Chapter 35

Su Xi thought that Mei Li’s incident was just an unimportant joke, and she never expected that this fire would spread to the Su family and even to herself.

Today was Su Dong’s turn to rest, so Su Xi got up early in the morning and found that her two brothers had already gone out.

She gritted her teeth silently, swallowed the resentment toward her brothers, and went about her morning routine.

Unexpectedly, as she was preparing breakfast, she heard a familiar crying sound outside the courtyard gate.

Su Xi furrowed her brows, sensing a bad omen, and sure enough, someone was knocking on their door.

She stopped Grandma and got up to open the door herself.

Outside the door stood a crowd of people, led by the crying Mei Li, whom she encountered in the city yesterday.

Su Xi didn’t invite them in or ask any questions, she just stood there with her arms crossed, watching Mei Li’s performance with an indifferent expression.

And the military sister-in-law who followed and watched behind, after more than a month of understanding, also knew what kind of person Mei Li was.

The military wives who followed to watch the commotion had known Mei Li’s character for over a month. So, none of them stood by her side. Instead, they gathered in small groups, gossiping among themselves and occasionally gesturing towards Mei Li, clearly there just to enjoy the show.

Mei Li hadn’t expected that, even with tears rolling down her cheeks, Su Xi wouldn’t give her any response. ‘Shouldn’t she be offering some comfort and asking the reason for her tears?’

“What’s going on? Why is this girl crying at my house?” Chen Xiangyun couldn’t wait for her granddaughter to return, so she came out to see what was happening.

To her surprise, she saw Mei Li crying as if she had lost her parents early in the morning at their doorstep.

Even if Grandma Chen has a good temper, she couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Her tone was far from welcoming.

Mei Li’s eyes darted around, but she couldn’t see the handsome figure she longed for. She felt somewhat disappointed.

Yesterday afternoon, after she returned to the island, she went to the hospital to treat her broken lips. Unexpectedly, she met the man of her dreams.

The moment she saw Dr. Su Dong, Mei Li felt he was the man she had been searching for.

Dr. Su Dong was handsome, gentle, and respectable as a doctor. Compared to the men she had pursued before, they instantly became worthless.

Mei Li was determined to show her kindness and gentleness to impress Dr. Su Dong.

But she never expected her own brother to hold her back. Thinking about how her brother abruptly changed his attitude last night and insisted on sending her back to their hometown, Mei Li couldn’t help but feel sorry for herself.

All she wanted was a good match, but why was it so difficult? If she couldn’t secure a commitment from Dr. Su Dong today, she would be forcefully sent back by her heartless brother.

She had to make one last effort, no matter what!

What if Dr. Su Dong also fell in love with her at first sight?

Even if not, she had to take advantage of the crowd today and say some ambiguous words to make everyone think that she and Dr. Su Dong were in love.

With this in mind, Mei Li grabbed Su Xi’s hand, as if grasping the last straw, and forced a stiff smile on her face. “Yesterday, Brother Su showed me such gentleness when he treated my wound. I like him, and he must like me too. We are in love, and I will be your sister-in-law.”

Su Xi didn’t know what to say. She had never encountered such a narcissistic person before.

Or maybe she had. Back in college, there was a male classmate who seemed similar—unremarkable but incredibly confident. Whenever someone of the opposite sex glanced at him, he assumed they liked him.

Thinking of that arrogant classmate, Su Xi frowned. She was about to say something when the military wives, who had followed to watch the commotion, exploded.

“Mei Li, what are you talking about? Can you even compare yourself to Dr. Su Dong?”

Another military wife said indignantly, “This sister from the Mei family must be crazy. Dr. Su Dong is such an outstanding person. Are you even worthy?”

“No, this woman is too disgusting. She has been eyeing the young men in our military district before, and now she dares to set her sights on Dr. Su Dong. Sister-in-law Wu, let’s go. We need to report this to the political commissar and get rid of this troublemaker.”

“Yeah, let’s go. I’ll accompany you.”

“…”

Mei Li looked at the angry group of military sisters-in-law in shock. She never expected such a reaction. Why was it so different from what she had imagined?

What she didn’t know was that after Dr. Su Dong arrived on the island, many families wanted to marry off their daughters or nieces to him. Eventually, there was an unspoken agreement.

Dr. Su Dong was off-limits to everyone, like a celebrity on a pedestal, admired by all but unattainable.

Mei Li’s action had stirred up trouble.

As Mei Li was being pushed out by the military wives, she could only look at Su Xi for help; her eyes looked like she wanted to say something.

She hadn’t seen Dr. Su Dong yet, but he had treated her wound so gently yesterday. Surely he liked her too. These people must be jealous that such a splendid man has fallen for her.

As Mei Li looked at Su Xi with pleading eyes, about to speak, Su Xi cut her off with a cold remark, “Did you forget the 18 yuan you owed yesterday afternoon?”

