The conditions in the border region were harsh. Aside from one communications officer, one civilian staff member, and two medics who were female, the rest of the camp was entirely male.

Due to limited resources, scarce supplies, and a shortage of buildings, the unit had set aside a small section on the top floor of the dormitory building specifically for female personnel.

Meng Youyou had only recently moved in and was fortunate enough to have a room to herself.

When the knock on the door sounded, she had just returned from the women’s communal bathhouse.

In this era without hair dryers, her damp hair hung loosely over her shoulders, droplets of water sliding down like morning dew on petals.

Following the steady knocking, Meng Youyou walked over and opened the door.

The moment it opened, she saw a tall, upright figure standing before her.

It was Huo Qingshan.

Under the dim yellow light of the corridor, his sharply defined features looked even colder. Dressed in a neat military uniform, he exuded the commanding presence unique to soldiers, making him appear all the more striking.

Meng Youyou paused slightly, her gaze unconsciously settling on him.

But at that moment, Huo Qingshan’s expression was one of clear surprise.

From his angle, Meng Youyou was wearing a loose, light-colored chiffon blouse with a wide neckline. Because of his height, he could easily see the soft curves beneath the open collar—and the deep wine-red undergarment beneath.

The thin fabric, dampened by water dripping from her hair, had become slightly translucent, faintly revealing her fair, delicate skin and soft silhouette, adding an almost hazy allure.

She wore only a pair of black shorts on her lower half, exposing her long, slender legs that seemed to glow under the light.

Huo Qingshan quickly came back to his senses. He immediately turned away, refusing to look at her any longer.

“You shouldn’t dress like this when opening the door,” he said sternly. “There are many male comrades in this building. This is not appropriate.”

Meng Youyou was utterly baffled.

In modern society, this kind of outfit is completely normal.

As someone with a strong sense of fashion, she used to go out wearing crop tops, camisoles, and short skirts all the time.

How had it suddenly become “inappropriate” in his eyes?

What do you mean by ‘like this’?

She looked at his rigid back. The man was practically radiating a “do not look” aura—like a monk who had accidentally wandered into temptation and was desperately avoiding it.

Avoiding her like she was some kind of plague!

For the first time in her life, Meng Youyou felt a trace of defeat.

Is there something wrong with this man?

In this world, she still had the same body as before—and she had always been confident in her looks and figure.

That so-called “appearance anxiety” that people talked about online?

It simply didn’t exist for her.

As her childhood friend Shen Xin used to complain:

“Honestly, it’s so annoying. I’ve never met a girl prettier than you. Being around you all the time raised my standards so high that I still can’t find a girlfriend—it’s all your fault!”

From childhood to adulthood, she had always been the center of attention.

Yet this man not only showed no interest in her—

He even seemed… slightly disgusted?

Although she felt a little annoyed, she refused to show it.

She couldn’t let this annoying man realize that she actually cared about his indifference.

So what if you don’t like me? I don’t like you either.

After adjusting her mood, she went back inside, changed into long sleeves and pants, then opened the door again.

“I’ve changed. What do you need? You can talk now.”

Only then did Huo Qingshan turn back around.

“Comrade Meng Youyou, I’ve purchased everything you asked for this afternoon. It was a bit heavy, and since you live on the fifth floor, I brought it up for you.”

Only then did she notice the large white net bag at his feet, filled with various items.

“Since you’ve already come this far, Battalion Commander Huo,” she said casually, “why not help me carry it inside as well?”

Huo Qingshan bent slightly, picked up the bag, and walked steadily into the room.

Just as Meng Youyou was about to close the door—

“Don’t close it,” he said quickly. “A man and a woman shouldn’t be alone in a room with the door shut. It doesn’t look good.”

She froze for a moment before obediently leaving the door open.

Walking over to the items, she suddenly asked,

“Um… in this era—I mean, now—there should be receipts or something, right? Or you can just tell me the total, and I’ll pay you.”

Huo Qingshan took out a stack of receipts from his pocket and handed them over seriously.

“It’s better to settle accounts clearly. The receipts are all here—you can check each item.”

Meng Youyou nodded and began reviewing them one by one.

At that moment, Huo Qingshan suddenly spoke again:

“It’s not appropriate for me to stay too long in a female comrade’s room. Check everything yourself. You can tell me the total tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she replied without looking up.

He walked to the door, then paused.

“As your colleague, I feel obligated to remind you—perhaps you’ve studied abroad and your thinking is more… open. I understand that. But now that you’re back, you should adapt to local customs. Don’t bring improper habits into the unit. A female comrade should conduct herself with more propriety. And in the future… don’t ask unfamiliar male comrades to purchase certain items for you.”

With that, he left without looking back.

Meng Youyou stood there, completely confused.

What did he just say? I didn’t understand a single word.

“Open-minded”?
Where did he even get that idea?

Just because she wore shorts earlier—she was suddenly “improper”?

What an old-fashioned fossil.

“Hmph!”

After he left, Meng Youyou immediately changed back into her short-sleeved top and shorts. In just that short while, she had already broken into a sweat.

Not being allowed to wear shorts in this heat?

That was torture.

Feeling refreshed after changing, she casually sat down with her legs spread on the chair and began sorting through the items in the bag, placing them one by one on the table.

Then—

She spotted a mysterious item wrapped tightly in layers of brown kraft paper.

Driven by curiosity, she began unwrapping it layer by layer.

Wow… this is wrapped pretty securely.

After peeling off the final layer, the “mystery item” finally revealed itself—

It was a sanitary belt.

The packaging box displayed bold white characters on a red background: Sanitary Belt, with the words Clean & Hygienic and Comfortable & Durable printed on the sides.

At that moment, Meng Youyou finally understood what Huo Qingshan had meant before he left.

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