Zhou Yushen drove Lu Wanwan to the supply store. She selected items according to the list Chen Shu had written, while he handled payment and carried the goods. They worked together smoothly.
As they passed the processed foods section, they noticed a small crowd gathered. Two slim girls were mockingly scolding a very overweight girl.
“Ugly people always make a fuss. Don’t you know how fat you are and still try to squeeze past us?”
“Exactly! You even squashed my clothes—can you pay for this? My cousin bought this from the Friendship Store for me. Stay away from me with all that fat of yours!”
The overweight girl blushed deeply, hands tightly clasped, sweat beading on her forehead. Her voice wavered with tears as she explained, “No, I didn’t mean to squeeze past. You guys ran into me suddenly.”
“So it’s still our fault? Everyone, judge for yourselves! Clearly, you’re too fat and blocked our way.”
The sharp-tongued girls drew even more onlookers.
Lu Wanwan couldn’t stand it. She strode forward, stood in front of the overweight girl, and loudly recounted what she had just seen.
Coincidentally, Lu Wanwan had witnessed the entire incident, and she wasn’t the only one.
“I was buying something at the counter across from you and looked up. I saw you joking and rushing over, bumping into this girl. Her being overweight isn’t your business, and she hasn’t eaten your food. You’re clearly in the wrong and now trying to twist things with personal attacks.”
“Who are you? Just because you say you saw it doesn’t mean anything—you’re obviously on the fat girl’s side!”
“The store clerk who served me also saw it. If you don’t want this to escalate and reach your workplace, apologize to this girl immediately.”
The overweight girl spoke quietly, nervous: “No, no need. I am indeed fat. I gain weight just from drinking water—I can’t lose it.”
“Being fat isn’t a crime. I used to weigh over 200 pounds too. I’ve lost it, and you can too. I’ll tell you the methods and precautions.”
Lu Wanwan’s words made the overweight girl’s eyes light up.
Zhou Yushen, holding the groceries, had been standing nearby. Hearing Lu Wanwan, he was genuinely surprised—she might have said all this just to comfort the girl.
On the way back, he cautiously asked her, “You really used to weigh over 200 pounds?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
Lu Wanwan didn’t hide it at all. She had been devastated at the time, but fortunately, she had succeeded in losing weight.
Zhou Yushen gripped the steering wheel tightly, a faint hope stirring in his mind. Now he just needed to find out if Lu Wanwan had been at that place that night to confirm if she was the woman he suspected.
When they arrived at the Zhou household, Chen Shu happily told them, “I’m going to visit the unit. Wanwan, you’ll go with Tuantuan and Yuanyuan.”
Zhou Yushen glanced at Lu Wanwan and reminded his sister-in-law, “That might not work. They need approval, and time is short.”
Lu Wanwan didn’t mind. When she had worked as a translator, she traveled with assignments to various countries. But she noticed from Zhou Yushen’s tone that he didn’t want her to go with Chen Shu.
“Hah, Yushen, don’t worry. Your brother’s already approved it. We’ll go together. I’m counting on you to help take care of Xiaobao.”
With the couple rarely seeing each other, Chen Shu wanted a bit more time alone with her husband.
With no reason to object, Zhou Yushen silently raised a hand and pressed his finger to his temple. Fine—since his brother had sorted it out, he had nothing to say.
Lu Wanwan knew this trip was necessary. She nodded in agreement and sensed Zhou Yushen looking at her once more. When she looked at him curiously, his gaze had already shifted away.
For some reason, she felt that he was acting strangely.
Originally, Zhou Yushen had planned to stay home for dinner and return to the unit the next morning, but now he changed his mind.
If Lu Wanwan was indeed that 200-pound country girl from that night, losing so much weight to her current figure wasn’t something anyone could achieve easily.
Was she deliberately bringing her child here, using it as a way to enter the unit?
Back then, she knew he was in the military. He had tried to find her afterward, but she was nowhere to be found. The next day, there had been an urgent mission, so Zhou Yushen had to return immediately to complete his duty.
Now he worried that she might be connected to his missions. If that were the case… Zhou Yushen could no longer stay. He said goodbye to Chen Shu and hurried back to the unit.
After that, he didn’t return to the Zhou household and stayed at the unit.
Lu Wanwan didn’t mind Zhou Yushen not coming back. Her work here was to feed and care for Xiaobao for Chen Shu, her employer. Zhou Yushen had almost no involvement.
Occasionally, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan would ask their mother, “Why doesn’t Uncle come home for meals?”
“Uncle is busy catching bad guys and protecting us. He’ll come home when he’s done.”
After answering the twins, Lu Wanwan reminded them, “Even when Uncle comes home, don’t bother him. He needs to rest.”
Tuantuan and Yuanyuan were disappointed. They loved playing with Uncle. Tuantuan promised first: “Catching bad guys is important. We won’t disturb Uncle’s sleep.”
Yuanyuan immediately nodded in agreement. “Susu sleeps, Yuanyuan behaves.”
At the unit, the news of Fang Anqian wearing the hair ornament and rumors that she and Zhou Yushen were about to become a couple spread quickly, especially among those who wanted it to.
Zhou Yushen had no idea. On the day he returned, he immediately received a temporary assignment and took his soldiers for intensive closed training.
As soon as training ended, without even changing clothes, he was called to the instructor’s office.
“Instructor, you called me?”
“Yes, sit down, Captain Zhou. Congratulations! When are you and Comrade Fang filing your marriage report?”
“What marriage report?”
Zhou Yushen stood abruptly, serious: “Comrade Fang and I are only revolutionary comrades. Instructor, what is going on?”
The instructor was a little confused. Really? He immediately told Zhou Yushen about the rumors spreading in the unit.
Once confirmed that it was just a rumor and there was no romantic relationship between Zhou Yushen and Fang Anqian, the instructor, feeling frustrated, seriously warned him:
“If you really have no intention, you must quash the rumor quickly. Always maintain distance with female comrades in the future.”
“Yes, Instructor. You’re right. I’ll be careful. I won’t even give a female mosquito a chance to come near me.”
The instructor, exasperated by Zhou Yushen’s words, waved him off and told him to shower, change clothes, and rest properly.
Zhou Yushen left the office but didn’t immediately return to his dorm. Instead, he went back to the office and made a phone call.