Chapter 16 Battalion Commander Lu stumbles upon the scumbag's entanglement and declares domineeringly: You dare touch my woman?
Within a month of marrying Lu Zhanting, Su Wanqing's life underwent a dramatic change.
She moved from the small village of Hongqi Commune into a strictly managed military compound.
The family room we were assigned wasn't big, just one bedroom and one living room, but it was kept clean and tidy.
Outside the window are rows of tall poplar trees. When the wind blows, the leaves rustle, much quieter than the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs in the village.
Lu Zhanting is a man of action and a very busy person.
As the battalion commander of the Fierce Tiger Battalion, he spent most of his time on the training field, leaving early and returning late.
Although the two lived under the same roof, they didn't actually spend much time together.
Their marriage started like a transaction, but in the daily routine, a little warmth slowly grew.
For example, Lu Zhanting would get up at 5:30 in the morning without fail, but he would move very quietly, for fear of waking her who was still fast asleep.
He would place a warm steamed bun and a glass of water on the table, with a note pressed down by a brass bullet casing next to it.
The words "ate" were written on it in a flamboyant style.
For example, when Su Wanqing first arrived at the military region, she was completely disoriented by the square barracks buildings. The first time she went to the canteen, she walked around the parade ground twice without finding it, and in the end, a kind young soldier led her there.
Somehow, Lu Zhanting found out about this.
From that day on, whenever he was home, he would walk silently ahead of her when they went to the cafeteria, leading the way with his tall figure.
Su Wanqing gradually got used to having such a man in her life.
She used her medical expertise from her previous life to compile some simple prescriptions and first aid knowledge using the herbs and medical books in her space.
Lu Zhanting saw all this but didn't ask any questions. Instead, he quietly brought her a sturdy old desk and even asked someone to find a usable desk lamp at a junkyard.
That afternoon, the weather was fine.
Lu Zhanting led his team to the mountains for field training, and they were originally scheduled to return in two days.
Su Wanqing put away the pharmacology notes she had organized, and then checked the medicinal herbs she had secretly planted in her space, discovering that she was missing a few commonly used ones.
She planned to try her luck at the town's supply and marketing cooperative and send some money and coupons home while she was there.
She changed into a clean floral shirt, and her two jet-black braids hung down in front of her chest, making her look even more elegant.
Before leaving, she looked at herself in the mirror and thought of Lu Zhanting's serious face and his occasional nagging.
"It's windy outside, wear another layer of clothing."
A smile unconsciously curved her lips as she turned and picked up a thin coat hanging behind the door.
The military compound is not far from the town, about a 20-minute walk.
As Su Wanqing walked, she mentally planned what she needed to buy.
She had just reached the intersection of the main road leading to town when a familiar yet unfamiliar figure suddenly emerged from behind a tree and blocked her way.
"Wanqing!"
Su Wanqing abruptly stopped, looked up, and the smile on her face instantly froze.
The person who stopped her was none other than Zhao Jianhe.
He seemed like a completely different person after not seeing him for more than a month.
The once spirited, fair-skinned, and refined educated youth now looks haggard, with dark circles under his eyes.
That once-proud white shirt was now wrinkled and had an unidentified stain on the collar.
The look in his eyes was a mixture of shock, regret, jealousy, and a morbid fanaticism.
"What are you doing here?" Su Wanqing's voice turned cold, and she subconsciously took a step back to keep her distance from him.
"I...I came to find you!" Seeing her avoidance, Zhao Jianhe felt a pang of pain in his heart and stepped forward urgently. "Wanqing, let me explain! My relationship with Li Juan fell through! Her family looks down on me because I'm just a educated youth with no background. They never intended to help me return to the city. They...they were just using me!"
Su Wanqing looked at him coldly, feeling only irony.
He used this same rhetoric to abandon himself, and now he's being abandoned in the same way.
"What does this have to do with me?" she asked indifferently.
"Of course it's related!" Zhao Jianhe became agitated. "Wanqing, I know you married that soldier out of spite! You were forced into it! That man looks like a rough, old, and fierce guy. How could you possibly like him? Come back with me, let's start over, okay?"
He continued talking to himself, his logic so absurd it was laughable.
He thought that Su Wanqing's marriage to Lu Zhanting was just a temporary measure, a way to get revenge on him.
He even found out that Lu Zhanting was just a common soldier, not nearly as promising as him, a "cultured man".
"Zhao Jianhe".
Su Wanqing interrupted him, her eyes filled with pity and disgust.
"Are you out of your mind? First, it's my freedom to marry whomever I want, and it's none of your business. Second, please show some respect. Lu Zhanting is my husband, and it's none of your business what kind of person he is. Third, we have nothing to do with each other anymore, so please don't bother me again."
Her words were like an ice hammer, shattering all of Zhao Jianhe's illusions.
"No! Impossible!" He couldn't accept this reality, his face contorted with rage. "You're lying to me! You still have feelings for me! Otherwise, why would you marry such a brute? What can he give you? Can he compose poetry? Does he understand your heart? Wanqing, don't be silly, only I understand you best, we are the perfect match!"
As he spoke, he actually reached out to grab Su Wanqing's wrist.
"Come with me! I'll take you away from here!"
Su Wanqing's expression changed, and she quickly dodged to the side.
She never expected Zhao Jianhe to become so paranoid and insane.
This is the entrance to the military area, a place with many people coming and going; she didn't want to make a big fuss.
"Let go!" she shouted sharply, her other hand already stealthily reaching into her pocket and touching the scissors she used for self-defense.
"I won't let go! Wanqing, give me one more chance!"
Zhao Jianhe, however, seemed to have grasped at the last straw and pounced on her again, grabbing her arm tightly.
He was very strong, and Su Wanqing was in pain from his grip, unable to break free for a moment.
