"Leader? Why are you here? Hey, leader, can you hear me?"
Qu Chuning never expected to encounter the leader who had helped her at the Garrison right after jumping off the bus. Noticing his concerning condition—burning hot and disoriented—she anxiously scanned her surroundings, desperately seeking someone to assist.
"Go!"
Xi Muzhou mustered his last shred of consciousness, intending to push Qu Chuning away. But when his hand made contact, it felt weak and limp, more like a caress than a shove.
Qu Chuning gritted her teeth. Thanks to her experience with farm work since childhood, she had some strength, yet the man's weight made each step arduous. She knew they had to leave, but where could they go?
This was a bus station, and the man was clearly unwell. Being someone who repays kindness, Qu Chuning couldn't abandon him in such a state. She draped one of Xi Muzhou's arms over her shoulder, her small frame bearing most of his weight as she trudged forward step by step. She hadn't forgotten that several people were still after her.
The Garrison was located in a remote area, with few households near the town's bus station. Fortunately, just a few steps away stood a Guest House. Qu Chuning, still carrying her letter of introduction, painstakingly supported Xi Muzhou there. She presented the letter, paid the fee, and secured a room.
As she guided Xi Muzhou toward the bed, Qu Chuning said, "Leader, you seem ill. Rest here while I find a doctor to examine you…"
Just as she gripped his hand to push him onto the bed, the man unexpectedly mustered strength and seized her arm. Both tumbled onto the bed together.
Blushing with embarrassment, Qu Chuning quickly pushed him away. "Are you alright? Comrade, can you hear me—"
"Mmph!!!"
Before she could finish, her mouth was abruptly covered. Instinctively, she struggled against the person holding her, but no matter how hard she fought, she couldn't break free. Finally wrenching a hand loose, she slapped him hard across the face. He briefly regained clarity, shaking his head vigorously. "Why is it you?"
Qu Chuning noticed Xi Muzhou's abnormal state. Setting aside her embarrassment, she stood up hastily. "I'll find a doctor for you—"
Before she could finish, the man's eyes clouded over again. Sensing danger, she had no time to flee before being pinned down once more!
Qu Chuning wasn't ignorant—in her previous life, she had two sons with Lin Dongguo. After rebirth, she suspected Lin Dongguo never severed ties with her because Shi Zhenzhen might be infertile, as in her past life, Shi Zhenzhen had treated her sons as her own.
"Smack!!"
Qu Chuning delivered another sharp slap to Xi Muzhou's face. But instead of clarity, it elicited heavier breaths and intensifying heat. Terrified, when he leaned in again, she sank her teeth hard into his shoulder!
"Hiss~"
Xi Muzhou drew a sharp breath. Though fully conscious, he knew he was losing control. Staring fixedly at Qu Chuning with bloodshot eyes and bulging veins on his neck, he articulated each word deliberately: "I've been drugged. My apologies, Comrade Qu Chuning. I want you to know – I will take responsibility for this!"
When he first saw the name "Qu Chuning", Xi Muzhou had thought how beautiful her name sounded, memorizing it instantly.
Qu Chuning was stunned. Drugged? Was it the kind of drug she was thinking of?
The man's eyes were crimson. Before Qu Chuning could formulate a response, the storm descended upon her.
Qu Chuning never expected that her act of kindness would end up trapping herself in this situation!
The room was pitch black, with only occasional insect chirps from outside. Clutching the blanket, she sat dazedly on the bed.
In the darkness, Xi Muzhou fumbled for a cigarette but hesitated and put it down after a few seconds. Speaking gravely, he said: "Please endure staying here for a few days. I'll immediately go back to submit our marriage application. Please give me your hometown address."
"You want to marry me?"
Qu Chuning had only come here to confront her scoundrel husband. But now? Not only was she stranded here, she'd somehow acquired another husband!
Her marriage with Lin Dongguo existed in name only – they'd never consummated it, and their marriage certificate was fake anyway. Technically, she could remarry openly without issue, yet her emotions were too tangled to speak for a long while.
Knowing he was at fault, Xi Muzhou apologized sincerely again. The drug dosage had been too strong – he couldn't control himself. Fortunately, he'd encountered Qu Chuning, otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable.
After long contemplation, Qu Chuning finally said: "You should leave first. Let me collect my thoughts!"
By the time Xi Muzhou left, dawn had broken. The room fell silent after he closed the door. Qu Chuning stared blankly at the floor. Having been reborn into this life, she wasn't the type to despair over such matters, but how had events twisted in this direction?
Her original plan was to return home after Lin Dongguo published the clarification in the newspaper. Though she didn't know where she'd go back home – in her family's eyes, she'd already married into the Lin Family. But she never imagined marrying an officer, especially one with higher rank than Lin Dongguo.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sudden knocking startled Qu Chuning from her thoughts. She quickly rose and dressed, gritting her teeth against the soreness throughout her body as she opened the door.
"Comrade, here's your breakfast. Your husband specially asked us to deliver it before he left. How fortunate you are!"
Qu Chuning froze as the Guest House staff presented her with several steamed buns and two rice cakes whose aroma made her mouth water involuntarily.
Accepting the food, the staff member smiled and added: "Comrade, your man treats you so well! He just paid for five days' accommodation. Oh, and this too!"
With that, they produced several meal tickets from their pocket and pressed them into Qu Chuning's hands.
After closing the door, Qu Chuning looked at the food and meal tickets in her hands and suddenly laughed. So this was heaven's compensation – leaving a scoundrel to gain a commanding officer! Her earlier worries about accommodation upon returning home vanished – she was married now!
After coming to this realization, Qu Chuning felt that the leader was actually quite decent. The only pity was that she still didn’t know the leader’s name. But then again, she thought, once she was at the Garrison, that despicable man and shameless woman would probably see her every day and have to respectfully call her "sister-in-law"—the thought alone made her ecstatic!
Qu Chuning ate heartily and, after finishing, rested immediately. She had barely slept the previous night and had nearly lost her life!