Jiang Zhen wanted to end things quickly so she could go talk with Battalion Commander Gu. She decisively ended the blind date with Qi Junhai.
“Doctor Qi, our views are quite different. Let’s leave it at that. You can go find someone else for a blind date. I’m sure you’ll meet someone suitable.”
Qi Junhai had not expected that someone as excellent as himself would be rejected by Jiang Zhen, who had two burdens with her. He could not accept it emotionally.
“Comrade Jiang, you are indeed very beautiful. I admit I felt a moment of attraction when I saw you. But life requires practicality. Your requirements are too outrageous.”
Jiang Zhen felt his requirements were even more outrageous.
“The same goes for you. Your expectations about the number of children are even more outrageous. And the way you arranged the two salaries shows very sharp calculations. We both think the other’s conditions are ridiculous, so why aren’t you leaving yet?”
Leave he would, but Qi Junhai had to say his piece.
“If it weren’t for my mother insisting that I come on this blind date with you, don’t be offended, but with your conditions—divorced and bringing two children—someone with my qualifications truly wouldn’t even consider it.”
Jiang Zhen was amused by his reaction.
“I’m just telling the truth, Doctor Qi. Why are you getting anxious? I didn’t take a liking to you either. Any man who only listens to his mother’s orders—I avoid them like the plague.”
Qi Junhai laughed in extreme anger and told Jiang Zhen the truth.
“Every comrade who could come to this social gathering today was screened. They’re all single and outstanding comrades. There are hardly any who are remarried. The remarried blind dates who just met Regiment Commander Gu were deliberately arranged by An Qihui to make him turn back. Do you really think these unmarried young men are willing to be stepfathers to two children?”
Jiang Zhen had unintentionally heard another piece of gossip. She thought that Gu Liancheng was next door, and Qi Junhai was giving him no face at all.
She suddenly thought of a possibility.
“Doctor Qi, you seem to have a lot of hostility toward Regiment Commander Gu. His former fiancée is also a nurse in your department. What you’re saying doesn’t sound like it’s meant for me—it sounds like it’s meant for Regiment Commander Gu next door.”
Qi Junhai had his thoughts exposed and defended himself angrily.
“I think you and Regiment Commander Gu are a perfect match. Why don’t you two go on a blind date?”
Jiang Zhen was thinking the same thing.
“You’re the one delaying things here. How can he come over while you’re here?”
…
Qi Junhai stormed out of the blind date room and ran into a colleague head-on. After exchanging greetings, the colleague asked with concern about his older brother.
“Who exactly dug out your brother’s eye? Have they caught the person yet?”
Most of Qi Junhai’s family income relied on his elder brother doing business. On this trip back, his elder brother had one eye gouged out. The whole family was heartbroken.
Under such circumstances he had no mood for blind dates at all. But his mother insisted he come and specifically arranged for him to meet Jiang Zhen, saying Jiang Zhen’s birth chart matched their family and could dispel misfortune. That was why he reluctantly came—yet Jiang Zhen rejected him.
Qi Junhai sighed.
“The bandits were too cunning. No one knows which mountain they fled to. They haven’t been caught.”
The colleague looked worried.
“My mother hasn’t returned to her parents’ home for two years. With the bandits in Fan City, who dares to leave the city before they’re wiped out?”
Qi Junhai’s elder brother had been harmed by bandits. He wished he could kill them, yet he had no such ability, so he blamed the stationed army instead.
“What are the troops doing? They still haven’t wiped out the bandits. How are the common people supposed to live?”
His colleague understood his feelings and persuaded him.
“That group of bandits has formed a large force and they’re very cunning. No one knows which mountain they’re hiding in, but they’ll definitely be wiped out. In this latest anti-bandit campaign, more than ten soldiers were injured. We shouldn’t say things that chill people’s hearts.”
…
Jiang Zhen, standing behind the door of the private room, heard Qi Junhai’s conversation with the other man and suddenly became alert.
