Chapter 208: Ming Zhengwei’s Hint
But that didn’t mean Chief of Staff Liang was willing to tolerate his daughter jeopardizing his sons’ futures!
Chief of Staff Liang’s face was incredibly dark, but Liang Qian stood on the stage completely oblivious to her father’s deep disappointment.
Sheng Wanyan bent her knees slightly, giving the audience a graceful bow to conclude her performance.
“Incredible!”
“Beautiful!”
“Sister-in-law, dance again!”
“Sister-in-law’s routine was way better than Liang Qian’s.”
“Exactly. From this angle, Liang Qian is just ordinary.”
Hearing the murmurs floating up from the audience, Liang Qian’s face turned completely bloodless. She finally understood what it felt like to shoot herself in the foot.
Sheng Wanyan listened to the lively commotion, smiled warmly, and stepped up to the microphone to speak a few words. “Thank you all for your kind words, but I’m merely an amateur who came up here to have a bit of fun. Now, let’s hand the stage back over to our incredibly talented comrades from the cultural troupe.”
Wanyan glanced at Liang Qian. Before the performer could quickly mask her expression, her venomous, resentful glare was exposed to the entire room.
The audience members blinked in disbelief. Though Liang Qian quickly forced a sweet, innocent smile a second later, making everyone wonder if they had simply imagined it, the damage was done. The ugly slip couldn’t escape the sharpest eyes in the room. It seemed Comrade Liang Qian wasn’t nearly as sweet and considerate as the compound rumors claimed; it was likely all just for show.
Sitting directly in the center of the first row, Political Commissar Ming had captured the entire interaction perfectly. He turned a thoughtful, piercing look toward Chief of Staff Liang. Sensing the high-ranking capital official’s gaze, Chief of Staff Liang stiffened, his face burning with intense shame.
Sheng Wanyan stepped down from the stage and returned to her seat. Every eye in the auditorium followed her progress, leaving no one paying attention to the thoroughly humiliated Liang Qian frozen on stage.
Seeing the way the room stared at his wife, Gu Tingxiao felt a sharp wave of jealousy bubble up in his chest. Maintaining a perfectly blank, unreadable expression, he swept a cold, warning glare across the surrounding benches, forcing everyone to swiftly look away.
Captain Gu’s eyes are absolutely terrifying, the soldiers thought, shuddering. It looks like he wants to kill someone.
He’s entirely too possessive.
Sister-in-law is breathtakingly beautiful; what’s wrong with taking a quick look? We aren’t doing anything out of line. Everyone appreciates a beautiful sight, right?
“Wanyan, you must be exhausted. Have some water.” Gu Tingxiao unscrewed his canteen and handed it to her, his expression a picture of pure, doting attentiveness.
Sheng Wanyan wasn’t genuinely angry with him. When it came to their marriage, what she valued most was a clear, protective attitude, and trust between a husband and wife was paramount. She would never begin doubting Gu Tingxiao based solely on the malicious gossip of outsiders; that would be incredibly unfair to him. From the very beginning of this mess, Gu Tingxiao had been nothing more than an innocent target, so she had no intention of taking out unearned frustration on him.
She accepted the canteen, took two small sips, and handed it back. Seeing her willing to engage with him, Gu Tingxiao let out a quiet sigh of relief. As long as his wife wasn’t furious with him, his world was stable.
However, Comrade Liang Qian’s behavior had actively threatened the peace of his household and made his wife uncomfortable. It seemed he would need to draft a message to his father back in the Capital, asking him to have a stern, official word with Chief of Staff Liang. Gu Tingxiao could be incredibly ruthless and unyielding when he chose to be, and where Sheng Wanyan was concerned, he was fiercely protective.
Wanyan, however, adored this exact trait in him. What she demanded from a partner was absolute preference and fierce protection. If a husband couldn’t shield his wife from public disrespect, what was the point of being a husband? On this principle, she harbored zero doubt: her husband would stand as her shield regardless of who was right or wrong. Even if she made a mistake, they could untangle it privately once they closed their front door, but out in the open, they had to present an unbroken front.
Up in the VIP seats, Political Commissar Ming spoke up, his voice clear. “Comrade Sheng Wanyan is truly exceptionally multi-talented. A performance of this caliber is something our cultural troupe should actively study. In the future, our routines should focus on igniting this kind of inspiring morale among the men. We must continue to make progress!”
His words landed like a succession of sharp slaps across Chief of Staff Liang’s face.
“Yes, sir. We will absolutely ensure the troupe studies this direction,” Political Commissar Xie responded smoothly.
