Chapter 147: After Tonight, She Is Hers

Zheng Hui felt a deep pain in her heart.

Her daughter was everything to her, embodying her past hopes and dreams. She held Li Nannan’s hand tightly, filled with heartache.

“Nannan, be good. I will avenge you for what happened today! I won’t let that bastard Qin Yan have an easy time!”

Tears filled Li Nannan’s eyes as she murmured, “Mom, why do you think it turned out like this? Brother Yan obviously liked me at that time.

We had such a romantic encounter. His eyes were full of tenderness and doting when he looked at me. He called me ‘girl,’ and it was so sweet…”

“How could he fall in love with Xu Weilan? It must be Xu Weilan who used her seductive ways to steal him away. Mom, can you make Xu Weilan die!

No! Make her disfigured first, then ruin her body, and turn her into an ugly monster. I want Qin Yan to feel disgusted and terrified when he looks at her!”

Zheng Hui’s heart ached further at Li Nannan’s words. Her daughter was just like her once she set her sights on something, she wanted it at all costs.

But she had spoiled Li Nannan, giving her everything she desired. If Nannan couldn’t have it, she would resort to destructive measures.

“Nannan, there are so many good men in this world. You don’t have to be with him. Let’s not want him, okay? Mom will find you someone better.”

But when Li Nannan heard this, she grew agitated. “No! I want Qin Yan! Mom, you said I’m the little princess of our family, and you will get me whatever I want.

Uncle Tang loves me too; he will help me, right? He has money, and you have power. You will find a way!”

Zheng Hui closed her eyes weakly, realizing the gravity of the situation. “There is no possibility for you and Qin Yan! If you keep making trouble, you’ll only anger your dad.

Do you want to go back to the juvenile detention center? Nannan, you’ve grown up. You’re not a child anymore; you should be more sensible!”

Li Nannan stared at her mother in disbelief. “Sensible? Why should I be sensible?

If I can’t have him, then I will destroy him! If I can’t have it, then Xu Weilan can’t have it either!”

Zheng Hui gave up trying to reason with her. Li Nannan had been seriously affected by the events of the day, and any further discussion would be futile. She could only wait for her daughter to come to terms with reality.

As Zheng Hui reflected on her eldest son, Li Canghai, and now seeing Li Nannan in such distress, she couldn’t help but feel sad.

She realized both had inherited her stubbornness. Why was she so miserable? She couldn’t marry the person she loved, and now her daughter couldn’t marry the one she desired either.

Her thoughts turned dark. That girl, Xu Weilan, didn’t deserve his love.

Zheng Hui stopped talking, and though Li Nannan ceased her complaints, her anger simmered beneath the surface. Xu Weilan’s life was not of concern to her at the moment; all that mattered was that Li Nannan was bedridden and in pain.

At least during this National Day holiday, she would be unable to act.

As the holiday approached, Dajing City was adorned with decorations, preparing for the festivities and the upcoming military competition.

The preliminary rounds were underway, with the finals set to occur during the National Day celebrations.

Qin Yan had already advanced, as had Jiang Hao, one of his subordinates. The military compound was unusually quiet lately; there were no updates on Qi Lu and Deputy Battalion Chief Liu.

Xu Weilan had specifically asked Zhao Chunhua about Qi Lu, and Zhao had mentioned that she hadn’t seen Qi Lu recently or heard about her affairs.

However, there was another piece of gossip circulating regarding Captain Zheng Qingsong. “Captain Zheng originally wanted to change careers to find a less demanding job to care for his children, but the army leaders did not approve.

They consider him a valuable asset and have promised to help him with his personal issues.”

Xu Weilan was surprised. “You mean the organization wants to find a partner for Zheng Qingsong? Did Captain Zheng agree?”

At first, he had divorced Luo Ying for the sake of the children, which Xu Weilan had appreciated. After all, Luo Ying was not a good mother.

But now, it seemed all men were the same.

Zhao Chunhua clapped her hands excitedly. “Do you know who the organization has introduced?”

“Who?” Xu Weilan asked, intrigued.

Zhao pointed towards the building behind Xu Weilan’s yard. Xu Weilan looked thoughtful. “Sister Chen Yin?

That can’t be! Sister Chen Yin is a few years older than Zheng Tuan and has two children.”

Zhao snorted. “Do you know who suggested this? Aunt Qi Lu! Isn’t this a mess? I even suspect this idea came from Qi Lu.”

