The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 451 - 453. Couples PK Competition

Chapter 451: 453. Couples PK Competition

Jiang Chenxi was driving when he heard those words and instinctively responded, "It’s not liking, Yining, I love you."

Yining’s lips slightly curled as she looked at Jiang Chenxi’s profile through the car window. Joy yet pain filled her eyes. She wondered why the man she had fallen in love with could not have been him instead. If it had been him, could they not have ended up together earlier? For the first time, Yining fervently wished that Haohao were Jiang Chenxi’s son.

"But your parents won’t accept me, Chenxi. A marriage without the blessings of the elders won’t be happy. I don’t want you to have conflicts with your parents because of me." The words in her heart swirled on her tongue, but Yining’s rationality returned, and she changed what she was about to say.

Jiang Chenxi’s gaze darkened, "Yining, is this your reason for rejecting me? Not because you don’t love me?"

Just then, they hit a red light, and Jiang Chenxi stopped the car, staring fixedly out the window. Their gazes met through the glass. In the dim night, Yining could see more clearly the restraint and pain in Jiang Chenxi’s eyes.

Her heart suddenly clenched, "Chenxi, what does it matter whether I love you or not? We are destined not to be together."

Jiang Chenxi suddenly grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to face him, "Yining, I’m not afraid of any difficulty. I just hope you can face your own heart honestly and confront your true feelings bravely. I can deal with my parents’ issues. All I ask is that you give me a chance, and yourself a chance, just once. Can we try?"

Yining met Jiang Chenxi’s eyes, those gentle eyes now filled with hesitation, insecurity, and helplessness. When had this forever refined and gentle man become like a rootless child? Was it because of her?

Yining found herself painfully unable to breathe at that moment. She closed her eyes then opened them, the hesitation in her gaze completely vanished, "Do you really want to be with me, even if your parents oppose it?"

"Yes, I want to be with you," Jiang Chenxi said, without hesitation and with conviction.

"So, Chenxi, let’s try. I will try to make your parents accept me," Yining no longer wanted to run away. Always evading Jiang Chenxi was not only torturing him but also herself. She wanted to fight for her happiness, even if she might still not end up with Jiang Chenxi in the end. At least it would not be a regret of not having tried, right?

Jiang Chenxi suddenly widened his eyes, disbelievingly staring at Yining, "Yining, did you really just say that?"

Yining looked at his ecstatic expression, smiled lightly, and nodded, "It’s true."

Jiang Chenxi excitedly tightened his grip on her shoulders, a bit incoherently, "Yining, are you serious? You won’t regret this, right?"

Yining laughed, "Yes, I’m serious, and I absolutely won’t regret it."

Jiang Chenxi wanted to hug her but forgot they were still wearing their seat belts. Yining watched his clumsy efforts, her eyes curving in a smile.

Jiang Chenxi touched his head and laughed along.

Suddenly, a honk sounded from outside; the light had changed. Jiang Chenxi quickly started the car, a faint smile now playing on his lips.

The two officially began dating, but in less than three days, Mrs. Jiang found out. Initially, Jiang Chenxi had wanted to wait a while before telling his family, but unlucky for them, he and Yining encountered Mrs. Jiang while shopping.

At that moment, Mrs. Jiang’s face turned pretty ugly when she saw their clasped hands, but she didn’t make a scene due to the public setting. Since they had been caught, Jiang Chenxi came clean, as after all, he and Yining, one unmarried, the other unwed, were both adults and had nothing to hide.

In the private room, Mrs. Jiang looked at them, her usually calm and graceful demeanor now filled with anger, "Don’t you think you need to explain this situation?"

Jiang Chenxi pursed his lips, "Mom, it’s exactly as you saw, Yining and I are together now, we are in a relationship."

"What about Wan Jiao, what about Wan Jiao?" Mrs. Jiang questioned.

"Mom, Wan Jiao and I have never been boyfriend and girlfriend. I’ve made that clear to her, and you know that, so why ask knowingly?"

