Chapter 71.1

Ever since Pei Zheng learned that his family would be moving to the south and leaving him behind in the capital, his temper had grown increasingly volatile, and his mischievous antics escalated day by day.

On the first day, Pei Zheng, ignoring the rules about not eating sweets, swaggered into the kitchen with Huaihuai and indulged himself, even packing some treats to take afterward.

Lu Nong tolerated this, knowing Pei Zheng was venting his dissatisfaction.

The second day, Pei Zheng suddenly took an interest in Lu Nong’s coffee and broke Lu Nong’s favorite set of coffee cups.

Lu Nong felt a headache coming on, but repeated “Stay calm” to herself ten times to suppress her irritation.

On the third day, Pei Zheng sneaked into Lu Nong’s bedroom with Huaihuai and messed up her makeup collection.

On the fourth day, he brought Zhang Kaiping, Shen Jiming, and Jiang Yu over to play. Mimicking the outdoor barbecue experience Lu Nong had given the family a few days prior, he showcased his skills to his friends. The downside was that he not only consumed half a month’s worth of meat in one sitting but also broke two cups and damaged three trays, leaving Aunt Wu in distress for three days.

Days five and six passed in similar chaos.

On this day, Pei Zheng pushed his luck one too many times. Lu Nong could no longer hold back and slapped the back of his head. “You little rascal, I’ve tolerated you long enough. You need to know when to stop!”

Pei Zheng huffed and turned his head away, though he felt guilty inside.

At first, he genuinely felt wronged and sought out trouble, but when he realized that no matter how outrageous his behavior was, neither Lu Nong nor Aunt Wu would get angry, and even the old man no longer punished him, Pei Zheng became inflated.

He tried everything he once couldn’t do and had previously been punished for, and now that nobody was stopping him—and Aunt Wu even supported him—how could that not feel amazing?

But after a long time, Pei Zheng, who had come to his senses, found that what he had done was enough for the old man to beat him to death three times.

If Pei Zheng knew internet slang, his current mood must be: How to smoothly get through this awkward period without admitting defeat and embarrassing himself, and ensure that his family doesn’t find out that he’s a coward. Urgent, waiting online!

After Pei Zheng snorted, Lu Nong slapped him again, “Stop that and come over to help me clean up.”

Pei Zheng thought Lu Nong wanted him to help pack luggage, which made him furious. “You despicable woman! You leave me behind and still ask me to help you clean up. Is your heart made of stone?”

Lu Nong shivered at his words. “Stop whining. Your dad came back yesterday and said that Zhao Xin’s case has been exposed and has implicated the families of the cadres in the compound. The superiors asked your dad to assist in the investigation. The time to go to the south has been postponed. This is actually good. We can wait until after the baby is born. The medical facilities in Beijing are better and safer.”

Pei Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. There were still several months left. In fact, the various dissatisfactions Pei Zheng showed on the surface were actually hiding his inner reluctance and worry.

Pei Zheng had just started to enjoy a complete family, and now they were about to separate, leaving him alone in Beijing for two years.

In those two years, Lu Nong and her family would undoubtedly move on, forgetting about him. Just the thought of it filled Pei Zheng with sadness, making him want a hug from Huaihuai to ease his pain.

But now it was better since Lu Nong decided to stay in Beijing to give birth, giving him an extra five months.

“Don’t you plan to leave in a few months? Why are you packing things now?” Pei Zheng asked, confused.

Lu Nong rolled her eyes. “Can’t I clean up just because I’m not leaving? And let’s not forget how you’ve been making a mess of the house these past few days, acting like a husky. Aunt Wu said, once you’re back to normal, you need to take responsibility for cleaning up.”

Pei Zheng felt embarrassed and asked curiously, “What’s a husky?”

“It’s a kind, cute, and good-looking dog that looks like a wolf…” Lu Nong deliberately stretched out her words.

Pei Zheng grew increasingly interested, thinking Lu Nong was complimenting him. Right?

“But,” Lu Nong emphasized, “it’s a dog that isn’t very smart.”

