Han Ye and Qin Qiao'an suddenly stopped going out these past few days.
What business? What making money?
They had tossed all of it aside.
None of that mattered anymore!
What mattered was taking revenge for their little sister!
Han Ye had been fearless since childhood. He was the undisputed bully of the military compound, unbeatable in a fight and such a headache that officers from every unit dreaded running into him.
Over the years, he had turned Qin Qiao'an into just as much of a menace. Qiao'an was already showing signs of inheriting Han Ye's ways.
The two of them were troublemakers no one dared provoke outside—and yet their one and only little sister had been bullied.
How could they possibly let that go?
Han Ye and Qin Qiao'an were so furious that they couldn't eat or sleep.
Even in their dreams, they were beating the hell out of those bastards who had bullied Xiaxia.
Their own sister had been bullied. Wasn't that the same as trampling all over their dignity?
If they could still put up with that, could they even call themselves men?
And so, for the past few days, the two brothers had been riding their bicycles around the streets and alleys near the military compound.
Based on Xiaxia's description, they went looking for the culprits one by one.
In less than two days, they had identified the six or seven people who had bullied Xiaxia.
It turned out that they were all from families living in the nearby neighborhoods. Two or three had stopped studying after graduating from junior high, while several others were still in school.
Though judging by the look of things, they had no intention of studying seriously. Every one of them was a street punk.
What was more, the brothers knew all of them.
Han Ye said to Qin Qiao'an, “It's just these few. We'll beat up every one of them we see. Let's see if they still dare bully Xiaxia after that!”
Qin Qiao'an nodded grimly. “We'll throw them into that dry well for a few hours too. I'd like to see whether they cry from fright.”
Han Ye nodded. Then, spotting several boys standing by the roadside, he said, “Let's go.”
The brothers rolled up their sleeves and walked toward the group.
Among them were two boys who had joined Li Taohua in bullying Xiaxia.
Han Ye knew these people. Even though he wasn't close to them, they all knew who he was.
When they saw Han Ye approaching, they grew nervous. One of them took the initiative to ask, “Han Ye, what do you want with us?”
Han Ye planted his hands on his hips, pointed at the two boys, and said, “I have a score to settle with those two. Anyone else want to join in?”
His expression was fierce, and his tone was cold. It was obvious that he had come looking for a fight.
Who in the surrounding neighborhoods didn't know how good Han Ye was in a brawl?
Who would dare take him on?
The others looked at the two boys. The boys were nervous too. They stared at Han Ye and asked, “Settle a score with us? We—we haven't offended you, have we?”
They sounded guilty as they spoke, but they were still clinging to the hope that they might get away with it.
Han Ye couldn't be bothered to waste words on them. He charged forward and kicked each of them, sending them sprawling to the ground. Then he said coldly, “You're so young, yet your memories are already this bad? Fine, I'll help you remember.”
With that, Qin Qiao'an rushed over as well, and the two brothers began pummeling the pair together.
In the end, they beat the two of them until they were crying for their parents before finally letting them go.
…
Of course, that wasn’t the end of it. There were several others besides those two.
For the next several days, the two brothers took revenge on anyone they came across.
They picked up every boy and beat him first, making sure not to hit them in the face but kicking them all over the body instead, until they wailed and begged for mercy.
Han Ye couldn’t very well beat up the girls, so he merely warned them not to bully Xiaxia again. Otherwise, he would beat them up too.
Han Ye was tall and powerfully built, and when he put on a fierce expression, he looked downright intimidating.
He scared all the girls into tears. One after another, they explained that Li Taohua had been the one who wanted to bully Xiaxia. They claimed they didn’t actually know Xiaxia and had no grudge against her.
In short, after they had all cried their hearts out, Han Ye and Qin Qiao’an couldn’t bring themselves to do anything more and let them go.
Han Ye and Qin Qiao’an had wanted to throw every one of them into the abandoned well.
But they were children from the military compound, and if they did something like that, it could easily be misconstrued. If it attracted the attention of investigators, that would be troublesome.
So, in the end, they reined themselves in somewhat.
…
But whether Li Taohua was afraid of retaliation or not, she didn’t show herself for a long time.
Xiaxia had never liked going out in the first place, and after this incident, she became even more of a homebody.
Han Ye and Qin Qiao’an wandered the streets and alleys for several days. With the start of the school term drawing near, they asked around and finally learned that Li Taohua’s family had moved away.
Both of Li Taohua’s parents had lost their jobs, so naturally, their home had been taken back by their work units.
This neighborhood consisted either of military compounds or housing complexes for various government departments. Once their home was repossessed, they could no longer live nearby and had no choice but to move away.
