Chapter 77

When Wen Nuan returned home, it was already past seven in the evening.

Gu Qinglan had come to the family quarters these past two nights. However, Lele, having not seen her mother return home last night, had been peering out into the yard all day, waiting to see when her mother would come back.

So, when the little one spotted Wen Nuan arriving home, she rushed out and shouted, “Mom!”

Seeing her child so excited, Wen Nuan reached out and picked up the small bundle in her arms, asking, “Why did you come out? Aren’t you cold?”

Lele shook her little head like a rattle drum and smiled as she said, “Not cold, waiting for Mom!”

“Such a good girl!” Wen Nuan pinched the chubby little face of her child and then, with a smile, asked, “Did Lele sneak some candy?”

In truth, she had already caught the sweet scent of candy coming from her little one’s mouth. Her auntie had definitely given her quite a bit of candy to eat.

As soon as the little one heard this, she immediately covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head, saying, “Mmm-mmm…”

Wen Nuan was not angry. She simply said, “Later, I will help you brush your teeth. If you don’t brush your teeth, the little bugs will bite your teeth.”

As soon as brushing teeth was mentioned, Lele covered her mouth even more tightly and mumbled indistinctly, “Spicy.”

Wen Nuan planted a kiss on her daughter’s face and carried the child into the house.

Inside, the stove was burning, and it was much warmer. As soon as she stepped through the door, Wen Nuan felt a sense of comfort wash over her, so she set her child down.

Once on the floor, Lele no longer clung to Wen Nuan. Instead, she ran off to play with some hair clips. During the late summer and autumn, the child’s hair had grown wildly; now, it reached her neck, and Wen Nuan had to tie it into braids every day before they went out.

Lele had already pulled off the hair tie from her head and was now busy pinning hair clips into her hair.

Seeing her daughter happily playing, Wen Nuan decided not to disturb her and walked over to the eight immortals’ table to pour herself a glass of water.

When Gu Qinglan saw that Wen Nuan had returned, she asked, “Sister-in-law, why did you come back so late?”

At around four in the afternoon, Wen Nuan went to the hospital to deliver chicken soup to Li Daxiang, and after that, she didn’t return home.

He had come over after finishing work, noticed that Wen Nuan had left some chicken soup, and picked Lele up from Sister Guihua’s place. He had thought that Wen Nuan would be home quickly, but he didn’t expect that even when Lele started complaining about being hungry, she still hadn’t arrived.

After finishing her glass of water, Wen Nuan finally regained her composure and softly said, “I suspect there’s something suspicious about Daxiang’s carbon monoxide poisoning, so I went to speak with my supervisor.”

“What?” Gu Qinglan looked at Wen Nuan in surprise, her fingers instinctively tightening around the chair’s armrest.

He continued, “I also find it strange; Daxiang doesn’t seem like the careless type.”

Wen Nuan nodded. “Furthermore, Daxiang has tasks to complete. He should be even more vigilant. I’ve already informed General Xu about this. For now, don’t spread the word. Let’s see how General Xu’s investigation goes first.”

In truth, she had already guessed who was behind it, but she needed to wait for Gu Qinghan to return before discussing it. She couldn’t reveal anything to Qinglan yet; otherwise, the girl might run off to confront that person immediately.

Recalling Li Daxiang lying on the hospital bed, Gu Qinglan gently nodded. “I won’t say anything out of turn. Right now, I just hope they can find that person soon.”

Late at night, a heavy snowfall blanketed the ground.

Gu Qinghan drove the truck back to the North military base. As soon as he parked, he noticed General Xu walking toward him with his hands clasped behind his back.

Gu Qinghan estimated the time; the lights must have already been turned off, and he wondered why General Xu was still out there so late with the snow falling.

Upon seeing Gu Qinghan get out of the vehicle, General Xu walked straight up to him and said, “Vice-Captain Gu, come with me for a moment.”

Gu Qinghan approached General Xu and paused momentarily, asking, “Sir, what do you need from me?”

General Xu had already spoken with General Lu and was aware of Gu Qinghan’s situation with the supply vehicle. He got straight to the point: “Comrade Wen Nuan reported to me that someone is trying to harm the soldiers in our unit. I heard you were the first to discover Li Daxiang unconscious, so I came to understand the situation from you.”