“…” 

Pei Zheng dared not show his anger and obediently let Lu Nong direct him, feeling dizzy from all the tasks.

After they finished, Pei Zheng was exhausted and about to head to his room to rest when Lu Nong called him back. He weakly asked, “What else do you need me to do?”

“Here,” Lu Nong said, handing him a class schedule she had made.

“!”

Seeing Lu Nong’s unique class schedule again, Pei Zheng rubbed his hands together, feeling that this schedule was adorable for the first time.

With it, plus his strong learning ability, finishing his studies a year and a half early wouldn’t be difficult.

“Sister Nong Nong, you are my real sister!” Pei Zheng was so touched that he almost hugged Lu Nong, completely forgetting that he had called her “despicable” earlier.

Lu Nong wiped her forehead in relief, realizing that giving a slap in the face and then a reward was indeed a good way to handle a difficult person. The old saying held true. Plus, with that schedule, Pei Zheng would be calm for a few months.

She didn’t have much makeup and coffee cup left and couldn’t handle Pei Zheng’s antics every few days.

Time flew by. In the following months, due to Zhao Xin’s incident, there were constant military personnel coming and going in the compound, and leaders dressed in formal attire would occasionally question military wives and children.

Lu Nong was questioned too, but the interrogators seemed to know she was a victim in the Zhao Xin affair. They treated her gently, asking a few simple questions before letting her go.

However, those who were close to Zhao Xin were repeatedly called in for questioning and regretted their actions.

After extensive investigations, it became clear that Zhao Xin had serious issues.

At this point, everyone began to admire Lu Nong’s foresight. The whole compound knew she didn’t get along with Zhao Xin and had consistently rejected her advances. Many had even accused Lu Nong of being arrogant and ungrateful.

Little did they know that it wasn’t Lu Nong who was ungrateful, but that they mistook fish eyes for pearls. It was Lu Nong who had a sharp eye and saved them a lot of trouble.

Of course, no matter how outstanding a person was, there were still people who couldn’t stand him or her. Some people don’t blame themselves for not being able to judge people well, but instead blame Lu Nong for clearly seeing that there was something wrong with Zhao Xin, but not reminding them.

Lu Nong remained unaware of this. Even if she did find out, she wouldn’t care.

What troubled Lu Nong now was the physical changes that came with late pregnancy. Over the past few months, her legs had been swelling almost daily, making it hard for her to turn over at night. Her back and waist ached, and she had to rely on Pei Ji’an to massage her back and legs night after night to get any sleep.

Pei Ji’an walked into the interrogation room, pulled out the chair opposite the woman, and sat down with an indifferent expression. “You asked to see me, here I am, go ahead.”

Zhao Xin refused to see her husband or her accomplice Zhong Daren, but asked to see Lu Nong several times, saying that she would only tell him everything after seeing Lu Nong. However, her requests were rejected by Pei Ji’an every time. Finally, Zhao Xin had to settle for the second best and asked to see Pei Ji’an.

Zhao Xin didn’t care about Pei Ji’an’s cold attitude and smiled lightly, “Do you have a cigarette? I want to smoke one.”

Pei Ji’an’s gaze sharpened, but he remained silent. The accompanying recorder said, “No, hurry up and confess. If you admit your crimes, you might receive a lighter sentence. If you refuse to speak, you will miss any chance of leniency.”

“Opportunity?” Zhao Xin repeated the word, forcing a smile. “What opportunity do I have? Life has never allowed me to make choices. You see, I can’t even choose to smoke a cigarette.”

It had to be said that Zhao Xin was best at making others feel pity for her. With just a sorrowful smile, the recorder’s expression softened, and he pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He glanced at Pei Ji’an, who remained silent, then secretly handed the cigarette and matches to Zhao Xin. Suddenly, to cover up his own emotions, he said coldly, “After you finish, be honest and confess!”

Zhao Xin smiled as she lit the cigarette, eventually shaking with laughter. The recorder looked puzzled and asked, “Just smoke, why are you laughing?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Zhao Xin took a drag from the cigarette. “But I bet Chief Pei understands.”