The middle-aged woman hurled insults nonstop, but Liu Qingyue simply rolled her eyes and ignored her.
One of the officers cleared his throat, his expression turning serious.
“You still have the nerve to talk? You’re trafficking children—kidnapping and selling them! Do you realize how cruel and illegal that is?”
The two tried to argue back, but the police had already taken them away.
Since the train was still moving, they couldn’t get off immediately. The suspects would be taken in for questioning at the next station.
The commotion had been loud enough to wake many passengers, and quite a few had witnessed everything.
After the police left, the train staff thanked Liu Qingyue again, and the passengers broke into applause.
“She’s so young and already so brave—what a great example!”
“She’s not only pretty but smart too—she actually noticed those people were traffickers!”
“I passed by them twice and didn’t notice anything!”
…
People in the carriage kept praising her, and Liu Qingyue smiled modestly.
The conductor added with a warm smile, “Everyone, please return to your seats. If you ever notice something suspicious, report it to the staff. Catching even one trafficker can save an entire family.”
Gradually, everyone settled back down.
Liu Wanwan had witnessed everything.
By the time Liu Qingyue returned, she was already standing near the seat—the man who had been putting his feet on the table earlier had gotten off.
Liu Qingyue sat down calmly.
Liu Wanwan, however, spoke in a sarcastic tone, “Wow, you’re really something. If you noticed all that, why didn’t you tell me?”
Liu Qingyue didn’t even bother responding.
She simply sat down and stayed silent.
Furious, Liu Wanwan kicked the seat in front of her. People nearby turned to look, and not wanting to cause more trouble, she quickly sat down.
Liu Qingyue let out a quiet laugh.
After that incident, most people were wide awake.
Small groups started chatting, sharing gossip. As the conversations grew livelier, the sky gradually brightened.
Before long, they arrived at their destination.
“Final stop! Please gather your belongings and exit the train!”
Passengers grabbed their bags and began getting off, some still rubbing sleep from their eyes.
Liu Qingyue and Liu Wanwan got off as well.
Since Zhou Heshan had sent his address earlier, they were able to quickly find transportation to the military area.
Because the base was located on an island, the military had arranged special transport. Any military family members heading there could ride the provided vehicles.
But the journey didn’t end there—they still had to take a boat from the port to reach the island.
It was quite a trip.
Along the way, Liu Wanwan was visibly annoyed, while Liu Qingyue remained calm, quietly sitting through the ride and the boat trip.
At one point, someone tried to chat with them and ask about Zhou Heshan.
Liu Wanwan eagerly opened her mouth to respond—but Liu Qingyue quickly pulled her back.
“What are you doing?” Liu Wanwan snapped, annoyed.
“Why shouldn’t I talk?”
“If you casually reveal things about Zhou Heshan, remember—he’s a deputy battalion commander. If you say something wrong and embarrass him, how do you think he’ll see you?”
After saying that, Liu Qingyue said nothing more.
Liu Wanwan paused.
She swallowed her urge to show off.
Until everything was certain, she couldn’t afford to make a mistake.
What if Zhou Heshan started to dislike her because of it?
She couldn’t risk that.
When Liu Wanwan finally quieted down, Liu Qingyue let out a small sigh of relief.
At last… some peace.
After a long day and night of travel, they woke up at dawn—and finally saw the island ahead.
There weren’t many military wives traveling this time, maybe just a handful, but everyone felt excited the moment they saw land.
“We’re finally here!”
Liu Wanwan had gotten seasick the night before, constantly vomiting in the cabin.
Now, seeing the island felt like a lifeline.
Liu Qingyue gazed at the island too, a faint smile forming on her lips.
She had returned.
In her past life, this place had brought her endless humiliation.
But this time… she would not repeat the same mistakes.
Anyone who wronged her would pay the price.
After arriving, they reported to the guards at the entrance.
When they mentioned they were looking for Deputy Battalion Commander Zhou, the guards immediately went inside to report.
After taking a few steps, one of them turned back and asked Liu Qingyue’s identity.
“I’m his fiancée,” Liu Qingyue said with a calm smile.
Beside her, Liu Wanwan clenched her teeth in frustration.
Not for long, she thought.
The guards went inside.
At that moment, Zhou Heshan was training his soldiers.
“Deputy Battalion Commander Zhou!”
A guard ran up and reported, “There are two women at the gate. One says she’s your fiancée, and the other is her younger sister. They want to see you. Should we let them in?”
“Fiancée?”
Hearing Liu Qingyue’s name, Zhou Heshan felt annoyed.
But when he heard Liu Wanwan was also there, he hesitated, then nodded.
“Bring them in.”
As soon as the guard left, the soldiers gathered around, clearly having heard the word “fiancée.”
They started teasing him.
“Sir, you have a fiancée? You’ve been hiding that from us!”
“She must be beautiful, right? Is she here to stay with you—and maybe get married soon?”
“Looks like you’ve been keeping big news from us!”
…
They joked back and forth, but Zhou Heshan stayed silent, clearly irritated.
Soon, Liu Qingyue and Liu Wanwan were brought in.
The moment he saw them, Zhou Heshan walked straight over.
Looking directly at Liu Qingyue, he said bluntly:
“Why did you come here?”
“I’ve already heard what happened—you were touched all over by another man.”
His hair partially covered his eyes, but his expression showed clear disgust.
“Your reputation is ruined. My parents are very traditional—they would never accept this. And neither would I. I don’t want to marry you.”
He didn’t hesitate or soften his words.
Then, his gaze shifted to Liu Wanwan behind her.
“But you also know our marriage was arranged by our families since childhood. So the only option now… is for me to marry your sister instead. After all, she’s still part of the Liu family.”