The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 202 - 201. Fighting

Chapter 202: 201. Fighting

"Hey, Yu Xiaoxuan, you’re eating so much, aren’t you afraid you’ll get fat?" Han Yi couldn’t help but say as he watched Yu Xiaoxuan gobbling down the pan-fried buns without a break even to speak to him.

Yu Xiaoxuan looked up from the pan-fried bun, Han Yi had bought fifteen of them, and apart from the one she just ate, all had gone into her stomach, and the last one was in her hands right now.

"I haven’t had Zhang Shengji for a long time, and I exercise every night now, so I won’t get fat."

Han Yi raised an eyebrow, "You exercise every day?" He really didn’t believe it.

"Of course, Qinglan said that keeping up with exercise is for better weight loss." Ever since she ended up in the hospital for eating too much meat, Linda had surprisingly relaxed a lot of her control, but there were some requirements: she could eat, but if her weight increased, then... hehe...

In order to eat better, Yu Xiaoxuan naturally put a lot of effort into exercising. To prevent her from exercising pointlessly, Linda even hired her a personal trainer and occasionally snapped a couple of photos of Yu Xiaoxuan working out to post on the microblog account she had opened specifically for that purpose, as a sort of promotional tactic.

Thanks to Yu Xiaoxuan’s diligent exercising, Linda had recently become less strict about her diet control; compared to before, Yu Xiaoxuan’s life was now much happier.

Actually, Han Yi knew that Yu Xiaoxuan exercised every day; after all, he followed her microblog. Thinking of this, Han Yi reached out a hand.

Yu Xiaoxuan looked at the hand in confusion and asked Han Yi, "What? You still want to fight over the last pan-fried bun?"

Han Yi had a stern face; did he look that gluttonous?

"Hand over the phone," Han Yi said gruffly.

"Oh." Yu Xiaoxuan obediently handed over her phone, and Han Yi took it, looked at the password lock, and entered a few digits, unlocking it right away. He shook his head secretly; this girl was too careless, setting her own birthday as the password.

He opened the microblog on the phone, and just as he thought, this girl hadn’t followed him. What an ungrateful brat, he hadn’t noticed before. After hitting follow, Han Yi returned the phone to her.

"What did you do with my phone?" Yu Xiaoxuan noticed belatedly.

"Yu Xiaoxuan, are you always this slow?" Han Yi scoffed. He had completed the operation, and only then did she catch on. He had never seen someone so dimwitted.

Yu Xiaoxuan was annoyed, "You’re the slow one; your whole family is slow."

Han Yi just shook his head with a smile, knowing she still had work to do and didn’t plan to keep her any longer, "Alright, I’ve got things to do, I’m leaving."

He jangled his car keys as he got up to leave.

"Han Yi, thank you for today." Behind him came Yu Xiaoxuan’s crisp voice.

Han Yi’s lips curved slightly, feeling very pleased, yet he did not turn around, just waved over his shoulder and walked away with a nonchalant air.

"Mr. Han." A feminine voice called out from behind him, sultry and melodic.

Han Yi paused mid-step, turned around, and saw a woman standing not far from him, looking at him with tender affection.

Han Yi raised an eyebrow; he had seen this type of scene many times before and naturally didn’t think it was a coincidence; it was ninety percent certain she was waiting for him on purpose.

Seeing Han Yi didn’t leave, a surge of joy rose in the woman’s heart. She briskly walked a few steps to get to Han Yi, offering a gentle smile, "Mr. Han, hello, I’m Su Ling. I’m an artist under Shengxuan."

Su Ling was the very artist who had followed the little assistant—who had accidentally seen Yu Xiaoxuan feeding Han Yi a bun. Having overheard the assistant’s conversation with someone else, Su Ling had set her sights on Han Yi. But with the company full of prying eyes, it wasn’t easy for her to make a move, and she didn’t know how to contact Han Yi, so she had no choice but to wait for him in the parking lot—and indeed she had run into him.

"Is there something?" Han Yi spoke, his tone very calm, revealing none of the emotions beneath.

Before coming down, Su Ling had even changed into a different outfit specifically to showcase her perfect figure brilliantly, especially her impressive bust, which jiggled provocatively under Han Yi’s gaze. Any man witnessing such a sight ought to be moved by it.

