The wind blasted across the barren road, yellow sand sweeping up so hard it stung the face. Even with a scarf wrapped tight, that cold bite still cut straight through.
“Celeste, once we get to the military district, don’t go complaining about how awful it is in front of your fiancé. Dad and Mom already said it—given how things are with the Whitmore family now, if we don’t go through with these marriages, we’ll be sent down to the countryside to suffer.”
Miranda rattled on and on, every word sounding like advice.
Celeste Whitmore squinted at her, only lifting her eyelids after a long moment to shoot her a lazy glance.
Did she really not worry about getting a mouthful of sand? She talked way too much.
Miranda was long used to Celeste’s cold, half‑interested attitude.
Not that she had much choice. Celeste was the Whitmores’ real daughter, while she was only the adopted one, taken in because Mr. Whitmore’s comrade‑in‑arms entrusted her to them before he died.
Because of that last request, she had a place in the Whitmore family at all.
Even when it came to marriage, the Whitmores picked the Thornton family’s most promising eldest son for Celeste, leaving the troublesome younger one for her.
If she hadn’t lived through it once already, how would she have known that the Thornton family’s eldest son would grow up to be a commander, while the younger one would die young out on assignment?
Last time, she had barely gotten the marriage certificate before the news of his death arrived. She hadn’t even shared a wedding night before she became a widow.
For the sake of reputation, she couldn’t remarry, just watched Celeste live comfortably and become the commander’s wife.
So this time, now that she had the chance to start over, she didn’t hesitate before switching the names on the engagement papers.
Let Celeste go marry that short‑lived man and become a widow this time.
The commander’s wife title belonged to her.
“Celeste, once we get to the military district, we’ll need to look out for each other. That way Mom and Dad can feel at ease while they’re in the countryside.”
Celeste let out a cold snort and turned her head away, ignoring her.
Putting on an act again.
Back at home Miranda always loved performing—obedient, thoughtful, soft‑spoken—making Celeste look like some spoiled, unreasonable young lady by comparison.
Her dad fell for it every single time. Whatever his real daughter had, Miranda somehow always ended up having too.
She went to high school, and Miranda Ashford went to high school too.
She married an officer, and Miranda married an officer as well.
She got a thousand yuan as her dowry, and Miranda’s dowry also came with a full thousand!
Celeste Whitmore couldn’t stand her. She never thought she’d end up stuck with this annoying woman all the way to the military base.
But this time their parents weren’t around. No one was there to shield Miranda. Once they reached the base, Celeste swore she’d finally put that fake little “white lotus” in her place.
The tractor jolted its way across the bumpy road, making her stomach flip the whole ride. By the time it finally stopped, Celeste staggered off with her legs feeling like jelly.
Worse, she felt like the wind had sandblasted her face into rough bark.
Miranda didn’t look much better, but she still managed to stay composed. She took out the water she’d been saving the entire trip, rinsed her hands, wiped her face, and smoothed her clothes and hair.
All because she wanted to look presentable in front of Gabriel Thornton.
Celeste had finished her own water long ago, but she didn’t care for Miranda’s anyway. She had a thing about cleanliness and wouldn’t touch anything Miranda had used.
So Celeste just stood at the gate of the base, clearly impatient, waiting for Miranda to finish fussing so they could get someone to fetch the right people. The guard on duty said he’d call for the political officer Gabriel Thornton and Captain Wesley Thornton.
Miranda had only met Wesley two or three times before the wedding talk started. He was dark, broad‑shouldered, and strong enough to take down an ox if he wanted. His face looked like he could scare a ghost back into its grave. One look at him was enough to make anyone shrink.
Miranda sneaked a glance at Celeste, delight bubbling in her chest.
With Celeste’s pampered temper, she’d never survive being married to someone as rough as Wesley. She didn’t even have to guess—Celeste was doomed.
"Why aren’t they here yet?"
After waiting nearly half an hour, Celeste’s face had turned completely sour.
She was tired, hungry, and felt like she was chewing sand. All she wanted was a hot bath and a place to collapse.