General Xu continued, “I’ve already questioned Li Daxiang, but he can’t remember any specific details. I’m here to see if you have any evidence. I heard that your supply vehicle was tampered with?”

Gu Qinghan hadn’t expected his wife to also sense something amiss and report it to General Xu for a thorough investigation. He pressed his lips together and said, “That’s right. After I took Daxiang to the hospital, I returned to inspect the scene of his poisoning. I found that the windows and door gaps of the house had been sealed with rags, and I also discovered two tools under the chassis of the supply vehicle.”

General Xu frowned. “Tools?”

Gu Qinghan led General Xu to the supply vehicle that had been tampered with. He had already arranged for someone to keep watch over it. As Gu Qinghan returned, his subordinate climbed down from the vehicle. Upon seeing both Gu Qinghan and General Xu together, he realized the seriousness of the situation.

Gu Qinghan asked his subordinate, “No one has touched this vehicle, right?”

After saluting both Gu Qinghan and General Xu, the subordinate replied, “No, Vice-Captain Gu. I’ve been here guarding it all day, and no one has touched it.”

Gu Qinghan ordered his subordinates to open the car door and retrieved a pair of pliers and duck-bill pliers wrapped in cloth from a box inside the vehicle.

When General Xu saw this, his frown deepened. The military had strict control over these tools, especially the duck-bill pliers. The mechanics from the maintenance team were the only ones who could produce such tools immediately.

Gu Qinghan noticed General Xu’s anger and said, “The person who did this was sloppy and left too many clues. It’s certain that it wasn’t someone from the maintenance team.”

After all, the mechanics in the maintenance team were well-trained soldiers. If it really had been someone from their side, they wouldn’t have been foolish enough to leave their tools at the scene.

General Xu raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Gu Qinghan explained, “I’ve already sent someone to check the toolboxes of the maintenance team comrades. We should have results soon.”

Gu Qinghan had also considered whether it could be an infiltrator from the enemy’s intelligence division, but the person causing trouble was clearly inexperienced. Not only had they left a lot of “evidence,” but they also didn’t even understand the structure of the vehicle. However, there were indeed traces of tampering with the fuel tank and the chassis.

He had already ordered an inspection, and it was confirmed that the supply truck hadn’t been genuinely sabotaged. Still, to ensure safety, Gu Qinghan had arranged for the supplies to be transported using a different vehicle.

Judging by the crude methods employed, the person was clearly not familiar with the machinery and had very poor counter-reconnaissance skills.

However, the fact that this person could easily get their hands on these tools meant they had some connection to the maintenance team.

It could only be him.

General Xu glanced at Gu Qinghan and said approvingly, “Since you’ve already gathered the evidence, I’ll leave this matter in your hands. You must quickly find the person responsible and give Comrade Li an explanation.”

“Understood, Sir,” Gu Qinghan replied.

Instead of heading home, Gu Qinghan took his men straight to Ding Guocheng’s residence.

At this late hour, the night was still and quiet. Aside from the soldiers on night patrol, most of the people in the family quarters were fast asleep. Only a few scattered windows cast faint light, accompanied by the distant sound of a baby’s cry.

Without any hesitation, Gu Qinghan knocked on Ding Guocheng’s door.

Ding Guoli had been restless the entire day, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.

Originally, he had only intended to give Gu Qinghan a small lesson, hoping for a minor mishap during his drive. But things had spiraled out of control when Li Daxiang ended up being poisoned.

Ever since Li Daxiang had been rushed to the hospital, Ding Guoli had been on edge, torn between the fear of Li waking up and the fear of him not waking up.

Fortunately, the entire day had passed without any incidents. No one had noticed anything suspicious about Li Daxiang’s coma, let alone suspected him.

Curled up in his small bed, Ding Guoli felt a cold shiver run through his body, his mind wandering in a daze.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, a sudden, urgent knock on the door echoed through the house. The wooden door’s loud “thump, thump ” startled him awake, filling him with a sense of dread.

Before he could react, Ding Guocheng had already thrown on a padded coat in the adjacent room and was heading toward the door, muttering, “Who is it? Knocking so late at night, don’t they want people to sleep?”

