Supporting her lower back, Bai Luoluo slowly shuffled toward the doorway.
The past two days of morning sickness had really put her through the wringer. Whatever she ate, she threw up. Even that imported milk powder was barely staying down. She looked frail and slender now, like a willow branch in the wind—as if a single gust might blow her away.
She had just pushed open the slightly warped screen door when she came face-to-face with the female officer standing in the courtyard.
Under the sunlight, the woman stood straight as a javelin.
Her well-fitted military uniform outlined a powerful, athletic figure. Her skin was a healthy wheat color, her features bold and striking, radiating the crisp competence and vitality unique to soldiers.
Especially her eyes—bright and piercing—as they openly swept up and down over Bai Luoluo.
That gaze wasn’t really looking at a person; it was more like inspecting a substandard exhibit.
Three parts curiosity, three parts disdain, and four parts barely concealed superiority.
“So you’re Bai Luoluo?”
The female officer spoke first.
Her voice was loud and resonant, full of strength—completely opposite to Bai Luoluo’s soft, gentle tone.
Bai Luoluo frowned slightly.
That condescending manner made her uncomfortable.
“I am. And you are?” she asked softly, out of courtesy, one hand still braced against the doorframe.
The female officer smiled, flashing a row of neat, white teeth.
She didn’t answer Bai Luoluo’s question. Instead, she casually pushed open the courtyard gate and strode inside.
The familiarity of her movements made it seem as though this were her territory—and Bai Luoluo the outsider.
“I’m Zhao Man.”
She stopped in front of Bai Luoluo and extended a hand.
“Lei Li’s old comrade-in-arms. I just returned from overseas training. I heard he got married, so I came specifically to take a look.”
Zhao Man.
The name stirred no recognition in Bai Luoluo’s mind.
But when “old comrade-in-arms,” “overseas training,” and “came specifically to take a look” were combined—along with that openly aggressive gaze—
Even an idiot could smell the gunpowder in the air.
A love rival had come knocking.
Bai Luoluo sighed inwardly.
Lei Li really was a magnet for trouble. The red flag at home hadn’t fallen yet, and the colorful banners outside were already fluttering right to the door.
She extended her hand and symbolically shook Zhao Man’s.
“Hello, Comrade Zhao.”
Zhao Man had a strong grip—and during the handshake, she even deliberately added pressure.
Bai Luoluo’s pampered hand immediately throbbed with pain.
Without changing her expression, Bai Luoluo withdrew her hand and hid it behind her back, rubbing it lightly.
“Lei Li isn’t home,” she said calmly. “He’s at the base.”
“I know.”
Zhao Man placed the net bag she was carrying onto the stone table in the courtyard with a crisp motion.
“I just came from his office. He said the house was a bit messy and told me not to mind it.”
As she spoke, her gaze swept around the courtyard.
It finally landed on the slop bucket that hadn’t been cleaned up yet, and her brows knit almost imperceptibly.
“Looks like Lei Li was right. Sister-in-law really isn’t very good at managing a household.”
That sentence choked Bai Luoluo on the spot.
Not good at managing a household?
Was she here to lecture her?
“Comrade Zhao, I think you may have misunderstood—”
“Oh, don’t overthink it, Sister-in-law. I’m a straightforward person—I say things as they are.”
Zhao Man cut her off and casually pulled over a small stool to sit down.
“Lei Li and I share a life-and-death bond. Back on the battlefield, I carried him on my back for three kilometers. His life was something I picked up with my own hands.”
“So I don’t really treat myself as an outsider.”
She looked at Bai Luoluo, a faint trace of pity in her eyes.
“Sister-in-law, judging by your complexion… aren’t you in rather poor health?”
“There’s no color in your lips, and there are dark circles under your eyes. You look like you could be blown over—like a paper doll.”
“I know Lei Li well. He’s a combat officer—vigorous, full of energy, with intense daily training. In life… he definitely needs a woman who can fight alongside him, who can hold down the fort at home.”
