Chapter 84.4

Luo Xiaoyue’s expression changed when she saw Yue Qiao and Jiang Nian. Gripping her backpack straps tightly, she took two steps back. “Aunt Jiang, Aunt Yue, what are you doing here?”

Yue Qiao glanced at Luo Xiaoyue’s backpack, making her grip it tighter and become more guarded.

“What did your mother give you?” Yue Qiao asked directly, her tone cold.

“Just some snacks,” Luo Xiaoyue replied, then tried to run away. Yue Qiao was quick to grab her backpack, attempting to search it. Luo Xiaoyue struggled, but her strength was no match for an adult. She could only watch helplessly as Yue Qiao took the bag.

“Do you believe I’ll call the police? This is robbery!” Luo Xiaoyue shouted, trying to snatch it back, but Yue Qiao held it high out of her reach. Inside the bag was a package of medicinal herbs. Neither Yue Qiao nor Jiang Nian understood pharmacology, but they knew it couldn’t be anything good. Yue Qiao dragged Luo Xiaoyue toward the hospital. “I’ll let the doctor see this. Let’s see what your mother is planning.”

Luo Xiaoyue tried to pull back, and when she couldn’t break free, she lowered her head to bite Yue Qiao. Jiang Nian quickly intervened, pushing Yue Qiao’s hand forward to avoid Luo Xiaoyue’s bite. She looked coldly at Luo Xiaoyue. “Are you really going to keep following your mother’s wrong path?”

Luo Xiaoyue glared at Jiang Nian, her eyes full of hatred. “This is my business, not yours. You’re just a woman with no family. Who are you to tell me what to do?”

It was the first time Jiang Nian experienced such venom from a child. Luo Xiaoyue had shed her facade of innocence, revealing her darkest side.

Yue Qiao was furious and started dragging Luo Xiaoyue away, but they ran into Deputy Commander Luo.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, frowning. He saw Yue Qiao and Jiang Nian confronting Luo Xiaoyue but didn’t rush to judge, wanting to understand first.

Luo Xiaoyue immediately switched to a pitiful look. Yue Qiao couldn’t stand her act anymore. “We saw your ex-wife give her a bag of herbs. We suspect they’re up to something against Guan Lu. I want to take it to the doctor to find out what it is, but she’s too scared to come with me.”

“It’s a tonic my mother gave me to help with my health!” Luo Xiaoyue tried to grab the bag again, but Yue Qiao held it out of reach. She turned to Deputy Commander Luo and sneered, “Do you believe her?”

Deputy Commander Luo looked at Luo Xiaoyue without speaking. Luo Xiaoyue saw the disappointment in his eyes and her heart sank. “Daddy, I’m telling the truth. Don’t you believe your own daughter over them?”

Yue Qiao challenged her, “Then come with us to the hospital and let the doctor examine it.”

Luo Xiaoyue fell silent. Deputy Commander Luo then said to Yue Qiao, “Give me the herbs.”

Yue Qiao was unwilling, determined to expose Luo Xiaoyue’s lies. Jiang Nian, sensing the tension, stepped forward, took the herbs from Yue Qiao, and patted her arm. “Give them to Deputy Commander Luo.”

The goal was to reveal Luo Xiaoyue and Li Pandi’s plot and make Deputy Commander Luo aware of it. Now that he understood, pushing further could backfire. Potentially creating a rift between him and Yue Qiao.

Deputy Commander Luo took the herbs from Jiang Nian, giving her a grateful look, and left with Luo Xiaoyue.

Yue Qiao was upset with Jiang Nian. “Why did you stop me? I wanted Deputy Commander Luo to see her true colors!”

Jiang Nian replied, “He already does.”

Yue Qiao was surprised. “He does?”

“Yes.”

Whether the herbs were harmful was no longer the main issue. How Deputy Commander Luo would handle Luo Xiaoyue was what mattered. If he chose to keep peace, their efforts would be in vain. Unless Luo Xiaoyue was sent away, today’s incident would repeat.

Yue Qiao and Jiang Nian visited Guan Lu at the hospital. Yue Qiao recounted the day’s events, venting about Deputy Commander Luo’s indecisiveness. Guan Lu remained silent, gazing out the window.

Jiang Nian sat beside her, holding Guan Lu’s cold hand. Guan Lu blinked and looked at Jiang Nian, giving a faint smile. Her face, once rosy, now looked pale. Jiang Nian spoke softly, “Deputy Commander Luo knows what to do. When you go home, be cautious. Don’t consume any food or water that’s been out of your sight. Better safe than sorry.”

