Yan Huan’s interview was almost over when, during a break, she caught sight of Qin Jian seated on the dais.
His ramrod-straight posture and striking good looks made him stand out among all the other leaders; especially those bright, spirited eyes—just looking at him made her heart race and her cheeks flush.
Yan Huan was not your average girl.
Her direct but slightly petty nature, combined with being raised in a very open family, had cultivated in her a fearless disposition.
This temperament differed from that of Liang Manman, as she was confident, proud, and exceedingly wise.
Standing beside her, the warrior Xiaomei had just finished a cup of water and noticed that Yan Huan’s was still empty, so she poured her a cup and held it out, "Sister Yan, have some water."
Yan Huan’s gaze had already filtered out everything but the sight of Qin Jian.
Seeing Yan Huan not responding, Xiaomei followed her gaze and had a clear view of Qin Jian, who sat tall and straight like a sturdy pine tree, his hawk-like eyes sharply focused on the warriors in the combat arena.
"Sister Yan? Do you like Captain Qin?" Xiaomei asked with a giggle, "If you do, why don’t you go after him directly?"
"You think I wouldn’t dare?" Yan Huan withdrew her gaze and gave Xiaomei a look.
"I wouldn’t dare think so. Your guts are famous throughout the battalion! If you’re interested in Captain Qin, you better act fast. The women from the cultural troupe are all eyeing him."
"Humph, a bunch of embroidered pillows! I don’t even take them seriously."
"That’s the spirit!" Xiaomei giggled, "Why don’t you go and strike up a conversation? From what I know, this captain isn’t one to bother with women much. He’s always got that cold, icy face, creating a sense of distance. It feels like you’d freeze just getting close."
Xiaomei wasn’t exaggerating. Although they were acquainted, and she had seen him a few times while visiting Commander Ning, Qin Jian’s attitude towards her had always been chilly.
If he could say something in one sentence, he absolutely wouldn’t say it in ten; if he could manage it in half, he wouldn’t say a full sentence.
Truly sparing with his words!
All this time, she really did long to get closer to Captain Qin.
Seeing Qin Jian at the edge of the dais, an idea sprung to Yan Huan’s mind, "Xiaomei, watch me, starting today, I will definitely be able to engage with Qin Jian!"
"Sure! I’ll be watching! If you manage that, I’ll treat you to braised pork." Xiaomei made a bet with Yan Huan.
"Deal. Hey, first go find me an empty ink bottle that’s dried up," said Yan Huan.
"Sister Yan, what do you need that for?"
"It’ll be useful," Yan Huan replied.
.....................
With the dried-up ink bottle in hand, Yan Huan made her way towards the position of the dais, where several leaders were sharing opinions and comments on the performance of the warriors.
Approaching them, she stood beside Qin Jian, who was on the edge of the dais, and said with a mischievous smile, "Captain Qin, sorry to bother you, but I’m in a rush to write something, and my ink has dried up. You have water in your cup, right? Could you spare some?"
Qin Jian glanced at Yan Huan and nodded.
Sitting beside Qin Jian, Jian Ying coughed lightly and displayed a meaningful smile, "Yan Huan, there’s a saying, ’The old man is drunk but not on wine.’ I’m not sure if you’ve heard it."
Yan Huan also cleared her throat, "There’s a saying, ’Ignore what is irrelevant.’ Another is, ’Don’t embarrass yourself unnecessarily.’"
Jian Ying had indeed embarrassed herself.
This woman really wasn’t the least bit cute!