The woman whose identity she had replaced had gouged out a bandit’s eye. Qi Junhai’s brother had an injured eye. Then Qi Junhai’s mother had asked her younger son to come on a blind date with her.
Connecting everything together, she couldn’t help but think more.
Could Qi Junhai’s elder brother be that bandit called “Lao Wu? Wu? Wu?”
At that time all the bandits wore cloth sacks over their heads, only exposing holes for their eyes, nose, and mouth. But if she saw him once—just the eyes, body shape, and the way he walked—she could recognize him.
…
After seeing Qi Junhai leave angrily from next door, Gu Liancheng worried that if he hesitated any longer he might miss the chance to meet Jiang Zhen. He made up his mind and walked over.
As long as Jiang Zhen agreed to his bottom-line requirements, everything else could be discussed.
…
Qi Junhai’s voice could no longer be heard; he must have gone far away. Jiang Zhen was afraid Gu Liancheng would leave and was about to go out when Gu Liancheng knocked on the door and came in, even giving her a salute.
It was too formal.
Thinking that this was the moneybag she absolutely had to capture, Jiang Zhen’s eyes were full of smiling amusement as she carefully sized him up. Regiment Commander Gu’s features were somewhat deep-set, his outline hard and sharp. In his black pupils Jiang Zhen could see traces of overlapping memories. He had quite a lot of stories.
Jiang Zhen locked the door and said with a bright smile, “Regiment Commander Gu, please sit.”
Gu Liancheng was forced by her initiative to sit down. She was like a fierce hunting animal, using false appearances to confuse its prey.
Gu Liancheng felt complicated inside. He had become her prey.
“Comrade Jiang, just now next door I was forced to hear the blind date conditions you mentioned to Doctor Qi.”
Jiang Zhen hurriedly said, “I also heard your conditions. I didn’t expect we’d coincide so perfectly. What a coincidence.”
Since both sides already understood each other’s requirements, it became easier to talk.
Gu Liancheng asked frankly, “Comrade Jiang, are you willing to partner with me in raising children according to an agreement?”
This was exactly the sentence Jiang Zhen had been waiting for. She nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, of course. But Regiment Commander Gu, I have two hard requirements. If you agree to them, then we can discuss the details.”
Gu Liancheng sat upright. Under the table his hand tugged at his clothes, smoothing the wrinkles. This was the most crucial step. He hoped it wouldn’t involve a bottom line he couldn’t accept.
“Please say them.”
“You said you could bear all household expenses and also give me thirty yuan every month. But to make you do half the housework, I can take responsibility for half of the household expenses. This is mandatory. I cannot accept a man who stands aside doing nothing, seeing the work but refusing to share it.”
Gu Liancheng thought it would be some difficult problem. His parents had died early, and the three siblings all knew how to do housework. For him this was completely normal.
“As long as I’m at home, housework will be shared. But I don’t return home often, so you’ll probably have to work harder most of the time.”
“That’s fine. The last one—and the most important—is actually advice for you in advance. Never attempt to use domestic violence against me or the children. This is for your personal safety. If you dare, you might be beaten to death by me.”
Just that?
Gu Liancheng couldn’t help laughing.
“I will never lay a hand on my partner or the children. But since you brought it up, I solemnly promise you that such a terrible thing will never happen.”
…
Jiang Zhen had no other big requirements. They could discuss the details.
“My blind date conditions were laughed at. They said I’d never find someone willing. Even though ours is a partnership agreement, in front of outsiders we must pretend to be affectionate. In public, you have to cooperate.”
Gu Liancheng had already told himself that as long as it didn’t touch his bottom line, he would agree to whatever he could. Although it felt embarrassing, he still nodded.
“I will definitely cooperate. If there’s something I truly can’t cooperate with, I won’t speak, but I won’t stop your behavior either.”