“With a body like yours…”
Zhao Man shook her head and clicked her tongue twice.
“Too weak.”
“If you follow the army up to the plateau someday, or if there’s an emergency, forget about taking care of Lei Li—he’d probably have to get distracted just to take care of you instead.”
Every word she spoke sounded perfectly reasonable.
On the surface, it was all concern—but every sentence was a knife stabbing straight into Bai Luoluo’s heart.
She belittled her physical condition while subtly implying: you’re not worthy of Lei Li; I’m his savior; I’m more suitable than you are.
So this was what they called a “high-level green tea” schemer?
The military version, no less.
Bai Luoluo sneered inwardly.
In the past, she would’ve already been so angry she’d be in tears.
But now, she was carrying seven future pillars of the nation in her womb.
A mother becomes strong.
Bai Luoluo might be delicate—but she was no soft persimmon for others to knead at will.
“Thank you for your concern, Comrade Zhao.”
Supporting her waist, Bai Luoluo slowly walked over to the stone table. She didn’t sit on the hard stool, instead leaning against the armrest of Lei Li’s genuine leather sofa (still gathering dust in the courtyard).
Her posture was languid, yet carried an air of innate elegance.
“As for my health—I really am a bit delicate.”
She gently stroked her belly, the corners of her lips curving into a meaningful smile.
“But Lei Li said it himself—he likes me just the way I am.”
“He said he’s already exhausted from fighting wars out there, so when he comes home, he just wants something pleasing to the eye.”
“As for taking care of people…”
Bai Luoluo blinked, looking completely innocent.
“He’s not looking for a nanny. Why would he need someone who’s good at doing chores?”
“Besides, I have hands and feet, and I have my family backing me up. Even if I do absolutely nothing, I can still raise myself plump and healthy. I don’t need him to worry about me.”
“But Comrade Zhao…”
Bai Luoluo looked Zhao Man up and down.
“Since you’re an old comrade-in-arms, you must not be that young anymore, right?”
“Always worrying about other people’s household affairs—aren’t you afraid you’ll exhaust yourself and age faster?”
That move—deflecting four ounces to redirect a thousand pounds—hit Zhao Man so hard she froze on the spot.
She hadn’t expected this woman, who looked like nothing more than a decorative vase, to have such a vicious tongue!
Not only had she mocked her as a nanny—she’d even taken a jab at her age!
Zhao Man’s face instantly flushed the color of pig liver.
She sprang to her feet, her chest heaving.
“You—”
“And what about me?” Bai Luoluo was still smiling sweetly. “Did I say something wrong? Comrade Zhao is so outstanding—surely you delayed your personal life for the sake of national affairs, right? That’s truly admirable.”
Zhao Man ground her teeth in fury.
She had come intending to give this pampered young lady a warning, to make her retreat in the face of difficulty.
Instead, she’d been completely outmaneuvered.
Just then—
The sound of a jeep braking came from outside the courtyard gate.
Moments later, Lei Li’s tall figure appeared at the entrance.
He was holding a file in his hand, his brows tightly knit—clearly dealing with something urgent.
When he saw the two women in the courtyard, he paused.
“Zhao Man? What are you doing here?”
Lei Li strode over. There was no particular delight in his voice—only a trace of official, businesslike seriousness.
The moment Zhao Man saw Lei Li, all the anger on her face vanished without a trace.
In its place appeared a bright, slightly aggrieved smile.
“Old Lei! You’re finally back!”
She went up to him, naturally lifting her hand as if to pat his shoulder.
Lei Li subtly shifted to the side, avoiding the gesture.
Zhao Man’s hand froze awkwardly in midair, but she reacted quickly, smoothly moving it to brush back her hair.
“I just got back from overseas, so I thought I’d come see you and Sister-in-law.”
“And while I was at it… I brought you that special-effect medicine.”
