Xie Ci’s face still carried no expression.
Cheng Zi glanced at Li Leilei in the distance, who was still visibly angry, and for some reason felt a little tense inside.
“Hubby?”
“Mm. Sit tight. I’ll take you to the factory.”
“What about your side…?”
“I’ll handle it later.”
The ride was silent.
Cheng Zi only held him tightly from behind. She could clearly feel his tension—he was probably more anxious than anyone else.
When the bicycle stopped at the entrance of Tongcheng Garment Factory, Director Zhang just happened to walk out.
Seeing that Cheng Zi had arrived so late, he frowned. “Cheng Zi, are you late again?”
Cheng Zi bit her lip and looked at Xie Ci. Instead of getting off, she stayed on the bike with a pitiful expression.
“Director, I’m here to ask for leave. Something urgent happened at home. But if I don’t formally request leave, it would be disrespectful and careless toward work and toward you, so I came in person.”
“Leave?”
Even Xie Ci was startled.
“My husband and I have to rush to the hospital. Please approve it. I won’t go in today.”
Director Zhang frowned even deeper. “That’s against the rules.”
“Rules are dead, people are alive. Someone over there is waiting at the hospital for help. Don’t worry, I’ll finish the design drafts faster and hand them in on time. It won’t delay work. I guarantee it—and I’ll do even better. I truly appreciate your understanding.”
Her words were smooth and sincere.
Director Zhang looked at her, then at Xie Ci. He actually believed her completely.
“Fine. I’ll approve one day of leave. Don’t delay your work.”
“Thank you.”
Cheng Zi tugged at Xie Ci’s clothes, signaling him to leave.
Xie Ci was still confused, but he understood her intention and nodded to the director before turning the bicycle toward the Third Military Hospital.
This scene was witnessed by Li Qianqian and Gu Yechen from a different direction—but Cheng Zi never saw them.
Director Zhang had originally come out to receive them.
Gu Yechen’s gaze lingered on the distant figure for a long time…
“Ah Chen, Director Zhang is greeting us,” Li Qianqian said unhappily when she saw him staring.
Gu Yechen snapped back to reality and put on a polite smile. “Director Zhang.”
The director had met him before, but they had never spoken much.
Gu Yechen used to come to the factory only to find Cheng Zi…
Times had changed.
Now he was soon to become the son-in-law of the city mayor. The director’s attitude became much more polite.
“Comrade Xiao Gu, I’ve heard a lot about you. Please, come inside.”
“You’re too kind.”
Li Qianqian brought Gu Yechen today to discuss work matters.
Her goal was simple: get Cheng Zi out, and let Gu Yechen become a formal employee in the factory.
She wouldn’t be foolish enough to let the two of them work in the same place. If Cheng Zi didn’t leave, she’d rather give up the job entirely—and let Gu Yechen go into business instead.
Meanwhile, Cheng Zi knew nothing about this and was still comforting Xie Ci.
“It’ll be fine. Everything will be okay. You are the most honorable soldiers—it will definitely be okay.”
But Xie Ci didn’t respond.
He stopped in front of a bank. “I need to withdraw some money.”
Cheng Zi naturally didn’t object.
When they arrived at the Third Military Hospital, the emergency surgery for Xiao Xiangyuan had just ended, and he was being rushed into the operating room.
“Family member, please come sign.”
Xiao Xiangyuan had no immediate family left. His only sister had married out and didn’t come.
His parents had died in the same battle as Xie Ci’s—both families shared a very similar fate.
“I’ll sign.”
Xie Ci went to speak with the doctor and handed the money to Cheng Zi. “Go pay the fees. The unit will reimburse it later.”
“Okay.”
Xiao Xiangyuan was pushed into the operating room.
Xie Ci spoke a few words with his comrades standing outside. They nodded and left.
“Let them go eat something and rest. They’ve been awake all night.”
Xie Ci stared at the closed operating room doors, his heart uneasy. He kept glancing at the clock on the wall.
Feeling his anxiety, Cheng Zi squeezed his hand tightly. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”
Her voice was soft and calming.
Xie Ci felt a bit more at ease.
But Cheng Zi’s worry came from guilt—she had stopped Xie Ci in the original plot, but now she felt like she had caused a butterfly effect that harmed innocent people.
The operating room light flickered slightly, just like his unsettled emotions.
He was used to life and death, but looking at Cheng Zi’s small, worried face, he suddenly felt a desire to protect her more carefully.
Their hands tightened, and he held hers back.
At that moment, something inside Xie Ci shifted.
As long as she was safe, he was willing to face everything with her for the rest of his life.
Before the surgery ended, Li Leilei arrived.
Her newly calmed emotions collapsed the moment she saw the two sitting together.
But this time, she didn’t step forward.
Her anger was almost overflowing.
Cheng Zi was leaning close to Xie Ci, whispering softly.
Li Leilei didn’t even need to hear it—it already hurt to look at.
Then the operating room door opened, and a group of doctors and nurses came out.
Xie Ci stood up immediately.
“The surgery was successful,” the doctor said.
Xie Ci finally relaxed.
Xiao Xiangyuan was transferred to a ward.
Only then did Li Leilei appear behind them.
“Hubby, see? I told you everything would be fine.”
A faint smile appeared on Xie Ci’s lips. For the first time, he replied gently:
“Mm. My wife is right.”
That single word—“wife”—stunned not only Li Leilei, but even Cheng Zi.
“Xie Ci!!”
Li Leilei’s shout echoed through the quiet hospital.
As a soldier, she was disciplined—but she was also a woman. She couldn’t accept seeing Xie Ci and Cheng Zi together, nor accept her own position in this situation.
What was she supposed to fight with?
They were a legally married couple.
Their closeness was natural.
Li Leilei felt her emotions being trampled on.
She also felt betrayed by Xie Ci.
Was this what “a marriage in name only” looked like? Was this “no feelings”?
Anyone with eyes could see they were not heading toward divorce.
Cheng Zi had always observed from the sidelines—but after hearing “my wife,” something in her straightened.
Seeing Li Leilei shouting, she calmly countered.
“Comrade Li, why do you keep shouting at my husband? You’re scaring him.”
She even reached out and patted Xie Ci’s chest lightly.
The frown on Xie Ci’s face relaxed again as he looked at her with a faint smile.
“You…”
Li Leilei was furious and suddenly lost her words.
“This is a hospital. Please keep quiet. Patients need rest.”
Cheng Zi imitated a nurse’s tone, speaking very seriously.