Lu Cheng felt a sudden tightness around his neck, as if a knife were held against it.

The exhaustion from their afternoon training immediately fled as he quickly responded, “You did nothing wrong.”

His tone was firm, his resolve strong.

Lin Qingqing raised an eyebrow. “So if I don’t get an apology letter from Qian Yuelan by tomorrow afternoon, I’ll go to the police?”

Lu Cheng swallowed nervously.

He knew that a careless response could get him into serious trouble.

Although he hadn’t had much experience with women, growing up under a strong-willed aunt had shown him how unpredictable women could be, especially with the way his aunt kept his uncle in line.

So, he carefully replied, “There’s no need to involve the police. If the police get involved in matters within the military compound, it won’t reflect well on the unit’s reputation. Besides, the police would be reluctant to interfere in a matter involving military families. Let me handle this instead—how about that?”

In truth, Lin Qingqing was only trying to scare Chen Zhou’s mother; she hadn’t planned to go to the police, as she also cared about the military’s reputation.

Although she didn’t intend to report it to the authorities, she wasn’t ready to let Chen Zhou’s mother off so easily—she would certainly bring it up with the military.

She hadn’t expected Lu Cheng to step in and handle the matter himself.

“No need, it’s best for women to handle women’s issues. No need for a man to get involved,” Lin Qingqing replied.

She didn’t want Lu Cheng to face any consequences because of this incident.

“That’s right! Dad should handle Dad’s issues, Mom should handle Mom’s issues, and kids should handle kids’ issues,” Lu Haici suddenly chimed in.

Pfft…

Lin Qingqing burst out laughing. “You actually understand what we’re talking about?”

Of course, Lu Haici didn’t fully understand, but that didn’t stop him from sharing his opinion.

However, as a prideful little boy, he certainly wasn’t about to admit he didn’t understand.

He nodded seriously, “Of course, I understand. I’m not a three-year-old.”

“Oh? How old are you then?” Lin Qingqing teased him.

“I’m five!” Lu Haici’s eyes widened, a little surprised his mom didn’t know his age. “Mom, how old are you?” he asked, mimicking an adult.

Lin Qingqing continued to joke with him. “I’m nineteen!” She was born in February, so she was already an adult.

“Wow, you’re so old!” Lu Haici didn’t know that calling a woman “old” wasn’t a compliment.

But as a little boy, he always wanted to seem older. “Then how old is Dad?”

Lu Cheng, sensing a potential “Wow, you’re really old!” coming from his son, decided not to answer.

Instead, he huffed.

Lu Cheng let out a sigh, “No respect for your elders.”

Lu Haici blinked in confusion.

Lin Qingqing also looked at Lu Cheng, not understanding the “old man’s” sensitive feelings.

Lu Cheng calmly kept walking, not giving his wife and son even a hint of his embarrassment.

Deputy Commander Lu Cheng was an upstanding man with an iron will, but his age was his Achilles’ heel.

He even worried about the future: if Lin Qingqing returned to her original time and he lived long enough to see her again, she would still be young, while he would be an old man.

Just the thought of it was disheartening.

So, he picked up his pace.

Lu Haici, still bewildered, asked Lin Qingqing, “Mom, why did Dad start walking so fast?”

Lin Qingqing was also clueless.

After thinking about it, she said, “Maybe he just really needs to go to the bathroom.”

Walking ahead, Lu Cheng overheard and almost stopped in his tracks.

But instead, he walked even faster.

“What’s ‘really needs to go’ mean?” The little boy’s curiosity was insatiable.

Lin Qingqing replied, “It means needing to pee, fart, or… poop.”

The little Haici laughed, “Mom, I’ll need to go as soon as I get home too!”

“Nicely applied,” she praised him.

Back at home, the family began their evening routine.

Lin Qingqing had already heated water that afternoon, so they prepared to bathe.

But just as she was about to start, there was a knock at the door.

“Deputy Commander Lu Cheng, is Comrade Lin at home?”

Lu Cheng was in the yard, helping his son wash up, when he looked up and saw Chen Daliang, accompanied by Chen Zhou and his mother.

“I’m here,” Lin Qingqing answered, coming out with a bucket of hot water.

She didn’t need to guess; she knew that the man with Chen Zhou and his mother had to be Chen Daliang. “Comrade Chen? Hello,” she greeted him politely since they were visiting her home.

Chen Daliang said, “I’m Chen Zhou’s father. I’m here to apologize for my wife and son’s behavior.” As he spoke, he glanced nervously at Lu Cheng.

