Just thinking about his wife waiting for him at home made him feel more energized.
He was in high spirits.
He Yongyan still vividly remembered how, just a few days ago, Comrade Jiang Heng had coldly dismissed this childhood betrothal as a blind marriage.
So much for a blind marriage—how had they suddenly become so fond of each other?
“How’s your wife—?” He Yongyan leaned in and asked quietly.
“Good,” Jiang Heng said, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
“Good how?” He Yongyan pressed.
But Jiang Heng couldn’t be bothered to elaborate. He simply said, “You’ll know when you get married.”
He Yongyan gritted his teeth in frustration, tightened his grip on his chopsticks, and snatched a piece of meat from Jiang Heng’s plate.
Easier said than done—did he think getting married was as simple as opening and closing his mouth?
Nothing was more annoying than people showing off!
As they came out of the mess hall, He Yongyan happened to see a few comrades from the broadcast station walking together.
He craned his neck to look around.
“What are you looking at?”
“Why isn’t Comrade Luo Qin here?”
“Why do you care about her?”
“Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk—” He Yongyan squinted. “Battalion Commander Jiang turned down that young lady and broke her heart. Now she’s switched shifts and doesn’t come to the military district anymore.”
Jiang Heng’s expression turned serious: “Don’t make jokes about female comrades.”
He Yongyan looked away guiltily: “Alright, alright, I’ll stop.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Heng silently imitated the “tsk tsk” sound his comrade had just made.
How had he managed to string all those “tsks” together in one breath?
That took some talent.
Luo Qin hadn’t been to the Qing’an Military District for days.
Her team leader knew her feelings and didn’t push, only told her not to dwell on it.
Some of her colleagues had also been gossiping about her.
Everyone knew she liked that officer, Jiang Heng, and had been running after him relentlessly. Even after being rejected, she grew more determined. To put it kindly, she was someone who loved and hated boldly. To put it bluntly, people were laughing at her.
Luo Qin herself didn’t care whether people laughed—her own heart was already broken, so what did she care what others thought?
“Luo Qin, have you ever seen Battalion Commander Jiang’s girlfriend?”
“No.”
“I heard she’s really pretty—fair skin, big watery eyes!”
Luo Qin turned her head away and stayed silent.
Another colleague nudged the speaker: “Why are you pouring salt on her wound?”
“How is this pouring salt on a wound?” Lin Xiaowen laughed. “Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll win every battle. If you fall, you have to get back up.”
“Don’t you want to see what she looks like?” Lin Xiaowen continued. “You lost without even fighting this time. But even if you lose, you should at least know where you went wrong.”
It was lunch break. Lin Xiaowen grabbed Luo Qin and ran out of the unit: “I borrowed a bike from the director. Let’s go check out the family quarters.”
Lin Xiaowen got on the bike and patted the back seat, urging Luo Qin to hop on quickly, then pedaled fast.
It was hard to tell whether she truly felt indignant for Luo Qin or was just eager to see the spectacle herself.
Tang Hongjin had pumped up the tires and patched the puncture.
He’d also made a detour to the supply cooperative to buy some pastries that young girls liked, and brought them back for Ning Qiao.
The pastries weren’t cheap—a sincere apology.
Ning Qiao, mimicking Sister Xiulan’s earlier gesture, gave the rear tire a firm squeeze.
Though she couldn’t really tell anything from it, her stern little expression was enough to be intimidating.
Tang Hongjin felt embarrassed. Seeing no one was looking their way, he steeled himself and said, “It really was an accident. Next time, I’ll definitely—”
“There won’t be a next time.”
“You’re right.” Tang Hongjin paused. “No next time. I promise.”
Just like in the original storyline, he was willing to keep lowering his standards, unconditionally sacrificing for Su Qingshi.
The so-called “sweet doting” novel.
There were too many people who bullied the weak and feared the strong—Su Qingshi was one of them.
“Tell Su Qingshi,” Ning Qiao said seriously, “if there’s a next time, I’ll go straight to the public security bureau.”
The aunties scattered around the compound had long since pricked up their ears.
But they pretended not to have heard, exchanging glances to share intel.
One dared to say it; the other dared not refute it—so it must be true.
For months, everyone had thought Su Qingshi was just odd but free-spirited. No one expected her to do something so underhanded and shady behind the scenes.