A shadow crossed Su Ling’s eyes, but she redoubled her efforts, stepping closer, "Mr. Han, I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time. It was for you that I joined Shengxuan. I’m so glad to see you today. Could we possibly exchange contact information?"

Her words were shy and coy, with hints of innuendo that would be obvious to anyone but a fool—let alone a seasoned playboy like Han Yi. A flicker of scorn crossed his eyes. Did he look like someone who was so desperate that he’d accept any woman that threw herself at him?

"Are you done?" Han Yi’s tone was slightly colder.

Su Ling was taken aback, seemingly unable to react quickly enough.

"I’m not interested in women of your type. Since you’re done, you can go now." Han Yi couldn’t be bothered to waste words with her.

This time Su Ling truly stood there in shock, unable to believe it as she watched Han Yi walk away. Instinctively, she followed and grabbed his hand, "Mr. Han."

Han Yi looked down at his wrist, now grasped in her hand, his eyes icy cold, "Let go."

Su Ling shivered, releasing Han Yi’s hand subconsciously; his aura had been just too chilling.

Han Yi turned around to face Su Ling, really looking at her face for the first time, "If you want to stand out, find a different way. You’d be better off using this time to improve yourself. I may have a lot of money, but my company doesn’t support loafers."

Su Ling’s face turned various shades, between deathly pale and ashen, especially under Han Yi’s disdainful gaze, leaving her utterly shamefaced. She stood there unsure, having never attempted such a thing before, now feeling incredibly embarrassed.

Han Yi didn’t give the woman another glance and simply drove off.

Su Ling remained in place, her face a mortified purple, furious with shame. Men had always fawned over her, but this was the first time she had been so belittled by one—especially after she had approached him herself. The feeling was simply unbearable.

With a hateful stomp of her foot, she turned to head back up, but at the elevator, she spotted Yu Xiaoxuan, and her expression instantly changed.

Yu Xiaoxuan had come down to bring Han Yi his wallet. After Han Yi left, she realized he had left his wallet on the chair and quickly took it down to him, but unexpectedly, she witnessed such a scene.

"Why are you here?" Su Ling’s tone was very hostile.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s face showed a bit of awkwardness, given that she had just seen what had happened and was now discovered by the person involved. However, Su Ling’s tone made Yu Xiaoxuan uncomfortable. It wasn’t her fault that a man had rejected Su Ling, so why was she being yelled at?

"I’m free to be wherever I want. What’s it to you?" Yu Xiaoxuan replied unapologetically. She always treated others as they treated her.

"Yu Xiaoxuan, so what if you saw my embarrassment? What are you feeling smug about? How long do you think you can keep feeling superior? You’re nothing but a woman who relies on a man," Su Ling said bitterly. Mr. Han must have rejected her face in such a way because he had seen Yu Xiaoxuan there a moment ago, wanting to make her feel humiliated on purpose.

Yu Xiaoxuan had no idea she would be the target of someone’s misplaced anger, nor did Han Yi know that Su Ling thought this way. After all, a pillar had been in front of Yu Xiaoxuan where she stood, and from Han Yi’s angle, he couldn’t see her at all.

Although Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t know what Su Ling was thinking, Su Ling’s words really irked her. It’s true that she got into Shengxuan and obtained some resources through connections, but she had also put in the effort. What did Su Ling mean now? Was she implying that Xiaoxuan had sold herself out?

"Su Ling, watch your mouth. If you talk nonsense, believe me, I’ll tear your mouth apart," Yu Xiaoxuan looked gentle and talented only because nobody had provoked her. Once provoked, she could turn into a little tyrannosaur in minutes.

"Whether I’m talking nonsense, you know it in your heart. Who in the company doesn’t know about your affair with Mr. Han? Why else would you, a non-professional background actress, get to work under Sister Linda and get so many resources?" Su Ling’s face was full of scorn. Stop playing saint when you’re still standing in the brothel. If you’d just come clean, I might even respect you for that.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s face changed, "Su Ling, you speak with evidence. Otherwise, I can sue you for defamation."

"Go ahead and sue. What I’m saying is the truth. What am I afraid of? It’s no big deal if I don’t work at Shengxuan anymore." Su Ling, having nothing to lose, her agent had several other artists in hand and wasn’t looking after her at the moment. That’s why she was so eager to latch on to Han Yi. Since she couldn’t further her career at Shengxuan, it was better to leave sooner. It would be even better if Shengxuan took the initiative to terminate her contract.