For the past two nights, Ding Guocheng hadn’t slept well. Last night, at some unknown hour, he had heard his door clatter twice, and now, tonight, someone was knocking again.

The consecutive nights of poor sleep left him in a half-dream, half-awake state of confusion.

The moment he opened the door before he could even see who it was, several tall soldiers in uniform barged in, startling him fully awake in an instant.

Holding a flashlight, Ding Guocheng immediately recognized Gu Qinghan and exclaimed in surprise, “Deputy Captain Gu? Why are you looking for me in the middle of the night? Could something have gone wrong with the flight team?”

There were no lights on in the house, but the soldier Gu Qinghan brought all the flashlights, illuminating the room so brightly that it felt like daylight.

Gu Qinghan scanned Ding Guocheng’s house with sharp, cold eyes that sent a shiver down anyone’s spine. His voice was calm yet stern as he asked, “Where is Ding Guoli?”

“???”

Ding Guocheng was momentarily stunned, but he quickly pointed toward Ding Guoli’s room. “Over… over there.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the soldiers marched straight into Ding Guoli’s room and dragged him out.

Ding Guoli looked both innocent and pitiful, his arms firmly restrained by the soldiers. Terrified, he shouted, “What are you doing? Let me go!”

When Ding Guoli saw Gu Qinghan standing there, unharmed and completely intact, an overwhelming fear shot through him, crawling from his feet all the way to the top of his head.

Ding Guoli immediately looked at his older brother, Ding Guocheng, his eyes brimming with tears as he nearly cried out, “Big brother, save me! Don’t let them take me away!”

Ding Guocheng panicked as well. The matter of Gu Qinghan personally coming to arrest someone was clearly very serious.

Seeing his younger brother restrained by well-trained elite soldiers, his heart was anxious and confused. He turned to Gu Qinghan, whose face was icy cold, and asked, “Vice-Captain Gu, may I ask what’s going on? What has Guoli done?”

“What has he done?” Gu Qinghan’s cold, dark eyes glanced toward Ding Guoli as he let out a short, sarcastic laugh. “Your brother, Ding Guoli, intentionally attempted to harm one of our soldiers. We are now taking him to the investigation unit for questioning.”

Upon hearing this, Ding Guocheng almost collapsed. How—how could this be?

He looked at Ding Guoli, whose eyes were already red and filled with tears. With a terrified expression, Ding Guoli sobbed, “Big brother, I—I didn’t do it…”

“I really didn’t! Don’t believe what they’re saying…”

But Ding Guocheng knew all too well about Gu Qinghan’s strict approach. If Gu Qinghan had been here to arrest someone, there would have been no doubt about the gravity of the situation. If he had come in person, it meant Ding Guoli must have done something truly terrible.

Still, he couldn’t believe that his usually timid and cowardly brother could actually plot to harm a fellow soldier.

With a surge of frustration, Ding Guocheng, overcome with anger, lifted his leg and kicked Ding Guoli square in the stomach. Gritting his teeth, he cursed, “You worthless fool! I must have been blind to let you stay in the military!”

Ding Guoli was kicked hard, causing him to fall to his knees in pain. The soldiers holding him still didn’t let go, pulling his arms so tightly it felt like they might break. At that moment, he finally understood the true meaning of despair and burst into tears.

“Big brother, I know I was wrong! Please save me, I didn’t mean it.”

“I really didn’t mean to…” he sobbed.

Gu Qinghan, having no patience for their performance, cut them off. “Take him away.”

The soldiers immediately dragged Ding Guoli out of the house. Despite this, Ding Guoli continued to cry out, pleading for Ding Guocheng to save him.

Gu Qinghan then turned his gaze toward Ding Guocheng, a seasoned veteran who had served in the maintenance unit for over ten years. Despite his countless contributions to the military, the severity of this incident could very well implicate him as well.

Pressing his lips together, Gu Qinghan said firmly, “Comrade Ding, we’ll need you to accompany us to the investigation unit to assist with the inquiry.”

Ding Guocheng let out a long sigh. “Alright, I’ll cooperate with the investigation.”

