Even if he didn’t particularly like the girl, as long as she had good character, a relationship of mutual respect would still be fine.
In fact, the second daughter of the Lin family, whom his grandfather had suggested, fit this criteria.
He had interacted with the Lin family’s second daughter before and had a good impression of her.
Originally, he should have agreed. But ever since he started having those dreams—ever since he experienced the feeling of genuine affection in them—he could no longer deceive himself.
So, he refused his grandfather’s proposal to meet and further engage with the Lin family’s second daughter.
It was the first time in 24 years that he had defied his grandfather.
And the second time was this transfer to the Northwest Military District.
In truth, just as his grandfather had said, the transfer to the Northwest Military District was something he had orchestrated himself.
He was well aware that staying in the capital would be more beneficial for his career.
But this time, he once again went against his grandfather’s arrangements and maneuvered his own transfer to the Northwest Military District.
In his dreams, he couldn’t clearly see the face of that female doctor, but he remembered her voice.
And a voice inside him told him that she was in the Northwest Military District.
So, he wanted to go and see for himself.
He wanted to find her.
If he could only spend his life with one person, he hoped it would be her.
At first, Li Tingxuan had thought it was just a dream. Even if he’d had it many times, even if the scenes in it felt incredibly real, Li Tingxuan had always been a firm believer in materialism, so he didn’t trust dreams.
But later, events in reality began to align with the dreams.
This forced Li Tingxuan to accept that what happened in the dreams might be real.
The dreams had persisted for over half a year and had now become something like an obsession. He had to get to the bottom of it.
If that female doctor truly existed, then he would do everything in his power to win her over.
If she didn’t exist…
Well, then he would return and continue being the eldest son of the Li family, shouldering his responsibilities as always.
Once he made up his mind, the confusion in Li Tingxuan’s eyes vanished, replaced by unwavering determination.
Come to think of it, Sheng Zexi from the Sheng family was also stationed in the Northwest Military District.
In the entire compound, the only person Li Tingxuan considered a rival was Sheng Zexi.
Though everyone in the compound said Sheng Zexi couldn’t compare to him.
But Li Tingxuan knew that Sheng Zexi was far more capable than him.
Without the support of the Sheng family—and even under suppression from Sheng’s father—Sheng Zexi had fought his way to his current position entirely on his own.
Meanwhile, Li Tingxuan had reached his position with the full backing of the entire Li family.
He admired Sheng Zexi and, at the same time, envied him.
He envied the freedom and unyielding pride Sheng Zexi carried, like an eagle soaring freely across the sky.
While he himself was nothing more than a caged songbird.
He thought, if possible, he’d like to be friends with Sheng Zexi.
Now that he was going to the Northwest Military District, he wondered if he’d get the chance.
…
Sheng Zexi had no idea that Li Tingxuan—whom he had only briefly thought of—was considering befriending him after arriving in the Northwest Military District.
At the moment, he was sharing his joy with his wife.
When he showed Gu Jianing the bank transfer slip from the old man at home, her eyes widened in shock.
“One, two, three, four, five, six—wow, a six-figure sum, and he just transferred it to you just like that?” Gu Jianing held the slip, her beautiful face blooming into a radiant smile.
“I thought your dad’s money had all been taken by your stepmother.”
Sheng Zexi scoffed lightly. “The old man never lets go of anything truly important—it’s always kept firmly in his own hands.”
Sheng Xinhao was a man of extreme control—whether it was money, status, power, or even people.
Take Sheng Zexi, for example. His father had tried to control him relentlessly.
Unfortunately, Sheng Zexi refused to be controlled, which was why he had fled all the way to the Northwest Military District and repeatedly defied him.
Gu Jianing thought: *Well, at least this cheap father-in-law of mine isn’t completely clueless.*
“Grandma also called. She said the property deeds for the old house and the courtyard in Beijing have been handed over to them. We can get them whenever we go to the capital, or she’ll bring them to the Northwest Military District if she has time later,” Sheng Zexi added.
“Perfect.” Those were properties in Beijing—*courtyard houses*, no less.
On top of the betrothal gifts they had already received, Gu Jianing thought that in this second life of hers, she might not have to struggle for mere scraps of silver anymore.
How wonderful.
That meant she’d have time to do the things she truly wanted.
Now that her own life was secure, Gu Jianing wanted to improve her family’s circumstances as well.
For example, when the college entrance exams were reinstated, she’d need to find time to talk to Third Brother and convince him to prepare for university.
And then there was the household responsibility system that would be implemented in a few years—she felt it was worth trying. Second Brother would be a good fit. Those who took the initiative in this would, if they worked hard, at the very least become part of the first wave of people to prosper—if not outright strike it rich.
As for Eldest Brother, he’s currently doing well as a clerk in the steel mill, but state-owned factories won’t fare too well in the future.
She’d have to observe later which direction Eldest Brother wanted to develop in and gently guide him.
Then there were her sisters-in-law—she wasn’t sure what their plans for the future were either.
But the most pressing matter now was dealing with Wen Zhuqing, that ticking time bomb.
She wondered how things were progressing on that front.
….
That evening, at the Liu family home, Liu Yuan was startled the moment she returned from work to find both her parents waiting for her at home.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her expression stiffened slightly as she forced a smile. “Mom, Dad, you’re home so early today—even earlier than me?”
As she spoke, she set down her bag, her gaze flickering nervously toward her parents.
A sense of foreboding settled in her chest.
Perhaps still unsettled by yesterday’s events, Liu Yuan had been distracted all day at the supply and marketing cooperative, making frequent mistakes.
She had barely made it through her shift, only to return home and find her parents—who usually came back later than her—already waiting.
The sight made her feel as though something terrible was about to happen.
Just then, Liu Ruzhi stood up and closed the door.
Du Juan spoke first, her voice firm. “Yuan Yuan, tell us the truth—have you been spending time with an educated youth named Wen Zhuqing from Huaihua Village?”
The moment “Wen Zhuqing” was mentioned, Liu Yuan’s heart lurched. Without thinking, she blurted out, “How do you know about him?”
The second the words left her mouth, she clapped a hand over her lips. Damn it, I just gave myself away.
Du Juan and Liu Ruzhi exchanged a glance—their daughter’s reaction told them everything they needed to know.
Du Juan pulled her daughter closer, her voice urgent. “Yuan Yuan, be honest with me. Are you dating that Wen Zhuqing? Do you know he’s already married, with a wife who’s pregnant?”
“What? That woman is pregnant? Brother Wen never told me that!” Liu Yuan genuinely hadn’t known Bao Shanyan was expecting. If she had… if she had known… what would I have done? She wasn’t even sure herself.
“So what the letter said is true?”
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