"You did such a thing and fear others finding out? In our circle, this isn’t much of a deal. You’re not the first one. But Han Yi is known in Beijing as a playboy, he’s been with more women than your age. You’d better put in more effort to make sure he doesn’t dump you too soon." Su Ling spoke cheerfully, delighting in the increasingly livid expression on Yu Xiaoxuan’s face.

Yu Xiaoxuan charged at her and slapped her across the face without holding back, making Su Ling’s whole face turn to the side.

Su Ling looked at Yu Xiaoxuan in disbelief, "You dare hit me? What gives you the right?"

Yu Xiaoxuan blew on her hand; she’d put too much strength into it, and it hurt, her palm turning red, "I hit you because I hit you. Do I need to pick a day?"

Su Ling’s expression twisted as she attempted to slap Yu Xiaoxuan. She was not one to take things lying down. It was Yu Xiaoxuan who had hit her first; it would have been strange if she didn’t hit back. The two ended up fighting in the parking lot until the security from Zi’an’s surveillance room noticed something was wrong and came over to pull them apart.

Fortunately, this was Shengxuan’s private underground parking garage, strictly managed, where ordinary paparazzi couldn’t get in; otherwise, they would become a joke in Beijing tomorrow.

"Let’s hear it, what exactly happened here?" Sister Linda asked coldly, looking at Yu Xiaoxuan. She had not been watching for a minute, and Xiaoxuan had already caused trouble, brawling with a colleague in the parking lot; you’re quite something.

Yu Xiaoxuan shrank her neck, "She started insulting people first."

Su Ling sat on the other side, with her agent Anna sitting next to her, her face also quite embarrassed. Anna was also a veteran at Shengxuan. Although not as skilled as Linda, she had also brought up many artists.

"She’s the one who started hitting people first," Su Ling pointed at Yu Xiaoxuan, her voice shrill. Her face was now a mess, bruised and swollen beyond recognition.

Women care a lot about their faces, especially those whose livelihoods depend on their looks. Without looking in a mirror, she knew what her face must look like now and glared furiously at Yu Xiaoxuan.

Yu Xiaoxuan glared back defiantly, "Would I have hit you if your mouth wasn’t so foul? Dare you repeat what you said about me?"

Su Ling’s eyes flickered with a trace of guilt; she had dared to say those things to Yu Xiaoxuan’s face but not in front of Linda and Anna.

"Yu Xiaoxuan, so now you’re rationalizing hitting someone?" Linda was furious, pointing at Xiaoxuan’s face, "Look at yourself, are you still up for the ad shoot this afternoon?"

Although Su Ling had been turned into a ’pig’s head’ by Yu Xiaoxuan, Xiaoxuan herself didn’t fare much better, with her face scratched by fingernails. They weren’t bleeding, but such marks could not be easily concealed with even a thick layer of foundation.

Yu Xiaoxuan fell silent; she had been too angry to consider the consequences at that moment.

Anna had been quiet the whole time. She’d probably understood the course of events. She glanced at Yu Xiaoxuan, knowing she was the newcomer recently promoted by Linda and Mr. Han. She knew Su Ling’s temperament, sure that Su Ling must have said something to provoke the fight.

"Sister Linda, this was Su Ling’s fault. Please be generous and don’t stoop to her level. Su Ling, apologize to Xiao Xuan," Anna chose to smooth things over. Continuing the quarrel would do Su Ling no favors. Although Anna didn’t like Su Ling and had even planned to ’cool her off’ recently, Su Ling was still her artist, and she could not ignore her.

"Anna, whose agent are you anyway? I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I apologize? She was the one who hit me first!" Su Ling was disappointed, deeply disappointed, with both Anna and Shengxuan. Why had she even joined Shengxuan in the first place?

Other people’s agents always took their artist’s side, but what about her own agent? Accusing her alongside outsiders, look at Linda, although she had been temperamental with Yu Xiaoxuan since the beginning, she always had her best interests at heart. Unlike Anna, who actually wanted her to apologize to Yu Xiaoxuan.

Can’t you even distinguish who is close and who is not? I’m your artist; when I become famous, you’ll benefit too. Are you siding with others to bully me now?