At this point, there was no way he could shield Ding Guoli any further. Regardless of the outcome, he was prepared to support the organization’s decision.

The investigation kept everyone busy until well past five in the morning.

When Gu Qinghan finally returned home, Wen Nuan and the child were both sound asleep, in the deepest part of their slumber.

Gu Qinglan, who is usually the deepest sleeper in the house, heard the knock at the door. She threw on a coat and came out to open it.

Seeing her older brother return late, Gu Qinglan rubbed her eyes and asked, “Big brother, are you just coming back from the research institute? Didn’t you sleep at all?”

Gu Qinghan had returned after delivering supplies and making a detour through several villages before finally getting back to the base. After a long night of investigation and questioning, he felt a bit worn out.

However, knowing that Wen Nuan was still asleep, he lowered his voice and said, “You should go back and sleep a bit more. I’m fine.”

Gu Qinglan, who hadn’t slept well the entire night because she was worried about Li Daxiang, responded, “Big brother, why don’t you wash up and rest on the kang bed for a while? I can’t sleep anyway, so I’ll get up and make some porridge.”

Gu Qinghan nodded and then said, “If you’re tired, don’t bother with it. Get some more rest.”

But Gu Qinglan insisted, “It’s alright. The wake-up call will go off soon anyway. You should go rest for a bit.”

After washing up, Gu Qinghan climbed into the bed, gently wrapping his arm around his soft, sleeping wife. The tension that had gripped him all night finally began to ease.

The matter with Ding Guoli was almost without suspense. However, when Gu Qinghan learned that Ding Guoli’s resentment stemmed from failing the pilot selection process and that he had tampered with the supply truck in a bid to cause an accident for him, he couldn’t help but feel speechless.

No matter from which aspect he was evaluated, Ding Guoli did not meet their pilot assessments’ criteria. It was only a matter of time before he was eliminated. If anyone were to hate him for this, then 99% of the Air Force Base people should also hate him.

When the investigation concluded, Gu Qinghan remained silent throughout the process. He didn’t feel he had done anything wrong. As for what would happen to Ding Guoli, that was something Ding brought upon himself. He didn’t deserve anyone’s pity.

Gu Qinghan unconsciously tightened his grip around his wife’s arm with this thought.

The woman in his arms, Wen Nuan, raised her hand and gently patted him, mumbling sleepily, “Qinglan, stop moving. You’re so heavy.”

Gu Qinglan slept sprawled out in all directions, much like the little one, Lele. So, in her half-awake state, she thought Qinglan had placed her foot on her stomach again and angrily tried to shake off her “paw.”

Gu Qinghan looked at his wife’s drowsy expression, finding it incredibly cute. He kissed her soft, fair cheek and, in a husky voice, said, “Wife, it’s me.”

Wen Nuan was woken up by Gu Qinghan’s stubble scratching her. After hearing his voice, she tried hard to open her eyes but couldn’t see anything clearly. However, she knew for certain that the person beside her was her husband.

“You’re back?” Wen Nuan turned slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of her husband’s face, but Gu Qinghan tightly embraced her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Gu Qinghan asked apologetically, “Hmm, did I wake you?”

Wen Nuan leaned back into his arms, murmuring a sleepy “Mmm,” then asked, “What time is it? I thought you’d spend the night at the research institute.”

Gu Qinghan nuzzled against her earlobe, his voice hoarse. “No, I hurried back last night after handling the situation with Ding Guoli.”

“Huh?” This time, Wen Nuan was fully awake. She tried to sit up but was pulled back by the man’s strong grip around her waist. “What did you say? What happened with Ding Guoli?”

“Mmm… don’t move. Let me hold you for a bit.” Gu Qinghan felt like it had been a long time since he’d slept holding his wife, so he added, “Li Daxiang’s poisoning and coma are connected to him. Last night, we took him to the investigation department.”

Hearing this, Wen Nuan immediately recalled that she had gone to see General Xu herself to request a thorough investigation into Li Daxiang’s carbon monoxide poisoning. She realized now that Gu Qinghan must have sensed something was off, too.

Now fully alert, Wen Nuan pushed away Gu Qinghan’s hands from her waist and turned around to face him directly.

