Chapter 2

“What’s the point of canceling the engagement?! Can’t you just talk it out properly?”

Zhu Guiyun, Yuan Qing’an’s mother, had just returned from shopping. The moment she heard that her son wanted to break off the engagement, she panicked.

She glared at Yuan Qing’an, then quickly turned and pulled Xu Zhihuan’s arm with a smile. “Zhihuan, don’t mind him. I’ll discipline this son of mine for you later.”

But Xu Zhihuan stood her ground. She pulled her arm free and said firmly, “I want to cancel the engagement.”

When those words came out, Yuan Qing’an thought she was just playing hard to get, trying to provoke him into coaxing her. Women are trouble, he sneered inwardly.

The so-called engagement between Xu Zhihuan and Yuan Qing’an had only been a childhood joke between their parents. Realistically, the Xu family and the Yuan family were not a good match. Xu’s father had risen quickly in business, running a garment factory and living in luxury by the 1980s. Meanwhile, Yuan’s father had returned to the countryside to farm.

Only two years ago did Yuan Qing’an reappear, already a young company commander with a bright future. Because of his looks and position, Xu Zhihuan, foolishly infatuated, fell for him at first sight.

Now, her heart hardened as she clenched her fists.

“Zhihuan, breaking off the engagement isn’t a joke,” Zhu Guiyun said stiffly, her eyes darting to the curious onlookers in the military compound.

Xu Zhihuan sneered inwardly. If not for her family’s wealth, Zhu Guiyun would never treat her so kindly. In her previous life, she had poured her dowry into the Yuan family, only to be drained further under the excuse that she was childless. And Zhu Guiyun had knowingly supported Yuan Qing’an’s affair with Li Rou!

“You’re the unreasonable one,” Yuan Qing’an snapped impatiently.

Xu Zhihuan’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Me? Who was it that secretly gave the family heirloom to another woman?”

Gasps spread through the crowd. The jade Buddha, passed down as a family heirloom, was supposed to be reserved for the Yuan family’s daughter-in-law. Yet Yuan Qing’an had given it to Li Rou—Xu Zhihuan’s own cousin, who had just given birth.

Whispers erupted around them:
“If it’s just a baby’s one-month celebration, eggs or red envelopes would be enough.”
“But the jade Buddha? No wonder she’s upset.”

Zhu Guiyun paled. She quickly tried to smooth things over. “That was me! Our family isn’t well-off, so I used the jade Buddha as a gift. Don’t blame Qing’an.”

But Xu Zhihuan no longer believed their excuses. She raised a brow and asked, “Is that true, Qing’an?”

Yuan Qing’an’s face hardened. “Stop slandering Li Rou. Not everyone is as shameless as you.”

Xu Zhihuan laughed bitterly. “Fine. Then let’s see.”

She ran into the family building and soon returned with a small wooden box.

Yuan Qing’an’s veins bulged with fury. “Give that back to me!”

But Xu Zhihuan opened it. Inside were dozens of letters—every one addressed to ‘Roushou’, the intimate name Yuan Qing’an used for Li Rou.

She raised her voice so all could hear: “Shall I read these aloud? The dates are clear—he wrote to her just the day before yesterday!”

The crowd erupted in outrage:
“He’s engaged but still writing love letters to his cousin?”
“She’s already married and has a child!”
“He’s using Comrade Xu as a cover.”

Yuan Qing’an snatched at the letters, his fists trembling. “Xu Zhihuan!”

She instinctively tried to back away, knowing she couldn’t withstand his blow. But before he could strike, someone seized her arm and pulled her behind them.

A tall, solid figure stood before her like a mountain.

“Just try laying a hand on her.”