Chapter 40: The Liu Family’s Drama

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Liu Family’s Drama

"Oh? Why don’t you tell me? Maybe I know him," Su Wan replied calmly.

Zheng Hai lifted his chin. "It’s no secret. My sister’s fiancé is Lieutenant Liu Lang from Yang County. He’s only a lieutenant, but both his parents work at the textile factory in the county seat. He’s much better than an orphan like Lu Zhengchuan, who has no parents."

"Liu Lang?!"

Aunt Liu, who was standing nearby, was the one who flew into a rage. Her face was ashen as she pointed at Zheng Hai and cursed him.

"Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting!"

"Liu Lang is clearly my son-in-law! What’s it got to do with your Zheng Family!"

Zheng Hai couldn’t stand being pointed at and cursed out. He was instantly furious. "What did you say, you old hag? My parents went to the Liu Family to arrange this marriage. The betrothal gifts have already been exchanged! Did you get the wrong person? What are you yelling at me for?"

"You rotten brat, you must be lying! Let’s go! I’m taking you to find Liu Lang right now!"

The other family members around them were stunned.

They never expected that a conversation about Su Wan would suddenly turn into gossip about the Liu Family.

Everyone knew Aunt Liu had been preparing for Liu Lang and Liu Xiangju’s wedding for a long time. The wedding was just around the corner, yet Liu Lang was supposedly marrying someone else?

"Could it be someone with the same name?"

"Didn’t he just say he’s from Yang County? The Lieutenant Liu we know is also from Yang County. It’s impossible for there to be two lieutenants in the army with the same name, from the same hometown. After all, the only Lieutenant named Liu Lang is the one engaged to Liu Xiangju," said Wang Mei. As an older wife who had lived in the compound for over ten years, she knew the social landscape well.

The others nodded in agreement. That made sense.

Aunt Liu was about to explode with rage. She insisted on dragging Zheng Hai to find Liu Lang and get a clear answer.

It was at this moment that Xiao Li and Lu Zhengchuan came hurrying over.

Lu Zhengchuan pushed through the crowd, his eyes immediately landing on Su Wan. He saw her standing unharmed in the doorway, without a single scratch on her. Her white floral dress fluttered in the breeze, not stained by even a speck of dirt. She stood tall and graceful like a lily, impossible to miss even in a bustling crowd.

"Are you okay?" Lu Zhengchuan paused for only a second before striding over to Su Wan and asking again, still worried.

Su Wan had been watching the dispute between Aunt Liu and Zheng Hai and only noticed Lu Zhengchuan when he was right in front of her. Hearing his question, she looked up and asked in surprise, "Lu Zhengchuan? Weren’t you on a mission? Why are you back so suddenly?"

"I heard Zheng Hai came to the family compound. I was about to leave the base, but I asked my superior for a day’s leave and came back."

Su Wan stared at him in shock. "Leave? Won’t it delay your mission?"

"No, the real mission hasn’t started yet. I just need to rush over this afternoon." Lu Zhengchuan didn’t explain that what he called ’rushing’ would mean traveling without any sleep.

But he was truly worried about Su Wan. He knew Zheng Hai’s personality better than anyone. When he got impulsive, he wouldn’t hesitate to hit someone, regardless of whether they were a woman.

"Oh." Su Wan didn’t overthink it. She pulled him closer, pointed at Zheng Hai, and said in a low voice, "Zheng Hai says Zheng Zhizhi is engaged to someone. It’s Lieutenant Liu Lang, the one who’s supposed to marry Aunt Liu’s daughter, Liu Xiangju."

She was afraid Lu Zhengchuan wouldn’t know who Liu Lang was, so she added the extra explanation.

Lu Zhengchuan pressed his lips together. "I know. The Liu Lang who was talking to you last night."

In truth, Su Wan wasn’t angry anymore. She usually only got angry for a little while and never let a bad mood linger overnight; she could process it on her own. If Lu Zhengchuan hadn’t brought it up, she would have already forgotten about last night’s incident.

"Yes, that Liu Lang." Su Wan nodded, watching his expression as she said casually, "Last night, I just happened to recognize that Liu Lang has a brother named Liu Cong. I think Liu Cong is the one who’s actually engaged to Zheng Zhizhi."

Lu Zhengchuan’s brow twitched. "So you were talking to him alone because you wanted to ask about his and Zheng Zhizhi’s relationship?"

"Yes, of course. Why else?"

The corners of Lu Zhengchuan’s mouth lifted instantly. All the unhappiness that had lingered from last night through this morning vanished.

Lu Zhengchuan was as pleased as a peacock on display.

Aunt Liu and Zheng Hai were about to come to blows.

"Fine! If you won’t go, Zheng Hai, then I’ll go get Liu Lang myself! I’d like to see who dares to commit marriage fraud in this army!" Aunt Liu roared.

Hearing this, Zheng Hai just kept rolling his eyes. "So what if you shout louder? It doesn’t change the fact that Liu Lang is my family’s son-in-law."

"No need for you to go get him. The person I was waiting for is here. I’ll go with you all to see the superiors," Zheng Hai said before turning to look at Lu Zhengchuan.

He lifted his chin, his dissatisfaction clear on his face. "Lu Zhengchuan, you’ve disappointed me greatly. Don’t think you can bully my sister just because you’re in the army."

Lu Zhengchuan still didn’t know what nonsense Zheng Hai had been spouting to Su Wan. Hearing this, his expression remained impassive. "You know perfectly well whether I’m the one bullying her or if your Zheng family is the one starting trouble. Just because you’re loud doesn’t mean you’re right."

"You..." Zheng Hai hadn’t expected Lu Zhengchuan to be so blunt and shut him down immediately.

His gaze turned sullen, and his dissatisfaction with Lu Zhengchuan grew.

"Hmph. I’m going to make you apologize to my sister, so you have to come with us to see the superiors too, Lu Zhengchuan," Zheng Hai said with a grim face.

Seeing that he wouldn’t give up until he was at a dead end, Lu Zhengchuan couldn’t be bothered to argue further. "Fine. Let’s go."

After saying this, he turned to look at Su Wan.

Su Wan knew what he was going to say and immediately spoke up. "I’ll go too. After all, I’m one of the people involved. Maybe I know something about Zheng Zhizhi that you don’t."

The last sentence convinced Lu Zhengchuan. Ultimately, he didn’t want Su Wan to be bullied by the Zheng family again.

He wanted to resolve this matter quickly while he was still here, so he could have some peace of mind.

"Alright. Let’s go."

Lu Zhengchuan left Zhang Yun at home. He hesitantly reached out his hand to Su Wan.

Su Wan looked at him, a little confused.

"Let me hold your hand," Lu Zhengchuan said succinctly, though he couldn’t quite meet her gaze.

Su Wan just assumed he was being considerate of the child in her belly. For her own comfort, she didn’t refuse, placing her slender hand in his broad palm.

Lu Zhengchuan’s hand was very warm, but not sweaty, completely different from Su Wan’s clammy one.

The two of them walked side by side, hand in hand, toward the superiors’ office. They followed behind the main group, their ears filled with the chatter of the other families. For a rare moment, Su Wan felt as if they were truly in the same world.

Noticing her gaze, Lu Zhengchuan turned to look at her. "Hm? What is it?"

"I was just thinking about what Zheng Hai said earlier, about you and Zheng Zhizhi having a childhood engagement," Su Wan said, grabbing a random topic in her fluster.

When Lu Zhengchuan heard this, his brow immediately furrowed, and his voice grew hurried and flustered. "A childhood engagement? Me and Zheng Zhizhi? That was just my aunt joking around."