Chapter 37 Scandal

Liu Tao and the others wanted to help but were powerless. They could only watch as Su Niannian limped away, following Gu Zhiye. The distance between them was far enough to accommodate an entire company of soldiers. This time, Captain Gu didn’t even bring his stick — but the icy aura he exuded was enough to freeze the air.

Liu Tao rubbed the goosebumps that had appeared on her arms, worried. “Squad Leader, do you think Niannian will get criticized for leaving halfway and causing Captain Gu trouble by sending her back?”

Liao Yu kept adding firewood to the pile without looking up. “No.”

“That much is obvious. Captain Gu is not happy…”

“Niannian can get a ride back, which is a big help for her injured leg. This was a decision made by Captain Zhang — no one can blame her. Furthermore, at the start of next month, Niannian is supposed to lead our Second Squad to perform in the provincial capital. Her leg cannot suffer any further injuries. Do you think Captain Zhang isn’t aware of that?”

The most beautiful girl in the troupe, following Gu Zhiye, drew quite a bit of attention. The majority simply cast a brief glance, sighed, and then turned back to their routines. However, there was a complex, passionate gaze that remained fixed on Su Niannian, unwilling to move away.

He Bi stood in a corner, looking at the delicate young woman. She was sure there was no one else in the world who could be her — but hadn’t Su Niannian gone abroad? Why was she here in a small town in Ning County? Was it a way to avoid suspicion? Is that why she kept a low profile and kept silent about everything related to Black Province?…

He Bi, much like a snake creeping in the dark, tried to piece together the picture from whatever traces were left — not realizing that someone’s piercing gaze was also resting upon her…

Communicator Xiao Zhang was waiting outside the army’s encampment to handle any emergency. The chilly early autumn air already held a slight bite. He opened his military water bottle and drank a few warm gulps. Just then, he saw Gu Zhiye in the distance — much different from his normally erect, cold demeanor — this time, he was actually carrying a woman on his back. Her fair arms were casually draped around his neck, closing the distance between them until there was practically none. Xiao Zhang promptly sprayed water from his mouth! He rubbed his eyes. Oh Lord! Was he seeing things? Was it too late to destroy his own eyeballs?

He rushed to put his water bottle back into the car, then turned away, acting as if he hadn’t noticed a thing — until he heard Gu Zhiye’s deep voice from behind him.
“Open the door.”

“Uh… Uh… Okay…”
Xiao Zhang opened the rear door with shaky hands. Gu Zhiye carefully placed Su Niannian down and fastened her seatbelt — not even attempting to conceal their growing affection. Su Niannian noticed Xiao Zhang’s blushing face and gently pushed Gu Zhiye. The latter clicked the seatbelt into place and said quietly, “Don’t worry, he’s not an outsider.”

“…”
Su Niannian, a charming woman whose upturned eyes glimmer even when she’s acting gentle, turned to Xiao Zhang and said warmly, “Sorry for troubling you.”
Before Xiao Zhang could respond, the car keys were snatched away by Gu Zhiye, whose piercing gaze fell upon him. “Go back to help Captain Zhang. This is none of your business.”

A shiver went down Xiao Zhang’s spine. Almost instinctively, he held on tighter to the keys. “C-c-captain… that… isn’t appropriate.”

“What’s inappropriate?”

He forced a nervous smile. “I mean… I should be the one to drive this young lady back. Where’s her home? I guarantee I’ll get her there safely.”

Gu Zhiye’s grip tightened, a pulse beating at his temples. “My wife — you think you get a say in that? Keep your mouth shut.”

Xiao Zhang nearly choked. The rear of the car filled with exhaust as it drove away, and he was left staring after it, wondering: When did the Captain’s wife sneak into their military base?

Having gotten word that his sister was injured, Su Jianshan rushed from the mess hall to the medical room. Without thinking, he fell down at Su Niannian’s knees, crying, “I should’ve been there with you. I shouldn’t have let you go to training by yourself… Really… From now on, I’m not going to let you out of my sight… It’s all my fault…”

Su Niannian was both exasperated and amused. “I’m fine. Get up. Your knees must be hurting.”

The atmosphere fell into a moment of silence — even the doctor setting her bone fell into a stupor — while the soldiers in the room exchanged glances. Who would have thought that the man who won over the flower of the troupe was… a mess hall server! In an instant, a rush of envy fell upon them. The Su siblings remained oblivous to the dramatic mess. Gu Zhiye had kept the matter from his brother-in-law precisely to avoid this kind of chaos, but he hadn’t expected that Su Niannian was a kind of superstar — whatever happened to her drew everyone’s eyes. His big confession made countless hearts break in the process…

Liu Tao and the rest learned about this a few days later. At the time, Su Niannian was resting in her room while her friends kept nagging her. “He should keep his distance if he’s not interested in you. Does he think you’re someone who already belongs to someone? Niannian, I support you in pursuing a wonderful life. Remember — a wonderful life — not something related to a mess hall server. Be careful, be careful.”

Su Niannian was exasperated. “Tao Zi, you’re overthinking this. We barely even talk to each other normally. It was a complete accident.”

At that moment, a figure appeared at the doorway. He Bi’s expression was complex as she said, “Su Niannian, someone’s looking for you… it’s that mess hall guy…”

At the mention of him, Liu Tao sprang up in rage, quickly slipped on her shoes, and rushed toward the doorway, cursing under her breath. “Good! He dares show up today?! I want to see if he even knows what the words ‘integrity’ and ‘shame’ mean…!!”