Molly's gaze swept over the two men before she silently pulled Jiang Wanqing away.
"They're more likely to have conflicts if you're here. Let men resolve their own conflicts. It's not your fault that you're so charming."
These words shocked Jiang Wanqing, who looked up speechlessly, but it seemed... there was nothing wrong with them.
She hesitated for a moment, then looked at Cheng Ran. He smiled and nodded, "Go ahead. I won't cause any trouble for your sake."
His words reassured her somewhat; otherwise, she was afraid the two of them would fight here.
She followed Molly away, turning back every few steps, but the further she went, the blurrier her vision became, let alone being able to hear what they were saying.
She deliberately walked slowly, and only left normally after she hadn't seen any physical altercation between them.
After she left, Zheng Yuan took off his glasses, blew on the lenses, and put them back on.
"Comrade Cheng, would you like to speak first?"
Both of them had something to say, but Zheng Yuan, acting like a gentleman, let him speak first.
Cheng Ran didn't give in to him either; being modest at a time like this wasn't a virtue.
He snorted and said, "Wanqing is soft-hearted. Even if she knows your intentions, she won't break ties with you. I'm different from her. You'd better keep your distance from her and stop trying to seduce her."
He thought he had spoken politely enough, and anyone with sense would have agreed, not to mention that Zheng Yuan had always pretended to be tactful and measured.
This time, however, he actually took two steps forward, meeting Cheng Ran's gaze head-on, showing no sign of weakness.
"Comrade Cheng, is this a threat or a warning? It seems inappropriate for someone of your status to do anything like this." He pointed at his entire body, raised his chin, and scoffed, "Besides, you can't be by Wanqing's side all the time. How do you know she won't be moved by me?"
Cheng Ran's temples throbbed, and his fists itched. Hearing these shameless words, he had to re-evaluate Zheng Yuan's true colors.
Before he could speak, Zheng Yuan paced back and forth, casually saying, "You don't just have to be wary of me. Wanqing also has male classmates fawning over her. Can you handle them all? To be frank, perhaps when she was still in her small mountain village she needed your help to get out, but now, it's clear she doesn't need you anymore. Given time, she will achieve national and even global renown. It's only a matter of time before you two part ways."
A chill emanated from his body, causing even the leaves on the trees to twitch slightly, yet Zheng Yuan continued his provocative taunts without showing any sign of stopping.
"Bang!"
Cheng Ran was successfully provoked and couldn't hold back, so he finally struck Zheng Yuan, whose right cheek was turned to the side and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He stuck out his tongue and licked it, looking at Cheng Ran with a gloomy expression. He clenched his fist and then relaxed it, letting out a cold snort.
"You only have brute strength left, so cherish the time you can still be by her side."
He straightened up, patted Cheng Ran on the shoulder provocatively, and strode away.
Jiang Wanqing didn't know what had happened between them; she only saw Cheng Ran walking over, radiating a chill.
Molly puffed out her cheeks: "I don't think we can eat today. You should try to appease your Cheng. I'm leaving now."
She shrugged. Even though they were friends, she was scared of Cheng Ran's current state and left Jiang Wanqing behind.
"Mo..."
Well, this guy runs faster than a rabbit. Jiang Wanqing helplessly put her hand down. When Cheng Ran walked up to her, before she could ask him what was wrong, he suddenly hugged her tightly to his chest, as if afraid that if he loosened his grip even a little, she would leave him.
"What... happened to you? What did you say to Zheng Yuan?"
How could things suddenly turn out like this after he came back? He's not someone who gets sentimental easily, and Zheng Yuan's attack power against him is negligible.
He didn't let go of her, but shook his head at the side of her neck: "Let's go home."
He took her hand and then remained silent.
Back home, Jiang Wanqing opened her mouth several times to ask, but seeing that he didn't seem very willing to talk, she suppressed her doubts.
"I'll go cook."
People need to eat, no matter how emotional they are. Jiang Wanqing let him calm down first, then turned around and went to the kitchen to get busy.
At that moment, he suddenly stood up, took the knife from her hand, and held her hand in his.
"Damn, your hands aren't for these things."
Zheng Yuan's words did indeed anger him, but it's undeniable that Jiang Wanqing will eventually gain national and even international renown through her own efforts. At that time, she really won't need him anymore.
He usually helps out, but this time it was particularly strange. Jiang Wanqing even regretted letting him be alone with Zheng Yuan.
She bit her lip, hesitated several times, and then followed.
He chopped the vegetables very skillfully, producing even slices of uniform thickness and appropriate sizes.
Are you jealous again?
She didn't want to test him, so she went straight to the point, tilting her head and looking down at his face.
He suddenly looked up, neither admitting nor denying, but brought up a topic she had never even considered.
"I can't spend much time with you usually, do you feel resentful?"
"Um?"
Jiang Wanqing's lips twitched in confusion. She raised her hand to touch his forehead; his temperature was normal.
He grasped her hand, looked into her eyes, and said, "I want to hear the truth. Would you like me to spend more time with you?"
Why did she feel like she should take that statement the opposite of what she was saying? And... when did Cheng Ran become so clingy?
"Uh..." She tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't.
Sister-in-law Song always says that whether or not a couple has an intimate relationship, and how often they do so, will affect each other's emotions and moods. It seems that this is true.
"Ahem...Are you sure you want to hear the truth?"
"Yes, I want to hear it."
He's like a little kid begging for candy, feeling wronged but also pleading for forgiveness.
"Well, to be honest, I think we're doing pretty well right now. There's no need for us to be inseparable. I have my own studies, and you have your own work. We don't bother each other, which is great."
"The truth is, you don't need my company that much, right?"
Huh? Where did he get that idea from? Jiang Wanqing blinked, a beat slow to react.
"Of course not!" she quickly denied, as if coaxing a child. "We're husband and wife, how could I not need your company? You're overthinking it."
Jiang Wanqing thought she could coax him out of it, as he was usually quite easy to appease. She observed whether his expression softened.
However... his expression became even more serious.
"There are openings for demobilization..."
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Upon hearing the words "demobilization," a string snapped in Jiang Wanqing's mind. How did things suddenly turn up this topic?
She put her arm around his, looked left and right, and frowned.
"What's wrong with you today? Did Zheng Yuan upset you?"
"I want to spend more time with you, so changing careers is a good option."
"But I didn't say I wanted you to come with me!" She took a deep breath: "Cheng Ran, when did you become so childish?"
She patted her forehead, feeling a slight headache. Everyone knew he loved military life, and now he was saying he wanted to transfer to civilian life to accompany her?!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
