Chapter 366| Chapter 367| Chapter 368
Chapter 366: Fawning
The neighbors were now singing Yi Yi’s praises, calling her a lucky star who had brought Gu Tingxiao back alive. They seemed to have completely forgotten that just days ago, they were viciously whispering about her being a “disaster star.” The gossips might have selective amnesia, but Grandpa and Grandma Sheng certainly hadn’t forgotten.
The military family compound was a hotbed of shifting loyalties and self-interest. The elderly couple wanted absolutely no part in it. In fact, the moment Mother Sheng and Mother Gu stepped outside, they were bombarded with fawning congratulations. The two mothers exchanged a knowing look and hurried back indoors.
“Yan’er, try not to go out for a while,” Mother Gu instructed once they were inside. “Our family needs to keep a low profile right now.”
Sheng Wanyan naturally understood the underlying meaning. Everyone was desperate to curry favor with their family now, largely because Gu Tingxiao was practically guaranteed a major promotion. It was best to lay low during this sensitive period to prevent anyone from finding an excuse to sabotage his upward mobility.
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Sheng Wanyan replied. “I’ll stay home and focus on taking care of Tingxiao.”
Mother Gu, seasoned by her years working in the government, understood the delicate political dance perfectly. She turned to Mother Sheng. “In-law, you should go back and tell your family to keep a low profile too. I have a feeling your Xiaoze is also going to move up a rank.”
Hearing this, Mother Sheng slapped her thigh in sudden realization!
If Gu Tingxiao moved up, the vacant position of deputy regiment commander would almost certainly go to Sheng Wanze. Armed with this inside information, they could take precautions in advance. There was no way Gu Tingxiao’s promotion would be derailed—the Gu family back in the Capital was keeping a close watch, and he had a virtuous, capable wife supporting him behind the scenes. The Gu family was likely using this opportunity to pave the way for his eventual transfer back to the capital; a higher rank would make that transition much smoother.
Mother Sheng, well aware of the Gu family’s immense influence, knew her mother-in-law’s assessment was spot on. Furthermore, with Father Pan keeping an eye on Sheng Wanze’s career, his promotion was practically set in stone.
“Yes, yes, In-law, you are absolutely right!” Mother Sheng agreed eagerly. “I’ll go tell them right now.”
Mother Sheng hurried across the path and gathered the elderly Shengs and Pan Yue, warning them to keep their heads down during this critical period. They couldn’t afford to let anyone catch wind of a mistake that could be used against Sheng Wanze. The whole family understood the gravity of the situation; naturally, they wouldn’t go showing off outside. Until the official orders were finalized, they had to remain completely humble.
“Understood,” Grandma Sheng said, patting her chest. “I was wondering why everyone was acting so sickeningly sweet when we went out today.”
The neighbors’ enthusiasm had been entirely different from usual, tinged with a heavy dose of sycophancy. They were terrified of retaliation once Gu Tingxiao and Sheng Wanze secured their new ranks, so they were desperately trying to build good relationships to protect themselves. Furthermore, currying favor with the Sheng family was equivalent to currying favor with Sheng Wanyan—and winning over Sheng Wanyan meant getting on the good side of the powerful Gu family. They weren’t fools; they fully understood the benefits. Coupled with the fact that Pan Yue was their granddaughter-in-law, everyone knew the immense advantages the Sheng family held.
“Xiaoyue, make sure you go out less often too,” Grandma Sheng advised.
Pan Yue nodded in agreement. Having grown up in the military, she had long since seen how the attitudes of compound residents shifted with the political winds. When you had power, they treated you like royalty; when you didn’t, you were treated worse than dirt. This kind of opportunism was common in any unit.
After delivering the warning, Mother Sheng scooped up little Huzi and carried him across the street to play with Yi Yi, leaving Pan Yue to enjoy a rare moment of peace and quiet.
At that moment, Yi Yi was doing her daily exercises. She was crawling energetically across the floor, closely supervised by her mother.
Gu Tingxiao watched from the sidelines, amazed by how lively his daughter had become. When he left for his mission, she was just a helpless infant who only knew how to eat, sleep, and soil her diapers. He hadn’t expected to come back and find her able to stand. She could even babble and make all sorts of funny, expressive noises now. A heavy pang of guilt hit him for missing so much of her growth.
As Yi Yi pulled herself up using the edge of the bed, Gu Tingxiao leaned over, scooped her up, and set her on the kang (heated brick bed) to play. Thrilled to have her father’s company, Yi Yi happily tottered across the mattress, occasionally using the wall to steady herself upright.
