Chapter 23: Chastity Is a Man’s Best Dowry

Chu Yue lifted her eyes and met the gaze of the young woman standing before her.

While she was sizing the other woman up, the other woman was doing the same to her.

He Meijiao swept her gaze over Chu Yue from head to toe—face, figure, clothing—and came to a simple conclusion: nothing special.

Chu Yue’s looks weren’t top-tier stunning, her figure was just average, her chest wasn’t necessarily bigger than hers, and so what if her waist was slimmer? A small waist meant narrow hips, and narrow hips weren’t good for childbirth. Who knew if she’d even be able to give birth to a son in the future?

And this is the woman Lu Zhanlin actually chose?

Well, there was one thing… This woman had fair skin and looked pure and sweet, but something about her was seductive—it was the demeanor of a flirt, plain and simple.

He Meijiao narrowed her eyes, her gaze frosty and mocking, landing pointedly on Chu Yue’s chest.

Because Chu Yue had rushed to open the door earlier, she hadn’t had time to dry her hair. Her thick black hair hung damp over her shoulders, with beads of water trickling down. She wore only a thin white shirt—no sweater on top.

The wet tips of her hair had soaked through the shirt, making the thin fabric transparent, faintly revealing a glimpse of smooth, fair skin and the delicate curve of her cleavage.

He Meijiao sneered inwardly and spoke with a sarcastic edge,
“So you’re the one.”

There had been rumors that Lu Zhanlin had a fiancée back home whom he kept hidden, never letting anyone see her. People thought she must be a peerless beauty, but—so this was it?

From the way He Meijiao was looking at her, Chu Yue instantly realized this woman didn’t come with good intentions—and she also guessed her identity. This was probably the “Comrade He” that the other wives in the compound had vaguely mentioned.

A rotten peach blossom from Lu Zhanlin’s past, coming here to compete for attention.

Chu Yue had zero interest in female competition. If Lu Zhanlin had even the slightest ambiguity with this woman, she would turn around and leave immediately.

And she’d take Lu Yuanbao with her—no way would she let a bad man influence a good child.

“You’re looking for Lu Zhanlin? He’s not here. He went out. Go find him outside,” Chu Yue said flatly and began to close the door.

He Meijiao was stunned.

She didn’t understand. Why was Chu Yue’s reaction so indifferent?

“Hey, hey, hey! Why are you closing the door? I haven’t finished talking!” He Meijiao cried out anxiously. “Aren’t you curious about who I am? What my relationship with Brother Lu is? Why I came to find you?”

Chu Yue’s expression was calm as she countered,
“Why should I be curious about who you are? What does that have to do with me?”

“How could it have nothing to do with you? Listen up, my name is He Meijiao.” She lifted her chin proudly, eyes gleaming with confidence. “Let me tell you, Lu Zhanlin is my father’s favorite subordinate, and he is also—”

“Comrade He.”

A firm, deep voice interrupted her incessant chatter.

It was Lu Zhanlin—and Lu Yuanbao had returned too.

Lu Zhanlin carried a mesh bag filled with some biscuits and a few big, rosy apples. Lu Yuanbao clutched two aluminum lunchboxes tightly in his small hands, walking carefully, afraid of dropping them.

The moment they entered the yard, they saw the scene at the door. Lu Zhanlin immediately frowned and called out sharply to cut it off.

Lu Yuanbao, still clutching the lunchboxes, ran over to Chu Yue’s side like a loyal little puppy, standing protectively in front of her.

When He Meijiao saw Lu Zhanlin, her face lit up with a sweet smile. Her eyes sparkled, and all her previous arrogance vanished without a trace.

“Brother Lu, I heard from the other wives that you had a guest at home, so I came by to see if there was anything I could help with. Our military region is at a high altitude—it’s hard for newcomers to adjust, and they often experience altitude sickness.”

“No need.”
Lu Zhanlin’s expression remained cold, not even sparing her a glance as he directly rejected her offer.

He added seriously, “Chu Yue is not a guest. She is my wife.”

He took a big step forward, placing his tall, broad figure between the two women, effectively separating them.

Turning to Chu Yue, he softened his voice just slightly and asked,
“Did you finish your bath?”

As he spoke, Lu Zhanlin’s deep, dark eyes swept across the front of Chu Yue’s body, his gaze pausing slightly at her chest.