In the midst of this struggle, a cold, thunderous voice boomed behind the two of them.
"Let her go!"
The sound wasn't loud, but it was so deep it could shatter a person's bones.
A stench of blood and rust, brought from the battlefield, instantly choked the surrounding air.
Zhao Jianhe froze.
He slowly turned his head and met a pair of eyes burning with anger.
Those eyes held no superfluous emotions, only the focused coldness of a wolf locking onto its prey.
Lu Zhanting appeared there at some point.
The field training exercise he commanded was extremely efficient, and the mission was completed ahead of schedule. He was so eager to get home that he rushed back without even having a sip of water.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the entrance of the military region, he witnessed a scene that made his blood run cold.
His wife, the girl who would wait for him to come home even to change a light bulb, was being relentlessly harassed and pulled by a man.
A violent killing intent exploded from the depths of Lu Zhanting's heart.
He walked over step by step, each step of his military boots hitting the gravel road like a heavy hammer pounding on Zhao Jianhe's heart.
He didn't look at Su Wanqing; his terrifying eyes were fixed on Zhao Jianhe's hand that was gripping her arm.
I'll say it again.
Lu Zhanting's voice was extremely low, each word squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Take your dirty hands off."
Zhao Jianhe was so frightened by that terrifying aura that his hand trembled and he subconsciously let go.
Lu Zhanting didn't even look at him. He walked straight to Su Wanqing's side and pulled her behind him to protect her.
His movements were somewhat rough, but Su Wanqing could feel the warmth of his palms and the impenetrable sense of security that his tall frame brought.
"Are you alright?" he asked without turning his head, his voice still tense.
Su Wanqing shook her head and whispered, "I'm fine."
Only after receiving her reply did Lu Zhanting finally turn his gaze to Zhao Jianhe, whose face had turned ashen.
He looked down at the man who was more than half a head shorter than him, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at an inanimate object.
"Who are you?"
"I...I am Zhao Jianhe, I am...I am Wanqing's former..." Zhao Jianhe stammered under his piercing gaze.
Lu Zhanting suddenly raised his hand.
Zhao Jianhe shuddered in fright and closed his eyes, wanting to cover his head.
But Lu Zhanting's hand was only gentle as he tidied Su Wanqing's hair that had been ruffled by the wind.
His fingertips were rough, yet his movements were incredibly gentle.
After completing this action, he looked at Zhao Jianhe again, his thin lips parted slightly, and he uttered the words that Zhao Jianhe would never forget for the rest of his life:
"You dare touch my woman?"
There was no threat, no roar in that voice, only an absolute, factual pronouncement.
Zhao Jianhe's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, his crotch quickly becoming wet.
Only then did he truly realize what kind of being he had provoked.
The man's imposing aura was a hundred times more terrifying than the highest-ranking official he had ever met in the county.
"I...I didn't mean to...I just wanted to say a few words to Wanqing..." he stammered in his defense.
"roll."
Lu Zhanting uttered only one word.
Then, ignoring the slumped man who reeked of stench, he grabbed Su Wanqing's hand and turned to leave.
His palms were large and rough, covered with thick calluses, and when he held her hand, he did so with an awkward caution.
Su Wanqing was pulled along by him, following behind him, looking at his broad back, her heart burning with passion.
From the initial disgust at Zhao Jianhe's appearance, to the calmness when she was being harassed, and now, an unprecedented feeling called "peace of mind" has completely enveloped her.
This man fulfilled his initial promise in the most direct and domineering way.
I will protect you for the rest of my life.
The two walked back to their apartment building in silence.
Once inside, the door was closed, isolating them from the outside world.
Lu Zhanting released her hand, turned around, and carefully examined her.
His brows were still furrowed, and his eyes held lingering anger and fear.
He reached out and gently touched her wrist, which had been reddened by Zhao Jianhe's grip, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Does it hurt?"
Su Wanqing shook her head.
Lu Zhanting seemed not to hear, turned around and rummaged through the drawers and cabinets, found a small bottle of medicinal wine in a wooden box, poured it into his palm and rubbed it to warm it up.
Without saying a word, he grabbed her wrist and began to gently rub it.
His movements were clumsy and stiff, as if he were handling a precious piece of porcelain, afraid that he would break it if he used too much force.
Su Wanqing looked at his lowered eyes, his long eyelashes casting a shadow under his eyelids. His face, which was usually as cold and hard as iron, was now filled with clumsy concern.
A warm feeling welled up from the bottom of my heart, washing away all the unpleasantness from before.
"Lu Zhanting," she said softly, "weren't you supposed to be on training? Why are you back early?"
Lu Zhanting paused in his actions, looked up at her, and said in a muffled voice, "I came back as soon as the mission was completed ahead of schedule. If I hadn't come back, I wouldn't have known that my wife was being bullied outside."
His words carried an obvious hint of bitterness and anger.
Looking at his jealous expression, Su Wanqing suddenly found it somewhat amusing, and the gloom in her heart completely dissipated.
She reached back and gently placed her uninjured hand over his large hand that was massaging her, saying softly, "He didn't bully me. Besides, even if you weren't here, I could handle it."
Lu Zhanting's brows furrowed even more.
"Next time you go out, wait at home, I'll come back and go with you."
This is a sign that his "doting husband nagging" mode has been activated.
Su Wanqing did not refute, but simply nodded and obediently hummed in agreement.
This docile response seemed to please the tough guy.
His tense expression eased slightly, and the pressure on his hands became gentler.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting two intertwined shadows on the ground.
The room was quiet, with only the faint smell of medicinal wine lingering in the air.
Looking at his focused and serious profile, Su Wan-qing suddenly felt that this unexpected military marriage might really be the best decision she had ever made in both her lives.
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