Seeing her stagger, Gu Tingxiao’s heart leapt into his throat. She’s going to fall—this is too rough!
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Yi Yi tumbled backward and landed flat on her bottom. Gu Tingxiao frantically reached out to catch her, but Sheng Wanyan, completely used to this routine, remained perfectly calm.
“Yi Yi can stand on her own now. As long as she doesn’t hit her head, it’s fine,” Sheng Wanyan reassured him. “Moving around and taking a few tumbles is good for her motor development.”
It was normal for toddlers to fall, but Gu Tingxiao’s mental image of his daughter was still stuck at six months old. He nodded, committing his wife’s advice to memory.
Yi Yi was a remarkably resilient child. She never gave up; every time she fell, she simply pulled herself right back up, completely unfazed by the bumps and bruises. It was obvious this sheer perseverance was inherited directly from Gu Tingxiao. After all, Sheng Wanyan was famously terrified of pain—a fact Gu Tingxiao knew intimately well.
Mother Sheng walked in carrying Huzi. The moment Yi Yi spotted her cousin, she bounced with excitement. Sheng Wanyan carried her into the living room, brought out a basket of toys, and let the two toddlers loose.
While Sheng Wanyan supervised the babies, Mother Sheng and Mother Gu headed into the kitchen to prepare lunch.
The two toddlers were acting quite strange, happily gnawing on each other’s chubby arms. Sheng Wanyan found it hilarious. Look at these little rascals, figuring out their own bizarre ways to have fun. Honestly, looking at those plump, lotus-root-like arms, she was half-tempted to take a bite herself.
The babies traded gentle bites, giggling and squealing. Despite not being able to form actual words, they babbled back and forth as if they perfectly understood each other’s secret language. Watching them, Sheng Wanyan finally believed that “baby talk” was a real, tangible dialect—one only children could comprehend.
She sat back and simply ensured they didn’t hurt themselves, knowing better than to interfere. Kids could be wrestling one second and best friends the next.
Huzi crawled after Yi Yi and proudly pulled out his prized piece of candy, offering it to her again.
Ignorant to its sweet taste, Yi Yi solemnly rejected it, showing absolutely zero interest. Confused as to why his sister didn’t want the most delicious thing in the world, Huzi tucked the candy back into his pocket with a bewildered pout.
Sheng Wanyan pulled out a basket of soft yarn and began knitting a tiny sweater. After Yi Yi’s birthday, it would be September. The weather up north would turn bitterly cold next month, and she needed to have warm winter clothes ready.
Children grew like weeds; outfits from just a few months ago were already far too snug. Yi Yi was definitely one of those children blessed with long limbs, even if her baby fat currently disguised it. But when placed next to children of the exact same age, her superior proportions were obvious.
The two toddlers played happily until noon, when Pan Yue finally came over to fetch Huzi for his lunch and afternoon nap.
Chapter 367: Captain Feng and His Family Come Again
Pan Yue reached over and gently pinched Yi Yi’s cheek. The little girl grinned up at her, silently promising to grow up big and strong.
“Ahhh~”
Pan Yue chatted back to the baby in her own language, thoroughly amused by her sweetness, before giving her chubby little arm another affectionate squeeze. Fully satisfied after spending time with the baby, Pan Yue carried Huzi back across the street, leaving a highly bewildered Yi Yi behind.
Yi Yi rubbed her face with a tiny fist. Why did all the adults have such a stubborn obsession with pinching her cheeks? Was her face truly that chubby?
The little girl was utterly perplexed. It was fine when her own family did it, but lately, even the neighbors outside wanted to reach out and poke her whenever they spotted her. Fortunately, every single time a stranger tried to grab her, her grandmother or grandmother-in-law would instantly step in to block them. If they hadn’t, her face would probably be permanently swollen by now.
Watching her daughter’s internal struggle, Sheng Wanyan found it hilarious. Now that the little girl was a year old, she was clearly beginning to form her own distinct opinions. Sheng Wanyan scooped her up, carried her into the bedroom, and prepared a fresh bottle of formula. She sat the baby down on her small kang and let her happily nurse away.
Meanwhile, Mother Sheng and Mother Gu finished preparing a hot lunch. Sheng Wanyan plated a portion and carried it into the bedroom for Gu Tingxiao.
“You and our daughter should take your time and eat together,” she said with a smile. It was the perfect arrangement—an injured soldier and a growing infant sharing a quiet meal side by side.
