"Ouch…" Ye Qiaoqiao's expression changed as she fell to the ground with a thud. A sharp pain shot through her ankle, instantly draining the color from her face.
"Qiaoqiao, you should suffer for not listening to me…" Zhou Cong scolded before reaching out to help her up.
"What are you doing?"
A sharp shout followed by hurried footsteps rang out. In the next second, Zhou Cong was shoved to the ground, his black suit now smudged with dust.
"It's you!" Zhou Cong's palms were scraped. He looked up and saw Fu Juechuan in his military uniform. Enraged, he pushed himself up and stood.
Fu Juechuan ignored him entirely, focusing solely on Ye Qiaoqiao's injured ankle. After examining it, he said, "It's a sprain. You'll need medication. Don't worry, it's not serious."
Comparing Fu Juechuan's concern with Zhou Cong's initial reaction of blaming her, Ye Qiaoqiao couldn't help but glance coldly at Zhou Cong with a mocking smile.
She then turned her attention back and asked gently, "Brother Fu, what brings you here?"
"Just passing by," Fu Juechuan replied briefly. "The commendation ceremony has been finalized. Aside from daily training, I'm not too busy. I'll take you to the medical clinic first and then return to the training camp."
Ye Qiaoqiao nodded instinctively. Only after agreeing did she belatedly wonder why Fu Juechuan was being so kind to her.
But before she could figure it out, Zhou Cong, who had been watching their every move, was already red-eyed with anger.
"Qiaoqiao, what is your relationship with him?" Zhou Cong had been busy these past few days trying to get Jiang Yao released, with little time to rest and naturally no time to care about Ye Qiaoqiao.
He had initially dismissed Ye Qiaoqiao's casual remark about marrying Fu Juechuan after their broken engagement as a joke and hadn't taken it seriously.
But what he witnessed today filled him with an ominous premonition.
"Brother Fu is my fiancé. We'll be holding our engagement ceremony soon," Ye Qiaoqiao said calmly and composedly, looking at him.
She wanted Zhou Cong to give up completely, to stop clinging to her family's influence and pestering her.
"Qiaoqiao, you're joking with me, right?" Zhou Cong couldn't force a smile; the words seemed to be squeezed through gritted teeth.
His gaze fell on Fu Juechuan, who stood quietly beside Ye Qiaoqiao, and he nearly ground his teeth to dust.
How dare he!
"Do you think I would lie about something so obvious?"
Zhou Cong instinctively stepped forward, angrily reaching for her hand.
"Qiaoqiao, I apologize. Don't be stubborn and marry someone you don't love. I don't believe you have no feelings left for me."
Ye Qiaoqiao stood up and slapped him across the face.
She had been holding back this slap for a long time.
The sound was sharp and loud.
Zhou Cong, a man who valued his pride, stood frozen for a moment, his cheek marked with five red fingerprints. He touched his face and turned to look at Ye Qiaoqiao.
His eyes were bloodshot, his voice as dark as ink. "Ye Qiaoqiao, do you know what you're doing?"
Without waiting for her reply, he sneered to himself. "I don't want to know what you're thinking either. Just don't regret it. Since you insist on marrying someone else, fine. I'll definitely rescue Yao Yao and won't marry you."
Zhou Cong stared at her silently for a long time, but she showed no signs of regret or pleading. His eyes darkened, and he threw out one last remark, "On the day you and Fu Juechuan get engaged, I'll also be engaged to Yao Yao."
Zhou Cong had clearly made his decision and didn't press further, turning to leave.
Ye Qiaoqiao wasn't surprised. This was Zhou Cong's true nature—his earlier persistence had felt out of character.
She only regretted not stepping forward to slap him again.
After Zhou Cong left, Ye Qiaoqiao belatedly realized she hadn't consulted Fu Juechuan before announcing their engagement banquet. She turned to him, instinctively wanting to explain.
But Fu Juechuan didn't question it at all.
Even before she could speak, he crouched down first.
"I'll take you to the clinic to get your medicine applied," Fu Juechuan offered his broad back to her.
