Lu Cheng didn’t answer immediately. His deep eyes traced Jiang Moli’s features, studying them carefully before he finally spoke in a low voice:  

“The moment I saw you, my mortal heart was stirred. I wanted to marry you.”  

“So it was lust at first sight?”  

“I’d call it love at first sight.”  

In Jiang Moli’s view, there was no real difference between the two, but she didn’t particularly care.  

She wasn’t exactly a saint herself—just a greedy, pleasure-seeking mortal.  

If Lu Cheng had been short, fat, poor, or ugly, she wouldn’t have wanted him either.  

“So, there’s nothing wrong with your body, right?”  

“That’s not for me to say. You’ll have to verify it yourself.”  

Lu Cheng’s face remained unreadable, but his bright red ears betrayed his embarrassment and shyness.  

A classic case of appearing calm and collected on the surface while inwardly panicking like mad.  

The contrast in the man’s demeanor made Jiang Moli’s heart itch with impatience. She could hardly wait for their wedding night to have her way with him.  

“Since we’re already legally married, shouldn’t I move into your place?”  

Instead of answering directly, Lu Cheng started the car and casually changed the subject: “How did you like the food at lunch today?”  

“It was alright.”  

“If you don’t have any objections, we’ll hold our wedding banquet at Guanghua, with the same menu as today.”  

“Fine.”  

“How about setting the date for the 20th?”  

Today was the 16th, which meant only four days until the 20th.  

Perhaps worried that Jiang Moli might think he was being hasty or insincere, Lu Cheng explained: “I have to return to the military on the 21st. Getting married sooner means you can move in with me right away. I’ve seen your house—only two rooms, no fans, cramped and stuffy.”  

This was exactly what had been troubling Jiang Moli.  

The Jiang family only had a ceiling fan in the outer room—Jiang Dahai’s bedroom. The inner room where she and Jiang Qing slept was small, with a bunk bed taking up most of the space, leaving no room for a ceiling fan. Poor ventilation made it as stifling as a pigeon coop in the summer.  

She shot back, “Is your place big?”  

“It’s decent. An old Western-style house that was renovated. My family lives on the first floor—four rooms, two living areas, and a courtyard. My parents take one room, Auntie takes another, and the rest are empty.”  

Jiang Moli’s almond-shaped eyes lit up. “Does your room have a ceiling fan?”  

“Yes. We also bought a TV last year. You can watch it in the evenings if you’re bored.”  

Her eyes sparkled even brighter. “Can we move the TV into my room?”  

Lying in bed watching TV—now that would be the life.  

“No.”  

“Tch. Some ‘love at first sight.’ Pathetic.”  

Jiang Moli knew her request was unreasonable, but her persona was that of a troublemaker who’d argue even when she was wrong.  

Lu Cheng sighed, glancing at her helplessly. “Mom watches TV too. Do you really want her sitting in our room every night?”  

“Then why don’t you just buy another one?”  

“I’ll ask around later.”  

Jiang Moli didn’t actually care that much about the TV, but the man’s attitude satisfied her.  

The charm of an older man lay in the way he looked at you with resignation in a fleeting moment—only for you to realize later that it was a sign of his willing surrender.  

“Let’s take lunch to your brother first, then we’ll go to the department store to shop for wedding supplies.”  

Jiang Moli had no objections.  

Watching the jeep drive past, Jiang Qing’s eyes darkened with resentment.  

She and Zhang Jiaming had been walking not far behind Jiang Moli and Lu Cheng and had seen them get into the jeep.  

Zhang Jiaming had wanted to hitch a ride, but she refused.  

She was willing to take advantage of anyone—except Jiang Moli. She neither wanted nor deigned to benefit from her.  

What did temporary glory matter? The one who laughed last would be the true winner.  

Lu Cheng was a fool too, falling for an idiot like Jiang Moli. Sooner or later, he’d be dragged down and lose his position, just like Zhang Jiaming in their past life.  

With that thought, Jiang Qing felt slightly better.  

“Qing, where do you want to go?” Zhang Jiaming asked.

