"Why would I hold a grudge against my own wife?" Lu Zhengchuan said, then stood up.
Seeing him turn to leave the room, Su Wan quickly asked, "Where are you going?"
Lu Zhengchuan stopped and turned back to explain. "I’m going to report to my superiors. I’ll also clarify things about Zheng Zhizhi to everyone in the compound. Tomorrow, I’m making a trip back to the village. You just rest here in the compound for the next few days. If you need anything, ask the other wives for help."
Su Wan had no intention of returning to the village with him. She was three months pregnant, right in the thick of morning sickness. Even the trip to the military base had caused some spotting.
She had been in the compound for less than half a month. Even though she’d previously considered an abortion, she’d never wanted to miscarry from overexertion. ’That would be so damaging to my body.’
"What about this letter?" Su Wan asked, holding up the one from Zheng Zhizhi.
This was evidence. Even though Lu Zhengchuan had already reported it to his superiors, Su Wan trusted herself more.
"You keep it," Lu Zhengchuan said. He had clearly figured out how to deal with her. "By the way, I also have the letters you supposedly sent me."
Lu Zhengchuan pulled several letters from his pocket, including one from Uncle Zhang.
Su Wan glanced at the letters Zheng Zhizhi had written in her name. As she expected, these had also been swapped.
She certainly wasn’t going to let this evidence go, so she took all of them.
But it was the letter from the Zhang family that she began to read carefully.
The letter’s contents were simple. Uncle Zhang had asked Lu Zhengchuan to find a match for Zhang Yun from among the soldiers. He said that if there was any news, he’d have Zhang Yun come to the base herself for a matchmaking meeting.
’So Zhang Yun is coming to the base?’
Su Wan couldn’t help but look up at Lu Zhengchuan. "How well do you get along with Zhang Yun?"
"Xiao Yun?" Lu Zhengchuan started to answer.
Just then, someone knocked urgently on their courtyard gate. A worried voice called out, "Wanwan, are you home? Something’s happened!"
"What’s wrong?" Su Wan called back instinctively, but before she could even get up from the bed...
...Lu Zhengchuan had already crossed the room in two or three long strides and pulled open the gate. He immediately saw Zhao Qing standing there.
"Battalion Commander Lu, you’re home too?" Zhao Qing’s eyes widened when she saw him, and she quickly averted her gaze.
"Sister-in-law Zhao, is something the matter?" Lu Zhengchuan asked, taking in her expression at a glance.
Thinking of the rumors circulating in the compound, Zhao Qing peeked inside the house. "Where’s Wanwan?"
"Sister-in-law Zhao, I’m here." Su Wan emerged, fully dressed. Seeing the anxious look on Zhao Qing’s face, she hurried over and took her hand. "What’s wrong?"
"Well..." Zhao Qing hesitated, glancing at Lu Zhengchuan.
Lu Zhengchuan acted as if he didn’t understand her meaningful look, staying put as though he hadn’t just been about to leave.
Su Wan took note of this but didn’t try to shoo Lu Zhengchuan away. ’He just promised me he’d deal with Zheng Zhizhi, so there’s no need to provoke him now.’
"Sister-in-law Zhao, just tell us."
"Oh, right. Two young women showed up at the reception office. One is Zhang Yun, and the other is... Zheng Zhizhi." Now Zhao Qing knew what Zhang Yun looked like.
But she was no longer in the mood to think about matchmaking for Zhang Yun. Her curiosity was now fixed on this Zheng Zhizhi.
"Zheng Zhizhi is at the base?"
Su Wan’s voice rose, her eyes flying wide in astonishment at the news.
Lu Zhengchuan also snapped his head toward Zhao Qing. "Sister-in-law Zhao," he asked in a low voice, "are you sure?"
"Yes. You didn’t know?" Zhao Qing had assumed they would have heard something, since Zhang Yun was their cousin.
Su Wan’s surprise lasted only a moment before she regained her composure. ’After thinking it through,’ she realized, ’Zheng Zhizhi coming here now is actually giving me an opportunity!’
’There are already rumors spreading around the base about her being a homewrecker, and she still has the nerve to show up here? Even if Lu Zhengchuan tries to protect her, I won’t let her off the hook this time!’
"Sister-in-law Zhao, thank you for telling us. Lu Zhengchuan and I are heading over right now."
"I’ll go with you," Zhao Qing insisted, still worried. What she didn’t mention was that her first impression of Zheng Zhizhi at the reception office was that the girl looked like trouble.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law Zhao."
Su Wan didn’t refuse her kind offer.
Zhao Qing’s presence would be a show of support for her.
Lu Zhengchuan glanced at the friendly way the two women were interacting, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
In contrast to Su Wan and Zhao Qing’s urgency, Lu Zhengchuan appeared remarkably calm. Only the small detail of his gaze, which remained fixed on Su Wan the entire way, betrayed his true feelings.
「In the reception office.」
Zhang Yun stood up nervously and began pacing back and forth. She turned to Zheng Zhizhi, who was wearing a yellow dress.
"Zhi Zhi, do you think Cousin will be angry that we just showed up like this?" Although Zhang Yun voiced her concern, her eyes were filled with anticipation.
Even the sight of a passing patrol of soldiers in uniform was enough to make her blush.
Zheng Zhizhi scoffed internally but maintained a demure tone. "Xiao Yun, you’re Brother Lu’s own cousin. If Su Wan has the audacity to be here, then Brother Lu should be thrilled that you’ve come."
Although Zhang Yun felt something wasn’t quite right, the thought that she might be more important to her cousin than his own wife was enough to satisfy her vanity. She immediately covered her mouth, unable to hold back a delighted giggle.
"Zhi Zhi, you have such a way with words."
"My cousin really has no taste, not choosing you back then."
"It would have been so much better if he had married you," Zhang Yun couldn’t help but sigh.
Standing right outside the door, Lu Zhengchuan heard this, and his face instantly darkened.
"Zhang Yun! What nonsense are you spouting!"
A sharp rebuke rang out from the doorway, startling Zhang Yun so badly that her body trembled, shattering the daydreams that had filled her mind.
She heard the all-too-familiar voice and, like a mouse facing a cat, timidly turned around to meet Lu Zhengchuan’s thunderous expression.
"Co... Cousin..." Zhang Yun stammered.
"Zhang Yun, do you have any idea what you’re saying?" Lu Zhengchuan’s brows were knitted into a deep frown. "My wife is Su Wan. And here you are, spouting nonsense and trying to link me with another woman. Are you afraid my life is too easy? Do you want my superiors to think I’m involved in improper relationships?"
Hearing the words "improper relationships," Zhang Yun’s face went pale with fright.
She waved her hands frantically, tears welling in her eyes. "Cousin, no! I didn’t mean that! How could I ever want to harm you?"
He was the most successful of the younger generation, and the Zhang family took immense pride in him.
Just mentioning his name in the village was a source of pride for them. How could she possibly want to harm him?
"Then why were you saying I should marry Zheng Zhizhi? Are you implying that I’m the kind of person who fools around?" Lu Zhengchuan demanded with a furious snort.
Sniffling, her eyes red and voice thick with tears, Zhang Yun explained, "Cousin, I... I just don’t think Su Wan is good enough for you! I was afraid she’d just waste all the money you work so hard for. That’s why I wished you had married a better wife."
Hearing Zhang Yun’s naive and foolish words, Lu Zhengchuan let out a laugh of pure exasperation. "Su Wan isn’t good enough for me? Then who is?"