Chapter 32

Lin Tingwan picked up the items, turned slightly, and let out a cold laugh.

“Go ahead and report me, then. Just in time for me to ask Lu Yunzheng whether someone repeatedly instigating the kids to drive me out counts as indirectly sabotaging a military marriage!”

With that, she lifted her foot and walked straight back home.

Zhao Cuifang bit her lip. She had only been bluffing—she didn’t actually have the courage to report anything.

At the end of the day, Lu Yunzheng and Lin Tingwan were a family. There was no way they’d take her side.

So she had no choice but to swallow the humiliation and keep quiet.

Watching Lin Tingwan’s retreating figure, Lu Zizhou and Lu Zihang both looked visibly uncomfortable, their eyes filled with confusion.

Lu Zihang glanced at the new clothes his sister was wearing and the bag of pastries in her hand.

His uncle had taken him to the department store before and bought this same cake—it was expensive, and after that one time, they never asked for it again.

He didn’t expect that woman to buy so much for his sister.

He blinked, then asked in a soft voice, “Sister, that woman… did Auntie take you to buy clothes?”

The little girl didn’t understand everything, but she could tell that Auntie was angry, and that it was probably because of her two older brothers.

She immediately pouted and explained, “Yeah! Auntie not only bought a dress for Xinxin but also bought backpacks and clothes for the big brothers. She bought so, so many things!”

Then she tilted her head and asked seriously, “Big brother, did you two make Auntie mad?!”

A blush crept up Lu Zihang’s cheeks. He turned to his older brother and muttered, “Big brother, I think we really messed up.”

Guilt flickered in Lu Zizhou’s eyes as well. This time, he had really misjudged that woman.

He had definitely made a mistake.

His thoughts were churning, and finally, he took his sister’s hand and said in a hoarse voice, “Let’s go home.”

“Then Big Brother has to apologize to Auntie, okay? Auntie said today that when you do something wrong, you have to say sorry. Even that bad woman apologized to me today,” the little girl said seriously. She was only five, but her words were clear and articulate.

From what she said, it seemed more had happened today.

Lu Zizhou patiently asked, “Who’s the bad woman?”

The little girl thought for a moment and then briefly explained what had happened earlier.

Then, her face lit up with admiration, “Auntie was really amazing today! If she hadn’t been there, Xinxin would’ve been bullied.”

Hearing this, Lu Zizhou’s other hand clenched slightly. He hadn’t expected so much to happen today. And even without their uncle at home, that woman still stood up for their sister.

For a moment, deep thought flashed in Lu Zizhou’s eyes.

When Lin Tingwan got home, she put the items on the table and headed into the kitchen to get to work.

The three children arrived hand-in-hand and stood quietly in the kitchen doorway.

They watched her busy figure, their eyes flickering with unfamiliar emotions.

The little girl became anxious when Auntie didn’t even say a word to her.

She quickly let go of her brothers’ hands and hurried into the kitchen, throwing herself onto Lin Tingwan’s leg and pouting, “Auntie~”

Lin Tingwan glanced down and then crouched beside her, smiling gently. “Good girl, Xinxin. Auntie is making you something to eat. Go play outside for a bit, okay?”

She was indeed angry, but it had nothing to do with the little girl—so naturally, she wouldn’t take it out on her.

As for those two little brats, she simply ignored them and didn’t say a word.

The little girl, sensitive to emotions, could tell Auntie was upset, so she obediently nodded, “Okay, Auntie~”

After she left, Lin Tingwan turned back to cooking.

But to Lu Zizhou and Lu Zihang, the scene felt heavy.

Although she’d never been as gentle with them as she was with Xinxin, she would at least spare them a glance.

Not like now—completely ignoring them, as if they didn’t even exist.

Lu Zihang felt aggrieved. He bit his lip and was just about to apologize when he saw his big brother turn and leave.

He looked around nervously, hesitated, and then ran after Lu Zizhou.

After the two boys ran off, a glimmer of thought flashed in Lin Tingwan’s eyes.

Today’s events proved that being kind to them alone wasn’t enough. Sometimes, they needed to be taught to see people’s hearts clearly.

She had always felt that dealing with those two little brats was exhausting—unlike how naturally things went with the little girl.

Maybe… this was the turning point that could change that.

What she didn’t expect, however, was that someone else would return at just the right time to support her.

After finishing his duties at the regiment, Lu Yunzheng had been worried about Lin Tingwan’s hand. He didn’t know whether she had rested properly that morning.

Unable to stop thinking about it, he used the noon break to come home.

But as soon as he stepped through the gate, he saw the three children sitting in a row in the courtyard.

Lu Zizhou and Lu Zihang immediately stood up when they saw him, eyes dodging his, their hands gripping their clothes nervously. Clearly, they were anxious.

Lu Yunzheng’s sharp gaze swept over them. Something was clearly wrong.

He strode over, his face expressionless.

In a calm but serious tone, he asked, “What happened?”

Lu Zihang glanced timidly at his uncle and swallowed hard.

Beside him, Lu Zizhou kept his lips tightly pressed together. Though clearly frightened, he stood straight, head lowered, not daring to look his uncle in the eye.

Just then, the little girl walked up to Lu Yunzheng and said quietly, “Auntie is mad.”

The moment those words left her mouth, Lu Yunzheng’s gaze on the two boys grew even more serious. He didn’t even have to ask—he already knew they were involved.

Especially since Tingwan was someone with stable emotions. Even when her parents were sent away, she had held back her tears until they were gone.

But now, even the little girl could tell she was angry—clearly, this was serious.

He immediately barked out, “Lu Zizhou!”

“Here!” Lu Zizhou’s head snapped up. His gaze, deep and serious, locked onto his uncle—the man he admired most in the world.

“What exactly happened?!”

Since bringing the children back last year, he had given them everything they wanted. He’d been too busy, and that had caused him to neglect their discipline.

In any case, this was his responsibility.

But he couldn’t allow Lin Tingwan to bear the consequences of his own shortcomings.

For the first time, he realized that his previous hands-off approach with the children had been a serious mistake.