Mrs. Jiang, furious yet not resorting to yelling—being a well-mannered woman she couldn’t do such things—just wore a very cold expression, "I do not approve of your affair, Miss Pei, perhaps I speak too directly, but I must tell you, both his father and I will not agree to this."

Pei Yinong had been silent since entering the private room, leaving everything to Jiang Chenxi. Now, hearing this, she looked up at Mrs. Jiang, "Auntie, is it because I have a child?"

"It’s not just that. Our family is just an ordinary family, his father and I are both teachers, and so is Chenxi, while you are the heiress of the Pei Family, from a superior background. Our families do not match, Miss Pei. I’m not being old-fashioned about being well-matched in social and economic status, but the ancient rules handed down by our ancestors for thousands of years have their reasons, don’t they?"

Pei Yinong knew that the so-called match of social and economic status was just a pretext found by Mrs. Jiang; the main reason was Haohao.

"Auntie, I know that Haohao’s existence makes it difficult for you to accept me..."

"It’s not because of Haohao. I’ve seen the child Haohao; indeed, he’s a very likable child, and I like Haohao too. But Chenxi’s wife should not be someone tainted."

This statement was rather courteous, at least not using words like ’shameless’ and ’disgraceful’ to describe her. Pei Yinong gave a bitter smile, realizing that the label stuck to her had ultimately become how the world saw her. No matter how hard she tried, could she never peel it off?

"Mom, Yining is a good woman, and outsiders’ evaluation of her is not correct. The incident back then wasn’t solely her fault. Why do you have to keep dwelling on this point?" Jiang Chenxi became angry when his mother touched upon Pei Yinong’s painful spot.

Mrs. Jiang gave her son a look filled with warning. Was he failing to understand that she was doing this for his good?

"Chenxi, I am currently talking to Miss Pei."

Pei Yinong squeezed Jiang Chenxi’s hand under the table, signaling she was okay. From the moment she agreed with Jiang Chenxi, she knew this was an inevitable process and was prepared for a protracted battle. Although Mrs. Jiang’s words saddened her, they weren’t unbearable.

"Auntie, I know what people outside say about me, and I understand that the Jiang family cherishes literature and finds such matters hard to accept. But what I want to say is, I have never been a shameless woman. I chose to give birth to Haohao simply because he had already come into this world, and I couldn’t bear to let a small life be lost in my hands. I love my child just as you love Chenxi. Auntie, I can’t control how the world evaluates me, but I will strive to prove that I am a good wife, someone worthy of Chenxi’s deep affection. I know it’s hard for you to accept me now, but it’s okay. I can wait, wait for the day you accept me."

Mrs. Jiang stared at Pei Yinong, observing her resolute eyes, suddenly finding herself speechless. She wasn’t a harsh person—her previous words were already a reveal of someone’s scars, straying from her usual principles of interacting with others. If this girl weren’t in love with her own son, she thought she would really admire Pei Yinong’s tenacity.

"What if his father and I never agree? Will you wait forever?" Mrs. Jiang sighed, her tone softening yet her stance unmoved.

Pei Yinong smiled serenely, "Auntie, in this world, there are no feelings that cannot wait, only people who cannot be waited for. There are also no feelings that are unrequited; previously it was always Chenxi who took initiative towards me, I never did anything for him. Now, striving for him once, even if it results in being battered and exhausted, so what?"

Jiang Chenxi looked at Pei Yinong, her gentle yet firm voice reaching his ears, suddenly feeling a warm surge within him. This was the first time he truly felt the depth of Pei Yinong’s feelings for him; it had never been merely his own wishful thinking.

This is good, Jiang Chenxi thought.

"Miss Pei, you may consider us old-fashioned or stubborn, this is not a matter that can be resolved by your persistence; doing so is merely a waste of both of your time." Mrs. Jiang was truly speaking with heartfelt earnestness.

