Chapter 41: Courting Death

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Courting Death

"Oh, that’s what I told Zheng Hai too." Su Wan nodded, signaling for him not to worry.

"I know Zheng Hai only said that to annoy me. I mean, my mom used to casually say I’d marry someone else when I grew up too." Su Wan patted his arm reassuringly.

Su Wan had already thought it through. She would need Lu Zhengchuan’s salary to raise children in the future; there was no need for her to bear all the financial pressure herself.

Therefore, maintaining a harmonious and friendly relationship with Lu Zhengchuan was to her advantage.

’As for whether there’s any love between us, it isn’t important. When you’re just trying to live your life, you shouldn’t chase after such ethereal things anyway.’

"...But we’re married," Lu Zhengchuan said, his heart in his throat.

He opened his mouth several times to say something more direct, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Su Wan nodded. "Yes, I know. Don’t worry, I trust your character. You won’t betray me."

Meeting the look of appreciation and affirmation in Su Wan’s eyes, the corners of Lu Zhengchuan’s mouth couldn’t help but curve up. But just as he wanted to say something more intimate, Su Wan’s eyes lit up and her focus shifted to Zheng Hai and Aunt Liu up ahead.

The corners of his eyes turned down as he shot a cold look at Zheng Hai’s back, a flash of disgust in his gaze.

Soon, the group arrived at Master Ji’s office.

The first words out of Zheng Hai’s mouth were, "Sir, my sister is truly innocent. Please let her go."

"She doesn’t even like Lu Zhengchuan. She just got engaged herself. Swapping the letters before was just a joke."

Hearing this, Su Wan had a guess as to why Zheng Hai wasn’t feeling guilty about the items that had been taken.

"Comrade Zheng Hai, you’ve arrived just in time. Regarding the matter of Zheng Zhizhi secretly taking the valuable items Battalion Commander Lu sent to Comrade Su Wan..." Master Ji hadn’t finished speaking.

Zheng Hai’s pupils contracted. He clearly hadn’t expected this to be discovered.

He froze for a second, then stubbornly denied it. "Sir, what are you talking about? There’s no way my sister would do something like that."

"You won’t admit it?" Master Ji raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know what the charge is for refusing to confess?"

Zheng Hai was used to being a tyrant in the village and was accustomed to threatening and bullying people. Hearing this, he whipped his head toward Su Wan, his eyes full of menace. "Su Wan, was it you, you bitch, who spouted this nonsense to frame my sister?"

Seeing his fierce expression as he protected Zheng Zhizhi, Su Wan grew even more wary.

’The Zheng family really is twisted. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have done something so insane and vicious as harming my parents in that precognitive dream.’

"Zheng Hai, who are you cursing at!"

Before Su Wan could speak, Lu Zhengchuan had already stepped in front of her, staring gravely at Zheng Hai.

’Doubt surfaced in his mind. If Zheng Hai dared to bully Su Wan like this at the military base, right in front of him and a superior officer, what kind of attitude could the Zheng family possibly have toward her back in the village?’

’Logically, the Zheng family and Su Wan had no interactions before. This whole change was entirely because I married her, bringing all this trouble from the Zheng family down on her.’

"Hmph! Lu Zhengchuan, you have the nerve to talk? It’s bad enough you won’t protect my sister, but now you want to harm her. If you’re a real man, you’ll admit you gave those gifts to my sister yourself. Don’t say she stole them. Do that, and I’ll overlook how Su Wan has ruined my sister’s reputation this time."

It was unclear where Zheng Hai got the confidence to make demands of Lu Zhengchuan.

Su Wan whipped her head to look at him, terrified that he would actually agree.

Lu Zhengchuan hadn’t yet opened his mouth to respond when he noticed Su Wan’s subconscious reaction. His gaze darkened. ’It seems Su Wan still doesn’t trust me.’

Although Lu Zhengchuan was hurt, he grew even more suspicious of Zheng Hai.

"Zheng Hai, you claim I gave gifts to Zheng Zhizhi. Do you have any proof?"

"What proof do we need? If I say you gave them to my sister, then you did!" Zheng Hai was bizarrely confident. "Given our friendship, shouldn’t you be giving my sister gifts?"

The nearby family members were speechless.

They had never seen someone as shameless as Zheng Hai.

Lu Zhengchuan had achieved his goal. He saluted Master Ji. "Sir, I have already filed a report about my relationship with the Zheng family back in the village. Being pestered like this is damaging the reputation of a soldier. I ask that you handle this according to regulations."

"Lu Zhengchuan! You dare!"

Zheng Hai’s eyes widened in fury.

He actually lunged forward to hit Lu Zhengchuan.

Lu Zhengchuan used a grappling hold to pin Zheng Hai’s arms behind his back, causing him to cry out in pain.

Su Wan seized the opportunity to act vulnerable. "Sir, I want to report Zheng Hai for threatening and trying to hit me in the village as well. And I’m a pregnant woman."

"Someone get this man in handcuffs!" Master Ji was also displeased with Zheng Hai’s insolence in his presence.

He barked the order, and immediately, a few soldiers walked in and slapped handcuffs on Zheng Hai.

"They’re bullying civilians! The military leaders are bullying civilians!" Zheng Hai yelled at the top of his lungs.

The family members were shocked. They never imagined someone so shameless existed in the world—to cause a scene at a military base, no less. Was he ignorant or just stupid?

"Bullying civilians?" Master Ji sneered and instructed Lu Zhengchuan, "Xiao Lu, you clarify things for Comrade Zheng Hai."

"Yes, sir!"

Lu Zhengchuan brushed off the nonexistent dust from the corner of his clothes, then helped Su Wan to a nearby stool to sit down.

Only then did he look at Zheng Hai. "Zheng Hai, Zheng Zhizhi took the money and gifts I sent to my wife, Su Wan. And you, you turned around and sold them on the black market."

Zheng Hai’s heart skipped a beat. For some reason, he chuckled. "Lu Zhengchuan, don’t think you can frame the Zheng family just because you have power and influence."

"Frame you?" Lu Zhengchuan raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. The Zheng family didn’t do anything like selling things on the black market. You have no proof for such an accusation." Zheng Hai wasn’t flustered at all.

Lu Zhengchuan was silent for a moment.

But he wasn’t flustered; he was waiting.

He had just seen the signal in his superior’s eyes.

Seeing him fall silent, Zheng Hai instantly grew confident, his gaze sweeping around with contempt.

"Su Wan, Lu Zhengchuan, I’ll remember how you bullied my sister. Now you want to keep framing me, but you can’t produce any evidence. Do you really think I’m a pushover?"

Zheng Hai narrowed his eyes. "Su Wan, if you get on your knees and apologize to me right now, and admit that you framed my sister, I’ll let this matter go."

"Let what go? You bullied me, and now you expect me to beg you not to target me?" Su Wan laughed in exasperation.

Hearing this, Lu Zhengchuan could no longer hold back.

He took two steps forward and kicked the restrained Zheng Hai just as footsteps sounded from outside.

Zheng Hai grimaced in pain.

A young soldier strode in, his voice booming. "Reporting to the commander! We received a telegram from the Yang County police department. They said the investigation into the Yang County black market is complete, and all involved personnel have been arrested."

"What!"

Zheng Hai’s face went pale with shock. He lunged forward, only to be pulled back by two soldiers. Lu Zhengchuan gave him another kick.

As for selling things on the black market, the evidence was now irrefutable, and the Yang County Police Department...