Chapter 39

When the sleazy man heard Lu Nong’s words, he instinctively glanced at Pei Ji’an. Seeing that Pei Ji’an was not only in his prime but also an exceptionally handsome man, he realized that he had nothing in common with the old man he had imagined.

The sleazy man was further intimidated by Pei Ji’an’s cold and imposing aura. He cautiously glanced at Pei Ji’an’s shoulders, counting the ranks and stars on his uniform.

“Are you done counting?” Pei Ji’an asked indifferently.

The sleazy man nodded instinctively. “Yes, I’m done.”

“…”

“Ah!” The sleazy man hunched over, covering his lower body, and said, “It’s a misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding, really, Uncle. I didn’t do anything. I even got kicked by that auntie. Just look at me, I’m hurt badly and can barely stand.”

Uncle…

Lu Nong looked at him as if he were a brave warrior. However, considering that he had previously called Pei Ji’an an old man, it was quite courteous of him to now address him as Uncle.

The sleazy man had no idea what Lu Nong was thinking. He called Pei Ji’an “Uncle” purely out of fear and respect. He felt that calling him “Big Brother” was out of his league, especially since he thought he was about the same age as Pei Ji’an’s son. So calling him “Uncle” seemed more appropriate.

Xiao Zhou kicked him and said, “What nonsense! It’s not that you didn’t do anything, it’s that you didn’t have time to do something. Come on, let’s go to the police station.”

Hearing that they were going to the police station, the sleazy man sighed in relief. He knew that today’s incident couldn’t just be brushed aside. If they let him go, he would have been terrified. But going to the police station meant they intended to handle it formally, which was better for him. His uncle was the factory director, and as the only child in the family, his uncle would find a way to bail him out.

“I know I was wrong. I won’t dare do it again,” he said, pretending to struggle a little.

However, the sleazy man’s attempt to hide his emotions was too clumsy. Even Lu Nong could see his face shift from tense fear to relaxation. It was needless to say that Pei Ji’an and Xiao Zhou noticed it too.

Pei Ji’an looked down at the sleazy man, his expression calm, while Xiao Zhou glanced at his superior. He thought this guy was foolish to think he could exploit family connections. The chief always acted fairly. Fairness meant not abusing power but also not letting bad people escape the punishment they deserved.

After a while, the sleazy man was drenched in sweat from Pei Ji’an’s piercing gaze, too frightened to raise his head. Then he heard Pei Ji’an say, “I heard your dad is the factory director?”

“If he goes to the police station to see you, tell him that it’s best not to interfere in your affairs.”

Hearing this, the sleazy man felt a chill run down his spine. Not letting his uncle interfere meant they would keep a close watch on him, right?

It was over. He was already scared half to death by Pei Ji’an’s stare, and now he felt his spirit collapse.

Xiao Zhou impatiently pulled him up. “Let’s go. Just admit your mistake at the police station. Honestly confess and you’ll be treated leniently.”

The sleazy man let out a yelp as Xiao Zhou dragged him along. He hadn’t recovered from the kick in the lower body by Lu Nong. Xiao Zhou shuddered, thinking that it was another day to refresh his understanding of the chief’s wife, and he was once again convinced that he must never mess with Comrade Lu in the future.

She thought Comrade Lu was smart enough, but he didn’t expect her to be strong in fighting as well. If he was not mistaken, Comrade Lu’s side kick was very skillful and professional, and it was obvious that she had been trained by someone. If it weren’t for the dress and the strength that limited Comrade Lu’s performance, this kid would probably be useless in the future.

After Xiao Zhou and the sleazy man walked away, Lu Nong, slow to catch on, turned to Pei Ji’an and asked, “Should I go along to testify?”

Pei Ji’an replied, “No need. He will confess.”

He stepped closer to Lu Nong, carefully examining her. “Are you hurt?”

Lu Nong shook her head. “He didn’t touch me. I… um…”

What happened next was a bit awkward. How could she put it? She almost broke the sleazy man’s penis with her kick?

Pei Ji’an felt relieved that Lu Nong wasn’t injured, but he also found the situation somewhat amusing. His little wife always managed to catch him off guard.

He reassured her, “It’s fine, he brought it upon himself.”

“Mm-hmm,” Lu Nong nodded absentmindedly. She felt awkward around Pei Ji’an too often and didn’t want to think about what kind of image she had in his mind. She quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, how did you get here?” Lu Nong casually switched topics, only to realize afterward that she hadn’t called Pei Ji’an. So how did he arrive?

She looked at him suspiciously. How did he always manage to find her whenever she went out?

“Were you not the one who called me?” Pei Ji’an, hearing her question, frowned slightly. Did she not intend for him to come? Did she find it bothersome that he was much older than her?