She knew her husband’s character well—if he knew about this, he would definitely end up in the hospital, inevitably leading to a rift between father and son. And Chenxi, being a stubborn person, wouldn’t easily back down once he had made up his mind. Should she just watch her own son and husband clash? Thus, the best solution was actually for Pei Yinong to give up.

She admitted that in this matter, she was selfish, not considering Pei Yinong’s feelings, but she was willing to compensate her in another way. Whatever it might be, in a sense, her actions were for the sake of Pei Yinong too. If Jiang’s father really ended up hospitalized, who knows what the outside world would say about her?

"Mom, it has always been me who liked Yining, and me who pursued her. Please stop making it tough for her." Jiang Chenxi frowned, visibly upset.

Mrs. Jiang glanced at her son and shook her head. "Think this over carefully between the two of you. I’ll take my leave now."

Shen Qinglan listened to Pei Yinong recount the events and pondered for a moment before asking, "Cousin, what do you think about this matter?"

"Qinglan, I don’t want to hide it from you. All these years, besides Haohao’s father, Chenxi is the only man I’ve ever truly loved. I don’t want to give up easily—not for the sake of giving Haohao a complete family, but simply because I love him and I want to try. But I’m not sure if my actions are too selfish. If Chenxi’s parents get seriously upset because of this, I’m afraid..."

"Cousin, those are things that haven’t happened yet. If you give up your happiness over something that hasn’t happened, that would be truly foolish. As for Chenxi’s parents, it’s up to him to deal with their mindset. It may not be easy, but it can be done gradually. Over time, they may come to accept it." Although these words were meant to comfort, they were also true.

Pei Yinong nodded, her brows filled with sorrow.

Shen Qinglan recalled another matter, her gaze flickering slightly as she tentatively asked, "Cousin, do you still remember Haohao’s father?"

Pei Yinong was startled and stared blankly at Shen Qinglan. "Why did you suddenly bring him up?" She had almost forgotten how long it had been since she last thought of him.

Shen Qinglan smiled lightly. "Just curious. Haohao is already five years old, but you hardly ever mention him. Seeing you take your first step today, I thought you might have stepped out of the shadows of the past, so I asked. Of course, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay too."

Pei Yinong had been deeply hurt by that man and therefore never mentioned him; she kept completely silent about him. Now, recalling the past, she realized that her heart had healed without her noticing, and that man had been reduced to nothing more than Haohao’s father in her eyes.

"There’s nothing I can’t talk about. He was a senior two years ahead of me at school. We met because we joined the same club, and he pursued me actively. We were deeply in love, and I thought we would continue together until we entered into marriage. But a few months before I graduated, he suddenly disappeared without leaving a single word. I went to his hometown to look for him, but his parents said he hadn’t come home for many years. I even contacted many of his former friends and classmates to inquire about his whereabouts but to no avail."

Recalling that period, Pei Yinong’s expression became distant. "I was heartbroken for a long time. Just when I was about to give up, I found out I was pregnant, nearly two months along. I sent him emails, text messages, telling him the news, thinking he would surely come back to me. But that just proved how unimportant I was to him."

"Did he not return a single phone call?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Pei Yinong shook her head, the smile on her lips bitter. "No, I waited three months for him. As my belly grew larger and the rumors at school became more vicious, I returned to Beijing in complete despair." What greeted her there was an even more fearsome storm—the rumors in Beijing nearly drove her to her death.

Shen Qinglan could hardly imagine the immense pressure Pei Yinong had faced during Haohao’s birth. Sensing her cousin’s puzzlement, Pei Yinong continued, "At that time, I didn’t think too much. My only thought was that if I couldn’t keep him with me, keeping the child we had together was the next best thing. Maybe one day he would come back to me. Silly and naïve, right? Looking back, I realize how foolish I was. I never considered how much being an unmarried, single mother would affect my child."

"You’ve raised Haohao very well."

