“Xia Zhi, all your things are here. Don’t you dare say we owe you anything again.”  

Gu Chonglin snorted coldly and tossed the items in front of her, already scheming how to swindle them back later.  

Xia Zhi meticulously checked everything, nodding in satisfaction once she confirmed all the original owner’s belongings were accounted for.  

With these books, it wouldn’t seem strange when she could read and write later.  

“Fine, we’re even.”  

Xia Zhi picked up the items with one hand and turned to head toward her small room, but after just two steps, Gu Chonglin blocked her path.  

“Since you said we’re even, then you can’t stay in my family’s house anymore! Unless—you pay rent!”  

A smug grin curled on Gu Chonglin’s lips. Did she really think she could outsmart him? After humiliating him, she could go sleep on the streets for all he cared.  

Hao Liping’s lips also curled into a triumphant smile. Let’s see where Xia Zhi could go now.  

Xia Zhi paused mid-step, suddenly realizing—the place she lived in belonged to the Gu family. She had nowhere to go…  

“Then come with me,” Lu Beiting said, breaking the silence and offering her a way out. 

The crowd turned to look, murmuring in surprise. Who would’ve thought Xia Zhi would actually catch the attention of Battalion Commander Lu? She really had good luck.  

Xia Zhi’s eyes lit up, and she immediately turned around, cheerfully saying, “Great! Wait for me, I’ll go pack my things.”  

This brought her one step closer to her goal—she really had to thank Gu Chonglin for this!  

Hao Liping stiffened. In her past life, after marrying Lu Beiting, she had lived with the Lu family until her death, never once setting foot in the military compound.  

How could Xia Zhi deserve this?!  

“Lu Beiting, Xia Zhi isn’t even married to you yet! How can you let her stay with you? Shameless!”  

Xia Zhi halted, her brow furrowing. She’d been too busy slapping Gu Yunshen and had forgotten about Hao Liping.  

Had she already forgotten the disgraceful things she’d done? How dare she point fingers at her now.  

Rolling up her sleeves, Xia Zhi marched toward Hao Liping.  

Hao Liping shrank back half a step, her voice trembling slightly. “Xia Zhi, what are you doing?”  

Xia Zhi yanked her forward and swiftly slapped her twice across the face.  

“Hao Liping, you and Gu Yunshen betrayed me first—who’s the one without shame here?  

The marks on your body haven’t even faded yet, and you have the nerve to criticize me?  

Who’s the real shameless one here?!”  

Hao Liping stared at her in humiliated fury. What was this woman saying?! How could she just blurt out such things?  

At the same time, she clutched her clothes tightly, terrified Xia Zhi might rip them open.  

Xia Zhi scoffed coldly. She wasn’t as vile as Hao Liping. Clapping her hands, she strode back inside in high spirits.  

The weather today was just wonderful!  

By the time Hao Liping recovered from the shock, Xia Zhi had already gone back to pack.  

Now, with no outlet for her rage and surrounded by judging stares, her face burned even hotter.  

“That Hao family’s daughter is such a disgrace. If she were my daughter, I’d be too ashamed to show my face.”  

“Yeah, so young and already so brazen.”  

“And the Gu family is no better. Everyone knows how well Xia Zhi treated them before.  

Yet the whole family ganged up to bully a young girl—utterly shameless!”  

“None of them in this compound are any good—ungrateful snakes!”  

Neighbors from the adjacent compound whispered among themselves, their voices just loud enough to be heard.  

Li Jianguo watched the fiery scene with a hint of surprise, glancing at Lu Beiting.  

“Beiting, your little wife’s quite something.”

At first glance, it was clear she wasn’t someone others could bully. The only question was whether Lu Beiting could handle her strength.  

Lu Beiting nodded slightly. “Mm, she’s good.”  

Both men were quite satisfied with Xia Zhi. Only Lu Weifeng, standing behind them, frowned so hard his brows nearly twisted into knots as he watched Xia Zhi’s fiery temper.  

This woman was spoiled, willful, and utterly lacking in grace.  

Xia Zhi quickly packed up the original owner’s belongings.  

By the time she stepped out, Zhang Yi was already holding some of her things.  

“Let’s go,” Lu Beiting said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. More than a dozen people, and not a single decent one among them.  

Xia Zhi nodded, then caught sight of Gu Chonglin’s face, now as dark as charcoal.  

She blinked, thought for a moment, and suddenly understood.  

These people were still hung up on that 600 yuan.  

Serves them right! If they hadn’t kicked her out, she might have actually stayed.  

“Chonglin, now that Xia Zhi is gone, how are we going to get that 600 yuan back?” Liu Yanfen tugged at her son’s sleeve, watching Xia Zhi’s retreating figure anxiously.  

With her gone, where could they possibly demand the money? It wasn’t like they could just waltz into the military compound whenever they pleased.  

Gu Chonglin was so furious he could’ve slapped himself. Why did he have to run his mouth?! If he’d just kept quiet and let Xia Zhi stay, none of this would’ve happened.  

Regret washed over the entire group.  

Gu Yunshen frowned as he stared at Xia Zhi’s back. This was the first time he’d ever looked at her like this. Before, whenever he turned around, Xia Zhi would always smile at him.  

But now, she was walking away without even a glance back.  

Hmph! Good riddance. Even if she begged him later, he wouldn’t spare her a single look.  

Hao Liping buried her face in Chen Xiuping’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. That bitch Xia Zhi!  

Fine, let her go to the military compound. What was so great about a bunch of rough, sweaty men? She’d be surrounded by nothing but stink all day.  

At least this way, no one would compete with her for opportunities to get rich.  

Clutching her mother, Hao Liping glared venomously at Xia Zhi’s figure disappearing into the military compound.  

As soon as Xia Zhi stepped inside, her pupils dilated, and she unconsciously swallowed hard.  

Wow… so many men.  

Rows of shirtless soldiers training, their bodies radiating raw masculinity.  

Xia Zhi was once again reminded of the saying: The best-looking men really do get handed over to the country!

Any one of them here could easily outmatch Gu Yunshen, that scrawny weakling. She couldn’t fathom what the original owner had seen in him.  

Then again, considering her parents’ belongings, maybe the Gu family had been using them as leverage to control her all along.  

Lu Beiting noticed Xia Zhi’s gaze lingering on the men without the slightest intention of looking away, and a wave of displeasure surged in his chest.  

But then he caught himself—what right did he have to feel this way?  

The internal conflict made his frown deepen to the point where he could’ve crushed a fly between his brows. Even Zhang Yi, standing behind him, was startled by the intensity of his commanding officer’s aura.  

Ahem! Lu Beiting cleared his throat pointedly, trying to signal her.  

Xia Zhi acted as though she hadn’t heard a thing.  

Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!

Zhang Yi, witnessing this, quickly called out to Xia Zhi. If he didn’t intervene, his battalion commander might actually cough up blood.  

“Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law, we’re almost there.”  

Xia Zhi snapped out of her daze, awkwardly rubbing the tip of her nose. “Oh, right.”  

“Disgraceful behavior!” Lu Weifeng snapped coldly.  

Xia Zhi was about to retort but bit back her words when she remembered this was Lu Beiting’s father.  

Lu Beiting shot him a frosty glare. “None of your business.”