Chapter 19 The Job Competition Turmoil
With the troops recently conducting exercises, Lu Ye, as the chief of staff of the main battalion, suddenly found his responsibilities increased. He squeezed out time to take Zhang Hongjuan and her daughter to see Zhuang Lina, and after sending Jiang Suining home, he rushed back to the regimental headquarters without even having time to drink water.
At home, Jiang Suining was still thinking about her unfinished review tasks for the day. She greeted Lü Aiguo, who was tinkering with parts of a solar water heater in the yard, and then went back into her study.
Now that Lü Aiguo and Jiang Suining share the secret of time travel, they feel their relationship is special and he doesn't treat himself as an outsider. Seeing that the hosts are all busy, he went to the kitchen, washed an apple, ate it in a few bites, rolled up his sleeves, took his tools, and went into the bathroom, which was still being finished, to continue installing the solar panels.
The sound abruptly pulled Jiang Suining's attention away from the "Regulations on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests." She snapped back to reality, glanced at the wall clock, and realized that more than two hours had already passed.
"Is it installed?" She put down her pen, rubbed her slightly sore neck, and stood up to stretch her stiff back.
"It's all set. I just tested it, and I've added water. It probably won't work tonight, but it'll definitely work tomorrow night!" Lu Aiguo said with a hint of pride. He picked up the review materials spread out on his desk, flipped through them casually, and couldn't help but click his tongue. "Senior sister, you're wasting your talents at your current job. How about I recommend you to our project office?"
Jiang Suining knew that Lü Aiguo had been transferred to the island as a technical expert to oversee certain engineering projects for the military, but the specific projects were classified as military secrets. He had been vague about them before, and she had tactfully refrained from asking further. Now that he had brought it up, she followed up by asking, "What kind of big project is your project office working on? It's all so secretive."
“Actually, it’s not exactly top secret anymore,” Lu Aiguo put down the documents and lowered his voice. “The country is going to pilot the construction of a tidal power station on our island. The military is in charge of security and some of the infrastructure, while local authorities and research institutions are cooperating on the technology. This is a cutting-edge project for the utilization of new energy.”
"A tidal power station?" Jiang Suining's eyes lit up. This was a great project that would benefit the country and its people, but the light quickly dimmed, and she smiled helplessly. "The idea is good, but right now I'm just a high school student from the countryside. Unlike you, a graduate of a proper military academy with a relevant major, it's only natural that you know a lot. If I suddenly showed that I had exceptional insights into such a high-tech project, I'm afraid it would arouse suspicion from those with ulterior motives and cause unnecessary trouble."
Lu Aiguo immediately understood the meaning behind her words about someone with a good intention. After a moment's thought, he came up with an idea: "Then let's take it step by step. Quickly have Lu Ye help you get a library card for the military region library, borrow more books on physics, engineering, and energy, and then you can slowly show off your talent. Wouldn't that make sense?"
"That's all we can do," Jiang Suining sighed. She felt a pang of regret that she possessed knowledge far ahead of its time but couldn't fully utilize it, or contribute more quickly to this nation in dire need of rebuilding.
***
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Suining has an exceptional learning ability. Despite the tight schedule, she persevered with her indomitable spirit, thoroughly reviewing all the study materials and repeatedly memorizing the key points. She is now confident about passing the job entrance exam.
On the day of the exam, Lu Ye got up early, fried eggs, cooked millet porridge, watched her finish eating, and then personally took her to the labor protection factory on his old bicycle.
When the two arrived, a large number of men and women had already gathered outside the examination hall to take the exam. Lu Ye had an urgent meeting in his team, so he arranged to pick up Jiang Suining after the exam and then hurriedly rode away on his bicycle.
As Jiang Suining watched her husband's figure disappear at the factory gate, she was about to turn around when she saw Zhou Xiaomei, who had just arrived.
She's taking the exam too? Jiang Suining was surprised. As far as she knew, Zhou Xiaomei's family favored boys over girls, and she hadn't even finished elementary school. How could she pass such a highly policy-driven exam?
Zhou Xiaomei clearly hadn't expected to run into Jiang Suining here. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly put on a smile and walked over: "Suisui, what a coincidence! You're here for the exam too?"
Jiang Suining didn't want to say much to her, and simply replied with a faint "Mm".
"What position did you apply for?" Zhou Xiaomei pressed, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.
"Office staff member of the Women's Federation."
