Spoiled By the Young Master After Reborn In the 80s
Chapter 640: Six hundred thirty-eight, lost disastrously

Chapter 640: Six hundred thirty-eight, lost disastrously

The first row of soldiers approached the ballot box, and the one at the forefront glanced at the two voting boxes before unhesitatingly casting his vote into the one on the left.

This was followed by the second and third soldiers, who also deposited their votes into the box on the left.

Upon seeing this, Meng Qingqing and Liu Lina’s brows furrowed tightly. Please, vote for the right side. Vote for the right side, they pleaded silently and prayerfully in their hearts. They no longer expected to win, only hoping not to lose too disgracefully.

As if hearing their silent cries, one soldier cast his vote into the box on the right.

The soldiers lined up to vote, and perhaps due to the nature of Guard Members, they cast their votes decisively the moment they stood before the boxes.

Once all the soldiers had finished voting, two lovely hostesses stepped down from the stage and began tallying the votes from the boxes. They had already seen clearly how the voting was going, but still, procedures needed to be followed.

"The Performance Team received a total of three hundred and fifty-eight votes," announced the woman counting the votes from the right ballot box in a listless voice.

The other side tallied the votes quickly as well, "The Guard’s Wives received a total of eight hundred and ninety-eight votes. The winners of this contest are the Guard’s Wives. Let’s congratulate them with our applause."

"Clap, clap, clap!" Enthusiastic applause rang out once more.

Meng Qingqing and Liu Lina’s complexions looked extremely unpleasant. Although they had already anticipated the outcome, the announcement still left them somewhat unable to accept it. With over twelve hundred soldiers watching the performance, their team received less than one third of the votes. The word ’dismal’ could not fully describe their defeat.

The spirits of the Performance Team members dipped low. Initially, they believed that victory was expected, given their professionalism. But the final outcome took them by complete surprise.

They had to admit, though, that the Guard’s Wives’ catwalk was indeed splendid. If there was a next time, they would definitely not lose again.

"We won! We’ve won!" Zhang Xiaoling and her group jumped for joy upon hearing the results, their faces beaming with brilliant smiles. They always had confidence in themselves, but the large margin in the vote count was still a surprise.

Song Jiefang stepped forward, raising his hand to signal for quiet before speaking, "Next, I will present a Medal of Honor to one of our Guard’s Wives. During the recent disaster, she selflessly rushed to the disaster area, saving the lives of countless civilians. Her spirit is worth learning from and respecting by each of us. Thus, today I represent those people affected by the disaster, our country and our people, to thank this Guard’s Wife. Now, I invite her to come on stage to accept her honor. Let’s welcome her with our applause!"

"Clap, clap, clap!" Thunderous clapping ensued.

Lu Hanmo stepped onto the stage and received the medal from Song Jiefang, looking out at everyone, "My wife is unwell, and I am here to accept this honor on her behalf." He simply wanted everyone to know that this honor belonged to Shushu.

"Clap, clap, clap!" The crowd burst into applause once again.

Qi Jianyuan stood up and strode towards the back of the stage, and upon seeing Zhou Yan talking with people, he walked over with a smile, "Wife!"

"Old Qi?" Zhou Yan turned around, somewhat surprised to see Qi Jianyuan. They had been at odds for a couple of days and hadn’t spoken in three or four days.

Qi Jianyuan stared at Zhou Yan, his eyes filled with awe. He scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, as he said, "I have something to say to you. Let’s go back." His wife had suddenly become so beautiful; he really was not used to it.

"I’ll go ahead." Zhou Yan nodded and turned to the others to bid farewell before following Qi Jianyuan towards the Guard’s Members Building. Now that the results were out, there wasn’t much difference whether she stayed here or left.

After they had walked a distance, Qi Jianyuan reached out and held Zhou Yan’s hand. "Wife, I was wrong about that day’s matter, and I apologize to you. Don’t be mad at me anymore."

Zhou Yan looked at Qi Jianyuan in surprise, disbelief evident in her eyes, "Why are you suddenly apologizing to me?" Usually, after their quarrels, it was mostly she who pacified him. She hadn’t expected him to take the initiative to apologize this time.

Qi Jianyuan stopped in his tracks and looked down at the beautiful Zhou Yan, whose beauty made his heart race. "Isn’t it because I’ve realized my mistake?" he said. "Wife, I will never shout at you again." The moment she stepped onto the stage, he realized just how outstanding his wife was, especially that proud smile tinged with a hint of enchantment, which made him feel an impulse to surrender to her. With such a wonderful wife, how could he not cherish her?

"Really?" Zhou Yan looked at him skeptically. He was known for having a strong personality, never changing his decisions. How could he suddenly change his ways?

Qi Jianyuan lowered his head and kissed her lips forcefully, something he’d been wanting to do ever since he saw her, "From now on, I’ll listen to you. Wife, let’s go back quickly. I want you!"

Zhou Yan’s face reddened, and she glared at him coquettishly, "Stop it!" It was a good thing that no one was around, or she would have been mortified.

That coquettish glance set Qi Jianyuan’s heart racing even faster. He scooped Zhou Yan up in his arms and ran towards home.

Zhou Yan let out a startled cry, playfully hit Qi Jianyuan’s shoulder, and rested her head gently against his chest. In this moment, it felt as if they had returned to the early days of their marriage, when they were just as sweet.

The performance ended, and the soldiers started to leave, carrying the chairs they had sat on.

Soon, the bustling square became deserted.

The performance team also packed up their things and returned to the courtyard where they stayed.

Meng Qingqing and Liu Lina sat on the steps of the courtyard, disheartened by today’s defeat.

"How did we lose like this? And so miserably too," said Meng Qingqing, her expression somber.

Liu Lina sighed and shook her head. "I can’t figure it out either. It was supposed to be a sure win, and yet it turned out like this."

"As for singing and dancing, those Guard’s Wives could never beat us. How could they have thought of doing a fashion show?" Meng Qingqing couldn’t understand how a group of women, who only knew about cooking and caring for children, would come into contact with such things.

"I heard from the Deputy Squadron Leader that the Guard’s Wives’ performance was planned by Deputy Squadron Leader Lu’s wife," Liu Lina said. She had a good relationship with Song Youyou, so she knew the details very well. "Originally, the Deputy Squadron Leader’s father called and asked him to plan the Guard’s Wives’ performance. However, because Deputy Squadron Leader Lu’s wife took over, they canceled that decision."

"That Deputy Squadron Leader Lu Hanmo?" Meng Qingqing asked in surprise. She had always admired Lu Hanmo—once, she even had a secret crush on him. But Lu Hanmo’s cold and distant demeanor eventually made her back down.