The Overlord Flower's Guide to Intercepting a Woman's Wife's Death and the Male Lead&

Fang Lan was wearing a gray-blue cotton-padded jacket, her hair was tied up tightly with a black rubber band, she had two wool military blankets folded into neat squares under her arm, and she was carrying a thermos in her right hand.

Zhou Bingwen followed behind, carrying a medical kit, his face tense.

The two of them didn't go to the regimental headquarters to report, but went straight to the guesthouse.

A young soldier with a gun stood at the door, and his back straightened when he saw them coming.

"Family members are not allowed to enter."

The young soldier's voice was a little strained.

"Section Chief Yue has ordered that no contact with the person being investigated is permitted during the investigation."

Fang Lan didn't argue.

She placed the thermos on the doorstep, with two military blankets stacked beside it.

Then she stood up straight and looked at the little soldier who was a head taller than her.

"These are my daughter-in-law's blankets and food. Will you let me bring them in or not?"

The young soldier swallowed hard.

"Sister-in-law, it's not that I'm making things difficult for you, it's just that there are real rules..."

"I know there are rules."

Fang Lan took a step back and stood under the window at the end of the corridor.

She placed her hands together in front of her, her back straight as if she were standing at attention.

"Then I'll wait here until he lets me deliver it."

Zhou Bingwen panicked and stepped forward to pull her away.

"mom."

Fang Lan glanced back at him.

Zhou Bingwen withdrew his hand.

He knew that look all too well.

When he was a child, no matter how much he cried or made a fuss when he made a mistake, his mother would just look at him with that same gaze. She wouldn't scold him or hit him.

It's more effective than a beating.

He stepped aside, leaned against the wall, and unconsciously fiddled with the clasp of the first-aid kit, opening and closing the metal plate repeatedly.

Fang Lan just stood there.

I arrived at the station at 10:15.

Someone offered her water, but she didn't drink it.

Someone offered her a chair, but she didn't sit down.

The logistics officer passing by the corridor slowed down, glanced back at her twice, but didn't dare to say anything.

Zhou Bingwen rummaged through the first-aid kit and took out two compressed biscuits, which she handed over. She took them, tore them open, took two bites, chewed them, and continued standing.

An hour later.

When the news reached Section Chief Yue's ears, he was going through the files.

The correspondent stood at the door, hesitant to come in, and stammered out the situation.

"...Commissar Zhou's mother came from Beijing and has been standing in the guesthouse corridor for an hour, refusing to leave."

Section Chief Yue closed the file and tapped the title page three times with his finger.

"Delivering supplies is fine, but the person cannot be present; have the guards deliver them."

The correspondent ran away.

Ten minutes later, the young soldier at the door came over with a note.

"Sister-in-law, the section chief has approved it. The things can be delivered, but you can't go in directly. I have to deliver them for you."

Fang Lan didn't say anything.

She knelt down and handed him the military blanket and the insulated container.

"There's hot soy milk and four boiled eggs in the thermos. Hurry up."

She paused for a moment.

"Eggs need to be peeled before they can be eaten. She doesn't have much strength, so can you help her crack the shell?"

The young soldier nodded repeatedly and went inside with his belongings.

Fang Lan's knees cracked when she stood up.

Zhou Bingwen rushed over to help her, but she shook him off.

"I'm not so old that I can't stand up."

"Mom, you've been standing for almost two hours..."

"Your second sister-in-law has been inside for three days."

Zhou Bingwen shut his mouth.

Inside the guesthouse, Su Xingmian heard the door open.

The young soldier carried in a thermos, followed by two military blankets.

"Comrade Su, this was sent by your family."

He put the things on the stool next to the bed and then took out four eggs from his pocket.

"Your family asked me to help you crack the shell."

He found the edge of an enamel mug, clumsily cracked open the eggshell, peeled it, and handed it over.

Su Xingmian took the eggs.

Hot.

She picked up the thermos, unscrewed the lid, and the aroma of soy milk wafted out.

It's hot too.