Hearing Zhang Jiaming’s question, Jiang Qing replied casually, “Let’s find a place to sit for a while. It’s so hot outside—walking around just makes you sweat and wastes money.”  

Hearing this, Zhang Jiaming grinned broadly.  

“My mom was worried, saying you’re a city girl and might look down on my family’s situation. She even thought about borrowing money to give you a 66-yuan betrothal gift. But I told her you don’t care about superficial things like that. If you were the type to scorn the poor and chase the rich, you wouldn’t have agreed to marry me.”  

Jiang Qing’s chest tightened.  

To make Zhang Jiaming and his family believe she was better than Jiang Moli, she had deliberately portrayed herself as hardworking, ambitious, and enduring.  

But the truth was, she wasn’t as indifferent to fame and fortune as she appeared.  

She had her pride too—she wanted respect and recognition.  

“Qing, what’s wrong?”  

Seeing Jiang Qing’s eyes redden, Zhang Jiaming grew anxious.  

“Jiaming, do you have any idea how much ridicule I’ll face with an 8.8-yuan betrothal gift? I’m not as noble as you think. I need to be respected and valued too. Yes, I was the one who said I didn’t want a betrothal gift, but that was because I wanted to spare you the pressure. But as a man, shouldn’t you also think about me and do your best to give me some dignity?”  

Zhang Jiaming’s face filled with panic. “I—I didn’t think that far. Please don’t cry.”  

Jiang Qing lowered her head, wiping her tears.  

In Zhang Jiaming’s eyes, Jiang Qing had always been strong—never complaining about hardship or fatigue, and rarely shedding tears.  

Now, standing before him, silently weeping, she looked heartbreakingly fragile, filling him with both guilt and tenderness.  

“Qing, I was wrong. I’m sorry for making you feel this way. When we get back, I’ll tell my mom to borrow money—we’ll give you 66, no, 88 yuan as the betrothal gift. Okay?”  

Jiang Qing wiped her tears and looked up.  

Though her reddened eyes still showed vulnerability, her gaze was firm.  

“No need. Your sincerity is enough for me. Jiaming, what I care about has never been money—it’s your heart.”  

Zhang Jiaming was deeply moved by her understanding, wishing he could cut out his own heart and give it to her.  

“Qing, don’t worry. I’ll work hard to earn military honors and give you a better life as soon as possible.”  

“Jiaming, I believe in you.”  

Jiang Qing looked at him with gentle eyes. “You’re a responsible man—steady, ambitious, and sharp-minded. You’ll go far in life, no less than anyone else.”  

For Zhang Jiaming, who came from a humble background and struggled at the bottom of society, these words of encouragement were like a shot of adrenaline. He swore silently to himself that he would fight for a brighter future.  

…

Knock, knock.

Hearing the sound, Lu Dezhao didn’t even look up. “Come in.”  

Only when he noticed the unfamiliar footsteps did he raise his head, surprised to see An Hui. “What brings you here?”  

An Hui scowled. “Can’t I come? Fine, I’ll leave then.”  

“Hey, wait!”  

Lu Dezhao hastily stepped forward to stop her, then closed the office door behind her.  

“See? You’re overthinking again. I was just asking. Sit down—I’ll make you tea. What would you like?”  

“Tea? I’m too angry to drink anything.”  

“Calm down and tell me what happened.”  

Lu Dezhao handed her his own teacup. “Did the marriage proposal not go well?”  

An Hui took a few sips before speaking. “The engagement went through.”  

“So, what’s the girl like?”  

Though Lu Dezhao hadn’t shown his face, it was all for appearances. Deep down, he had been preoccupied all day, too distracted to focus on work.  

“Just average.”  

“What do you mean by ‘average’?”  

An Hui set the enamel teacup on the table with a light thud. “Her looks are passable, but her manners aren’t great. Pretty much what the investigation report said.”  

Lu Dezhao wasn’t surprised—the organization’s background checks were always thorough.  

He then asked about Jiang Moli’s family.  

When two families became in-laws, the character of the bride’s parents mattered just as much.