Chapter 32.1

Ruan Mingfu felt heavy-hearted after hearing the news and couldn’t eat anymore.

She couldn’t hear what the landlady said afterward.

When she stumbled up the stairs, intending to return to her room, she found herself alone in the corridor. The wind blowing in from outside lifted the hem of her skirt, making her feel cold not only in her heart but also in her body.

Looking towards the end of the corridor, where it seemed even gloomier, she felt increasingly unsettled. The thought that the mother who used to stay there had died made it even more eerie.

With the wind blowing, Ruan Mingfu felt as though her remaining sense of self was being chilled away.

Terrified, she didn’t even dare to return to her room and quickly ran downstairs.

Outside, the newly risen sun warmed her, and she sighed in relief.

But what would she do come nightfall?

She definitely couldn’t stay at the guesthouse anymore. The room where the incident occurred was not far from her.

Not to mention nightfall, she didn’t even have the courage to go upstairs right now.

Ruan Mingfu clutched her chest, her face pale, when a voice suddenly came from behind her.

“Comrade Ruan, it’s so good to run into you here.”

She turned around to see Hu Wanning walking towards her, holding her chubby son’s hand, with a gentle smile on her face.

Hu Wanning approached and noticed Ruan Mingfu’s pale face. “Oh, you must have been frightened.”

The incident had caused a big stir. The entire military district knew about it.

Ruan Mingfu slowly exhaled, “Sister-in-law, why are you here?”

“Old Xie was worried about you,” Hu Wanning said directly. “Knowing you’re timid, he asked me to come and take you to stay at my place. I even cleaned up the house, so I am late.”

She had been told by Xu Zhu not to mention that it was Xie Yanzhao’s idea.

Tsk~

These two are so dumb when it comes to talking about their partners.

What’s the point of being nice to others silently!

You have to speak up, otherwise, how would the other person know?

Ruan Mingfu felt a sudden sense of gratitude.

The man who usually was so silent was actually quite considerate.

If it hadn’t been for him today, she would have faced the body in the morning, which would have scared her out of her wits.

Ruan Mingfu expressed her gratitude, “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

“It’s nothing,” Hu Wanning said, picking up her chubby son. “I actually wish you’d stay at my place. Come on, I’ll help you pack your things.”

Ruan Mingfu was truly grateful.

Knowing she was scared, Hu Wanning had come to accompany her.

Hu Wanning was indeed a good person.

Returning to the guesthouse, she saw the landlady cracking melon seeds, accompanied by a young woman in her twenties. They seemed to be chatting, and the landlady was smiling.

Seeing her return, the landlady quickly wiped the smile from her face.

“Comrade Ruan, I’m sorry for my loose tongue… You weren’t too frightened, were you?”

“It’s alright,” Ruan Mingfu said, but she was interrupted by Hu Wanning taking her hand. She looked at her suspiciously.

“Aunt Hu, thank you for taking care of my sister these past two days,” Hu Wanning said, switching the chubby son to the other hand. “Given what happened here, Old Xie was really worried and asked me to come get her and take her to stay with us.”

After saying this, Hu Wanning didn’t elaborate further, but led Ruan Mingfu upstairs.

The landlady’s face was not pleasant to look at.

Once upstairs, the presence of someone else made Ruan Mingfu less scared than before, but she still didn’t dare look in that direction.

Her things had already been packed earlier, so there was no need for more tidying up.

She just needed to pack her daily necessities.

Ruan Mingfu was eager to leave this place as soon as possible.

Without Hu Wanning’s help, she packed quickly on her own.

Even so, Ruan Mingfu felt as though she was enveloped in a chilling atmosphere, and her mind couldn’t stop wandering. In the small room, it felt as if it was filled with people.

If not for Hu Wanning’s presence, she would have run away without a second thought.

“Sister-in-law, let’s go quickly.”

Ruan Mingfu carried all her things with no trace of her previous delicacy.

“Alright,” Hu Wanning said, trying to take the bag from Ruan Mingfu, but she refused.

“I’ll carry it myself. You still need to take care of the child.”

She understood that much.

“I’ll take this,” Hu Wanning said, picking up a small bag and checking the room to ensure nothing was left behind. “Let’s go.”

As they went downstairs, Hu Wanning gave the landlady a parting shot with a hint of sarcasm.

The landlady’s friendly expression nearly faltered.

Her face turned ashen.

Once outside the guesthouse, Hu Wanning finally spoke, “Are you wondering why I’m making things difficult for her?”

Caught off guard by the accurate guess of her thoughts, Ruan Mingfu smiled awkwardly.

Hu Wanning didn’t mind.

“I have a grudge against her,” she said, walking with Ruan Mingfu and her chubby son. “People like her can’t stand others doing well. When I was dating Old Xu, she was the one who interfered and nearly broke us up.”