As she spoke, she pointed to the net bag on the table.
“Your old rheumatism flares up whenever it’s damp or rainy. I’ve always remembered that.”
At those words, Bai Luoluo’s heart gave a small jolt.
Old rheumatism?
She hadn’t known Lei Li had that condition.
It seemed the past between those two really was deeper than she’d imagined.
Lei Li glanced at the net bag, and his expression softened slightly.
“That’s thoughtful.”
He said it lightly, then turned to look at Bai Luoluo.
His gaze paused briefly when it landed on her pale complexion, but he quickly looked away.
“Since you’re here, come inside and sit.”
He said this to Zhao Man, then walked into the house first.
He didn’t introduce Bai Luoluo at all—nor did he say a single word of concern to her.
As if she were completely invisible.
Zhao Man shot Bai Luoluo a triumphant look.
That look seemed to say: See? This is the difference.
She straightened her back and followed Lei Li inside.
“Old Lei, this time I brought back some really good stuff…”
Their voices drifted out from inside the house.
They were talking about military matters—new equipment, tactical drills.
Professional terminology Bai Luoluo couldn’t understand a single word of.
She stood alone in the courtyard, listening to the occasional bursts of laughter from inside.
That sense of being shut out and excluded flooded over her like a rising tide.
She looked at the lunch box Lei Li had tossed into the slop bucket.
Then she looked at her husband inside the house, chatting and laughing with another woman.
It hurt.
It really hurt.
“System…”
Bai Luoluo called silently in her heart.
“Am I really that useless?”
“Other than giving birth, it feels like I can’t help him with anything—not even join the conversation.”
The system fell silent for one second.
Then, for the first time, that cold mechanical voice carried a trace of fiery resolve.
【Host, do not belittle yourself!】
【Your value is far more than reproduction alone!】
【Detected: Host has encountered a strong competitor. Emergency face-slapping mission triggered!】
【Mission Name: Crushing Superiority of Talent.】
【Mission Description: Within the next 24 hours, use the host’s knowledge and system-granted abilities to defeat Zhao Man in a professional field, forcing the Chosen One to view you in a new light!】
【Mission Reward: Fetal Intelligence Development Serum (S-Rank)!】
【Failure Penalty: Morning sickness doubled.】
Bai Luoluo’s eyes lit up instantly.
An intelligence development serum?
For the babies—and for this wounded pride—
She was determined to slap this face back.
Just then, the conversation inside abruptly stopped.
Lei Li’s voice turned urgent.
“What did you say? The manual is entirely in German? You can’t translate it?”
“That batch of equipment is going into use tomorrow. Without the manual, how are we supposed to calibrate it?”
Zhao Man’s voice sounded uncertain.
“I… I only know English. You know that back then, we were trained in Russian and English…”
“This batch of equipment is imported from West Germany—the latest model. No one in the country has even seen it before…”
“Damn it!”
Lei Li cursed under his breath, clearly frantic.
“I’ll call the General Staff right now and have them send over a translator!”
“It’s too late! The General Staff’s German translator has been sent out on an external mission—he won’t be back until the day after tomorrow at the earliest!”
The atmosphere inside the room froze instantly.
This batch of medical equipment was meant to treat critically wounded soldiers transported back from the front lines.
Every minute earlier it was calibrated meant one more life saved.
Now, being stalled by a user manual was practically like carving flesh out of Lei Li’s heart.
Standing in the courtyard, Bai Luoluo heard everything clearly.
German?
The corners of her lips slowly curved into a confident smile.
When she had studied abroad, because of her love for opera, she had deliberately chosen German as an elective.
And her advisor had been German.
Her German proficiency was good enough to write academic papers directly in the language.
An opportunity—hadn’t it just presented itself?
Bai Luoluo straightened the hem of her dress and took a deep breath.
She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders, like a white swan about to step onto the battlefield.
Step by step, she walked into that room filled with tension and anxiety.