He Congnan felt terrible.
He didn’t even dare imagine how much this little girl must have suffered over the years.
Gently patting Lu Jinhuan’s back, he asked softly,
“Let’s eat in another room.”
“Is there anything you’re especially craving?”
Lu Jinhuan shook her head and quietly let him lead her into another private room.
The truth was, what hurt her wasn’t just Aunt Li’s attitude.
She had long since grown used to that.
The person she truly cared about…
Was her father.
Back at the He residence, Aunt Li had criticized her in front of the He brothers.
Her father hadn’t said a single word in her defense.
Instead…
It was this man, whom she’d known for less than an hour, who had stood up for her.
There had once been a time when she and her father depended on each other.
Although she was too young to remember anything before the age of two, the neighbors, her father’s coworkers, and even her late grandparents had often told her how dearly her father loved her.
To her, her father had always been like a towering mountain.
But…
When had that mountain stopped being her shelter?
It started after her younger brother was born.
When Lu Jin’an was little, he didn’t know any better.
After Lu Jinyun whispered a few words into his ear, he’d tear up Lu Jinhuan’s homework, hide caterpillars inside her pencil case, and even sneak into her room while she slept to cut off her braids.
At first, their father would scold his son.
But every time, Aunt Li would immediately jump in.
“He’s still just a child.”
“You’re the older sister.”
“You should give in to him.”
Whenever her father argued back, Aunt Li would throw a huge tantrum.
If she became angry enough, she’d take Lu Jinyun and little Lu Jin’an back to her parents’ home.
Her father would then have to prepare expensive gifts, personally apologize to her family, and persuade her to come back before she would calm down.
Gradually…
Perhaps he simply grew tired of arguing.
Little by little…
He stopped speaking up for Lu Jinhuan.
Just like at the dinner table today.
Whenever Aunt Li criticized her, her father instinctively closed his eyes and pretended not to hear.
If he wanted to treat her well…
He could only secretly slip her a little money…
Or quietly buy her some snacks…
Pat her head…
And tell her to eat them when no one was watching.
The more Lu Jinhuan thought about it, the sadder she became.
Tears streamed endlessly down her face.
She didn’t dare sob aloud.
She simply cried silently, choking back her sobs.
Seeing this nearly broke He Congnan’s heart.
He asked a waiter for a clean towel and gently wiped away her tears while trying to cheer her up.
“Oh dear…”
“Our little Huan’er is this heartbroken?”
“Look at you.”
“Your tears are practically forming a river.”
“No, this won’t do.”
“I’d better grab a bowl to catch them.”
“What if I end up drowning?”
As he spoke, he actually picked up a drinking cup and held it beneath her face with complete seriousness, pretending to collect her tears.
Lu Jinhuan burst into laughter through her tears.
She gently pushed his arm away.
“You’re exaggerating.”
“I’m not crying anymore.”
“Otherwise, if I really drowned Pilot He…”
“Wouldn’t the country arrest me for it?”
Her nose was still stuffy from crying.
Her voice carried a thick nasal tone.
Yet hearing her sound so pitiful only made He Congnan’s heart ache even more.
“I’ll submit our marriage application first thing tomorrow morning.”
“If everything goes smoothly, it should be approved within three days.”
“As soon as it’s approved…”
“We’ll get married.”
“From then on…”
“We’ll be family.”
“We won’t have to care about anyone else anymore.”
“Okay?”
Lu Jinhuan nodded.
“Actually…”
“My father has treated me fairly well.”
She didn’t want her future husband to think poorly of her father.
After all…
She still hadn’t repaid her father for raising her.
He Congnan said nothing.
Just then, the waiter began bringing in the dishes, and the topic quietly came to an end.
After dinner, He Congnan first returned to the military compound to pick up his car before driving Lu Jinhuan back to the guesthouse near the train station.
It was Lu Jinhuan’s first time riding in a car.
Her dark eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Wow!”
“Brother Congnan, you’re amazing!”
“You even know how to drive one of these!”
Holding the steering wheel with one hand, He Congnan casually played with her small, soft hand using the other.
