Chapter 17

The longer Deng Lijun waited, the more he regretted coming empty-handed. Just as he was hesitating over whether to leave, the door opened, and Pei Hechuan motioned him in.

Deng Lijun stiffened and saluted at the doorway.

“Regiment Commander.”

Pei Hechuan’s mood was clearly off, his expression far from pleasant.

“Something you need?”

His eyes swept over the bottle of liquor Deng Lijun was holding, assuming he had come with a request.

Deng Lijun shook his head. “No, no. I’m here to deliver something. Comrade Zhao asked me to bring it to you.”

The mention of “Comrade Zhao” made Pei Hechuan’s eyes sharpen, and his attention piqued. After their earlier slightly awkward encounter, he couldn’t believe Zhao Yunsheng would approach him first.

“She asked you to come?”

Deng Lijun knew the more he said, the more he could slip up. He nodded vaguely, half-truthfully.

“Yes, just to thank you for helping her. That’s all she said—nothing more.”

Pei Hechuan paused thoughtfully, studying the bottle in Deng Lijun’s hands. It was Moutai—a pricey brand. Clearly, she had spared no expense.

He remained silent, but the change in his expression was obvious.

Deng Lijun grinned inwardly, relieved he had come at the right time, and quickly offered the bottle with both hands.

As Pei Hechuan took it, a voice from behind asked:

“Hechuan, a friend of yours? Why are they still standing at the door? Come in, have a seat.”

Pei Hechuan nodded and turned, gesturing for him to sit.

Deng Lijun drew a deep breath, trying to mask his nerves, and stepped inside confidently.

At first glance, a man approaching fifty sat behind the desk—graceful, calm, and smiling, with not a strand of white hair. He wore a turtleneck sweater and gold-rimmed glasses.

“Isn’t Hechuan introducing you?”

Before Pei Hechuan could speak, Deng Lijun hurried to introduce himself.

“Hello, Uncle. I’m a soldier under the regiment commander. Just call me Jun’er.”

Pei Hechuan, seeing him sit stiffly and puff up his chest, added casually,

“He’s my company commander.”

Ji Jianmin’s eyes brightened. “Not bad! So young and already a company commander?”

Deng Lijun smiled shyly. “All thanks to the regiment commander leading well.”

The boy was attentive; when Ji Jianmin stood to pick up his cup, Deng Lijun snatched it and hurried to pour tea.

Ji Jianmin, surprised, couldn’t help but glance at him a few times, clearly impressed.

Pei Hechuan chuckled silently—this kid’s flattery was first-class.

“It’s getting late. Why are you still wandering outside?”

Ji Jianmin glanced at the Moutai bottle on the table. Having overheard the conversation at the door, he guessed the liquor was important, but still asked, feigning curiosity:

“This Moutai… was it specially sent to me? To thank me for taking care of your grandparents all these years?”

He reached for it, but Pei Hechuan, expressionless, pushed it aside.

“You receive plenty of gifts in your life; why worry about mine?”

Ji Jianmin shot him a glare but denied it after sitting down.

“Don’t talk nonsense. As the factory director, I serve the people—I’ve never taken a single cent.”

Pei Hechuan saw through it but said nothing. His uncle was honest and upright, unlike his mischievous aunt, who, though careful, still accepted small favors.

“This wine was sent by a female comrade, right?”

Pei Hechuan’s nod confirmed it.

Ji Jianmin raised an eyebrow, clearly interested in the situation.

“You’ve had countless admirers growing up. Now that you’re older, it’s time to settle down. Your parents worry themselves sick. We can’t trust girls from outside, but you’ve known Minmin for years. Isn’t it time to take things further?”

Pei Hechuan frowned and immediately refused.

“Uncle, Jiang Min has lived with us for a few years. To me, she’s just an outsider. She’s not my sister, so how could there be anything more?”

“Your aunt has a matchmaking heart; I can’t control that. But if she’s your wife, you should take care of her.”

His words carried weight, making even a senior like Ji Jianmin pause. Surprised at Pei Hechuan’s bluntness, he reluctantly nodded without pressing further.

Trying to ease the mood, he asked curiously, “Do you have someone you like?”

Pei Hechuan replied casually, “Yes.”

“That’s good. Bring her home sometime, so your grandparents can rest easy.”

Ji Jianmin was curious—what kind of girl could tame this nephew? Pei Hechuan had only ever had one relationship, five years ago in Bincheng, which had ended mysteriously. His family had dared not pry.

Five years later, Jiang Min’s careful attention was about to bear fruit… until an unexpected obstacle appeared. Handling this wouldn’t be easy, especially given Jiang Min’s temper.

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“Achoo!”

Zhao Yunsheng, changing clothes and preparing to leave work, sneezed—maybe she was catching a cold.

“Mom, here’s your scarf.”

Yuanbao, worried, tried to put the scarf around her neck, but Zhao Yunsheng stopped him.

“No need, Mom’s not cold. Don’t keep putting it on and taking it off, or you’ll catch a cold.”

Since her morning confrontation with Wu Qiao at the daycare, she hadn’t sent Yuanbao there. She kept him with her instead. Cycling around delivering milk wasn’t difficult, so it was convenient.

“Let’s go home. The bike tire is flat. We need to get it fixed.”

Hand in hand, mother and son left, only to run into Wu Qiao, who had just finished work.

Having worried all afternoon and seen no police, she realized the soldier was just scaring her.

Still fretting, Wu Qiao hurried up, shamelessly asking:

“Comrade Zhao, taking Yuanbao home? I want to apologize. This morning was my fault—I shouldn’t have said those things.”

Zhao Yunsheng ignored her, walking on.

Wu Qiao didn’t get angry, following with a smile and probing:

“Comrade Zhao, that soldier from this morning… isn’t your husband, right? I asked around. They said you raise your child alone and have no man around.”

“The soldier helped you, so you must know each other. Can you tell me more about him?”

Zhao Yunsheng paused, surprised that she hadn’t given up.

Ah, this man’s charm really attracts trouble!

“Why? Do you want to chase him?”