“Wanyan, don’t worry about me. Go out and eat your own lunch,” Gu Tingxiao urged gently. He had noticed that from the moment his wife woke up, she was a whirlwind of activity, her entire schedule utterly consumed by managing the baby and the household.
He knew exactly what kind of woman his wife was. For the sake of their daughter, she had willingly transformed her entire daily routine and personal habits. Giving up one’s independent lifestyle and ambitions for a child was an incredibly difficult sacrifice.
Sheng Wanyan: “…”
In truth, she didn’t harbor any grand ideals or lofty career ambitions. Her ultimate dream was simply to amass enough wealth so she could spend money freely—buying whatever she fancied without ever having to look at the price tag. She was a thoroughly materialistic soul; Gu Tingxiao really thought far too highly of her character.
Once she settled his tray, Sheng Wanyan returned to the dining room to share lunch with the two mothers. Ever since Gu Tingxiao’s miraculous return, everyone’s appetite had visibly improved. The house was no longer blanketed by that suffocating, fragile tension from before. During his absence, the relatives had treaded on eggshells, terrified of uttering a wrong syllable that might trigger her into deep sorrow. Fortunately, the nightmare was over, and life within their little household was bound to grow brighter and brighter.
After washing the dishes, Sheng Wanyan prepared for a quick afternoon nap. The two mothers hoisted themselves onto their bicycles and headed off toward the urban supply and marketing cooperative, their spirits high as they looked forward to an afternoon of shopping.
With only the three of them left in the quiet apartment, Sheng Wanyan set about coaxing Yi Yi down for her nap. To her surprise, the little girl was bursting with energy today. Normally, she would have been out like a light at this hour, sleeping soundly. But today, she stubbornly insisted on playing, her eyes locked onto Gu Tingxiao.
“Wanyan, pass her over. Let me handle her,” Gu Tingxiao offered, leaning back against his pillows.
“Are you sure you’re up for it?” she asked skeptically.
Hearing the doubt in her voice, Gu Tingxiao’s eyes darkened with a familiar, dangerous glint. Didn’t his wife know exactly what he was capable of handling? “What do you think?”
Sheng Wanyan rolled her eyes elegantly. What on earth is this man implying? She was genuinely asking out of concern for his physical lacerations, yet here he was, casually dropping innuendos. The long journey must have broken his filter. How was it that after surviving such a brutal ordeal, his shamelessness had only intensified?
“Keep your mind clean,” she scolded playfully.
Sheng Wanyan carefully lifted Yi Yi and nestled her into his arms. Though his torso and legs were mapped with severe injuries, his upper arms were perfectly intact and strong. With his raw physical strength, holding a toddler to sleep was absolutely no effort at all.
Yi Yi snuggled against Gu Tingxiao’s chest, remaining remarkably well-behaved. She gave her old father plenty of respect, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep within minutes.
Sheng Wanyan pulled up a chair nearby, unspooling her yarn to continue knitting the winter sweater, occasionally looking up to monitor his condition. Whenever she raised her head, she would catch Gu Tingxiao staring back at her, their eyes locking in a quiet, shared warmth.
The world outside was completely still, and inside, a peaceful calm settled over them. This was everything she had ever wanted.
Sheng Wanyan hadn’t expected any visitors to disrupt the quiet afternoon. It was right in the middle of the post-lunch rest window, a time when neighbors strictly avoided knocking on doors.
Stepping into the entryway to unlatch the lock, she found Captain Feng and Qiao Hehua standing on the threshold once again, their arms piled high with packages.
“Sister-in-law…” Captain Feng murmured, his gaze instantly dropping to the floorboards. The crushing weight of guilt left him entirely unable to look her in the eye.
He was well aware that Sheng Wanyan had every reason to despise his presence. Ever since Mother Sheng had firmly turned them away during their last visit, the Feng family hadn’t dared to intrude on their privacy. Instead, they had chosen to protect her household from a distance, fiercely stepping in whenever a neighbor attempted to gossip or cause trouble for Sheng Wanyan and the baby.
Over the past few weeks, Qiao Hehua had gotten into several explosive shouting matches with the women in the apartment buildings, strictly because they had dared to breathe malicious rumors regarding Captain Gu and his wife. Qiao Hehua knew down to her bones that her own husband’s survival had cost Sheng Wanyan’s family their peace. Now that word had broken that Captain Gu was back alive, they desperately needed to look him in the eye and pay their respects.
