Chapter 26: The instinct to love

At dusk, the sunset was beautiful.

The Sea Island was large, but tall, imposing buildings were rare.

"Meow~"

Tangyuan admired the outside scenery for a while before easily leaping down from the windowsill.

"Meow, meow, meow~"

*Master, wake up. The Child of Destiny has driven over! *

"Ugh~"

Shen Man was awakened. Her head was a bit dazed; she had slept very well and hadn't dreamed at all.

"Meow, meow~"

*Master, don't stay in bed. The Child of Destiny has entered the first floor of the guesthouse. *

"Alright, alright, I know. I'm getting up now."

Shen Man grabbed a handful of her supple long hair with her fingers, then lifted the quilt, put on her shoes, tidied her top slightly, and put on a long-sleeved jacket.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

Outside the door, the man's gentle voice sounded, and the force of the knocking was also very light, not urgent.

"Are you awake? It's me, Jiang Ye. I've come to pick you up to go to the canteen for dinner."

"Click~"

Almost as soon as the man's voice fell, the door to Room 208 was pushed open from the inside, and then a delicate, soft voice sounded:

"Brother Jiang Ye."

The little girl who had just woken up had a faint pink color on her skin. Meeting the man's deep gaze, her eyelashes trembled, and she couldn't help but carry a hint of coyness:

"Wait a moment, I'll be ready soon."

The man's gaze lingered on the little girl for a few seconds, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his tone was not to be refused:

"The temperature on the Sea Island will drop starting in the evening. Be good, listen to me, and put on the military coat."

"Okay."

Shen Man agreed quickly and didn't have any dissatisfaction.

The other party was doing it for her own good and considering her; she could tell the difference between good and bad.

Thinking of this, she pondered that she had arrived at the destination and should send a telegram to her grandfather to report her safety and add some trouble to her stepmother...

The warm orange afterglow outside the window spilled into the room. Tangyuan stepped with its short legs, walking with a cute cat-walk, came to the side of the Child of Destiny's military boots, rubbed against them, and meowed coquettishly a few times.

Unfortunately, the man's eyes were all glued to the little girl, completely ignoring the little milk cat fawning and begging for favor at his feet.

Shen Man put on the military coat and tucked the room key into the coat pocket.

Then she saw Tangyuan's fawning, worthless appearance, and immediately couldn't bear to look.

"Meow, meow, meow~"

*Child of Destiny, I am the apple of the master's eye. If you have a good relationship with me, I, the great me, can put in a good word for you in front of the master~*

"Meow~"

*Mas, Master~*

Tangyuan, who had been grabbed by the scruff of its neck, was suspended in mid-air and then thrown into the yarn bag by its master, immediately not daring to talk nonsense.

"Tangyuan, stay in the room. I'm going out for a meal and will be back. I'll hunt for you."

Shen Man smiled without warmth and gave her pet a loving hug.

"Meow~"

Tangyuan curled up in the bag, pretending to be an ordinary cat, full of innocence and stupidity.

It seemed to be answering, *Okay, okay~*

"Click."

The door was locked. Shen Man asked embarrassedly:

"Brother Jiang Ye, will this delay your meal?"

"No."

Jiang Ye watched with great interest; the little girl's lively side was very cute.

Just like that, the two walked side by side, went downstairs together, and greeted the registration aunt at the counter before leaving...

"Tsk, tsk, quite a match."

Wang Mingkui secretly ate melon seeds and commented with a smile.

When she got home, she would tell her old Ji that since Jiang Ye's good news was near, Lu Xiu Bai and the others had to be arranged too!

The blind date mixer in three days must let this group of single military officers find partners!

Otherwise, the houses in the newly built family compound on the island would all be empty, which would be a waste!

Houses had to be lived in; only with people would the house have popularity, and only then would it be sturdy.

If a house wasn't lived in for a long time and had no popularity, no matter how good the house was, it wouldn't gather qi, and after a long time, it would have all kinds of small problems and then collapse and fall into disrepair.

People who had lived through bitter days couldn't bear to see good things being ruined.

No one had taught Jiang Ye how to pursue a female comrade, and no one had taught him how to take care of a girl.

But from the moment he met Shen Man, he seemed to have learned without a teacher. Details he hadn't thought of before were all considered after meeting her.

Perhaps this was the instinct to love.

"Brother Jiang Ye, after dinner, I want to send a telegram to my grandfather. Do you know where I can send a telegram?"

"Hmm, I know. I'll send you to the Communications Department later to write an application.

But I'm afraid it's too late tonight. Tomorrow noon should be about right. When I get the approval slip, I'll take you to the Communications Department to send the telegram, okay?"

"Okay."

Shen Man almost forgot that communication in this era was relatively backward, and using it actually required layers of approval and couldn't waste resources.

Jiang Ye was like a teacher, guiding her patiently and conscientiously, handing the decision-making power to her to choose.

Although Shen Man hadn't been in a relationship, she had seen many romance films.

A man like Jiang Ye, with outstanding ability and personal charm, could be called an "older man."

She found it hard to resist this persona of an older, intellectually attractive man.

For a time, the atmosphere in the car became quiet.

But the distance between them was close at hand, within reach.

A faint scent of orchids permeated the air. This fragrance drifted vaguely, carrying a mysterious and alluring aura.

At the same time, a cold and biting scent also quietly mixed in, and the two blended together, forming a unique atmosphere that was hard to describe.

An inexplicable emotion began to brew and grow slowly between the two, like a volcano about to erupt, ready to go.

Jiang Ye said casually, as if by accident: "In three days, there will be a blind date mixer on the Sea Island specifically for single men and women.

My leader even specifically ordered that I must go."

Hearing this, Shen Man's heart tightened, and she was so nervous she could hardly breathe.

She tried hard to calm her emotions and asked cautiously:

"Then, Brother Jiang Ye, how did you reply to your leader?"

Jiang Ye smiled slightly and answered softly:

"I told him that I already have a person I admire and am currently pursuing with all my might, so I don't need to go to that mixer."

After saying this, he also gave Shen Man a meaningful look.

Shen Man's mood rose and fell like a roller coaster, first calm as water, then instantly becoming panicked and uneasy, and finally gradually returning to peace.

However, her outward calmness couldn't hide the ripples that had long since risen in her heart.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Ye suddenly broke the deadlock and asked softly:

"By the way, Manman, may I call you that?"

This affectionate address made Shen Man blush, and she nodded shyly, indicating her tacit consent.

If it were in the past, Shen Man would never have believed in the old-fashioned plot of love at first sight.

But now, having known each other for less than a day, she found that the balance in her heart had unknowingly tilted toward Jiang Ye.

Perhaps, as people say, love at first sight is nothing more than being attracted by appearance.

But it was undeniable that the feeling of mutual attraction between them wasn't limited to external beauty; perhaps more of it came from the compatibility of their body's magnetic fields? ===== CHAPTER 27 =====