Qiao Shu, who had been thoroughly struck by He Yingzi’s words ‘not reached the legal marriage age’, left the study completely wilted and decided to head to the kitchen to make something delicious to comfort her wounded heart.
Thus, after Qiao Shu left, only He Yingzi and her younger brother Feng Xiao remained in the study.
After Qiao Shu departed, the atmosphere between the two underwent a significant shift.
When Qiao Shu had been there, the auras around both of them carried a hint of gentleness.
But once only He Yingzi and Feng Xiao were left in the study, the mood turned heavy and serious.
“Have you thought it through.”
He Yingzi looked at Feng Xiao with an indifferent expression, her voice carrying the authority of an elder sister.
“Mm, Sis, I want to marry her.”
Feng Xiao’s expression was serious, his voice resounding with determination.
This was a decision he had made after deep consideration.
He might not be able to be a perfect husband, but… he would do his utmost to make Qiao Shu happy.
“To be honest, deep down, I don’t approve of your marriage. After all, in my eyes, you two are truly mismatched.”
Seeing the seriousness and resolve in her brother’s eyes, He Yingzi let out a light sigh, understanding that her brother had already made up his mind.
And once her brother set his mind on something, not even ten oxen could pull him back.
“But that silly girl Shushu has set her sights on you. I really don’t know what kind of bewitching potion her grandfather fed her to make her so dead set on you…”
At this point, He Yingzi grew angry.
Although the man Qiao Shu had chosen was her own brother, in her eyes, this brother was still utterly unworthy of Qiao Shu!
His age was one thing, and his busy duties meant he couldn’t often return home to care for Qiao Shu properly, but what was most unacceptable was that he would make her suddenly become a stepmom right after marriage, with two kids in tow!
Even though those two children weren’t Feng Xiao’s biological offspring, they were even more troublesome as the children of martyrs. With that status, Qiao Shu’s role as stepmother would be all the harder. With all those eyes in the Military Compound watching, any slip-up would drown her in gossip.
The more she thought about it, the more He Yingzi felt that Qiao Shu marrying her brother was tantamount to jumping into a fiery pit!
So her initial agreement began to waver again…
“A Xiao, I’ve thought about it more carefully just now, and I feel you two…” aren’t suitable.
He Yingzi hadn’t finished her words when Feng Xiao interrupted her.
“Sis, I understand your concerns. Not only do you have them out of care for Qiao Shu’s sake—I do too.”
Had Feng Xiao not considered He Yingzi’s worries?
After all, he was thirty, not some impulsive eighteen- or nineteen-year-old lad.
He knew the difficulties Qiao Shu might face after marrying him.
And, just as his sister He Yingzi said, he wasn’t worthy of Qiao Shu; he wasn’t the ideal match for a young girl.
But… now that he had clearly recognized his own feelings, and Qiao Shu had chosen him time and again with unwavering determination.
He decided to be ‘irrational’ just this once.
“So, I want to use this one year to give us both a chance.”
Unlike Qiao Shu, who wilted completely upon learning she hadn’t reached legal age and had a year before they could get their marriage certificate, Feng Xiao wasn’t that upset.
Though disappointed, he felt deep down that this might actually be an opportunity.
One year was enough time for them both to think clearly about whether they wanted to become each other’s other half.
“…Fine.”
He Yingzi thought it over. There was still a year anyway, so she said no more.
After the Feng siblings reached a consensus, neither thought to inform Elder Feng, Feng Father, or Feng Mother.
One assumed his sister had explained the lie about his injury and impotence to their parents.
The other assumed her brother had already clarified the impotence lie with the family.
Thus, the poor Feng elders remained completely in the dark.
They were still fretting over what to do about Qiao Shu insisting on marrying Feng Xiao!
…
“Comrade Qiao Shu, you’ve got mail.”
Qiao Shu had been quite upset upon learning she couldn’t get a marriage certificate because she hadn’t reached legal age. But that afternoon, when she received a letter from Qiao Village, her sadness vanished instantly!
She took the letter from the orderly Xiao Li. Her wilted demeanor and wrinkled little face instantly perked up.
Once she saw the address and sender on the envelope, her expression turned from cloudy to sunny, blooming into a bright, radiant smile.
That smile once again dazzled Xiao Li, who hurried away in fright.
“Little Aunt, why are you so happy? Did you get another acceptance letter?”
Since Qiao Shu had been thrilled the last time she got mail, He Anning subconsciously assumed this was another notice from Fairy Tale Princess Magazine.
“Money! Snacks~”
Even five-year-old Jiang Lekang thought the same.
Qiao Shu lowered her head to look at the two little ones and said cheerfully,
“No, it’s a letter from home.”
With that, Qiao Shu couldn’t even be bothered to find a seat. She eagerly tore open the letter right there and read the long-awaited family letter.
Soon, she finished reading it.
Compared to the long letter she had written to her parents, their reply was very concise.
The main points were two: everything was fine at home, nothing for her to worry about.
Most of the letter expressed concern for her, asking in detail how she was faring with the Feng Family, if she lacked anything.
Oh, and her parents mentioned in passing that Qiao Hui had been shocked and disbelieving upon reading in her letter that she was living at the Capital Feng Family in the Capital Military District Compound—she insisted it was impossible, that she must have gone to the small island where Feng Xiao’s unit was stationed…
Seeing her parents’ casual mention of Qiao Hui, everything clicked for Qiao Shu.
It seemed that in her previous life, Qiao Hui, who had married into the Feng Family, hadn’t been brought to the Capital Feng Family but had gone directly to follow the troops.
Then, on that small island with the unit, some very bad things had happened…
So much so that after rebirth, she no longer wanted to marry into the Feng Family and had shoved this ‘bad marriage’ onto her.