Miranda gave her a cheerful little smile. "Celeste, both brothers in the Thornton family are officers. They can’t just drop everything whenever someone calls. Just wait a bit longer."
Miranda wasn’t anxious at all. In her last life, she’d waited about an hour. Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon.
She reached up to fix her hair, trying to make it look a bit more proper. Then she glanced over at Celeste Whitmore. The girl’s head was wrapped tight in a scarf, only her face poking out. Her skin was pale and soft enough, sure, but that expression—she looked like she couldn’t be more annoyed if she tried.
With a quick comparison, she figured she definitely looked more presentable than Celeste.
Gabriel Thornton had just called Wesley Thornton over after drills. Wesley was a good five centimeters taller than Gabriel.
He stood there—a solid one‑ninety, skin tanned dark from the sun. He’d just finished leading the troops and hadn’t even had the chance to wash up. Heat rolled off him in waves, clinging to him no matter how he moved.
Gabriel shot him a sideways look. “Ease up on that face of yours. Don’t scare the girl from the capital.”
“Would be better if she got scared off,” Wesley muttered. “Last thing I want is dragging home some delicate princess to wait on.”
The more he talked, the more irritated he got. Why did his grandpa insist on arranging this marriage with his old comrade anyway?
He had loads of training and missions stacked up. Where was he supposed to find time to get married?
But the old man had called them specifically—told them the Whitmore parents were in trouble and had been sent away, leaving their two daughters with nowhere to go except the military district. If they didn’t come here, they’d be sent down to the countryside for labor reform.
And a young girl getting sent down… if something happened to her, that’d ruin her whole life.
So his grandpa decided to sacrifice his happiness for this mess?
Damn it.
Wesley’s expression went from annoyed to thunderous in a second.
Gabriel thought, …Great. Let’s just hope he doesn’t make the girl cry.
When the two brothers walked toward the gate, Miranda Ashford caught sight of them from a distance, and her eyes lit up instantly.
“Sister, the Thornton brothers are here.”
The way she chirped—like a hen about to lay an egg.
Celeste had already been feeling nauseous, and hearing that only made it worse. She lifted her eyes weakly.
She saw Gabriel first—a man well over one‑eighty, a smile on his face. He looked easy‑going, decent enough, and didn’t give her a bad feeling at all.
Celeste Whitmore suddenly didn’t feel quite as resistant anymore.
But the moment the two men walked closer, she heard Miranda Ashford practically skip forward, her voice light as she looked straight at Gabriel Thornton.
"Brother Gabriel, my name is Miranda. I’m here to marry you."
Celeste frowned, trying hard to recall who her own fiancé was supposed to be.
Her parents had told her about the arrangement, but back then she’d been too overwhelmed to listen—
the Whitmore family had just fallen apart, and she was being shipped off to this dusty nowhere. She’d had zero energy to care about an engagement.
If it wasn’t Brother Gabriel, then it must be the man standing beside him…
Only now did Celeste turn her eyes toward the man next to Gabriel Thornton.
One look—her knees nearly gave out.
What kind of look was that?
Wesley Thornton had never bothered giving others the time of day, yet today, he was actually being stared at like *that*.
His expression dropped instantly. His brows drew together, his whole presence darkening, making him look even more intimidating.
Celeste’s heart nearly stopped.
This… this man who looked like he could wrestle a bear with his bare hands—
he was her fiancé?
That was way too much of a mismatch!
They didn’t even look like they came from the same world!
No way. Absolutely not.
Over her dead body!
Celeste blurted out, "Is there a car that can take me to the station?"
She had to get back to Jingdu.
Celeste would rather follow her parents to the countryside than stay here another minute.
Getting brushed off right to his face, Wesley’s expression sank completely.
Fine. He shouldn’t have bothered in the first place.
Just now, when he noticed this little girl’s fair, soft-looking face, something in him had actually stirred.
Yeah… he always had a weakness for someone pale and delicate.
But this pale little dough-ball had the nerve to look down on him?