Sheng Wanyan understood the raw emotion driving the couple. It would be an absolute lie to claim she hadn’t harbored a bitter resentment toward them during the darkest nights of his absence. But she also possessed the clarity to recognize that Captain Feng wasn’t to blame for the river’s currents. If any other soldier had been sweeping downstream that day, Gu Tingxiao would have risked his life to pull them out just the same.
Looking at the desperate, pleading expressions on the couple’s faces, Sheng Wanyan stepped aside, clearing the entryway. “Come on in.”
“Ah! Thank you, Sister-in-law… Thank you,” Captain Feng choked out, his eyes turning fierce and red with unshed tears as the immense relief washed over him.
Sheng Wanyan guided them into the living room. Since Gu Tingxiao was currently resting in the master bedroom, she knew the two officers required a private window to speak. She carefully lifted the sleeping Yi Yi from his side and carried her into the grandmothers’ bedroom, settling her safely onto the mattress. Then, she stepped into the kitchen to pour two glasses of fresh water.
Left alone in the living room, Qiao Hehua sat rigidly on the edge of the sofa, her hands twisting in her lap, utterly consumed by a nervous anxiety.
“Drink some water,” Sheng Wanyan said, setting the glasses on the low table. “The men have a lot of military matters to catch up on.”
“Thank you, Sister-in-law,” Qiao Hehua stammered, her throat dry.
Up close, she felt an overwhelming intimidation in Sheng Wanyan’s presence. The last time they had interacted casually was during the routine base gatherings with the other military wives. Back then, none of the dependents comprehended the sheer scale of Sheng Wanyan’s independent talents, let alone the elite political backing of the Gu family lineage. Now that the truth had been thoroughly laid bare across the base, she scarcely dared to open her mouth.
At the end of the day, she and Sheng Wanyan operated in two entirely different worlds. Qiao Hehua was completely uneducated, a traditional village woman who relied entirely on her husband’s military salary for survival. Sheng Wanyan was an elite intellectual, earning a massive independent income every single month that far surpassed any officer’s pay.
The moment she discovered Captain Gu had nearly lost his life explicitly to save her husband, a suffocating panic had seized her. Knowing how substantial Sheng Wanyan’s independent resources were, she had despaired over how her family could ever offer a form of restitution that would satisfy her. They had scraped together the absolute finest luxury goods they could purchase, yet compared to Sheng Wanyan’s lifestyle, their offerings felt incredibly meager.
Thank Heaven Captain Gu had returned alive. If he hadn’t, her family could have labored like slaves for the rest of their natural lives and still never managed to repay the debt they owed to this woman.
Sheng Wanyan observed the intense tension radiating from Qiao Hehua, but she chose to stay calm, steering the conversation into light, ordinary topics to ensure the woman didn’t view her as a hostile enemy. Sensing that Wanyan harbored no active malice or blame toward her, Qiao Hehua finally felt the structural knot of anxiety in her chest begin to loosen.
Meanwhile, inside the quiet master bedroom, the moment Captain Feng laid eyes on Gu Tingxiao’s gaunt, heavily bandaged form, his knees buckled. He dropped heavily to the floorboards.
“Regiment Commander… I am so deeply sorry,” he wept.
Seeing his subordinate instantly prostrate himself, Gu Tingxiao’s brows twitched violently in irritation. What on earth is wrong with this man?
“Get up this instant!” Gu Tingxiao barked, his voice stern. “A soldier kneels only to the heavens, the earth, and his own parents. What do you think you’re doing, kneeling to me?”
But Captain Feng remained frozen on the floor, consumed by his guilt. If Gu Tingxiao hadn’t been anchored by a heavy plaster cast and raw lacerations, he would have lunged out of bed and kicked the man back onto his feet himself.
“I said stand up! Do you honestly expect an injured man to drag himself out of bed just to haul you off the floor?”
Gu Tingxiao’s face darkened in real irritation. Hearing the sharp authority in his commander’s voice, Captain Feng slowly pushed himself up from the floorboards, wiping his face.
Chapter 368: Gu Tingxiao Knew Her Grievances
“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Gu Tingxiao said, his voice deep and steady. “If it had been anyone else out there, I would have done the exact same thing.”
Comrades-in-arms trusted each other with their lives; they were each other’s shields. In the military, that bond was sacred. A soldier always had his comrade’s back.
Captain Feng stood by the bed with bloodshot eyes, lowering his head, not daring to speak.
