Everyone turned to look outside, only to see two soldiers pushing through the crowd.
“Sorry! Excuse us! Please make way!”
The two who entered were Han Xiao and Chen Liang.
“Chief Staff Officer Xu!”
The two of them saluted the stern-faced Chief Staff Officer Xu standing to the side.
Then Han Xiao spoke:
“Chief Staff Officer Xu, we came to clarify something to everyone. Comrade Song Ning risked her life yesterday morning by jumping alone into a mudslide to save a child. She barely survived!
We searched for nearly eight hours and finally found her about seven kilometers away from Yanjiao Village. Last night we brought her back to Gaoping and then went to repair the road. This morning we heard some inappropriate remarks about her in the medical team, so we came to clarify the situation.”
The usually quiet Chen Liang added a sentence:
“Commander Gu also instructed that she may be injured and needs rest.”
The room fell into silence once again.
Jumped into a mudslide alone?
Saved a child?
Was swept seven kilometers away by the mudflow?
This thin, quiet girl had done something so earth-shattering—and yet she had not said a single word about it?
And yet that same Chen Yuting had been here the whole time making unreasonable accusations and demanding apologies!
Even insisting she should consider the “family member’s feelings”!
Someone who was already disliked now looked even more unpleasant in everyone’s eyes.
Zheng Chang’an had already brought over Song Ning’s bag. At this moment, he also felt a wave of regret.
He had only known she was swept away, but he hadn’t known she was saving someone.
And he had completely forgotten to ask whether she was injured.
Sigh… I’m really not a competent junior after all…
Seeing no one speak, Han Xiao asked again:
“By the way, Comrade Song Ning! I checked earlier—Comrade Lu Changqing is in Gaoping. I heard he’s injured. Have you met him yet?”
The moment those words were spoken, everyone froze.
Including Song Ning.
Alright. She had just been thinking about how to appropriately reveal her “hidden identity.”
And now these two comrades suddenly showed up and, without warning, elevated the situation, presenting her in a completely favorable light and even voicing what she had not yet said.
In this situation… should she consider changing her “persona”?
Thinking this, she secretly pinched her thigh hard.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward her.
But unexpectedly, Song Ning—who had just been speaking so confidently—suddenly lowered her head.
“Han Xiao! What do you mean by that?” Chen Yuting snapped.
“Why would she be asking about Lu Changqing?”
Han Xiao, unaware of the earlier conflict and completely ignorant of Chen Yuting’s self-proclaimed “family member” status, replied casually:
“Comrade Song Ning came here originally to look for Company Commander Lu. She’s his fiancée—she came to the military to get married!”
Boom—
The room erupted.
What a bombshell!
So this “family member” and “Brother Changqing” that Chen Yuting kept mentioning—
She didn’t even know she was interfering with someone else’s fiancée!
This wasn’t just inappropriate anymore.
This was practically destroying someone else’s relationship!
At this point, not getting stabbed was already generous!
Chen Yuting’s face turned deathly pale.
She screamed:
“No way! How could you possibly be Brother Changqing’s fiancée?! You—”
“Enough!”
Chief Staff Officer Xu slammed his hand on the table.
He had been summoned here overnight to clean up Chen Yuting’s mess, and now it seemed the issue wasn’t just professional misconduct—but moral conduct as well.
He looked at Song Ning and softened his tone slightly.
“Comrade Song Ning, is what Comrade Han Xiao said true?”
Only then did Song Ning slowly lift her head.
Only then did everyone realize—
this girl who had survived a mudslide without a word now had tears shimmering in her eyes.
Her small face was pale and exhausted.
Compared to Chen Yuting’s aggressive attitude, she immediately evoked sympathy.
Song Ning said nothing.
She took her bag from Zheng Chang’an, opened it carefully, and retrieved a plastic-wrapped bundle.
Layer by layer, she unwrapped it.
Finally, she handed two documents to Chief Staff Officer Xu.
One was her introduction letter, stamped by the Anping Public Security Bureau.
The other was a written statement from Director Hao, stamped by the Bijie County Government.
The introduction letter confirmed her identity and origin.
The statement explained her reason for joining the medical team and specifically requested that the Southwestern Military Region help her locate her family as soon as possible.
After reading them, Chief Staff Officer Xu was silent for a moment.
Then he stood up, returned the documents to her with both hands, and solemnly said:
“Comrade Song Ning, you have been wronged. We will handle this properly.”
He clasped his hands behind his back, paced twice in the room, and then turned his sharp gaze toward Chen Yuting.
With a cold snort, he said:
“So—‘family member’? Chen Yuting! How long do you intend to keep causing trouble?”
“Tell me honestly! Were you aware that Lu Changqing already had a fiancée?”
Chen Yuting’s face was panicked.
“S-she’s really his fiancée? How is that possible?”
She looked at Song Ning.
In her mind, Brother Changqing had said that woman was just a rural village girl—uneducated, timid, unable to speak loudly or even lift her head.
How could she be this composed, sharp-eyed woman with medical skill and presence?
She pointed at Song Ning and shouted:
“I don’t believe it! If she’s really his fiancée, why didn’t she say so from the beginning? She even asked about his name yesterday!”
Song Ning secretly pinched her thigh again.
When she looked up, tears were already trembling in her eyes.
“Yesterday, Comrade Chen repeatedly stated she was his ‘family member’ and repeatedly expressed concern for Company Commander Lu.”
“In that situation… how could I possibly recognize him and speak up? Wouldn’t that just be humiliating myself?”
She lowered her head and covered her face, saying nothing more.
Her acting ability only went so far—but the audience filled in the rest.
To everyone else, she was already in deep emotional distress.
Chief Staff Officer Xu said sternly:
“Enough! Chen Yuting! Do you still not recognize your mistakes? You continue to act aggressively and refuse to reflect!”
“Regardless of whether Comrade Song recognizes it, your conduct with Lu Changqing has already caused serious disciplinary issues. The organization will deal with this strictly!”
“Commander Xu! We were in a free relationship! Brother Changqing and she had an arranged marriage! There was no emotional foundation—it doesn’t count!”
Chief Staff Officer Xu shouted:
“Nonsense!”
He stared at her for a few seconds, then called out:
“Wang Ze!”
“Yes!”
The adjutant beside him immediately responded.
“Report this to the military region immediately. Comrade Chen Yuting, during disaster relief duties, committed serious errors, refused to admit fault, shirked responsibility, concealed the truth, and behaved arrogantly. Together with Lu Changqing of the Seventh Regiment, she violated organizational discipline and severely damaged the image of the military. I recommend immediate suspension and strict disciplinary investigation.”
“Yes, sir!”
Wang Ze turned and left immediately.
“No—no—Commander Xu! I was wrong! Please! Don’t suspend us!”
Only now did Chen Yuting realize the gravity of the situation.
She broke down crying hysterically.