"Not really. It’s not that I raised Haohao well; it’s Haohao who has been exemplary. Qinglan, you don’t know how hard it was in those months after Haohao was born. Facing increasing vicious rumors, I once thought about giving up on him, but it was also Haohao who helped me get through the toughest months. Seeing how sensible Haohao is now, I feel nothing but relief and guilt," Pei Yinong’s voice fell.

"Cousin, if Haohao’s father came back now, would you accept him?" Shen Qinglan asked softly.

Pei Yinong laughed dismissively. "No, back then he left me and walked away. Even if he turned back now, I can’t forgive him. No, it’s not about forgiveness; I’ve completely let go. Even the hatred can’t arise anymore. To me, he has become a true stranger."

Shen Qinglan understood. The flip side of love isn’t hatred, but forgetting. When you truly forget someone, that’s when you’ve completely let go.

Realizing this, Shen Qinglan felt relieved and patted Pei Yinong on the shoulder. "Cousin, it’s rare to meet someone who understands you deeply. You... keep going."

Pei Yinong nodded earnestly.

After talking with Shen Qinglan, though the problem still existed, Pei Yinong felt much better and went home with Haohao.

This weekend, Shen Qinglan couldn’t visit Fu Hengyi at the military base, so she chose to video call Fu Hengyi in the evening. Anan gazed at the cellphone screen and called out, "Daddy."

"Was Anan good today?" Fu Hengyi’s voice was gentle.

Anan nodded, gesturing with his hands, "Today, Anan, big brother, uncle, and mommy went out to play." His logic was flawed, but Fu Hengyi understood.

"Was it fun?"

Anan kept nodding, "Fun, Daddy, together."

"Okay, next time Daddy comes home, Daddy will go out with you."

"Big brother," Anan emphasized.

Fu Hengyi— "...Okay, I’ll bring big brother along too."

Anan was satisfied.

After only a few minutes into the video call with Fu Hengyi, Anan couldn’t sit still anymore. His eyes kept darting to the toys, not listening to a word Fu Hengyi was saying, so Shen Qinglan let him go play.

Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi and suddenly spoke up, "Fu Hengyi, Anan really likes Haohao, his brother."

"Yes, in the future you can often take both children out to play together, to keep each other company," Fu Hengyi suggested, a hint of slyness gleaming in his eyes; this way, Anan could spend less time clinging to his wife.

"Haohao is not Anan’s biological brother, and can’t always be with Anan. I think maybe we should have another one, so Anan will also have company in the future," Shen Qinglan revealed her intention.

"No way," Fu Hengyi said decisively, "there’s no room for negotiation on this. I think Anan is doing just fine now, having a big brother and a little sister. Once Jun Yu has kids, if they are Anan’s siblings, he won’t lack for company." He was very resistant to the idea of having a second child.

"But, Fu Hengyi, I want to have a daughter," Shen Qinglan insisted.

Fu Hengyi softened his tone, "Han Yi’s child is a daughter. If you like, we could have Anan marry her when he grows up, and then she would be your daughter."

Shen Qinglan— ...Is that what I meant? How deeply traumatized must this man be by childbirth, when usually women are the ones terrified of it? How has it become completely reversed in their case?

Seeing that Fu Hengyi was unpersuadable, Shen Qinglan dropped the subject. She would always find a way to get Fu Hengyi to agree. Little did she know that it would take such a long time and so much effort on her part.

Another weekend came around, and Shen Qinglan took Anan to see Fu Hengyi.

Fu Hengyi knew they were coming today and had arranged for someone to wait at the gate early on. When Shen Qinglan saw this person, she was surprised, "Meng Liang, how come you are here?"

Meng Liang had returned to Sharp Blade after recovering from his injuries, and seeing him today at the Beijing Military Region was indeed a surprise.

Meng Liang scratched his head and chuckled, "Sister-in-law, I have now been transferred to the Beijing Military Region, still under the captain’s command. The captain sent me to pick you up." He said as he reached out to take Shen Qinglan’s suitcase.

"When did this happen?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"One week."

"You were doing quite well in the military, so why did you suddenly come back?" Shen Qinglan was surprised.

