Who exactly was spreading the rumors wasn’t clear, but it was known that someone had added fuel to the fire, fanning the flames.

This person was working at the military hospital.

At that moment, she was on the phone.

The young woman, dressed in a white nurse’s uniform, held the receiver as she spoke to Fang Manping, who was calling from the capital city.

“Manping, you have no idea how ugly that woman is. She wraps herself up completely whenever she goes out, afraid of being seen.”

“What kind of leverage could that wretched woman possibly have over Battalion Commander Sheng to make him compromise? It’s just despicable!” Peng Wenjing’s voice was filled with disdain for Gu Jianing.

“I think it won’t be long before Battalion Commander Sheng divorces her. Don’t worry, I’ll also ask my brother to help out.”

“Mm, Wenjing, thank you. I think you and my brother would make a great match.”

“Oh, Manping, what are you saying? You’re embarrassing me.” Though Peng Wenjing said this, her cheeks flushed red involuntarily.

Back in the capital, after hanging up the phone, Fang Manping pondered the credibility of Peng Wenjing’s words.

She knew that not only did Li Shuyao like Sheng Zexi, but Peng Wenjing also had feelings for him.

However, Sheng Zexi didn’t reciprocate either of their affections.

Fang Manping wanted to pair Li Shuyao with Sheng Zexi, but Peng Wenjing, who also had a crush on him, could be used to her advantage.

There was still some time before the performance troupe would head to the northwestern military district for the New Year’s Eve show. For now, she couldn’t go there herself, so she had to rely on Peng Wenjing to gather some information about Sheng Zexi to pass on to Li Shuyao.

It was only two days ago that Fang Manping received a call from Peng Wenjing and learned that Sheng Zexi had taken that country woman with him to the military base.

When Peng Wenjing mentioned that the woman was an ugly wretch, Fang Manping felt relieved, though she wasn’t entirely surprised.

A country woman was bound to be an ugly bumpkin.

What Fang Manping couldn’t understand was why Sheng Zexi had married her. The idea that Sheng Zexi had married her out of love was something Fang Manping would never believe, even if beaten to death.

For now, she would let Peng Wenjing take the lead for Li Shuyao. Once she and Li Shuyao arrived at the northwestern military district, they would see for themselves what that woman was really like.

Meanwhile, Peng Wenjing, having just hung up the phone, was still lost in the words Fang Manping had said—that she and Sheng Zexi were a perfect match. Her face was flushed red.

Peng Wenjing had fallen for Sheng Zexi over two years ago when he was hospitalized after an injury. At the time, she happened to be the nurse assigned to care for him.

It was love at first sight for her.

When it came to the person she liked, Peng Wenjing wasn’t one to sit back. She took the initiative to pursue Sheng Zexi and even asked her brother to act as a matchmaker.

But to her surprise, Sheng Zexi refused, saying he had no plans to marry.

Once, when she tried to get closer to him, he even lashed out at her with harsh words.

Peng Wenjing had cried bitterly after that incident and stopped deliberately appearing in front of Sheng Zexi. However, her feelings for him remained, and she continued to keep an eye on him.

What she hadn’t expected was that, out of the blue, Sheng Zexi would file a marriage report, get married, and even bring that country woman with him to the military base.

On the very first day they arrived at the military district, Peng Wenjing found out and had been eager to see for herself.

But she was too busy to find the time.

However, she did hear the rumors that the country woman was an ugly wretch. Feeling somewhat reassured, Peng Wenjing added a little more fuel to the fire. Now, most people in the military district knew that the handsome Battalion Commander Sheng Zexi had married an ugly country bumpkin.

She wanted to see how that ugly woman would react when she heard these rumors and faced the disdain of others. Would she still have the nerve to stay by Battalion Commander Sheng’s side?

Ideally, she would take the initiative to file for divorce and not embarrass Battalion Commander Sheng any further.

As she was lost in these thoughts, a hand suddenly tapped her shoulder. “Wenjing, what are you thinking about?”

Peng Wenjing was startled. Turning around, she saw it was her brother, Peng Yude.

The man, in his forties, had a strong, square-jawed face and wore a military uniform that exuded authority. He was over twenty years older than his sister, Peng Wenjing.

Peng Wenjing glared at him. “Brother, you scared me to death, suddenly speaking up like that.”

“You were the one spacing out. What were you thinking about so intently?”

“Nothing, I was just thinking about transitioning to becoming a doctor.” Peng Wenjing knew her brother didn’t approve of her crush on Sheng Zexi, especially since he had recently been trying to set her up on blind dates.

If her brother found out that Sheng Zexi was married and she was still pining for him, he would undoubtedly scold her.

“Mm, the hospital will have an opening for a doctor soon. You’ve been a nurse for many years and have been continuously studying medical knowledge. Once the training starts, you can participate, pass the assessment, and officially become a doctor. But you need to prepare well and not slack off.”

“Brother, I know.”

“By the way, about that nephew of Battalion Commander Chen we met last time…”

“Oh, brother, I just remembered I have a patient I need to check on. I have to go now. Brother, I’ll talk to you later.”

Without waiting for Peng Yude to respond, Peng Wenjing hurried off, her figure soon disappearing from his sight.

Peng Yude sighed.

He was well aware of his younger sister’s feelings. She had been infatuated with Sheng Zexi for a long time.

But unfortunately, Sheng Zexi didn’t feel the same way.

This fact annoyed Peng Yude somewhat.

He believed his sister was exceptional in every way—talented, beautiful, and capable. The only flaw was that she could be a bit spoiled.

How could Sheng Zexi not see her worth?

And now, instead of marrying his sister, Sheng Zexi had ended up marrying some country woman, who was rumored to be ugly. Peng Yude had heard the rumors too.

He wondered if Sheng Zexi had learned his lesson from this.

Although Peng Yude was a bit upset that Sheng Zexi didn’t appreciate his sister, he wasn’t the type to force the issue.

Since Sheng Zexi was out of the picture, Peng Yude could only encourage his sister to move on and introduce her to other suitable young men.

In the military, there were few who could match Sheng Zexi in looks and prospects, but there were plenty who came close.

Yet his sister showed little interest in any of them.

Two years had passed, and his sister was now 21, almost considered an old maid. Peng Yude was deeply concerned.

Peng Yude had only one sister, and there was a twenty-year age gap between them. She was the late-life child of their parents, born when they were already old.

When Peng Wenjing was just a few years old, their parents passed away, leaving her in the care of Peng Yude and his wife.

They had raised her as if she were their own daughter.

Naturally, Peng Yude wanted his sister to find happiness.

“Sheng Zexi is already married. Why is my sister still refusing to meet anyone?” Peng Yude muttered to himself.

Could she still be hung up on Sheng Zexi? Surely not.

If his sister was still pining for Sheng Zexi, even after his marriage, and was considering doing something to be with him, Peng Yude wouldn’t stand for it.

Destroying a military marriage was something his sister absolutely must not do.