Qi Huaiye’s chest suddenly gave a sharp jolt.
It was the first time she had called him by his name—just three simple characters—yet somehow, when they came from her mouth, they sounded so gentle and melodic.
His ears flushed red, visibly so.
He felt his mouth dry and throat tight. Clearing his throat, he spoke with a hint of severity: “A man is judged by his actions, not by sweet words.”
Jiang Lai was far too innocent and easily coaxed, too trusting—she could easily be deceived.
He couldn’t allow that. She needed a lesson, to strengthen her sense of vigilance.
Seeing his serious expression, Jiang Lai put away her smile and nodded earnestly: “I understand!”
After a pause, she added with a trusting expression: “But I still believe, Comrade Qi, that you are a responsible and good man, and you must be different.”
Boom!
The faint pink of his earlobes instantly deepened into crimson.
So she trusted him that much!
“Let’s go. First, we’ll go to the post office to call your family.” Qi Huaiye didn’t dare look at her and strode ahead.
At this time, phones weren’t something anyone could install at home; only cadres above a certain level qualified. And the call fees were extremely expensive—one yuan per minute.
Jiang Lai glanced around and saw the phone booths empty, while the telegraph counter had long lines, and the mailing counter was even crazier.
“You want to call… your father-in-law first?” Qi Huaiye’s face warmed slightly at the word.
Jiang Lai shook her head: “No need.”
There was no one left in the Jiang household she felt attached to. Calling to notify them of her marriage might cause unnecessary trouble. It was better to let them stew a while, not knowing her whereabouts.
Qi Huaiye’s dark eyes softened with a touch of concern for her. His tone was gentler: “Then wait for me in the car a few minutes.”
He first dialed the office of Qi Huaiye’s father.
“Hello?”
Qi Weiming picked up almost immediately, as if expecting the call.
Both father and son were not talkative; they rarely spoke all year. Qi Huaiye didn’t bother with small talk about the family—he went straight to the point: “Dad, I got married.”
Hearing his son’s calm, emotionless voice, Qi Weiming’s heart skipped a beat.
His guess and worry were correct: his son had registered purely out of responsibility.
“Since you’ve registered, treat Comrade Jiang well. Manage your marriage properly. Don’t repeat the mistakes your mother and I made.”
Listening to this advice, Qi Huaiye quickly realized that the senior commander had probably already informed his family, saving him much trouble.
After all, the situation was too complicated to explain in a few words.
He nodded: “I know exactly what to do.”
Qi Weiming and his wife were focused on their careers; they weren’t in a position to give advice on marriage. Since his son understood, they said no more, only asking: “When do you plan to visit home?”
“If there’s no other mission during New Year, I’ll bring her home then.” As the regiment commander, Qi Huaiye couldn’t leave the military base casually, only during holidays.
So the wedding banquet couldn’t be held at home.
Hearing his son’s confirmation, Qi Weiming’s stern expression softened. Now he could report back to the old man at home.
He reminded Qi Huaiye not to prepare furniture—the household was already arranged.
Qi Huaiye imagined how excited his grandparents would be upon hearing he was willing to marry, and promised: “We’ll take photos later and send them home.”
Qi Weiming sighed: “Good, your grandparents’ care for you hasn’t been in vain.”
Father and son were normally distant. After finishing the call, they hung up.
Qi Huaiye paid and left the post office quickly, worried Jiang Lai had waited too long. But the entrance was empty, and the car was unattended.
Nearby at a street corner, a crowd had gathered, three layers deep. Dogs barked among the commotion.
Some young men were cornering a filthy German Shepherd.
“I’ve rarely seen a dog like this. It’s not a local breed; it must be some foreign spy dog.”
“No wonder it bit someone the other day. Dogs like this should be killed.”
“Right, kill it. At least you can eat the meat afterward.”
Jiang Lai pushed through the crowd and immediately saw the small dog in the corner. Its fur was matted, body emaciated, the right hind leg bent unnaturally, and its tail tucked tightly.
Faced with the youths’ continuous provocation, the German Shepherd didn’t immediately attack. It merely crouched low and growled, trying to intimidate the humans.
Clearly, this had once been a rigorously trained dog.
At this time, the youths realized the dog was bluffing, exchanged looks, and surrounded it together.
The German Shepherd continued to back up, but its hind legs were already against a wall—it had nowhere to retreat.
“Bang!”
Someone struck it with a stick.
The dog yelped in pain, but even then, it did not intend to harm humans. It pressed forward, trying to push the people aside with its body.
A ten-kilogram dog has tremendous explosive power. Instantly, it created a gap in the human wall, dodging the sticks and charging toward Jiang Lai.
The sheer presence of a large hunting dog running this way terrified the onlookers.
“Comrade, get out of the way!” someone shouted urgently.
Yet Jiang Lai froze, rooted to the spot with fear.
Qi Huaiye’s heart leapt into his throat. He sprinted toward her, hand on his waist, ready to shoot the German Shepherd if necessary.
“Sit!”
Jiang Lai suddenly gestured sharply, her voice commanding: “Sit!”
Years of training had made the German Shepherd’s muscle memory faster than its brain. Its front legs stretched forward, braking abruptly, and it sat down.
Obedience was ingrained in police dogs’ very bones.
The dog was stunned.
The crowd was stunned.
Qi Huaiye took the opportunity to pull Jiang Lai behind him, raising his gun at the dog.
“Don’t shoot!” Jiang Lai tugged his arm urgently. “It must be a lost police dog, and it’s sick.”
Qi Huaiye froze: “A police dog?”
“Yes. It has a collar, probably with its ID number.”
Thanks to Jiang Lai, Qi Huaiye spotted a copper tag among the dog’s filthy fur. It was caked with grime and needed cleaning to read the number.
He reached out his hand.
The German Shepherd thought he was attacking and bared its teeth, ready to bite. Fortunately, Qi Huaiye pulled back in time, narrowly avoiding being bitten.