These were words Su Nanzhi had wanted to say in her previous life.
Qin Lie and Gu Xizhou were the same age—one was only a deputy battalion commander while the other was already a regimental commander. Qin Lie treated Gu Xizhou as his imagined rival. He didn’t dare openly clash with Gu Xizhou, but behind his back, he compared himself to Gu Xizhou in everything.
From minor things like claiming Gu Xizhou’s adopted child had a bad personality, to major accusations that Gu Xizhou put on airs every day with a stern face and that the soldiers under him were all afraid of him—even after Gu Xizhou’s death, Qin Lie still hadn’t forgotten to disparage him.
Speaking of this, Su Nanzhi finally looked at Gu Xizhou.
But she happened to meet Gu Xizhou’s disgusted expression.
Su Nanzhi instinctively glared back. Besides the pain in her philtrum, her thigh still…
She could still seem to feel the searing heat from those large hands.
Gu Xizhou frowned slightly.
A hundred widows and children of fallen comrades? His Gu family probably couldn’t afford to support them either…
But the content of her words made his gaze darken.
Hadn’t Su Nanzhi only arrived at the military camp today? How could she know about his family background…
Though the couple’s quarrel had dragged him into it, and he originally hadn’t wanted to meddle in someone else’s family affairs, he still spoke in a low voice, “I have no fiancée.”
The moment these words were spoken, Qin Lie’s expression turned even uglier.
Su Nanzhi, on the other hand, looked at Gu Xizhou with some surprise.
Even in her previous life, as times progressed, there were still many men who treated their households as their own one-man rule, considering women mere appendages who weren’t allowed to oppose them.
It was just that this kind of good man was short-lived.
Gu Xizhou lowered his eyes.
That strange look again.
Qin Lie couldn’t openly express his disgust toward Gu Xizhou, but that didn’t stop him from casting a cold, dark glare at Su Nanzhi.
He hated nothing more than others saying he was inferior to Gu Xizhou.
Gu Xizhou had only won because he had a better family background.
Su Nanzhi had no doubt that if there weren’t other people in the ward, Qin Lie would have resorted to violence.
“Zhao Xue and Xiaobao are a widow and an orphan. Can’t you be a little more magnanimous?”
Hearing words identical to those from her previous life, a mocking smile couldn’t help but curl at the corner of Su Nanzhi’s lips.
Although she had married Qin Lie in her previous life, whenever she was sick, giving birth, or when their child was ill, Qin Lie would always leave because of Zhao Xue.
Compared to Zhao Xue, she was more like the widow whose husband had died.
Su Nanzhi gave him a look that was neither a smile nor a frown. “So I’m calling off our engagement. From now on, your affairs have nothing to do with me.”
Political Commissar Zhu, who was standing nearby, was also at a loss for words. Qin Lie was considered a promising talent in the army, but he never expected that privately, the man would be so muddle-headed.
You’re a country boy—even if you don’t send half your pay home every month, at least you shouldn’t be giving so much money to a fallen comrade’s widow without any clear justification.
And that comrade was just an ordinary one at that. No wonder Su Nanzhi, his fiancée, refused to accept it.
And he still wanted to compare himself to Gu Xizhou? That man’s family had money—what did his family have?
If it weren’t for the principle of encouraging reconciliation rather than separation, he would have turned around and left.
Just then, Qin Lie’s voice rang out.
“Then let’s cancel it.”
Another half hour passed.
Su Nanzhi looked at the cancellation of engagement document in her hands, her expression somewhat dazed.
She hadn’t expected canceling her engagement with Qin Lie to be faster than she’d imagined. The more than twenty years of entanglement with Qin Lie in her previous life were still vivid before her eyes, yet now all she had to do was sign her name on this certificate, and from then on, she would have no connection whatsoever with Qin Lie or the Qin family.
But…
“Su Nanzhi, it’s not too late for you to regret this now.”
Qin Lie’s voice pulled her thoughts back.
