Zhao Feifei took the bait as expected, she gritted her teeth:
"No, I will never give up Brother Ze'an to that woman. What right does she have? I met Brother Ze'an first."
Aunt Zhou had already set up Zhao Feifei's imaginary enemy, and even made up a very detailed story about this woman, saying that this woman was particularly good at seducing Qiu Ze'an. Zhao Feifei's brain couldn't withstand such stimulation!
After hanging up the phone, Zhao Feifei wiped her face, asked the receptionist for directions to Commander Zhou's house, and headed straight for the family compound.
Thanks to Zhao Feifei's efforts to promote her love story with Qiu Zean these past two days, she has become quite familiar with the residential compound.
At this moment, Qiu Ze'an was reporting this matter to Commander Zhou. Qiu Ze'an got straight to the point:
"Commander, I have something to report to you."
Seeing this, Sister-in-law Zhou turned around and was about to go back into the house to make room for Qiu Ze'an, Song Chunwei, and Commander Zhou.
Qiu Zean stopped Sister Zhou:
"Sister-in-law, this isn't official business. Please listen to it too. If there are any rumors, I'll have to ask you to help clarify them."
Sister-in-law Zhou was puzzled:
"Personal matters?"
Sister-in-law Zhou was really curious. Qiu Ze'an was an old bachelor who had just returned from a mission. How could he be involved in personal matters?
Qiu Zean looked serious:
"Commander, I would like to request a self-inspection!"
Commander Zhou was furious:
"Self-investigation? Are you out of your mind? You want to be investigated for nothing? Have you had your fill of a good life?"
Qiu Zean explained in detail:
"Commander, I really have no other choice. I just got back and Chunwei told me about the rumors circulating in the regiment about me and Zhao Feifei. I just confronted Zhao Feifei again, and she firmly denies it."
"I don't want to be framed by her, so I have no choice but to apply for a self-investigation to prove my innocence!"
Commander Zhou was completely confused, and he frowned:
"The rumors about you and Zhao Feifei? Who is Zhao Feifei? What rumors are there about you two?"
Qiu Zean explained one by one:
"Zhao Feifei is the daughter of Division Commander Zhao. Uncle Zhao is my elder, but I really don't know Zhao Feifei well."
"Commander, you know my family situation. After my mother passed away, I lived in dire straits. How could I have the mood to cultivate any childhood sweethearts?"
"But after Zhao Feifei arrived, she claimed to the public that she was my childhood sweetheart and fiancée. I don't know the specifics of what she said."
Min Qiurong, her maternal grandfather, and her maternal grandmother faked their deaths to protect Qiu Ze'an.
Of course, Qiu's father and Zhou's aunt, who knew the inside story, naturally did not believe that the three of them were dead.
However, since they couldn't find the three men and their deaths wouldn't implicate the Qiu family, they naturally wouldn't explain the matter to the outside world.
Commander Zhou looked at Song Chunwei:
"What's the rumor going on in the group? Is it as serious as Ze'an said?"
Song Chunwei glanced at Qiu Ze'an and added fuel to the fire:
“It’s much more serious than what Bizean said. The day I came back to the family compound, I heard the old ladies downstairs discussing this matter enthusiastically.”
"These past few days, even the soldiers in our regiment have started doing this in private..."
Qiu Zean:
"I had no choice. I confronted Zhao Feifei just now, and not only did she lie, she even tried to frame me for having an improper relationship with her. I was afraid..."
Song Chunwei, always eager for drama, was never one to shy away from making things worse.
"That's more than just a false accusation; she even invited Ze'an into her room to talk, and Ze'an refused. If they had gone inside, the two of them would have been in real trouble!"
Commander Zhou slammed his fist on the table in anger:
"What does this mean? Are you forcing a cow to drink water? Are you forcing you to marry her?"
"There's no need for a self-investigation. You just made a contribution, and although you won't be promoted again after just being promoted, you can't let something like this happen at this time."
"I can't let your life-and-death contributions be wiped out by such a petty thing!"
Qiu Zean smiled wryly:
"Commander, if there were any other way, who would want to be locked up? My stepmother really likes Zhao Feifei and was determined to find me someone like her. She's brainless and will only hold me back."
"To tell you the truth, and I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me, I went back a while ago to resolve this matter."
“My family was pressuring me to get engaged, which caused quite a scene. To avoid any misunderstanding with the Zhao family, I even went to Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhao's house to explain everything. Who would have thought that even after all this, my stepmother would still…”
Qiu Ze'an said nothing more, leaving Commander Zhou and his wife with endless room for imagination.
Sister-in-law Zhou is also a mother. She had only heard that Qiu Ze'an's family was complicated and that he was not well-liked by his family, but she had never heard Commander Zhou say anything specific about it.
Now that I've heard this, I immediately think of my own daughter and son. If I were like Qiu's mother, I would have died young.
Someone like Lao Zhou, he can still keep an eye on her, who knows, he might bring her back the next day!
Their own children are just like Qiu Ze'an, forced to leave home at a young age, and even their partners are schemed against by their families when they get older.
Sister-in-law Zhou glared at Commander Zhou several times in anger, muttering curses:
"If you have a stepmother, you'll have a stepfather too. But your father is completely unreliable. Your stepmother has caused so much trouble, and he hasn't done anything about it?"
Qiu Ze'an feigned to defend Qiu's father:
“Father, you’re in a difficult position too. I have a younger brother and sister over there, and they’re both growing up. We have to save face for them. I’m the eldest, so it’s my duty to take care of the younger ones…”
This is practically a modern-day "little grass" man—his mother died, his father was biased, and Sister-in-law Zhou glared at Commander Zhou with righteous indignation.
"Old Zhou, stop trying to smooth things over. Make your stance clear on this matter!"
She seemed ready to take her child home if Commander Zhou said a word in Qiu's father's defense.
Commander Zhou was in a terrible predicament and scolded his wife:
"I asked you to help mediate in the family compound, but you're always the last to know about things, and now you're getting involved. What are you even doing?!"
"Hurry up, go out and see if anyone's gossiping, and help explain things out..."
Sister-in-law Zhou decided to settle accounts with Commander Zhou that evening and comforted Qiu Ze'an:
"Sister-in-law will go out and see. If anyone says anything, I'll explain for you."
As she spoke, Aunt Zhou reached the door. Opening it, she saw a young woman with tear stains on her face standing there. Aunt Zhou didn't react for a moment.
"Who are you?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com