Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “Are you hurt?” Seeing that the young lady in his arms was in tears, Zhai Sheng roughly understood what happened. He reached out and tried to help Qiao Nan rub her nose.

  With the rub, Qiao Na’s pain intensified and she felt like she was being tortured.

  To prevent Zhai Sheng from torturing her again, Qiao Nan was exceptionally courageous, she grabbed Zhai Sheng’s hands to stop him from moving.

  When Zhai Sheng sensed that the hands that grabbed him were so soft and seemingly boneless, he felt his heart fluttering a little. What did this feeling mean? Zhai Sheng, who knew nothing about romance, did not really understand.

  Zhai Sheng, who did not like things to get beyond his control, suppressed the strange feeling he had and calmly retracted his hands. “When you came, what were you holding in your hands?”

  “Certificate of Award,” Qiao Nan’s eyes lit up, she not only showed Zhai Sheng her awards, but also took out her report card, as if she was presenting him with some treasure. “Brother Zhai, see, these are my grades for the final examination. Oh yes, Brother Zhai, I was at the essay competition when you lent me your pen, and I clinched the first place. I heard that I will be awarded some merit points for my middle school examination because of this. But I don’t know how many points.”

  “Not bad.” Zhai Sheng looked through Qiao Nan’s items one by one, his eyes flashed with satisfaction and approval.

  “Brother Zhai, here’s your pen.” Qiao Nan had originally placed the pen in the storeroom and intended to let Brother Zhai take it himself when he was back.

  But a few days after she placed the pen, she saw that it was still there, untouched. She had previously heard from Zhu Baoguo that the pen was quite expensive. Although this was the Zhai family’s residence, she was still afraid to lose the pen. Hence, she took it back and kept it with her.

  To Zhai Sheng, this pen had a significant meaning, he had always intended to take it back.

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  However, he was in such a hurry that day. After Zhai Sheng lent Qiao Nan the pen, he left the school immediately, before returning to the Zhai family to change his clothes and then quickly made his way to the army.

  The good thing was that both of them stayed in the same quad, and Qiao Nan usually stored away her books in the Zhai family’s residence. So Zhai Sheng was never worried that he would lose the pen.

  However, when Zhai Sheng held the pen that Qiao Nan had been treating like a rare gem, he could feel the slight warmth of Qiao Nan’s body temperature and a tinge of her fragrance, his body reacted before his brain could. He tucked the pen back into Qiao Nan’s hands, and said, “Treat this as a reward for your good grades in the exam.”

  When he realized what he had done and said, he was surprised but had no regrets.

  It was not until many years later, when Zhai Sheng and Qiao Nan used this pen to sign their marriage vows agreement, that he marveled at his wisdom and decisiveness on that very faithful day. With a little pen, he managed to capture the heart of such an outstanding girl to become part of his family.

  Otherwise, this sweet, young thing would not have fallen into prey into the arms of a big bad wolf like himself, and had little wolves thereafter.

  “Give it to me? Don’t,” Qiao Nan declined. “All this while, Brother Zhai had helped me so much, I don’t have the ability now, otherwise I should be the one giving you something, I feel embarrassed to accept your gift.” She was not so thick-skinned.

  There was no reason for Zhai Sheng to retrieve a gift that was already given. “Take it, when you have the ability, then talk about what you will give me, but on the premise that it would not result in a corruption crime.”

  “No, of course not.” Under that intimidating look of Zhai Sheng, Qiao Nan became inept at withstanding any pressure, she was totally under the spell of Zhai Sheng. There was absolutely no signs of the tigress demeanor that she usually displayed before Zhu Baoguo. “Brother Zhai, don’t worry, I know that you are a military officer and there are tight rules to follow, I will definitely not put you in a difficult position. If I do that, aren’t I repaying your kindness with ingratitude?”

  “I will not reject an elder’s request then. I shall keep this pen. Thanks Brother Zhai.”

  She knew that Zhai Sheng would not take back the pen. Also, putting aside the monetary value of the pen, Qiao Nan really liked the pen.

  At most, as per what Brother Zhai said, she would repay his kindness as much as possible when she had the ability in future.

  But at the thought of the Zhai family’s status and Zhai Sheng’s future success, Qiao Nan’s mouth twinged. She could not think there would be such a day where Brother Zhai needed her help.

  Zhai Sheng frowned, was this word used appropriately?

  Qiao Nan called him Brother Zhai, when had he become an elder?

  If not for the award that he saw just now, he would really suspect how Qiao Nan clinched the first place in the essay competition.

  “Fine, it’s late. You should go home.”

  Qiao Nan was shocked. Everything seemed fine just a while ago, why did Brother Zhai’s face turned black all of a sudden. “Brother Zhai, can I put my award here, if I bring it back, most likely I will not have any left.”

  Before Zhai Sheng, Qiao Nan had nothing to hide. Anyway, at the time when she was reborn, Zhai Sheng had seen the few most embarrassing times of her life.

  “Leave it here.”

  “Thank you Brother Zhai, then I’m going back. See you Brother Zhai. Oh, yes, it’s almost Lunar New Year, I wish you a Happy New Year. Brother Zhai, I’m really leaving now.” Qiao Nan sounded like a machine gun. Before Brother Zhai could say a word, she finished her long string of words and ran away immediately thereafter.

  Watching the back of Qiao Nan, who was racing off at the speed of a rabbit, Zhai Sheng could not help shaking his head. “True enough, she is scared of me.” This was the same as the soldiers under his supervision. Qiao Nan was too timid, no wonder she was always bullied in the Qiao family.

  However, this was the matter of the Qiao family. In the Zhai family, Zhai Sheng could help Qiao Nan in whatever way he wanted. He could help her prepare a study room, find revision materials and give her a pen. But outside of the Zhai family, especially in the Qiao family, Zhai Sheng would not be able to interfere.

  “Nan Nan, you’re back, how did you fare in the final examination?” Qiao Dongliang had more confidence in the younger daughter.

  Qiao Dongliang went marketing early in the morning, he was prepared to celebrate. “Also Baoguo, how did he fare, how many marks did he get, did he pass?”

  “Dad, like I said before, Zhu Baoguo is very intelligent, he not only passed this round of exam but also got 80 marks. If he work harder next year, he may score 85 marks to achieve an excellent grade.

  This time, when Qiao Nan saw that Qiao Dongliang was seemingly more concerned about Zhu Baoguo, and more interested in Zhu Baoguo’s situation than hers, she did not feel sad. Instead, she felt quite happy.

  Even if her father did not care about her, or perhaps he was more concerned about others, it did not matter. Wasn’t Brother Zhai quite good to her?

  In any case, God did not abandon her. God had given her so many opportunities, and even sent her an angel-like Prince Charming like Brother Zhai, Qiao Nan’s heart was filled with contentment all of a sudden.

  “Really!” Qiao Dongliang said as he was pleasantly surprised.