Zhou Xiaomei's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and she thought to herself, "Just as I thought." A sour jealousy welled up inside her, and she couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Your Chief of Staff Lu has a high salary, it's not like he can't afford to support you, so why bother going to work this tiring job?"
"You're here to take the exam? Is it because Company Commander Li can't afford to support you and needs you to come out and earn money to supplement the family income?" Jiang Suining retorted without any politeness, deliberately poking at the points that bothered her.
Zhou Xiaomei was so choked up that her face froze, and she couldn't speak for a long time. She forced a smile and said, "We, how can we compare with you? We have three half-grown boys at home who are at the age where they can eat a lot. The expenses are high, and I just don't want Guodong to work too hard."
Jiang Suining scoffed lightly, too lazy to pay any more attention to her, and turned to look at the examination hall door.
Zhou Xiaomei, feeling resentful after being snubbed, thought about how Li Guodong had already taken care of everything and how she was determined to get the position. She couldn't help but feel smug again. She deliberately leaned closer and whispered with a smile, "If you ask me, it's a waste of your time to take the exam. Anyway, Chief of Staff Lu will support you, so why bother?"
Jiang Suining immediately caught the certainty and strangeness in her words, turned her head sharply, and looked at her with a sharp gaze: "What do you mean by that? Why is it that if I take the exam, it's a waste of my time? Are you so sure you can pass? Do you already know the exam results in advance?"
"Of course!" Zhou Xiaomei shouted inwardly. Li Guodong had already spoken to Factory Director Song; she was just there to go through the motions. But more and more people were waiting for the exam, and Jiang Suining's voice, which wasn't quiet, had already attracted many curious glances. Afraid of causing unnecessary trouble, Zhou Xiaomei dared not be so flamboyant anymore. She lowered her head and said in a low voice, "Stop talking nonsense! I've just studied well and am confident! Since registering, I've been studying at home until midnight every day!"
"Is that so?" Jiang Suining smiled meaningfully, her gaze sweeping over the competitors around her. "Which of you who came here to take the exam wasn't studying hard and giving it your all?"
Immediately, someone nearby chimed in, "Exactly! Everyone gives it their all!"
"It's not like she's the only one who studies hard!"
Seeing that she had angered everyone, Zhou Xiaomei dared not argue any further. She glared at Jiang Suining and slunk away to hide in the shade of the corner.
The exam bell rang, and everyone filed in.
The examination room was a large conference room in the factory, with each person seated individually in a solemn atmosphere. There were two proctors at the front and back, one of whom was Director Lian from the Women's Federation of the Labor Protection Factory.
When the exam papers were handed out, Jiang Suining quickly glanced through them and felt reassured. The questions were mostly within her review scope, with only two or three essay questions requiring her to elaborate on her own understanding, but these were not a big problem.
She calmed herself down, picked up her pen, and began to answer calmly.
The proctors slowly patrolled the aisle. Several times, Sister-in-law Lian walked up behind Jiang Suining and stopped to watch. Upon seeing her, her eyes lit up. Not to mention that the girl's handwriting was elegant and graceful, with a rare strength, the content of her answers alone was a pleasant surprise.
She memorized the required clauses word for word; the questions she was required to answer were not only clear in their viewpoints and well-organized, but some of her insights were even quite novel and unique, exceeding the scope of the standard answers, showing that she had indeed thought about them carefully.
After walking around the examination room a few times and glancing at the other candidates' papers, Sister-in-law Lian had already formed a comparison in her mind. It seemed that the position of Women's Federation officer was undoubtedly rightfully Jiang Suining's.
An hour and a half later, the exam ended, and everyone handed in their papers and left. Jiang Suining immediately spotted Lu Ye waiting under the shade of a tree, pushing his bicycle. Her face lit up with a smile, and she ran over to him, exclaiming, "I did really well! I knew all the answers. I think I'll be fine getting the job!"
Many candidates around her looked dejected, clearly having done poorly on the exam. Zhou Xiaomei was the last to slowly walk out of the examination hall. Seeing Lu Ye standing tall and patiently waiting in the crowd, her eyes instantly filled with intense jealousy. In her past life, Lu Ye had never treated her like this! Truly, different people have different fates! Fortunately, after her rebirth, she acted decisively, shaking off the workaholic Lu Ye and successfully marrying the more promising Li Guodong.