Chief of Staff Liang could only offer a stiff, strained smile, nodding in hollow agreement.
Once the showcase officially concluded, the audience lingered in the auditorium, reluctant to leave as they animatedly discussed the breathtaking dance.
“Wanyan, when on earth did you learn to move like that?” Grandma Sheng asked, her mind still reeling from the shock. It seemed there were countless hidden depths to her granddaughter that the family remained entirely ignorant of.
“Grandma, I don’t actually know how to dance,” Wanyan laughed softly, steering them out into the cool night air. “I just get a bit bored lounging around the house, so I like to do some stretching exercises to stay flexible. When I was on stage, I just allowed my body to move subconsciously while imagining the dramatic, historic battle scenes I’ve read about.”
Grandma Sheng nodded, accepting the explanation. She had always known her granddaughter possessed a remarkably flexible, agile build. If they had permitted Sheng Wanze to escort her to the cultural troupe for a formal audition years ago, she might very well be the star of a regional ensemble by now.
“Wanyan, would you be interested in joining the cultural troupe?” Pan Yue chimed in, her eyes shining with professional appreciation. “I can easily draft a formal letter of recommendation for you. You could spend a few glorious years performing on stage, and then transition into a comfortable behind-the-scenes production role once you grow tired of dancing.”
Grandpa Sheng, Grandma Sheng, and Sheng Wanze all chimed in, viewing Pan Yue’s proposition as an exceptional path for her.
But Sheng Wanyan rejected the idea instantly. Her current lifestyle was incredibly comfortable and relaxed; why on earth would she volunteer for such a grueling, demanding career? Spending every single day exhausting her body through repetitive drills and rehearsals held zero appeal.
“Sister-in-law, please don’t,” Wanyan chuckled. “I have absolutely no professional interest in dance. Doing it once in a while to pass the time is fine, but if you expect me to train day in and day out, I simply couldn’t handle it.”
Hearing her flat refusal, Pan Yue let out a quiet sigh, mourning the loss of such a magnificent, raw talent. But she respected her sister-in-law’s autonomy; as an elder, she could only offer guidance, but the ultimate decision belonged to Wanyan.
“Child, do you truly intend to just stay cooped up at home every single day?” Grandma Sheng asked as they approached the lane. Since arriving at the military quarters, she had observed that her granddaughter had zero desire to enter the workforce. Spending a lifetime simply idling inside a quiet courtyard seemed entirely too indulgent. Would Xiao Gu genuinely remain content with an unproductive wife over the long term?
“Grandma, I really have no desire to find a job right now,” Wanyan replied honestly. “I’m perfectly content managing our home.”
Grandma Sheng reached out and playfully nudged her forehead, her tone a mix of exasperation and affection. “Of course you’re content! You wake up, eat your fill, and immediately roll back over to sleep. Or you spend the afternoon sitting in your pavilion enjoying the cool breeze. I swear, not a single person in this entire province knows how to enjoy a luxury lifestyle as much as you do.”
This level of indulgence surpassed even the pampered daughters of old aristocratic estates. If a strict inspector caught wind of it, they might try to weaponize her lifestyle against the family. “You are entirely too lazy. Xiao Gu, you mustn’t spoil her to this extent.”
Grandma Sheng directed her warning toward Gu Tingxiao, who was trailing quietly behind them. Hearing her scolding, Gu Tingxiao didn’t nod or shake his head. He simply offered a soft, unwavering reply. “The only thing that matters to me is Wanyan’s happiness.”
Hearing his response, Grandma Sheng knew any further lecturing was useless. Her granddaughter had chosen an exceptionally devoted husband. As a grandmother, seeing Gu Tingxiao treasure her girl so fiercely brought a deep sense of peace to her heart. Still, for the sake of propriety, she had to maintain a strict front; their girl could be willful, and as elders, they had to ensure she remained mindful of the world’s expectations.
The moment they crossed their own threshold, Gu Tingxiao began shadowing her movements like a massive, anxious hound. He even insisted on assisting her with her bath, refusing to grant her a single inch of personal space.
“Go to sleep,” Wanyan murmured expressionlessly as she climbed onto the brick kang, pulling the quilt up to her shoulders. She simply wanted to close her eyes and block out his hovering presence for the night.
Instead of lying down beside her, Gu Tingxiao stood rigid at the edge of the platform, staring down at her with a thoroughly aggrieved, pathetic expression. He remained entirely motionless, like a soldier standing at attention waiting for a reprimand.
Staring back into those big, pleading eyes, Wanyan felt her scalp go slightly numb. What on earth does this man want from me?