She took a sip of soy milk, which burned her tongue.

Then I went to get the military blanket.

The first bed was unfolded, and there was nothing inside.

On the second bed, a note slipped out from the folds and landed on her lap.

"Mom's here, don't be afraid."

Su Xingmian looked down for two seconds.

The military blanket carried a scent: face cream, and a familiar warmth—the lingering scent of Fang Lan's body.

She folded the note twice and tucked it into her bosom.

He wrapped himself in a military blanket and took another sip of hot soy milk.

The body temperature rose from 35.2 degrees to 35.8 degrees.

……

Fang Lan didn't leave.

At noon, Zhou Bingwen went to the cafeteria and got two steamed buns and a bowl of porridge. Fang Lan ate them standing in the corridor, put the bowl on the windowsill, and then continued standing.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, footsteps were heard at the end of the corridor.

Zhou Bingheng has arrived.

He was wearing a military uniform, buttoned up to the top, and holding an envelope in his hand.

He walked up to Fang Lan and called out to her first.

"mom."

Fang Lan looked him up and down; he looked thinner than the last time she saw him.

"I received the envelope."

Zhou Bingheng shook the envelope.

"You can go to my house and rest first. I'll keep an eye on Mianmian."

Fang Lan stared at him.

"Can you get her out of here?"

Zhou Bingheng did not answer directly.

"Wait two more days at most."

Fang Lan pursed her lips.

"If she still can't come out in two days, you can't stop me."

Zhou Bingheng nodded, not refuting her.

He gave Zhou Bingwen a wink, and Zhou Bingwen quickly came over to help Fang Lan walk out.

Fang Lan took two steps out and then turned back.

"Please pass on a message for me."

"Please speak."

"Just tell her that Mom is waiting for her outside, that she should eat well and stay warm, and that she doesn't need to worry about anything else."

Zhou Bingheng responded.

Fang Lan then let Zhou Bingwen help her walk away.

The corridor fell silent.

Zhou Bingheng stood still and glanced at the closed door.

A gust of wind blew in from the end of the corridor, causing his collar, which had been turned up, to gently tap against his chin.

He raised his hand half an inch, then lowered it again.

I didn't go in.

Before turning to leave, he opened the envelope.

There are plenty of materials.

Su Yuanzhen's three handwritten records of battlefield medical practice.

Copies of three commendation letters from different field hospitals.

A handwritten character certificate from a retired deputy ministerial-level official.

At the very bottom was a thin piece of paper, the receipt number for the application the old man had submitted through confidential channels.

The receipt was dated four days ago.

He had calculated the circulation cycle of confidential documents; it would take at least five days and at most seven days.

Today is the fourth day.

There are at most three days left.

But he told Fang Lan it would be two days.

He didn't want her to wait even one more day.

There was also a handwritten note from the old man tucked at the bottom of the materials.

"Bingheng, protect her. This is something Grandpa owes the Su family, and it's also something the Zhou family owes the Su family. Also, that old bastard Xiao Zhenshan said that if the Zhou family can't protect her, he'll send her to the Xiao family. If you let him succeed, I'll break your legs."

After reading it, Zhou Bingheng's lips twitched.

He folded the note and put it in his shirt pocket, sealed the envelope as before, and strode toward the regimental office.

Back in his office, he locked the letter in a safe.

Sitting at the table, he unscrewed the pen cap and pulled out a blank sheet of official paper.

Just as I began to write the first word, I heard the hurried footsteps of Clerk Liu echoing down the corridor.

"political commissar!"

Xiao Liu was out of breath from running, clutching a telegram in his hand.

"Urgent dispatch from Beijing. Receipt number XXX-472. This confidential document has entered the final approval stage and is expected to..."

Zhou Bingheng reached out and took the telegram.

I glanced at the date and number on it.

He folded the telegram, put it in his shirt pocket, and placed it next to the old man's note.

The word following "expected" is: to be issued within 24 to 48 hours.

Two days at most.

The two days he mentioned were not meant to comfort Fang Lan.

He had calculated it.