Mei Li turned pale instantly, her mouth trembling. Her split lip seemed to hurt even more. She looked at Su Xi incredulously, unable to complete her sentence, “You…you…”

Ignoring her, Su Xi slammed the door shut with a ‘bang’.

Chen Xiangyun was still puzzled, holding a spoon of porridge and subconsciously following her granddaughter back inside. “What’s wrong with this girl from the Mei family? What relationship does she have with your brother? Should we ask your brother when he comes back?”

Back in the kitchen, Su Xi took the porridge spoon from Grandma and served herself. Hearing this, she looked at Grandma somewhat helplessly. “Grandma, what are you thinking? Could my brother be interested in someone like her? He probably just thinks my brother is kind and wants to latch onto our family.”

What Su Xi didn’t say was that it was fortunate her brother had taken her father and gone hunting in the woods early in the morning. Otherwise, with her brother’s vengeful nature, Mei Li would definitely suffer.

She didn’t sympathize with Mei Li, she just felt that it was not worth it to waste time on a mentally unstable person.

Chen Xiangyun took out a block of tofu from the cabinet, added some soy sauce, mashed it with chopsticks, and placed it in front of Su Xi. “This girl from the Mei family is such a troublemaker. I’d rather your brother remain single for a lifetime.”

Su Xi nodded in agreement as she ate her plain porridge with soy sauce and tofu. “Exactly, she’s so annoying. Yesterday, I met her in the city.”

Then, Su Xi briefly explained to her grandma what Mei Li did yesterday.

Chen Xiangyun was astonished by what she heard. Having lived for nearly seventy years, she had never encountered such an eccentric person. Today, she truly gained some new insights.

While the grandmother and granddaughter chatted while eating their meal, there was another knock on the door.

Su Xi swallowed the porridge in her mouth and got up to open the door.

The person outside was Xie Zhen, carrying a lot of things. The man was still dressed in military uniform, standing straight with a faint smile on his handsome face. When he saw Su Xi, his sharp features softened involuntarily.

Su Xi subconsciously turned around and noticed Grandma hadn’t followed. She lowered her voice and asked, “Why are you here?”

Xie Zhen noticed her actions, and his eyes darkened slightly. He also lowered his voice to match hers: “I heard someone has caused you trouble this morning, and I was worried.”

Su Xi blinked her watery eyes and asked suspiciously, “Is the news spreading this fast?” 

It’s only been a few minutes, right?

Xie Zhen coughed lightly and said, “I was originally nearby, and I rarely had days off, so I wanted to accompany you to work.”

Su Xi didn’t know why, but she felt a hint of grievance in the seemingly ordinary words of the man in front of her.

She also felt a bit guilty about her recent attitude of trying to hide him.

So, she didn’t ask him why he had so many things in his hands, and she just pulled him inside. “Then, have you had breakfast?”

Xie Zhen freed up one hand to hold Su Xi’s soft hand firmly with his own, then shook her head honestly.

Su Xi pinched his long, strong fingers and scolded him gently, “How long have you been waiting outside?”

Xie Zhen smiled faintly, his eyes gentle. “Not long.” It had only been about half an hour, which wasn’t long for him.

Su Xi found it hard to believe but didn’t press further. Since he was here, it wouldn’t hurt to let Grandma see him.

She hadn’t thought of hiding him from her family. Although she had just started dating Xie Zhen, she could tell he was serious. And she wasn’t the indecisive type; barring any unexpected issues, they were both heading towards marriage.

Today, though a bit chaotic, there wasn’t the deliberate awkwardness that usually accompanies such situations.

Little did Mei Li realize that her antics would provide Xie Zhen with an opportunity to impress Grandma Chen ahead of schedule.

In the end, this little commotion wasn’t without its rewards.

Thinking of this, Su Xi smiled and didn’t know whether to blame Mei Li or thank her for making trouble.

Chen Xiangyun had been waiting for her granddaughter for a long time, assuming that the girl from the Mei family had left and returned. Just as she started to leave, she saw her own little girl leading in a tall and handsome young man.

As an experienced person, Grandma immediately understood the silent exchange between the two young people. This was probably her granddaughter’s future husband.

With this thought in mind, Grandma couldn’t contain her smile. Of the three siblings, she finally got one back.

Meanwhile, Xie Zhen had already set aside the gifts and respectfully greeted Grandma, “Grandma, hello, I’m Xie Zhen, Su Xi’s partner.”

Although Grandma was nearly seventy, thanks to years of drinking the fruit wine provided by Su Xi, she was in good spirits and not at all hard of hearing or sight.

She carefully scrutinized the young man from top to bottom. Dressed in military uniform, he exuded vitality and charm. He was tall and handsome. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him.

Just as Xie Zhen was nervously sweating in his palms, Grandma finally seemed satisfied. She smiled and beckoned, “Sit, sit. You’re too polite, why bring so many things?”