Such a black heart.
But the question was—what did she have to gain?
Tang Hongjin’s expression was grave, but he agreed.
Inside the room, Su Qingshi couldn’t settle—she couldn’t sit, couldn’t stand.
She didn’t understand why Tang Hongjin had to apologize to Ning Qiao at all.
There was no need for it.
She’d just been annoyed by Ning Qiao’s delicate, pampered demeanor and had punctured her tire on a whim—for fun.
Now it made her seem calculating, as if she were jealous of someone else.
For the first time, Su Qingshi felt embarrassed.
Ning Qiao was still a bit heartbroken about her brand-new bicycle getting punctured.
Luckily, after the repair, the marks weren’t obvious. She gave it a push—the tires were fully inflated.
This was her first time learning to ride a bike, and she didn’t know where to start.
The smiling faces around her were far too enthusiastic; she was too embarrassed to get on.
If she fell flat on her face in front of all these people, how mortifying would that be!
Ning Qiao pushed the bike and started walking away.
“Little Jiang’s wife, where are you going?” Aunt Wu asked.
“Auntie,” Ning Qiao said softly, “my name is Ning Qiao.”
“Little Ning’s wife, where are you off to?”
Ning Qiao: …
“I’m going to take a look around outside.”
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she pushed the bike out of the compound.
The family quarters were large. She walked a good distance until the voices behind her faded, then she eagerly mounted the bike.
She sat on the seat, toes touching the ground. The moment she put her foot on the pedal, the whole bike began to wobble.
The old gatekeeper nearby discreetly averted his gaze, being polite.
Ning Qiao gritted her teeth and scooted along with both feet on the ground.
Suddenly, the sound of bike wheels rolled up. A female comrade parked her bike nearby, and the one riding on the back got off.
The passenger was striking—very stylishly dressed, with a chic short haircut.
Ning Qiao stared at her for a moment.
Luo Qin flicked her hair back, a glint of admiration in her eyes.
She was naturally outgoing, straightforward, and bold. Seeing the friendly expression on the other’s face, she smiled back.
Ning Qiao gripped the handlebars, wobbling unsteadily.
Seeing that she couldn’t ride, Luo Qin quickly came over to steady the bike: “Be careful.”
Lin Xiaowen urged Luo Qin to hurry up and get into the compound.
“Who are you two looking for?” The old gatekeeper stopped them, dutifully.
“We’re from the broadcast station.” Lin Xiaowen showed her work ID.
“Who are you here to see?”
Lin Xiaowen frowned and turned to look at Luo Qin.
“Just learning to ride?” Luo Qin said to Ning Qiao. “You have to get your balance first—get used to pedaling with one foot, then start turning the pedals smoothly.”
Ning Qiao followed her instructions, first trying with her right foot on the pedal and her left foot skimming the ground.
“Like this?”
“Yes, exactly!”
Lin Xiaowen came over and said to Luo Qin, “Are we still going to see Battalion Commander Jiang’s new wife? You’re wasting time here.”
Truth be told, Luo Qin didn’t know what had gotten into her, letting Lin Xiaowen drag her all the way to the family quarters.
Back when Battalion Commander Jiang was unmarried and unattached, she’d freely expressed her interest. But now that he was married, she should let it go.
Nothing had ever really happened between them anyway.
“Shh!” Luo Qin patted Lin Xiaowen. “Keep it down.”
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Lin Xiaowen laughed and leaned in to whisper, “Everyone in the Qing’an Military District and the broadcast station knows you like Battalion Commander Jiang.”
“What if someone hears?” Luo Qin’s expression turned cold.
The old gatekeeper had sharp ears and called out loudly, “You came to see Battalion Commander Jiang’s new wife? You should’ve said so earlier—she’s right here!”
Luo Qin’s head spun.
Slowly, she turned and looked at the delicate, pretty young girl on the bicycle.
Her vision went dark.
This was Battalion Commander Jiang’s wife?
Could this get any more humiliating?
“You, you…” Luo Qin bit her lower lip. “You heard all that?”
Ning Qiao hesitated: “How about I pretend I didn’t?”
“Alright.” Luo Qin nodded awkwardly, muttering, “You’d better keep your word…”
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