Gu Tingxiao shifted slightly, his gaze sharpening. “How has your sister-in-law been doing these past few weeks? Did anything happen in the family compound?”
He needed to know what Sheng Wanyan had faced while he was gone. The way his wife had cleanly changed the subject earlier told him everything he needed to know—she was hiding something.
“Regiment Commander… you don’t know?” Captain Feng looked up, genuinely surprised. He had assumed Gu Tingxiao was already fully briefed. He hadn’t expected that Sheng Wanyan wouldn’t have breathed a word of it to her husband.
During the weeks the commander was missing, the people in the family compound had pushed his sister-in-law to the absolute brink, targeting her again and again. If Sheng Wanyan hadn’t possessed such a fierce, unyielding spirit, any other woman in her position would have thrown herself into the river out of sheer despair long ago.
“Know what?” Gu Tingxiao narrowed his eyes, pinning his subordinate with a stare so piercing it made Captain Feng’s scalp tingle. “You’d better explain everything to me. Clearly.”
Terrified by the sudden, freezing aura radiating from the bed, Captain Feng swallowed hard. Trembling slightly, he began to recount every single event that had transpired during the commander’s absence.
He told him about the cruel ridicule and isolation Sheng Wanyan had endured from the neighbors, and how she had eventually fainted from the sheer emotional shock when the rescue team returned without him. Then his voice dropped as he brought up the most venomous offense—the rumors branding little Yi Yi as a cursed calamity star who brought misfortune to her parents. He detailed how Sheng Wanyan, upon finding out, had single-handedly dragged Liang Qian and the gossiping military wife down to the riverbank, holding their heads underwater to teach them a lesson.
From the subsequent sweeping military investigation orchestrated by Father Gu, to the dark secrets unearthed within the ranks, right down to the sudden, sycophantic flattery of the neighbors today—Captain Feng poured it all out, not missing a single detail.
As the narrative unfolded, Gu Tingxiao’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the quilt. The veins on his hands and forehead bulged violently, throbbing against his skin.
One look at his commander’s face, and Captain Feng knew the man was consumed by a towering, dangerous fury.
“But Regiment Commander,” Captain Feng added quickly, trying to de-escalate the tension, “the moment Commander-in-Chief Gu arrived last week and cleaned house, absolutely no one dared to utter another word.”
“Understood.” Gu Tingxiao closed his eyes, his breathing heavy.
His wife hadn’t mentioned a single shred of this torment to him. She had swallowed all that grievance in silence. Even their innocent daughter, a baby who hadn’t even reached her first year, had been publicly branded a curse by malicious tongues.
He had fought for this child, prayed for her, and welcomed her into the world with nothing but pure love. Yet, she had been weaponized by despicable people to torment his family. How utterly monstrous.
Liang Qian, was it? A cold, lethal edge settled into Gu Tingxiao’s thoughts. Magnificent.
Captain Feng watched him anxiously, well aware of how deeply the commander treasured his wife and child. Yi Yi was their firstborn, the absolute center of their world; hearing her slandered like that would cut any father to the core.
“Regiment Commander, Chief of Staff Liang and his wife have already been stripped of their status and sent to a labor farm for reform,” Captain Feng clarified, wanting to reassure him. “The same goes for Liang Qian. The Du family divorced her immediately before she was escorted out west.”
Having laid bare the full extent of the resolution, Captain Feng fell silent. Gu Tingxiao slowly digested the information, his face an unreadable mask. Finally, he gave a curt nod, signaling that his subordinate was dismissed.
“Regiment Commander, please focus entirely on your recovery. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Mm.”
Captain Feng turned and walked out of the bedroom, quietly gathering Qiao Hehua from the living room to head home.
In the entryway, Sheng Wanyan intercepted them, gesturing toward the heavy parcels they had brought. “Take these things back with you. Our house isn’t lacking for supplies.”
They had truly emptied their pockets, bringing high-grade malted milk tins, pastries, fine fabrics, and fresh cuts of pork. It was an incredibly expensive haul for a captain’s salary.
The moment Sheng Wanyan spoke, Captain Feng and Qiao Hehua didn’t even wait to argue. They practically bolted through the doorway, determined not to give her a single chance to refuse the offerings.
“Sister-in-law! That’s strictly to nourish the Regiment Commander’s health!” Captain Feng roared back from the courtyard gate, his voice echoing down the path before his figure vanished into the afternoon mist.
Sheng Wanyan marched out into the yard, intending to force the packages back into their arms, but the couple was sprinting so fast they had already cleared the lane. By the time she reached the gate, the path was completely empty.
