Chapter 13: The Visit

Zhu Tingting was utterly bewildered. What on earth was Lu Jianwei raving about? When had she ever said she wanted to steal her current partner? What good was Gu Huaizheng’s distinguished appearance if he was stationed as a soldier on Qiong Island—a place still wild and desolate, where not even birds bothered to stop? All she had intended was to call out Gu Huaizheng, a military man, for lacking even the basic courtesy of yielding to ordinary civilians.

Lu Jianwei pointed at her nose and berated her, “Is it because you see my partner, tall and handsome, that you’re having wicked thoughts? I warn you, stay away from us from now on! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re scheming.”

The scene was explosive.

People in the shopping mall gathered around, whispering among themselves. First she’d stolen someone’s former fiancé, and now she wouldn’t let their current partner be—was she that obsessed with good husbands?

“Don’t be afraid, she’s not as pretty as you. I have no interest in her,” a deep, rich voice murmured in Lu Jianwei’s ear. Gu Huaizheng caught her wrist and pulled her out of the crowd. By the time Zhu Tingting regained her senses, the two had already left that floor.

She stamped her foot in fury and shouted, “What are you looking at? There’s nothing to see! Buy what you want or get out!”

Although Zhu Tingting wrote period novels, she’d never actually lived through this era. She didn’t realize how much people valued their reputations—more heavily than their own lives. So she paid no mind to the way everyone looked at her.

A few sales clerks whispered, “I know her family’s story. Her aunt broke up someone else’s home and stole their husband. The niece snatched someone’s fiancé.”

“I heard the two of them also framed the Lu family with a treasured cat’s eye emerald necklace.”

“Wasn’t it said that when her aunt killed her former husband, she emptied out the entire Lu household?”

“Oh, you heard that too? You have no idea, before they latched onto the Lu family, the Zhu family was so poor—the mother sold things outside.”

“Heavens, a woman’s heart is truly the most venomous. I’ve seen it all now!”

Lu Jianwei had no idea that her two confrontations had achieved precisely the effect she wanted. Now, as she and Gu Huaizheng reached a quiet corner by the stairwell, he released her hand and looked down at her.

Seeing that she wasn’t displeased, he finally relaxed.

The soft sensation still lingered on his skin, seeping into his bones. How could a girl’s hand be so delicate—almost boneless?

“Does your hand hurt?” Gu Huaizheng asked.

Lu Jianwei lifted her hand; her palm was a little red. She was somewhat embarrassed, saying, “I was just afraid Zhu Tingting would shout about you being a soldier. I’m not usually like this.”

“Mm, I know.” Gu Huaizheng suppressed a smile, took her hand, and blew gently on her palm. “Does it still hurt?”

“It’s much better.”

So it still hurt a little. He gently rubbed the reddest spot in her palm with his thumb, his dark eyes as deep as night surrounding her entirely.

Their gazes met. Lu Jianwei’s cheeks flushed, her mind adrift.

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When she nervously shifted her gaze, Gu Huaizheng’s lips curled into a smile, his eyes sparkling.

“Have you ever been injured?”

Her thoughts always leapt ahead. Gu Huaizheng nodded, “I spent five years on the battlefield in Chao Country.”

He’d had countless wounds, large and small. Scars still covered much of his body. Would she mind?

“Does it hurt to get hurt?”

“It’s all right. I have thick skin, so it doesn’t hurt that much,” Gu Huaizheng’s lips lifted in an irrepressible grin.

“Then I’m not hurt either!” Lu Jianwei withdrew her hand and turned away. “Are we still shopping?”

“Yes, two more hams, and I’ll buy some fabric for you to make clothes.”

“I have plenty of clothes already. There’s no need.”

But Gu Huaizheng insisted on buying fabric suitable for young girls, even wanting to include a piece of white synthetic material. Lu Jianwei stopped him. “That’s synthetic fiber. I don’t like it. I prefer cotton.”

Synthetic cloth, to put it bluntly, was the same material as a snakeskin sack: stiff, not breathable, and completely transparent when wet.

They stowed their purchases in the trunk and got in the car. Gu Huaizheng turned to her, “I’m tall and handsome?”

Lu Jianwei was so embarrassed she could have scratched a whole palace out of the floor with her toes. Her cheeks were glowing. “I was talking nonsense, just to catch her off guard.”

“So you mean I’m not tall and handsome?”