"My old injury relapsed, and I couldn’t adapt to the high-intensity training in the military, so I applied to be transferred to the Beijing Military Region to work with the captain again. I’m quite happy about it."

Meng Liang had been severely injured while saving Fu Hengyi. Although he had recovered, there were lingering risks. The daily training in the Sharp Blade Unit was several times more intense than in regular units, and Meng Liang’s health issues flared up a few months later. The leadership, after some consideration, advised Meng Liang to return to a basic unit. Given his military achievements, he would have been well-placed there.

However, Meng Liang rejected the leadership’s suggestion and applied to return to the Beijing Military Region, specifically to serve under Fu Hengyi. After much discussion, his request was granted.

"Sister-in-law, is this the captain’s son?" Meng Liang’s eyes were fixated on Anan, sparkling.

Shen Qinglan smiled and nodded, "Yes, he’s already one year old. Anan, say ’uncle’."

Anan was sucking his fingers, staring wide-eyed at Meng Liang when he heard his mother’s words, "Uncle." His milky voice was like music to Meng Liang’s ears.

"Hey, you’re called Anan, right?" His tone was incredibly tender.

Anan nodded.

Meng Liang reached into an empty pocket, found nothing, and laughed awkwardly, "Uncle forgot to bring a gift. How about I give you one later, okay?"

Anan, not understanding the concept of a gift but hearing the question, instinctively responded with a nod of agreement.

Meng Liang dropped off some items in the house and then left, saying he was quite busy, "Sister-in-law, I must be going now. The captain said he’ll cook lunch when he gets back."

"Okay, thank you."

"Sister-in-law, no need to be so polite."

Anan curiously explored the house, which was a family building allocated to military officers, simply furnished and incomparable to their usual home. However, Anan wasn’t a fussy child and adapted quickly to the new setting.

Shen Qinglan put Anan on the floor to play while she went to tidy up. When she returned, she saw Anan, holding onto the edge of the sofa, staring at a cat.

Shen Qinglan was puzzled. How could there be a cat here? Was it Fu Hengyi’s? She shook her head; Fu Hengyi wasn’t one to have the time to keep a cat.

She glanced at the open balcony door, guessing the cat must have run in from outside.

The cat was entirely white without a single mixed hair, unafraid of humans, and didn’t move even when Shen Qinglan appeared, merely glancing in her direction before returning its gaze to Anan.

Hearing footsteps, Anan turned and, seeing his mother, pointed at the cat, "Mommy, doggy." Previously, Chu Yunrong had shown him pictures of small animals. He could speak the names, but he couldn’t differentiate between cats and dogs.

Shen Qinglan waved to Anan, signaling him to come over. She hesitated to approach, fearing she might startle the cat which could potentially lash out at Anan.

Anan toddled over to Shen Qinglan unsteadily. She crouched down and after ensuring he was clean, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Mommy, doggy." Anan repeated.

"That’s not a doggy, that’s a cat," Shen Qinglan corrected her son.

Anan looked at Shen Qinglan, nonplussed, as she continued to explain, "Doggy is bigger than a cat."

"Cat."

"Right, that’s a cat, not a dog."

Seeing Anan walk away, the white cat slipped out through the open balcony door. Anan pointing at its fleeing figure exclaimed, "Run, mommy, run!"

"The little cat has gone home, it’s hungry and needs to eat," Shen Qinglan comforted her son.

Understanding the concept of hunger, Anan let go of his concern, grabbed Shen Qinglan’s skirt, and asked her to play blocks with him.

When Fu Hengyi arrived, he saw his wife and son playing with blocks on the floor, Meng Liang following behind, carrying several big bags filled with groceries.

All these were for Fu Hengyi.

"Daddy, cat!" Anan, eager to share his discovery, told his father about the cat he had seen. Fu Hengyi, confused, got an explanation from Shen Qinglan. Frowning, he mused, "How could there be a cat in the family building?" He hadn’t noticed anyone keeping cats around.