Anna clearly understood the meaning behind Su Ling’s eyes and just felt that this person was hopelessly stupid. She was actually helping her right now. This matter had to be de-escalated, and didn’t she know how close Yu Xiaoxuan was with Mr. Han? If Mr. Han got wind of this, regardless of who was right or wrong, you, Su Ling, would be the unlucky one. Can’t you see the situation for what it is?

She had always known that Su Ling had a problematic personality, arrogant and conceited, but she hadn’t realized just how utterly clueless she really was.

"Anna, I think we should make things clear on this matter, otherwise people might truly believe our Xiao Xuan is bullying someone," Linda spoke up. "I know Xiao Xuan’s character, she is very gentle, she would never hit someone unless they went too far. Xiaoxuan, tell us what exactly happened today."

Yu Xiaoxuan hesitated; how was she supposed to explain? Although she didn’t think she was in the wrong, she couldn’t bring herself to say those words about Su Ling.

"What needs clarifying?" Han Yi’s voice came from the doorway, and everyone looked towards him.

Han Yi, however, wasn’t looking at them, but at Yu Xiaoxuan, and when his gaze settled on Yu Xiaoxuan’s face, his expression turned icy, with an almost imperceptible hint of distress in his eyes.

No one had expected Han Yi to come back so suddenly. Hadn’t he left already?

Indeed, Han Yi had left, but halfway there, he realized he had forgotten his wallet and had to come back. Just as he entered the company, he heard people discussing Yu Xiaoxuan getting into a fight.

"Could someone explain exactly what’s going on?" Han Yi asked coldly. The question was directed at everyone, but his gaze was fixed on Yu Xiaoxuan.

Yu Xiaoxuan had been keeping her head down from the moment Han Yi walked in, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. She really didn’t know how things ended up like this.

"Nobody wants to explain?" Han Yi’s gaze circled the room, eventually landing on Su Ling. "Who are you?"

Su Ling stiffened; they had just met half an hour ago, and Han Yi had already forgotten, "Mr. Han, I’m Su Ling," she said, emphasizing her name with particular force.

Han Yi immediately remembered—she was the woman who had offered herself to him.

Seeing that Han Yi had remembered, a slight pleasure flickered in Su Ling’s eyes. It seemed Mr. Han hadn’t completely forgotten her after all.

"Tell me what happened. Why did the two of you start fighting?"

"Mr. Han, it wasn’t me who started it," Su Ling explained, pointing at Yu Xiaoxuan. "She was the one who hit first. I was just defending myself." Can’t you see the state she put me in? Look Mr. Han, this is a tigress—get rid of her fast.

"Tigress" Yu Xiaoxuan remained silent, not arguing like she had in front of Linda earlier. The whole issue was caused by Han Yi; he was the real problem here.

"Mr. Han, there’s a reason for this," Linda intervened. She couldn’t let Han Yi think that Yu Xiaoxuan was acting arrogantly because of his favor, "It’s true that Xiaoxuan lashed out first, but Su Ling had said some slanderous things about Xiaoxuan. She only lashed out because she was provoked."

Han Yi’s eyes turned colder. "What did she say?"

Linda was at a loss for words—how could she possibly know? She was looking for Yu Xiaoxuan to discuss the afternoon’s commercial shoot, and when she finally found her, she looked... like a ghost.

Han Yi turned to Su Ling, whose guilt made her lower her head. If Han Yi heard what she had said, she wouldn’t walk away unscathed.

"Mr. Han, Su Ling is already beaten up like this, and she has learned her lesson, let’s just let it go," Anna couldn’t help but speak up.

"Let it go?" Han Yi gave a short laugh, although he was smiling, no one present thought he was in a good mood, "How can we just let it go? Do you know how much profit Yu Xiaoxuan can bring to the company now? With her face looking like this, she can’t attend any events for at least a week. Do you understand the loss that represents?"

Han Yi was questioning, but his statement was an exaggeration. It’s true that Yu Xiaoxuan was a promising newcomer supported by Shengxuan, but her commercial value was far from what Han Yi described. Even if she couldn’t attend events for a week, it wouldn’t cause much loss; at most, the afternoon’s advertisement shoot would need to be postponed.

That meant he was taking Yu Xiaoxuan’s side. Everyone present wasn’t a fool and could see clearly what was going on. Su Ling had twisted her face as if Han Yi’s words explicitly stated that she had no commercial value of her own.

