Chapter 29 : Jealousy

Seeing the pink peaches being handed to her, Liang Qingqing reached out and took one, politely thanking him “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me.” Chu Qi glanced around the ward, noticing only one chair. He decided to sit by the window like Liang Qingqing, keeping a one person distance between them. Chu Qi was a straightforward person, having grown up among many women in his family while frequently mingling with men, making him quite adept at starting conversations.

After a few rounds of chatting, he had a pretty good understanding of the Liang family’s situation.

“Brother Yan and I grew up together. He’s a year older than me and excelled in school. Our family often compared him to me, which was really annoying.”

Chu Qi made an exaggerated frown which made Liang Qingqing laugh uncontrollably. However, since Fan Yanxing was watching them, she unconsciously put on an admiring expression and asked with sparkling eyes, “Is Fan Yanxing really good at studying?”

Hearing Liang Qingqing mention him, Fan Yanxing who had been gloomily nibbling on the egg cake, instantly perked up. He quickly moved to sit on Liang Qingqing’s other side and answered before Chu Qi could “Well, I did get first place in the whole school a few times, but it’s nothing special.”

“……”

They recognized every word in that sentence but they couldn’t quite piece them together.

Liang Qingqing’s mouth twitched. She didn’t expect Fan Yanxing to still be “humble” and “show off.” It seemed to be a common flaw among men. She felt a bit disgusted and didn’t think of it in terms of flaunting like a peacock.

When facing with the “boasting” of the target of her affections, Liang Qingqing decided to play along! She put on an innocent and surprised look, her eyes wide with admiration, “First in the whole school? That’s really impressive! Awesome!”

Hearing this, Fan Yanxing actually felt embarrassed. A trace of fluster crossed his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck, which soon turned a shade of red. He cleared his throat and said, “Just luck, just luck.”

“Brother Yan, you’re still being modest. I’m different. I’ll directly talk about other men’s achievements, even if it’s my good buddy!

“Recently, our team won a gold medal in a drill. When we have a break next time, I’ll show you the medal, okay?” Nowadays, everyone is quite interested in military matters, and Chu Qi figured Liang Qingqing, being a girl, would be no exception. So he quickly changed the subject.

“Sure, as long as it’s convenient for you.”

To his surprise, Liang Qingqing seemed uninterested. On the other hand, Liang Junqiang, who had been quietly sitting on the chair, suddenly perked up, his eyes shining as he said excitedly.

“Comrade Chu, can you really show me the medal? I’d love to see it! I’ve always wanted to join the army, but I was turned down due to limited recruitment slots back then. Later, as I got older, I couldn’t go anymore… I’ve always had a regret. If you could show me the medal, I’d be so grateful!”

“Of course!” No matter what, this was Liang Qingqing’s older brother and he might become his future brother-in-law. Chu Qi was eager to make a good impression. Thinking this, he smiled and said, “Since you’re Brother Yan’s brother, that makes you my brother too. You’re older than me, so I’ll call you Brother Junqiang, just like Brother Yan.”

“If you don’t mind, that’s fine. How should I address you?”

“Just call me by my name, Chu Qi.”

Liang Junqiang grinned and nodded repeatedly. He didn’t expect to make a military officer his brother today, feeling like he’d struck a great deal. He’d have something impressive to brag about to the younger guys in the village, which would definitely boost his status!

“Chu Qi, my brother!”

“Hey!”

The two of them quickly became familiar as they chatted about daily life in the army, with Liang Junqiang’s face almost splitting into a smile. Little did he know about Chu Qi’s ulterior motives and took him at face value, assuming he was just a good-natured person who didn’t mind befriending a simple country bumpkin. He had no idea that Chu Qi was hoping to become his brother-in-law!

After chatting for a while, Chu Qi’s gaze shifted back to Liang Qingqing. His eyes roamed over her charmingly beautiful face and he inexplicably felt his face burning. Fortunately, his darker skin helped conceal his blush, or else he’d be quite embarrassed.

After hesitating for a couple of seconds, Chu Qi finally spoke up “We should stay in touch and visit each other more often in the future. But I’m not sure how to address you, Comrade Liang.”

“Just call me by my name.”

Liang Qingqing, who was seriously munching on a peach, smiled and responded to Chu Qi’s question.

“Can I call you Qingqing? That’s how we do it in the North.”

“This…” Liang Qingqing was taken aback by Chu Qi’s suggestion. Before she could say anything, Fan Yanxing, who had been silently listening, spoke up with a stern expression“What’s this ‘Qingqing’ thing? I’m also from the North, and I’ve never heard of addressing a newly met girl like that!”

He hadn’t even gotten a chance to call her Qingqing in front of Liang Qingqing and here Chu Qi was already making such presumptuous advances!

“Sometimes we do call it that.”

