Chapter 28: She Is Relying on Him

The sound of arguing from next door was faint and unclear, but the word “divorce” shouted by Ge Hongying, nearly tearing her throat, was heard by the surrounding households.

Zhou Meihua immediately ran over to gossip with An Huan.

“Did you hear? They’re getting a divorce!”

An Huan replied, “I think it’s just a heated argument. They won’t get a divorce so easily.”

Zhou Meihua nodded in agreement. “Yu Baoshan is a good man, and he treats Ge Hongying well. This is the first time I’ve seen them argue after all these years. Hey, do you know what they were fighting about? I couldn’t make it out even though I was all ears.”

An Huan did overhear something about the brother-in-law and sister-in-law… After a bit of imagination, it could easily be assumed that it was something romantic, but unsure of the details, An Huan decided not to mention it to Zhou Meihua.

She shook her head. “I didn’t hear clearly either, but Ge Hongying just came back from a study class and started arguing. She’s probably been stressed from not eating or sleeping well these past few days and just needed to vent.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Zhou Meihua said, but just as she was about to say something else, the voice of Shi Weiguang sounded from outside An Huan’s door. “Meihua, what are you cooking? It’s almost burning!”

Zhou Meihua was startled. “Damn, I’m stewing beans in the pot! I can’t talk now, I’ve got to go!”

She rushed off in a hurry, leaving just as quickly as she arrived.

An Huan shook her head with a smile and went back to the kitchen.

As she cooked, she thought about the recent “anti-espionage” investigation operation.

It had been a huge affair, and the families in the compound had been discussing it for days. Many people with complex political backgrounds were being investigated.

Tracing it back, it all stemmed from the explosion at the chemical plant, where the spy had come from within the factory.

It was said that this person had once been a “rightist” years ago. After being sent down for re-education, he seemed to have “reformed” and was allowed to have his label removed. But he harbored resentment, and after secretly collaborating with spies, he caused the explosion.

Though he was eventually caught, the disaster he caused couldn’t be undone. This warning sign had made the scale of the “anti-espionage” investigation seem justifiable.

The logic made sense, but An Huan still felt uneasy.

If such an operation could affect someone like Ge Hongying, who had only been a prisoner of war, then how severe would the situation be during the national movement in two years?

It wasn’t until Xiao Zheng came back that An Huan’s somber expression remained unchanged.

“I was delayed after work because Ling Hansong detained me for a while and talked,” Xiao Zheng said. “Your face doesn’t look too good. What happened?”

An Huan stared at him, sighed softly, and then voiced her concerns.

“…I’m just thinking, will the situation become more and more tense? Given my background, how can I protect myself and my family in such a chaotic situation?” She shuddered at the thought. When the movement comes, no one will care about the background on your household registration. They won’t talk about principles with you anymore.

Xiao Zheng had never expected that the “anti-espionage” operation would scare his wife so much, leading her to overthink.

“Well…” He scratched his head, and after a long pause, he said, “You’re not the same as before. You can even give me ideological education now. Who would dare say you have a problem?”

If this had been the old An Huan, Xiao Zheng would have worried that she might say or do something wrong. He might have even checked what books she was reading, like how Chen Gang controlled Wen Xuemeng.

But now, Xiao Zheng really felt that there was no need to worry about her.

“What if?” An Huan pressed. “What if someone targets me and falsely accuses me?”

Xiao Zheng’s eyes turned sharp. “I won’t allow that to happen.” Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, he softened and added, “Even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you. No matter how chaotic the situation gets, your man will protect you. Just be yourself.”

An Huan smiled, gazing at him with tender eyes. “Okay.”

She was relying on him.

Xiao Zheng’s heart swelled, feeling as if it were a balloon filled with air. If it weren’t tethered by a string, it would float away.

He quickly squeezed her hand and then hurriedly went out with the dish.

An Huan chuckled, gently touching the spot where he had squeezed her. It felt like rough sandpaper had brushed against it, slightly itchy.

It occurred to her that she had been living here for almost a month, yet she had not slept with this man.

The last time, when Dongdong nearly interrupted them, Xiao Zheng had recoiled like a frightened snail, retracting back into his shell.

As usual, Xiao Zheng washed up and entered the bedroom.

There was no sign of An Huan.

He assumed she was in their son’s room, but then saw her emerge from behind the half-open closet door.

“Your work…” Xiao Zheng’s words stopped abruptly when he saw her outfit.

She—why was she wearing his shirt?

Xiao Zheng was tall, and his shirt, on An Huan, reached down to her thighs. The loose fit covered her upper body completely, hiding any curves.

Her fair, shapely legs drew his full attention.

“What are you staring at? Aren’t you going to sleep?” An Huan gave him a soft, playful glance.

“Why are you wearing my clothes?” he blurted out.

“Don’t want me to wear it? Then you take it off for me.”

Xiao Zheng broke out in a sweat.

Seeing her in his clothes felt as though he had wrapped himself around her entirely. Just thinking about it made his blood boil.

An Huan sauntered over to the bed, and as she lifted one foot to climb in, a strong force suddenly pinned her down.

Before she could even gasp in surprise, she was flipped over.

Hot lips pressed against hers, moving in a frantic, urgent manner.

“Are you sure you want this? Won’t you regret it?”

An Huan wrapped her arms around his neck and, in a hoarse voice, asked, “Regret what?”

“If you give me another child, I’ll never let you go again. You’ll be tied to me for life.”

“Do you agree?”

An Huan, feeling his hard body against hers, was a little overwhelmed and, after a moment, finally realized the meaning of Xiao Zheng’s words.

Wait.

A child?

Her mind was filled with thoughts of pleasure, forgetting about contraception for the moment.

She had had quite a few boyfriends before, but never had a child with them.

Even though this body already had Dongdong, it couldn’t be counted as her personal experience.

She wasn’t opposed to having children, but she needed some time to mentally prepare.

At least not right now.

She forcefully pushed the man away.

This time, it was An Huan who pulled back from the temptation.