Jiang Zhen burst out laughing. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him. She really wanted to tell him that his former fiancée insisted on breaking off the engagement not because he was bad, but because she had regained memories from before the regression and was afraid to be with him.
Gu Liancheng became flustered by her laughter.
“Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?”
Such a man didn’t really require further negotiation. As long as one didn’t cross his bottom line, he would agree to anything.
“Regiment Commander Gu, let’s make a bet,” Jiang Zhen said.
“It’s best not to.” Without even asking, Gu Liancheng immediately discouraged her. “Anything related to gambling easily drives people mad. If there’s something, just say it and we’ll discuss it. There’s no need to bet.”
Jiang Zhen teased him.
“You said we won’t have children for ten years. I bet you’ll break the rule within three months.”
Gu Liancheng: …
He sat upright, completely serious.
“Comrade Jiang, I will never take the initiative to touch you—unless you insist on crossing the boundary yourself.”
Jiang Zhen giggled. He was so stubborn with his words. Then they would wait three months and see.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Liancheng realized that what he had just said might hurt a young lady’s feelings.
“Comrade Jiang, what I mean is, after spending time together, you’ll discover that I’m actually a very boring person.”
Jiang Zhen thought he was quite interesting. A partnership agreement to raise children together would not be boring.
“How many days will your marriage application take?” Jiang Zhen asked.
“If nothing unexpected happens, within a week.”
That was quite fast.
Just as they were talking, the door of the blind date room was suddenly pounded nonstop. Because it was locked from inside, the people outside couldn’t open it and shouted anxiously.
“Gu Liancheng, are you inside? Don’t deny it—someone saw you. Come out!”
…
An Qihui was persuading her younger sister not to give up such an outstanding marriage partner as Gu Liancheng, but An Xiuqing refused to listen no matter what. When she was at her wits’ end, she heard that Jiang Zhen, the temporary pediatric nurse, had been brought to the blind date market by Gu Jiaoxia.
An Qihui became anxious and rushed downstairs immediately. But Gu Liancheng had already started a blind date with Jiang Zhen. How could that be allowed?
She smashed open the door and quickly looked around. Fortunately, their expressions didn’t look like they had matched successfully.
She pushed Jiang Zhen aside.
“Sorry, Comrade Xiao Jiang. Our Liancheng isn’t going on blind dates. We’ve wasted your time.”
Jiang Zhen was baffled.
“No need to apologize. I just asked him clearly—he is here for a blind date. Head Nurse An, you already rushed to get a marriage certificate with my former husband, so why are you still saying Gu Liancheng belongs to your family?”
An Qihui ignored her dignity and asked Jiang Zhen,
“Yan Jiawen chose me instead of you. So you stayed behind and went on a blind date with my sister’s fiancé to take revenge on me?”
Jiang Zhen was speechless.
“If you want to think that way, fine.”
An Qihui sneered.
“Gu Liancheng would never want a wanton woman like you.”
Jiang Zhen laughed out loud.
“You’re not wanton? You snatched Jiang Tang’s father to marry into your family?”
An Qihui couldn’t win the argument with Jiang Zhen, so she pointed at her and said to Gu Liancheng,
“You heard that, right? You’re my sister’s fiancé. She only came to meet you to anger me and Yan Jiawen.”
Gu Liancheng said calmly,
“I don’t mind that identity. Sister An, if you mind it, you can divorce Doctor Yan.”
…
As for the An family’s matters, Gu Liancheng said he would handle them himself, so Jiang Zhen didn’t need to worry.
Her eyes flowed with charm, her voice dragging with a soft lingering tone as she made an agreement with Gu Liancheng.
“Regiment Commander Gu, think about it carefully. Am I not the most suitable person for you? I’ll wait for you.”
Gu Liancheng: …
If she had used this attitude from the beginning during blind dates, those men would have been dizzy long ago. They would have agreed to any condition. It wouldn’t have been his turn.