And so, the matter of avenging Xiaxia came to an end.
During the month Xiaxia spent at home reading, she had no idea that she had already become the local boss.
Everyone in the area paled at the mere mention of Xiaxia. They all knew that she was the one person in the neighborhood whom nobody could afford to provoke!
Anyone who dared bully her would be in for a month of retaliation!
September arrived, bringing autumn—and the start of the new school term.
Qiao Lanshu had finally completed her studies and passed the examination. She took the train back from the capital.
On the day she returned, Qin Yuanzheng took the day off and drove to the train station to pick her up.
The three children had all gone to school for the opening ceremony, and Qin Yuanzheng hadn’t told them that Qiao Lanshu was coming back.
He had planned from the beginning to go pick her up alone.
After all, if the children were there, neither he nor Qiao Lanshu would be able to do anything intimate.
Qiao Lanshu arrived in Longcheng at around three or four in the afternoon.
By the time she walked out of the train station, Qin Yuanzheng had already been waiting there for nearly half an hour.
The moment he saw Qiao Lanshu, Qin Yuanzheng stood where he was and stared at her for a while.
They had been apart for nearly half a year, and his wife seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight. Over the past few years, he had finally managed to put some healthy fullness on her, but now she looked noticeably thinner again.
Though… didn’t she seem fairer?
It was probably because she had spent those months studying, staying indoors every day and avoiding the sun, which had left her skin lighter.
His wife was still as beautiful as ever. She was especially lovely when she smiled, her eyes shining brightly and two adorable dimples appearing in her cheeks.
The more he looked at her, the prettier she seemed.
Qin Yuanzheng stood where he was, doing nothing but staring at Qiao Lanshu.
Qiao Lanshu had spotted him from far away as she dragged along her luggage. She had thought Qin Yuanzheng would hurry over, give her a hug, and take her bags for her.
But what did he do? He simply stood there, staring at her with a foolish grin, without moving an inch.
Qiao Lanshu: “……”
She pushed her way out of the crowd, still carrying her luggage. The bags were quite heavy, since they were filled with gifts she had bought for the children.
She was exhausted, and seeing Qin Yuanzheng standing there like that immediately made her a little annoyed.
She dropped the luggage on the ground and stood there glaring at him, refusing to take another step.
Qin Yuanzheng, who had been staring at her the whole time, suddenly came back to his senses. Only then did he realize what was happening. He strode toward her, then pulled her tightly into his arms and quickly kissed her forehead.
“Why did you stop?” he asked in a low voice.
As he spoke, he naturally picked up Qiao Lanshu’s luggage with one hand and put his other arm around her, leading her forward.
Qiao Lanshu had still been a little angry, but seeing him like this, she could no longer bring herself to stay mad.
After all, they had been apart for several months, and she had missed her family too.
She had missed Qin Yuanzheng, and she had missed the children.
She glanced around and asked Qin Yuanzheng, “Where are the kids? Why didn’t they come to meet me?”
Without the slightest hint of guilt, Qin Yuanzheng replied, “They’ve started school. They’re all at school and didn’t have time to come.”
In fact, it wasn’t as though they couldn’t have asked the teacher for permission to take a short leave. He simply hadn’t wanted the children to come along.
Qiao Lanshu nodded in understanding. “That’s true. School has already started, and I’m getting back so late this year. I don’t even know what my work arrangements will be like. I have to report to the school first thing tomorrow morning.”
Qin Yuanzheng held her close and looked down at her. “You’re going to work tomorrow? Can’t you take a day off? Why are you in such a hurry?”
He had been planning to spend some quality time reconnecting with his wife.
Qiao Lanshu shook her head. “Of course not. After this training, the school will probably make some adjustments to my position. My responsibilities will be even heavier in the future, so I need to get there as soon as possible.”
At that moment, Qin Yuanzheng deeply understood Guan Wenjun’s previous frustration and resentment.
Because Zhong Mei wanted to open a shop and start a business, Guan Wenjun had poured out all his complaints to him. Once Zhong Mei got busy with the business, she had little time left for Guan Wenjun and often ignored him.
Now Qin Yuanzheng realized that his own wife also intended to make a name for herself in her career.
If she became busy and turned into a career-minded woman, wouldn’t she end up neglecting the family too?
What would he do then?
He couldn’t manage without his wife.
Qin Yuanzheng felt a little sour inside.
He took Qiao Lanshu to the car. Since he had driven there himself that day, Qiao Lanshu took the passenger seat.
Qin Yuanzheng sat there for a while but didn’t start the car right away.
Qiao Lanshu looked at him and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you driving?”
