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The roads weren’t easy to navigate at this time.
After getting out of the car, Lin Yuyao looked at
the gate guarded by security.
She thought this must also be a family compound.
Fu Huayi parked the car to the side and said to her, “Wait for me here for a moment.”
Lin Yuyao nodded gently, “Okay.”
He jogged to the guardhouse, took out his ID, and spoke to them.
The guards opened a small door next to the main gate, and Fu Huayi turned to wave to Lin Yuyao.
She jogged over to him, and they went inside, directly heading to the third floor, where they found Uncle Zhou in a small suite.
He was a middle-aged man, impeccably dressed in a blue veteran’s uniform, sitting on the balcony, reading a newspaper while cracking sunflower seeds.
“Uncle Zhou.”
Hearing his voice, he put down the newspaper and adjusted his glasses.
“Ah, Xiao Fu, what brings you here?”
Fu Huayi called Lin Yuyao to follow him and walked towards Uncle Zhou.
Uncle Zhou tossed the sunflower seeds aside, stood up, and shook hands with them. Then notice the beautiful young woman behind Fu Huayi. His eyes lit up, glancing back and forth between Fu Huayi and Lin Yuyao.
Lin Yuyao felt uncomfortable under his gaze; she softly called, “Uncle Zhou,” but said nothing more.
She was afraid she might say something that would make it seem like she was there to confront him, which wouldn’t be good. Although, she exactly wanted to do that. It was better to let Fu Huayi handle it.
Fu Huayi understood Uncle Zhou’s look and was surprised that he didn’t explain right away.
Instead, he chatted with Uncle Zhou first, exchanging some polite pleasantries typical in official circles.
Once enough time had passed, Uncle Zhou smiled at Lin Yuyao and asked, “Have you submitted the marriage report?”
Lin Yuyao: “…”
“I submitted it, but didn’t you say you would return it to me?” She asked back.
Huh?
Uncle Zhou’s smile froze, and he looked bewildered at Fu Huayi.
“Cough, cough…”
Fu Huayi awkwardly said, “She’s Lin Yuyao, the one who was supposed to marry Lu Jiangting. They submitted the marriage report, but she doesn’t want to marry Lu Jiangting for some reason. She called you to ask you to return the report to her; you remember that, right?”
Uncle Zhou was stunned for a moment before suddenly realizing, “Oh, you’re the young lady who was supposed to marry Lu Jiangting…”
Wait a minute, how did she end up with Fu Huayi?
Lin Yuyao said, “Yes, I don’t want to marry Lu Jiangting. You promised to send the marriage report back to me; do you remember?”
“Ah, yes, I remember.”
“Then… what about the marriage report…?”
“Well… well…” Uncle Zhou started to dodge the question.
Fu Huayi said sternly, “Uncle Zhou, you’re an experienced official; you should know that marriage requires the consent of both parties, right? Comrade Xiao Lin doesn’t want to go through with it; why did you submit the report? That’s a serious work error.”
“Uh? I didn’t submit it!”
Realizing he had slipped up Uncle Zhou instinctively covered his mouth.
Fu Huayi and Lin Yuyao exchanged glances.
He didn’t?…
Fu Huayi hurriedly pressed him, “You didn’t submit it? The marriage report is still with you, isn’t it?”
Uncle Zhou: “…”
He stammered and couldn’t explain clearly.
Lin Yuyao was anxious too, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
Did he submit it or not?
“Uncle Zhou, what’s going on?” Fu Huayi’s voice gradually turned cold as he stared at him intently.
Uncle Zhou looked troubled, finally stomping his foot and letting out a long sigh, “Yes, I didn’t submit it, but I also didn’t send it back to Xiao Lin. But, sigh, I actually promised Lu Jiangting that I wouldn’t mention this.”
Both of them: “…”
Uncle Zhou looked at Lin Yuyao and said, “Lu Jiangting told me that you two grew up together, and you have a long-standing relationship, but there are some misunderstandings between you. I heard about Fang Qing’s situation; I know it hasn’t been easy for her…”
What he said was quite similar to how Lu Jiangting usually brainwashed Lin Yuyao.
In short, two years ago, their military district received a task involving combat in the mountains. One of the communication installation tasks was jointly undertaken by Lu Jiangting and Wang Jianjun. If it weren’t for Wang Jianjun, Lu Jiangting could have died.
Wang Jianjun died, leaving behind a widow and an orphan; Lu Jiangting couldn’t just ignore them.
In the end, Uncle Zhou even helped Lu Jiangting persuade Lin Yuyao.
“When there are difficulties, a couple should face them together. I know it must be hard for you to see him taking care of Fang Qing and her child, but who wants this to happen? If he doesn’t take care of them, it would be like stabbing him in the back; it’s unrealistic to not care.”
Yes, she admitted that was true.
In those terrifying dreams, every time she was unhappy, Lu Jiangting would use this rhetoric to brainwash her. If she didn’t listen, he would involve people around her to pressure her until she accepted his care for Fang Qing and her child.
During those years, she took care of the sick child at home and Lu Jiangting’s elderly parents.
Fang Qing, on the other hand, clung to Lu Jiangting like a leech.
She rented a house near the military district, living off Lu Jiangting comfortably; if she hadn’t been unable to apply for the family compound, she might have moved into the big compound.
While others didn’t speak out against them, if they did, Lu Jiangting would just use the excuse that Wang Jianjun saved his life to justify his actions. He would bring up Wang Jianjun’s death to justify his actions, saying that he was repaying a debt and that everyone else was just being petty. Because of Wang Jianjun’s death, the two of them were entangled for a lifetime
She died at only fifty-something years old.
Thinking of that terrible life, Lin Yuyao couldn’t help but cry. It wasn’t that she wanted to cry, it was just that it was too bitter, too painful, and she couldn’t help it. Seeing her cry, both people present were flustered.
Fu Huayi wanted to wipe away her tears, but he didn’t have the right.
He could only stand there anxiously, silently thinking about how to deal with Lu Jiangting, to vent her anger for her.
That scumbag Lu Jiangting, how could he make her cry again? He deserved to die.
Uncle Zhou anxiously said, “Hey, young lady, why are you crying? I know you’ve been wronged, but… but…”
He felt that forcing her to bear this responsibility was also unfair.
It was one thing if she was willing, but the key was that she wasn’t.
Lin Yuyao silently took the tissue Uncle Zhou offered, wiped her tears, and sniffled, “Uncle Zhou, it’s not as simple as you said.”
“Hmm, don’t cry, tell me, tell me what you think.”
“Comrade Fang Qing… she didn’t want us to get married, so she deliberately took all the money right before our wedding.”
Huh?
“Yes, it wasn’t a loan, she took it. I chased after her and forced her to write an IOU because that money included three hundred yuan of my dowry from my parents. Lu Jiangting didn’t discuss it with me and gave it all to Comrade Fang Qing.”
“Ah?”
Uncle Zhou looked at Fu Huayi in shock, “I remember you went to the wedding banquet, right?”
Fu Huayi nodded, “Yes, it didn’t happen.”