Chapter 26: The "Green Tea" from the Cultural Troupe

The next day, Qin Lie went to the army in high spirits.

He walks with a swagger. The irrepressible upward curve of his lips leaves everyone who sees him bewildered.

Only Zhang Dashan came over, winking and whispering, "Commander, did you eat meat again last night?"

Qin Lie glanced at him, neither admitting nor denying, but simply patted his shoulder, said "Train hard," and walked away humming a tuneless little tune.

Zhang Dashan watched his retreating figure with a face full of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

It's infuriating to compare yourself to others!

Qin Lie's good mood lasted until noon.

When he opened the loving lunch that Jiang Wu had prepared for him again, he was overwhelmed with happiness.

Today I brought braised beef with potatoes and stir-fried greens with garlic. It's a balanced meal of meat and vegetables, nutritious and delicious.

He was enjoying his meal when Zhao Gao, like a persistent ghost, came over again.

This time, however, Zhao Gao did not make any sarcastic remarks.

He simply stood by Qin Lie's table, staring at the food in Qin Lie's lunchbox with an extremely complex expression. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he remained silent for a long time.

Qin Lie ignored him and continued eating.

As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind.

As long as Zhao Gao doesn't provoke him, he can pretend he doesn't exist.

However, Qin Lie wanted peace and quiet, but trouble always seemed to come uninvited.

In the afternoon, he was studying the battle map in his office when his bodyguard, Xiao Li, knocked on the door and came in.

"Reporting to the commander!"

"Come in." Qin Lie said without even looking up.

"Commander, there's someone outside... someone's looking for you outside." Xiao Li's expression was a little strange.

"who?"

"It's...it's Comrade Wen Xue from the cultural troupe."

Qin Lie frowned.

Wen Xue?

What is she doing here?

Wen Xue is a pillar of the military region's cultural troupe. She can sing and dance, and she is also beautiful. She is the "goddess" in the eyes of many young officers.

She had indeed shown affection for Qin Lie in the past, often taking every opportunity to get close to him.

But Qin Lie never felt any interest in her.

In his opinion, women who smell of perfume and speak in a coquettish voice are far less endearing than the punching bags on the training field.

Moreover, he is now a married man.

"I won't see you." Qin Lie refused without even thinking.

"Just say I'm busy and don't have time."

“But…Commander…” Xiao Li looked troubled. “Comrade Wenxue said she’s not here to see you, she’s here to…comfort your sister-in-law.”

"To comfort my wife?" Qin Lie was even more confused.

Jiang Wu has absolutely no connection with her, so why is she offering her condolences?

Qin Lie had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

He put down his pencil and stood up.

Where is he?

"Right at the entrance of the family compound."

Qin Lie strode out.

Before even reaching the entrance of the family compound, a figure in a white dress could be seen in the distance, standing out conspicuously among a group of simply dressed military dependents.

That person was Wen Xue.

She wore delicate light makeup today, and her hair was styled in trendy big waves. She was also carrying a net bag filled with fruit.

Seeing Qin Lie approaching, her eyes lit up and she immediately went to greet him.

"Brother Qin Lie!"

Her voice was sweet and soft, with a deliberate attempt to be intimate.

Qin Lie took a half step back without making a sound, avoiding her hand that was trying to reach out and grab his arm.

"Comrade Wenxue, what can I do for you?"

His tone was polite, but it was very distant.

Wen Xue's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

"Brother Qin Lie, you're being too polite."

She shook the net bag in her hand, smiling innocently.

“I heard that my sister-in-law just arrived at the army base and may not be used to the environment here yet. I thought we'd all be neighbors from now on, so I came to visit her and bring her some fruit.”

She spoke fluently and tactfully, appearing to be a kind and helpful comrade.

If Qin Lie hadn't known her character, he probably would have been completely fooled by her appearance.

"My wife is fine and doesn't need anyone else to worry about her."

Qin Lie declined calmly.

"We appreciate Comrade Wenxue's kindness, but you should take the things back. There are rules in the army that prohibit accepting things from the masses."

He directly elevated the relationship from "neighbors" to "military-civilian" relations, drawing a clear line between them.

Wen Xue's face fell.

She bit her lower lip, and her eyes quickly welled up with tears, making her look extremely aggrieved.

"Brother Qin Lie, how could you say that? I... I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to show my concern for your wife."

As she spoke, she deliberately raised her voice, attracting the attention of several military dependents passing by.

“I heard… I heard that your sister-in-law was upset at home and even made you go hungry in the cafeteria. I feel really bad about it. I think it’s all my fault.”

"Is it your fault?" Qin Lie frowned even more deeply.

"Yes," Wenxue said with a guilty look. "It's all my fault for being so immature before, always clinging to you, which must have made my sister-in-law misunderstand something. That's why she felt uncomfortable and started arguing with you. So, I came here today specifically to explain things to her and make sure she doesn't misunderstand our relationship."

Her words were so sincere and heartfelt.

On the surface, she was trying to distance herself from Qin Lie, but in reality, every word she said hinted at something that had happened between them.

She positioned herself as a victim, demonstrating both her magnanimity and understanding while subtly sowing discord between Jiang Wu and Jiang Wu.