But the thought of Li Guodong's careless manner, compared to Lu Ye's gentle whispers to Jiang Suining, shattered her fragile sense of balance. They were both newly married, yet the difference was so stark! In her past life, Li Guodong had been incredibly attentive to that Dr. Zhuang! They were both seductive vixens, adept at seduceing men! She muttered under her breath, deliberately walking to Jiang Suining's side, chin raised, and said, "Talking about starting work now? Isn't that a bit too early? I think I have a better chance of passing the exam."
Jiang Suining didn't take her words to heart at all, and affectionately took Lu Ye's arm: "Let's go home."
Zhou Xiaomei was annoyed. Watching the two of them walk away together, she stomped her foot in anger and turned to walk in the other direction.
***
Zhou Xiaomei! She thought she was seeing things, blinked hard, and looked again. Yes, it was indeed the name Zhou Xiaomei.
Zhou Xiaomei arrived at some point and deliberately squeezed next to Jiang Suining. Seeing her name on the list, she smiled smugly and said provocatively, "Oh, I told you, some people are wasting their time taking the exam, but they just wouldn't listen. Now you've given up, haven't you?"
There's definitely something wrong here! Jiang Suining immediately recalled Zhou Xiaomei's meaningful words before the exam. She suppressed her anger and turned to walk towards the labor protection factory's office area.
After asking around, I found the Women's Federation office. I knocked and went in; several women were busy inside. A young woman near the door looked up from a pile of documents: "Who are you looking for?"
"Hello, I'm looking for Director Lian," Jiang Suining said politely.
"The director isn't here." After saying that, the woman lowered her head again to continue organizing the documents.
Do you know approximately when she will be back?
"I don't have time," Sister Li said as she packed documents into a canvas bag. "Wang Dafu's son is drinking and beating his wife again. Her family came to the factory and are demanding a divorce. I have to go and mediate right away."
"Oh dear, what should we do! The higher-ups are coming to inspect tomorrow, and the blackboard bulletin board has to be finished today!" The young woman said anxiously.
"Hello," Jiang Suining stepped forward, smiling and offering her services, "How about I give it a try for the blackboard bulletin board?"
"You?" The young woman was skeptical, but then she looked Jiang Suining up and down more closely. She was a new face, clean-cut and pretty, with a good temperament, but she was definitely not an employee of the factory. "You're not from our factory, are you?"
“Well, I’m not one yet.” Jiang Suining introduced herself with grace and composure. “My name is Jiang Suining. I took the exam for a position at the Women’s Federation yesterday and I felt I did quite well. But I saw that my name wasn’t on the list of candidates, so I came to find Director Lian to find out what happened and see if I could request to check my exam paper.”
"You said your name is Jiang Suining?" The young woman was taken aback. When the others in the office heard the name, they all looked up.
"Yes, is there a problem?" Jiang Suining asked, somewhat puzzled.
"No, no problem!" The young woman immediately smiled and became much more enthusiastic. "My name is Liu Hong. Oh, what a coincidence! We were just having trouble with this blackboard bulletin! Have you ever done a blackboard bulletin before? Are you sure you can do it? The leader will be inspecting it tomorrow, so we have to finish it today. Time is tight."
“I’ve done it before; I draw it often at school.” Jiang Suining was full of confidence; it was indeed a piece of cake for her. “I’ll try to finish it today. Do you have a promotional theme and related materials?”
"Yes, yes, yes!" Liu Hong quickly handed Jiang Suining the brochures and several documents she had just found. "They're mainly for promoting the family planning policy; all the materials are here."
Jiang Suining took it and quickly flipped through it, immediately getting a general idea of what to do: "Where's the blackboard? I'll show you."
"Come on, come on, it's right over at the factory gate, I'll take you there!" Liu Hong picked up two boxes of colored chalk and enthusiastically pulled Jiang Suining out.
Once outside the office and seeing that no one was around, Liu Hong lowered her voice and said to Jiang Suining, "Comrade Jiang, to be honest, even our company director thinks there's something wrong with this job placement exam. She went to the factory director early this morning to ask to check the papers!"
"I see!" Jiang Suining stopped in her tracks, understanding dawning on her. "Thank you for telling me. In that case, I'll definitely help you with the blackboard bulletin, but I need to go and explain the situation to Director Lian and the factory manager first. Don't worry, I guarantee I'll get the bulletin ready today and won't delay the leaders' inspection tomorrow."