Su Nanzhi looked up and saw Qin Lie with a gloomy expression, but his eyes were full of certainty—as if he was sure she would regret it.
When he saw Su Nanzhi put down the pen in her hand, Qin Lie’s certainty turned into smugness.
Who else would want Su Nanzhi besides him?
Only if Su Nanzhi apologized to him and Zhao Xue this time would he reluctantly agree to restore their engagement.
Su Nanzhi instead turned to Political Commissar Zhu beside her. “Political Commissar Zhu, before the engagement is canceled, the betrothal token my family gave to Qin Lie—he must return it to me.”
Qin Lie hadn’t expected Su Nanzhi to not regret it, and even to ask for the betrothal token back. His heart was instantly filled with rage.
He made a move to feel for the jade pendant hanging around his neck, but his neck was empty. As if remembering something, an unnatural expression appeared on his face.
“I didn’t bring it with me. I’ll return it to you when I go back.”
Su Nanzhi let out a cold laugh. “You didn’t bring it? Didn’t Zhao Xue bring it?”
After being admitted to the infirmary, Zhao Xue, Zhou Xiaobao, and a few enthusiastic army wives—all parties involved in the incident—were still waiting outside the door.
They had originally planned to leave after seeing that Su Nanzhi was fine, but upon hearing that Su Nanzhi and Qin Lie were really going to cancel their engagement, they all lingered at the door with different thoughts in mind.
Seeing Qin Lie’s pale face, Political Commissar Zhu, who had been about to try persuading Su Nanzhi again, fell completely silent this time.
This Qin Lie must be an idiot—giving his own betrothal token to a comrade’s wife.
If anyone said the two of them had nothing going on, even ghosts wouldn’t believe it.
He turned and walked out the door, calling Zhao Xue and Zhou Xiaobao inside.
It was summertime, and Zhao Xue was wearing a floral long dress. Although it had a modest V-neck, one could faintly make out something hanging around her neck.
“Zhao Xue, did Qin Lie give you a jade pendant?”
Political Commissar Zhu didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly.
Zhao Xue’s reflexive response was to deny it, but seeing everyone’s gaze fixed on her neck, she reluctantly nodded.
“It’s because Xiaobao thought the jade pendant suited me, so I asked Brother Qin for it.”
Whether or not anyone believed this flimsy excuse, Zhao Xue still said it out loud.
Su Nanzhi gave a faint, knowing smile. “That was the betrothal token my family gave to the Qin family. Now that the engagement between Qin Lie and me has been called off, return the jade pendant to me.”
Zhao Xue hadn’t expected to hear such good news. Qin Lie was the best option she could find right now, and she could barely contain the smile threatening to spread across her face.
But as she touched the jade pendant hanging around her neck, she felt a pang of reluctance.
For some reason, she always felt that this jade pendant brought her good fortune…
“What’s the matter? You’ve already stolen my fiancé, and now you want to steal my family’s heirloom jade pendant too?”
Seeing Zhao Xue standing there motionless, Su Nanzhi simply got up from the hospital bed and walked over to stand before her.
The room fell silent in an instant.
Political Commissar Zhu had called Zhao Xue and her mother into the ward but had forgotten to close the door.
The nosy women waiting outside the ward door had overheard every word about the jade pendant and the betrothal token.
The quiet corridor immediately buzzed with chatter.
“I told you Zhao Xue and Deputy Battalion Commander Qin weren’t innocent, didn’t I?”
“Who else would dress up all fancy after losing their husband?”
“Our Jiashu Yuan has produced a second Battalion Commander Zhang.”
…
Gu Xizhou, who was growing impatient with all the gossip, took this opportunity to turn and walk out of the ward. Just as he was about to close the door behind him, a hand pressed against it, stopping him.
He looked up and met Su Nanzhi’s red, swollen eyes, tears still welling up and circling within them.
At that very moment, a tear fell onto the back of his hand, and Gu Xizhou felt an inexplicable heat searing his skin…