1970s: My childhood sweetheart ran away, and I turned around and married the wildest chief.

Zhou Hong didn't pay attention to the gazes of Gu Xun and Lu Mingzhou; her eyes were fixed on Qiao Wanqing.

Qiao Wanqing stood on the stairs, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Thank you for your concern, Comrade Zhou. My Mingzhou was just joking when he said he'd have more kids to beat up yours. If Comrade Zhou is capable of getting pregnant with Comrade Gu Xun's first child, he'll naturally be capable of getting pregnant with a second and a third one."

The room fell even quieter. Zhou Hong's expression changed, her eyes flashing with anger, even a hint of embarrassment at being exposed. "You..."

"Alright!" Gu Xun interrupted her, his expression grim. He glanced at Qiao Wanqing and said to Zhou Hong, "It's late, time to go home!"

After saying goodbye to Lu Mingzhou and the others, he picked up the child and left first.

Zhou Hong's face was flushed, probably from anger. She glanced at Qiao Wanqing and followed Gu Xun away, somewhat unwilling.

Inside the room, only Lu Mingzhou, Li Hongjun, Qiao Yuanhe, and Qiao Wanqing remained.

Qiao Yuanhe was a little angry. He didn't know what was wrong with this woman and what she was saying. Wasn't she deliberately trying to sow discord? How could Gu Xun have married such a woman?

He explained to Lu Mingzhou, "Um, don't listen to her nonsense, she..."

Just as Qiao Yuanhe was worrying about how to explain to Lu Mingzhou, Qiao Wanqing interrupted him with a laugh, "Alright, brother, it's not a big deal. I'll talk to him. Your sister is so pretty, too many people see me as a rival. I can't explain it all."

Qiao Yunhe glared at his sister angrily. They had just gotten married, and it would be terrible if there were any misunderstandings.

Li Hongjun's gossip-loving nature was already burning brightly. "Imaginary enemy? You have a grudge against her?"

Qiao Wanqing shrugged helplessly. "It's not really a grudge. I don't have much interaction with her, but she seems to dislike me. She's always acting like I'm her enemy."

"As I grew older and reached the age where I could date, my grandfather was afraid that I would be deceived by outsiders, so he started to consider various younger relatives and wanted to introduce them to me. Gu Xun was one of the people he was quite satisfied with, but unfortunately he was too old. He mentioned it to me once, and I immediately rejected it."

"Later, my grandfather couldn't find a satisfactory match, and more and more people were pursuing me. Our family's status was special, and he was afraid that if a leader came to propose marriage or the military acted as matchmaker, our family might make enemies if we refused. So he wanted to settle my marriage as soon as possible, even if it was just dating or getting engaged."

"So I went to sound out Gu's parents. At that time, Gu Xun hadn't been transferred to our military region yet. Gu's parents understood what my grandfather meant and were very happy. They immediately contacted Gu Xun, only to find out that he had a girlfriend and was going to get married. So the matter was dropped."

"You've probably heard that Gu Xun had a girlfriend a few years ago who sacrificed herself to save him. Gu Xun hasn't married since, which is why he's gotten to this age. The woman just now, Zhou Hong, is the younger sister of Gu Xun's ex-girlfriend. As for why she's targeting me, you'll have to ask her!"

The quick-witted Li Hongjun immediately sensed something was amiss; there must be a story behind this!

They knew about Gu Xun's situation before; it was true that he had been single and hadn't dated anyone. Then suddenly he got married. And what Qiao Wanqing said earlier—that if he could get pregnant with the first child, he could get pregnant with the second…

Did Zhou Hong get pregnant through dishonest means?

Li Hongjun is a very sensitive person. Jealousy is a terrible thing, whether it is a man or a woman. Sometimes, inexplicable jealousy can lead to life-or-death struggles.

He and Lu Mingzhou are on the same side. Qiao Wanqing is Lu Mingzhou's wife. This Zhou Hong is hostile to Qiao Wanqing. If she really does something, it will also affect Lu Mingzhou.

Looks like I need to find an opportunity to get some inside information so I can have leverage over them and then retaliate.

He smiled and didn't ask any more questions. He patted Lu Mingzhou on the shoulder and said, "There are a lot of crazy people like this. It's late, so we'll be leaving now. You two can chat by yourselves."

Qiao Yuanhe was still a little worried, but Lu Mingzhou personally saw him out and said a few words to him, and only then did Qiao Yuanhe leave with peace of mind.

After closing the courtyard gate and returning, he found Qiao Wanqing waiting for him in the living room. Looking at his wife, Lu Mingzhou stepped forward and gently stroked her soft cheek, his eyes tender as he said, "You must be exhausted. Go upstairs and rest!"

Qiao Wanqing blinked. "You...aren't you going to ask me anything?"

Lu Mingzhou's lips curled into a smile. "What else do you want to ask? Didn't you just explain everything clearly? It seems my wife is just that outstanding. Even though she married me, others still don't trust her."

Qiao Wanqing chuckled, put her arm around his waist, and looked up at him. "It's good that you think that way. There will definitely be many more people who will dislike us in the future, and many more who will try to sow discord. We are already married, and our lives are our own. You can't become suspicious just because others say a few specious words."

"I've never liked anyone before. When girls grow up, their parents will consider marriage. My grandparents were just planning ahead. The Chen family and Gao family's affair was delayed until now because I disagreed. Otherwise, I would have been engaged long ago."

Lu Mingzhou stroked her long hair. "Okay, I understand. Let's ignore those people."

The two went upstairs together, and Lu Mingzhou took clean clothes to the bathroom to wash up.

As the hot water washed over him, Lu Mingzhou's mind became very clear.

He's a very opinionated person, not someone who can be easily swayed by a few words. She's already married to him, and she's his; no one can take her away.

Even if she had never liked anyone before, he would do everything he could to win her heart back.

Gu Xun carried the child home. The Gu family was well-off. Gu's father was a military leader, and the family lived in a general's building. He was tall and had long legs, so he walked briskly. Zhou Hong was only of average height and had to jog to keep up with him.

Seeing that Gu Xun was walking much faster than usual, Zhou Hong followed behind him, feeling wronged. "Brother Xun, wait for me..."

Gu Xun didn't wait for her, his steps still quick. Looking at the man's indifferent back, Zhou Hong's eyes reddened, and tears fell involuntarily.

The courtyard here is brightly lit, and there is a wall separating it from Lu Mingzhou's place. The security here is also much stricter than next door, which shows her different status. She only has all this because she married Gu Xun and is able to live here.

Zhou Hong followed Gu Xun home. Upstairs, Gu Xun put the child to sleep and led Zhou Hong to the living room. He asked her very seriously, "When did you meet Qiao Wanqing? I've only been back for less than two months. I remember you've always been in the south and have never been to the north. Do you have a grudge against her?"