Although Liu Hong was a little worried about not having enough time, seeing Jiang Suining's sincere attitude and clear eyes, she nodded: "Okay, then I'll take you to the factory manager's office first."
"Okay, thank you for your help."
The two arrived outside the factory director's office. Before they even entered, they could hear faint arguing coming from inside. Jiang Suining looked at Liu Hong, who gave her a knowing look and whispered, "Director Lian is definitely inside. You go in by yourself. I'll go back to my office and wait for you."
Jiang Suining nodded gratefully. She straightened her clothes and hair outside the door, took a deep breath, and knocked on the office door.
The arguing inside abruptly ceased. A moment later, a deep, impatient male voice rang out: "Come in!"
Jiang Suining pushed open the door and entered. A pungent smell of smoke hit her, and she couldn't help but cough twice.
"Who are you?" Behind the desk, a middle-aged man with an unpleasant expression stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray full of cigarette butts, frowning as he sized up Jiang Suining. "You're not an employee of our factory, are you?"
"Xiao Jiang?" When Sister-in-law Lian saw that it was Jiang Suining who came in, she was first surprised, and then her face showed a bit of embarrassment and guilt. She quickly got up to greet her, "Quick, come in and sit down." She took Jiang Suining's hand, feeling as if her own child had been wronged.
"Is this your relative?" Factory Director Song looked at Sister-in-law Lian with suspicion.
"This is Comrade Jiang Suining that I told you about!" Sister-in-law Lian glared at Factory Director Song, emphasizing her words, "She's also the wife of our Chief of Staff Lu!"
"What?!" Factory Director Song jumped up from his chair. He suddenly remembered that Lu Ye had indeed come to see him before the exam and asked for his study materials. At the time, he had asked out of curiosity who needed them, but Lu Ye was very tight-lipped and wouldn't say a word. Turns out, it was his own daughter-in-law!
"This...this is such a mess!" Factory Director Song slapped his thigh, his face filled with undisguised frustration.
He only agreed to let Zhou Xiaomei fill in for him to repay Li Guodong for saving his life years ago. But Lu Ye was also among those who saved him in that accident, and he had played a significant role! If word got out that he was being unfair, where would he put his face? Moreover, Lu Ye was already a regimental-level cadre at a young age, with a bright future ahead of him. Offending him for Zhou Xiaomei was simply not worth it! Director Song was now filled with regret.
"What?" Sister-in-law Lian crossed her arms, her face grim. "According to the exam results written in black and white, this position as a women's federation officer should have been Xiao Jiang's! Are you blind? You insisted on choosing Zhou Xiaomei, who came in last place! Let me tell you, Lao Song, if you don't immediately re-announce the results and let Xiao Jiang rightfully join our women's federation, I'll go to the labor union and accuse you of abusing your power for personal gain and engaging in corrupt practices! I'll also post all the exam results on big-character posters at the factory gate so that all the factory workers can judge for themselves!"
Sister-in-law Lian was a veteran in the factory, with a straightforward and decisive personality, and she was highly respected among the workers. Factory Director Song knew her temperament well and knew that she was not bluffing. If he really angered her, this matter would be impossible to resolve.
"No way!" Sister-in-law Lian was furious, her voice suddenly rising. "Let a girl who graduated high school and ranked first in her exams go to watch the warehouse? Director Song, how could you even think of that! Our Women's Federation needs people who can write, calculate, do publicity, and get things done! I'm telling you clearly now, Zhou Xiaomei, our Women's Federation absolutely does not want her! Her grades are at the bottom, she can't even read properly. If she comes, who will do the work? Who will take responsibility?"
Factory Director Song was rendered speechless by Sister-in-law Lian's rapid-fire words, his face alternating between pale and flushed. He was, after all, the head of the factory, and to be so openly insulted by his subordinate was a complete loss of face. But Sister-in-law Lian was in the right and had connections, so he could only swallow his anger and suffer in silence. After much deliberation, he sighed heavily: "Fine, fine! I'll find a way! I'll find a way, okay? I'll definitely give you, and Comrade Jiang, a satisfactory explanation!"
"The new announcement must be posted before the end of the workday this afternoon!" Sister-in-law Lian wouldn't budge an inch. "Otherwise, you can expect to see the results posted on big-character posters!"
Since she came in, Jiang Suining has barely had a chance to say a few words, and the matter was resolved under the overwhelming force of her sister-in-law.
