The Rise of a Special Forces Soldier Abandoned by a Wealthy Family

Military Region General Hospital, early morning.

Sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows, illuminating the gleaming corridor floor.

Zeng Linglong had already changed into a well-fitting black special operations training uniform.

The fabric was crisp and the cut was clean, perfectly outlining his lean and upright physique, as powerful as a cheetah.

The brim of his training cap was pulled down slightly, casting a small shadow on his straight nose and angular face, but making his deep, star-like eyes even sharper and more dazzling.

With his healthy, tanned complexion and tightly pursed lips, he exuded a restrained yet dangerously resolute aura, forged through trials and tribulations.

Xiaoya, Ye Feng, Tiezhu, Qi Liang, Guo Wei, and other members of the Dragon Return Squad (excluding the four who were protecting Jiang Tianhua's double) had been waiting quietly by the side, like a sharp sword about to be drawn, silent and menacing.

Earlier, Zeng Linglong's maternal grandparents, accompanied by his uncle He Feng and a group of younger members of the He family, came to the hospital despite He Jing's objections.

The two elderly people watched their grandson recover, their eyes filled with tears, giving him countless instructions, their hearts full of love and reluctance.

After a brief reunion, Zeng Linglong asked his mother, He Jing, to accompany the elderly couple home to rest.

now.

He arrived alone at the door of Yan Rugo's ward.

Gently push open the door.

Inside the ward, Yan Ruge leaned against the headboard, the morning sunlight casting a soft glow on her pale cheeks.

When Liu Sitong and Yan Hai saw Zeng Linglong enter, they exchanged a smile, tacitly agreed not to say anything, and quietly left the room, leaving the two young people alone.

The door closed gently.

Yan Ruge's gaze was drawn to Zeng Linglong the moment he pushed the door open, as if by a magnet, and she could not look away.

This was the first time she had seen him in military uniform.

It wasn't his crisp, formal uniform, but rather his more capable-looking training uniform that better reflected his true nature.

The well-fitting cut perfectly showcased his 1.9-meter height and the perfect proportions of his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

His eyes were deep beneath the brim of his hat; his nose was straight; and his jawline was sharp and defined.

Sunlight danced on his tanned skin, making him look like a war god emerging from the morning light—cold, resolute, yet...it made her heart skip a beat.

Then, she saw the corners of his mouth slowly...

It evoked a very faint, yet incredibly genuine, smile.

That smile was like the first faint warmth of melting snow, instantly dispelling the cold armor around him and revealing a gentleness that belonged only to her.

Yan Ruge was stunned.

Immediately, a huge, sweet warmth surged up from the deepest part of my heart and instantly swept through my limbs and bones!

Two faint blushes rose uncontrollably to her cheeks.

Her eyes, however, shone like stars reflected in a spring, gazing at him without blinking.

Zeng Linglong walked to the bedside, gently pulled over a chair, and sat down.

His gaze remained fixed on hers.

It was silent, yet it seemed as if a thousand words were flowing within it.

He reached out and carefully and gently supported her, making her more comfortable.

His movements were delicate, carrying a tenderness that was completely different from his status.

"Are you feeling... any better?"

Zeng Linglong spoke, his voice deep and gentle, without even realizing it, like the most soothing notes of a cello.

Yan Ruge did not speak.

She simply looked at him and nodded slightly.

Their gaze remained fixed on his face, greedily tracing his features, as if trying to etch this moment into the depths of their souls.

"I……"

"It's time to be discharged."

"I'm... leaving."

Yan Ruge's gaze trembled almost imperceptibly.

Her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings, gently fell and then lifted again.

She didn't ask "where to go", "what to do", or "how long to stay".

He simply nodded slightly again.

"Um."

A single word, as light as a sigh, yet as heavy as a promise.

She understands him.

They understand that his journey was fraught with thorns and war, and that his shoulders bore the weight of his family, his country, and his hatred.

She wouldn't let romantic feelings hold him back.

All she could do was wait, trust, and... use her whole heart to sense and accompany him.

Because the man before her was someone she could look up to and follow with her life—the man her heart longed for.

There was silence for a moment.

Yan Ruge suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze filled with a cautious plea, her voice as soft as a feather:

"May I... touch your face?"

Zeng Linglong was slightly taken aback.

Immediately, the tenderness in his eyes almost overflowed.

Without any hesitation, he leaned forward slightly and gently brought his cheek close to her raised hand.

"it is good."

Yan Ruge's right hand, trembling slightly from weakness and excitement, slowly extended.

My fingertips, with a slightly cool touch, gently brushed against his cheek.

Warm, solid, carrying his unique aura.

Her fingertips carefully traced the lines of his jaw.

It felt as if I were touching a rare treasure that had been lost and found again.

Then she smiled.

That smile was like the first flower to bloom suddenly under the warm spring sun after a harsh winter.

Pure, sweet, and full of the joy of life and endless longing.

Tears, without warning, silently slid down from the corners of her eyes.

It wasn't sadness, it was happiness, it was being moved, it was finally touching something real, something that felt like a lifetime ago—

Satisfy.

Zeng Linglong felt the cool touch of her fingertips on his cheek, and looked at her smile, which was as bright as spring flowers, mixed with tears.

His heart felt as if it had been gently struck by the softest thing.

A strange, warm, and even somewhat bewildering feeling quietly began to grow within him.

He looked at her and slowly smiled.

In that smile, there was the responsibility of a tough man, the oath of a soldier to protect, the heavy duty of a leader, and... a seed called "love" that even he himself had not yet understood was sprouting.

The two of them gazed at each other in silence.

The sunlight was gentle and bright, filling the room.

No further words were spoken.

She knew his road ahead was fraught with peril, and he knew the depth of her affection.

Everything is understood without words.

I gaze at Venus, and the star gazes back at me. The night has stars and the moon, the night is full of moon…

for a long time.

Zeng Linglong slowly straightened up, gently squeezed her slightly cool hand, and then let go.

"I'll come see you again next time."

Then, he turned around.

I walked towards the door.

Their steps, no longer hesitant, were urgent and heavy.

What was urgent was the burning fire of revenge in his chest and the heavy mission on his shoulders.

However, hidden deep within those steps was a trace that even he himself had not fully realized...

heavy.

That heaviness stemmed from another distant yet equally sincere emotion, from another girl across the ocean—Anna, whose deep blue eyes revealed a profound affection.

He knew how to wield the sword and how to be stained with blood on the path of revenge.

On the path of emotions... he felt as if he had wandered into a strange, misty forest, lost and confused.

The door closed behind him.

It blocked out the sunlight and warmth in the ward.