After the meal, Huo Jingyuan picked up his luggage and backpack, ready to head out. He walked straight to the 28-inch bicycle in the yard, intending to ride to the military camp to boost everyone’s competitive spirit and encourage them to strive for first place.
Not long after, Wen Ci also left for the hospital.
She and Yu Qing not only had to carry their personal belongings but also several medical kits. Soldiers undergoing the “Hell Week” training often suffered from bruises, sprains, or common illnesses like colds.
Wen Ci and Yu Qing carried two large medical kits to report at the military camp. Since it was still early for mealtime, they were invited to sit in the regimental commander’s office for a while.
“It’s you again, Xiao Yu. So, are you dating anyone?”
Yu Qing replied indifferently, “Yes, I am.”
“So soon?”
The regimental commanders enjoyed matchmaking their most outstanding subordinates with single young women. One of the commanders, who didn’t recognize Wen Ci, turned his gaze to her and asked with a smile, “How about you, little nurse? Do you have a boyfriend?”
Wen Ci shook her head. “No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”
She only had a husband.
Hearing this, the commander’s eyes lit up, and he pulled out a few headshot photos from his pocket. “Then let me introduce you to someone. These are some of the most outstanding single young men in my regiment. The oldest is only 25. What do you think?”
Wen Ci was about to explain when Meng Ran walked over. Glancing at the photos, he teased, “Old Xu, what kind of recommendations are these? These guys are hardly lookers.”
“Bullshit! You’re the one who’s no looker!”
“This young lady is beautiful and elegant. Your single subordinates? They’re hardly a match for her.”
The commander, known as Old Xu, was embarrassed. He had to admit that while his subordinates were excellent, they weren’t exactly easy on the eyes.
Suddenly, a chill seemed to descend in the office as Huo Jingyuan appeared with a stern expression. Meng Ran immediately called out to him, “Regimental Commander Huo, Old Xu here is trying to set up this young lady with some less-than-ideal candidates.”
Huo Jingyuan’s brows furrowed slightly.
In the office, there were only two “young ladies.” Yu Qing was well-known in the Northwestern Military Region, so the “young lady” in question had to be someone else.
Not all regimental commanders were familiar with each other.
Commander Xu spat at Meng Ran and explained to Huo Jingyuan, “Don’t listen to Meng Ran’s nonsense. The soldiers I recommended to this nurse are all outstanding men with the potential to become battalion commanders within five years.”
Meng Ran was nicknamed “Meng Haoran” in the military camp.
Hearing this, Huo Jingyuan’s expression darkened. His naturally cold demeanor made the atmosphere in the office drop several degrees.
Wen Ci quickly explained, “Commander Xu, I don’t have a boyfriend, but—” She paused, her eyes glimmering with a hint of amusement, then continued, “But I’m already married.”
“What?!” Commander Xu suddenly realized that this nurse wasn’t a new recruit from the hospital but a military family member accompanying her spouse.
“Who is your husband?”
Before Wen Ci could answer, Huo Jingyuan calmly walked to her side, his deep and steady voice ringing out:
“Me.”
His response was brief and to the point.
Instantly, all eyes in the office turned to Wen Ci.
The officers were well aware of Huo Jingyuan’s wife’s background. Many of the regimental commanders had even served under Minister Jiang at some point. Realizing Wen Ci’s identity, Commander Xu immediately straightened up and bowed apologetically to her.
“My apologies, Miss Jiang. I didn’t realize and was too presumptuous.”
Wen Ci smiled faintly. “It’s alright. I was just joking when I said I didn’t have a boyfriend.”
“How is Minister Jiang’s health?”
Wen Ci blinked, realizing that Commander Xu had also served under her biological father. Recalling the scene when she and Huo Jingyuan left the Jiang family, she replied with a gentle smile, “He’s in good health, no issues.”
Meanwhile, Yu Qing was still stunned by the revelation that Wen Ci’s father was a minister-level figure. But upon reflection, it made sense—someone who could marry the “Living King of Hell” must have an extraordinary background.
After spending a few hours in the camp, it was time to officially set off. All the soldiers participating in the Hell Week stood fully armed on the training ground.
They weren’t traveling to the wilderness by vehicle but would have to carry their own gear and march on foot.
The regimental commissar stood on the podium, holding a slightly crackling microphone, and spoke slowly:
“We won’t say much. For this Hell Week, the first-place prize is a 28-inch bicycle, the second-place prize is a sewing machine, and the third-place prize is a wristwatch. But to earn these rewards, you must push beyond your previous limits.”
The rewards for this month’s Hell Week were exceptionally generous.
However, there were some conditions: participants had to surpass their previous achievements, or their results wouldn’t count, and they wouldn’t receive any rewards.
“Does one second count as surpassing?” someone asked.
“Yes.”
On the battlefield, every second counted, and even one extra second could mean the difference between life and death. Recently, some cities near the border had become unstable.
Many military regions had dispatched troops to maintain order.
After the regimental commissar delivered an impassioned speech, the sound of a deafening horn echoed across the training ground, and all the soldiers set off with their heavy loads.
Once all the soldiers had left, Wen Ci and Yu Qing boarded the supply truck. They had a canopy to shield them from the dust, and through the back of the truck, they could see the swirling yellow sand.
Yu Qing covered her nose and mouth with a cloth, then glanced at Wen Ci and asked curiously, “If your father is a minister, why did you come to the Northwest?”
A minister’s status was extremely high, and with Wen Ci’s father’s rank, he could easily have transferred the “Living King of Hell” from the Northwest to the capital, sparing her the hardships of military life.
Wen Ci smiled self-deprecatingly.
On the surface, she was indeed Minister Jiang’s daughter.
But in reality, Jiang Ye was Minister Jiang’s true daughter.
Wen Ci was merely related by blood.
After a moment of thought, Wen Ci told Yu Qing a story about a true and false heiress, narrating her own story in the third person.
After hearing it, Yu Qing was shocked.
She realized that the protagonist of Wen Ci’s story was Wen Ci herself.
Yu Qing looked at Wen Ci with pity in her eyes. It was the false heiress’s parents who had caused all this, yet the false heiress still enjoyed the love and care of the true heiress’s parents.
This was utterly unfair.
Although there was an old saying:
“The sins of the parents should not fall on the children, and the misfortunes of the family should not affect the wife and daughter.”
But the false heiress had undeniably reaped the benefits.
Yu Qing asked, “Were the false heiress’s parents arrested?”
In this era, abducting women was considered a serious crime. Even if it was the only crime committed, it could result in a death sentence.
Wen Ci shook her head. “Probably not.”
From what she remembered, it was Jiang Ye who had pleaded with the Jiang family, saying that while her biological parents hadn’t raised her, they had given her life, and she begged for their forgiveness.
Yu Qing gritted her teeth in anger. “The true heiress’s parents are truly heartless. Their own daughter suffered so much outside, and yet they still arranged for their biological daughter to be married off in her place.
The false heiress is the most despicable!”
Wen Ci shrugged, feeling that she was actually quite lucky.
In the end, she had married Huo Jingyuan.
Leave a Reply