Xie Zhen breathed a sigh of relief without showing any signs of nervousness. Facing such a kind Grandma was not as easy as facing an army; his back was soaked with sweat.

After sitting down, he replied, “It’s my first visit, I should do this.”

Su Xi, seeing him being ‘interrogated’ by Grandma Chen, had a relaxed expression on her face, but inwardly, her boyfriend was already extremely nervous. She chuckled and went to the kitchen to prepare a bowl of porridge for him, thinking that soldiers usually had big appetites, so she also brought a few steamed buns.

Grandma Chen noticed, “Xiao Xie hasn’t had breakfast yet, hurry up and eat. After you finish eating, let’s chat about how you two met.”

Su Xi knocked on a boiled egg, peeled its shell, put it into the man’s bowl, and smiled, “Let’s eat first.”

After breakfast, following Grandma’s simple ‘background check’, Su Xi, as the girlfriend, generously took her boyfriend away.

Once they were outside, walking side by side, they headed to the hospital together. When they encountered curious glances along the way, they didn’t avoid them.

Recalling Xie Zhen’s pitiful appearance under Grandma’s ‘interrogation’, Su Xi turned to him teasingly, “How was it? Did you find it more terrifying than going on a mission?”

The girl’s playful description amused the man. Xie Zhen admitted bashfully, “It was a bit.”

He had never been so nervous before. He was afraid that Grandma Chen might say something like: ‘You’re too old for my granddaughter.’

Su Xi laughed. “There’s no comparison at all. Wait until my big brother knows, then you’ll really have it tough.”

Xie Zhen also curled her lips and said, “Well, I’m mentally prepared. Who made me want to marry someone else’s sister?”

Su Xi blushed but didn’t retort.

Xie Zhen’s eyes lit up as he glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, he held the girl’s hand again and asked, “I want to submit a marriage application report to the unit. Can I?”

Men generally push for more when given a little leeway, Xie Zhen thought. As long as he saw the girl being slightly indulgent towards him, he wanted more.

Su Xi let Xie Zhen hold her hand. The man’s hand was large enough to completely envelop hers.

The island often had strong winds, and today was no exception. Su Xi adjusted her soft bangs blown by the wind. She had never stopped for this before, even finding the strong wind annoying.

But at this moment, she felt that, after the storm, the scattered leaves seemed to turn into pleasing pink petals in her eyes.

Su Xi thought she was hopeless. How could there suddenly be someone who made her so happy no matter how she looked at him, even though they had only known each other for a short time?

She thought, perhaps this was love. That’s why, since they met last year, she has frequently thought of him.

When you like someone, you must seize the opportunity. So, she scratched the palm of Xie Zhen’s hand. When he loosened his grip slightly, she held it back, her eyes forming crescents. “Shall we go to my office and write it together later?”

Xie Zhen was overjoyed by her words, not knowing what to do. After a while, he quickly bent down and hugged the girl, then let go, murmuring a low, hoarse “Hmm” in her ear.

………..

Dr. Su Xi, who has only been working for over a month, surprisingly has a partner and generously brought him to the hospital.

This news spread quickly as soon as Su Xi and Xie Zhen entered the hospital, becoming common knowledge to everyone.

It’s no wonder everyone was so excited; the Su siblings were outstanding in appearance, family background, and personal abilities.

Many people rubbed shoulders with each other, hoping to win over the two doctors.

But who would have thought that just over a month later, Dr. Su Xi would already have a boyfriend, causing much lamentation and frustration?

There weren’t many male doctors of suitable age in the hospital, but there were plenty of doctors and nurses with families. Many people wanted to snatch this delicate flower back home.

Well, when they heard that Dr. Su Xi’s partner had openly come to accompany her to work, everyone was angry and reckless.

As a result, when Dr. Su Xi made her rounds, there were often doctors and nurses sneaking around her office, all wanting to see who this shameless person was who had taken the lead.

However, it was strange that every person who went to Dr. Su’s office with great confidence would return dejectedly.

They wouldn’t say anything when asked, looking like they had been deceived. This only made people more curious, so more and more people went to investigate.

After two hours, this news reached the ears of Dean He.

Dean He asked the head of the gossip, “Who is Dr. Su Xi’s partner? Do we know him?”

The head rubbed his bald head, recalling the dark-faced man, finding it hard to describe: “You should go see for yourself. I really can’t say it. Anyway, it’s like putting a fresh flower in cow dung.”

Dean He became even more curious. If it’s being described like that, how bad could it be?

She really liked this girl, Su Xi, and there wasn’t much going on right now, so there was no harm in taking a look.

But she couldn’t help feeling relieved. Fortunately, she hadn’t talked about Xie Zhen to Su Xi before. Otherwise, it would have been incredibly embarrassing…