Zhao Jinlan choked on her words, her eyes full of confusion.
Had she not complained enough? Why was her son only concerned about his wife?
“…Yes.”
The moment he received her confirmation, the hand gripping the telephone began to tremble.
He had never flinched even while facing a hail of bullets on the battlefield, yet now he was so overwhelmed that he could barely control his emotions.
He muttered to himself with a grin.
“Yes… It has to be Xi Xi. She’s finally back.”
The icy look in his dark eyes melted away, replaced by a warm, unmistakable smile.
A wife who fights back… refuses to be bullied… that’s exactly my Xi Xi.
His fingers slowly pressed against his left chest. His heartbeat pounded like a war drum, racing so hard it felt ready to burst out of his throat.
Fortunately, he was alone in his office.
Otherwise, everyone would have thought the famously cold-faced Deputy Division Commander Lu had lost his mind after returning from his mission.
Zhao Jinlan couldn’t make out what he was mumbling.
Before she could say another word, the call was disconnected.
“…He hung up?”
She stared blankly at the receiver.
What just happened?
Had he even listened to what she said?
Suppressing a stomach full of curses, she reluctantly paid the phone bill before hurrying home on tiptoe to discuss their next move with her husband.
Meanwhile, after calming himself down, Lu Yanbei left his office.
“Good afternoon, Commander!”
His orderly, He Mingqiang, who had been standing guard outside, immediately snapped to attention and saluted loudly.
Sneaking a glance at his superior, he found today’s expression unusually… pleasant.
Did something incredible happen?
“Hm.”
Returning the salute, Lu Yanbei quickly composed himself.
“I’m taking some family leave and going back to Rongcheng. You stay here and await orders.”
He Mingqiang had served as Lu Yanbei’s orderly for years. Even after Lu Yanbei transferred to this military district a month earlier, He had followed him.
Everyone throughout the military region knew that Commander Lu had married at a remarkably young age.
After all, someone who had reached such an extraordinary rank at his age was practically legendary. His future was limitless, and even now his achievements dazzled everyone.
Not to mention that he was strikingly handsome, tall, capable, and exceptional in every way.
Countless leaders had tried to introduce him to eligible women. Military wives practically fought over the opportunity.
Every single attempt failed.
Lu Yanbei avoided women as if they carried the plague. On his very first day at the new military district, he had loudly informed the division commander that he had already been married for three years.
But although everyone knew he was married…
He hadn’t gone home once in those three years.
Even when his superiors granted him leave, he refused to take it, throwing himself wholeheartedly into missions instead.
Yet it wasn’t believable to say the marriage was fake or that the couple had a bad relationship.
Lu Yanbei was famous throughout the military for living frugally.
Despite being such a high-ranking officer, he denied himself comforts in food, clothing, and daily life.
The military family members often whispered behind his back.
“Could Commander Lu’s rural family be so poor they’re barely getting by?”
Otherwise, why would he wire almost his entire salary home the very day his pay and allowances arrived?
Someone in the mailroom had once secretly glanced at the remittance slip.
The recipient’s name clearly belonged to a young woman.
“Commander, I can accompany you home and protect your safety!”
He Mingqiang hurried after him, still trying to persuade him.
“I’m visiting my family. I don’t need protection.”
Without even looking back, Lu Yanbei rejected him and walked toward the division commander’s office.
He knocked.
“Reporting.”
“Come in.”
Lu Yanbei entered and stood at attention before saluting.
“Commander.”
Division Commander Zhou Weiguo looked up and immediately broke into a broad smile.
“Yanbei!”
He even stood up personally to pour him a cup of water.
“Sit.”
After placing the cup before him, Zhou sat down as well, his eyes filled with admiration for the outstanding young officer.
“I heard from Xiao He that you returned to work before your injuries had fully healed. That’s not how you should treat your own body.”
Lu Yanbei took a sip of water.
The office door remained open, and he glanced casually toward the orderly standing outside.
“He needs more training.”
Outside the door, He Mingqiang remained perfectly still at his post.
Those two casually spoken words instantly covered his forehead with cold sweat.
Commander… Division Commander… please don’t drag me into this…
“Oh, stop that.”
Zhou Weiguo laughed.
“I practically begged Old Xu to transfer you here. That old fellow complains about it every day. My ears are getting calluses.”
“I know my own condition. I have it under control.”
The wound on Lu Yanbei’s right shoulder wasn’t serious.
The “Old Xu” Zhou mentioned was Lu Yanbei’s former commander. He had transferred here less than a month ago.
Those familiar with the inside story understood why Commander Xu had let him go so easily.
Although both posts belonged to different military regions, transferring from the northwest to the capital’s defensive forces was effectively a promotion, even if the official rank remained the same.
After glancing toward the doorway, Zhou lowered his voice.
“You’ve earned tremendous merit this time.”
“Your unit received a Second-Class Collective Merit citation, and you personally received a First-Class Merit.”
“The higher-ups are very pleased.”
Once his transfer paperwork was finalized, Lu Yanbei would almost certainly receive another promotion.
Looking at the straight-backed young officer before him, Zhou couldn’t help sighing inwardly.
A twenty-five-year-old division commander…
There wasn’t another miracle like him in the entire military.
But Lu Yanbei had made that miracle a reality.
In just over eight years of service, he always volunteered for the most dangerous missions and fought to take on the hardest assignments.
Yet somehow, every impossible mission placed in his hands ended in flawless success.
That was how he had accumulated such extraordinary military achievements.
When he first arrived in the Seventh Division, plenty of people secretly questioned whether someone so young deserved command.
Lu Yanbei never argued.
Recently, he had personally led the Special Operations Regiment on an extremely dangerous mission.
Several earlier teams had suffered heavy casualties and returned in defeat.
But every single soldier Lu Yanbei took with him came back alive.
Injuries were unavoidable, but no one was left behind.
The mission concluded with complete success.
They recovered intelligence proving foreign forces were attempting to split the country and obtained a list of enemy spies.
The Special Operations Regiment earned Second-Class Collective Merit.
Lu Yanbei himself was awarded First-Class Individual Merit.
A great commander wasn’t just someone brave enough to fight.
He also needed strategic brilliance and the ability to bring his soldiers home alive.
Lu Yanbei excelled at both.
To Zhou Weiguo, he was nothing less than a priceless treasure.
For what felt like the hundredth time, he sighed inwardly.
Such an exceptional young man… what a pity he married so early.
Ironically, only a few days earlier, Zhou had been scolding several lieutenants in their early twenties for still being single and not taking their marriages seriously.
Lu Yanbei, however, barely heard any of it.
His mind was filled with only one person.
His wife.
He stood and saluted.
“Reporting, Commander. I’d like to request family leave.”
“…Family leave?”
Zhou nearly dropped his teacup.
He looked up in surprise.
“Didn’t Old Xu tell me you never went home once during the three years you served under him?”
“So why are you suddenly asking for leave after only a month here?”
Something about it made him uneasy.
“My mother just called.”
“My wife was pushed and suffered an injury to the back of her head.”
“I’ve neglected my family for years.”
“I need to go home and see her.”
Remembering what Zhao Jinlan had said over the phone, Lu Yanbei’s expression darkened.
After hesitating briefly, he added,
“Commander… I may also need to apply for family housing.”
Some things were simply too mysterious to explain.
He wasn’t yet certain whether his suspicions were correct, so he chose not to say any more.