Chapter 229: Xie Huaizhen Is Also a Good Person

"Yes, Camp Commander Xie," Xie Huaizhen said.

So it was true. At this point, Xie Huaizheng had almost no doubt that Su Zhaozhao was the one.

Then, considering the past few times Su Zhaozhao and Xie Huaizhen had met, Xie Huaizhen’s mood had been a bit off.

But Su Zhaozhao, on the other hand, had seemed perfectly calm.

’She definitely doesn’t know about this, but Xie Huaizhen does.’

"That childhood fiancée of yours... it isn’t my wife, is it?"

Xie Huaizhen hadn’t expected Xie Huaizheng to know. He was extremely surprised.

He rarely interacted with Xie Huaizheng. For Xie Huaizheng to come looking for him now, it was most likely because of Su Zhaozhao.

So he was very frank. "Yes. I was also very surprised to see her with you... Our families arranged our marriage when we were children. I originally thought we would get married when we came of age. But later, my family ran into some trouble, and her family broke off the engagement."

He was just telling the truth, not making anything up, but mentioning these things still made his heart ache.

’And Su Zhaozhao... she didn’t even recognize me.’

In fact, during the past few days of interacting with her, although he was full of prejudice against Su Zhaozhao, he was still won over by her personal charm.

’She’s a wonderful person. If not for her family kicking us when we were down by calling off the engagement, things would have been even better.’

But that one thing had happened between them.

’Still, there’s no point in saying anything now. After all, Xie Huaizheng is already married to Su Zhaozhao.’

"I know about that," Xie Huaizheng said to Xie Huaizhen.

’So when Zhaozhao mentioned breaking off an engagement before, she must have been talking about Xie Huaizhen.’

"Then, Camp Commander Xie, may I ask how you two met?" Xie Huaizhen inquired.

Xie Huaizheng paused for a moment. ’How did we meet?’

’I can’t possibly tell him that.’

"We happened to meet on a train. I thought she was a great person, and over time, we got together."

Xie Huaizhen couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

He knew Xie Huaizheng was a man who seemed uninterested in women. Jiang Manzhi, the belle of the Art Troupe, had been pursuing him for ages, but he’d never relented.

And yet, he fell for Su Zhaozhao.

Xie Huaizhen sighed. "I don’t mean anything by it, but even though you’re married to her now, given what she did back then, you should still take a closer look at her character."

In truth, he wasn’t the kind of person to break up someone’s family, but... the things Su Zhaozhao’s family had done still bothered Xie Huaizhen.

Xie Huaizheng was a very good man, too. Although he hadn’t interacted with him much, who in the military camp didn’t know Xie Huaizheng?

On every mission, he always protected the men under his command.

After hearing Xie Huaizhen’s words, Xie Huaizheng nodded. He reached out and patted Xie Huaizhen’s shoulder. "I understand. Thank you."

His final "thank you" was laden with deeper meaning.

Besides thanking Xie Huaizhen for the information, he was also, in fact, thanking him for missing his chance with Su Zhaozhao back then.

If that hadn’t happened, he would have been the one to miss out on Su Zhaozhao.

’Meeting Su Zhaozhao, being with her... I’d willingly spend all the luck I have.’

Xie Huaizheng turned and left.

Watching his retreating back, Xie Huaizhen couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

’When I said all that, Xie Huaizheng’s expression was just too calm, as if he’d known everything all along.’

’Could it be that Xie Huaizheng already knew everything?’

This thought emerged in Xie Huaizhen’s mind, giving him a start.

’If Xie Huaizheng really knew everything... and he still married Su Zhaozhao?’

Xie Huaizhen’s thin lips pressed together. As he stared at Xie Huaizheng’s back, he wondered, ’Is there something I’ve overlooked?’

On his way back, Xie Huaizheng passed by the general store and bought some daily necessities and snacks to take home.

’Su Zhaozhao is home all day. It wouldn’t do for her to have no snacks. These are the kinds of things young women like.’

He opened the door. The house was silent. Xie Huaizheng looked at the closed bedroom door and couldn’t help but smile.

’Zhaozhao is probably asleep already, isn’t she?’

’That makes sense. We slept on the train the last few days, but knowing her, she probably didn’t sleep well.’

’A delicate girl like her... she must have found the narrow, hard sleeper bunk on the train so uncomfortable.’

Xie Huaizheng didn’t go in to disturb her. Instead, he sat on the living room sofa, casually picked up a book, and started to read.

But he couldn’t focus on it at all.

His mind was still on what had just happened.

’How I met Su Zhaozhao... it was just too much of a coincidence.’

’If even one little thing had gone differently, I wouldn’t have ended up with Zhaozhao, would I?’

And now that he understood the full situation from Xie Huaizhen, he thought, ’Maybe I should come clean to Zhaozhao.’

’We agreed we’d be completely honest with each other once we got back to West State.’

’But how do I even start?’

’From the looks of it, Xie Huaizhen is a pretty decent guy.’

’His family was kicked while they were down, but when he talked about Su Zhaozhao, he didn’t embellish or exaggerate. He just told it like it was.’

’And he’s known for a while that Zhaozhao married me. He could have told me at any time.’

’But he didn’t. He waited until I came and asked him myself.’

’Even with his grudge against Su Zhaozhao, he didn’t slander her.’

’Even for someone as critical as me, I can’t find any fault with Xie Huaizhen.’

’This means that if Zhaozhao had known back then that Xie Huaizhen was her arranged fiancé, she would have really, really liked him.’

Even knowing this couldn’t have happened, Xie Huaizheng still couldn’t help but feel a sulky, sour pang of jealousy.

At that thought, Xie Huaizheng stood up and walked toward the bedroom.

He quietly opened the door and saw Su Zhaozhao lying on the bed, asleep.

Her body was nestled in the soft, large bed, covered by a thin blanket, sleeping soundly.

There was a black strip of cloth over her eyes, like a blindfold. Xie Huaizheng didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t care.

’Doesn’t this make it more exciting?’

Xie Huaizheng scooped Su Zhaozhao up from the bed, blanket and all.

He was extremely careful, afraid of disturbing her sleep.

He held her in his arms just like that, as if holding a small kitten.

The faint scent of jasmine from her body and the feel of her warm, soft form calmed his emotions somewhat.

’Whatever. It doesn’t matter who her previous fiancé was or how outstanding he is. What do I have to be afraid of?’

’She’s mine now!’

Xie Huaizheng looked at Su Zhaozhao’s sleeping face. Her eyes were covered, revealing only the lower half of her delicate face and her rose-petal lips.

She seemed to be sleeping well. The corners of her lips were even turned up slightly, as if she were having a good dream.

’She’s sleeping so peacefully.’

Xie Huaizheng’s gaze fell on her lips. He couldn’t resist reaching out and touching them lightly. ’So soft.’

His Adam’s apple bobbed. Unable to control himself any longer, he leaned down and kissed her.