Lin Guangmin couldn’t believe it.
That was the battalion commander—then who was the other one?
Weaving through the crowd in the staff compound, he stared straight at Ning Qiao as she approached with the man beside her.
He didn’t want to look, but the man was too striking—impossible to ignore.
The military comrade had sharp, intense features and a cool expression. His skin wasn’t pale and delicate like Lin Guangmin’s, but not dark either—it had a hard, rugged quality.
He and Ning Qiao weren’t doing anything intimate, but the blessings in the gazes of the other residents stabbed at Lin Guangmin’s heart.
Just a few days ago, he’d still dreamed that Ning Qiao would become his wife. Then the dream had shattered, but he’d clung to his mother’s reassurances—that she wasn’t good enough for him anyway.
When he learned she was getting married, he felt both heartbreak and pity—the Nings were throwing a flower onto a dung heap. From start to finish, he’d been looking down on her, brainwashed by his mother.
Who would have guessed that Ning Qiao’s fiancé was no “dung heap” at all.
“It’s him again,” Jiao Chunyu clicked her tongue. “Like a ghost that won’t go away.”
“Who is he?” Jiang Heng asked.
Jiao Chunyu knew perfectly well how the Lin family had been acting these past few days.
Just last night, she and Ning Yang had been fuming about it at home. What kind of people were the Lins, putting on such an arrogant act, as if any girl who married into their family was somehow getting above herself?
“Sister-in-law.” Ning Qiao tugged at Jiao Chunyu’s sleeve, signaling her to stop.
“Him—” Jiao Chunyu curled her lip in disdain.
“The factory director’s son,” Ning Qiao cut in, trying to change the subject.
“With a lot of nerve!” Jiao Chunyu said sarcastically.
“How so?” Jiang Heng pressed.
“Well, that’s a story worth telling.” Jiao Chunyu let out a snort.
Ning Qiao was speechless.
Like her brother, her sister-in-law couldn’t be stopped once she got going.
“This guy? He’s crazy about our little sister.”
“Whenever our little sister shows up in the compound, his eyes stick to her like a plaster.”
Jiao Chunyu quickly covered herself: “Ning Yang has glared at him, and he still won’t lay off—that takes nerve, doesn’t it?”
“Ning Yang is my brother,” Ning Qiao added.
Jiang Heng let out a soft laugh: “I know. I met your brother when I was young.”
“You’ve met my brother?” Ning Qiao asked curiously. “Did you meet me too?”
“You weren’t born yet,” he said.
He made it sound like he was much older than her.
But Ning Qiao did the math—back then, she hadn’t existed yet, and he’d met her brother. They must have both been quite young at the time.
Ning Qiao looked up and secretly studied his serious expression.
Jiang Heng happened to meet her gaze, as if reading three question-mark-words in her eyes—”Little kid?”
Jiang Heng: …
“Has he bothered you?” Jiang Heng changed the subject.
Ning Qiao shook her head: “We’ve only spoken a few times.”
Jiao Chunyu wasn’t foolish enough to tell him how Yu Cuiman had tried to leverage her daughter-in-law’s situation. Though this future brother-in-law seemed like a good match, they didn’t know him well yet. What if mentioning those incidents gave him ideas—and he tried to use Ning Qiao’s frail health as leverage too?
“But things like this are pretty common. We’re used to it,” Jiao Chunyu said. “Lots of people like our little sister. And why wouldn’t they? She’s good-looking, sweet-tempered, and smart—she used to rank first in class all the time.”
Ning Qiao: …
Now she was really laying it on thick.
Her cheeks grew warm, and she lowered her head.
Jiang Heng was more than willing to listen.
Suddenly having a fiancée—and marrying in just a few days—he didn’t know much about her and wanted to learn more.
In truth, he agreed with Jiao Chunyu.
Ning Qiao seemed like someone you just wanted to protect.
At that moment, knowing nothing about the factory director’s son, he felt his gaze turn cold at Jiao Chunyu’s words, and he shot a sharp look in that direction.
Lin Guangmin was still frozen in place when that glance hit him—his breath caught.
The people in the compound suddenly perked up, holding their breath.
“Are they going to fight?”
“Guangmin must be miserable. He got all the way to the proposal stage and still got rejected—how humiliating!”
“This morning his mother was even more humiliated. I wonder if he’s heard about that yet.”
“Can military comrades just go around hitting people? Wouldn’t he get in trouble for that?”
Lin Guangmin summoned his courage and forced himself to look back.
But as the distance between them shrank, he lost his nerve and couldn’t bring himself to face the man head-on.
He was small and not sturdy, while Ning Qiao’s fiancé—even fully dressed—clearly had a powerful build beneath that crisp uniform.
If things turned ugly, the man could grab him and beat him like a chick.
The compound’s residents watched the two men with rapt attention—men who were poles apart in every way.
Even the children playing stopped to stare, eyes wide.
Some people wondered if they should step in to mediate—after all, Lin Guangmin was the factory director’s son. It would be a good opportunity to do him a favor and give him a graceful way out.
