Lu Weidong left his father’s study with a serious expression.
Lu Zhenghua sat quietly at his desk for a moment, then picked up the red secure phone and dialed a number.
“Weiguo, it’s me.”
“There’s been an unexpected situation at home…”
“I’m fine, your mother is fine—it’s Weidong.”
Lu Zhenghua took a deep breath, his voice low but clear:
“He’s getting married.”
There was a brief silence on the other end, then his eldest son, Lu Weiguo, spoke in disbelief:
“Dad… what did you say? Weidong? Getting married?”
Lu Zhenghua repeated himself: “You heard correctly. I was just about to tell you.”
He then summarized Lu Weidong’s account concisely, along with his and Liu Xiuyun’s concerns and speculations.
The Lu family had their ways of thoroughly checking a person’s background.
“I understand, Dad,” Lu Weiguo said after a pause. “I’ll make arrangements and return as soon as possible.”
After hanging up, he contacted his wife, Li Shufen, at her workplace, then his sister, Lu Weihua, at Harbin Institute of Technology.
In a short time, the entire family was aware of Ye Wenxi’s existence and the sudden marriage.
Time was pressing.
According to Lu Zhenghua, the political review and paperwork would proceed quickly.
Anyone in the family who could return would be sent back immediately.
In a couple of days, the marriage certificate would be issued, and she would officially join the family.
Once that was settled, Lu Zhenghua called Liu Xiuyun from the kitchen.
“She’ll be here soon,” he said seriously.
“No matter the outcome or her background, maintain proper decorum.”
He paused, his gaze sharp: “What shouldn’t be said or asked, keep your mouth shut. Show the respect and courtesy due.”
“Don’t let anyone think that our military family is as careless as some petty townsfolk.”
He knew his wife’s character—kind-hearted, not malicious, but overly protective of their son.
Lu Weidong was indeed their pride and joy.
From their perspective, it was a bit like Weidong was “giving in” for the sake of this marriage.
But men were men; once a decision was made, it had to be upheld.
No matter how resentful inside, they couldn’t show it.
Nor could they make the girl feel inferior just by entering the family.
Liu Xiuyun was frustrated, feeling for her son’s predicament.
She muttered quietly with Aunt Sun while preparing vegetables:
“It’s not that I don’t think highly of her… but she has no education, no proper work…”
“She doesn’t even have a legitimate ID, how can she get married?”
“The kind of girl our Weidong could have… why this?”
Her words became increasingly frustrated, her eyes reddening.
Seeing this, Aunt Sun quickly put down her work and offered a cup of water.
“Xiuyun, don’t get too anxious. Wait until she’s officially part of the family, then we’ll see. I think Weidong… he truly likes her.”
“If the girl weren’t exceptional in some way, why would high-and-mighty Weidong care so much?”
Liu Xiuyun snorted coldly.
“Exceptional? A kidnapped country girl with no household registration… how exceptional can she be? At best, she’s just… decent-looking.”
Aunt Sun realized there was no reasoning with her right now and fell silent.
At the guesthouse, Ye Wenxi flipped through a newspaper provided by the staff.
She needed to quickly understand the pulse of this era.
The original’s memories were almost blank—only fear and suffering.
Though she had the skills, it felt like her eyes were covered, unsure where to start.
She sighed repeatedly as she read the newspaper, each line reflecting the “restrictions” and “controls” of the time.
Just as she felt her mood darkening, a small, unremarkable news item caught her eye:
“City First Food Factory Seeks ‘Worker-Peasant-Soldier Friendship Gift Box’ Packaging Design”
“To enrich holiday supplies and showcase our city’s light industry achievements, we are inviting the masses to design packaging for the ‘Worker-Peasant-Soldier Friendship Gift Box.’ Designs should reflect the spirit of the times, with full composition and bright colors. Winners will receive rewards.”
Her eyes lit up instantly.
Perfectly aligned with her specialty.
From her perspective, the current packaging designs were far too simple.
For someone trained in professional design with solid painting skills like her, this kind of project would be effortless.
She had been worried about being bored at the Lu family’s for the next few days—now, she had something to do.
At that moment, a knock sounded on the door.
Ye Wenxi set down the newspaper and opened it.
Whoa!
Outside stood Lu Weidong, giving her another visual jolt.
He had swapped his crisp military uniform for casual wear.
A deep blue Zhongshan jacket hung open over a fitted white cotton short-sleeve shirt.
Nearly 1.9 meters tall, his head almost brushed the low guesthouse doorframe.
The cotton shirt wasn’t tight, yet his full chest and broad shoulders gave clear contours.
He stood casually at the doorway, backlit, like a top-tier movie star accidentally walking into a humble guesthouse.
With his sharp, chiseled features…
Ye Wenxi felt her heart skip a beat and quickly turned away.
Mentally, she cursed: This body and face are basically walking hormone emitters—look too long, and something might happen.
She forced herself to act calm, pretending to pick up the newspaper, fingers unconsciously gripping its edge.
“Xiaojun already told me everything,” she said, staring at the print, voice steady.
“You didn’t have to go through all this. I don’t care about gossip—let people say what they want.”
Lu Weidong stepped in, closing the door behind him.
The small room seemed instantly filled with the magnetic aura radiating from him.
He looked at her profile, voice low and resonant:
“This has nothing to do with you.” He paused. “This is my responsibility.”
Ye Wenxi’s heart skipped—oh no.
A direct statement!
She scrambled mentally, repeating her mantra: Calm… Calm… Calm…
Don’t get carried away, don’t get carried away!
Strategic alliance! Long-term meal ticket! Stay rational!
“Let’s go back,” he said.
She really didn’t want to.
If possible, she would hide in the guesthouse forever.
But she couldn’t—not when she was about to be legally tied to this “long-term meal ticket.”
She had to meet the parents, there was no way around it.
Torn, she finally clenched her jaw and forced out a dry syllable:
“Oh.”
After hesitating, she quietly asked:
“So… tonight…”