"Mr. Han," Su Ling began to speak.

But Han Yi didn’t let her finish her sentence and cut her off. He coldly glanced at Su Ling, then looked towards Anna, "Su Ling is too impetuous, she needs training. Whenever she improves, then she can take on a contract again. We can’t let people think the artists from Shengxuan are of low quality."

This was a signal to put Su Ling on ice. Su Ling turned pale, Anna’s eyes darkened ever so slightly, yet she didn’t say anything and just nodded, "Understood, Mr. Han."

"Mr. Han, you can’t do this to me. You can’t be biased toward her just because Yu Xiaoxuan is your woman," Su Ling protested. If her contract was terminated, it would be easy enough to switch to another company. With her talent, she was bound to make it big one day, but if she got frozen out...

Han Yi snorted coldly, "Whether Yu Xiaoxuan is my woman or not, I don’t know. What I do know is that half an hour ago, someone came to me offering to share my pillow."

With a single sentence, the way Anna looked at Su Ling changed. There was nothing unclear now; the others present all knew exactly what was happening, and Yu Xiaoxuan, watching Su Ling, felt a bit uncomfortable.

Su Ling’s face turned deathly pale; she had no idea Han Yi would say such a thing.

Han Yi didn’t look at her again and took Yu Xiaoxuan’s hand, disregarding everyone’s stares and walked away.

Yu Xiaoxuan followed behind Han Yi and went straight to his office. His office was decorated as lavishly as his home, and, although Yu Xiaoxuan had been with Shengxuan for quite some time, this was her first time in his office.

"Sit down," Han Yi said coldly. Yu Xiaoxuan could see he was not in a good mood and did not dare to argue. She obediently sat down on the sofa, her head lowered.

Han Yi walked into the resting room and quickly came back out, holding a small first-aid kit and an ice pack.

"Lift your head."

Yu Xiaoxuan raised her head.

Han Yi’s expression was grim. Looking at the bruises on Yu Xiaoxuan’s face made him even more heavy-hearted; he had left for just half an hour, and she had managed to get herself into this state.

"Didn’t you know how to fight back after being hit?" Han Yi took out the alcohol to disinfect the wound on Yu Xiaoxuan’s neck. Though the scratches on her face weren’t bleeding, the ones on her neck were, and the bright red marks were an eyesore.

"I did fight back," Yu Xiaoxuan muttered softly, wasn’t Su Ling’s face even worse off?

Han Yi laughed in irritation, "You still think you’re right? I’ve never seen anyone as foolish as you. You can’t talk your way out so you resort to violence? Don’t you know physical altercation is the dumbest thing? And to do it in public, no less. Luckily it was in the underground parking garage. If it had been outside, would you care at all about your image?"

"Ouch, be gentle," Yu Xiaoxuan hissed in pain from the sting of the alcohol.

"Now you know it hurts, what were you doing earlier, fighting? You’re certainly gallant," Han Yi sneered mockingly, but subconsciously, his touch became gentler.

"Well, just to let her curse without fighting back? No way am I doing that."

Han Yi really wanted to press the alcohol cotton swab heavily onto the wound and put her in agony.

"In the future, if you encounter this kind of situation, never start a fight in public, let alone strike first. You, who originally had the upper hand, will end up in the wrong."

"So I’m just supposed to endure it and let it go?" If that was the case, she definitely couldn’t do it. She wasn’t Holy Mother Mary. Why should she not retaliate when others bully her?

"I’m not telling you to endure it." Han Yi rolled his eyes, truly at a loss for words concerning her intelligence. They say a child’s intelligence comes from their mother. What would become of his future children?

Han Yi was quite worried for his future children.

"Don’t you know the phrase ’settle accounts after the autumn harvest’? There are so many things you can do behind the scenes. Why give others something to hold over you in public? Aren’t you being foolish?" Han Yi reached out and tapped her forehead.

Yu Xiaoxuan pouted her lips, her face full of grievance, "I just couldn’t hold back," she said with a hint of coquettishness.

Han Yi’s heart melted, and he sighed, "Next time something like this happens, call me, and I’ll teach them a lesson for you."

"You might as well forget it; I can handle it myself." Yu Xiaoxuan refused, as today’s incident was caused by him in the first place. If she sought his help again, things would truly become muddy.