At this thought, Qiao Shu felt she didn’t need to care what had happened to Qiao Hui.
After all, they were different people; what happened to her wouldn’t necessarily happen to Qiao Shu.
Wasn’t that the case now? Qiao Hui had been sent to the small island with Feng Xiao’s unit, while she had been brought to the Military District Compound in the capital.
This proved she wouldn’t suffer the ‘bad things’ Qiao Hui had anticipated from her previous life.
But…
Thinking of Qiao Hui, who had married Feng Xiao in her previous life, Qiao Shu couldn’t help muttering to herself in confusion—
‘So did Feng Xiao marry Qiao Hui in his previous life???’
He had married Qiao Hui so easily, even bringing her straight to the small island with his unit to become family right away. So why was it so difficult with her!
He kept pushing back against her desire to be with him and get married.
How had it become instant family with Qiao Hui?
At this, Qiao Shu wasn’t angry. She just felt a bit gossipy inside—
‘Could it be that Feng Xiao likes girls like Qiao Hui?’
But that didn’t fit either. If he truly liked Qiao Hui, given his upright and responsible nature, he wouldn’t have married her at all—after all, with his injury there, he was impotent from then on…
Qiao Shu frowned tightly. No matter how she thought about it, it didn’t make sense, and she figured Feng Xiao shouldn’t like Qiao Hui, so… had Qiao Hui not married Feng Xiao in her previous life either???
So, was Feng Xiao a no-marriage advocate like her!!!
She had actually guessed right.
In her previous life, Qiao Hui truly hadn’t married Feng Xiao in any real sense—not even a wedding.
Feng Xiao had been far too busy in his previous life, tied up with unit affairs and frontline battles.
Even after being injured and hospitalized on the front lines like this time, he hadn’t returned home to recover but stayed on the front.
Their interaction was limited to the monthly family letter and salary stipend he sent back.
Then, after Qiao Hui became a notorious vicious stepmother in the Military Family Courtyard, as she waited in vain for Feng Xiao to return, have a child of their own, and leave the courtyard, she received news of Feng Xiao’s heroic martyrdom and sacrifice for the country…
“Ah—!”
In the early hours, Qiao Hui jolted awake from a nightmare.
She wiped the fine cold sweat from her forehead and stared blankly and unfamiliarly at her surroundings.
Gradually, as she took in her environment, she calmed down.
It was all a dream… all a dream… She had been reborn. She was no longer that vicious stepmother of the Feng Family, no longer the indecent daughter-in-law…
This life, it was Qiao Shu who married Feng Xiao—not her!
This life, she wouldn’t suffer those awful things…
“Huff huff huff—!”
After panting heavily a few times, Qiao Hui couldn’t help thinking of the letter Qiao Shu had sent some time ago.
To this day, she still couldn’t believe that Qiao Shu, who had married Feng Xiao, hadn’t been taken to that resource-poor little island where his unit was stationed.
Instead, she had been brought to the Military District Compound in the capital, living in the Feng Family Residence and enjoying a good life.
But even if she didn’t believe it, the postmark and address on the envelope couldn’t lie.
So… Qiao Shu really was different from her. She hadn’t been taken to that wretched island to suffer those heartbreaking ordeals she didn’t want to recall…
Moreover, Feng Xiao’s parents and family liked her so much they even bought her lots of things…
Thinking that along with Qiao Shu’s letter, a large package had arrived a few days later.
Such a huge parcel, stuffed full of capital-exclusive items—local specialties, daily necessities, clothes—and one for every Qiao family member.
It must have cost a pretty penny.
The thought twisted Qiao Hui’s face with jealousy.
After all, in her previous life, she hadn’t enjoyed such treatment with the Feng Family.
“Why… why…”
Why did Qiao Shu have such good fortune! In her previous life, she had never known hardship, carefully protected and pampered by Huo Qinming—helping her get into a capital university, caring for her every need, even starting a business to give her a good life.
Now, even after she snatched Qiao Shu’s original good life and made her marry into the Feng Family for a ‘hard life’, Qiao Shu was still completely different from her previous self. She hadn’t been taken to the wretched little island for a hard life.
Instead, she had been brought to the capital’s Military District Compound, enjoying the Feng Family’s love and care in the Feng Family Residence…
The more she thought, the more Qiao Hui felt heaven was so unfair!
But then she remembered that even if Qiao Shu was living well now, so what? That short-lived ghost Feng Xiao would sacrifice himself sooner or later. It was just sweet before bitter for her!
Thinking of Feng Xiao’s two troublesome adopted kids and the shrewd, sharp-tongued elder sister of the Feng Family, a smile crept back onto her face.
“Just you wait, Qiao Shu. Your ‘good’ days are still to come…”
Qiao Hui murmured with a laugh. The thought of Qiao Shu becoming a widow after Feng Xiao’s sacrifice, her good days ending, filled her with delight.
Thus, Qiao Hui stopped dwelling on the soon-to-be-widowed Qiao Shu, who was doomed to a ‘hard life’. Instead, she thought more about—
Why hadn’t Huo Qinming confessed to her yet? Was she not doing enough?
Or… should she confess to him and make it official?
If she was too forward, would that be bad…
As she pondered, Qiao Hui couldn’t help feeling a bit resentful toward Huo Qinming again.
She had made her feelings so obvious, yet Huo Qinming still hadn’t said a word to confirm their relationship as lovers.
If it had been Qiao Shu… Huo Qinming probably would have confessed long ago…
Qiao Hui always thought about Huo Qinming this way, but she never considered that suspicion and jealousy were the most taboo things in a relationship.
She kept thinking like this, always comparing herself to Qiao Shu. Even if she really ended up with Huo Qinming, who hadn’t originally belonged to her, such a relationship was bound to have problems sooner or later.