Although they hadn’t seen each other for several months, there was no awkwardness between them. After all, they were an old married couple. The moment they saw each other and exchanged a few words, that familiar feeling returned.
Qin Yuanzheng sat beside her, watching her. “I haven’t even settled accounts with you yet, sweetheart. I write you a letter every week, and what about you? Why do you only write once every half a month? Sometimes you go twenty days without writing. Don’t you miss me at all?”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
Qiao Lanshu was just about to explain when Qin Yuanzheng continued, “Looks like you’ve been living a pretty fulfilling, happy life over there. Have you made any friends? Men or women? How many men? How old are they?”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
She didn’t even have time to get a word in before Qin Yuanzheng went on, “They’re all educated people, intellectuals. You probably have much more in common with them, don’t you? They must be young too— in their twenties, around your age. You can probably talk to them easily. Unlike me. I’m uneducated, I’m older, and we have a generation gap, so you don’t want to write to me anymore. Is it because you’ve run out of things to say to me and can’t be bothered to pay me any attention?”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
She pinched the bridge of her nose and said, “Commander Qin, tone it down. Your jealousy is practically choking me.”
Qin Yuanzheng looked at her with an enigmatic smile. “What, am I too pungent for you? So all the men around you smelled sweet while you were studying over there?”
Qiao Lanshu couldn’t help laughing. “That’s not true at all. Stop letting your imagination run wild. I was only so busy because the coursework was overwhelming. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish it and Professor Rong would be disappointed in me.”
Qin Yuanzheng raised an eyebrow as he thought of that woman. “Professor Rong values you, so she assigned you all that heavy coursework?”
He muttered, “How is that repaying kindness with cruelty? I saved her granddaughter, and yet she’s tormenting you with your studies.”
Qiao Lanshu smiled. “Professor Rong said she wants me to apply to her graduate program. Oh, right—she’ll be coming to Wencheng University next year as a visiting professor. I’ll be able to apply to her department then.”
Qin Yuanzheng: “…”
For a moment, Qin Yuanzheng didn’t know what to say.
He already thought his wife was busy enough. For the past two years, she had been so occupied with work that even the time she spent chatting and cuddling with him in the evenings had become scarce.
And once she started graduate school and became a scholar, wouldn’t she be even busier, researching this and that every day?
But Qin Yuanzheng couldn’t stop her from pursuing her dreams.
After all, Qiao Lanshu had never complained about how busy he was in the military, how often he was unable to look after the family, or how he would occasionally leave on missions and disappear for several days at a time.
So, after a moment of silence, Qin Yuanzheng said, “Keep it up, sweetheart. I believe you’ll definitely get in.”
His wife was simply that talented. Whenever she truly set her mind to something, she was sure to accomplish it.
Qiao Lanshu looked at him and asked, “Commander Qin, you don’t seem very happy.”
Qin Yuanzheng gave her a half-smile. “How would I dare be unhappy? I’m absolutely terrified.”
With that, he started the car and drove his little wife home.
Qiao Lanshu explained to him on the way, “I really was too busy with my studies. I wasn’t deliberately ignoring your letters. Once, I was writing a reply to you, but I fell asleep halfway through. When I woke up in the middle of the night, my whole face was covered in ink.”
Seeing her act so pitiful, Qin Yuanzheng’s heart immediately ached for her. “No wonder you’ve gotten so thin. Now that you’re back, you need to eat properly and put on some weight. Just look at your face—it’s lost all its fullness.”
Qiao Lanshu had indeed lost weight, but she didn’t think it was a big deal. After resting at home for a few days, she would fill out again.
After they returned home, Qiao Lanshu sighed contentedly. “Home really is the best. I haven’t been back in so long—I’ve missed it.”
Then she turned to look at him. “By the way, how have the children been behaving lately? Han Ye and An’an haven’t caused you any trouble, have they?”
Qin Yuanzheng carried Qiao Lanshu’s luggage into the bedroom. Then he came back out, wrapped his arms around her, and buried his face against her neck for a deep breath. In a low voice, he said, “Forget about that for now. The children haven’t gotten out of school yet, so let’s spend some time together first. I’ve been holding it in for months—I’m practically dying here.”
Qiao Lanshu pushed his head away. “Hey, wait. We haven’t even taken a bath yet.”
Qin Yuanzheng pressed her against the wall and murmured, “Just give me one kiss first.”
With that, he pulled her close and kissed her.
The couple had been apart for a long time, and it wasn’t only Qin Yuanzheng who had missed their intimacy—Qiao Lanshu had missed it too.
So they held each other and kissed for quite a while before Qin Yuanzheng finally let her go and went to the kitchen to heat some water for their baths.