"It must be a stray cat," Shen Qinglan casually remarked, although she thought the cat’s fur was exceptionally pure for a stray.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Shen Qinglan looked at the bags Meng Liang was holding, "Why did you buy so much?"

"I wasn’t sure what sister-in-law liked, so I bought extra. Sister-in-law, I’ll just leave these here." Meng Liang set down the groceries, preparing to leave, but Shen Qinglan stopped him, "Wait, stay for lunch. There’s too much food for Fu Hengyi and myself to finish. There won’t be good dishes in the canteen at this time."

Meng Liang looked at Fu Hengyi, who said, "Come in and give us a hand."

Meng Liang sighed, picked up the groceries, and walked into the kitchen. While eating, Fu Hengyi fed Anan as well as eating himself. Meng Liang, observing the scene, couldn’t help but notice that this domestic side of Fu Hengyi was quite different from the image he had of him.

Fu Hengyi glanced at him, "Eat your food."

Meng Liang quickly diverted his gaze and focused on his bowl, hurriedly eating.

After lunch, Meng Liang volunteered to do the dishes, while Shen Qinglan watched Fu Hengyi play with Anan. She then went into the kitchen and sliced some fruit, offering it to Meng Liang without hesitation.

"Sister-in-law, how long are you staying this time?"

"One week, why?"

Meng Liang chuckled, "Nothing much, just remembered hearing Gu Yang mention sister-in-law’s shooting skills and never had the chance to see it. Thought I might ask for some tips this time."

Shen Qinglan’s eyes flickered slightly, "Fu Hengyi’s shooting skills are better than mine."

"You shouldn’t be modest, sister-in-law. I’ve heard Gu Yang praise your shooting skills many times. Even compared to the captain, you are not far behind." Meng Liang’s eyes were bright, and his gaze towards Shen Qinglan was filled with admiration.

Shen Qinglan had once demonstrated her shooting skills to Gu Yang, and she couldn’t believe that the youngster had spoken to others about it. She secretly thought that she must give Gu Yang a good scolding the next time she saw him.

"Sister-in-law, is that ok?"

How could Shen Qinglan say it was not?

Meng Liang seemed to see that she wanted to refuse, and he suggested, "Sister-in-law, you and the captain haven’t competed in shooting skills yet, have you? Why don’t you compete with the captain?"

Shen Qinglan had always wanted to see who was better between her and Fu Hengyi, but she never had the chance. Now, hearing Meng Liang’s suggestion, she was really tempted. Although Fu Hengyi was playing with his son, he heard what Meng Liang said and saw Shen Qinglan’s eagerness in her eyes, so he spoke up, "I’m free this afternoon, shall we try?"

Shen Qinglan’s lips curved slightly as she nodded.

There were many competitive events, and Shen Qinglan chose shooting and combat.

"How shall we compete?" Shen Qinglan asked, holding a pistol and toying with it. She had been playing with these things since she was a child, and any form of play was the same to her.

"How do you want to compete?" Fu Hengyi was also casual.

"How about I choose?" Meng Liang saw the two humbly deferring to each other and spoke softly.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi had no objections, so Meng Liang chose blindfolded gun assembly and moving target shooting for them.

Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi and whispered in his ear, "If you dare to go easy, you’re banned from my bed for three months."

Fu Hengyi was helpless. Just now, he intended to just have some fun and make his wife happy, but since his wife had given him an order, in order not to end up sleeping in the study, Fu Hengyi had to give it his all.

"And what’s my reward if I win?" Fu Hengyi seized the opportunity to ask for benefits.

Shen Qinglan gave him a faint glance, "We’ll talk when you win."

Fu Hengyi’s lips curled into a smile with a hint of roguishness.

The blindfolds were applied to both of them. "Captain, sister-in-law, in front of you is a pile of disassembled gun components. Only one is complete. Whoever assembles the gun correctly and finishes first wins," Meng Liang explained the rules of the contest.

