Tian Meilin was already in a foul mood.
She shook off Su Nanyue’s grip with a sneer. “Apologize? You think you’re worthy of that?”
Her gaze swept over Xiao Bao, who was being helped up, and she spat venomously, “He looks like a short-lived brat. Even if he lives, he’s just wasting food. He might as well have died from the fall.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than a sharp slap landed on her face.
She looked up, disbelief in her eyes as she stared at Su Nanyue. “You dare hit me? Do you even know who I—”
Before she could finish, another slap struck the other side of her face.
Su Nanyue glared coldly at her. “What, do I need to pick a special day to hit you?”
Tian Meilin was furious. This was the first time in her memory she had ever been struck—and on the face, no less. The stinging pain made her gasp as she touched her cheek.
With a shriek, she lunged at Su Nanyue, aiming to claw at her face.
Su Nanyue saw right through her intentions and curled her lips into a cold smile.
She lifted her leg and delivered a ruthless kick to Tian Meilin’s stomach.
Having worked hard at the Jiang family, Su Nanyue was naturally strong. And with the better nutrition she’d been getting in the army recently, her strength had only increased.
The kick sent Tian Meilin stumbling back two steps before she regained her balance.
Not giving her a chance to recover, Su Nanyue stepped forward, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her in front of Xiao Bao. “Apologize.”
A sharp pain shot through Tian Meilin’s scalp. She struggled but couldn’t break free, only worsening the pain.
Gritting her teeth, she snapped, “I won’t apologize! My uncle is a division commander. If you dare lay a hand on me, he’ll make you pay!”
At this, Su Nanyue’s eyes flickered with unease. She had struck the division commander’s niece—would this affect Jiang Yan?
Sensing the grip on her hair loosen, Tian Meilin immediately grew bold again.
She glared at Su Nanyue, her face already swollen. “Scared now, aren’t you? Slap yourself ten times and call yourself a bitch, and I might consider letting you off.”
Su Nanyue let out a cold laugh.
Damn it!
She’d already hit her—what was there to fear now?
Her grip tightened abruptly.
“So what if he’s a division commander? Even the Chairman says everyone is equal. If he dares protect you, I’ll take this to a higher authority. I refuse to believe no one will stand up for us.”
“My husband is out on a mission, and yet he allows his niece to bully and insult military families. He’s trying to undermine unity among the people. I’m starting to seriously doubt his allegiances.”
Tian Meilin hadn’t expected this woman to be so reckless. Even invoking her Uncle Hao hadn’t worked—instead, she’d pinned such a grave accusation on him.
Now, she was truly afraid.
She knew better than anyone what kind of person Uncle Hao was. If this matter really reached him, she wouldn’t get off lightly.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. “You say I insulted you? Where’s your proof?”
Su Nanyue looked at her with contempt, amused by her foolish attempt at cleverness. “You idiot. Only the police need evidence. If he dares ask me for proof, that just proves he’s enabling you to bully military families.”
“You—”
Seeing that Tian Meilin was completely intimidated, Su Nanyue demanded, “Apologize!”
Afraid the situation might escalate, Tian Meilin swallowed her resentment and hatred, gritting her teeth as she muttered, “I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t hear you.”
Tian Meilin nearly gritted her teeth to dust. She closed her eyes and raised her voice, “I’m sorry.”
Su Nanyue snorted coldly and released her grip. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to apologize earlier? Did you really need those two slaps? You really must enjoy humiliation.”
The moment she regained her freedom, Tian Meilin opened her eyes and immediately spotted Jiang Yan approaching. Her eyes suddenly reddened.
A mix of grievance and shame surged within her, her voice trembling with unshed tears. “Brother Jiang Yan.”
Su Nanyue abruptly looked up. Seeing the man walking toward them, her lips parted slightly, an incredulous glimmer flashing in her eyes as she froze in place.
“Jiang Yan?” she murmured under her breath.
Jiang Yan’s gaze swept over both women. “What’s going on?” he asked calmly.
Su Nanyue remained silent.
Her mind was in turmoil.
Who would have thought that the man who asked for her help on the train was actually her own husband.
And when the Political Commissar asked if she didn’t want to see who had arrived earlier, she hadn’t thought much of it at the time. Now she realized the Political Commissar had known about her relationship with Jiang Yan all along and was deliberately teasing her.
Unaware of Su Nanyue’s identity, Tian Meilin hurried over to Jiang Yan’s side.
When she reached out to grab his arm, he avoided her touch, deepening her sense of injustice.
She didn’t try again, merely looking at him with red-rimmed eyes. “After we parted earlier, I was heading to the cafeteria for lunch. Just as I reached this spot, she bumped into me.”
“I wanted to let it go, but she grabbed me and demanded compensation. When I refused, she attacked me.”
Da Bao, holding Xiao Bao’s hand nearby, interjected angrily, “You’re lying! You’re the one who knocked Xiao Bao down!”
“Mom asked you to apologize, but you called Xiao Bao a short-lived ghost! You said he was just wasting food by being alive and should have died from the fall! That’s why Mom confronted you!”
Tian Meilin hadn’t expected this brat to have such a good memory.
She shot Da Bao a fierce glare before turning pitifully toward Jiang Yan.
“I didn’t do it, Brother Jiang Yan. You know me better than anyone—I wouldn’t even step on an ant, let alone say such horrible things.”
Pointing at the silent Su Nanyue, she accused, “That woman must have put him up to it! She even threatened me, saying if I didn’t pay up, she’d go to Uncle Hao.”
Jiang Yan ignored her, his dark eyes fixed on Su Nanyue. “Your version.”
Su Nanyue watched them standing together, looking like a perfect pair, and felt fury ignite within her.
“Does what I say even matter? You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”
Damn man!
No wonder he hadn’t come home for years—he’d found someone else outside.
Poor original host—slaving away for his family only to end up with such a fate.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, her chest heaving with rage.
Recognizing her misunderstanding, Jiang Yan frowned. “I won’t take sides.”
Su Nanyue immediately shot him a glare.
She turned her attention to Tian Meilin hiding behind Jiang Yan. “Insulting military family members, twisting the truth, coveting another woman’s husband—the uglier you are, the more audacious you get.”
Tian Meilin was plain-looking.
She secretly resented any comments about her appearance.
Her face flushed with anger, but with Jiang Yan present, she could only glare fiercely at Su Nanyue.
Su Nanyue glared back with even greater ferocity.
“Keep staring and I’ll gouge your eyes out.”
Terrified, Tian Meilin shrank further behind Jiang Yan.
Watching her actions, Su Nanyue’s face turned cold.
After casting a disgusted glance at the two people, she withdrew her gaze and walked over to Da Bao and Xiao Bao, taking their hands as she led them toward the Guest House.
The two little ones obediently let her hold their hands, with Xiao Bao looking at her with sparkling eyes.
Mom had just protected him and made the bad woman who bumped into him apologize to him.
So happy.
As for Jiang Yan, who was that?
He hadn’t even noticed him.
Da Bao, on the other hand, looked at her with concern, his little mouth pressed tightly together.
He wanted to ask something, opened his mouth, but ultimately didn’t speak.
Returning to the room, Su Nanyue closed the door.
Turning to Da Bao who was standing silently nearby, she crouched down and asked softly, “Da Bao, what’s wrong? Do you have something you want to say to Mom?”
Da Bao fiddled with his fingers, hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Su Nanyue.
He asked quietly, “Mom, was that Dad just now?”