That night, Lu Tingchuan had been standing at the end of the hallway for a long time, though Lin Nian didn’t know.
In the end, he didn’t ask anything. He silently handed her the hospital admission form and then disappeared at the end of the corridor.
His silence made Lin Nian more uneasy than any questioning could have.
How much had he heard?
Did he believe it?
Did he even suspect anything?
Lin Nian didn’t dare think too deeply. Over the next two days, she focused all her energy on taking care of the children and solving the problem with her food stall.
Lu An’s fever subsided quickly. The child recovered fast and could run around the next day.
News from Su Xiao also arrived quickly.
“Niannian! It’s done!” Su Xiao’s voice was so excited it almost burst through the phone. “I contacted Sister Liu, who contacted her husband. When we told them your ‘honorable deeds,’ even the Administration for Industry and Commerce was impressed! They said you’re a strong modern woman, a martyr’s family member rebuilding her life! They told you to bring your documents over immediately, and they’ll fast-track your application!”
Lin Nian was both surprised and delighted.
She hadn’t expected that combining the identities of “outsmarting a thug” and “martyr’s widow” would produce such an unexpected reaction.
She had only wanted to quietly solve the problem, yet by coincidence, she had become a “positive role model” in the eyes of both the military logistics and the business authorities.
After hanging up, Lin Nian’s emotions were turbulent.
This must be what they call the “butterfly effect.”
A lie told for self-protection, and a counteraction to protect her child—two small flaps of wings—had invisibly cleared her path forward.
She temporarily entrusted the children to Su Xiao, took all her documents, and went straight to the Administration for Industry and Commerce.
As Su Xiao had said, she enjoyed unprecedented “VIP treatment.”
The normally tedious process of queuing, reviewing, and waiting for notifications was compressed to the extreme for her.
The clerk who received her—a kind, older woman—was full of sympathy and respect after hearing her “deeds.”
“You’ve really had a hard time, girl!” the woman sighed as she organized Lin Nian’s documents. “Raising two orphans of martyrs all by yourself, and doing it so skillfully and bravely—you’re really a role model for us women!”
Lin Nian could only offer a slightly bitter smile.
She didn’t want to rely on lies and sympathy to gain convenience, but in reality, this identity was her most effective protection.
In less than half a day, she held a brand-new business license, stamped with a bright red seal, along with the health permit.
All the procedures were complete.
All processes were flawless.
Holding the heavy license, Lin Nian stood at the doors of the Administration for Industry and Commerce, looking at the bustling street outside, overwhelmed with emotion.
Five years ago, she had escaped from that home like a lost dog, full of fear and uncertainty about the future.
Five years later, with her own hands, she had earned a legitimate, secure place for herself in this unfamiliar city.
She didn’t go straight home or to the market.
Instead, she took the bus back to the familiar military compound.
It was still afternoon; the night market hadn’t started, and the surroundings were empty.
Her food stall sat alone, closed for business, covered with a rain tarp, looking a little desolate.
Lin Nian walked over and quietly stood in front of her stall.
She didn’t rush to set up; she was waiting.
Waiting for the man who had given her the final ultimatum.
The three-day deadline was almost up; today was the last day.
Night fell slowly.
The night market began to regain its noise.
The surrounding vendors noticed Lin Nian standing there and cast curious glances. Some even approached and subtly asked if she really wasn’t reopening.
Lin Nian only smiled quietly, saying nothing.
Finally, in the distance, that familiar green jeep appeared again.
The crowd instinctively parted to make a path.
Lu Tingchuan, with two subordinates, walked steadily, beginning his routine inspection.
His gaze remained cold as ever, scanning each stall, making all the small vendors tense under his watchful eyes.
He walked slowly, but with clear purpose.
Eventually, he stopped in front of Lin Nian’s still-closed stall.
His eyes lingered on the rain-covered stall for a few seconds, as if confirming whether it had truly been “shut down for rectification.”
The air around them became heavy and quiet again.
Everyone held their breath, watching the living legend of a tyrant and the stubborn woman in front of him.
At that moment, Lin Nian, who had been standing in the shadow of the stall, slowly stepped forward.
She stood in the light, directly in front of Lu Tingchuan.
Her face no longer showed the earlier embarrassment or anger, but an unprecedented calm and confidence.
She didn’t say a word.
She simply raised her hand and presented the brand-new business license, fully compliant and flawless, along with the health permit, to Lu Tingchuan.
Her movements were not quick, even a little slow.
But her eyes were exceptionally bright and determined.
Her gaze seemed to say:
Do you see?
I, Lin Nian, am not so easily defeated.
If you want to crush me with rules, then I will use those rules to stand proudly right in front of you!
Lu Tingchuan’s pupils contracted slightly.
He looked at the red-covered booklet in front of him, then at the woman standing tall, her eyes seemingly burning with stars.
For a moment, he didn’t know how to react.