Hearing this, Ye Qiaoqiao flew into a rage. She stopped in her tracks, turned around, and walked straight toward the group of gossiping women.
"Auntie Wu, you said I have my eyes on the sky and refused the marriage because I look down on Zhou Cong?" Ye Qiaoqiao said angrily. "I know all these rumors were spread by Xu Zhengqing and his lot. They must have also said I'm arrogant, restless, and insatiably greedy, right?"
Auntie Wu gave an awkward smile. No one responded, but their gossipy, disdainful glances made it clear they believed the rumors.
Ye Qiaoqiao should have expected Xu Zhengqing and his crew's shamelessness.
She sneered, "Do you know that Zhou Cong has been secretly carrying on with Jiang Yao, my family maid's daughter, behind my back? You all like that kind of unfaithful man? Then you marry him."
Comrade Wu and the others instantly grew suspicious.
Just as they were about to eagerly press for more details, Xu Zhengqing and his group emerged from behind the supply and marketing cooperative.
Xu Zhengqing narrowed his eyes, calculating. "Ye Qiaoqiao, I think you clearly refused the marriage because you felt Zhou Ge's bridewealth was too little. You just made up an excuse."
"If that's not the case, how do you explain you immediately chose a lowly soldier on the spot and said you'd marry him?"
Xu Zhengqing righteously pinned all the blame on Ye Qiaoqiao, even distorting the facts. "Dare you say you didn't do it? Didn't say you'd marry Fu Juechuan?"
Ye Qiaoqiao seethed with anger. "You're quite skilled at twisting the truth."
"Zhou Cong betrayed me for two years—isn't that a fact?" Ye Qiaoqiao knew what Zhou Cong had done was terrible, but only she, as the person involved, could feel the disgust.
Arguing with Xu Zhengqing would never give her the upper hand in public opinion.
Sure enough.
Xu Zhengqing declared righteously, "We've already said it was a misunderstanding. Zhou Ge thought it was you, so he exchanged letters with Jiang Yao. Our Zhou Ge was deceived too."
"Fine, so the past two years were a deception. But just now at my house, he hugged and held Jiang Yao—was that also a misunderstanding?" Ye Qiaoqiao said sarcastically. "If your father also hugged and held another female comrade like that, and you still think it's a misunderstanding, then I'll accept your explanation."
Xu Zhengqing's face instantly darkened.
Seeing Auntie Wu and the others pointing and whispering about him, Zhou Ge's reputation was at risk.
Xu Zhengqing immediately changed the subject.
"Hmph, you're criticizing Zhou Ge, but what about you kissing that lowly soldier Fu Juechuan in public? What kind of decent girl are you?" Xu Zhengqing attacked her reputation, full of malice.
For a moment, Ye Qiaoqiao felt ashamed and annoyed—not because she thought her kiss was wrong, but because she felt she had dragged Fu Juechuan into this. She was single and unmarried; did she need to observe some outdated feminine virtue?
"First of all, I refused Zhou Cong before getting together with Brother Fu under my father's witness. We are engaged and planning to marry. What business is it of yours?"
Ye Qiaoqiao sneered. "I think you're just embarrassed I didn't choose Zhou Cong, so you're spreading gossip about me to get back at me."
Xu Zhengqing and his group did indeed think Ye Qiaoqiao was being unreasonable and causing trouble with Zhou Ge, creating all this drama. Dissatisfied with her, they naturally wanted to teach her a lesson.
But now, they hadn't expected her to be so sharp-tongued and clear-thinking, leaving them momentarily unable to find flaws in her argument.
Suddenly, he spotted something, a glint of calculation flashing in his eyes, and deliberately raised his voice, "Ye Qiaoqiao, if you ask me, Fu Juechuan only agreed to be with you because he was pressured by your father's power and influence. If you have the guts, make him say right here in front of everyone that he's willing to marry you!"
He didn't believe Fu Juechuan would dare say such a thing!
Commander Ye surely wouldn't think much of a poor soldier like Fu Juechuan either.
It must have been for the sake of face that he hinted for Fu Juechuan to help out, especially since Fu Juechuan was the only one of suitable age in the living room at the time.
