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Wen Qian paused for a moment, raising her eyes to look at Lu Zheng. He continued, explaining that this decision had long been made by Commander Chi. His participation in the mission was meant to serve as a farewell to his military career. However, he never expected that an accident would occur.
Thinking back to that moment, Lu Zheng felt a tightness in his chest. The doctor had said it was a close call; Commander Chi could have easily been lost. It would not only mean the end of his military career but also the end of a life.
Lu Zheng glanced at Lu Chen, who had finished his meal and was dragging his little face around. He gently rubbed Lu Chen's head and said softly, "Chen Chen, go inside and read for a while. Daddy needs to talk to Mommy."
Although Lu Chen looked a bit unhappy, he obediently walked toward the house and even closed the door behind him.
Lu Zheng turned back to Wen Qian, standing up straight before her. He saluted and then bowed slightly in apology. When he straightened up, his gaze was serious as he looked into her eyes, speaking earnestly from the heart.
"I know you've endured a lot during this time. Even though you haven't told me, I've heard bits and pieces." He continued, "I know that Chi Xuecha has caused you quite a bit of trouble. I could only adjust my attitude but couldn't retaliate against her directly."
Wen Qian looked up at him, feeling her neck ache after a while. She waved her hand for Lu Zheng to sit down. "Please sit; my neck hurts from looking up at you."
Lu Zheng took a seat across from her, still gazing at her intently. "At that time, Commander Chi begged me not to directly refuse Chi Xuecha so she wouldn't resort to suicide. He had done me a favor, and I felt I had no choice but to agree to his request."
"But I knew I already had a family," he added. "So I could only try my best to avoid her and maintain a stance of refusal. If I felt she was crossing the line, I would inform Commander Chi about it without reporting it as harassment."
He noticed Wen Qian's expression remained unchanged and feared she might misunderstand him. He quickly explained, "When I first arrived at the unit, I went to see the commander about this matter right away, so I didn't leave any so-called face for Chi Xuecha."
"Commander Chi chose not to pursue a promotion for the sake of Chi Xuecha and decided to stay here instead. The decision to leave had been prepared for quite some time."
He recalled how Commander Chi had guided him step by step when he first joined the unit.
To him, she was both a comrade and a mentor. Wen Qian nodded, indicating her understanding.
If, when she first arrived at the unit, Lu Zheng had shown an ambiguous or half-rejecting, half-accepting attitude towards Chi Xuecha, she would not have forced herself to stay there. However, Lu Zheng's attitude towards Chi Xuecha was one of disdain; he maintained a firm rejection.
When she had conflicts with Chi Xuecha and Guo Xiaojun in the unit, he supported her. She felt that was enough! She had seen many successful men abandon their wives of humble beginnings; she had witnessed it countless times. Besides, they had only shared one brief encounter four years ago. How could a couple who hadn't met in four years truly understand each other?
She had seen some of the women who lingered around Lu Zheng when he was at his side. Initially, her attitude towards him was limited to finding a temporary place to stay and ensuring that Chen Chen could settle down safely. When she first mentioned wanting to live with Lu Zheng, it was merely a tactic to keep him close for the time being.
She was just a woman from the countryside, inexperienced and without any special abilities or talents. In this era, self-development was challenging; she could only temporarily rely on him while slowly growing herself. However, if given the opportunity, she would seize it with all her might.
Wen Qian smiled gently, her eyes reflecting a soft laughter. "Lu Zheng, I don’t blame you. You haven’t done anything wrong. You have your own considerations and plans, and I have my own thoughts. I can understand you."
He had already become a husband and father in many ways! He respected her, had a stable personality, didn’t resort to violence or anger, took the initiative in household chores, worked hard to improve himself, contributed all his salary to the family, and educated their child. Such qualities were rare; she wasn’t someone who didn’t know how to be content.
Lu Zheng looked at Wen Qian and let out a sigh of relief before smiling at her. "I’ve always wanted to tell you but feared it would upset you."
"I didn’t inform you earlier not because I didn’t trust you or wanted to keep things from you but because our agreement at that time required confidentiality."
Wen Qian chuckled lightly and teased him, "Then why are you telling me now?"
"I brought it up with Team Leader Chi because I didn’t want to keep it from you any longer."
He recalled the conversation he had with Commander Chi a few days ago, shortly before the latter's departure.
"Lu Zheng, I’ve caused you quite a bit of trouble over this time, and it has affected your family as well. I want to apologize to you first," Commander Chi said, straightening his back, slowly leaning toward Lu Zheng. Before he could bend down completely, Lu Zheng stopped him.
He gazed into the distance, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Xue Cha is someone I owe. It’s only natural that she resented me back then."
Back then, he had left with the eldest brother and his wife, leaving her alone in the countryside and even forcing her to marry someone she didn’t love. She hated him for abandoning her, for not loving her, for ruining her life.
Commander Chi forced a bitter smile, his eyes reddening as he looked at Lu Zheng. "We were in such a difficult situation back then; the conditions in the army were harsh. The reason I took the eldest brother with me was to encourage him to enlist. You joined a year later, and by then, the circumstances had improved."
Lu Zheng remembered how tough it was when he first enlisted; they were deep in the mountains, and whether they were going out or working was always a challenge. "I left her behind because I knew that young man had good character; his parents were old acquaintances of mine, and he would take care of her. It wouldn’t be worse than staying at home."
But she didn’t know any of this and ended up being responsible for the death of an old friend’s son. When he first saw Xue Cha’s situation, he was filled with rage and heartache—regret consumed him! However, after investigating further, he realized he was mistaken; it was Xue Cha who had caused the boy's death.
Commander Chi had dedicated his life to the army, only to see it all come crashing down because of his own daughter.
Turning around, Commander Chi patted Lu Zheng on the shoulder and solemnly advised him, "Live your life well; don’t let it fall apart. Make sure everything that needs to be said is said clearly. I can’t keep dragging you down."
When Wen Qian heard this, she fell silent immediately, staring at the table without a word.
Xue Cha had high aspirations; she believed that as the daughter of an officer, there was no way she would willingly marry into a rural life and give up her chance at becoming part of urban society.
"What? You want to leave? I won’t allow it! I won’t allow it!"
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