Caught out, Chu Qi was a bit flustered. He hadn’t expected Fan Yanxing to be so blunt and harsh. He had just met a girl who perfectly matched his aesthetic preferences and was a bit eager, fearing that she might forget him after this encounter. Since he wasn’t sure when he’d get another chance to see her, he wanted to make a good impression and build a connection, which is why he suggested calling her Qingqing.

“Brother Yan, you’re being a bit too harsh. It makes me sound like a scoundrel. We called Sister Manman the same way when we first met her!” Chu Qi, fearing a bad impression, quickly brought up an example to defend himself.

“I never called anyone like that!” Fan Yanxing immediately refuted the accusation with a firm and resolute tone “I always address people as Comrade.”

“You…” Chu Qi searched his memory but couldn’t recall ever hearing Fan Yanxing refer to any other girl as ‘sister.’ He was momentarily at a loss for words.

As Liang Qingqing watched the exchange, she finished chewing her peach and saw Chu Qi’s face turning red from frustration. She stepped in to ease the situation “Actually, it’s fine how you call me. We’re all friends, so I don’t mind.”

“No!” Fan Yanxing cut in abruptly, his expression tense.

“See, Qingqing herself doesn’t mind,” Chu Qi countered, looking quite pleased with himself. His tone lightened as he spoke.

Since Chu Qi had previously gone off to chat with Liang Junqiang, Liang Qingqing was now left with only Fan Yanxing by her side. She subtly moved a half-step closer to him, reducing the distance between them. She leaned in slightly and, in a soft and somewhat coquettish tone that only the two of them could hear, said “In that case, you can call me… Qingqing.”

The statement was ambiguous, as if agreeing to be called “Qingqing Sister” was meant to make calling her “Qingqing” more appropriate.

Realizing this, Fan Yanxing felt his face flush even more. He suddenly thought that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Chu Qi took advantage today. After all, he might not have another chance to see Liang Qingqing again!

Just as he was about to respond, Liang Qingqing whispered in his ear “Can I call you Yanxing Gege?”

Yanxing Gege? Yanxing Gege?!

Fan Yanxing felt his blood rush to his head and within moments, his ears turned a visible shade of red. His lips curved into a faint, involuntary smile.

“Alright.” His one-word response quivered slightly, reflecting his inner turmoil.

Liang Qingqing looked at his reddening ears, suppressing her laughter. She bit her lip, cleared her throat, and turned to Chu Qi “This peach is really sweet. Is it a local peach?”

Chu Qi, originally curious about what Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing had whispered about to cause such a reaction, was instantly focused on her. He replied enthusiastically: “I’m not sure, just bought it at the supply and marketing cooperative.”

“The peaches from the trees in our village are small and sour, not good at all. Unfortunately, several hills are covered with these trees. We can’t sell them, and we don’t want to waste them, so the villagers have to eat them.”

Liang Qingqing sighed as she thought about this. Then she suddenly remembered that one of Fan Yanxing’s achievements involved solving the peach tree problem in rural areas, significantly increasing production, establishing a brand and even selling it to other provinces.

As expected, Fan Yanxing pondered for a moment after hearing this and said “I can write a letter to consult a specialist to see if the issue can be resolved.”

“Do you want to ask your aunt?” Chu Qi asked without hesitation. Seeing the other two people looking at him curiously, he hesitated for two seconds and then looked directly at the person involved. He knew that Fan Yanxing went to the countryside to gain experience and improve his qualifications, so he didn’t know whether he could talk about his background at this moment.

Fortunately, Fan Yanxing spoke up himself “My aunt has done some research in this area.”

The response was ambiguous, as if he had said something but nothing at all.

Liang Qingqing knew that Fan Yanxing’s family background was impressive, but she couldn’t recall exactly who his aunt was. However, from Chu Qi’s reaction, it was clear that she was an important figure.

“That’s wonderful! If this problem can be solved, I’ll be able to enjoy sweet and large peaches every year,” Liang Qingqing said, as if she was already envisioning that scene. Her enchanting fox-like eyes were filled with longing, and her obedient demeanor made one want to resolve the issue immediately to make her even happier.

“It can definitely be done,” Fan Yanxing said, looking at Liang Qingqing’s smooth profile. He inexplicably wanted to reach out and touch her, but he restrained himself, merely rubbing his fingertips without crossing any boundaries.

“If it really can be solved, then Yanxing, you’ll be a great benefactor to our village,” Liang Junqiang said, looking at the peach pit in his hand. He licked his lips, savoring the crisp and sweet taste, and felt his mouth watering again.

“It’s still early. I’ll go up the mountain and check the specific situation when I return to the village and then I’ll write a letter to inquire,” Fan Yanxing said. In the past, when he was working, he wasn’t assigned to the peach mountain that was left for the elderly, weak, and women. Young laborers like him were usually assigned to heavier tasks.

Usually, he would only pass by the peach mountain occasionally when entering the forest, taking a quick glance. So he really didn’t know the specific situation.