With Lu Cheng present, he felt a bit intimidated.

Although Chen Daliang wasn’t in the same regiment as Lu Cheng, the fact that Lu Cheng was a deputy commander while he was only a battalion commander made him cautious about leaving a bad impression.

Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.

Lin Qingqing said, “This matter doesn’t directly involve you, Comrade Chen. As a hero who serves and protects the country, you can’t be expected to always watch over your family.”

Lu Cheng: “…”

The implication of her words was obvious, but he knew better than to comment.

Chen Daliang hadn’t expected Lin Qingqing to speak up so directly, nor had he anticipated her straightforward tone.

To have made it to battalion commander, he had surely encountered tough situations, but Lin Qingqing’s words caught him off guard.

He wasn’t a fool, of course.

He knew his wife’s flaws: she had a sharp tongue and often sent money to her family.

But when it came to taking care of him and the child or handling household chores, she was flawless.

Because of this, Chen Daliang kept strict control over the household finances.

He held onto his own salary and gave Chen Zhou’s mother just enough for monthly expenses and maybe a little bit extra as pocket money.

So, he was in control when it came to money matters, but he still couldn’t keep her mouth in check.

In the past, he didn’t pay too much attention to it.

The residential compound was full of women, and everyone had something to say.

When arguments broke out, the men were all afraid.

He thought this incident was just a spat between women.

He never imagined that Lin Qingqing would actually consider calling the police.

This blew the matter out of proportion.

In his opinion, Lin Qingqing was overreacting; things really weren’t that serious.

But it was one thing for him to think that; he couldn’t let it show.

“Comrade Lin is right. As a man, I failed to properly manage my wife and child. That’s my fault,” Chen Daliang responded decisively. “That’s why I brought them here to apologize.”

Lin Qingqing was speechless.

This man was quick on his feet.

Even though she’d spoken with a tone of sarcasm, he replied without flinching.

She had to admit that he had remarkable self-restraint.

She had implied that this situation was connected to Chen Daliang, after all.

How could it not be?

Protecting the country was his duty, but he’d been married to his wife for years—he couldn’t possibly not know what kind of person she was.

Since he knew, yet didn’t restrain or guide her behavior, wasn’t that his responsibility too?

But the problem was that he admitted his fault so directly and apologized, effectively cutting off her words.

For the first time, Lin Qingqing found herself speechless.

“Where did you go wrong?” A voice suddenly interrupted; it was Lu Cheng.

Lin Qingqing looked over at him, her beautiful eyes slightly widened in surprise, with a hint of emotion she couldn’t quite understand.

Just when Chen Daliang had left her with no words, Lu Cheng spoke up.

It felt like a warm sunbeam suddenly shining through the cold, filling her heart with warmth.

Lu Cheng sensed her gaze but didn’t look at her.

Instead, he fixed his eyes on Chen Daliang. “We’re soldiers. Just apologizing isn’t enough; you need to know where you went wrong to get to the root of the issue. Comrade Chen Daliang, since you’re here to apologize, do you know what your mistake was?” Lu Cheng said, standing up.

He appeared calm yet exuded a natural authority, the demeanor of a superior addressing a subordinate.

Lin Qingqing’s heart trembled, but it wasn’t out of fear—it was a feeling that welled up naturally from within her.

The first time she saw him with such a commanding presence.

All along, Lu Cheng had given her the impression of a man who was cool yet gentle, a warm-hearted person.

But at that moment, she finally understood—he was a warrior who would charge into battle, exuding an overwhelming and chilling aura.

He had simply hidden his sharp edges at home.

Chen Daliang instinctively straightened up, saying, “Deputy Commander, I know where she went wrong.”

Although Lu Cheng hadn’t been in the army as long as Chen Daliang, he had undergone the most rigorous military training and had even been on brutal battlefields.

His training wasn’t only physical; it was deeply rooted in his mind.

Simply put, soldiers like Chen Daliang, who were drafted, only knew how to fight; they didn’t understand military strategy or psychology.

But graduates like Lu Cheng were different.

They had built a mental fortress within themselves—resilient and unyielding.

They studied psychology and understood how to approach different people with the appropriate attitude.

Lu Cheng responded, “Speak.”

Chen Daliang replied, “She shouldn’t have gossiped, spread rumors, or undermined the harmony of the family quarters. She shouldn’t have blindly believed rumors. She knows her mistakes, and so do I. I will carefully supervise and guide her, so I am here to ask the Deputy Commander for forgiveness.”

Lu Cheng looked at Lin Qingqing. “What do you think?”