Page 291

The night breeze blew in through the window, lifting the curtains, and Gu Xiaoxi’s gaze drifted out along the windowsill, settling on the stars in the sky before she finally sighed.

She didn’t expect Cheng Yaojin to show up out of nowhere!

After her bath, she changed into a white nightgown, one she seldom wore. The pretty round neckline revealed her fair arms, and the loose hem featured beautiful ink wash paintings. The thin satin was smooth as silk, draping over her body with a rippling beauty like that of water waves.

"Knock, knock, knock! Xiao Xi, I’m back. Dinner’s ready, are you coming downstairs to eat?" It was Yun Xiao’s voice.

Gu Xiaoxi walked over and opened the door to find Yun Xiao looking at her, dazzled, "You look stunning. Even in a nightgown, you bring out resplendent beauty."

"Really? Were you mesmerized?" Gu Xiaoxi asked with a gentle smile.

Yun Xiao immediately nodded honestly.

Gu Xiaoxi took her hand, sighed, "Let’s go, let’s go down to eat."

They walked shoulder to shoulder down the stairs.

"Don’t take it too hard. Your superior officer is also helpless in this.

As long as he hasn’t said he likes her, even if she stays, what can it really mean!

" Yun Xiao hurriedly tried to explain on behalf of Quan Shaoqing. No matter what, she didn’t want Zeng Yuying’s arrival to impact their relationship.

"Was my expression that obvious?" Gu Xiaoxi turned her head to look at her and countered.

"I smelled a house full of jealousy."

Gu Xiaoxi huffed! She didn’t understand why, despite being rational, she still blurted out such sour words. She couldn’t help it; a woman in love turns into a low IQ, low EQ fool.

Indeed, the saying was true!

During dinner, Quan Shaoqing was talking on the phone in the garden the whole time.

Meanwhile, Lin Shu was making room for Zeng Yuying.

And Zeng Yuying was in her room, organizing her luggage, clearly determined to stay no matter what.

As there were no spare rooms, the only option left was a storage room.

Aunt Lin moved her belongings into the storage room and prepared to sleep on an old, worn-out bed there.

Zeng Yuying took over the room Aunt Lin had been sleeping in, right next to Gu Xiaoxi’s.

After dinner, Quan Shaoqing was still on the phone.

Having finished with the dishes, Gu Xiaoxi went to help Aunt Lin clean out the storage room.

Yun Xiao and Aunt Lin had already moved all the things from the upstairs room. It now belonged entirely to Zeng Yuying.

When Gu Xiaoxi got there, all she needed to do was help Aunt Lin tidy up.

Aunt Lin stole glances at Gu Xiaoxi while she organized, worry clear in her eyes. In the end, she couldn’t help but comfort her, "Xiao Xi, it’s natural for you to be upset. But don’t let a stranger affect you. Shaoqing has always treated you well."

Gu Xiaoxi placed a photo on Aunt Lin’s bedside table, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, "I know!"

"As long as you know! There must be some misunderstanding with the old lady. Once Shaoqing explains everything, it’ll be fine," Lin Shu said with a smile.

Gu Xiaoxi paused for a moment, nodded her head, and her gaze inadvertently swept over the photo in her hand.

In the photo were a middle-aged man and a young boy. The middle-aged man was dressed in a military uniform, exuding an authoritative air, while the young boy had a radiant smile, sunny and full of vitality.

Gu Xiaoxi turned to Lin Shu, curiosity in her voice, "Aunt Lin, who are these people?"

Yun Xiao also stopped what she was doing and looked over.

Lin Shu’s eyes softened, tinged with sadness as she looked at the photo, "That’s my husband and son."

"So you’re married?" Gu Xiaoxi asked, surprised.

"Of course, I married at twenty-five. If my child and his father were still alive, maybe I’d be seeing my daughter-in-law by now." Although Aunt Lin’s lips curved into a smile, her eyes revealed deep nostalgia and sorrow.

"I’m sorry for bringing back sad memories," Gu Xiaoxi said, not sure if she should have asked and at a loss for what to say next.

"Xiao Xi, you are mistaken. They are my pride, because my husband was a hero, and my son, a true man." Lin Shu said, her eyes brimming with tears as she shared this story.

Her husband had been a member of the Special Forces when he was young, but later got injured and left the front lines to become a battalion commander.

