Chapter 17: The Ugly Cousin-in-law  

Hua Cheng lived up to his name. He carried an air of noble elegance, refined and courteous, clearly the product of excellent upbringing.  

“Hello, Comrade Qian Lai. Thank you for saving my sister. Our family was terrified when we heard what happened.”  

He extended his hand, and as they shook, Qian Lai could feel the warmth and sincerity in his firm grip.  

“Let’s not mention it again. Hua Rui has a wonderful personality—she took great care of me on the train these past two days.”  

Qian Lai smiled brightly, her eyes filled with fondness for Hua Rui, and that smile lit up Hua Cheng’s heart.  

The moment she stepped off the train, she had caught his eye.  

Graceful and delicate in demeanor, she wore a French-style sun hat and a pale yellow dress.  

The breeze gently lifted the hem of her skirt, making her look like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting.  

When her gaze met his, her eyes sparkled with charm, her smile radiant. Even her voice was like sweet spring water—clear and lively.  

Her two braids rested on her shoulders, carrying the scent of deep forests, like a mysterious little deer leaping straight into his heart.  

Her name was also quite special.  

If she were his student, he imagined how adorable she would look during enrollment: “Qian Lai, reporting for duty!”  

He couldn’t help but chuckle softly.  

“Qian Lai, we’re friends now.” Hua Rui pulled a slip of paper from her bag and handed it to Qian Lai. “This is my address and phone number. If you ever need anything, just ask. You can find me at the newspaper office or my brother at Xinda University.”  

“Xinda?”  

Why Xinda again?  

Lu Ximing was at Xinda, Qian Xiaozhen was desperate to get into Xinda, and now this man was also at Xinda.  

“Yes, my brother is the youngest associate professor at Xinda.”  

Hua Rui’s eyes shone with admiration.  

So that was it!  

“By the way, before the train arrived, Comrade Qiao was frantically looking for you. He asked me at least three times. You two…?”  

“Just a chance encounter.” Qian Lai’s expression turned serious as she recalled the scene on the platform.  

……  

Meanwhile, Qiao Muting got into Fang Wenjie’s car, and they sped off toward the military hospital’s residential area.  

“How’s my cousin doing now?” he asked Fang Wenjie.  

“Not great,” Fang Wenjie sighed. “The military district consulted several senior experts, and they all said the prognosis isn’t good. The chances of him ever walking again are…”  

“Then forcing him into marriage at a time like this—isn’t that unfair to the woman?” Fang Wenxue interjected.  

“The Gu Family probably just wants someone to take care of him!”  

“I heard she’s not even nineteen yet? Tsk, her family actually agreed?”  

Born into a military family, Fang Wenxue had been pampered all her life. She couldn’t fathom how some parents would willingly sacrifice their child’s happiness for their own gain.  

Qiao Muting’s face darkened, his voice icy. “Hmph, it’s not like they’re a decent family either. The parents are using their daughter’s marriage for profit, and the girl herself isn’t exactly virtuous. I wouldn’t be surprised if she has ulterior motives.”  

That morning, when he was about to head to the Wen family in Xiaonan Village, he happened to see a man dressed like a street thug harassing a woman in the alley.  

Hearing them mention “Gu Hanchuan,” he stopped in his tracks.  

The man grumbled, “The Gu guy’s already a cripple, and your family is still willing to marry off their own daughter? That’s just cruel!”

The woman said, “So what? Gu Hanchuan is now a deputy division commander. Who wouldn’t want to be an officer’s wife? Once I establish myself, it’ll be a case of ‘when a man gets to the top, all his friends and relations get there with him.’ What do you know?”

The man replied, “Let’s not talk about other things for now. I just want to ask you, do you really want to go to Xinshi so badly? After all these years between us, what are your real plans?”

The woman ruthlessly shook off his hand. “Don’t talk nonsense! What’s between us? Let me tell you, Guo Haitao, I’ve made up my mind to go to Xinshi. No one can stop me!”

Her vicious expression was utterly repulsive!

Qiao Muting could no longer contain himself and rushed out.

Even if his cousin was now paralyzed, he would never allow anyone to insult him in the slightest.

“Even paralyzed, Gu Hanchuan is ten times the man you upright-walking trash will ever be. I’m warning you—don’t even think about scheming. If you look down on him, just reject the marriage. The Gu Family doesn’t need such a selfish daughter-in-law!”

“Wait… who are you?” Guo Haitao, seeing someone suddenly appear and berate his beloved, rolled up his sleeves, ready for a fight.

The woman froze momentarily before adopting a mocking expression. “Me, selfish?! Isn’t the Gu Family selfish too? Why didn’t they propose the marriage when he was at his peak? They just want a free caretaker for their cripple!”

“Exactly!” Guo Haitao chimed in aggressively. “Who the hell are you, meddling in others’ business?”

Looking at their faces, Qiao Muting felt this marriage was nothing short of an insult to his cousin.

Unfortunately, it was the Gu Family’s decision. He had no standing to interfere, much less make choices on his cousin’s behalf.

Gritting his teeth in anger, he pointed at the woman and warned, “Listen well—you’d better behave. If anyone dares to wrong Gu Hanchuan in the slightest, every brother in the army will make sure they pay.”

With that, he stormed off.

But he didn’t see the malicious smirk curling on the woman’s lips behind him.

The moment he appeared, Qian Xiaozhen had recognized him as Gu Hanchuan’s cousin from the capital—the military doctor.

In her past life, he had committed suicide due to depression. She never expected to run into him here in Nancheng.

From his words, he must have mistaken her for Qian Lai.

Well then, she’d give things another push, making Qian Lai’s path to rejection even rockier!

So she deliberately provoked Qiao Muting, showing him her most selfish and vicious side, hoping he’d relay this impression to the Gu Family sooner.

She wanted her dear “sister” to suffer even more than she had in her past life!

After meeting this “future cousin-in-law,” Qiao Muting felt as though a boulder weighed on his heart.

How could his cousin end up with such a marriage?

The mere thought of the woman’s face made him nauseous.

He had to tell Gu Hanchuan the truth before the wedding.

After hearing Qiao Muting’s account, the Fang siblings gasped in shock.

“My idol Gu Hanchuan… spending the rest of his life with a woman like that? God, I can’t even imagine. That’s probably worse than being paralyzed,” Fang Wenjie muttered, grimacing at the thought.

“Which is why I have to tell my cousin the truth before the wedding. As for what he chooses to do, that’s up to him.”

The car drove for about an hour before gradually entering the military-administered outskirts.

The hospital’s Family Compound stood adjacent to the division officers’ residential area.

“Where is my cousin living now?” Qiao Muting asked.  

“In the cadres’ sanatorium,” Fang Wenjie replied with a somber expression. “He’s in a particularly bad state emotionally.”  

“I’ll go see him as soon as I get settled.”  

Meanwhile, Qian Lai followed Xiao Li to the Gu Family residence in the city.  

The moment they stepped inside, they could sense an unusual tension in the air.