The next morning.
Ruan Liuzheng slept soundly through the night. She looked as fresh and full of vitality as a ripe peach filled with juice, soft and tempting.
This drew quite a few stares from the male comrades on the train.
Ruan Liuzheng didn’t care. She took a tin of malted milk powder from her bag and got up, planning to visit Sister Chen.
She needed to show her face more often.
Just a few steps after leaving the carriage, a voice came from behind her.
“Comrade Ruan.”
She turned around to see an unfamiliar man running after her, and she frowned slightly.
“Comrade, is there something you need?”
The man, Song Jianjun, smiled confidently.
“Comrade Ruan, I saw you carrying malted milk powder and thought you might be in some trouble. If you need help, I can assist you.”
Ruan Liuzheng shook her head lightly.
“I’m fine. I just happened to meet a friend and am going to see her.”
Song Jianjun smiled with an air of refinement.
“If you need anything, you can come to me. My uncle happens to be the Party secretary at the commune.”
As he spoke, his expression carried a faint pride, as if waiting for her to be surprised and cling to him.
Ruan Liuzheng nodded politely.
“Thank you for your kindness, but I still have things to do. I’ll go first.”
Song Jianjun felt slightly annoyed as he watched her leave, yet there was a determined look in his eyes—he believed a woman like her was meant to be his.
A nearby aunt walked past and curiously asked, “Young man, did you two have a quarrel as a couple?”
Song Jianjun scratched his head awkwardly.
“Yes, Auntie.”
“Oh my, you’re lucky! Such a beautiful young woman—she’s probably just a little temperamental. Just coax her a bit.”
“You’re right, Auntie,” Song Jianjun smiled.
But inwardly, he thought that although this educated youth was beautiful, her temper was too sharp. If she really ended up with him, he’d have to teach her a lesson.
At that moment, not far away, Xie Jinghuai happened to walk over, his face dark.
Was that man her partner?
Heh. Her taste was pretty bad.
Ruan Liuzheng, however, was unaware of the misunderstanding unfolding behind her.
At that moment, she was still regretting something.
She had gone to find Sister Chen earlier but didn’t see Xie Jinghuai at all.
She had missed another chance to “show her face.”
Unexpectedly, just as she stepped out again, she saw Xie Jinghuai walking over with a water bottle, not even glancing in her direction.
Straight past her.
Expressionless.
Ruan Liuzheng silently lowered the hand she had already raised to greet him.
Was he doing this on purpose?
She’s such a big person—how could he not recognize her?
Yesterday he was still holding her, and today she’s a stranger?
As expected, he was difficult to handle.
No choice—she couldn’t be too obvious either.
Pursuing a man required a plan.
Just like surgery: pre-op evaluation, intra-op caution, post-op observation.
Right now, she was in the evaluation stage, figuring out what “type of patient” Xie Jinghuai was.
Once she understood his “condition,” she could treat him accordingly.
Even though time was limited, she couldn’t rush “diagnosis,” or mistakes would happen.
Ruan Liuzheng had always been decisive. After thinking it through, she decided not to approach him for the time being.
Too much of anything was not good.
Everything would wait until she reached Jinsan Commune.
Just like that, another day and a half passed.
The train finally arrived.
Ruan Liuzheng felt so stiff she could barely move.
It was pure torture.
She got off the train carrying her luggage with the crowd.
But just after exiting the station, before she could find the commune pickup contact—
Song Jianjun came over.
“Comrade Ruan, let me help you carry your luggage.”
She frowned immediately.
“No, thank you.”
Nearby, a man started teasing loudly.
“Comrade Ruan, why are you shy? Since you’re already a couple, isn’t it normal for Comrade Song to help you?”
Ruan Liuzheng froze. Her voice turned cold and sharp as she questioned, “Who did you say is his partner?”
Song Jianjun couldn’t help but curse inwardly. Worried about his authority being challenged, he reached out to grab Ruan Liuzheng’s arm.