Running that fast, she thought, shaking her head in amusement, you’d think a ghost was snapping at their heels.
Realizing there was no catching them, she gathered the luxury goods and carried them back inside. After checking on little Yi Yi, who was still sound asleep in the grandmothers’ room, Sheng Wanyan stepped back into the master bedroom. The absolute second she crossed the threshold, she noticed a profound shift in Gu Tingxiao’s demeanor.
She set her things aside and walked over to sit on the edge of the mattress. “What’s wrong?”
His face was drawn, his expression incredibly grim. Sheng Wanyan’s brow furrowed with immediate concern. “Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Why aren’t you speaking to me?”
Anxious that his internal injuries might be flaring up, she quickly reached forward, intending to pull back his light vest to inspect his chest dressings.
“Ah—what are you doing?” she gasped.
Before her fingers could touch his shirt, Gu Tingxiao’s arms shot forward. He hauled her bodily against his chest, wrapping his arms around her in a sudden, tight embrace.
Sheng Wanyan froze, slightly bewildered. Why was this stubborn man suddenly acting so intensely emotional? “Tingxiao, what is it?” she asked softly, trying to peer at his face.
But Gu Tingxiao merely buried his face deep into the crook of her neck, refusing to speak. He simply held her with a desperate, crushing strength. Sensing the raw vulnerability in his frame, Sheng Wanyan stopped resisting, relaxing against him and allowing him to hold her for as long as he needed.
After a long, heavy silence, Gu Tingxiao slowly loosened his grip, giving her enough space to breathe, though his hands remained anchored to her waist.
“Wanyan,” he murmured, his voice thick and cracked with emotion. “You endured such horrific injustice while I was gone. Why didn’t you say a single word to me?”
Sheng Wanyan paused, the realization dawning on her. Captain Feng had clearly let the truth slip. She offered him a gentle, dismissive smile. “It’s all in the past now. Dad already took care of everything.”
The crisis had been thoroughly dismantled by the Commander-in-Chief. Liang Qian and the ringleaders of the gossip train had already received their legal punishments. In her mind, there was absolutely no reason to dredge up old dirt, especially when Gu Tingxiao needed a peaceful, stress-free environment to mend his broken bones.
“Wanyan, look at me. I am your husband, and I am Yi Yi’s father,” Gu Tingxiao said, his dark eyes ablaze with an absolute, fierce seriousness. He deeply disliked this unyielding, fiercely independent wall she erected around her suffering.
When his family faced a grievance, it was his duty as a man to handle the burden. “I am not a mere decoration in this household. If my wife and daughter are targeted, it is my responsibility to tear down anyone who dares to cross them!”
He didn’t want her to handle the weight of the world entirely on her own. When he was standing right beside her, he wanted her to lean on him, to vent her frustrations, and to openly complain about the hardships his military career had inflicted upon her and their child. He wanted her to demand comfort from him, rather than locking her trauma away in silence. When she handled everything with such clinical autonomy, it left him with a hollow ache—as if he were entirely redundant in her heart.
Catching the deep, vulnerable hurt lingering in his eyes, Sheng Wanyan’s heart softened completely. She reached down, interlacing her fingers with his calloused hand, and patiently began to explain herself, determined to banish his guilt.
“Tingxiao, listen to me. I never intended to deceitfully hide the truth from you,” she said, her voice entirely tender. “But the situation was already fully resolved by Dad before you even crossed the threshold, and I had already taken my own pound of flesh from those women to secure justice for our daughter.”
“I understand that as a husband and a father, you carry a heavy burden of guilt for leaving us unprotected. But you must remember—I am Yi Yi’s mother. Protecting her honor and her safety is my sacred right and obligation as well.”
She squeezed his hand tighter. “So, I promise you, I truly do not feel wronged or neglected.”
Hearing her perspective, the tension slowly drained from Gu Tingxiao’s shoulders, though a small, possessive stubbornness still pulled at his chest. He was still quietly brooding over the fact that she hadn’t ran to him for comfort the second he returned. He wanted her to need him completely; to put it bluntly, the formidable commander was feeling a bit jealous of her self-sufficiency.
Sheng Wanyan could read his expression like an open book. She felt a profound mix of sweet affection and deep amusement wash over her. This husband of his was truly a mass of contradictions—outwardly he was an unyielding, stoic soldier, but inwardly he possessed a deeply passionate, sensitive soul that required the most meticulous, tender care.
