Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “It’s only a minor cold. I will recover soon. Actually, I don’t catch a cold often. Don’t worry about me. I’ll certainly be fine. You bought me so much medication. I most likely won’t even be able to finish them by this time next year. Brother Zhai, you…… you have to pay attention to your own safety too.”

  “Alright, I know.” Zhai Sheng had, in fact, ‘squeezed out’ time in his busy schedule to visit Qiao Nan. He also spent some time to buy medicine for her. “Nan Nan, have a good rest. Remember to take your medicine. I’m leaving and will come and see you again when I’m back the next time.”

  Having that said, Zhai Sheng dared not delay any further. He jumped out of Qiao Nan’s bedroom and shut the windows meticulously. He hopped into his car after he left the small quad and headed immediately for the army.

  Qiao Nan, who was lying on the bed, held on tightly to the blanket. She then rubbed her face on the corner of the blanket that was pinched by Zhai Sheng before. She put away the medicine from Zhai Sheng properly before falling asleep peacefully.

  Perhaps Zhai Sheng’s appearance was more effective than any kind of cold medicine. When Qiao Dongliang returned home from grocery shopping with cold medicine in hand, he found Qiao Nan looking much better. “Nan Nan, wake up and take your medicine. If you’re still sleepy, take your medicine first before continuing to sleep.”

  “Dad.” Qiao Nan sat up and rubbed her eyes. She took the cold medicine with warm water. “Dad, I’m still feeling lethargic.”

  “No worries. Continue to sleep.” Qiao Dongliang helped Qiao Nan lie down and covered her fully with the blanket. He was about to leave when he noticed that the windows in her bedroom were opened.

  Qiao Dongliang halted his steps and wanted to ask Qiao Nan if she had opened the windows.

  However, when Qiao Dongliang turned to look, Qiao Nan had already fallen asleep. Qiao Dongliang shook his head and closed the windows for Qiao Nan. He then left the room and prepared a meal for Qiao Nan to ensure that she had something to eat when she woke up.

  \r \r \r

  “Happy Lunar New Year, Regiment Commander Zhai.” Zhou Jun was the first person that Zhai Sheng saw when he reached the camp.

  Zhai Sheng entered his office, took off his coat, and hung it on the coat hanger. “It’s so early and you’re already looking for me. Is there any matter?”

  “You’re in such a good mood, Regiment Commander Zhai. Is it because we’re going to have a Mrs. Regiment Commander soon?” Zhou Jun asked in a happy tone. Zhou Jun had found someone he liked. He could not wait for all his brothers in the camp to find a marriage partner whom they could get along with. He had the same wish for his senior supervisor, Zhai Sheng, too.

  “If there’s a regiment commander, of course there’ll be a Mrs. Regiment Commander,” Zhai Sheng said as if he were implying something. “Talk about serious matters. Why did you look for me?”

  “Regiment commander, I’d like to request you to pick a day of leave for me.” During the Lunar New Year, Zhou Jun had wanted to visit Nan Nan. Regrettably, something happened at home and he had to spend a total of ten days traveling. After he settled his household matter, Zhou Jun did not have any spare time to visit Qiao Nan.

  Zhai Sheng knitted his brows. “Do you think I can approve this request?”

  “Just half a day. I’ll be back as soon as possible. Will that do?” Zhou Jun, a 1.8-meter tall man, was acting pitiful in front of Zhai Sheng. It would really be pitiful of Zhou Jun if he could not settle the matter regarding his wife-to-be given that his age was already in the late twenties.

  “No.” Zhai Sheng rejected. He had never gained any private benefit under the guise of serving the public, so why would he allow Zhou Jun to do so? “Right, I’m handing you a mission. Investigate this matter.”

  “There’s a mission so soon? What is it?” At the mention of a mission, Zhou Jun’s attitude turned serious.

  “Help me investigate this matter.” Zhai Sheng passed some information to Zhou Jun.

  “Do we have to be the one to investigate this?” Zhou Jun felt odd when he read the materials. “Was this mission delegated from the top?” It did not seem to be.

  “Go and investigate.” Zhai Sheng did not explain further. They could choose to interfere or ignore this matter, but Zhai Sheng wished to take part in this matter now.

  “Yes, Regiment Commander Zhai. I promise to complete the mission.” Zhou Jun was always serious and proper toward work. He would complete the mission tasked by Zhai Sheng. After Zhou Jun left to handle the mission delegated by Zhai Sheng, Zhai Sheng called another person into his office.

  However, the matter that was handed to this person was obviously much easier than that of Zhou Jun. It was only half a day and he had already handed Zhai Sheng the results of his investigation.

  “Alright, you may leave now.” Zhai Sheng looked at the contents of the report and sneered. It seemed that Nan Nan’s suspicion was not unfounded. There was truly a problem with Wang Yang. He could not directly deal with Zhu Baoguo or sow discord among the members of the Zhu family. Hence, he targeted Nan Nan.

  Putting down the information on hand, Zhai Sheng simply made a phone call. “Hello. Yes, it’s me. There’s something……”

  “Happy Lunar New Year.”

  “Happy Lunar New Year.”

  Before the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, Qiao Zijin and Qiao Nan had started school.

  After the Lunar New Year, many students of Ping Cheng High School seemed to have grown horizontally. But when He Yun saw Qiao Nan, she was so jealous. “Qiao Nan, did you go through the Lunar New Year? Other people grow fatter during the New Year, but why did you lose weight?!”

  “Exactly! Your face is almost meatless now.” Tang Mengran, who gained the most weight, wished so much to take some meat off her body and give them to Qiao Nan. It would only be fair then.

  “Don’t talk about it.” Qiao Nan’s face turned black, sullen. Other people could have a happy Lunar New Year as long as they did well in school, but not her.

  “Why?” Fang Fang adjusted her glasses. “You’re the top student of the cohort. Don’t tell me you didn’t have a good Lunar New Year?”

  “My menses came on the Lunar New Year’s Eve, and I was bleeding profusely. It was gushing non-stop on the ninth day of the Lunar New Year. I was also taken ill by a serious cold. I simply stayed in bed for three days.” Qiao Nan licked her fingers and counted. Who would be more unlucky than her during the Lunar New Year?

  “Hahaha. No wonder.” Tang Mengran felt more peaceful at heart. Menses was the most annoying thing. Damn, the pain was already torturing, not to mention the continuous bleeding. Moreover, Nan Nan had it on the night of the Lunar New Year’s Eve. That was even more torturing. In other words, Nan Nan did not enjoy the Lunar New Year at all.

  “Pitiful child.” Tao Zhenqin rubbed Qiao Nan’s head and smiled as she gloated.

  “Xiao Qiao, you arrived earlier than me.” A few lackeys were following behind Zhu Baoguo as they strode into the classroom. “Right, you’ve got a letter from my dad. I don’t know what’s written in there. It’s so secretive. He forbade me from reading it. As if I care.” Zhu Baoguo snorted.

  “It’s from Uncle Zhu?” Qiao Nan took the letter but did not open it immediately. “Alright, shrink your neck. Since Uncle Zhu won’t let you read it, I’ll definitely not open it in front of you. Most likely, Uncle Zhu found the book that I requested him to. Anyway, you’re not interested in these books.” What did Zhu Chengqi want to tell her that Zhu Baoguo could not know?