However, seeing the exhaustion written all over his face, her heart softened with concern. She raised her hand and gently stroked his thick, dark eyebrows. “You didn’t sleep at all last night?”

“No,” Gu Qinghan didn’t plan on hiding the details of Ding Guoli’s case and continued, “We interrogated him the whole night at the investigation department. Ding Guoli finally admitted that he had blocked the windows and door cracks of the small room where Li Daxiang was staying with rags. That’s why he got poisoned and passed out.”

Wen Nuan’s delicate eyebrows furrowed tightly at his words. “But why? Li Daxiang had no enmity with Ding Guoli. Why would he do such a thing to him?”

Wen Nuan thought about it, and the only connection between Ding Guoli and Li Daxiang was that they both applied to become pilots.

However, there were so many others who applied as well, so why would Ding Guoli hold a grudge against only Li Daxiang?

Besides, Li Daxiang was clearly more capable than him. Passing the first round of assessments was perfectly normal, wasn’t it?

Gu Qinghan, sensing Wen Nuan’s confusion, spoke softly, “Actually, it was mainly because of me. Ding Guoli admitted that the real target of his revenge was me. He felt that I intentionally failed him during the pilot assessment and that I deliberately didn’t let him pass. So, he has been holding a grudge against me all this time.”

“He even accused me of favoring Li Daxiang, saying something ridiculous about Li Daxiang pulling strings to get in. Nonsense.”

Wen Nuan cursed along with him, “What a lunatic!”

Gu Qinghan paused for a moment, then continued in a quieter voice, “At the time, Ding Guoli was worried that Li Daxiang would hear him, so he wanted to knock him out. But he claimed he never expected the consequences to be this serious.”

“He didn’t have any experience, either. In fact, he didn’t even damage the supply truck. He probably didn’t realize that I had returned to the Kitchen Unit early with Old Zhong, so he panicked and ran. He left behind two mechanical tools he’d secretly taken from his brother, Ding Guocheng.”

Hearing this, Wen Nuan became even more enraged. So, was Ding Guoli’s real target her husband?

And he had even considered tampering with the supply truck?

“How could someone be so vicious? You didn’t beat him to death?” Wen Nuan was heartbroken. If Gu Qinghan hadn’t discovered that the supply truck had been tampered with, wouldn’t he have been in danger, too?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, wanting to teach that scumbag a lesson herself! It was too despicable!

Gu Qinghan couldn’t help but laugh at his wife’s rare display of such anger. He kissed her forehead and said, “General Xu will personally handle this. Don’t worry. He won’t be let off easily.”

Gu Qinghan hadn’t laid a hand on Ding Guoli, but last night, Ding Guocheng lost control several times and ended up beating his brother so badly that Ding Guoli lost a few teeth and was bleeding profusely from his head.

Later, Ding Guoli passed out, forcing the interrogation to pause.

But it wasn’t over yet. General Xu would never let him off that easily. Labor reform was likely the lightest punishment he could expect, and the final decision would be made by this afternoon.

Wen Nuan tightly wrapped her arms around Gu Qinghan’s back, hugging him firmly, and whispered, “Thank goodness you’re okay.”

The thought that Ding Guoli had targeted Gu Qinghan made her feel even worse, terrified that something might have happened to him.

She knew that Gu Qinghan was more cautious than anyone else when it came to the supplies, but still, she couldn’t help but worry.

Gu Qinghan pulled her into his arms, gently running his fingers through her long hair, and chuckled in a hoarse voice, “Don’t worry, wife, I’m fine.”

Wen Nuan lifted her head and kissed the stubble on his chin. Then, in a soft voice, she said, “Get some sleep now. You must be exhausted.”

After saying this, Wen Nuan reached out and massaged his temples and arms with a smile. “I’ll give you a little massage. Close your eyes and sleep.”

Gu Qinghan grasped her soft fingers and kissed them gently. “You sleep a bit more, too.”

He leaned down and kissed her rosy lips, but before long, she gently pushed him away.

Wen Nuan angrily removed the hand resting on her chest and glared at him. “Close your eyes and sleep!”

Gu Qinghan felt the warmth and softness in his arms, let out a deep breath, and pulled her closer, obediently closing his eyes.

