“What are you still staring at? They’ve already gone far away.” Niu Cui’s voice came from behind, full of sarcasm.
Zhang Qiumei’s eyes were dark and heavy, and she didn’t feel like speaking.
“Have you finally decided who you’re going to marry? Let me tell you, I don’t want to be sent back to the countryside.”
That’s right—Zhang Jianjun’s threat wasn’t just about sending Zhang Qiumei back to their hometown. Niu Cui would be sent back too.
Of course, this was also to pressure Niu Cui, who didn’t want to return, into persuading Zhang Qiumei.
“In my opinion, that Officer Lin is a good choice. He seems to like you a lot and doesn’t even mind that you used to have feelings for Sheng Zexi.”
“Besides, Officer Lin’s rank is higher than Sheng Zexi’s.”
“If you marry Officer Lin and become his wife, you’ll outrank that woman.”
“Then you can move back into the military compound and properly humiliate her.”
Zhang Qiumei’s eyes widened slightly, as if stirred by Niu Cui’s words.
But she still didn’t speak.
Seeing that Zhang Qiumei was wavering, Niu Cui pressed on eagerly, “Besides, didn’t you originally want to be the stepmother of Sheng Zexi’s kids?”
“If you’re going to be a stepmother anyway, what does it matter whose stepmother you are?”
“Officer Lin’s children are all grown up—you wouldn’t even have to take care of them. Isn’t that great?”
“Xiao Mei, you need to think carefully about what you have now and what you need most at this moment.”
These words finally made Zhang Qiumei reflect.
What did she have now?
Apart from her youthful looks and figure, nothing.
What did she want?
Zhang Qiumei narrowed her eyes slightly—she wanted…
Gu Jianing to suffer.
She had to admit that her mother’s words made some sense.
And if she wanted to accomplish certain things, she had to return to the military compound!
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Qiumei finally hardened her heart and made up her mind.
“Fine. The next time my brother comes, I’ll tell him—I’m willing to marry Officer Lin.”
So what if she was a stepmother?
So what if he was thirty years older than her, with the stale smell of an old man?
If he was infatuated with her, willing to give her what she wanted, and could help her achieve her goals—that was enough!
After all, her life had already been ruined.
If she didn’t do something, she would never be able to accept it.
Hearing this, Niu Cui’s eyes immediately lit up with joy.
“Good, good, good! You should’ve agreed long ago.”
“My dear daughter, I always knew you’d make something of yourself. You were destined for greatness.”
…
A week later, Gu Jianing was shocked to hear from Sheng Zexi that Zhang Qiumei had returned!
Not only that—she had married Officer Lin!
“Officer Lin? That Officer Lin we’ve met before?” Gu Jianing frowned and asked.
Sheng Zexi nodded.
“My God, that man is old enough to be her grandfather!”
Sheng Zexi sneered. “Age is the least of the issues here.”
His tone carried a trace of anger. After all, Zhang Qiumei had previously tried to sabotage his relationship with Ningning, for which she had been punished by their superiors and expelled from the military compound.
Yet now, barely any time had passed before she returned.
To Sheng Zexi, this felt like a direct challenge.
He was also worried that Zhang Qiumei’s return might have ulterior motives—that she could pose a threat to Gu Jianing and their child.
So the moment he heard the news, he immediately went to their superiors.
Zhang Qiumei could marry whomever she pleased, but she absolutely could not return to the military compound.
But this time, even the higher-ups had no power to stop it.
“Zexi, I understand your concerns. Zhang Qiumei returning like this does indeed go against regulations.”
“But Officer Lin is backing her. As long as she hasn’t committed an unforgivable crime, then…”
“After all, Officer Lin has some… special connections.”
“The Lin family has deep roots in Huansha Island.”
“Zexi, you only have a little over six months left on Huansha Island. Why not just endure it until then? Once you’re transferred elsewhere, you won’t have to deal with this anymore.”
“If you insist on pushing this matter, I’m afraid you and your wife might face… complications later.”
Who could make things difficult for them? The implication was obvious.
Furious, Sheng Zexi ran over a dozen laps around the training field and went through a full set of combat drills before returning home.
He hugged Gu Jianing tightly. “Wife, I’m sorry. I’m not capable enough.”
Before this, Sheng Zexi had always believed his abilities were strong—that reaching his current rank meant he was far ahead of most.
But now, he realized:
There’s always someone better, and skies beyond skies.
He wasn’t yet strong enough, nor was his status high enough.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have zero say in this matter.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to back down over Zhang Qiumei’s return.
Truthfully, if this had happened before his marriage, his rebellious, unyielding nature would have driven him to demand justice at all costs.
But now, he was married.
His wife was heavily pregnant, and Xingxing and Yueyue were still so young.
He couldn’t afford to be reckless.
Gu Jianing hugged him back, soothing him. “Don’t blame yourself. I know you’ve done everything you could in this situation.”
“You’ve already done well.”
“We can settle the score later, when the opportunity comes.”
“And who knows? Maybe Zhang Qiumei won’t cause any trouble. You don’t need to worry too much.”
In truth, Gu Jianing was only saying this to comfort Sheng Zexi.
Deep down, she felt Zhang Qiumei’s return was anything but innocent.
But she didn’t want to make Sheng Zexi overly anxious—afraid it might distract him during training or missions.
After comforting him for a while, Sheng Zexi’s mood finally eased slightly.
“Ningning, there will be a chance.”
“I will never allow anyone or anything to harm you or our children.”
“By the way, wife… I might have to go on a mission in a couple of days…”
Having calmed down, Sheng Zexi shifted the topic to his upcoming assignment.
This would be his first mission since arriving at Huansha Island.
“It’s fine. If you need to go, then go—just make sure to stay safe.”
“Mn. I will.”
Two days later, Sheng Zexi, fully prepared, set off on his mission with no fixed return date.
Xingxing and Yueyue weren’t quite used to their father suddenly leaving for a mission.
Especially during their evening walks—with one less person, the laughter and chatter felt noticeably diminished.
Naturally, Gu Jianing wasn’t entirely accustomed to it either.
But she had married Sheng Zexi, and this was something she had to accept.
In her heart, she silently prayed for his safe return.
During Sheng Zexi’s absence, Gu Jianing occasionally spotted Zhang Qiumei in the military family quarters.
However, neither of them spoke.
Perhaps because Zhang Qiumei was now married to a higher-ranking officer, the other military wives and families, despite their dislike for her, didn’t dare gossip or provoke her.
Gu Jianing hadn’t forgotten the resentment in Zhang Qiumei’s eyes when she had last looked at her.
So she remained vigilant.
Yet Zhang Qiumei never made a move.
In fact, she even seemed to have settled down.
By the time Sheng Zexi returned from his half-month mission, Zhang Qiumei had remained completely quiet.
Except…
On the day he came back from training, Sheng Zexi’s expression was unusually grave, as if something was weighing on him.
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