The families of the soldiers around them began to whisper among themselves.

"So, Commander Qin's wife was making a scene because she was jealous?"

"Wen Xue is really something. He's already married, and she's still rushing to explain. Isn't that just adding fuel to the fire?"

"I think she's doing it on purpose! She wants to make the couple argue!"

Qin Lie's face darkened completely.

This Wen Xue is definitely up to no good.

Just as he was about to reprimand her, a clear and pleasant voice rang out from behind him.

"Oh, this must be Comrade Wenxue? She's so beautiful, just like someone from a magazine."

Qin Lie turned around and saw Jiang Wu standing behind him with a smile.

She wore a pale yellow floral dress today, which made her skin look even whiter. Her long, black hair was braided into two pigtails and hung down in front of her chest, making her look innocent and harmless.

Jiang Wu seemed oblivious to Wen Xue's unpleasant expression and the strange looks from those around them. She walked up to Qin Lie affectionately and took his arm.

Then, she tilted her head and looked at Wenxue with an innocent and curious gaze.

"Sister, you just said that my argument with Qin Lie is because of you?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for everyone around her to hear clearly.

Wenxue's face turned pale.

She didn't expect Jiang Wu to suddenly appear, and she certainly didn't expect her to put the problem so directly on the table.

She originally intended to give Jiang Wu a hard time while Qin Lie was away.

Who knew Qin Lie was there too?

Now, after being asked this question by Jiang Wu, she found herself in a difficult position.

Admit it, and you'll confirm her crime of sowing discord.

If she doesn't admit it, then her earlier words of "self-reproach" would just be a joke.

Wenxue's mind raced.

She forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and said, "Sister-in-law, you...you don't misunderstand, that's not what I meant. I just..."

"Oh, you didn't mean that."

Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Wu nodded as if she had suddenly realized something.

"I knew it! My relationship with Qin Lie is great. Why would we quarrel over someone who's not even a proper match?"

As she spoke, she leaned her head affectionately on Qin Lie's shoulder, looking at Wen Xue with a domineering air.

"Sister, you may not know our Qin Lie very well. He may look fierce, but he's actually very soft-hearted. Especially me, he listens to everything I say. If I tell him to go east, he'll never go west. If I tell him not to talk to other women, he won't even look at them."

Jiang Wu's words were spoken in a soft and coquettish tone, as if she were both being coquettish and showing off.

Qin Lie was overjoyed to hear this, and his back straightened considerably.

He reached out and affectionately ruffled Jiang Wu's hair.

"You talk too much."

Their intimate posture was the envy of everyone.

Wenxue's face was beyond ugly.

She felt like a clown. Her carefully prepared show had been ruined before it even began by the couple working together.

The fruit net bag in her hand felt incredibly heavy at that moment; she didn't know whether to keep it or throw it away.

The gazes of the military families around her shifted from initial sympathy to mocking schadenfreude.

"Turns out the young couple has a great relationship! Wenxue is really just being delusional."

"Exactly! They even came all the way here to explain. I think it's like a weasel paying respects to a chicken—they're up to no good!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, that was a really loud slap in the face!"

The whispers and comments were like needles pricking Wenxue's body.

She felt a burning pain on her face and wished she could disappear into the ground.

She looked at Qin Lie pleadingly, hoping he would stand up for her.

After all, she had helped him a lot in the past.

However, Qin Lie didn't even glance at her.

In his eyes, there was only Jiang Wu from beginning to end.

At that moment, Wenxue's heart was filled with jealousy and resentment.

On what grounds?

Why is it that this wild girl from the countryside gets all of Qin Lie's love?

In what way is she inferior to her?

Wenxue was unwilling to leave in such a dejected manner.

She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and turned her attention back to Jiang Wu.

"Sister-in-law, it's so good that you think that way. It seems that all those rumors were false."

"Rumors?" Jiang Wu blinked her innocent-looking eyes. "What rumors?"

"It's just..." Wenxue paused deliberately, pretending to be troubled, "It's just that there are rumors outside that you complained about the harsh conditions in the army, that you cried and made a scene at home, and that you even kicked Brother Qin Lie out of the house, leaving him without food... Brother Qin Lie works so hard, protecting the country outside, and when he comes home he can't even get a hot meal. We colleagues feel sorry for him when we hear this."

Her words, seemingly out of concern for Qin Lie, were actually aimed at damaging Jiang Wu's reputation.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, the way the military dependents around her looked at Jiang Wu changed again.

"So the rumors were true after all?"

"This wife is so insensible! Commander Qin is such a good person, how could she treat him like this?"

"Exactly, they don't know how lucky they are!"

The smile on Jiang Wu's lips faded.

She knew that Wen Xue was determined to make things difficult for her.

She didn't rush to refute, but turned her head and looked at Qin Lie with an expression that suggested she was about to cry.

"Qin Lie, is what she said true?"

Her voice trembled slightly, tinged with grievance.

"Is this what people outside say about me?"

Qin Lie's heart clenched instantly.

P.S.: I searched for the charger for ages, only to find it was under my pillow...

Tomato Master, your divine status is unparalleled!