Chapter 261 Avoidance

Just then, Zhou Anping followed Nan Zhiyi's gaze. Her smile vanished, her brows furrowed, and she muttered under her breath, "What's she doing here?!"

This woman ruined her brother, caused chaos in the Zhou family, and then left. How did she end up here?

There was also the man in military uniform next to Lu Linlang, whom Zhou Anping had seen during a performance by the cultural troupe. Although Zhou Anping couldn't recall the man's specific position, she vaguely remembered that he had a legitimate background in Beijing and came from a very prominent family.

This discovery instantly killed her interest, making her feel nauseous as if she had swallowed a fly.

She tugged at Nan Zhiyi's arm and whispered, "Zhiyi, let's go."

Nan Zhiyi gently pressed her hand down, her gaze still fixed on the few bolts of fabric. "Since we're already here, we should at least buy you some fabric." She didn't want to spoil Anping's rare good mood because of Lu Linlang, and she also didn't want it to seem like they were deliberately avoiding each other.

Nan Zhiyi chose a piece of light lake blue cotton fabric and a piece of off-white cotton fabric with tiny yellow stamens and flowers; both were soft and breathable to the touch.

She pointed to the fabric and said to the salesperson, "Comrade, please cut seven feet of each of these two types." This length would be enough to make a loose and comfortable maternity dress.

The waiter immediately measured and cut the fabric.

Nan Zhiyi took out money and cloth coupons to pay the bill, but Zhou Anping quickly stopped her, saying, "Hey, I'll pay myself, how can I let you spend money!"

"Why are you being so polite with me?" Nan Zhiyi pressed down on her hand as she reached for her wallet.

The two's subtle gestures of politely declining each other inevitably attracted the attention of some customers nearby.

Lu Linlang, who was whispering with Officer Luo, also noticed the commotion and casually glanced over.

After recognizing Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Anping, the smile on her face froze for a moment.

When she saw Nan Zhiyi, she still had that elegant and gentle appearance, even more composed and serene than she had been in Jian'an a few years ago. There was no trace of sorrow in her eyes, clearly indicating that she was being well cared for by Gu Xiao. As for Zhou Anping, she was heavily pregnant, with a rosy complexion and a relaxed demeanor, clearly showing that she was living a happy and content life in the Meng family.

She had inquired and learned that Gu Xiao now held an important position in the Beijing Military Region and had a promising future; Zhou Anping had married into the Meng family, a family of generals.

Seeing them so glamorous and living such happy lives, and then comparing it to my own struggles to barely gain a foothold in the capital...

But she quickly forced herself to calm down.

Things are different now; she has someone to rely on.

She adjusted her facial expression, turned to the side and whispered something, then took Luo Gan's arm and left in the opposite direction from Nan Zhiyi and the others.

After paying the fare, Nan Zhiyi took the fabric wrapped up by the waiter and said softly, "Shall we go and look at something else? Or find a place to rest?"

Zhou Anping looked in the direction where Lu Linlang disappeared, snorted heavily, and tightened his grip on Nan Zhiyi's arm.

The two walked a few steps forward, and Nan Zhiyi saw the tea shop in the department store. She pulled the dejected Zhou Anping to sit down in a corner of the tea shop, ordered a pot of jasmine tea, and also added peach shortbread and ox tongue biscuits.

She pushed the flower tea in front of Zhou Anping, saying, "You can't be too cold right now, have something to quench your thirst."

Zhou Anping watched the steam rising from the cup, his eyes reddening.

She gripped the teacup tightly, her voice choked with emotion: "Zhiyi, I understand the reasoning, but when I think about how Lu Linlang ruined my brother, how she turned our family upside down, and how she herself acted as if nothing had happened, climbing the social ladder in the capital, dressed in a glamorous way... it makes my heart ache. Why is that?"

Nan Zhiyi sighed, reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of Zhou Anping's hand, offering silent comfort.

She couldn't simply say "it's all in the past," because that would be too unfair to the harm that Anping and the Zhou family had suffered.

Zhou Anping sniffed, quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her fingertips, and gave an embarrassed smile: "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been crying a lot lately. I can get sad for half a day just watching a sunset... I asked the doctor at my last prenatal checkup, and she said it's due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, which causes mood swings."

"That's right. When I was pregnant with Xiaoman, I would sometimes feel a lump in my throat when I saw leaves falling outside the window or heard a sad piece of music. I felt like I wanted to hug my blanket and cry. This is your body reminding you that you need more care and relaxation. Don't be too hard on yourself."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Anping took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if trying to release the pent-up emotions in his chest.

She vented her frustrations and was comforted by her friend's gentle words, which made her feel a little better. She then picked up a piece of peach shortbread and ate it in small bites.

She had only taken two bites when she suddenly seemed to remember something important and exclaimed, "Ouch!"

"What's wrong?" Nan Zhiyi asked hurriedly.

“I remember now! The man next to Lu Linlang, I’m sure I’m not mistaken! He’s the eldest son of the Luo family, named Luo Jianming.”

She leaned closer. "The Luo family's patriarch made significant contributions in his early years. Although he's now retired, he still has many protégés and old friends in the military region and is quite influential. This Luo Jianming is currently the commander of an infantry regiment in the Beijing Military Region. He's in his early thirties, young and promising, and will likely be promoted to deputy division commander soon. I saw him once from afar when I went with the cultural troupe to perform for the troops in the subordinate military regions. I was quite impressed. He doesn't talk much, but he has a strong presence. I never expected that Lu Linlang would actually get involved with him."

Nan Zhiyi listened silently to Zhou Anping's words, not wanting these unimportant people to continue to affect her friend's mood. Besides, even if Lu Linlang got involved with a higher-ranking officer, what could they do?

......

She patted Zhou Anping's hand, changing the subject: "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's think about something happy. Later, let's go see what to buy for the baby?"

Zhou Anping took a few sips of tea, and his interest was piqued: "I'd like to go and take a look at baby clothes. I've heard that the ones sold in department stores are more fashionable than those made in tailor shops outside."

Nan Zhiyi smiled and reminded her, "When you gave birth, it was probably winter. I prepared a lot for Xiaoman back then—a baby swaddle blanket, a little monk's shirt, and a soft cotton-padded jacket, all made by a master tailor, and the material is very comfortable. If you don't mind, I'll go back and organize them, and have Sister Zhang wash and dry them until they smell nice, and then I'll bring them all to you."

Zhou Anping nodded quickly, "No problem at all! Give me everything! I can take a break."

“Okay, it’s settled then,” Nan Zhiyi agreed.

Zhou Anping suddenly slapped his forehead again, "No, no, you'd better not give it all to me! What if, what if you and Fifth Brother suddenly decide you want to have a younger brother or sister for Xiaoman?"