On the platform, an Eastern girl in a plain dress had just stepped off the train. She was beautiful, with delicate features and a slender figure, though she appeared somewhat travel-worn. A small group of SS officers, identifiable by their skull insignia, jogged towards her. Even someone with a strong will and a clean record would feel nervous, but she showed no signs of anxiety or unease, for the incredibly handsome man at the front was her beloved.
“You foolish woman!” He was clearly a bit angry, starting to scold her from two steps away. “How could you do something so reckless?”
She refused to admit she had done anything wrong; she had simply taken the train from a southern city to the capital to find him, nothing more.
He grabbed her shoulders, his grip painful, but she playfully met his gaze. “Did you not expect me to show up suddenly? This is your birthday gift.”
He looked into her eyes, one hand gently caressing her cheek. “What a wonderful gift.”
Before she could explain much, he sealed her lips with his, and they began to kiss passionately on the platform, leaving her breathless.
Among the passengers was a handsome captain in a black-gray military uniform, helping a friend walk slowly across the platform. His lake-blue eyes held a hint of a smile as he watched her kiss her “farm owner” lover in the street for a while. Then, an aide-de-camp quickly took her suitcase and loaded it into the car’s trunk. He wrapped his arms around her, almost lifting her up, and stuffed her into the black Mercedes.
“Isn’t that the nurse? I haven’t had the chance to thank her for taking care of me all the way,” the man coughed twice. “Or perhaps, while I was asleep, she created an opportunity for some unscrupulous fellow.”
Marcus did not respond to his friend’s words but remained still, staring as the driver in the front seat of the black Mercedes started the car. He pressed her down onto the back seat, tightly wrapping his arm around her slender neck, kissing her even more fervently…
“Marcus, I didn’t expect you, the love god, to miscalculate sometimes. Clearly, she belongs to someone else.”
“I was deceived, my friend. She told me her lover was a ‘farm owner.’ Have you ever seen a farm owner driving boldly into the station, with a captain like you and me running around carrying his woman’s suitcase?”
“That’s because the SS produces captains in abundance. If you want to rise in rank and wealth, joining them is a good choice.”
“Then I would rather be a non-commissioned officer for life.” His tone was teasing, but his expression was serious.
“Marcus, you aren’t really falling for that Eastern girl, are you? By the way, it’s best not to provoke this SS figure.”
“What, do you know him?” His lake-blue eyes narrowed slightly.
“Cough, cough. Although he doesn’t wear a general’s insignia on his coat, just look at that license plate number…”
A smile lingered on his lips as his gaze fell on the black Mercedes driving away from the platform, the black license plate boldly displaying SS-002.
The car navigated through the capital’s streets. Khanyi, visiting the capital for the first time, found the streets wider and the buildings more imposing. However, she had no time to admire the scenery outside the window, as the rose-red lipstick on her lips had nearly transferred to his. After a struggle, he finally released her. Blushing, she pulled a silk handkerchief from her black handbag and delicately wiped his lips, making the impeccably dressed man in uniform appear somewhat comical. The driver in the front seat was no longer one of the familiar faces she had known, but their expressions seemed identical, as if nothing had happened, focused solely on driving. She caught a glimpse of the expressionless man in the rearview mirror, fearing that no matter what they did in the back seat, the driver would remain unfazed.
The car entered a luxury hotel’s private parking lot, and the elevator took them directly to the suite’s door. A man dressed as a hotel staff member was transporting her suitcase with a luggage cart.
At his gesture, Khanyi entered the room. It was a luxurious suite with a spacious living room, a bedroom with a balcony, a study, a small kitchen, and a bathroom—everything one could need.
“You brought it?” He glanced at the furry little dog head poking out of the suitcase, frowning slightly, his tone somewhat disdainful. “This troublesome creature…”
“I couldn’t bear to leave Teddy alone there. It would miss me and cry all night,” Khanyi squatted down and pulled the little dog out, which sniffed around the wall.
He looked down at the little dog, which was bouncing around the rooms looking for something, and finally urinated in the corner outside the bathroom door. He still frowned slightly but said nothing. The hotel staff and his entourage had already exited.
As she was organizing her belongings, he suddenly hugged her from behind, his intentions clear—he meant to lift her up horizontally.
“Wait, I just got off the train and haven’t showered for a day and a night. I’m very dirty…” She wriggled out of his embrace.
“Dirty?” His icy blue eyes scrutinized her sharply. “Tell me, did you flirt with any men on the train?”
She was taken aback, not expecting him to ask that. Did that man in the cap report her every move to him? She decided to feign anger, tugging at his tie to return the question. “Who said I flirted with men? Have you been looking for other women?”
