Chen De kept a grim face as he looked at Sister Wang.
Thinking of this woman’s violence last night, he couldn’t help but shiver.
But when he glanced at Nurse Li beside him—young and beautiful—he felt reluctant to give her up.
Seeing his indecisive expression, Xiang Wanwan sneered. “Commander Chen, don’t forget what you said last night!”
At her words, panic flashed across Chen De’s face. Then his gaze fell on Nurse Li, his tone turning ruthless.
“Nurse Li, stop making a scene. From beginning to end, I’ve only ever treated you like a younger sister. I’m a married man—please stop pestering me.”
Nurse Li froze completely when she heard this.
What was he saying?
Making a scene?
Pestering him?
She stared at Chen De in disbelief and demanded, “Chen De, you’ve taken every advantage you could, and now you tell me you treated me like a sister?”
Pointing at Sister Wang, she continued, “You’re afraid she’ll make trouble and cost you your job, aren’t you?”
“Heh—have you ever thought that if she can make trouble, so can I?”
Xiang Wanwan couldn’t help laughing when she heard that.
Hearing her laughter, Nurse Li whipped her head around and glared at her. “What are you laughing at?”
“You think you’re someone important? He and Sister Wang are legally married, with two children. With you, it was just a moment of novelty. Did you really think he’d give up Sister Wang to marry you?”
“How naïve! From start to finish, you were nothing more than a mistress who couldn’t even be brought into the light…”
Xiang Wanwan didn’t hold back at all—her words cut straight to the heart.
Even Chen De felt cold sweat break out as he listened.
This woman had a sharp tongue—no wonder she could marry Chief Lu!
Hearing every word Xiang Wanwan spoke in her defense, Sister Wang felt endlessly grateful.
Back when she was still in her hometown, no matter how much work she did each day, she never received a single kind word from Chen De’s parents.
Let alone anyone standing up for her like this!
If not for her two children, she probably wouldn’t have endured until today.
When she learned that Chen De had cheated, it felt as though the sky had collapsed.
At that moment, Wanwan’s appearance was like a beam of light in her life.
Only after getting to know her did Sister Wang realize that women could live like this too.
She turned to look at Chen De, coldness in her eyes, and stepped toward him one step at a time.
“Pa!”
She slapped Chen De hard across the face.
His already bruised face instantly gained another streak of red.
“Chen De, let me tell you—if you can’t deal with these shameless women properly, don’t even think about stepping into the house again. Otherwise, don’t blame me for enforcing the family rules!”
The last four words were practically spat out through clenched teeth.
Chen De shuddered again. He touched his face, wincing in pain.
If it weren’t for his position, he would’ve divorced this wretched woman long ago!
Sharp-tongued, violent—nothing like a proper woman at all.
Grinding his teeth, he said, “Yes, wife. I understand.”
Seeing Chen De’s reaction, everyone couldn’t help wanting to laugh.
This Commander Chen looked so imposing outside—who would’ve thought he was afraid of his wife!
They all turned to look at Nurse Li, whose face alternated between pale and flushed.
It really did look like Nurse Li had seduced Commander Chen!
“Who would’ve thought Nurse Li was this kind of person!”
“No wonder when I tried to introduce someone to her before, she ignored me—turns out she had her eye on Commander Chen!”
“Seduced him? Flies don’t land on seamless eggs! I say Commander Chen isn’t innocent either!”
······
Listening to the crowd, Sister Wang didn’t act coy at all. She openly took Xiang Wanwan by the hand, led her inside, and shut the door.
Chen De glanced coolly at Nurse Li and said coldly, “You’re still young. Don’t waste your time on me…”
“Pa!”
Before he could finish speaking, he was slapped again.
Nurse Li glared at him viciously. “Bah! You think I really like an old man like you?”
“What a joke!”
She immediately turned around, shoved through the crowd, and shouted, “Move aside! What are you all staring at? A bunch of gossips!”
The crowd was instantly furious, pointing and cursing at her.
But she paid no attention to the abuse behind her, not even turning her head as she walked away.
From inside the house, Xiang Wanwan watched the scene through the glass and found it somewhat amusing.