Who was she planning to dance with then?

After Pei Ji’an spoke, Lu Nong quickly guessed that it must have been Pei Zheng who had called him, likely using her name.

Pei Xiaozheng was getting braver, he had learned to play both sides. Lu Nong clenched her fist in frustration, but when she regained her composure, she didn’t notice Pei Ji’an’s tightening lips.

“Shall we dance?” Lu Nong had long been bored alone. Pei Zheng and Zhang Kaiping, those unfortunate younger brothers, had said they would stay and keep her company. Yet, it didn’t take long for them to sneak away to have fun. What ungrateful little brats.

Pei Ji’an arrived just in time. Now, she could finally dance without any qualms.

“What?” Pei Ji’an repeated softly. He often felt like he couldn’t keep up with Lu Nong’s quicksilver thoughts.

Rituals were important. Lu Nong felt that since she had invited him to dance, Pei Ji’an should promptly extend his hand to invite her, considering her as a lady.

It seemed impossible to maintain her modesty, but she still decided to make an effort, batting her eyelashes to hint, “Aren’t you going to invite me to dance?”

Pei Ji’an swallowed, and his furrowed brow suddenly relaxed. He extended his hand and said, “May I invite you to dance?”

Lu Nong, feeling shy, raised her chin and placed her hand in his. The two walked into the dance floor.

They didn’t go to the center of the dance floor but stopped at the edge. Compared to the dazzling lights in the center, the edge was a bit dimmer, but Pei Ji’an and Lu Nong transformed that dimness into something special.

The two tall and handsome men stood next to the beautiful and elegant woman, their figures softly illuminated by the gentle glow of the lights. Together, they looked like a perfect couple, creating a world of their own. Just a glance at them could draw people in and leave them feeling inexplicably shy.

Though there were many eyes on Lu Nong, the men could only sigh at her marriage. They had to find someone else to dance with. Yet, she stood out so much that even her presence at the edge of the dance floor was enough to attract attention.

When people saw someone dancing with Lu Nong, they assumed it was her husband. Everyone was eager to see what made him worthy of such a beauty, their minds racing with comparisons. Why was he the one to win her heart?

…And then, nothing happened.

The military uniform, the insignia on his shoulders, his tall and upright stature, and his handsome features—none of the men present could measure up to him. They might as well go to sleep.

The women in attendance felt differently. The moment Lu Nong appeared, she captured the attention of all the men, overshadowing them completely. No woman could help but feel a pang of resentment. They had expected her to dance with the most outstanding man present, leaving the others feeling lost and dejected.

But to their surprise, she declined to dance with the most eligible bachelor. It seemed she was married, which caused all the men who had come hoping to find a partner to retreat in disappointment.

While the women sighed in relief, they couldn’t help but find humor in her situation. No matter how beautiful she was, no one was willing to dance with her.

Some even whispered that she probably couldn’t dance.

When the military wives arrived and noticed that Lu Nong was still alone, a strange feeling arose among them. Did Pei Ji’an not really care for his new wife?

It was true that Pei Ji’an was not the kind of man easily swayed by beauty. It made perfect sense that he wouldn’t dance with his wife.

As the military wives observed Lu Nong, their gazes shifted significantly. Some were gleeful at her misfortune, others felt secretly concerned for her, while a few had ulterior motives and were plotting something against her.

Then, unexpectedly, Pei Ji’an appeared.

The other women, seeing Lu Nong’s husband dressed in a military uniform and looking tall and handsome, shifted their gazes from mockery to envy. The military wives were shocked and surprised. Who would have thought that not only had Pei Ji’an come, but he also naturally took Lu Nong’s hand and led her in a dance?

This was very uncharacteristic of Pei Ji’an.

Their expressions toward Lu Nong became serious, a reaction they had never shown before.

Shen Yiming frowned, his face darkening as he watched Pei Ji’an dance with Lu Nong. Wang Hongmian pulled his attention back, asking, “What’s the matter? Have you taken a liking to her?”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Shen Yiming scolded Wang Hongmian, but then he fell into deep thought, disbelief slowly appearing on his face. “That shouldn’t be.”

“What shouldn’t be?” Wang Hongmian rolled her eyes while leaning against her husband. “Do you really think Pei Ji’an is going to stay single for your sister forever? Don’t kid yourself. I bet he hasn’t been married all these years not because of Shen Yimei, but because he simply hasn’t found someone he wanted to marry. Now that he has, of course, he’s getting married.”

Wang Hongmian’s words stung Shen Yiming, who had always doted on his sister. Yet, he knew she was right. If he once held on to the hope that Pei Ji’an would reconcile with his sister, over the years, he had come to realize Pei Ji’an’s true feelings.