But then, to everyone’s surprise, Lin Guangmin shifted his feet.
Then he turned around and headed in the opposite direction.
“Where’s he going?” Jiang Heng asked, puzzled.
Ning Qiao said, “He ran off.”
The family members in the compound: ???
Xiao Liang had witnessed the whole battle—well, not really a battle, since one side had fled.
The orderly had enjoyed the spectacle, then quietly resumed observing Battalion Commander Jiang’s fiancée.
She was truly beautiful—prettier than any of the cultural troupe soldiers he’d seen. But she looked delicate, with a soft, gentle voice, as if she might cry at the slightest fright.
With such a tender disposition, she’d probably get bullied relentlessly by the battalion commander’s three younger siblings, wouldn’t she?
Xiao Liang watched for a long while.
“What are you looking at?” A low voice cut him off.
He looked up and met Battalion Commander Jiang’s cold, sharp gaze. Instinctively, he shrank his neck: “Nothing!”
“The house is just ahead.”
When Jiang Heng was led inside by Ning Qiao, the aroma of cooking wafted from the kitchen.
Ning Zhiping had personally prepared several dishes. Hearing them come in, he wiped his hands on his apron and came out to greet them.
Ning Zhiping corresponded with the Jiang family every year and was familiar with Jiang Heng’s circumstances. He had to admit, though—Old Master Jiang had always kept the childhood betrothal close to his heart, while Ning Zhiping had planned to apologize and call it off amicably once his daughter came of age. After all, Jiang Heng had joined the military, entered the military academy, and risen through the ranks in just a few years, qualifying to have his family follow him. Ning Zhiping had never wanted to marry his daughter off so far away.
Yet fate had a way of circling back—and now, the betrothal that had once seemed like a joke had become reality.
At this moment, the moment he saw the two young people standing side by side, a smile broke out on Ning Zhiping’s face.
He handed the remaining kitchen work over to Chang Fangze and came out to talk with his future son-in-law.
Ning Qiao and Jiao Chunyu had never seen Ning Zhiping so warm and enthusiastic with anyone. He kept calling him “son” and was very cordial.
When sent off to make tea, Ning Qiao whispered to her sister-in-law: “Anyone would think he’s Dad’s own son.”
Jiao Chunyu laughed, agreeing wholeheartedly. But when she strained her ears and caught their conversation, her eyes widened.
“Little sister, listen.”
Ning Qiao peeked her head out from the kitchen door.
From the living room came her father’s warm, steady voice.
“I made some of my best dishes today, especially for you. But then again, I’m usually the one who cooks in this house.”
“I also do the dirty work—sweeping, laundry. After my son got married and moved out, the housework really piled up.”
“Can’t let my wife and daughter do it—too much work.”
Ning Qiao and Jiao Chunyu exchanged looks, both utterly stunned.
Dad was never usually this diligent.
Chang Fangze chuckled: “Your dad is dropping hints.”
Being good to the son-in-law was a way of making sure he understood—they wouldn’t always be there to protect their daughter, so they hoped he would cherish her.
“Uncle, don’t worry,” Jiang Heng said, catching on immediately. “I understand.”
Ning Zhiping was thoroughly relieved. He patted Jiang Heng on the shoulder: “Good, good!”
Ning Qiao wanted to laugh, but warmth flowed through her heart.
After dinner, Jiao Chunyu went home first.
When she got there, Ning Yang lifted his head listlessly: “Did you comfort little sister this afternoon?”
Jiao Chunyu hummed in affirmation: “I even made her cry.”
Ning Yang sighed.
Good thing he hadn’t gone—he couldn’t stand seeing his little sister cry.
At the thought that Ning Qiao was leaving tomorrow morning, he’d lost his appetite. Only now did he feel hungry and went to the kitchen to find something to eat.
“Too bad you didn’t come for dinner tonight,” Jiao Chunyu said. “Dad made his specialty dishes.”
“Too lazy to go all the way there.” He took his wife’s coat and hung it up, asking casually, “What’s the occasion? Dad cooking himself?”
“Jiang Heng came—to entertain the future son-in-law.” Jiao Chunyu smiled.
Ning Yang shot up: “Why didn’t you come get me?”
This was serious. Ning Yang grilled her on everything that had happened that evening.
So in the end, everyone in the whole compound had seen his brother-in-law.
Except him.
He abandoned his search for food, grabbed a shirt, buttoned it up, and dragged his wife out the door.
Ning Yang said, “We’re going back to Mom and Dad’s place right now.”
Jiao Chunyu moved unhurriedly, following him out.
The couple rode a single 28-inch bicycle together. She sat on the back, arms around her husband’s waist.
As they passed the state-run restaurant, Jiao Chunyu pointed inside: “Come on, let’s get you some spicy beef noodles.”
“Too late!”
“He’s already left on a mission—he caught the last train. You’re going to the island tomorrow morning anyway. Can’t you wait just a little longer?”
Ning Yang stared in disbelief: “That man went back?”
Jiao Chunyu: …
“That man”?
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