Guan Lu nodded. “I understand.”

Jiang Nian and Yue Qiao left the hospital after a while. That evening, Jiang Nian told Lu Yu about the day’s events, omitting Luo Xiaoyue’s hurtful remark. Lu Yu, concerned about Jiang Nian’s well-being, served her some meat and couldn’t resist pinching her cheek playfully.

Jiang Nian: …

She leaned back, her bright eyes glaring at him. Lu Yu chuckled. “Alright, I won’t pinch anymore.”

He became serious. “We can’t interfere further. If Deputy Commander Luo cares about Guan Lu and her unborn child, he’ll know what to do.”

Jiang Nian, sipping her soup, asked, “What do you think he’ll do?”

When Lu Yu didn’t respond, Jiang Nian put down her chopsticks, stood up, and hugged him around the neck, acting coy. “Do you know?”

Even sitting, Lu Yu’s eyes were level with Jiang Nian’s. He pulled her onto his lap, looking into her curious, bright eyes. He patted her head. “Deputy Commander Luo is arranging for Luo Xiaoyue to transfer schools. She might be sent back to the countryside to be looked after by her grandmother.”

Jiang Nian understood immediately.

This way, Guan Lu could live more comfortably in the family apartment.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Jiang Nian quickly jumped up from Lu Yu’s embrace and ran to open the door. Outside stood He Yue, holding a basket of vegetables. Jiang Nian was puzzled. “Why did you bring so many vegetables?”

He Yue walked in, placing the vegetables on the table. She greeted Lu Yu and then turned to Jiang Nian. “I’m going to stay at my parents’ house for a couple of days to help out. Let Fang Guo and Fang Xia have dinner here after school. Keep these vegetables.”

Jiang Nian smiled. “Okay.”

She didn’t refuse, knowing He Yue wouldn’t take no for an answer.

After sitting for a while, He Yue brought up the issue with Deputy Commander Luo’s family. She glanced at Jiang Nian and whispered, “I heard from Yue Qiao today about what Xiao Yue said. Don’t take it to heart. It’s not worth getting upset over people like that.”

Jiang Nian smiled. “I’m fine.”

Lu Yu, who was holding his military uniform, paused and looked at Jiang Nian’s lowered eyelashes. He asked He Yue, “What did Luo Xiaoyue say?”

He Yue replied, “She called Jiang Nian a woman without a family. I don’t know who taught her to say that. She usually seems so well-behaved, but it turns out she’s quite malicious. I was almost fooled by her.”

Lu Yu frowned, seeing Jiang Nian smile faintly. “I didn’t take it to heart.”

Jiang Nian truly didn’t care about Luo Xiaoyue’s words. Others might not understand her situation, but she knew that her own family didn’t deserve to be called family. However, the term “woman without a family” did bother her a bit.

Lu Yu said, “I’m heading to the regiment.”

After Lu Yu left, He Yue continued chatting about family matters for a while before leaving.

Half a month has passed since the incident with Luo Xiaoyue. During this time, Guan Lu was on guard against her. She wouldn’t drink any water out of her sight and locked her door at night. Guan Lu came to Jiang Nian’s house every day, staying until noon before returning home.

The past half-month had been peaceful, with no further incidents.

Jiang Nian remembered Lu Yu mentioning that Deputy Commander Luo was arranging for Luo Xiaoyue’s transfer, but half a month had passed with no news. She subtly asked Guan Lu, who seemed unaware of the situation.

Jiang Nian thought the matter had been dropped. However, a few days later, a major event occurred outside the regiment.

One afternoon, while Jiang Nian was embroidering, there was a loud banging on the door, like a life-or-death situation. She hurriedly opened the door to find He Yue and Yue Qiao. Yue Qiao grabbed her and pulled her outside, saying there was a commotion involving Deputy Commander Luo’s family.

Jiang Nian quickly closed the door and followed He Yue. On the way, He Yue explained that Deputy Commander Luo’s ex-mother-in-law and a man had come, causing a huge scene, demanding to see Deputy Commander Luo and Luo Xiaoyue.

The commotion was significant, and if Chen Ping and the others hadn’t seen it on their way back from the supply and marketing cooperative and informed Yue Qiao, they wouldn’t have known about it.

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Author’s Note:

Lu Yu: No one can make my wife upset. This matter won’t end well.

Jiang Nian: And you?

Lu Yu: Me neither.

He Yue: I’m really envious.