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

Since that night on the rooftop, Anna and Ling Ye's relationship has entered a delicate "quasi-romantic" state.

Although Ling Ye still doesn't express his love verbally, his actions have subtly changed.

Library Time: Anna used to study in the rare book section of the Widener Library, where it was quiet and less crowded. Ling Ye would now "coincidentally" appear across the long table.

He had a thick economics book spread out in front of him, but his gaze often went beyond the pages and landed on Anna's focused profile.

When Anna looked up in confusion, he would quickly look away, pretending to be studying some complex mathematical model.

Sometimes, Anna would feel his long legs lightly brush against hers under the table, and they would both shudder slightly as if electrocuted, but neither of them moved away first.

That almost imperceptible contact could make Anna's heart skip a beat for the entire chapter.

"On the way" companionship: No matter where Anna was going to class, club activities, or just back to the dormitory, Ling Ye could always find countless reasons to "go along the way".

"Oh, I'll go check out that area... um... the building structure." (Actually, he just wanted to buy a cup of coffee.)

"Xiao Que said she wanted to eat the donuts from that shop, so I went to buy them, and it just so happened that I passed by the building where you have your class."

Anna always smiled with her lips pursed, never calling him out. She would walk naturally beside him, and sometimes, mustering her courage, her fingers would "accidentally" hook onto the side of his casual pants.

Ling Ye's body would stiffen for a moment, and then the hand that was originally in his pocket would slowly come out and hang casually at his side, only a few millimeters away from her hand.

A sweet tension filled the air.

• Shared headphones: Once, while resting on an outdoor bench, Anna shared a soft piano piece that she had recently enjoyed.

Ling Ye frowned as she listened, then said disdainfully, "Soft and weak, no fun," before taking out her phone and forcefully shoving an earphone into her ear. It was playing either rousing symphonies or heavy industrial rock.

Anna was initially unaccustomed to it, but as she looked at Ling Ye's profile, which was closed and immersed in the music, she gradually began to hear the power and rhythm within it.

And so they stood there, each with an earphone, listening to the sounds of each other's worlds, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on them. It was an awkward sharing, yet incredibly precious.

Lin Que was genuinely happy for her "Night Brother" and Anna. She was determined to be their Cupid, but her methods were always...unconventional.

One day, Lin Que secretly used an anonymous email (with the IP address spoofed to Antarctica) to book a table for them at the most romantic restaurant on the Charles River, and even "thoughtfully" pre-ordered the "Couple's Supreme Set Menu." Result:

The restaurant waiter came over every three minutes, introducing the dishes in an aria-like tone: "These are deep-sea oysters, symbolizing eternal love," and "This is a flaming steak, as fiery as the love between the two of you." This made Ling Ye frown more and more, and Anna was so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl under the table.

Lin Que even hired a violinist to play "My Heart Will Go On" continuously. Ling Ye couldn't stand it any longer. He swept a cold glance over, and the violinist was so frightened that he almost dropped his bow.

Finally, Lin Que appeared with a "surprise" pushing a huge cake with "LOVE" written on it, but she slipped and the cake flew directly towards Ling Ye... That night, Ling Ye, with cream all over his head and a dark face, dragged Anna away from the scene, with Lin Que's panicked apologies behind them.

Seeing Ling Ye's disheveled state and then at Lin Que, who was on the verge of tears, Anna couldn't help but burst into laughter and fell into Ling Ye's arms. Looking at her radiant smile, Ling Ye's anger inexplicably dissipated, and he could only helplessly pinch the bridge of his nose.

The next day, Lin Que got three more premiere tickets to a romance movie, confidently declaring she would help them create the right atmosphere. However, once inside the theater, she discovered she had bought the wrong tickets—they were for a horror film showing at the same time.

The movie's sound effects were terrifying, and the visuals were bloody. Anna was so frightened that she instinctively shrank closer to Ling Ye. Ling Ye was secretly pleased (and even a little grateful that Xiao Que had bought the wrong ticket), and casually put his arm around Anna's shoulder, whispering, "If you're scared, close your eyes."

Just then, Lin Que suddenly burst into loud laughter: "Hahaha! This blood is so fake! The props team deserves a bad review! Ugh, that monster design looks just like the sketch I saw when I hacked into the Area 51 server three years ago! But that one was even uglier..."

She was completely absorbed in criticizing the special effects and comparing them to real military secrets, which ruined the atmosphere of horror and interrupted the budding romance between Ling Ye and Anna. Ling Ye wished he could stuff popcorn in her mouth. Anna, on the other hand, couldn't help but laugh at Lin Que's bizarre focus, and her fear vanished.

That evening, as Anna and Ling Ye were taking a quiet walk, Lin Que suddenly jumped out from a corner, startling Anna so much that she rolled her eyes. Ling Ye almost went into battle mode and started fighting. At first glance, he saw a little sparrow with an explosive afro, and Ling Ye was so angry that he almost wanted to kick the little sparrow to Mars.

At this moment, Little Sparrow, still unmoved, opened her big eyes and asked directly, "Brother Ye! When are you going to officially confess your feelings? Sister Anna has been waiting for you to say that for ages!"

Or she might whisper to Anna (but loud enough for Ling Ye to hear): "Sister, look at how much Ye-gege's eyes are practically sparkling! Just give in to him!"

"Sister Anna, did my brother Ye secretly look at your photos again last night? I saw his browsing history on his terminal!" Every time, it would make the two of them blush instantly. Ling Ye would often get angry and "throw" Lin Que aside by grabbing her hoodie hoodie, warning her that if she said another word, he would reinstall DOS on her computer.

Anna blushed and her heart pounded, secretly watching Ling Ye's reaction with a mixture of anticipation and shyness.

Although Lin Que's assists often went astray, causing chaos and laughter, her innocent enthusiasm and recklessness acted as a catalyst, adding many lighthearted laughs and warm moments to the ambiguous push and pull between Anna and Ling Ye.

Ling Ye still thinks about his past and still feels lost, but when Anna looks at him with a smile, or when Lin Que makes a new joke next to him, he feels that what he has now may also be a form of "home".

Inside the ivory tower of Harvard, a battlefield freak is learning a lesson more complex and sweeter than any tactic—how to love and how to accept love. This process is made all the more vivid and interesting by Anna's gentleness and Lin Que's mischievous, almost sabotaging, assistance.