan remembered it clearly—in her past life, Jiang Si had already gone to the rural areas of Heilongjiang Province by the end of September.
Later, when Huo Tingzhou found out, he had gone mad searching for her in Heilongjiang.
But Jiang Si never returned with him, and for some reason, the two of them ended up falling out.
The next time news of her surfaced was a year and a half later.
According to her eldest sister, Huo Tingzhou’s former fiancée had died in the countryside and was even posthumously married off in a ghost marriage.
Her sister also said Huo Tingzhou had completely lost his mind!
He had actually gone to Heilongjiang, dug up the ancestral graves of that family, and forcibly brought Jiang Si’s remains back.
This was the part Su Wanwan couldn’t understand. In her past life, Jiang Si had refused to marry Huo Tingzhou to the point of death.
So why was she here on Qiongzhou Island now?
Could it be—
Like herself, had Jiang Si also been reborn?
Or perhaps she had simply changed her mind, unwilling to suffer in the countryside, and fled here instead.
But both possibilities were equally unacceptable to Su Wanwan.
What stung the most, however, was the way these two completely ignored her!
Deep down, Su Wanwan knew that if she let go now, she could still carve out a decent future for herself.
After all, she knew too much about the events of her past life. With a little effort, she could live comfortably.
But she had spent two whole years preparing for this long-awaited reunion!
She had given up her job in the city, rejected one promising suitor after another, and traveled all the way here.
To just walk away—she couldn’t bear it!
Of course, there was one more thing—all of this was just her own speculation.
She couldn’t be sure whether Jiang Si had truly been reborn.
Maybe she was here to break off the engagement?
The thought eased Su Wanwan’s bitterness slightly.
Forcing a bright smile, she approached the two of them.
"Brother Huo, I’m Su Wanwan."
"I’m so sorry for the trouble. This is my first time traveling so far."
"My sister was worried, so she called and asked you to pick me up."
Huo Tingzhou had spent most of his life in the military and rarely interacted with his relatives.
Besides, he was terrible with faces—he couldn’t remember names like "Wanwan" or "Panpan."
But if she said she was Su Wanwan, then she must be the sister his sister-in-law had mentioned.
His sister-in-law had acted first and asked for forgiveness later, and since she rarely made requests, Huo Tingzhou couldn’t refuse.
But this was the first and last time!
With a nod, he said, "Get in the car."
That was it—no more words.
Su Wanwan stiffened for a moment before turning to bid farewell to Yu Manli.
"Manli, I’ll head off now. Once I’m settled, I’ll get in touch."
Yu Manli waved. "Alright, my brother’s here too. See you later."
Huo Tingzhou drove them back.
Having trained in the provincial capital for over half a year, he was familiar with the area and knew the best routes.
He drove swiftly and steadily, arriving at the provincial military guesthouse in less than half an hour.
Before setting off in the afternoon, Huo Tingzhou had already arranged for two rooms to be reserved.
After checking in, the front desk staff handed over two keys.
"One room is on the third floor, the other on the fourth."
"Please pay a 10-yuan deposit. Any unused amount will be refunded."
Jiang Si, still recovering from seasickness, had barely spoken the entire time.
But Su Wanwan immediately put on a considerate tone.
"Brother Huo, there’s no need to book a separate room for me. I can share with this sister here."
Of course, sharing was just an excuse—she simply didn’t want to give them time alone.
Besides, she wanted a chance to test Jiang Si.
Hearing this, Jiang Si frowned.
Back at the dock, she had sensed something off about this girl—especially the way she looked at her, as if there was something strange behind those eyes.
So when Su Wanwan suggested sharing a room, Jiang Si instinctively wanted to refuse.
But before she could, Huo Tingzhou spoke first.
"She doesn’t know you and isn’t used to sharing a room with strangers."
The words alone were harsh enough, leaving Su Wanwan momentarily speechless.
Then Huo Tingzhou added, "Here’s your room key. You’ll pay for it yourself."
His sister-in-law had only asked him to pick her up—not to cover her expenses.
His salary and benefits were substantial, but that money had its purpose.
Besides, he wasn’t in the habit of spending on other women.
Without waiting for Su Wanwan’s reaction, he took Jiang Si upstairs.
Su Wanwan: "..."
Honestly, in both her lives, she had never met a man with so little courtesy!
Jiang Si hadn’t either—because he didn’t treat her that way.
"That girl seems to like you—no, scratch that, she’s already smitten."
Jiang Si said this calmly, without a hint of jealousy.
But then again, it wasn’t surprising.
In terms of looks, Huo Tingzhou had sharp, well-defined features—a tall nose bridge, thick eyebrows, and long, captivating peach-blossom eyes.
He was the epitome of a striking, masculine beauty.
Years of intense training had sculpted his body into perfect proportions, and at 188 cm tall, he was practically a walking clothes hanger.
As for family background, the Huo family had served in the military for three generations. Even in Beijing, where high-ranking officials were everywhere, the Huos were a force to be reckoned with.
And when it came to personal achievements, Huo Tingzhou had earned six individual second-class merits in less than ten years of service.
He had also participated in multiple major military operations, making him a true legend in the army!
Honestly, it would be weird if someone like him didn’t have admirers.
Tsk-tsking, Jiang Si said knowingly,
"No wonder she looked like her eyes were about to pop out when she saw me at the dock."
But Huo Tingzhou disagreed. Was it admiration?
No—it was scheming!
He wasn’t stupid. The moment that girl looked at him, he had sensed it.
That was why he had been so blunt downstairs—he wanted to make his stance clear.
But bluntness alone might not be enough. He planned to arrange for her to be sent away first thing tomorrow.
By now, they had reached the fourth floor.
The room was a suite, about thirty square meters, with a bathroom and toilet.
Seeing that Jiang Si seemed more alert now, Huo Tingzhou asked, "Do you feel like eating now?"
If so, he’d have to hurry to the military canteen before the cooks clocked off.
Jiang Si nodded.
During the two days on the ship, she had only drunk some spiritual spring water and eaten nothing.
Now that she was feeling better, her stomach was growling in protest.
But first, she wanted a hot shower. She had been applying dark foundation to her face for days, and her skin felt suffocated, almost breaking out.
As if reading her mind, Huo Tingzhou went to the neighboring room and returned with two large bags.
There were food, drinks, and daily necessities, along with a thermos of hot water prepared for her.
"Go ahead and take a bath first. There are pastries and dried fruits here—have some if you get hungry. I’ll go to the canteen to get our meals."
"Alright."
Huo Tingzhou was quick. By the time Jiang Si finished her bath, he had already returned with two aluminum lunchboxes.
It had to be said—the food at the aircrew canteen was truly exceptional.
Four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, all hearty and substantial!
There was white-cut chicken, steamed garlic crab, pan-fried Spanish mackerel, and braised pork belly with shrimp paste… all signature dishes of Qiongzhou Island.
Jiang Si wasn’t one to talk during meals, so the two ate in comfortable silence.
After Huo Tingzhou cleared the table, Jiang Si turned to him with a serious expression.
"Let’s talk—"