This woman wasn’t even pretending anymore?
Looks like she was a ruthless one too.
When everyone saw the spectacle was over, they gradually dispersed.
······
After chatting with Sister Wang a bit longer, Xiang Wanwan went home.
The canteen wasn’t open today, and Lu Jingnian needed to come home for lunch, so she had to cook.
Looking at the ten-plus jin of rice in her pocket and the few vegetables beside it, she felt depressed.
The month had only just begun—how could this possibly last?
And she wanted meat!
There were still so many days until next month’s supplies—she couldn’t eat vegetarian meals every day, could she?
She wasn’t a rabbit.
After spacing out for a while, Xiang Wanwan started cooking.
She took out two eggs, planning to make a steamed egg custard and stir-fried shredded potatoes.
Once everything was prepped, she squatted by the stove and started battling with the fire.
She refused to believe that lighting a fire could defeat her!
An hour later—
The kitchen was filled with thick smoke, and Xiang Wanwan coughed nonstop from the choking fumes.
Lu Jingnian had just gotten off work. The moment he stepped inside, he smelled a strong scent of smoke.
Frowning, he stopped in his tracks, tossed his briefcase aside, and hurried toward the kitchen.
For someone usually so steady, his voice was a beat quicker than usual. “Xiang Wanwan?”
Rushing into the kitchen, he spotted her squatting by the stove at once. He wrapped an arm around her waist, lifted her up, and carried her out of the kitchen.
He set her down on a chair in the living room, his voice tight with concern. “Are you okay?”
Xiang Wanwan shook her head at the suddenly appearing Lu Jingnian.
He checked her over from side to side. Only after confirming she was fine did he immediately turn and head back into the kitchen.
A moment later, the smoke gradually cleared. Lu Jingnian, still in his military uniform, strode out with his long legs.
His face was stern as he looked at the soot-covered Xiang Wanwan.
Seeing his expression, she felt a little scared. Lowering her head, she said in a subdued voice, “Sorry… I didn’t mean to. I really couldn’t get the fire going.”
Lu Jingnian took off his jacket and tossed it onto a nearby chair, then walked toward her.
As he approached, Xiang Wanwan suddenly jumped up from the chair.
“Hey—gentlemen use words, not fists! I didn’t burn the kitchen down or anything—you’re not going to hit me, are you?”
Lu Jingnian said nothing. He untied the apron from her, then spoke in a low, magnetic voice by her ear, “Next time, wait for me to come back and cook.”
He tied the apron around his own waist and turned to enter the kitchen.
Xiang Wanwan stared at his tall, straight back, completely stunned.
Was this scene even real?
She’d turned the kitchen into a disaster, and Lu Jingnian wasn’t angry at all?
He even told her to wait for him to cook next time?
She slowly walked to the kitchen doorway and watched as Lu Jingnian skillfully lit the fire, steamed rice, and stir-fried vegetables in one smooth sequence.
A man over 1.8 meters tall, dressed in a military uniform, wearing an apron, cooking at the stove.
Who could understand this level of contrast?
A man’s charm was on full display at this moment.
Who said men are only handsome when they’re working? Clearly, they’re most charming when they’re cooking!
Watching him finish the shredded potatoes and prepare to carry them out, Xiang Wanwan hurried forward and eagerly took the dish from him.
Though there was no meat in this meal, Lu Jingnian’s cooking was good, and she ate quite comfortably.
After the meal, she went to wash the dishes—but Lu Jingnian snatched the task away again.
“A girl’s hands should be taken care of. I’ll handle things like washing dishes.”
That single sentence made Xiang Wanwan melt all over again!
What kind of treasure of a man was this?
The original host was truly a brainless fool—giving up a man like this and instead falling for trash like Ning Feng.
After cleaning up, Lu Jingnian hurried off to work again.
Before leaving, he took a few packets of seeds out of his briefcase and handed them to her.
“What you wanted.”
Xiang Wanwan looked at the seeds in her hand, then at Lu Jingnian’s departing figure, and suddenly smiled.
There might not be love between her and Lu Jingnian, but living together like this—plain and steady—didn’t seem bad at all.