Lu Jianwei pursed her lips, her dimples especially cute. She realized she couldn’t always be passive; somehow, Gu Huaizheng had taken control of their dynamic. Suddenly, she turned, hooked her arm around his neck, and whispered in his ear, “Gu Huaizheng, you’re the most handsome! You look good when you smile, and you look good when you don’t!”

The commander of an air force flying regiment, with ten years of driving experience, stalled the car three times as he started off, his ears and cheeks as red as if powdered. Lu Jianwei, sitting in the passenger seat, could barely hold back her laughter.

“Do you want me to drive?”

Gu Huaizheng shot her a glance, forced himself to calm down, and got the car onto the road.

When they reached the Lu home, Gu Huaizheng couldn’t help but be impressed by the cluster of three white townhouses nestled among lush trees and flowers behind the iron gate. The walls were weathered and worn, like people, maintaining their last dignity and glory.

At the entrance, heaps of rotten vegetable leaves and rubble lay scattered. Lu Jianwei ignored them, stepped over, and opened the door. “Come on, let’s go in!”

“All right!”

As they entered the courtyard, Lu Jianwei called out cheerfully, “Aunt, I’m back!”

“Jie, I’m here!” Lu Zhizhu dashed out first.

Seeing the tall man beside his sister, the sixteen-year-old bristled defensively, like a little tiger protecting its territory—awkward but fiercely cute.

“Xiao Zhu, this is Comrade Gu, the one I mentioned this morning. Comrade Gu, this is my younger brother, Lu Zhizhu—Zhizhu as in ‘Jianwei Zhizhu.’ Everyone at home calls him Xiao Zhu.”

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Lu Zhizhu glared at Gu Huaizheng, “Just call me Comrade Lu!”

Looking at his little brother-in-law, who resembled his partner somewhat, Gu Huaizheng wasn’t bothered by the attitude and smiled, “Hello, Comrade Lu!”

Since the other party was so agreeable, Lu Zhizhu felt as if he’d punched cotton, and snorted coldly.

Lu Jianwei felt a bit awkward. Gu Huaizheng smiled at her and gently shook his head.

He walked over, freeing a hand to pat Xiao Zhu’s slightly thin shoulder. “I heard you’re taking the college entrance exam this year. Have you decided which university you want to attend?”

Lu Zhizhu glared at him, warning, “Don’t try to get close to me with that. I don’t want to go to university. What’s the use? I’m planning to go to the countryside.”

“Going to the countryside isn’t so easy. If you don’t want university, do you want to join the army?”

Lu Zhizhu’s eyes lit up, but the spark died quickly. “No.”

Gu Huaizheng noticed and deliberately provoked him, “You’re afraid?”

“Who says I’m afraid? If you can get me into the army, I’ll dare go to the battlefield!”

“If you’re not afraid of the battlefield, why fear university? Or did you not do well on the exam?”

Seeing he was about to drive her brother mad, Lu Jianwei gently tugged at his sleeve to signal him to stop.

Lu Zhizhu was so angry his eyes were rimmed red. “Who said I didn’t do well? I’ve always been first in the whole school, never dropped down.”

Now, his tears truly fell. He disliked this man even more, but didn’t dare leave—worried that if he went, his sister might be bullied. He had to thoroughly assess this man to see if he was a good person.

Gu Huaizheng was astonished. He hadn’t expected his little brother-in-law’s grades to be so excellent. If he couldn’t go to university, that was a loss for the country.

“If you’re worried about political vetting, there’s no need.”

One sentence, and Lu Zhizhu revived on the spot. “What do you mean?”

“There’s an improvement project at the machinery factory for the army, which requires high-level security clearance. Your sister has already undergone political vetting to join the project team. As long as you haven’t broken any laws or done anything unethical, you shouldn’t have any trouble with vetting.”

“Of course I haven’t. I’ve never done anything I’d be ashamed of.” Lu Zhizhu’s face was flushed and his neck thick, like a combative goose.

Lu Jianwei looked at Gu Huaizheng. So, when he recommended her to Zheng Baohua, arranged for him to help her apply for credentials and undergo vetting to join the project team, was it really only for work?

Gu Huaizheng’s heart skipped a beat, and he murmured, “Those translation documents—the technicians really couldn’t understand them.”

Lu Zhizhu was nearly bouncing with joy. He took the gifts from Gu Huaizheng, “Jie, let’s go inside!”

Their aunt and uncle appeared, having witnessed the scene, both delighted. “Xiao Gu, you’re here! Come in. Why did you bring so many things? Anyone would think you emptied out the shopping mall.”