If Fu Juechuan really dared to commit to this publicly, Commander Ye would definitely be angry. Would he risk offending Commander Ye for his own future?
Xu Zhengqing was betting that Fu Juechuan wouldn't dare do it.
In a moment, he would surely avoid eye contact and make excuses, and then Xu Zhengqing could seize the opportunity to put Ye Qiaoqiao in her place, making her go apologize to Brother Zhou. After all, as a woman, how could she not give face to a man in public?
"Fu Juechuan, isn't that right?" Xu Zhengqing deliberately called out to Fu Juechuan, who had just appeared behind Ye Qiaoqiao.
Ye Qiaoqiao turned around, surprised to see Fu Juechuan had returned. She was taken aback and instinctively signaled with her eyes for him to leave, not wanting to drag him into this.
Although Fu Juechuan had said that his earlier promise of marriage wasn't a joke, she didn't know why he had agreed, so naturally, she lacked confidence.
But Fu Juechuan met her gaze calmly, stepping forward until he stopped beside her.
"Qiaoqiao, they're bullying you," Fu Juechuan stated with certainty.
Ye Qiaoqiao felt the care hidden beneath his cold mask, and for a moment, her nose tingled with emotion. In the face of Xu Zhengqing and the others' malice, Fu Juechuan's sincerity felt all the more precious.
"Comrade Xu, I heard what you just said. I can now answer you with certainty: Qiaoqiao and I are in a relationship, and we will be engaged soon. There is no third party between us, nor any pressure from elders—only our determination to spend our lives together."
"If you have any other doubts, you can ask me all at once. Bullying a female comrade is hardly manly," Fu Juechuan said, his gaze calm and direct as he looked at Xu Zhengqing.
Xu Zhengqing's face flushed red with anger, and he roared in disbelief, "You actually dare to admit it?"
No, maybe Fu Juechuan just wanted to seize the chance to latch onto a powerful connection!
Xu Zhengqing firmly believed this to be true and instantly changed his mind. What kind of good man could a poor guy like this, trying to live off a woman, possibly be? Ye Qiaoqiao's taste was nothing special after all.
"Fine, since you've decided to get engaged, I really must congratulate you," Xu Zhengqing mocked Ye Qiaoqiao as if watching a show. "I say, Ye Qiaoqiao, you're marrying a poor soldier and treating him like a treasure. I hope you won't come crying about poverty later."
Ye Qiaoqiao sneered. Xu Zhengqing was determined to find reasons to mock and ridicule her.
No matter what she did, he would buzz around like a fly.
Xu Zhengqing could mock her all he wanted, but he had no right to mock Fu Juechuan, who was being dragged into this.
"Xu Zhengqing, listen up. Even if Brother Fu has nothing, he's still better than you, better than Zhou Cong, better than all of you!"
"Hmph, I'd like to see how well you fare marrying a pauper!" Xu Zhengqing scoffed, flicking his sleeve as he prepared to leave.
Ye Qiaoqiao sneered, "You call Brother Fu a soldier, but you're a second-generation. Why haven't you become an officer on your own merit?"
"Is it because you don't want to?"
Xu Zhengqing was hopping mad, and the other second-generation heirs with him felt insulted as well. They strode toward Ye Qiaoqiao, ready to get physical.
Fu Juechuan frowned and stepped forward, his voice icy as he barked, “Looking for a fight?”
His sharp, angular eyes and the powerful muscles visible beneath his clothes made them instinctively retreat two steps. Humiliated and angry, they spat out threats.
“We won’t stoop to your level, you lowly soldier!”
“Ye Qiaoqiao, just you wait. When you’re eating husks and chaff, you’ll be crying your eyes out.”
“Then you’ll have to watch helplessly as we live the good life.”
“Serves you right!”
“Why wait for later? What kind of bridewealth can Fu Juechuan possibly offer that could compare to my Brother Zhou?” Xu Zhengqing sneered. “Ye Qiaoqiao, don’t you dare use your own money to fake the bridewealth. On your engagement day, we’ll see a good show.”