Chapter 17: Full of Doubts

What he couldn’t understand was why Wen Nian was hiding their relationship from Wen Jianhao.

If she told Wen Jianhao about the two of them, all the problems would be easily resolved.

Someone like Wen Jianhao, who only cared about benefits, wouldn’t arrange any more blind dates for her, and would even use their relationship to firmly climb higher in the Lu family.

Even now, Lu Hanzheng still harbored doubts about what she had said before.

He carefully examined the details again and again but found no loopholes.

Yet, with the sharp instincts of a scout, he still felt something was off.

Although he had lost his memory, his subconscious still retained feelings about certain people.

For example, with Lin Siyun, there was always a faint but undeniable sense of aversion deep inside.

His foster father was the same—resentment surfaced from time to time without an apparent reason, as if it was an old, unresolved emotion.

His attending doctor said this was because these people were the closest to him and the ones he had the most contact with, so the emotional reactions were the strongest.

As for Wen Nian, she was more like a stranger—she didn’t trigger any emotions in him.

That was clearly strange.

According to her, the two of them had fallen in love at first sight and were in a relationship.

How could he feel nothing?

Through these days of observation, he discovered a pile of questions about her.

She was picky about food.

She insisted on boiling water for her baths every day.

And those obscure military books on his bookshelf—she actually understood them.

He had tested her a few times, asking about current economic situations and the like.

She spoke fluently and logically.

Many of her opinions were quite unique.

A rural girl, still only a junior high school student, who barely attended high school.

Yet her knowledge was so rich.

She was very familiar with the electric stove at home, needing no teaching at all—she learned it all on her own.

Not like someone who had never seen the world.

Her personality was also nothing like the slow and dull rural girl stereotype.

She was delicate but also very bold.

Especially in how she spoke and acted regarding matters of men and women—it was nothing short of shocking.

Shanghe Village had poor soil and low grain yields.

She lived with her grandmother, barely making ends meet.

Where would all these delicate habits come from?

Then there were the skincare products she made, which were quite popular among military families, even selling out limited quantities.

Otherwise, Commissioner Liu wouldn’t have sought him out.

The grandmother and granddaughter struggled to survive day to day, often unsure if they’d have a next meal.

If these crafts were passed down from ancestors, why had they only just been brought out now?

The old lady had even gotten sick but couldn’t afford medicine.

They just toughened it out.

If she couldn’t bring out the face cream, at least her cooking skills were always there.

Rural banquets were no small thing.

If they had started improving their life earlier, it wouldn’t have been so difficult.

There were many suspicious points about her.

This girl had lived in Shanghe Village for eighteen years, going to school, coming home, and working the fields—nothing but a simple routine.

The only time she traveled far was once to the town, where she took a photo and sent it to Wen Jianhao.

She was timid, gentle, introverted, even a little withdrawn—this was how the villagers described her.

Of course, her beauty was undisputed.

But now, she was still the same person, yet her temperament had changed drastically—almost completely reversed.

She was lively, cheerful, confident, flamboyant, living freely and uninhibited.

Her appearance was overly delicate, weak and fragile, full of princess syndrome.

Lu Hanzheng rubbed his long, fair fingers several times, feeling very irritated.

The blue-and-white porcelain bottle in his hand was warm and smooth like jade, with exquisitely detailed patterns.

Whether judging by the texture or the craftsmanship,

it was definitely not an ordinary item.

He had no idea where she had gotten it from.

What he didn’t know was that these seemingly delicate bottles and jars were all custom-made and wholesale-ordered by Wen Nian from some obscure place.

If he hadn’t asked personally, Wen Nian wouldn’t have given him the best ones.

Wen Nian usually didn’t bring out things from the modern world, fearing suspicion.

The bottles used for the skincare products she sold outside were all bought from the supply and marketing cooperative.

Not only were they expensive, but their quality was mediocre.

After all, porcelain bottles from the future surpassed those from this era in patterns and style by far.

…

The grand district-wide competition had ended with a bang, and the 28th Regiment led by Lu Hanzheng once again took first place as usual.

The reputation of the Thunder Legion was not just empty talk.

Lu Hanzheng graduated from a prestigious military academy, and not only was his personal ability outstanding, but his leadership skills were also very strong.

Whether in solo combat or team operations, he was famous in the army for consistently taking the top three spots in competitions.

Just in time for the afternoon, the military district held a commendation meeting, and naturally, he gave a speech representing the 28th Regiment.

Standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, his neat olive-green uniform seemed tailor-made.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, posture upright and steady, calm and composed, his speech was articulate and powerful.

Facing the dense crowd below, his presence was commanding, showing no trace of stage fright or nervousness, combined with his handsome and elegant appearance.

Not only the female comrades in the regiment were dazzled and spellbound, even the male comrades seated below were captivated.

After the commendation meeting, the female soldiers from the regiment began to perform on stage.

Lu Hanzheng casually watched the singing and dancing on stage, while behind him the cheering and thunderous applause almost burst his eardrums.

He glanced at the few men shouting the loudest, and they immediately ducked their heads, falling silent like sparrows.

Such losers—these female soldiers of the regiment, what kind of dancing was that, twisting and turning.

And it wasn’t even as good as the dancing of the girl back home.

Thinking of Wen Nian, his gaze deepened, brows furrowed lightly, and his irritation returned.

He strode away with his long legs from the venue, but unfortunately, luck was not on his side. Just as he reached the door, he ran into Commissioner Liu.

“What are you leaving so early for? The show has just started, and there are so many fresh buds inside—take your time to pick one.”

Lu Hanzheng shrugged off the arm Liu had draped over his shoulder, his tone cold.

“Don’t pull and tug. If you want to pick, go ahead and pick slowly. Don’t drag me along.”

Commissioner Liu smiled bitterly.

“What are you saying? I’ve been married for so long—if I dared to glance around, my wife would cause a fuss with me.”

“Even if you want to leave, at least watch the show first, otherwise I won’t have an excuse to face the old commander.”

Commissioner Liu kept holding onto Lu Hanzheng, unwilling to let go.

He was suffering inside—Commander Lu had specially instructed him to keep an eye on Lu Hanzheng and make sure he watched the performance and interacted with the female soldiers.

But Lu Hanzheng wouldn’t listen to his whining.

“That’s your business.”

Commissioner Liu hurriedly grabbed him, refusing to let go no matter what.

“Come on, Hanzheng, just do me a favor, stay a little longer, just a little.”

Lu Hanzheng frowned, his head hurting badly—a grown man being pestered like a woman, being stuck here with such clingy persistence.

If it were someone else, it would be one thing, but Commissioner Liu had risen through the 28th Regiment with him—they were partners, well-coordinated in work.

The only conflict was his personal matter—his foster father not only pressured him but also pressured the organization.

Commissioner Liu often arranged blind dates for him under the guise of concern.

Now, just seeing Commissioner Liu gave him a headache; the man was way too persistent.