Zhang Qianqian maintained a facade of serene composure, but inwardly, she was seething with rage upon seeing Liu Ye’s protective attitude toward Xu Xiaoyue.  

The fact that Xu Xiaoyue had managed to win Liu Ye’s favor after only a short stay at the Yan household filled Zhang Qianqian with bitter resentment.  

However, Zhang Qianqian concealed her displeasure masterfully—only Xu Xiaoyue could truly sense the malice radiating from the girl before her.  

“Aunt Wang, since Qianqian is staying for dinner tonight, prepare dishes that young girls enjoy,” Liu Ye instructed.  

By evening, Yan Shuli returned home from school. He had been away for several days on an academic trip.  

His gaze first swept over Zheng Jiaojiao before settling on Xu Xiaoyue.  

During his absence, his biggest concern had been whether Xu Xiaoyue would take advantage of the situation to bully Jiaojiao.  

He still remembered how, before he left, Jiaojiao had clung to his hand, whispering that she was afraid.  

In the Yan household, who else could she possibly fear besides Xu Xiaoyue?  

This exchange did not escape Zhang Qianqian’s notice, and she immediately assumed there was something illicit between them—further cementing her belief that Xu Xiaoyue was a shameless hussy.  

Xu Xiaoyue, aware of their scrutiny, continued eating her meal with undisturbed calm.  

“Aunt Wang mentioned you visited Yan Ye at the military base today? How is that boy doing lately?” 

Yan Jianguo turned to Liu Ye, his tone indifferent as he asked.  

At the mention of Yan Ye, Zhang Qianqian immediately perked up, forgetting all else.  

When she heard that Yan Ye had been too busy to meet them in person and had only sent gifts through a subordinate, she secretly sighed in relief.  

But the thought that Yan Ye had prepared gifts for *both* Xu Xiaoyue and Zheng Jiaojiao reignited her resentment.  

These two are just crude country bumpkins from the countryside—what makes them worthy of receiving a gift from Brother Yan Ye?

Speaking of gifts, Zheng Jiaojiao couldn’t help but smirk when she recalled the book given to Xu Xiaoyue. Deliberately, she brought up her own notebook, lavishing praise on it repeatedly.  

Even if it was just a notebook, Zhang Qianqian still felt displeased. She turned to Xu Xiaoyue.  

“What was Sister Xiaoyue’s gift, I wonder?”

Liu Ye’s hand paused slightly, and she glanced at Xu Xiaoyue, about to deflect the question—  

But Xu Xiaoyue answered plainly, “Nothing special. Just a book.”

“A book? What book?”

Zhang Qianqian’s relentless probing made Liu Ye frown.  

In the past, Liu Ye had found Zhang Qianqian whimsical and charming, but today she realized the girl could be downright tactless.  

Unfortunately, tactlessness seemed contagious—Zheng Jiaojiao, unable to resist, eagerly blurted out:  

“This one!”

She practically sprinted upstairs and returned within thirty seconds, book in hand, before Liu Ye could even react.  

Zhang Qianqian, still seated, had been simmering with anger—but the moment she saw the book, she burst into uncontrollable laughter.  

She doubled over, clutching her stomach, her mirth so intense that even the Yan father and son grew curious.  

Yan Jianguo took the book, and the first thing that caught his eye were the bold black-and-white characters on the cover:  

“Iron Fist Strike: Crush Ill Intentions with Thunderous Force.”

Even a man as unflappable as Yan Jianguo couldn’t stop his eyelid from twitching.  

Beside him, Yan Shuli also read the title clearly. He shot Xu Xiaoyue a sidelong glance, wondering just how this woman had managed to provoke that demon.  

Yan Jianguo turned to his wife with a questioning look, but Liu Ye merely shook her head, equally baffled by her brother-in-law’s choice.  

“Sister Xiaoyue, you should study this book thoroughly. After all, it’s a token of Brother Yan Ye’s *kindness*.”

Zhang Qianqian blinked innocently at Xu Xiaoyue, her smile never fading.  

“Enough. No talking during meals.”  

At Yan Jianguo’s command, Zhang Qianqian finally restrained herself.  

In the military barracks, Yan Ye let out a disdainful scoff as he listened to the man before him drone on.  

Leaning against the desk with his waist and resting one long leg against the wall, he remained utterly unmoved no matter what the other said.  

Seeing his attitude, Yan Jianguo felt his temper rising. “Regardless of whatever grudge you hold against Comrade Xu, you** must **apologize to her.”

Yan Ye clicked his tongue, his voice hoarse as if he hadn’t rested in days.  

“Apologize? You might as well drop that idea right now, Brother.”

Yan Jianguo’s brows knitted tightly in frustration. He truly couldn’t understand.  

While Yan Ye usually avoided female comrades like the plague, he wasn’t the type to target someone without reason—let alone a woman he’d never even met.  

This time, however, his actions clearly indicated he had bullied Comrade Xu in private. Sending such a book spoke volumes without words.  

Yan Jianguo could no longer fathom his younger brother’s motives. The only explanation he could think of was that there must have been some misunderstanding between them, so he attempted to mediate.  

“Comrade Xu has been staying with us these past few days, and I’ve observed her closely. She’s diligent, hardworking, and ambitious—a fine comrade. Meanwhile, you’re the one holding onto prejudice.”

Yan Ye raised an eyebrow, straightened up, and pulled out a chair before sitting down with one leg crossed over the other in a perfect figure-four position.  

“So, what you’re saying is… this Comrade Xu is just that perfect?”  

His careless tone made it obvious he hadn’t absorbed a single word Yan Jianguo had said.  

At this, Yan Jianguo’s blood pressure, which had just settled, began to spike again.  

He pressed a hand to his throbbing temple. “I don’t care what you think. You** will **come home this weekend and apologize to Comrade Xu.”

Outside the door, Wang Jianhua strained his ears but could only catch faint traces of the argument inside.  

Then Yan Jianguo pushed the door open and strode out, his expression stern.  

Normally, the man would stop to exchange a few words with subordinates like him.  

This time, however, Yan Jianguo merely gave a curt nod before leaving—his rigid back alone was enough to show how furious he was.  

*Holy shit.* Wang Jianhua peeked inside at Yan Ye, who sat stiffly in his chair.  

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a cold glow over the man’s icy expression.  

“Xu Xiaoyue.”

The name slipped through his thin lips, laced with barely contained fury.  

First, she had won over his sister-in-law. Now, she had even swayed his eldest brother. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the entire Yan household was wrapped around her finger.  

That alone would have been bad enough, but today she had somehow managed to goad Yan Jianguo into coming to the barracks to reprimand him. Yan Ye was so angry he could barely think straight.  

His fingers tapped rhythmically against the mahogany desk.  

He recalled the conversation he’d overheard under the locust tree—the mother and daughter’s schemes were identical.  

This woman had more tricks up her sleeve than a lump of honeycomb coal. For her, winning the Yan family’s genuine acceptance was probably child’s play.  

Originally, he had planned to ignore her, assuming Xu Xiaoyue would retreat on her own after staying at the Yan household for a while. But now, she was pushing her luck.  

Lost in thought, he absentmindedly applied pressure—and the sturdy wooden pencil in his hand snapped clean in half under his thumb.  

Even without his brother’s reminder, Yan Ye had already intended to make time to return home and deal with Xu Xiaoyue.  

And while he was at it, he’d make sure she understood exactly what happened to those who dared set their sights on the Yan family.