Qiao Hongmei's hysterical voice faded into the distance, and Hong Xing angrily rebuked her.
“This girl has been spoiled by everyone. Sister-in-law, don’t be angry. I’ll help you teach her a lesson next time.”
"I'm not angry. She's just a young girl; she's bound to do irrational things when things don't go her way."
She answered calmly and gently, without a trace of anger in her tone. Hong Xing scratched the back of his head and chuckled twice.
"Sister-in-law, that... Dr. Qiao and our Battalion Commander Cheng really didn't do anything. It was all just people making a fuss before. Don't worry, it won't happen again."
It's clear that Cheng Ran has no romantic feelings for Dr. Qiao, but Qiao Xuemei is very interested in him and even determined to have him, otherwise today's events wouldn't have happened.
"It's alright, I believe Cheng Ran will handle it."
Judging from his work style, he is definitely not a person who drags things out, so she is not worried about that.
"Sister-in-law, you are so good to me. Our Battalion Commander Cheng made the right choice in marrying you!"
Hung Hing happily offered a compliment, but his face turned bright red the next second; he probably rarely compliments people.
She gave a slight smile: "Come in and have a glass of water. You're all sweaty; you didn't have to rush like this."
In her past life, Jiang Wanqing was not good at handling interpersonal relationships, so she was successfully brainwashed by Yuan Zhong and obediently became his supporter. Therefore, in this life, she learned from her mistakes and made people feel cared for through her words. Why not?
"Thank you, sister-in-law. Oh, by the way, there's one more thing."
"Um?"
Hong Xing took the cup and put it down again. He then took out a neat and clean letter from his pocket as if it were a treasure and handed it to Jiang Wanqing.
"This is……"
"You came in a hurry. Battalion Commander Cheng heard that your father was still sick and staying at the health center. He took the opportunity of buying clothes to ask me to visit him and let him know that you are safe. This is what he asked me to give you."
Upon hearing that it was a letter from her father, Jiang Wanqing's face lit up with joy. She carefully opened it. The letter contained little content, simply telling her to take good care of herself, not to worry about her parents, and to seize the opportunity to make the most of her life.
Her parents' love for her was selfless and unconditional, which was rare for a daughter in this era. Jiang Wanqing suppressed her tears.
How is my dad's health?
"Battalion Commander Cheng contacted a doctor he knew and did his best to cure your father. He will need some more time to recover."
Her eyes flickered. She hadn't expected Cheng Ran to be so considerate. She couldn't let him repeat the mistakes of his past life. He had to live well!
When Cheng Ran returned home exhausted that evening, he could smell the aroma of food wafting from the house even before he entered. If it weren't for the sign on his door, he would have thought he had gone to the wrong house.
As soon as he entered, he was stunned to see Jiang Wanqing carrying dishes out of the kitchen with her hair tied in a low ponytail.
This kind of outfit should look more casual and sloppy than a neat ponytail and short hair, but it looks just right on her, and she looks especially gentle and beautiful when paired with her new clothes.
"You're back! I made two dishes, come and try them."
She casually brushed aside the strands of hair that were being blown by the breeze, unaware that she was only making Cheng Ran more distracted.
He unbuttoned his meticulously buttoned shirt, unable to look directly into her bright, sparkling eyes.
"You don't need to do anything special for me."
"Yes, you're right, I made this especially for you."
She didn't mince words or play by the rules; she admitted it directly, put her hands behind her back, and stood on tiptoe to look into his eyes.
"Thank you for my dad's matter. We've only known each other for two days, but you've done so much for me. I'm not an ungrateful person. I'm just cooking you a meal. You should accept it if you can."
Her voice was gentle, but her words were straightforward. It was the first time Cheng Ran had seen two completely different qualities blended together in one person.
Jiang Wanqing planned to work with him long-term, so she couldn't just accept his kindness unilaterally. She needed to give back something within her means to make the relationship last longer.
Cheng Ran didn't know what she was thinking, only that her heartbeat, which had remained steady even under intense training, had become erratic several times in the past two days.
He took a slow breath, trying to cover up his unease.
"I'll get the bowls and chopsticks, you sit down."
The moment he turned around, Jiang Wanqing noticed the redness behind his ears. She instinctively touched her own face. Was it hot in the room? No…
She cooked a few simple home-style dishes; they weren't particularly outstanding in taste, but Cheng Ran ate most of them.
A quiet atmosphere gradually spread. Jiang Wanqing had something on her mind, and just as she was about to speak, the two of them spoke at the same time.
"There's something..."
"You go first..."
Jiang Wanqing bit her lower lip, feeling strange. Although her soul was not that of an innocent young girl, she felt a long-lost flutter at this moment.
No, no, no, this must be the suspension bridge effect at work. Jiang Wanqing's rationality suppressed the brief emotional fluctuation.
"You go first, my matter isn't that urgent."
Cheng Ran frowned, wondering why he felt that her humility and ingratiation were not the real her.
But since what he was about to say was indeed very important, he went along with what she was saying.
"Can we get our marriage certificate tomorrow?"
"Didn't you say you'd get used to it first?"
Jiang Wanqing looked at him with suspicion, feeling that he was acting strangely today.
"If you don't want to, then forget it. It's really too much to ask of you."
"No, no, no...that's not what I meant." She quickly explained, "I just meant if...if you don't mind, can I ask why?"
"I can't reveal the specifics, but I can tell you that getting the marriage certificate as soon as possible will help with my work arrangements. Do you understand?"
From the very beginning, he was asking for her opinion without forcing her. Even though he was used to giving orders, he was nervous when seeking her consent.
She didn't necessarily need a detailed reason. Since she had agreed to the marriage, she knew they would eventually get a marriage certificate. They couldn't live together without a formal status. Moreover, considering the timeline of her previous life, it was most likely related to that secret mission...
She smiled and nodded: "Getting the marriage certificate tomorrow is no problem. Besides that, is there anything else you want to tell me?"
"Indeed, I will disappear for a while after we get our marriage certificate, which is at most the day after tomorrow. You don't need to ask me what I'm going to do. If I come back alive, I will live a good life with you."
"Live a good life..." These simple words were exactly what Jiang Wanqing had always wanted to hear from the mouth of her beloved in her previous life. To hear them from a completely different man at such a time filled her with emotion.
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
Cheng Ran's eyes lit up, but at the same time he felt that he had been a bit despicable in this matter. His fingers tightened, and just as he was about to say something, Jiang Wanqing's hand covered his.
"Trust me, you'll be fine."
A greedy feeling arose in his heart, hoping that the warmth of her hand could linger a little longer, a little longer... but he still calmly withdrew his hand.
"Now tell me about your situation."
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