She quickly thanked Sister-in-law Lian, saying, "Director Lian, thank you so much! You've gone to so much trouble for me."
"What are you thanking me for?" Sister-in-law Lian took her hand and her tone softened. "You passed the exam on your own merit. I believe that even without me today, with your intelligence and courage, you would definitely be able to get justice for yourself. Come on, I'll take you to the Women's Federation office first so you can get to know your future colleagues."
As they walked and chatted, Jiang Suining mentioned her promise to help Liu Hong with the blackboard bulletin. Sister-in-law Lian was even happier: "I knew I hadn't misjudged her! She's responsible and capable! I saw you answering the questions during the exam that day, and I knew you were a promising candidate. That Zhou Xiaomei, her paper was mostly blank, she almost misspelled her name. If she had really gotten in, she would have turned the office upside down!"
Although the official announcement of the factory director's appointment hadn't been posted yet, even Sister-in-law Lian already considered Jiang Suining one of her own. Upon arriving at the Women's Federation office, she solemnly introduced Jiang Suining to everyone, directly declaring her her new colleague.
The colleagues in the office had already heard what had happened from Liu Hong. They felt both sympathy and admiration for Jiang Suining, and they all warmly gathered around to greet her and introduce themselves. Liu Hong, afraid of delaying their work, pushed through the crowd and pulled Jiang Suining to work on the blackboard bulletin.
The factory's blackboard is located on the most conspicuous wall at the factory gate. Next to it are several tall chinaberry trees with lush branches and leaves, casting a large shade that perfectly blocks the scorching afternoon sun. Standing under them to work doesn't feel hot at all.
Liu Hong helped out, handing over chalk and erasing mistakes. The two worked until lunchtime, finally finishing the overall outline and main illustrations of the blackboard bulletin; only coloring and writing the text remained. With a little more effort in the afternoon, they were sure they could finish on time.
***
When Jiang Suining returned home at noon, she told Lu Ye everything that had happened that morning.
Lu Ye's face darkened after hearing this, and his brows furrowed: "What's wrong with Guo Dong? He's never been so clueless about separating public and private matters before! This is the first time I've seen him so confused!"
"Don't be too angry," Jiang Suining put a piece of stir-fried vegetables on his plate and comforted him gently. "He's married now and has a wife. It's only natural for him to think about his own family. Anyway, the matter has been resolved now. Director Song will handle it. When you run into Company Commander Li, just pretend you don't know anything about it. Don't let this small work-related matter affect the relationship between you brothers."
“Don’t worry,” Lu Ye said, holding her hand firmly. “I told you the day I married you that I would always stand by your side, and besides, they were in the wrong this time. It’s true that Guo Dong and I have a bond forged in the battlefield, but when it comes to matters of principle, there can be no ambiguity. What he did was not fair.”
Seeing that he understood, Jiang Suining didn't say anything more. After finishing her meal, she didn't even take a lunch break, thinking about the unfinished blackboard newspaper, and hurriedly returned to the labor protection factory.
Lu Ye felt sorry for his wife, so he specially filled a military water bottle with cool boiled water and secretly added a spoonful of honey. He then rode his bicycle to take Jiang Suining to the factory.
He stayed with her in front of the blackboard, fanning her and handing her water, until the afternoon work bell rang, at which point he hurriedly returned to his unit.
As expected, Director Song kept his word and had the job posting rewritten, covering the original one. On the new posting, Jiang Suining's name was prominently displayed after the Women's Federation office staff member.
This sudden change immediately caused a huge uproar in the factory. Many of the positions in this job selection process had relatives of long-time employees participating. The frequent changes in job candidates inevitably raised suspicions of foul play in other positions as well.
Several workers whose family members had taken the exam but failed decided to go to the factory manager's office together and demand that all exam results be made public to ensure fairness.
The news spread quickly, and soon many failed candidates and their families arrived, crowding the area around the factory director's office, all demanding to see their scores.
Factory Director Song was at his wits' end. While calming the agitated workers, he promised to immediately have all the achievements copied onto red paper and posted publicly.
However, amidst the crowd's agitation, they remained unconvinced and insisted on seeing the original report card before dispersing.
Left with no other choice, Director Song had to send someone to the archives to retrieve all the exam papers and grade registers, and in front of everyone, have them copied them out stroke by stroke on large red paper.
