Chapter 35 A Loving Couple

Hearing footsteps, He Wenqing lifted his head slightly. His blank eyes instantly brightened a little upon seeing Song Youyou.

“Youyou…” His voice was tender and lingering.

Seeing him appear again, Song Youyou instinctively felt a sense of rejection in her heart.

“Comrade He, I believe I made myself very clear last time. Why do you keep coming over like this?”

Comrade He?
Hearing such a distant form of address and seeing her indifferent attitude, the warmth in He Wenqing’s eyes faded slightly, replaced by a trace of pain.

“Youyou, do you really have to be this heartless? Do you have any idea? Everyone is forcing me to marry Song Baozhu!”

“Oh? Then congratulations, I guess?” Song Youyou raised an eyebrow, a little puzzled. “So you came here today just to tell me you’re getting married and ask for my blessing?”

“…” He Wenqing choked.

“Blessing? What kind of blessing do I need with Song Baozhu? It’s not like I want this! Why do I have to endure all this? Why is everyone forcing me!” he growled through gritted teeth, every word dripping with a dark and bitter resentment.

Song Youyou had never seen him lose control like this before, but she had no interest in digging into his issues.

“What does it matter to me whether you’re willing or not? You’re acting like I’m the one who forced you into this.”

“To be honest, I have zero interest in your affairs, and I’d appreciate it if you stop getting in my way.”

Her patience exhausted, she stepped to the side to walk past him.

She used to get upset over him and the Song family’s drama, but not anymore. Now she just wanted to stay far away from them and live her own peaceful life.

Why did he and Song Baozhu insist on dragging her into their mess?

Seeing her try to leave, He Wenqing suddenly stood up and rushed after her.

“No.
Youyou, I’m sorry… My tone just now was wrong! I didn’t mean to sound harsh, I didn’t mean to scare you. Don’t go, okay?” He Wenqing grabbed her wrist.

Song Youyou instinctively tried to shake him off, but his grip was tight, and she couldn’t break free.

“Let go!”

“I won’t. If I let go, you’ll leave…” He Wenqing’s eyes were dark as he stared at her, emotions churning within.

Song Youyou was furious. She used her old trick, trying to kick him in a vulnerable spot—but He Wenqing seemed to anticipate it this time and blocked her move in advance.

“You’re trying to kick me again!” His voice was tinged with grievance. “Youyou, I know you’re still mad at me. You’re angry because I ended up with Song Baozhu, right?”

“No. I’m not angry at all—I just think you’re annoying.” Song Youyou’s head was pounding, and her disgust was written all over her face.

But He Wenqing acted like he didn’t notice at all, stubbornly clutching her wrist.

As they stood close, Song Youyou suddenly caught the scent of alcohol.

“You’ve been drinking?”

That’s when she noticed something was off—He Wenqing wasn’t his usual composed and refined self. The alcohol had stripped away his restraint and replaced it with a dangerous recklessness.

“Yeah. Only when I drink can the pain in my heart feel a little better. I’m hurting… Youyou, it hurts so much. My heart really hurts…”

As he spoke, the grip on her wrist tightened even more.

Faced with a grown man having a drunken meltdown, Song Youyou knew she alone wouldn’t be able to deal with this. So she glanced around, trying to figure out how to escape.

Unfortunately, they were on a narrow path, and at this hour, there were barely any pedestrians. Even if someone passed by at the nearby intersection, the thick greenery on both sides of the path would block most of the view. No one was likely to notice what was going on.

“Youyou, why can’t you understand me? I’m only with Song Baozhu because my family forced me!
You know my dad’s situation—I can’t go against him. And everything I have, I had to earn by myself. I’m so tired, why can’t you just sympathize with me…”

While Song Youyou was scanning the surroundings, He Wenqing kept rambling with a pitiful tone.

Song Youyou took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, trying a gentler approach.

“Okay, okay, I understand. Now, can you please let go of me first?”

“You’re trying to run again, aren’t you?” His eyes suddenly sharpened.

She sighed. “No, I’m not. I’ll just stand here and listen to you.”

“Really?” He Wenqing hesitated. “Then you can’t kick me again.”

“Of course.” Song Youyou glanced at the cloth bag cradled in her other arm.

That bag was packed full of documents—basically as heavy as a pile of bricks.

Hmm… Looks like a pretty decent weapon.
She used to think it was too heavy, but now? Perfect.

“Keep showing up to block my way. The moment you let go, I’m bashing that dog head of yours with this ‘brick’!” she seethed in her heart.

No one could hear their conversation from afar. No one could see the storm brewing between them.

From a distance, all anyone could see was a well-dressed man holding the slender, fair-skinned wrist of a woman, whispering to her.

The man looked deeply affectionate, and the woman seemed gentle, her tone soft.

They looked just like a loving couple.

And that’s exactly what Gu Xiao, who was standing at the intersection, saw and assumed.

Gu Xiao clenched his eyes shut.

At this moment, he should be rushing over, knocking that man flat, and demanding an explanation from his wife for betraying him.

But his feet felt like they were rooted to the ground—he couldn’t move an inch.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, deep down, he was scared.

He didn’t dare go out and confront them.
What if… she chose He Wenqing?

These past days had felt like a dream—he’d been so happy, floating on air. But He Wenqing’s presence had always been a thorn lodged deep in his heart.

A few days ago, he’d received a letter from Lao Wu saying he saw Youyou and He Wenqing together. That news had thrown him into a state of anxious uncertainty for days.
So the moment the army’s combat drill ended, he hadn’t even bothered to change out of his uniform—he rushed back to find her.

He just hadn’t expected to walk right into that scene.

When he opened his eyes again, Gu Xiao didn’t look at that heart-wrenching sight anymore.
Instead, he turned around, lifted his legs, and prepared to leave.

He decided to pretend it never happened.
If he pretended not to know… then she was still his.

Even though his heart was seething with frustration, even though it felt like a giant hand had reached into his chest and crushed his heart into pieces,
he—who had always acted without hesitation—didn’t go over to punch anyone.
Instead, he chose to run away like a coward.

“Heh…”
Gu Xiao let out a cold laugh, mocking himself for his weakness.

His tall figure bent slightly, the corners of his mouth curled in a crooked, self-deprecating smirk.
If his soldiers saw their commanding officer looking like this, they’d be completely shocked.
If Lao Wu and the others saw him like this, their eyeballs would probably fall out of their sockets.

When had Gu Xiao—the man who would dare poke a hole through the sky—ever been so tolerant, so hesitant?

He walked away with heavy, dragging steps.

Suddenly, two dull thudding sounds drifted into his ears on the warm breeze.