Chapter 11

“Clatter—”

The phone in Chief Chen’s hand dropped onto the table.

No wonder Old Lu reacted like that. This…

He looked at Qin Hua. “If the biological daughter of the Song family shows up, you don’t think… they’re planning to make Lu Yancheng divorce little Song, do you?”

Qin Hua replied, “What do you think?”

Chief Chen froze.

This young couple is already registered, just consummated the marriage and performed the rites. If this blows up, it’s really going to be a mess!

Even someone like him, who’s handled all kinds of issues over the years, finds this tricky. No wonder Old Lu reacted the way he did.

He sat down on the sofa, took a sip of tea, then turned to his wife. “Should we go tell that boy Lu Yancheng now?”

Qin Hua hesitated. “This… how are we even supposed to bring it up? They seem to be doing well emotionally. How am I supposed to say it? Maybe we wait and see when little Song’s adoptive parents arrive tomorrow?”

Chief Chen nodded. “That’s all we can do for now.”

…

Military District’s Single Dormitory

Song Si sat on a wooden stool eating her meal, her legs aching as if they were filled with lead. She couldn’t help but glance at Lu Yancheng.

[This man is seriously built like an ox—had me pinned to the bed so hard I nearly disintegrated. My bones are practically falling apart!!!]

Lu Yancheng froze.

This time, he saw it clearly—she didn’t speak. Her lips didn’t even move.

So where was that voice coming from…?

His hand holding the chopsticks paused midair, and his dark eyes locked intently on Song Si.

Song Si snapped out of her thoughts and instantly regretted it.

[That was careless! I forgot he can hear my inner thoughts!]

Lu Yancheng: “!!!”

What?

What he heard—was her inner voice?

How could that be possible?

It was obvious the first thought had slipped out unintentionally, but the second one was on purpose.

The original host’s adoptive parents were about to visit, and she had a feeling things wouldn’t be so simple!

She looked at Lu Yancheng. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

His throat tightened. He couldn’t speak, and simply picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork and placed it into her bowl. “Eat more.”

Song Si, “Okay.”

Lu Yancheng didn’t respond and silently continued eating while observing her.

Song Si ate quietly.

[What’s with this guy all of a sudden?]
[Could it be he still thinks there’s something between me and Gu Chen?]
[Gu Chen is the fiancé of Mom and Dad’s biological daughter. I took care of him for their sake, not because I liked him. But now it feels like no matter how I explain, it won’t make sense.]
[Honestly, it’s not surprising. Even when I told Gu Chen clearly, he didn’t believe me. He still thought I liked him.]

Upon hearing all this, Lu Yancheng froze.

Song Si wasn’t the biological daughter of Uncle Song and Auntie Li?

She noticed his reaction and knew he had heard everything.

What came next would depend on his decision.

She had deliberately let him hear this ahead of time—better than letting the adoptive parents come tomorrow and tear down the façade suddenly. She wouldn’t know how to handle that. It was better that he knew first.

If Lu Yancheng decided to take responsibility for her, then all went according to plan.

If he chose to be with the female lead Song Nian, well… she didn’t lose anything. She’d still had her fun with him, hadn’t she?

Men like Lu Yancheng—one in a million—whoever gets to sleep with him wins!

Sure, the first time was a bit physically taxing, but still!

No big deal. Before the adoptive parents arrive, she can still enjoy a few more nights. Definitely a profit.

Since she now knew how to control her thoughts, Lu Yancheng didn’t hear any of that.

The two of them finished dinner, each with their own thoughts. Not long after, there was a knock at the door.

Lu Yancheng opened it and was surprised to see Deputy Commander Zhang. He hadn’t expected a visit.

Deputy Commander Zhang looked at Song Si and greeted her. “Hey, little Song.”

Lu Yancheng turned his head, his dark eyes tinted with warning, and said, “Deputy Commander Zhang, just call him Comrade Zhang.”

Song Si, “Hello, Comrade Zhang.”

Deputy Commander Zhang smiled warmly. “Oh, don’t be so formal! I’m older than you—just call me Brother Zhang.”

Lu Yancheng said firmly, “Comrade Zhang.”

