As Shen Zhihuan and Zhao Haiyin walked further and further away, He Shuhui felt a pang of anxiety and chased after them without thinking, calling out to them to stop.

"Aunt Zhao."

Seeing that the two of them turned around at the same time after hearing the sound, she deliberately greeted Zhao Haiyin, trying to pretend that the two of them were very familiar with each other.

"I've been quite busy with my studies lately and haven't had a chance to visit my family."

"How have you been, Grandpa and Grandma, and Brother Xie? Are you all in good health?"

"It's Xiao He."

When Zhao Haiyin saw that the person calling her was He Shuhui, her originally bright smile instantly turned into a much more polite one.

She didn't let go of Chen Zhihuan's arm, but asked in a calm tone:

"Don't you live in that tenement? What are you doing here? Is there something you need?"

He Shuhui knew that Zhao Haiyin was deliberately avoiding her words and trying to distance herself from the relationship between the two.

But she was really unwilling to miss this rare opportunity to meet, so she forced a smile and said:

"I heard that Brother Xie was injured, so I came here to visit him."

Zhao Haiyin's smile faded even more. She could tell at a glance that He Shuhui's expression was unnatural and that she was obviously lying.

He Shuhui thought that speaking in this deliberately familiar tone would help to shorten the distance between the two of them.

Little did she know that her petty nature would only provoke others' dislike.

"Thank you, I will pass on your words to Lan Shen."

Zhao Haiyin showed no intention of inviting He Shuhui in for a chat.

The treatment and rehabilitation plan for Xie Lanshen is currently kept confidential.

He Shuhui is just an outsider, so of course we can't let her come into contact with these things.

Zhao Haiyin, arm in arm with Shen Zhihuan, stood at the entrance of the courtyard, looking at her indifferently, which deeply stung He Shuhui's heart.

She was clearly the one who had known the Xie family longer, and it was one thing for Zhao Haiyin to dislike her.

Why are she and Shen Zhihuan so intimate after only knowing each other for a day?

He Shuhui's eyes reddened with jealousy, and she felt extremely envious of Shen Zhihuan.

If she had known there would be an engagement, she would rather not have taken Chen Zhihuan's place in school.

What's so important about a lousy degree? After graduation, you still have to go out and find a job and work hard. It's nothing compared to marrying into a powerful and wealthy family.

If she could do it all over again, He Shuhui would definitely steal Shen Zhihuan's marriage and marry into the Xie family in her place.

She lowered her head and remained silent, cursing inwardly, hoping that Xie Lanshen wouldn't fall in love with Shen Zhihuan after spending some time with her, and that he would give her a chance.

Shen Zhihuan stared at He Shuhui's face for a while and recognized that she was the village chief's daughter.

Although the two hadn't gotten along very well since childhood, they were from the same village, so they were on good terms with each other.

She then took the initiative to ask, "Didn't you go to study in another city? It's not a holiday or festival, what are you doing here?"

He Shuhui was the only female student in the village to be admitted to university.

When Shen Zhihuan was heartbroken over failing the college entrance exam, Shen Yongcai deliberately used it to provoke her, saying that He Shuhui was capable and had been admitted to a very good university.

It's a pity that it's far from the village, so I don't have many opportunities to come back.

When He Shuhui heard Shen Zhihuan ask her about school, she immediately felt so guilty that her scalp tingled.

Fearing that something was amiss, she quickly gave a vague and perfunctory response.

"Our school is currently undergoing renovations, making it inconvenient to hold classes, so we gave all the students a few days off."

He Shuhui thought that Shen Zhihuan, who had never been to university, lacked common sense and was just spouting nonsense.

Before the two could react, she pretended not to realize that Zhao Haiyin was politely refusing her and forcefully steered the conversation back to Xie Lanshen.

"Commander Xie should be awake at this hour, Auntie. Could you please take me inside to see him?"

Seeing her like this, Zhao Haiyin felt a terrible headache coming on.

Xie Lanshen has a cold personality and has never been very willing to play with girls since he was a child. He probably doesn't even remember who He Shuhui is.

Their relationship was always one-sided on He Shuhui's part.

From childhood to adulthood, Zhao Haiyin had caught He Shuhui peeking at her son more than once, and she didn't have a very good impression of the girl.

He Shuhui, however, seemed oblivious to her feelings and would cling to her at every opportunity, like a stubborn leech that she couldn't shake off.

Fortunately, at that moment, Old Mrs. Xie came out of the courtyard.

She didn't have much of an impression of He Shuhui, and seeing the girl pestering Zhao Haiyin to talk, she assumed she was some kind of salesperson.

After giving a slight nod as a greeting, the old lady turned to look at Shen Zhihuan with a cheerful smile and spoke to her in a loving and gentle tone.

"It's time for Lan Shen to change his dressing. Zhi Huan, thank you for your hard work today."

Without thinking much, Shen Zhihuan responded and immediately followed Old Madam Xie into the courtyard.

He Shuhui was left standing there, staring intently at her back, so jealous that she almost bit her lip until it bled.

Why is it that, from childhood to adulthood, Shen Zhihuan has always been able to easily obtain what others want?

She excels in her studies and marries a military officer like Xie Lanshen. What makes her so special?

He Shuhui felt incredibly jealous, and in order to prove that she was no worse than Shen Zhihuan, she pestered Zhao Haiyin to chat.

However, the topics she brought up were really boring, and she kept trying to find out about Xie Lanshen.

Zhao Haiyin barely maintained her last bit of politeness, but in her heart, every day felt like an eternity.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he took the initiative to interrupt He Huiqing.

"It's getting late, I need to go back and cook, Xiao He, you should go back too."

He Shuhui knew there was nothing more to say between the two of them, so no matter how unwilling she was, she could only nod obediently.

"Okay, Aunt Zhao, let's talk another day."

Zhao Haiyin was sweating profusely from listening, afraid that He Shuhui would catch her and start nagging endlessly. She nodded and hurried home.

Unexpectedly, the slightly complicated look in her eyes before she left made He Shuhui extremely nervous.

Why did Zhao Haiyin look at her like that? Did she know something?

He Shuhui clenched her fists, and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, feeling as if she had been seen through.

She stood alone at the entrance of the alley, looking at the courtyard house with its doors tightly shut, and felt like a clown.

But the Xie family clearly didn't welcome her, so even if she wanted to visit Xie Lanshen, she had no chance. She could only turn around and walk away in dejection, thinking that she would try her luck next time she came.

But just as they turned the corner, they suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"You saw Chen Zhihuan?"

He Shuhui was startled. When she looked up, she found that Shen Ling was standing at the entrance of the alley, clearly waiting for her.