But he couldn’t accept that his sister still harbored feelings for a man who avoided her. Each time he encountered Pei Ji’an, he felt uncomfortable and thought this was how it would always be.

Shen Yiming was also aware of some details regarding Pei Ji’an and Lu Nong’s marriage. They weren’t two people in love but rather brought together by a letter of trust. As the saying goes, a forced melon isn’t sweet. Besides, for someone like Pei Ji’an, who would never voluntarily marry, no matter how hard they tried, they wouldn’t warm his heart.

Yimei was a living example of that. Despite all her efforts, she had only suffered heartbreak at his hands. No matter how much she invested, Pei Ji’an remained cold and unresponsive.

But what is this situation now?

He had studied Pei Ji’an for over a decade. During those years, they had been friends, comrades, rivals, and even family. He understood Pei Ji’an so well that it was somewhat tragic.

Back in military school, he, Pei Ji’an, and Gu Weiguo had been the top students of their class, easily becoming friends.

Once, while discussing love, Gu Weiguo mentioned he liked the phrase, “Once you’ve crossed the sea, nothing else can compare; if it’s not the Wu Mountain, it’s not the cloud.” As long as you chose one person, you could ignore all others.

He had scoffed internally, wondering what kind of woman could possibly be on that level. Gu Weiguo was not particularly capable but had high ideals.

He himself yearned for a love that was harmonious and everlasting, one built on deep mutual understanding, like the lifelong revolutionary friendship and love of Mr. Zhou and his wife.

When it was Pei Ji’an’s turn, he said that love was a kind of disease, and he wasn’t sick. That left both him and Gu Weiguo speechless.

In the end, it was prophetic. Gu Weiguo found his “once you’ve crossed the sea,” while he discovered his revolutionary love, and Pei Ji’an remained untouched by any sickness.

Yimei never received love from Pei Ji’an.

Pei Ji’an had never looked at Yimei with that kind of gaze, or any woman for that matter.

That was the way a man looked at a woman—possessive and determined. Now, Pei Ji’an was looking at the woman in his arms with that same gaze.

Ultimately, he had fallen ill, but regrettably, the one who made him sick wasn’t Yimei. How could Shen Yiming come to terms with this? How could he not feel a sense of injustice?

Meanwhile, Pei Ji’an held Lu Nong’s slender waist with one arm and clasped her soft, delicate hand with the other. Compared to Pei Ji’an’s long fingers, Lu Nong’s hand looked tiny and vulnerable.

Lu Nong had danced with other men before, but for some reason, when Pei Ji’an’s hand wrapped around her waist, the warmth of his palm sent waves of heat through her.

Pei Ji’an’s touch was like poison. Just brushing against her body would evoke certain unwholesome memories, like last night, or the night before.

It was all this old pervert’s fault.

Lu Nong felt uncomfortable and slightly turned her head to avoid Pei Ji’an’s breath and his unique scent. She didn’t dare to look up at him, focusing her gaze instead on the collar of his pale shirt, unaware that it exposed her fair neck like delicate jade.

Pei Ji’an hesitated for a moment, then shifted his gaze, stepping into the rhythm of the dance.

To Lu Nong’s surprise, Pei Ji’an danced exceptionally well, not missing a single step. This pleased her immensely, especially when she compared him to the other men around who kept stepping on their partners’ toes.

The two moved in perfect harmony, drawing a crowd of onlookers who were captivated by their performance.

Lu Nong shot Pei Ji’an an admiring glance, but to her surprise, she found herself unable to look away.

From the moment she first laid eyes on him, she realized that Pei Ji’an embodied the very essence of restraint. Yet, she never knew that he could also exude such captivating sensuality when relaxed.

She instinctively swallowed hard, feeling as though Pei Ji’an could see through her thoughts and was mocking her.

Lu Nong felt a surge of anger; how could this old pervert dare to laugh at her? Did he think she, Lu Nong, was someone to be trifled with?

Just wait. Tonight she would show him the prowess of the sea king, Lu Nong!

With a newfound determination, Lu Nong resolved to impress him. Pei Ji’an noticed her change in expression and smiled subtly. Based on his understanding of Lu Nong, the words “coward” were fitting. She might appear playful and attracted to beauty, but if he didn’t take the initiative, she would remain distant—a mix of shyness and pride.

Pei Ji’an pulled Lu Nong closer.

After finishing the dance, Lu Nong felt the urgent need to relieve herself. She had been alone too long before Pei Ji’an arrived and had drunk too much tea. Now, her stomach was bloated, and she really needed to go.

She informed Pei Ji’an and stepped out of the hall, following the usher’s directions to the restroom.

Exiting the bathroom, she unexpectedly ran into Zhao Xin at the door.