Hearing the repeated emphasis, as a man, Zhang immediately sensed a tinge of jealousy.

He gave a small cough. “Alright, alright, Comrade Zhang it is—otherwise someone’s going to knock over the vinegar jar.”

Song Si glanced at Lu Yancheng with her watery eyes.

Lu Yancheng’s face grew slightly unnatural.

Jealous?

Was he… jealous?

He turned to Zhang. “Old Zhang, what brings you here?”

Zhang patted his shoulder. “I asked if you wanted to go play ball. Is now a good time?”

Actually, this was an assignment from the chief!

He was supposed to take Lu Yancheng away so his wife could come and have a little heart-to-heart with Song Si—get to know her, and maybe drop a few hints.

Of course he had to fulfill the chief’s orders!

He looked over at Song Si. She really was quite a catch—no wonder Lu Yancheng had acted so impulsively!

“Little Song, sorry about this. If it’s inconvenient, we’ll cancel.”

Song Si, “It’s fine, you two go ahead.”

Lu Yancheng heard her response. “Alright, I’ll be off, then.”

Perfect. He needed to cool his head anyway.

Song Si gave a light “Mm” and watched them leave. She felt sweaty from earlier and wanted to wash her hair. Just as she was about to start, the door knocked again.

[Didn’t they just leave to play basketball? Why are they back already?]

A voice replied from outside, “Little Song, it’s not Old Zhang or Little Lu. I’m Old Zhang’s wife—just came to chat.”

Song Si immediately silenced her thoughts, went to open the door, and greeted sweetly, “Sister-in-law.”

Zhang’s wife quickly introduced herself, “Little Song, I’m Wang Fang—Deputy Commander Zhang’s wife.”

Song Si stepped aside. “Come in, Sister-in-law.”

Wang Fang entered and sat down, giving Song Si a once-over. Even the way the girl walked showed that she and Lu had indeed consummated their marriage.

Lu really was something else. Didn’t he know how to be gentle? The poor girl must’ve been crying terribly last night.

Was she biting down on a pillow at the end to hold in the noise?

Wang Fang sat for a moment. “I really feel a connection with you. I just like you from the moment I met you. Since my husband and Little Lu are close, I hope you won’t mind if I say a few things, even if they might not be easy to hear.”

Song Si had no objections. In fact, she welcomed any info about the original host. “Thank you for your kindness, Sister-in-law. Please go ahead.”

Wang Fang saw that the girl was sweet and soft-spoken, so she relaxed.

“Seeing how well you and Little Lu get along, I just want to offer some advice.”

Song Si listened quietly.

Wang Fang recounted some of the gossip that had gone around in Baiyang Village and looked toward her. “Little Lu’s a soldier, and you’re a young girl. Some things are unpleasant to say out loud, but you know—rumors aren’t pretty.”

Song Si said, “It was my fault for letting people get the wrong idea.”

Wang Fang was delighted by her attitude. “Exactly! Just look at Little Lu—how could anyone think he’s worse than that Gu Chen guy? He’s got looks, family background, ability—you name it! He’s our youngest regiment commander, promoted entirely on merit. So many girls have their eyes on him.”

Song Si was intrigued. “Really?”

Wang Fang quickly added, “Don’t worry, Little Song. Lu’s got a clean record—he’s never been the type to mess around.”

Song Si, “Mm.”

Given everything the original host had done, could she really say anything?

But Lu didn’t seem like the type to be promiscuous. He even scolded her once for not having any shame!

Thinking about that, she felt a bit petty.

What now? After she’s fully recovered, she’ll pay him back—twice as hard in bed. What else?

Wang Fang, “Little Song?”

Song Si snapped back. “Yes, Sister-in-law?”

Wang Fang sighed. “I don’t mean to scold you, but some things were really over the line. For example—Little Lu gave you a betrothal gift. Others might not know, but I do. That bicycle you gave Gu Chen—wasn’t that from Little Lu’s betrothal money?”

Song Si, “!!!”

What?

The original host actually gave her own betrothal gift to that kidney-deficient Gu Chen?

She’d seen people waste money, but never on this level!