Originally, Xie Qingle had been standing nearby with her mouth wide open, crying. The moment she saw the blood, she fainted on the spot.
Ning Lu’s mind was in complete chaos. Countless images flashed through her head one after another. As the doctor disinfected the wound on her scalp, the stinging pain jolted her senses.
Voices echoed relentlessly in her mind, and gradually, she pieced together the truth.
It turned out that this world was actually the setting of a novel.
Back when she lived in Ningjia Village, she had only been an insignificant background character. Now, she had finally entered the story’s main stage.
According to the original plot, she should never have had the chance to step into this world. But through a twist of fate, she had arrived in the world belonging to the novel’s heroine, He Wanyu.
He Wanyu was Heaven’s favored daughter. Every man fell for her without hesitation. She came from a loving military family, her parents adored one another, and she had been born into privilege. As the lead dancer of the military arts troupe, she was the very definition of a woman blessed by destiny.
As for Ning Lu’s simple-minded stepbrother, Xie Qingquan, he was one of He Wanyu’s devoted admirers. He sacrificed one of his legs for her, ending his military career forever.
Then there was Xie Qingle, the girl who could only cry with her mouth hanging open. In the novel, she became a female villain who constantly opposed He Wanyu. But He Wanyu never even had to lift a finger—her loyal followers were enough to crush Xie Qingle again and again.
In the end, Xie Qingle lost her innocence and took her own life.
When Commander Xie returned victorious from the battlefield and learned that both of his children had met such tragic fates, the shock and grief overwhelmed him, and he died on the spot.
The chaotic visions swirled in Ning Lu’s mind until she looked up and met Lu Huaichuan’s slightly anxious face.
His sharp brows and handsome eyes were strikingly attractive.
What about him, then?
Did Lu Huaichuan have nothing to do with the heroine, He Wanyu?
Ning Lu tried hard to remember, but only a blurry scene emerged.
He Wanyu and Lu Huaichuan stood facing each other. She seemed to be talking earnestly about something involving “marriage,” while Lu Huaichuan remained silent.
The next instant, Ning Lu suddenly snapped back to reality.
Lu Huaichuan was holding her hand.
“Bear with it a little longer,” he said softly. “It’ll be over soon.”
She cried out in pain, squeezing her eyes shut as sparkling tears rolled down her pale, delicate cheeks.
Without taking his eyes off her, Lu Huaichuan watched her face.
Her long eyelashes trembled lightly, her rosy lips were irresistibly soft-looking, and her fair, silky skin carried the faintest blush. How could someone be so unbelievably beautiful and adorable?
It made him…
Want to take a bite.
He raised a hand and gently covered her eyes.
“If it hurts too much,” he said hoarsely, “bite my hand.”
Even the doctor couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.
Ning Lu looked heartbreakingly pitiful as she cried. Tears streamed down her face like pear blossoms in the rain, yet she made almost no sound, as fragile as a wounded fawn.
More importantly, she was astonishingly beautiful.
While stitching her wound, the doctor couldn’t stop marveling. How could someone have such fair skin? Even the scalp beneath her hair was snow-white, while her hair itself was thick, glossy, and as smooth as satin. Every detail about the young woman seemed exquisitely perfect.
The anesthetic available in this era worked poorly, almost as if there were no anesthesia at all. Each pass of the needle through her flesh brought searing pain.
Unable to control herself—and too embarrassed to bite Lu Huaichuan’s hand—Ning Lu lifted her own hand and bit down hard on it instead…
But to her surprise, she didn’t feel the pain she expected.
Instead, the man beside her suddenly darkened in expression.
Lu Huaichuan had quietly slipped his hand beneath her lips.
Yan Bingqin had hurriedly helped the blood-phobic Xie Qingle into a neighboring ward to rest. When she returned, she happened to witness the scene.
She felt both heartbroken for her daughter and astonished by Lu Huaichuan’s attitude toward Ning Lu.
There was no doubt about it.
The young man truly liked her daughter.
Fortunately, only two stitches were needed, and the doctor finished quickly.
“All done. Don’t let the wound get wet for the next two weeks. Come back in a week for a follow-up, and take some anti-inflammatory medicine over the next few days.”
Ning Lu opened her eyes, and Lu Huaichuan immediately withdrew his hand.
It still hurt, though not as badly as before.
Her eyes were still red as she said softly, “Thank you, Doctor… Thank you, Commander Lu.”
Lu Huaichuan smiled.
“You’re welcome. Since you don’t need to stay in the hospital, I’ll take you back to the family quarters. I’ll have Xiao Zhao buy the medicine and deliver it.”
Ning Lu nodded.
She glanced at his hand, but with the doctor and her mother, Yan Bingqin, standing there, she was too embarrassed to say anything.
Meanwhile, Xie Qingle soon regained consciousness. Feeling ashamed that she had fainted so uselessly, she rushed over.
“Ning Lu! How are you?”
Seeing how frightened she was, Ning Lu comforted her instead.
“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt as much after getting the stitches.”
Xie Qingle burst into tears again.