Han Yi, feeling helpless, thought this stubborn girl really made it difficult to do her a favor.

"Apply the ice pack." Han Yi handed the ice pack to Yu Xiaoxuan, "Just rest at home for the next few days." There was no way she could work looking like this.

Yu Xiaoxuan also knew her appearance was a mess, didn’t argue, and seemed to accept his suggestion, "Will my salary be docked?" she asked cautiously, glancing at Han Yi.

"No docking of pay," replied Han Yi, clearly irritated. Even though she had never really experienced hardship, why was she being so stingy?

**

When Shen Qinglan got up, Fu Hengyi was already gone. There was a note on the dining table telling her that breakfast was kept warm in the kitchen.

With a slight smile, Shen Qinglan walked into the kitchen, ate her breakfast, and then rolled up her sleeves to clean the room and wash both their clothes.

Although it was a one-bedroom apartment, it wasn’t small. The bedroom had a big bay window, and with the support of the handrail, Shen Qinglan sat on it. From this position, she could see the Military Region’s training field from a distance.

There were many people training on the field, shouting the "one-two-one" cadence, firm and resonant. Looking from afar, she could only see patches of green uniforms, probably separate squads.

Shen Qinglan bent her legs and rested her head on her knees, silently watching the distant training field. This was her first time in the military base, not counting her childhood. When Granny Shen was alive, she heard her say that her grandfather often took her to the military base to show off in front of his old comrades, bragging about how cute and smart his granddaughter was, with an air of ’my granddaughter is the best, none of you can compare.’ This irritated those old comrades so much that they wanted to pounce on him and bite him. ’Just your granddaughter, just you bragging, hmph, I’ll get my son to have a daughter right away, smarter and cuter than yours, and make you furious.’

Shen Qinglan thought, if she had grown up in the Shen Family from a young age, would she now be one of these green-uniformed people?

During those years at the Devil Training Base, her memories of childhood had become very vague; she only clearly remembered those green military uniforms, her grandfather’s, her daddy’s...

Shen Qinglan sat on the windowsill for a long time, watching for a long time, her mind bursting with thoughts. Sometimes, she was at the training base being drilled, sometimes she was in the Primordial Forest fighting wild beasts, sometimes she was nearly swallowed by sharks in the sea, sometimes blood splashed on her face, sometimes it was Fu Hengyi’s gentle gaze, and sometimes it was in the rainforest, when her eyes met Fu Hengyi’s.

She extended a finger and gently traced it across the window glass, if one observed closely, they would notice she was drawing a portrait, identical to Fu Hengyi.

Shen Qinglan sighed softly, Fu Hengyi, if you knew my past, what would you do?

At that moment, Fu Hengyi was in training, his expression stern, but Mu Liancheng, who knew him well, could tell at a glance that his mind was elsewhere. Shaking his head, he thought, married men are different after all—they’re not the same when they’ve got something on their minds.

"Captain," Mu Liancheng saluted and called out loudly.

Fu Hengyi snapped back to attention, giving him a cold glance. Mu Liancheng chuckled and stepped closer, "Captain, I heard Sister-in-law is here. How about we have lunch together at noon? I can ask Master Jiang from the A canteen to cook something special for us."

Master Jiang from the A canteen was an exceptional cook, especially his braised lion’s head meatballs—they were incredibly delicious. However, he only made them once a week, and one had to be quick to get them; it had been over a week since Mu Liancheng had last tasted them.

Fu Hengyi was planning to have lunch with Shen Qinglan, naturally, he agreed, going with the flow. Aside from Mu Liancheng, three other team members had come to the Military Region as instructors; Mu Liancheng simply invited them all.

"We can’t skip the noon training. This group’s physical fitness is too poor. We’ll focus on improving their physical fitness over the next two weeks. If we can’t get their fitness up..." Fu Hengyi gave Mu Liancheng a meaningful look.

Mu Liancheng was all too familiar with that look from Fu Hengyi and shivered, "Don’t worry, Captain. Mission will be completed."

This selection was to scout for new soldiers for the special forces; naturally, their abilities couldn’t be too shabby. Mu Liancheng understood the importance of physical fitness all too well, and with a serious expression, he picked up the whistle and blew it.

