Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Alright, she had a guilty conscience.
“It’s so rare for you to take the initiative to ask me out.” Zhai Sheng focused his deep gaze on Qiao Nan.
In the past, when Qiao Nan was in Ping Cheng and he was in the army, Zhai Sheng could only talk on the phone with her once or twice a week. However, now that both of them were in the army camp, they could not see each other for various reasons. Zhai Sheng realized that not being able to see each other even though they were close by was the most torturous thing to him.
They were so close, yet worlds apart.
Qiao Nan was in a mixture of bewilderment and amusement. They were in the same army camp, but why did it seem like Brother Zhai missed her much more than before? “Brother Zhai, keep a check on your gaze. Your eyes are brighter than the stars in the sky. The people in the army are very sharp.”
“The stars may be bright, but they are not as bright as the moon.”
Qiao Nan blushed. “Brother Zhai, I ask you out today as I have something to ask you.”
“I knew it.” Qiao Nan almost doubted that there was something wrong with her hearing. From Brother Zhai’s tone, he seemed to bear a grudge against her. He sounded as if she was heartless and would only ask him out when she needed a favor from him.
“Brother Zhai, can we have a talk nicely?”
“One has to be in love to know the torture of pining for your loved ones?”
“Hey…” Qiao Nan had a headache and had goosebumps all over her body. At the same time, it was embarrassing to be happy when hearing those words. Her actual age was not eighteen years old. How could she fall for such honeyed words? “Brother Zhai, is it because you take me as a teacher that you recited that line to me?”
What she really wanted to ask was whether Brother Zhai read a lot of romance novels or dating guide books recently.
No wonder it was said that hooligans who knew how to fight were not to be feared, but one must be fearful of cultured hooligans.
But the cultured military hooligan who stood in front of her was the most terrifying of all.
Seeing that Qiao Nan was as uneasy as a rabbit, looking around to hide in a rabbit hole, Zhai Sheng returned to normal. “What is it?”
“It’s regarding the Shi family.” Qiao Nan quickly breathed a sigh of relief when Zhai Sheng was back to normal. She then told Zhai Sheng what Shi Qing told her. “Brother Zhai, why do I feel that the Shi family is strange? According to Shi Qing, Old Master Shi is definitely not the kind of person who can see reasons.” Back then, when Chief Zhai married Auntie Miao, why did Old Master Shi not do something to get Chief Zhai back?
“You can tell?” Zhai Sheng pinched Qiao Nan’s soft and smooth face but stopped himself before Qiao Nan flared up. “When Dad married Mom, Dad and Officer Shi were fighting for a position.”
“Chief Zhai landed the position in the end?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, then I understand.” If Officer Shi landed that position back then, today, Shi Qing would be the daughter of the chief of the army.
Since the son competed with the son-in-law for a position, Old Master Shi had to support his son. If the winner was Officer Shi, he would be Chief Shi today.
As the defeated opponent, Old Master Shi had no need to insist that his daughter married Chief Zhai, lest other people misunderstood that nobody wanted his daughter and he had to marry her to Chief Zhai and be looked down upon by the Zhai family.
Back then, Old Master Zhai was especially insistent and refused to accept Qi Minlan as his daughter-in-law, and Chief Zhai did not make his stand clear.
As for now…
The Zhai family landed the position of the chief of the army, so Officer Shi would not have the chance to be the chief of the army in this life.
Therefore, Old Master Shi had set his sights on his maternal granddaughter, Qiu Chenxi, wanting to set her up with Brother Zhai. Old Master Shi was sure that Brother Zhai would take over the position of the chief of the army and become the second chief of the army from the Zhai family.
Thinking of the news that she heard in her previous life, she had to admit that the Shi family indeed had the foresight.
“Now, you should know why grandpa despises people from the Shi family.” Zhai Sheng had a solemn look on his face. Given his position and the environment he was in, he was not the least surprised that people would come up with such schemes.
These schemes alone were manageable. If it was between political opponents, they would resort to framing each other.
Qiao Nan lowered her head, feeling upset.
In the previous life, the distance between Brother Zhai and her was too far apart. Even though he used to live in the same quad as her, she had no impression of him and had no contact with him.
She only knew that Brother Zhai became the chief of the army, but she did not know what happened to him. No matter what, she did not remember that the famous chief of the army, Zhai Sheng, stayed single like her. She did not marry even when she was over forty years old.
Hence, if Brother Zhai was married, did he marry Qiu Chenxi?
“What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?” Zhai Sheng looked at Qiao Nan, feeling clueless.
Qiao Nan sounded jealous. “Both Sister Zhai Hua and you said that Auntie Miao has changed under my influence and no longer sees Qiu Chenxi as her potential daughter-in-law. In other words, without me, Auntie Miao would never figure it out. Despite knowing that the Shi family is plotting against you, would you still marry Qiu Chenxi?”
“‘What if’ does not exist,” Zhai Sheng said in a serious tone. “There’s no such thing as ‘what if’. I don’t think it is necessary to ask.” There was Nan Nan, so the ‘what if’ did not exist.
Zhai Sheng felt particularly uncomfortable at the thought of the ‘what if’.
Regardless of whether he married Qiu Chenxi or Li Chenxi, it was definitely not because of love if he did not meet Nan Nan.
To Zhai Sheng who had met Qiao Nan, a marriage without love was very devastating.
Perhaps, if he had never met Nan Nan, marriage would be a routine, something that he must do in his life. But since he had met Nan Nan, this was absolutely unacceptable.
Zhai Sheng knitted his eyebrows and there was a melancholy look about him. Qiao Nan sighed and smiled, taking the initiative to lean close to him. “Brother Zhai, don’t mind my words. Let’s forget it. Girls just like to let their imagination runs wild. I am just jealous. You are right. There’s no ‘what if’. Fortunately, I met you and you met me.”
She had always thought that she was mature, unlike an eighteen-year-old girl. Why would she be jealous over this? She was a fool.
“You’re not to mention ‘what if’ in the future. I don’t like it.” He would not accept the world without Nan Nan.
“I swear I won’t mention it again.” Gone was the previous life. She had to cherish her present life.
“Nan Nan, I am glad that you care about me and are jealous. Some jealousy will indeed spice up the relationship, but don’t ever bring up this topic again.”