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi nodded. After Meng Liang shouted the start, Shen Qinglan did not rush, but instead felt all the components on the table first and quickly had everything figured out. Initially, Meng Liang was anxious seeing Shen Qinglan not starting immediately, but then he saw her begin to assemble the parts accurately as if she was not blindfolded at all, placing each component in its correct position.

Meng Liang looked from Shen Qinglan to Fu Hengyi only to see that Fu Hengyi’s pace was not at all slow. If one really had to calculate, Shen Qinglan’s speed was just a tiny bit faster than Fu Hengyi’s.

The two finished almost simultaneously. Meng Liang looked at his stopwatch, exactly forty-nine seconds. "Captain, sister-in-law, it’s a tie," Meng Liang swallowed and said with admiration.

Shen Qinglan glanced at the gun in Fu Hengyi’s hands, which was of the same model as hers, and raised her eyebrows slightly, "Shall we increase the difficulty a bit?"

Seeing Qinglan’s interest, Hengyi naturally agreed. This time the assembly of firearms was different because among the components there were a few models that were very similar. Even one wrong part could lead to a failed assembly.

And this time, Qinglan lost to Hengyi by merely two seconds. "I won," Hengyi said with profound significance.

"This is only the first round," Qinglan replied calmly.

At this moment, Meng Liang’s admiration for Qinglan was like the endless flow of the Yellow River. He finally understood why every time Gu Yang mentioned Qinglan, it was like talking about a fan’s idol. He thought he had become a fan of Qinglan too.

The second event was moving target shooting. In order to increase the difficulty, Qinglan and Hengyi blindfolded themselves again.

They were not in the military region at the moment, but in a shooting range some distance from it. Right then, what they didn’t realize was that there were a few people on the second floor watching them.

One of the people, a tall middle-aged man, pointed to Qinglan and asked, "Who’s that girl?"

The person next to him was Hengyi’s current superior, "She is Major General Fu’s wife, General Shen’s granddaughter, Shen Qinglan."

The man frowned upon hearing this, "Isn’t the Old General Shen’s granddaughter a painter? Called Leng Qingqiu if I remember correctly."

"That’s her indeed. It’s my first time knowing that Old General Shen’s granddaughter possesses such impressive skills."

The man nodded in agreement, "Indeed, her skills even surpass those of Lin Xiao and the others known as dominators."

"I think she’s even a notch better, just considering her shooting skills," Hengyi’s leader said solemnly as he watched Qinglan. After all, he had not seen her other abilities and naturally, could not make casual judgments.

"That’s a real prodigy; it’s a shame though," the man said regretfully. The Shen siblings were both impressive. I remember how Jun Yu emerged top in the new recruits’ selection in his time, but unfortunately, he later chose to quit, even going into business.

Now, seeing Qinglan, the man’s thoughts began to stir.

Qinglan and Hengyi had come here to compete, so as not to draw attention within the military, yet despite their calculations, they were still spotted by the top leader of the military region.

The second round of Qinglan and Hengyi’s competition ended, and Qinglan won against Hengyi. She looked at Hengyi with a light smile, "It’s a tie now."

Hengyi won the first round and she won the second. Now, it was up to the third round.

The third round was hand-to-hand combat. Meng Liang’s eyes shone brightly as he gave Qinglan a thumbs-up, "Sister-in-law, awesome! I surrender my knees to you."

It wasn’t surprising that Hengyi was good, because that was Hengyi, but Qinglan’s ability to match Hengyi was nothing short of miraculous. In his eyes, Qinglan was simply unbeatable.

"Sister-in-law, who taught you such amazing shooting skills?" Meng Liang asked, nearly with stars in his eyes.

Qinglan sweated. She couldn’t possibly tell the truth, so she credited everything to Old Sir Shen. Meng Liang suddenly realized and nodded continuously, "So it was Old General Shen who taught you. No wonder then."

"Clap clap clap clap." The sound of clapping arose. The three of them looked towards where the sound was coming from and saw two men walking towards them, both standing upright.