It was as if he had already tacitly accepted their impending engagement.
If she tried to explain now, wouldn't it be redundant and overly formal?
Thinking this, Ye Qiaoqiao instantly decided against explaining.
In her good mood, she couldn't help but smile, eyes crinkling, and without hesitation, she climbed onto his back, naturally wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Brother Fu, then… thank you," Ye Qiaoqiao whispered, resting her head on his shoulder blade.
"Hmm." Fu Juechuan only felt his back burning so intensely it was affecting his ability to think, his Adam's apple moving uncontrollably.
He abruptly straightened up.
"Ah," Ye Qiaoqiao gasped softly, "I'm going to fall."
Fu Juechuan quickly reached back to support her thighs, the scorching heat transferring to his palms, searingly hot.
He clenched his large hand into a fist, trying to avoid touching her soft skin as much as possible.
"Don't worry, you won't fall," Fu Juechuan reassured her in a muffled voice.
Ye Qiaoqiao wrapped her arms around his shoulders again, noticing his dark red ears. She found it somewhat amusing, thinking Fu Juechuan was truly innocent.
Honestly, this was the first time she had ever been carried by a man. In her previous life, Zhou Cong had only ever been nice to her in front of others.
"Brother Fu, did you already know me before?" Ye Qiaoqiao made conversation, trying to learn more about Fu Juechuan.
Fu Juechuan carried her toward the clinic and casually replied, "Hmm."
His answer surprised Ye Qiaoqiao. She silently searched her memories before asking quietly, "Brother Fu, when did we… meet?"
Ye Qiaoqiao realized her memories were mostly filled with the ten years after marrying Zhou Cong in her previous life and the memories after her death. Everything before the marriage felt as distant as a lifetime before that.
Fu Juechuan's steps faltered for a moment before returning to normal in the blink of an eye. His expression was stern, a flicker of disappointment passing through his steady eyes.
"A long time ago. It wasn't anything memorable. If you've forgotten, then forget it."
Fu Juechuan clearly had no intention of bringing up the past again.
Hearing this, Ye Qiaoqiao didn't press further.
She decided to ask her father about it when he returned in the evening, treating it as reminiscing about old times.
"Brother Fu, oh no, I forgot to give you your thank-you gift," Ye Qiaoqiao slapped her forehead, suddenly remembering.
"Gift? Not necessary," Fu Juechuan refused firmly. "If it's because of our engagement, it's even less needed. As your fiancé, it's what I should do."
"Rumors are still spreading outside about you being abandoned. When we get to the clinic, if you hear such talk, don't get angry."
"I'm not angry. After all, I don't like Zhou Cong anyway," Ye Qiaoqiao truly didn't care.
She wasn't surprised at all that gossip about her was circulating in the compound. Among her peers there, she had friends, but also rivals who couldn't stand her.
Of course, the main reason was those military second-generation kids. To curry favor with Zhou Cong, there was no harsh word they wouldn't say. Why should she care about such remarks?
Seeing that Fu Juechuan didn’t respond further—clearly not believing her but politely refraining from pressing the matter—Ye Qiaoqiao could only sigh helplessly in her heart. She simply leaned against Fu Juechuan’s back and rested properly.
However.
She studied the man’s handsome profile seriously—his thin lips pressed tightly, his features sharp and defined, his skin flawless, and an aura of calm and steadiness radiating from him.
Ye Qiaoqiao thought Fu Juechuan was countless times more handsome than Zhou Cong. How could she have ever fallen for someone as hypocritical as Zhou Cong?
Fu Juechuan had long been tensed up under her gaze.
Only when her gaze shifted away did he finally relax.
Just as Fu Juechuan carried Ye Qiaoqiao to the medical clinic, they ran into Li Lele, who had never gotten along with her.
“Well, well, look who’s here. Just made a scene about being abandoned by her fiancé, and still has the nerve to show her face outside.” Li Lele and Ye Qiaoqiao had grown up together in the military compound since childhood and had always been rivals.