“It’s all my fault! I just wanted to get a closer look at what you looked like, and I ended up falling. If you hadn’t tried to save me, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt…”
She blamed herself over and over.
Yan Bingqin sighed and gently comforted her.
Lu Huaichuan’s orderly returned with the medicine, and the three women were escorted back to the military family compound.
By the time they arrived, quite a crowd had gathered outside the Xie residence.
Some had come simply to watch the excitement.
Others genuinely wanted to help Xie Qingle receive her new stepmother, worried that she’d be mistreated.
And of course, there were also people hoping to curry favor with Commander Xie.
Yan Bingqin had already prepared herself mentally before coming.
With her usual gentle demeanor, she explained calmly to everyone,
“Qingle didn’t do it on purpose. My daughter, Lulu, protected her because she didn’t want Qingle to get hurt, and that’s why she hit her head. They’ll be living together for a long time. This is only a small accident.”
Although Yan Bingqin was already in her forties, she remained graceful and beautiful. She spoke softly, warmly, and with quiet confidence.
The military wives instantly felt reassured.
Xie Qingle bustled around serving tea and water before carefully helping Ning Lu onto the sofa.
Women’s Affairs Director Li Ruifang walked over.
“Qingle, Commander Xie isn’t home today. He was worried you wouldn’t know how to receive your family, so he specifically asked me to come help. There are still vegetables in the kitchen, right? I’ll make a meal. Your stepmother and sister came all this way, and now one’s even injured.”
Xie Qingle quickly stood up.
“Okay, Director Li. I’ll help you cook.”
Two or three of the wives surrounded Ning Lu, peppering her with questions.
“Where’s your hometown?”
“Is it far away?”
“How old are you?”
“You’re so beautiful!”
“Has your family arranged a marriage for you yet?”
Ning Lu patiently answered each question briefly.
Lu Huaichuan still had work to do. Seeing so many people gathered around, he simply said goodbye.
“Comrade Ning, I have to get back to work. If you need anything, ask Qingle to call me.”
Ning Lu looked at him with sincere gratitude.
“Thank you, Commander Lu.”
He gave a slight nod before striding away.
Leaning against the sofa, Ning Lu overheard the visiting wives shift the conversation to Lu Huaichuan.
“Commander Lu is really kind. Even after becoming a regiment commander, he still respects Commander Xie so much. Oh, have you heard? I heard Commander Lu is about to get engaged to Commander Meng’s granddaughter, He Wanyu.”
“Really? Does Xie Qingquan know about this? Where did you hear that?”
Ning Lu perked up, listening carefully.
Before she could hear the rest, however, Director Li and Yan Bingqin came out carrying bowls of noodles.
“We just made a simple bowl of egg noodles. Here, Comrade Ning. Since you’re injured, you need to eat well.”
Director Li placed the bowl in front of Ning Lu.
Then she began ushering everyone out.
“Alright, everyone. That’s enough. Go on home. The patient needs to rest.”
Still, one bold woman, Sister Sun, couldn’t resist asking,
“Director Li, I wanted to ask… Sister Xie, has your daughter been promised in marriage yet? My son is a squad leader. They’re about the same age…”
Yan Bingqin immediately smiled.
“My daughter is still young. We’re not considering marriage for now.”
The woman looked disappointed.
With the house finally too crowded, Director Li firmly escorted everyone outside.
After leaving a few final instructions, she departed as well.
Xie Qingle looked at Ning Lu pitifully, guilt written all over her face.
Yan Bingqin noticed just how easily the girl cried.
She gently stroked Xie Qingle’s cheek.
“Lulu only needed a couple of stitches. The doctor said she’ll be fine, so don’t blame yourself anymore.”
Then she looked more closely at Xie Qingle’s face.
“But what happened to your face? Those scrapes are awful. You must have fallen hard.”
Ning Lu frowned.
“Do you fall often?”
Xie Qingle’s heart ached, and her eyes filled with tears again.
“No… Someone pushed me. During dance practice, Meng Qingqing shoved me, and I scraped my face.”
“Today I was pushed again, too. But there were so many people that I couldn’t see who did it.”
Ning Lu looked at her seriously.
“I saw the people standing behind you. Right before we got off the train, I was curious to see what you looked like too. There was a young woman in a blue plaid shirt standing very close behind you. She kept staring at you.”
Xie Qingle froze.
“Meng Qingqing was wearing a blue plaid shirt today!
“But… there’s no evidence now. Even if we confront her, she’ll never admit it! The scar on my face will probably stay forever. The head of our dance troupe already said that if the scar can’t be removed, I won’t be able to perform next month.”
The moment she mentioned it, her shoulders slumped in despair.
Yan Bingqin’s heart ached for her.
She truly felt that Xie Qingle, having grown up without a mother, had been pitifully mistreated.
Ning Lu frowned.
“No evidence?”
She smiled faintly.
“Paper can’t wrap up fire forever. If she did it, there will be evidence.”
She looked directly at Xie Qingle.
“Do you trust me? If you do, I’ll help remove your scar… and I’ll help you uncover the evidence and make her pay for what she did.”