At that time, Quan Shaoqing was just a soldier under his command. He watched as Quan Shaoqing excelled in the military, winning multiple awards and steadily climbing the ranks, eventually becoming his most accomplished subordinate.

They became friends.

On a family trip, they encountered a group of terrorists. To protect the civilians, he and his son, only eleven years old, fought the enemies to the death and managed to rescue a busload of people.

Father and son were brave. Despite their injuries, they ultimately defeated the enemies.

But they never expected the enemies would remember them.

A month later, the enemies kidnapped their son. To protect his wife and to save his son, he knocked her unconscious and sent her to a relative’s house. Then, he reported to the police and went to rescue their son.

As a result, he was beaten badly by the villains before he saw his son strapped with bombs.

By the time the police arrived and wanted to offer their help, he refused.

Fearing more innocent lives would be lost, he dragged his injured body to his son and directed him on how to defuse the bomb.

The bomb was disarmed, but the entire building exploded.

When she arrived at the scene, all the police found in the wreckage were two unrecognizable bodies.

At that time, apart from their father and son, there were no other casualties. If he hadn’t insisted on defusing the bomb himself and had not dismissed all the police, it could have been a catastrophe with massive casualties.

Lin Shu said her husband and son were heroes, the bravest people.

Even though no one would remember their names, she was still proud of them.

After hearing this story, Gu Xiaoxi and Yun Xiao felt incredibly heavy-hearted.

One could say it’s a clichéd heroic tale, but that’s reality.

For a woman to lose the two most important men in her life, the impact is unimaginable.

"Afterward, I was obsessed with seeking vengeance.

I nearly died too. At that time, I was lucky to have Shaoqing, he saved me.

He was strong then, like a king reigning supreme over all.

He avenged me, brought the enemies to justice, and gave me the courage to live," Lin Shu said, as if she was reliving the memories, her tears flowing unconsciously.

Gu Xiaoxi stepped forward, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped her tears away, giving her a warm hug, "Aunt Lin, you still have us. You have the military, many comrades-in-arms. You also have your country and justice. You are not alone!"

Lin Shu wiped her reddened eyes and nodded firmly, "I know, you and Shaoqing are alike. You’re both good kids, thank you."

"Alright, don’t be sad. Hurry and tidy up the room, it’s time to sleep, it’s getting late." Aunt Lin quickly changed the subject,

Gu Xiaoxi nodded silently, then helped her straighten the photos.

She stood in front of the pictures, paying tribute to the two heroes.

Lin Shu bit her lip, struggling to hold back the tears in her eyes, her gaze filled with happiness and emotion.

Gu Xiaoxi was like Young Master Quan, their personas embodying a noble sentiment, so vast, so righteous, so gentle, inspiring respect and deep affection.

Yun Xiao stood to the side, listening to the story. She couldn’t comprehend Lin Shu’s emotions, but she could see Gu Xiaoxi’s respect for the heroes.

She respected others, and she herself deserved even more respect.

After Gu Xiaoxi and Yun Xiao helped Lin Shu tidy up the room, she smiled with satisfaction, "Alright, Aunt Lin, rest early. But before I leave, there’s one more thing I want to ask you."

"Go ahead and ask. I’ll tell you anything you want to know," Lin Shu said.

"I know Shaoqing was wounded. What exactly happened back then? Why was he injured? You said he was very capable, so how come his skills are now only a fraction of what they once were?" Gu Xiaoxi asked with a serious look.

Aunt Lin listened, her heart skipping a beat, and with lips pursed, she looked at Gu Xiaoxi and replied with a cool tone, "That was almost four years ago.

It was a large-scale war. In that war, all his comrades and subordinates died.

He risked his life and inflicted heavy damage on the enemy, but was also severely injured.

When he was rescued, he was barely alive.

Because of that, he rested for more than half a year.

Afterward, he was promoted to the highest commander of Department Z.

From then on, his skills plummeted, and he was left with a permanent ailment.

Later he fell gravely ill several times, the most severe of which had doctors declaring him dead, but he miraculously came back to life. "

Hearing this, Gu Xiaoxi was also shocked. She hadn’t expected that Quan Shaoqing had gone through so much, had faced life-and-death moments.

"Since that battle, Liuli Country has been peaceful for four years, with the economy gradually stabilizing. Though there are underlying forces of darkness, they can’t stir up real trouble. Our peaceful lives now were bought with his and his comrades’ lives," Lin Shu said with passion.