"Attention, everyone! Five kilometers loaded cross-country, five kilometers armed swim."

Fu Hengyi stood for a while longer, making sure there were no issues before returning to his office. He began typing a report on his computer, which was cluttered with files pertaining to the training of the new recruits.

After finalizing the new training plan, Fu Hengyi picked up the phone and called Shen Qinglan. There was signal jamming in the Military Region, except for the dormitory buildings, and of course, the family quarters as well.

The landline at home rang. Shen Qinglan was a bit slow to react; after all, she rarely used the landline since she’d had a mobile phone. She glanced at it and picked up, unsurprisingly, it was Fu Hengyi.

"Mu Liancheng and the others would like to have lunch with you at noon. What do you think?" Fu Hengyi consulted Shen Qinglan’s opinion, as he surely wouldn’t force her if she was unwilling.

"Alright. Where will it be? Are we going out?"

"No, it’s at the A canteen. Go out of the family quarters, in the direction of nine o’clock, five hundred meters, second floor." Fu Hengyi gave the direction.

Shen Qinglan visualized it in her mind and understood, "Got it. Should I head over now?" She glanced at the wall clock, noting it was quite early.

"No need, you can come out in a couple of hours and still make it in time."

"Did you have breakfast?" Fu Hengyi didn’t forget to ask her, worried she might be hungry.

"Yes."

"Aren’t you bored at home?"

"It’s okay." In fact, she was quite used to being alone.

Knowing that Shen Qinglan liked to read, he spoke up, "I left a few books on the bedroom table, did you see them?"

"I saw them, I was just reading."

The two of them chatted idly, about some very mundane topics, but neither of them found it boring. Shen Qinglan even rather enjoyed this gentle and warm atmosphere.

After chatting with Fu Hengyi for about half an hour, she hung up the phone.

Shen Qinglan glanced at the desk and indeed, there were a few books, which she hadn’t noticed initially. She picked one up and flipped through it—geographical magazines, detective novels, and even a military novel.

Shen Qinglan picked up the military novel, found it quite interesting after flipping through a few pages, and moved a chair to the balcony to read quietly.

Until Fu Hengyi called again, she didn’t realize how close it was to time, "I’ll be right out."

"No rush, there’s plenty of time, just take your time walking over."

Shen Qinglan hung up, put on her jacket, and then walked out of the family quarters. Downstairs she bumped into Sister-in-law Zhang, "Young lady, where are you off to?"

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "Hengyi asked me to go to the canteen for lunch."

"Heh, why go to the canteen? Come to my house, the canteen is all communal food; nowhere near as good as what’s made at home. It just so happens your Brother Zhang won’t be coming home for lunch, it’s boring eating alone."

"Hengyi said he wanted me to meet his brothers," Shen Qinglan felt a bit troubled.

Sister-in-law Zhang laughed, "Alright then, you go. We can eat at my place another day."

"Thank you, Sister-in-law."

"There’s no need to be so polite, come and visit often." Sister-in-law Zhang went upstairs, and Shen Qinglan continued towards the direction of the A canteen.

Suddenly appearing in the Military Region, her face, so striking, naturally attracted a lot of attention. But the glances contained mostly admiration, not a trace of malice. Even Shen Qinglan, who was used to seeing the darker side of things, felt more at ease under such looks. No wonder Fu Hengyi liked the military; she thought she, too, would have fallen in love with military life.

A shadow crossed her eyes, filled with regret. In this lifetime, it was no longer possible.

From a distance, Fu Hengyi spotted Shen Qinglan, "What are you thinking about? You’re not even watching where you’re going." Just as Shen Qinglan was about to bump into a tree, Fu Hengyi couldn’t help but speak up.

Shen Qinglan snapped back to reality, saw Fu Hengyi, and also noticed the big tree, touching her nose, "Nothing much. I was thinking about whether there are any stationery stores nearby, I want to buy some drawing supplies."

She hadn’t planned on staying long this time, so she hadn’t brought these things with her, and now she felt it was a bit of an oversight.

"We’ll go back to your place after lunch," he offered. The nearest place was three kilometers away from here, and it was just a small stationery store for students. The professional tools that Shen Qinglan wanted might have to be purchased in the city center.

"Wouldn’t that cause you any trouble?"

"It’s okay, I’ll just ask for leave later." He still had that much authority.