Wen Nuan yawned slightly and, glancing at the dark sky outside, decided to close her eyes as well. She rested her head against the man’s shoulder, intending to catch a bit more sleep.

When she woke up again, the sun was already bright.

Little Lele was sitting on the kang, playing with some hairpins. She seemed to understand that her parents were still asleep and were quietly mumbling words only she could comprehend, hardly making any noise.

Seeing that the child was awake, Wen Nuan worried she might be hungry. She planned to get up quietly, but just as she was lifting Gu Qinghan’s arm off her, he opened his eyes.

Wen Nuan felt a pang of regret. “Did I wake you?”

Looking at her wristwatch, she added, “It’s only nine o’clock. You can sleep a bit longer; it’s still early.”

Gu Qinghan had probably returned around five in the morning and had barely slept for four hours. Wen Nuan wanted him to rest a little longer, so she tucked the blankets around him.

Gu Qinghan’s eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was low and hoarse. “It’s fine. I’m awake, so I might as well get up.”

Seeing that Gu Qinghan was already up, Wen Nuan knew it was probably because of the Ding Guoli situation. He likely had more work to do, so she didn’t say anything further.

She took Gu Qinghan’s coat from the chair beside her and handed it to him. “Put on the coat first; you don’t want to catch a cold.”

Gu Qinghan had stayed up all night and was now sleep-deprived. His immune system might be weakened at that moment, making it easy for him to catch a cold.

On the other side, Lele had already walked over and hugged him from behind, shouting loudly, “Daddy.”

“Daddy hug!”

Gu Qinghan set the coat down and turned the little one around to face him with one hand. He had intended to give her a kiss, but Lele blocked him with her hand, making a face of disgust.

Gu Qinghan gently pinched her cheek and asked with a smile, “Lele woke up so early?”

The little one looked at him with a cheerful smile. With her soft, chubby hands, she cupped her father’s face and said in a sweet, childish voice, “Daddy is a big lazy pig.”

Gu Qinghan poked her small nose with his finger and replied matter-of-factly, “Then Lele is a little lazy pig.”

Lele’s round little face scrunched up, and she pouted, saying, “Lele is not a pig.”

“Daddy is the pig!”

Gu Qinghan raised an eyebrow and asked her, “You are my daughter, and if you are not a pig, then what are you?”

Lele’s big eyes spun around, and it seemed she didn’t know how to answer. She simply repeated, “I am not a pig!”

“You are a pig!”

“I am not—”

“You are a little piggy!”

“Not at all—”

Gu Qinghan wore a playful smile as he held onto the little one, his lips curving up slightly, not letting her escape. “Gu Wanyue, you are just a little lazy pig who can eat and sleep.”

The little one used all her strength to try to break free from Gu Qinghan’s arms, but her father held her tightly in his embrace, leaving her no choice but to call her mother for help.

“Mommy, save me—”

Wen Nuan watched the childish antics of the two and took their coats, placing them over their heads. “Quick, put on your clothes! If you catch a cold, just see how you deal with it!”

Upon hearing Wen Nuan’s fierce voice, Lele quickly turned around and hugged Gu Qinghan’s neck, whispering, “Mommy is scary.”

Gu Qinghan felt the soft little arms of the small bundle and finally managed to plant a kiss on her chubby face.

He chuckled softly, “Only now do you realize you need your daddy.”

Then, Gu Qinghan gently said to her, “Mommy isn’t being fierce; she’s just worried that you might get cold if you don’t wear your clothes properly. If you catch a cold, Lele will have to take bitter medicine.”

Upon hearing this, Lele quickly covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head. “I don’t want to take bitter medicine.”

“Daddy won’t take it either.”

Lele then sneaked a glance at Wen Nuan before whispering, “Mommy won’t take it either.”

Wen Nuan raised an eyebrow and smiled without saying a word.

“That’s right; if we put on our clothes, we won’t have to take any medicine.” Gu Qinghan rubbed her little nose and added, “Now, let Daddy help you get dressed.”

Lele wrapped her arms around his neck, showering him with compliments without holding back. “Daddy Pig is so good.”

Gu Qinghan： “……”

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THIS CHAPTER IS FOR THE MONDAY-UPDATE! Thank you for reading!

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