Chapter 32: Habit

“Do you always walk with your head down? I’ve noticed that no matter where you are, you always keep your eyes lowered, as if there’s some treasure on the ground waiting for you to discover. But if you walk like that and bump into something, aren’t you asking for trouble?”

Leng Mohan’s tone was tinged with helplessness; he didn’t understand where she got this habit.

“From now on, try to lift your head and walk with your chest up. Stop letting your forehead get so close to the world. What if you accidentally bump into someone, or get scraped by a car? What if there’s a pothole ahead, and you accidentally fall? If someone sees you, they can help you up. Otherwise, you’ll just have to wait there for me to find you.” Leng Mohan’s words were full of helplessness.

Luo Jiaojiao calmly replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Hearing him say she might fall into a pothole, she couldn’t help but smile slightly. For so many years, she had long been accustomed to walking with her head down, and she had never had any accidents.

However, Leng Mohan frowned, and said seriously, “Luo Jiaojiao, what kind of attitude is this? You must listen to what I say. From now on, you have to look ahead when you walk, otherwise, don’t even think about going out again.”

Luo Jiaojiao was so startled by his sudden severity that she didn’t dare to say anything, only silently lowering her head.

Seeing her lack of response, Leng Mohan raised his voice, “Luo Jiaojiao, I’m talking to you, can you hear me?”

Luo Jiaojiao quickly nodded, but secretly muttered in her heart: What a domineering and over-worried person.

Just as Leng Mohan was about to lift her head, a familiar voice interrupted his action.

“Mohan?” Zhang Rong walked over with a hint of doubt, seeing him scolding a young girl again, she found it even more strange.

“Talk things over properly, especially when dealing with girls, you can’t be so unreasonable.” Zhang Rong knew her husband valued Leng Mohan highly, and considering his background, Zhang Rong felt a great deal of affection for Leng Mohan. She treated him like a son and was very close to him.

She gently patted Leng Mohan’s shoulder, signaling him to calm down.

Then, she turned to the young girl and asked gently, “Little girl, what’s your name? Do you need Mohan’s help with something?”

Luo Jiaojiao, hearing the gentle female voice, slowly raised her head and looked at Zhang Rong with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“Aunt Rong.” Leng Mohan slightly raised his eyes and nodded politely.

Zhang Rong had taken a nap at the school at noon, so she didn’t know that Leng Mohan had brought back a wife. She mistook Luo Jiaojiao for another woman expressing her love for Leng Mohan, and a glimmer of understanding flashed in her eyes.

The moment Zhang Rong glanced at Luo Jiaojiao, she couldn’t help but exclaim in her heart.

The girl before her had clear and bright apricot eyes, and the slightly upturned corners of her eyes revealed an indescribable charm. Her skin was as bright as moonlight, as pure as frost and snow, so white it was almost transparent, as if it could glow. This small face was clearly the result of careful care, beautiful like a piece of crystal-clear jade, translucent and warm.

Luo Jiaojiao was not only beautiful, but also possessed a rare gentle temperament. Leng Mohan actually rejected such a girl, which was simply inconceivable. Zhang Rong secretly pondered in her heart, if Leng Mohan missed such a lovely girl, he would surely remain a bachelor.

No, such a beautiful girl, Leng Mohan must accept her no matter what. Zhang Rong had always dreamed of having such a gentle and beautiful daughter, and she decided to do everything she could to get Leng Mohan to accept her.

“Little girl, please wait a moment.” Zhang Rong smiled gently, “I’m Commander Mohan’s wife, I need to talk to him privately. Later, I’ll have Mohan send you back.” She gave Leng Mohan a look, signaling him to follow her.

Leng Mohan understood Aunt Rong’s worry and concern, so he turned to Luo Jiaojiao, “Wait here for a moment.”

“Okay.” Luo Jiaojiao responded sweetly, nodding obediently.

Zhang Rong looked at Luo Jiaojiao, even more satisfied. What a gentle and sensible girl, she thought.

“Which family’s girl is she from in the army? Look at her appearance, she hasn’t been betrothed yet. I introduced you to so many girls before, and you were picky about each one, but this little girl, just looking at her makes one’s heart happy. Those eyes, as clear as mountain spring water, so pure, clearly a good girl. As for her looks, she is exceptionally beautiful. This time you can’t be picky anymore, you’re not young anymore, you should consider starting a family.”

Zhang Rong looked at Luo Jiaojiao and smiled at Leng Mohan, “Do you know which family this girl is from? If you don’t, I’ll go and find out for you, see if I can get you two together. Such a good girl, I like her just looking at her, don’t miss out.”

Zhang Rong had previously glimpsed Luo Jiaojiao’s lowered eyes and mistakenly thought she was shy because Leng Mohan had rejected her. However, Leng Mohan had not expected Aunt Rong to pull him aside to discuss this topic, which made him twitch the corner of his mouth slightly.

“She’s from my family.” Leng Mohan looked at Zhang Rong calmly, his voice firm.

“Oh, she’s from your family?” Zhang Rong’s reaction was unexpectedly calm, as if she was just confirming an unimportant matter.

“What? She’s from your family?” However, the next moment, Zhang Rong’s voice suddenly rose, her eyes full of disbelief, as if she had heard a shocking secret.

Luo Jiaojiao was also a little stunned by this sudden change, she looked up at Leng Mohan, her eyes full of confusion and incomprehension.

Zhang Rong saw this scene and frowned. She turned to Leng Mohan, her tone tinged with doubt and dissatisfaction: “Mohan, what exactly is going on? How did she become part of your family? Your attitude just now was like you were scolding a subordinate soldier, what happened between you two?”

Zhang Rong had just returned from a study meeting in the city and knew nothing about Leng Mohan’s marriage leave. She only returned home last night, and she was still in a daze about all this.

Leng Mohan did not avoid her gaze, his voice calm and firm: “Jiaojiao is the biological daughter of Uncle Luo and Aunt Lan, they arranged this marriage for me years ago.”

His answer was concise and clear, without too much embellishment, but enough for Zhang Rong to understand its meaning.

“What? Could it be that Little Lan’s daughter isn’t Luo Meihui? I remember that girl, her looks were average, I was wondering why she didn’t look much like the Luo couple, I thought it was because of the inheritance from her family elders. What exactly is going on?”

Zhang Rong’s mind flashed with her friend’s beautiful face, when she looked closely at Luo Jiaojiao, she did find some similarities, but Luo Jiaojiao’s beauty was even more outstanding.

“In the accident involving Little Lan and her husband, wasn’t Luo Meihui missing? How come there’s a new statement now, saying that girl is your Uncle Luo’s biological daughter? Although I can see that they have some similarities, it’s still a little hard to believe.” Zhang Rong frowned, her face full of doubt.

“Luo Meihui found her biological parents, who were Jiaojiao’s foster parents. She looks very much like her biological parents, and I even found the culprit who switched them that year, Luo Meihui’s biological mother. It was all secretly planned by her to harm others.”

“After Luo Meihui returned to her biological family, she was full of hostility towards Jiaojiao, not only targeting her everywhere, but also maliciously framing her, trying to ruin Jiaojiao’s reputation.” Leng Mohan slowly explained, his tone full of dissatisfaction.