Chapter 43 The organization compensates you with a fiancé

Song Yiyi’s mind raced quickly. Cen Yue’s words were ambiguous, and she reasonably suspected that he might have seen through her little scheme. But soon she calmed down. Even if he had seen through it, she hadn’t really done anything—at most, the timing was just more coincidental. No matter how smart Cen Yue was, he couldn’t guess that she had foreknowledge of certain events. There was nothing to feel guilty about.

The jeep drove into the compound. Cen Yue’s long, slender fingers gripped the steering wheel, tapping lightly and intermittently.

“I mean, you’re the victim here. You can make your demands,” Cen Yue said in his deep, magnetic voice. “What compensation do you want, and how do you want them punished?”

As expected, she had been overthinking. Song Yiyi glanced over and felt that there was a faint smile hidden in Cen Yue’s tone.

Since he brought it up first, Song Yiyi naturally didn’t hold back. She made two demands: First, Cen Boyun and Kang Ying must publicly apologize to her in front of the entire military district, admit that they had hurt her feelings, and confess that the broken engagement was their fault. Second, she wanted compensation.

Cen Yue narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled lightly. “The first point is no problem. The second—what kind of compensation do you want?”

Song Yiyi felt he was asking knowingly. “A job,” she said. If she was to stay in the compound, she needed work. Before, Gu Chengze said he would keep an eye out for her, but now that there was an opportunity with no cost or favors involved, she naturally couldn’t miss it.

Cen Yue nodded faintly. “I see.”

Every time Song Yiyi heard Cen Yue speak, she felt uneasy. It seemed like every sentence he said had a hidden meaning, a subtle sarcasm at an expert level.

“Well, what else do you think, Chief?” Song Yiyi asked directly.

Cen Yue finally turned his head. The normally cold and aloof man now had a trace of a smile in his dark eyes. “I thought you’d ask the organization to compensate you with a fiancé.”

Song Yiyi: “…….”

The car fell silent. That joke was really cold. But after Cen Yue said that, Song Yiyi recalled that she had actually read such a story in a period novel. The heroine found the military, learned that her ex-fiancé had a new love, and demanded the military compensate her with a new man. Then the male lead showed up looking all handsome and fresh.

Leaning back in her seat, Song Yiyi stared out at the swiftly passing scenery, lost in thought.

The rest of the family had no objections to her demands. Song Minghui even secretly gave her a thumbs-up in his heart. He began to wonder if he was really getting old and becoming less capable.

When they arrived at the compound, Gu Chengze originally wanted to go to the military base with Cen Yue, but Cen Yue refused.

“Old Gu, don’t bother going. The organization will try to meet the little sister’s demands. As for Cen Boyun, I’ll negotiate with the regiment commander.”

Song Yiyi also said, “Brother, let’s go home. You’re still not fully sober.” After drinking so much, it wasn’t suitable for him to return to the base.

Looking at Cen Yue standing by the car with a tall and straight posture, Song Yiyi suddenly realized he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol. Luckily he hadn’t—otherwise it would’ve been drunk driving.

Gu Chengze left for the base early the next morning. At noon, he brought back news—the decision had been made.

Due to his poor personal conduct and the bad influence it caused, Cen Boyun was given a serious demerit and ordered to write a public apology letter to Song Yiyi.

As for Kang Ying, although she was not a soldier, she was involved in disrupting a military marriage. Considering Cen Boyun and Song Yiyi hadn’t married, she was required to write a written self-criticism and a public apology letter to be posted on the bulletin board.

The handling was faster than Song Yiyi had expected.

By the afternoon, the two handwritten apology letters appeared on the bulletin board.

Song Yiyi was soon surrounded by aunties and sisters-in-law from the compound, all both caring and gossiping.

“Yiyi, didn’t you break up with Deputy Commander Cen? How come you’re mixed up with them again?”

Song Yiyi cracked sunflower seeds and pointed at the tightly shut house door. “My dad’s here, isn’t he? He thinks Deputy Commander Cen is a good guy and secretly signed the marriage contract with the Cen family behind my back.”

She was completely open about it.

The aunties surrounding her relaxed and started asking questions.

“No wonder. Your dad really—he’s pushing you into the fire. What kind of father does that?”

Song Yiyi cracked open a peanut. “He knows he was wrong. That’s why he’s at home, keeping to himself to reflect.”

“Yiyi, by the way, how did you catch Deputy Commander Cen and Kang Ying in the act? Did they really… you know?”

Song Yiyi almost choked on a peanut. “Ahem… Didn’t their apology letter say? They just kissed.”

“Pfft! Deputy Commander Cen looks all respectable, but how come he’s two-timing like that?”

One sister-in-law frowned seriously. “If they’re like that, don’t they have to get married?”

That question hit the point, and the aunties and sisters-in-law started chattering loudly.

“Of course! They’ve done that much—how else to settle it? If Deputy Commander Cen wants to keep going, he has to marry!”

The Kang family wasn’t soft either. The day they found out, they went to the base to cause a fuss. Cen Boyun didn’t show up at all.

Cen Yue sent someone to look for him, but they searched the entire battalion and couldn’t find Cen Boyun anywhere.

The Kang family left in a huff because a big shot arrived at the military district. The Kang family was scared stiff by rows of soldiers with guns and quickly left the regiment headquarters without needing to be asked.

That night, Gu Chengze didn’t come home. But the military family compound’s duty room received two phone calls, both asking for the Song family.

Song Minghui answered the phone calls. The first was from Song Minghui’s school—there was an urgent matter and they wanted him to return immediately. The second call was from Gu Chengze, who said there was something going on at the military district and that he wouldn’t be coming home for a few days. Song Minghui also mentioned his departure to him.

The next day, Song Minghui packed his things and hurriedly left with Cai Mengjun. Cai Mengjun was reluctant to leave Song Yiyi and reminded her as she left, “Yiyi, take this money with you. If anything happens, write home or call your dad’s school.”

Song Yiyi touched the thick stack of money and almost shed two tears. “Okay, Mom, I’ll remember. You all take care and be sure to call when you get home safely.”

Actually, she was very happy. Once Song Minghui left, she no longer had to listen to nagging and could sleep in as late as she wanted every day.

Since she broke off her engagement with Cen Boyun, Song Minghui had become much quieter—probably out of guilt. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to apologize to Song Yiyi. When he left, he even stiffened his neck and didn’t say a word.

Song Yiyi didn’t mind and even saw them off at the train station.

After sending them off, Song Yiyi suddenly felt like cooking and bought a whole chicken to make chicken hotpot. Materials were scarce these days, but it surprisingly turned out delicious. She chopped up the entire chicken and cooked a big pot.

One person couldn’t finish it all, so she thought to bring most of it to Gu Chengze.

Familiar with the way, she went to the military district. This time, the sentry at the gate didn’t stop her but politely said, “Comrade Song, the Political Commissar and Deputy Regiment Commander both instructed that if you come, you can enter directly.”