After Awakening, She Tore Apart Her Enemies and Joined the Army on an Island - Chapter 46

Su Meng looked up in surprise, meeting Wang Qinglin’s pleading gaze.

She raised her arm and handed over Introduction to Materials Science. “Here, take it. I never expected you’d be interested in something so dry and dull.”

Wang Qinglin chuckled as he accepted it. “My ancestors were all blacksmiths, and I grew up in a smithy. We always judged materials based on experience, I’ve never had the chance to learn from books like this. Thank you! This is the first time I’ve ever seen a book on the subject.”

His smile and sincerity tugged at Su Meng’s heart. He was a reflection of countless people who cherish life and thirst for knowledge.

She smiled gently. “You can borrow it for now. If you have any questions, we can discuss them together.” Her tone was considerate, without a hint of condescension toward his lack of formal education.

Warmed by her kindness, Wang Qinglin stole a glance at Huo Zhenhua, who remained silent, then happily began reading the book. Fortunately, it was a Chinese edition, so he had no trouble understanding it.

Bored, Su Meng reached into her backpack, considering pulling out another book. But when she sensed Huo Zhenhua’s sidelong glance, she froze and immediately abandoned the idea, afraid he might notice her discreetly retrieving items from her hidden space. An inexplicable sense of guilt washed over her.

Just then, a cascade of dark, silky hair tumbled down from the upper bunk, followed by a bright, smiling face.

“Hey, could you lend me something to read too? I’m so bored! Maybe a magazine or a travel journal?”

Su Meng shook her head with a smile. “Sorry, I don’t have any.”

“Then, could we switch bunks? Maybe you’ll need to discuss things with him?” The girl winked at Su Meng, her gaze drifting meaningfully toward Huo Zhenhua.

Su Meng understood immediately: borrowing a book was just a pretext, the girl really wanted to get closer to Huo Zhenhua.

And it was no wonder. Huo Zhenhua had sharp, well-defined features, a firm jawline, and taut muscles. Even his long legs, awkwardly folded in the cramped space, drew attention.

Suppressing a laugh, Su Meng glanced at the man feigning sleep and decided to play matchmaker. “Sure, it’s no trouble.”

“Thank you! You’re not just pretty, you have a beautiful heart too. I’m sure everything will go smoothly for you, and all your wishes will come true.”

Su Meng: “…”

With such a silver tongue, how could she refuse?

Huo Zhenhua cracked open one eye, scanned the scene, then rested his hands behind his head and closed his eyes again, radiating an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

The girl patted her chest playfully, grinned at Su Meng, and quietly climbed down to the lower bunk.

Once Su Meng moved to the upper bunk, she instantly felt the air grow clearer. After spacing out for a while, she finally couldn’t resist pulling out another book.

Suddenly, she heard Wang Qinglin whisper, pointing at a page, “What does this mean?”

Su Meng leaned over to answer, but before she could speak, Huo Zhenhua’s cool voice cut through: “Please keep quiet!”

Wang Qinglin stiffened, shooting Su Meng an apologetic look and mouthing silently, “I’m sorry!”

The girl finally had her chance to hear Huo Zhenhua speak. Delighted, she leaned closer and said warmly, “Comrade, my name is Wu Yanru. My family is also from the Southeast Military District.”

Huo Zhenhua acted as if he hadn’t heard, his eyelids unmoving, his breathing even and steady, as though his earlier “Please keep quiet” had been nothing but a collective illusion.

Su Meng shook her head speechlessly and handed the written explanation to Wang Qinglin, mouthing the words, “Has he always been this insufferable?”

Wang Qinglin understood and nodded with a smile.

Their regiment commander had always adhered to the principle of neither offending nor acknowledging strangers. If provoked, he would unleash his sharp tongue without mercy.

Su Meng sighed. This silent, cutting sarcasm was even more hurtful.

The young girl’s eyes reddened with grievance as she resentfully stared at the unmoving man, her pouted lips looking as if they could hang an oil jar.

She was none other than Wu Yanru, the daughter of Deputy Chief of Staff Wu from the Southeast Military Region.

Thanks to her father’s position, she was somewhat familiar with military affairs.

Especially when it came to Huo Zhenhua, the legendary soldier king, his name was like thunder to her ears.