Looking at the dense crowd outside the window, Factory Director Song felt a wave of fear: if the results had been announced a day earlier, or if he had actually persuaded Li Guodong to let Zhou Xiaomei work in the warehouse that morning, the situation today would have been unmanageable! It would have been hard to say whether he could have kept his position as factory director.
It turned out that after leaving his office that morning, Director Song went to see Li Guodong. His idea was that since Jiang Suining refused to go to the warehouse, Zhou Xiaomei should go instead. Although warehouse work wasn't as respectable or easy as office work, it was still a permanent position. Zhou Xiaomei's performance was there for all to see, and Li Guodong probably wouldn't feel comfortable demanding a better position.
As he had predicted, Li Guodong's soldierly pride and self-respect remained. Upon hearing that his wife had ranked last among all the candidates, while Lu Ye's wife, Jiang Suining, had topped the list and even taken his position, he was immediately ashamed and embarrassed. He promptly stated that Zhou Xiaomei lacked the ability and did not deserve the job, politely declining Director Song's offer and apologizing for causing the director trouble.
Factory Director Song was naturally happy to go along with it. It would be best if Zhou Xiaomei didn't come to work. Over time, the matter would fade away. If she really came and wandered around the factory every day, this matter would be like a thorn in his side, brought up from time to time, and become a laughing stock. It would also make him, the factory director, lose face.
The bright red report card was finally copied and neatly pasted on the bulletin board, right next to the new job posting. Everyone immediately gathered around to look for their own or their family members' names, while also keeping an eye on the job that had caused the stir.
A commotion and discussion immediately arose from the crowd.
"My God, only 21 points?"
"Was that her who posted it this morning? Can she even get a cadre position with that score?"
"No wonder they wanted to replace him! If they had actually hired him, who would be satisfied?"
"There's definitely something fishy going on here! Luckily, we got it back."
Although the job titles had been corrected, the seeds of doubt had been sown. Some began to question the accuracy of the score recording and clamored for access to the original exam papers. To completely quell the situation, Director Song had no choice but to order all the exam papers to be brought to his office, allowing everyone to review them under certain supervision.
When everyone saw Zhou Xiaomei's almost blank exam paper and Jiang Suining's neatly written exam paper full of answers, all the doubts and noise gradually subsided.
As the crowd slowly dispersed, Director Song slumped into a chair, utterly exhausted, wishing he could turn back time and slap himself twice.
***
That evening, to celebrate Jiang Suining's successful acceptance into the Women's Federation of the Labor Protection Factory, Lu Ye went home early, put on an apron, and showcased his culinary skills by making sweet and sour pork ribs and braised carp, both of which were delicious and visually appealing.
The food was served, its aroma filling the air. Lu Ye's culinary skills were truly exceptional, and Jiang Suining praised it highly.
While eating, Jiang Suining remembered something, put down her chopsticks and said, "Did you ask about the library card for me?"
Lu Ye paused upon hearing this, a hint of apology flashing across his face: "I've been busy with the exercises these past few days and forgot about this. It was my oversight." He thought for a moment, "Here's what we'll do: I'll take care of it for you tomorrow. Just give me a list of the books you want to read, and I'll go borrow them directly."
Jiang Suining wasn't sure if the military library of that era had the professional books she needed. After a moment's thought, she said, "Books on physics, engineering, and new energy. Oh, right, Lü Aiguo said he would recommend a few books to me, but he still hasn't said what they are."
It would have been better if these words hadn't been said; once they were out, it was like stirring up a hornet's nest.
Lu Ye had always harbored doubts about the inexplicable familiarity and tacit understanding between Lü Aiguo and Jiang Suining, but out of trust and respect for his wife, he had kept them to himself. Now, hearing Jiang Suining mention Lü Aiguo so familiarly, a strange flame of unease and jealousy suddenly flared up.
The smile on his face vanished instantly. He tightened his grip on the chopsticks, then slammed them down on the bowl. He abruptly stood up, walked to the living room, and sat down on the single sofa, leaving Jiang Suining with only a tense and silent back view.
The atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly plummeted to freezing point.
I never expected that this usually calm and resolute man would get jealous over such a small thing. Instead of being annoyed, I found his rare display of awkwardness rather endearing.
She quickly put down her chopsticks and followed him, squatting down beside his feet. She reached out and gently took one of his large, clenched fists on his knee, looked up at him, and softly asked, "A-Ye, are you angry?"
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