Any hesitation would be considered a sign of Jiang Wanqing's disrespect for men!
Cheng Ran, who is usually serious, felt her face getting a little hot, but fortunately her wheat-colored skin didn't show it too much.
He cleared his throat and touched his lips: "We don't know each other very well yet, you don't need to be in such a... hurry."
"Okay, I'll get used to it today. For example, the first question is, where will I sleep?"
Cheng Ran only has one room. The living room is quite large, but there is no bed, only a narrow and short old-fashioned sofa.
He was taken aback. In his haste to get his superiors' approval to participate in the mission, he hadn't considered this point...
There was a moment of awkward silence. Jiang Wanqing saw his slightly embarrassed expression and couldn't help but smile.
"I'll sleep on the sofa for the next few days, and you can sleep in the room. We'll deal with this when I get back from my mission."
By the time he returns from his mission, Jiang Wanqing will probably be a widow, and she won't have this kind of dilemma anymore.
However, she wouldn't let him die. She glanced at her bag, raised an eyebrow, and agreed for the time being.
"good."
After tidying up quickly, Cheng Ran took her to the cafeteria for lunch, attracting a lot of attention along the way.
"That must be Battalion Commander Cheng's wife, she's really beautiful."
"I heard she's a country girl, but she doesn't look like it."
"She and Battalion Commander Cheng are quite a good match."
Someone said something, and before they could finish speaking, they were kicked. Qiao Hongmei, a military doctor, was passing by with a tray of food and glared at the person who said it.
"Whether he's good enough or not is none of your business. Everyone knows that Battalion Commander Cheng was forced into this situation. That woman is obviously a seductress. You guys like that kind of woman, but Battalion Commander Cheng isn't like you!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, Dr. Qiao is just jealous, isn't he? Which eye of yours saw that Battalion Commander Cheng was forced? The young couple are very affectionate. See for yourself."
The speaker pointed in their direction with his chopsticks. Cheng Ran and Jiang Wanqing were walking very close together. Cheng Ran even helped her carry her plate and find a seat, practically feeding her.
Qiao Hongmei's eyes reddened. She composed herself and walked over to sit down opposite Cheng Ran.
"Battalion Commander Cheng, is your arm feeling any better? Why haven't you come to me for physiotherapy these past two days?"
The sudden appearance of the woman made Jiang Wanqing pause. Her experience from two lifetimes told her that this was no pushover, and the hostility was directed at her. For example, the woman had ignored Jiang Wanqing's presence as soon as she sat down and started chatting with Cheng Ran.
Cheng Ran casually placed the untouched bits of meat from his plate into Jiang Wanqing's bowl and replied casually.
"I've almost fully recovered, thank you."
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Qiao Hongmei glanced at Jiang Wanqing out of the corner of her eye, then shoved her chopsticks heavily into her rice.
"Battalion Commander Cheng, this female comrade is..."
She asked the question knowingly. Jiang Wanqing had only come today, and the two hadn't registered their marriage yet, so they weren't considered husband and wife. As long as Cheng Ran didn't admit it, she had plenty of ways to make him lose face.
Just then, Hung Hing happily ran over. Seeing the young couple getting along harmoniously, he immediately changed how he addressed them.
"Battalion Commander Cheng, this is a wedding gift from my brothers and me to you and your wife. Please don't find it offensive."
He handed over a box, the contents of which were quite heavy. Cheng Ran weighed it in his hand and was about to open it when Hong Xing stopped him.
"You can open it again when you get back, hehe."
Qiao Hongmei became increasingly agitated, slammed her hand on the table, and stood up.
“Comrade Hongxing, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t just call people whatever you want. Who are you calling ‘sister-in-law’? Don’t tarnish the reputation of Battalion Commander Cheng and this female comrade.”
With such a righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor, those unaware of the inside story would probably really think she was thinking of others. Jiang Wanqing smiled faintly and finally gave Qiao Hongmei a proper look.
"Thank you for considering my innocence, comrade, but you've misunderstood Comrade Hong Xing. Your Battalion Commander Cheng and I..."
"Have a meal."
Cheng Ran interrupted her, his expression not exactly pleasant. Qiao Hongmei proudly raised her chin; she knew Cheng Ran wouldn't admit that a woman he didn't like was his wife.
However... the next second, Cheng Ran took out a few cloth coupons from his pocket and gave them to Hong Xing.
"Buy your sister-in-law some new clothes when you go out, make sure they're trendy."
"Okay!"
Jiang Wanqing was stunned. She had thought he was going to hide or even deny their relationship, since there was no joy in the family compound. She never expected him to announce their relationship in this way.
"Battalion Commander Cheng, you..."
Qiao Hongmei's face contorted with anger, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Cheng Ran.
"Wanqing and I are getting our marriage certificate soon. I would appreciate it if Dr. Qiao could help her with a premarital checkup and get her health checked out."
What could be more devastating than this? This alone caused Jiang Wanqing's favorability towards him to skyrocket.
The commotion was quite loud, and everyone heard Cheng Ran's words, which were followed by applause and blessings.
"Congratulations, Battalion Commander Cheng! Congratulations, sister-in-law!"
Jiang Wanqing returned each smile with a kind smile. In this unfamiliar environment, she remained cautious, as being too flamboyant or too humble was not advisable.
Seeing that one plan had failed, Qiao Hongmei came up with another. She gripped her chopsticks tightly, gritted her teeth and agreed, but then changed the subject.
"I will definitely help Comrade Wanqing with her examination! However, I heard that Battalion Commander Cheng and Comrade Wanqing are childhood sweethearts who have never met before. This kind of old-fashioned practice is not good. We can't arrange marriages now."
Her words were laced with sarcasm, and her eyes were filled with a chilling light as she looked at Jiang Wanqing.
This kind of person is cunning and either stupid or wicked. Jiang Wanqing couldn't help but put down her chopsticks and look at her with an innocent expression.
"Does Dr. Qiao think that Battalion Commander Cheng is out of touch with the new era and new trends? Do you know better than us, the parties involved, whether it's an arranged marriage? Spreading rumors is illegal now."
"you……"
Qiao Hongmei choked up and looked at Cheng Ran, hoping he would help her out of the predicament.
But he said casually, "Spreading rumors is indeed illegal, and Comrade Wanqing has learned well."
They argued back and forth, making Qiao Hongmei so angry that she couldn't eat.
"I'll take the box back and eat it. You guys can eat it slowly."
Even when she was so angry, she still had the instinct not to waste food. Jiang Wanqing had to give her a thumbs up for that detail.
After she left, Cheng Ran apologized to her.
"Dr. Qiao is not usually like this. I don't know what's wrong with her today."
"It's nothing. She's just angry that I stole you away. Battalion Commander Cheng, you're really charming. I'd better make the most of you."
She propped her chin up on her hand and looked at him. Cheng Ran almost choked. He had never seen a woman who looked like a little white rabbit but was actually so bold.
He suppressed his rapidly beating heart, swallowed twice, and remained silent.
"It'll get cold if we don't eat soon."
"oh."
Within the time it took to eat a meal, the entire military region knew that Cheng Ran was getting married. Several wives even brought congratulatory gifts before they went to bed. Apart from a few who didn't offer their blessings, everyone else was very enthusiastic.
Jiang Wanqing felt a surge of kindness and concern for the first time, and her nose even started to sting.
When Cheng Ran came out of the shower, he noticed that her nose and eyes were red, and asked her about it with concern.
"What’s wrong with you?"
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