Xu Weilan was taken aback. “I can’t even imagine it. What kind of leader is Qi Lu’s aunt? She is so meddlesome.

First, she found an unmarried battalion commander for her niece, and now she’s trying to match a regimental commander with someone else.

Sister Chen Yin and Battalion Commander Jiang are so in love. Even if Battalion Commander Jiang were to die, she would never marry again!”

Xu Weilan felt a surge of irritation. It was the first time Zhao Chunhua noticed Xu Weilan’s emotional shift. “That’s right. I even thought Qi Lu was doing this intentionally to irritate Zheng Tuan.”

Xu Weilan felt disgusted by Qi Lu’s underhanded tactics. “What happened next?”

“Chen Yin refused. She said she would never marry again and would raise Jiang Yang and Jiang Nuan well. Zheng Tuan also stated he would not remarry and would take care of the children himself.”

Xu Weilan was surprised. “I didn’t expect Zheng Tuan to be so resolute about not remarrying.”

“Then how does Zheng Tuan handle all the work? I know his eldest son is a handful and his youngest daughter is extremely timid,”

Xu Weilan remarked, recalling her own encounters with the children, who had indeed been negatively influenced by Luo Ying.

Zhao Chunhua sighed, “It’s tough. Qi Lu was generous enough to let Luo Ying live in her house, but Luo Ying frequently visits to instigate the older one against Zheng Tuan.

Zheng Tuan’s household is truly chaotic. I saw him earlier, and he looked haggard.”

Xu Weilan frowned, feeling annoyed at someone like Luo Ying. She didn’t actively harm others, but her mere presence was infuriating.

Xu Weilan listened to the happenings in the military compound, sighed, and decided not to delve further into others’ affairs. After all, she was not idle enough to meddle in their conflicts.

Life was each person’s own responsibility; no one else could help.

If Zheng Tuan wanted to resolve issues with Luo Ying, there were definitely ways to do so. Demobilization was an option, or transferring to another military region could also work. It ultimately depended on how he chose to handle it.

As time passed, the National Day Gala approached, where various awards would be presented.

The grand performance would take place at the Grand Theater of the General Military Region, attended by all award winners and their families.

It was well-known that Qin Yan, along with Xu Weilan, won awards every year. This year, Jiang Hao also received the newcomer award in the military district where Qin Yan served.

He invited Xu Qian to accompany him as his family member.

However, Xu Qian, being busy, declined the invitation.

Jiang Hao felt lonely and found it hard to celebrate his win.

During this time, he had come to a realization about his feelings for Xu Qian. He wanted to spend his life with her, but he also remembered what Deputy Battalion Commander Liu Zhengguo had said about Xu Qian being a strong woman who might not prioritize him after marriage.

Despite these thoughts, Jiang Hao felt ridiculous for even entertaining them, as he hadn’t succeeded in his relationship with Xu Qian.

He was seated not far from Xu Weilan, who noticed him looking distracted and glancing towards the door.

Qin Yan followed Xu Weilan’s gaze and asked quietly, “Will Sister Qian come?”

“Probably not,” Xu Weilan replied.

She was grateful for Xu Qian’s strong values, as she did not force her daughter to reconcile with Jiang Hao just because he was successful.

Yes, Jiang Hao was excellent, but he had failed in love and struggled with personal relationships.

This was not the case with her family.

Just then, Qi Lu arrived and sat next to Jiang Hao, who was clearly avoiding her.

Xu Weilan raised an eyebrow in surprise, feeling a premonition. She sensed that Qi Lu would not let this opportunity slip away.

Qin Yan noticed and said, “He’s wised up now.”

Xu Weilan whispered her concerns to Qin Yan, who held her hand tightly. “Don’t worry; I’ll have someone keep an eye on him.”

“A Yan, you’re so nice,” Xu Weilan said gratefully.

Just then, someone approached the empty seat next to Qin Yan and joked, “Hey, will it explode if I sit here?” It was Zhou Yu, a childhood friend of Qin Yan who was now the deputy battalion commander in the Air Force.

He had won an award this year too and had come to catch up with Qin Yan, but upon seeing Xu Weilan, he felt a bit out of place.

Zhou Yu took a seat, and the cultural performance began with a song by a veteran artist, setting the stage for the evening’s festivities.