After catching a fleeting glimpse of him last year during the military competition, her heart had been stirred.

Seeing Huo Zhenhua’s indifference, she consoled herself for a while, then, with a carefree heart, went to sleep.

Su Meng shook her head in amusement and continued exchanging notes with Wang Qinglin.

Suddenly, the sky darkened abruptly.

A few raindrops followed the wind, pattering against the window.

Crack!

A flash of lightning split the sky, preceding the thunder, sharp and fierce as if it intended to cleave the earth in two.

Instantly, the sounds of thunder, wind, and rain enveloped the world in an overwhelming cacophony.

“The weather’s changed!” Su Meng murmured, staring blankly at the chaos outside.

Wang Qinglin set down his book, his expression worried. “A typhoon is coming!”

Huo Zhenhua sat up, glanced at Su Meng, and turned his gaze to the window.

They were still half an hour away from Zhou City.

Given the intensity of the storm, the situation in the disaster area was likely grim.

Anxious and impatient, he wished he could sprout wings and fly back ahead of everyone.

But just then, the train’s intercom crackled to life.

“Attention, passengers…”

After hearing just a few words, he abruptly stood up, quickly dressed, and straightened his uniform. The gloom on his brow was even darker than the overcast sky outside.

“…Due to sudden flooding and landslides caused by heavy rainfall ahead…”

There was no need to hear the rest. Everyone’s hearts sank.

There was a flood ahead.

The railway section had collapsed.

The train was going to be suspended.

Wang Qinglin returned the book to Su Meng, hastily putting on his cap as he hurried after Huo Zhenhua. “I’m coming with you.”

Huo Zhenhua gave an almost imperceptible nod. As he stepped out of the sleeper compartment, he turned to Su Meng and said, “Don’t go wandering off!”

Su Meng was taken aback, hardly believing her ears.

Wu Yanru’s suspicious gaze shifted between Su Meng and the now-empty doorway.

She then gripped the bed rail, stood up cautiously, and stared at Su Meng. “What’s your relationship with him?”

Su Meng chuckled derisively and retorted, “What do you think?”

Wu Yanru’s emotions were written all over her face.

She frowned thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. “You don’t seem like a couple, you’re too distant, and the way you talk is too stiff. But why is he only concerned about you? Is it because he knows you well?”

Su Meng snapped her fingers. “You’re sharp! We’re just familiar strangers, nothing more.”

Hearing this, Wu Yanru breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh! I thought you were his girlfriend.”

“Didn’t you see for yourself? He’s distant with me, and his words are harsh. What kind of couple acts like that?”

“True! I’m Wu Yanru. My dad is the deputy chief of staff of the Southeast Military Region. Where are you headed, sis?”

“What a coincidence! I might be heading to the Southeast Military Region too.”

Su Meng responded casually.

It had just occurred to her.

In the book, Huo Zhenhua was sent down to a farm for re-education, and only a young woman named Wu Yanru traveled thousands of miles to visit him.

But Huo Zhenhua, with his sharp tongue, managed to offend the girl so badly that she ran off crying all the way.

Even by the end of the book, there was no further mention of Wu Yanru.

So, Wu Yanru had secretly harbored feelings for Huo Zhenhua all along, there were already signs of it.

She thought to herself that she had altered her own fate, but she wasn’t sure if she could once again influence Huo Zhenhua’s destiny and change the outcome for both him and Wu Yanru.

Wu Yanru was an outgoing girl who chattered nonstop about her own amusing stories and interesting happenings in the military region.

It wasn’t until it was pitch black outside that she sighed with concern, “They must have gone to help at the landslide site. That’s just how soldiers are, they rush wherever they’re needed. It’s so tough!”

While agreeing with her, Su Meng split her focus, sending a sliver of her consciousness into her space to mentally harvest crops like wheat and soybeans.

At the same time, she pondered how and under what name she could donate money and supplies to the disaster-stricken area.

“Hey! Su Meng, Su Meng, what are you spacing out for? I’m going to the dining car, are you coming?”

Su Meng snapped back to reality and waved her off with a smile, “You go ahead!”

But as soon as Su Meng’s gaze returned to her book, Wu Yanru burst back into the compartment, her face as pale as if she’d seen a ghost, stumbling in a panic.