Ah, really?

Hu Wanning’s sudden revelation left Ruan Mingfu a bit stunned.

“She’s not a good person. Don’t listen to her nonsense,” Hu Wanning continued. “Her reputation in the family compound is almost ruined.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

“Sister-in-law, what did she do?”

Hu Wanning had disgust in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything else and just said, “Well, it’s nothing serious.”

Since she wasn’t willing to explain, Ruan Mingfu could only swallow her questions.

When she arrived back, the family compound was bustling with people. They were gathered in a plaza-like area, sitting in groups of two or three. Some were mending clothes, their sewing baskets in hand.

Ruan Mingfu reflected on the scene.

It was quite similar to the rural areas.

Upon seeing Hu Wanning, people greeted her warmly. When they noticed Ruan Mingfu standing next to her, their eyes lit up.

“Wanning, is this your sister? Oh, she’s really lovely.”

“Indeed, she’s very pretty.”

“Wanning, does your sister have someone? I have a candidate here who would surely make both of you happy.”

…

Since these were all married women, their conversations occasionally included inappropriate comments. While they didn’t mind, Ruan Mingfu, who was more reserved, found it rather uncomfortable.

“Wanning, if you think it’s a good match, I can bring them over later.”

“No, no, no,” Hu Wanning, overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the military wives, said, “This is Commander Xie’s partner. She’s here to visit.”

As soon as the words were out, the crowd went silent.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Wow, this man’s reputation is truly impressive.

The military wives knew exactly who Hu Wanning was referring to. After all, among the entire unit, there was only one Commander Xie. Knowing this, their confusion only grew.

They scrutinized Ruan Mingfu with pitying eyes and whispered among themselves.

“A pretty girl like this is Commander Xie’s partner?”

“Wanning, don’t lie to us. Commander Xie managed to find such a lovely partner?”

Everyone was aware of Xie Yanzhao’s reputation. While there had been introductions made to him before, none had worked out. Just when everyone thought Xie Yanzhao was going to remain single, he suddenly had a partner?!

The wives couldn’t believe it.

“Could this pretty young lady have been deceived by Commander Xie?”

Ruan Mingfu lowered her head upon hearing this.

The bastard didn’t lie, she was the one who used coercion and bribery.

Realizing this, Ruan Mingfu felt a pang of guilt.

The women continued talking.

“With such a slender figure, wouldn’t Commander Xie just beat her up in an argument?”

“She’s so beautiful, which man would be heartless enough to hit her?” One military wife said with a lewd grin, “With Commander Xie’s physique, she’ll definitely have a hard time.”

“Can such a delicate woman handle it?”

“Indeed. When I married my husband, who isn’t as tough as Commander Xie, he nearly beat me to death. The next day, I couldn’t even get out of bed…”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Do they even listen to what they’re saying?

But thinking about Xie Yanzhao’s build, Ruan Mingfu’s face gradually turned pale…

Help!

She’s ruined!

This kind of assault was hard to handle even for Hu Wanning, who had already given birth, let alone Ruan Mingfu.

She bid the women a quick farewell and took Ruan Mingfu away.

Once they were out of sight, Hu Wanning sighed with relief and explained, “Comrade Ruan, they didn’t mean any harm. Don’t take it to heart.”

Ruan Mingfu also sighed with relief as she recalled what the women had said.

Her face turned red again.

Hu Wanning opened the door, and the dog, Goudan, came running out, wagging its tail.

It first circled Hu Wanning happily before lying at Ruan Mingfu’s feet, looking up at her with bright, grape-like eyes.

Ruan Mingfu’s heart melted, and she reached down to pet it.

“It seems it likes you a lot,” Hu Wanning said as she put her son down and closed the yard gate.

Ruan Mingfu’s smile grew wider.

Who doesn’t like a good dog?

Goudan’s fur was smooth, feeling like a soft woolen blanket.

She patted the dog’s head, then she and Hu Wanning carried in their belongings.

“You’ll stay here.”

Hu Wanning pointed to a room, which was a bit smaller than the one at the guesthouse but felt secure. It was very clean, with freshly changed sheets and a smell of sunshine.

There was a window on one side of the bed, covered with a curtain.

At night, the curtain could be drawn.

Outside the window was the backyard, separated from the nearest path by at least seven or eight meters and enclosed, so there was no fear of being spied on.

The room had a small wardrobe and a table.

It gave off a surprisingly warm feeling.

Especially after being frightened, Ruan Mingfu found this room quite comforting.

“Thank you, sister-in-law.”

“Don’t mention it,” Hu Wanning waved her off nonchalantly, “You get settled, I won’t disturb you.”

As Ruan Mingfu looked around the room, she felt completely at ease.