Very sheer. Very white. Very full.

He frowned.

Chu Yue thought she’d hear some stiff, righteous remarks—but instead, Lu Zhanlin undid the buttons on his uniform, took off his military jacket, and draped it over her shoulders.

“Why did you come out without a coat? There’s a breeze outside—it’s easy to catch a cold. Be more careful,” Lu Zhanlin reminded her attentively, pressing down on her shoulders.
“Wear this.”

Just like that, the tall figure of Lu Zhanlin and the small figure of Lu Yuanbao were now standing right next to Chu Yue.

Chu Yue hadn’t lifted a finger, and He Meijiao had already lost.

He Meijiao’s lips were tightly pressed together. Her face showed clear resentment. She didn’t want to admit defeat just like this, nor was she willing to leave so easily.

After taking care of Chu Yue, Lu Zhanlin turned to look at He Meijiao.

The corners of He Meijiao’s mouth, which had just dropped, were about to rise again into a smile—thinking she had finally caught Lu Zhanlin’s attention.

But the moment Lu Zhanlin opened his mouth, his tone was cold and severe, completely without courtesy.

“Comrade He, you’re wearing a military uniform. Your current identity is a medic in the unit. You were assigned here to check on the postpartum woman and newborn—not to chat idly or slack off. At this moment, you should be at Captain Zhou’s home, not here wasting time.”

He Meijiao, now twenty years old, had always been a treasured daughter. Everyone treated her with kindness—no one had ever dared speak to her so harshly.

Hearing Lu Zhanlin’s reprimand, He Meijiao’s eyes unknowingly turned red.

She looked at Lu Zhanlin, then at Chu Yue, suddenly unsure which of the two she hated more.

“Lu Zhanlin, you idiot! I came here because I was worried about you! It’s not like I didn’t go to Captain Zhou’s—fine, I’ll leave now, okay?”

Carrying her medical kit, He Meijiao stomped her foot in anger, glared at Lu Zhanlin with teary eyes, then turned and ran off.

And just like that, the farce ended.

No catfight, no hair-pulling, no dramatic showdown. He Meijiao’s combat effectiveness didn’t even measure up to Li Jinhua’s—it was honestly a bit disappointing.

But in Chu Yue’s heart, a subtle discomfort lingered.

She had lived through two lifetimes—always single.

In the chaos of the apocalypse, staying alive was already a struggle. There had been no time for romance.
Now, after transmigrating, she unexpectedly gained a free soldier husband.

But if Chu Yue were to take a man—he had to be hers and hers alone from start to finish. She absolutely refused to accept a man who had been touched by another woman.

Chastity, for a man, was the best dowry.

Chu Yue looked up at Lu Zhanlin, her eyes clear and sharp as she stared directly at him.
“Is she your lover from the unit?”

Cough cough!

Lu Zhanlin was caught completely off guard, choking for a moment. His Adam’s apple moved with a visible gulp.

A delicate, soft girl suddenly throwing out a line like that—it was honestly terrifying.

But ever since he met her on the train, Lu Zhanlin had known that Chu Yue wasn’t as weak as she appeared.

And this question she asked—wasn’t a test, nor a jealous tantrum.

She was completely serious.

“No,” Lu Zhanlin immediately denied it.
“I was stationed on the front lines for a long time. It was a battlefield—I was just trying to survive every day. After I transferred from the front to this military district, it’s only been a few months. He Meijiao is a medic. I met her once while treating a wounded soldier. We’ve only seen each other a dozen times at most. I’ve always had a fiancée, and now that I’m officially married to you, I’ve never done anything inappropriate—and never will. You’re the only one who’s my wife.”

He hadn’t just stayed within the lines—he was practically a saint.

Lu Zhanlin had been engaged for ten years. Whether or not he had a wife in those years didn’t matter—he lived like a monk for 28 years. He had never even held a girl’s hand.

The closest he’d ever been to a woman was when Chu Yue fell asleep leaning on his shoulder on the train.

Lu “Spotless” Zhanlin.

Chu Yue listened to his explanation seriously, and that strange discomfort in her heart quietly vanished.

She gently ran her fingers over the military jacket draped on her shoulders. The corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.

She gave a sly, charming smile.
“Oh, I see.”