But she immediately stepped back.
“Comrade Ruan, don’t take it to heart. I’ll tell him not to talk nonsense.”
Ruan Liuzheng’s gaze was icy as she stared straight at Song Jianjun and the two men behind him.
Then she turned to the man who had spoken earlier and asked seriously, “Comrade, I’m asking you. Who did you say is his partner?”
The man was startled by her expression.
“Ruan… Ruan comrade, I… I won’t say it again.”
Not far away, Jia Weihua, who had witnessed the scene, quickly pulled at Xie Jinghuai.
“Old Xie, look. Isn’t Doctor Ruan in trouble?”
Xie Jinghuai frowned slightly. Wasn’t that man her partner?
His voice was a little cold. “She should be fine.”
Jia Weihua tugged him again. “What do you mean fine? Look at Comrade Ruan’s face—go check on her.”
Sister-in-law Chen, holding her child, also looked worried. “Comrade Xie, you should go take a look. Doctor Ruan is just a young girl, and she’s so pretty. If she runs into trouble with no one to rely on…”
Xie Jinghuai’s hand tightened slightly at that.
He strode forward.
“What’s going on?”
Song Jianjun turned at the sound and was startled by Xie Jinghuai’s cold, blade-like gaze.
Stammering, he said, “N-nothing.”
Ruan Liuzheng turned around.
Xie Jinghuai saw her eyes filled with tears, trembling in her eyes but not falling.
Her lower lip was bitten tightly, so pale it looked like it might bleed. She looked like an angry, pitiful little beast.
Xie Jinghuai’s voice softened unconsciously. “Why are you crying?”
Ruan Liuzheng looked at the man again and asked, her voice full of grievance, “I’ll ask you one more time. Who did you say is his partner?”
The man’s scalp tingled. He looked at Song Jianjun, then at Xie Jinghuai standing beside Ruan Liuzheng.
Stammering, he said, “I… I thought you and Comrade Song were a couple.”
Ruan Liuzheng was so angry her whole body trembled.
“Nonsense!”
“Since when was I ever his partner?”
The man lowered his head and glanced at Song Jianjun, already resenting him inwardly.
If Song Jianjun hadn’t been spreading rumors, how would he have said that?
But Song Jianjun’s uncle was the commune secretary—he didn’t dare offend him.
So he could only keep bowing and apologizing. “I’m sorry, Comrade Ruan, I misunderstood.”
Xie Jinghuai gave Song Jianjun a cold look and said icily, “As a man, one should have proper intentions. Cheap tricks only make people look down on you.”
Song Jianjun was suddenly lectured for no reason, and seeing Xie Jinghuai defending Ruan Liuzheng made him even more displeased.
This woman really didn’t know how to behave.
“Comrade Ruan, I’m sorry. I’ll make sure they don’t talk nonsense again.”
Ruan Liuzheng’s face was still tight with anger. “If I hear it again, I’ll report it to the police.”
Song Jianjun was choked with anger. “Let’s go.”
Ruan Liuzheng looked at his retreating back and couldn’t help but clench her small fist.
A faint smile flashed in Xie Jinghuai’s eyes when he saw it. She quickly withdrew her hand in a restrained manner.
Her hands and feet didn’t know where to put themselves, her eyes still red. “Thank you, Comrade Xie.”
Xie Jinghuai remained serious and took her bag. “I’ll see you out.”
The moment he turned around, a faint smile appeared on Ruan Liuzheng’s face.
She had already noticed Sister-in-law Chen. Earlier, she deliberately raised her voice and argued with Song Jianjun and the others so that someone in particular would hear it.
Otherwise, according to her style, she would have simply beaten him up and denied everything.
After all, men more or less have a natural instinct to protect the vulnerable.
Even if he didn’t come himself, Sister-in-law Chen and the others would have made him come.
She needed to build an image for him: although she was beautiful, she also respected herself.