Her praise made him secretly beam with pride.
“I can fly airplanes.”
“Driving a car is nothing.”
Her eyes shone with admiration.
“Mhm!”
“Brother Congnan is incredible!”
“I don’t even have to see it.”
“I can already imagine what you look like flying a plane.”
“So impressive!”
“You’re a real man!”
She gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Every word came from the bottom of her heart.
She genuinely admired soldiers.
A nation cannot stand without defense, and its people cannot live in peace without soldiers.
Those who protected their country deserved the greatest respect.
For the rest of the drive, Lu Jinhuan chatted happily without stopping.
She praised him so much that He Congnan felt completely lightheaded.
By the time he got out of the car, it felt as though he were walking on clouds.
“All right.”
“Go back and get some rest.”
“I have to report to the base first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll pick you up for lunch.”
As always, Lu Jinhuan obediently nodded.
“Okay~”
Unable to resist, He Congnan reached over and gently ruffled her hair.
She was simply too well-behaved.
So gentle that it made people want to cherish her.
Years ago, he had already accepted the fact that he couldn’t father children.
His heart had become as calm as still water.
He had poured all of his energy into his career and prepared himself to live the rest of his life alone.
But today…
He had met Lu Jinhuan.
A girl eleven years younger than him.
A girl he had fallen for at first sight.
Before turning twenty, his family had introduced him to a suitable match.
She came from a family equal to his own in status.
At the time, he hadn’t opposed the arrangement.
After all, every child raised in the military compound went through the same thing.
Still…
He was merely indifferent.
During the six months they “dated,” they met fewer than five times.
They shared only one meal together.
They never once held hands or touched each other.
Even their conversations were mechanical.
One person asked a question.
The other answered.
Then there was nothing left to say.
Later, after he was diagnosed with infertility, that woman broke up with him immediately.
He hadn’t felt the slightest sadness.
In fact…
If she hadn’t come to find him, he probably would have forgotten she even existed.
After that, his family introduced him to one woman after another.
He disliked every single one of them equally.
In his eyes, they were all both unattractive and greedy.
Not one of them had ever caught his attention.
Not one had ever reached his heart.
But now…
Someone finally had.
His heart hurt when Lu Jinhuan was sad.
A single admiring look from her made him absurdly happy.
He Congnan thought…
Perhaps…
This was what it meant to like someone.
He had always been that kind of man.
If he liked something…
He would make it his.
He would never allow himself to live with regrets.
Holding the coat that still carried Lu Jinhuan’s faint orchid fragrance, He Congnan returned home.
He had assumed his parents were already asleep.
Instead, the moment he entered, he found both of them sitting on the sofa waiting for him.
“Congnan.”
“Come sit down.”
After returning from work, He Qianlin had listened excitedly as Jiang Yun recounted everything that had happened that evening.
By the end of the story, his curiosity had been completely piqued.
He knew he wouldn’t sleep unless he got the full story.
He Congnan sat opposite his parents with an expression that plainly said:
“Go ahead. Ask whatever you want.”
“I heard from your mother…”
“…that things seem promising between you and your younger brother’s sister-in-law’s younger sister?”
“They are.”
“We’ve already made our relationship official.”
“I’ll submit our marriage application tomorrow morning.”
“Dad, I’ll have to trouble you to give Uncle Wang a call.”
“Ask him to approve it as quickly as possible.”
He Congnan served in the Air Force, while He Qianlin belonged to the Army.
They weren’t in the same branch.
However, He Qianlin and Air Force Commander Wang Tiejun were close friends who had survived life-and-death battles together in the same trenches.
He Qianlin stared at him in shock.
“You’re in that much of a hurry?”
“Yeah.”
“The Lu family’s travel permit only lasts a few more days.”
“I’d like to get the marriage certificate first and hold the wedding as soon as possible.”
“That way Huan’er’s father can still attend.”
“As for the wedding…”
“I’ll have to trouble you and Mom.”
“We can keep everything simple.”
“The schedule’s just too tight.”