Originally, given his position, as long as Grandpa remained in good health, he could have easily held his post for another ten years.
But now, he had no choice but to step down due to illness.
Li Tingxuan knew that “illness” was merely an excuse—the real reason was the fallout from the “Li Shuyao” incident.
As for him…
Although his request to transfer to the Northwest Military District had been approved, he had previously held a regimental-level position, but now he was demoted to battalion-level.
In other words, he had been downgraded by one rank.
Not only that, but his future promotions would likely be much harder to come by compared to others.
It could be said that, in the eyes of outsiders, the Li family was now in decline—with Grandpa stepping down and his own demotion.
Because of this, Grandpa, who had only recently recovered his health, fell ill again.
It wasn’t until recently that he started to improve.
And only then was Li Tingxuan finally able to make his way to the Northwest Military District.
“Battalion Commander Li, your dormitory is over there. Let me take you,” a young soldier said, saluting him.
“Alright.”
Soon, Li Tingxuan was led into the military district. However…
Along the way, he encountered quite a few people.
Including many military wives.
When the wives caught sight of Li Tingxuan, their eyes lit up.
Oh my goodness, this soldier is so handsome!
So refined and good-looking!
I wonder if he’s married or seeing someone?
Looks like I’ll have to find a chance to ask.
Unbeknownst to Li Tingxuan, he had instantly become the ideal marriage candidate in the eyes of many military wives.
In the future, he might even face relentless matchmaking pressure from his superiors.
As Li Tingxuan surveyed the military district, he quickly noticed something unusual.
“What’s over there? It seems crowded,” he asked, pointing in a certain direction.
“Oh, that’s the auditorium.”
“Dr. Gu is holding a lecture there over the next three days. Many doctors from other military districts have come to attend,” the young soldier said, his eyes brimming with pride.
“Dr. Gu?” Li Tingxuan froze. “You mean… Gu Jianing?”
Her name lingered softly on his lips.
The young soldier’s eyes brightened. “Eh, Battalion Commander Li, you know Dr. Gu?”
“Ah, right-you were transferred from the Capital Military District. Dr. Gu previously held a lecture there and even made it to the newspapers.”
“You have no idea how amazing Dr. Gu is.”
“And she’s so beautiful, like a fairy. Deputy Regiment Commander Sheng is really lucky.”
…
The young soldier couldn’t stop praising Gu Jianing.
Even though she was a woman, talent was talent, regardless of gender—and they all admired her for it.
So now, in the Northwest Military District, whether among the military wives or the soldiers, Gu Jianing was practically an idol.
She was their pride.
From the young soldier’s account, Li Tingxuan also learned that Gu Jianing had given birth to an adorable pair of fair-skinned twins.
*That’s right.*
Back when she was still in the capital, her belly had already been quite large.
He hadn’t expected that she had already given birth—and to twins, no less.
“How enviable.”
Sheng Zexi was truly fortunate.
To have a wife like Gu Jianing, who had even borne him twins.
Li Tingxuan really was envious—but at the same time, a bitter ache spread in his heart.
Some things, once delayed, could never be reclaimed.
“No kidding, it’s enviable,” the young soldier agreed. “Everyone in our military district admires Deputy Regiment Commander Sheng.”
“But then again, Deputy Regiment Commander Sheng is outstanding too. Only a man like him could be worthy of Dr. Gu.”
Li Tingxuan fell silent.
The young soldier seemed to notice his interest in Gu Jianing and Sheng Zexi, so he continued sharing more details.
Li Tingxuan thought: No, I’m only interested in Dr. Gu. Not Sheng Zexi.
Unfortunately, the soldier didn’t realize this and went on about how attentive Sheng Zexi was—how he doted on Gu Jianing, cared for their two children, and even mentioned him washing diapers.
“…The military wives in our residential compound all say Deputy Regiment Commander Sheng is a wonderful father and husband!”
Before this, Li Tingxuan hadn’t known how well Sheng Zexi treated Gu Jianing. But judging by the happiness in her demeanor the last time he saw her, she must have been doing well.
Now, he finally had a concrete understanding of Sheng Zexi’s devotion to her.
A mix of relief and quiet bitterness swirled in his heart.
He was relieved that Sheng Zexi treated her well—after all, he only wished for her happiness.
As for the bitterness… it stemmed from his own selfish, unspoken longing.
But for now, he could only suppress that ache.
Soon, Li Tingxuan was led to his dormitory.
After unpacking and settling in briefly, he found himself with nothing else to do. His official training wouldn’t begin until the next day.
Once the onboarding formalities were complete, Li Tingxuan made his way to the auditorium.
Before he even stepped inside, he heard a familiar, melodious voice.
The auditorium was packed.
Aside from the attending doctors, many military wives and off-duty soldiers had also come to listen—even if they didn’t understand the content.
Not that it mattered.
They had nothing else to do anyway.
Besides, Gu Jianing on stage was a sight to behold. Even if they didn’t absorb a single word, just watching her was enough to lift their spirits.
That was why the auditorium was so lively today.
With the crowd so large, Li Tingxuan had to stand by the entrance.
Just like the last time, at that lecture in the capital’s high school.
Li Tingxuan raised his gaze to the woman on stage. Months later, she was still as radiant as ever.
He stood there, quietly watching.
For a fleeting moment, it felt as if he had been transported back to that lecture hall in the capital…
……
Gu Jianing was unaware of Li Tingxuan’s presence.
By noon, the lecture paused for a break.
After packing up, Gu Jianing prepared to head home.
Just as she was about to leave the auditorium, she caught sight of a vaguely familiar figure.
“Is that you? Comrade Li?” she asked.
Li Tingxuan had left an impression on her for two reasons.
First, he was Li Shuyao’s brother.
Under normal circumstances, this connection alone would have made Gu Jianing indifferent toward him. But now, knowing that Li Shuyao was an imposter and the Li family had been deceived, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for them.
Second, Li Tingxuan had a strikingly handsome face, with a gentle, scholarly demeanor—like a refined gentleman.
Though Gu Jianing’s heart now belonged to Sheng Zexi, she still appreciated this type of elegance.
Of course, the reason she stopped to speak to him wasn’t because of either of these things, but rather…
“Last time, you mentioned your comrade suffered from the same condition as Comrade Hua—that psychological disorder called PTSD. How is he doing now? My recent lectures have been focused on this topic.”
“If needed, you could arrange for him to receive treatment from doctors in nearby military districts.”
Li Tingxuan hadn’t expected Gu Jianing to remember him.
The realization sent a flicker of joy through his heart.
Deep down, he knew she had only stopped because of the fictional comrade he’d invented.
But so what?
It didn’t matter.
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