“Jingshu!” Fang Shijun’s eyes widened. How could she say such rebellious words to Grandpa?!
Bai Jingshu stood up unsteadily, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked at Fang Shijun. “Shijun, if we can’t be together in this life… then we’ll be together in the next.”
With that, Bai Jingshu endured the pain in her legs and the numbness in her feet and limped out of the military district courtyard.
Fang Shijun quickly got up to chase after her—
The patriarch of the Fang family watched their backs as they left, a flash of anger in his eyes. His grandson was nothing special! In this life, he would never allow Bai Jingshu into the Fang family—otherwise, it would be like completely severing ties with the old man.
Hmph!
“…”
Fang Shijun finally caught up to Bai Jingshu outside the courtyard.
“Jingshu.” He grabbed her arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to get you both divorced!”
Bai Jingshu shook her head, tears swirling in her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall.
“It’s useless. Even if you can get us divorced, Grandpa will never approve of me marrying you. Our children will still be illegitimate, destined to be hidden away this entire life.”
Her voice choked. “Shijun, my biggest regret is giving birth to the children, which has put us in this impossible situation. I… I don’t know what to do. Ding Ziqiang and I are at complete odds. I don’t mind him hitting me, but I’m scared he’ll go after the kids next… sob…”
Fang Shijun’s heart ached, and he felt helpless, staring at Bai Jingshu. “Don’t cry. Let me think of a solution.”
Bai Jingshu remained silent.
After a long moment, Fang Shijun spoke. “Here’s what we’ll do. You get the divorce first, and we’ll deal with everything else later.”
Bai Jingshu frowned. “Where are we going to get 500,000?”
“Grandpa said… if I marry Lin Ruyuan, he’ll give me 500,000!” Fang Shijun paused, then hurriedly added, “Jingshu, don’t panic. Here’s my plan: once you two are divorced, Ding Ziqiang won’t dare harm you again. What you said earlier is right—Grandpa is already old and not long for this world. Once he passes, I’ll immediately annul the marriage with Lin Ruyuan and marry you. How about that?”
If that’s the case…
Hesitation flickered in Bai Jingshu’s eyes.
“I think Grandpa values Lin Ruyuan not just because of the life-saving favor. He also thinks she’s smart and capable of managing business, so she can help him run things for a few years.”
And once she’s no longer needed, he’ll just kick her aside.
Bai Jingshu nodded slowly. “…That was their plan all along, but they didn’t expect Ding Ziqiang to be so vicious. If we delay the divorce, I might not even live to marry Fang Shijun.”
Fine. They would follow his plan—divorce first.
Bai Jingshu gently leaned against Fang Shijun. “From now on… I only have you.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t fail the three of you,” Fang Shijun said with determination.
Right now, the most important thing was how to get Lin Ruyuan back. He knew it would take some effort, but just thinking about Jingshu and the kids made it worth it.
…
At the military district guard post:
“Hello, comrade. Could you help me return this piece of clothing to Comrade Qin Jianchuan?”
“Sure, may I have your name?”
“Lin Ruyuan.”
As the guard reached for the clothes, a man passing by suddenly blocked him.
Zhao Weidong scrutinized Lin Ruyuan suspiciously. “You’re Comrade Lin Ruyuan?”
Lin Ruyuan nodded softly. “Yes, I am.” His tone sounded familiar… like he knew her?
Just as she was about to ask who he was, the man spoke again.
“Well, well… this looks like Commander Qin’s clothes!” Zhao Weidong’s eyes flickered mischievously. “Commander Qin is in his office now. I’ll take you there—you have to deliver the clothes yourself. You can’t have someone do everything for you.”
The guard was speechless. Last time, the deputy commander had explicitly forbidden civilians from entering the military district—so why now?
Zhao Weidong led the way, as if worried Lin Ruyuan might change her mind. He guided her to the office door. “Comrade Lin, no need to knock, just go in.”
“Thank you.” Lin Ruyuan gave an awkward smile. She still felt she should knock, so she rapped her fingers lightly on the door.
“Come in!” came the voice from inside. Lin Ruyuan pushed the door open.
“Commander Qin, I’m here to return—” Her words caught in her throat.
Inside, the man had partially removed his shirt, revealing broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a well-defined muscular back. His pants hung low on his hips, showing long legs.
Qin Jianchuan had a perfectly proportioned figure, his sun-kissed skin marked with dozens of scars. Lin Ruyuan froze, forgetting all decorum.
Perhaps noticing her hesitation, Qin Jianchuan turned, seeing Lin Ruyuan staring blankly. His brow twitched subtly. “Why are you here?”
Earlier, she had only seen his back. Now, she clearly saw his defined abs and V-line—a physique toned but not overly exaggerated, very attractive.
“Ahem.” Lin Ruyuan quickly averted her gaze, ears reddening. “I… I came to return the clothes. They’ve been washed.”
Qin Jianchuan noticed her expression, as if finding something amusing. He stepped forward to take the clothes.
“One shirt? Was it really necessary to come all the way here?”
Glancing casually, Lin Ruyuan realized he was still half-dressed. She quickly looked away. “You should put the shirt on first!”
“Am I not putting it on?” Qin Jianchuan calmly buttoned the shirt Lin Ruyuan had brought. “I just finished training, so my clothes were all wet. Did you wash this yourself?”
Lin Ruyuan mumbled a quick “yes.” Of course, she was the only one who could.
“What detergent did you use? Smells good.” Qin Jianchuan raised his sleeve to sniff, then leaned closer. “It smells the same as your clothes.”
The distance between them was too close.
Lin Ruyuan instinctively stepped back, trying to maintain some space.
“Why are you backing away? I’m not going to eat you!” Qin Jianchuan said cheerfully.
Lin Ruyuan: “…” This felt too strange. What was he thinking?
“If nothing else, I’ll be going now. Don’t want to disturb your work.”
Lin Ruyuan said, moving to leave. Qin Jianchuan stepped forward. “No rush. I’ll drive you home!”