The aloof military doctor arrives at the unit, and the tough guy can't sit still.

Zhao Feng, dressed in a white shirt and dark blue trousers, stood in front of Xia Qiuran.

Just like in his previous life, every step he took carried an air of scholarly refinement, as if he were a teacher in a school, gentle and composed.

Unfortunately, it was all show and no substance.

"It really is you, Qiu Ran." Zhao Feng smiled and walked up to Xia Qiu Ran, speaking first, "I thought I had mistaken you for someone else at the state-run market just now."

"Hello, Comrade Zhao, I have to go now." Xia Qiuran didn't want to have any further dealings with Zhao Feng, so she gave a perfunctory reply and left.

"Is it because of the bride price?"

Zhao Feng quickly changed the subject, but he didn't intend to let Xia Qiuran off the hook. "Qiuran, the captain's family only accepted 400 yuan as a bride price. My family is already very generous to offer 50 yuan."

He was still quite emotional after speaking. He initially thought Xia Qiuran was just being difficult and had been waiting for many days before going to the Xia family. However, he was told that Xia Qiuran had indeed become a reserve soldier in the army. If he hadn't run into her by chance today, he would have gone to the army to find her.

"Comrade Zhao, I made it very clear to your family when I broke off the engagement. You and your family agreed at the time. Moreover, I have not spent a single penny of your money, nor have I received a single item from you. There are no financial entanglements between us. Please don't bring up these things again in the future. Let's just pretend we don't know each other."

Xia Qiuran chuckled inwardly. The captain's daughter had a stutter, and the groom's family had given ten catties of flour and ten catties of rice in addition to the betrothal gifts.

She didn't want to compare herself to anyone, but she also didn't want to belittle herself.

In her previous life, her family was easily swayed and didn't care about anything. She wouldn't fall for it again in this life.

Xia Qiuran was about to leave after speaking, but Zhao Feng stopped her again, his brows furrowed.

"Qiu Ran, I thought you were... never mind, I've already taken the initiative to talk to you, so stop making a fuss."

"You think I'm being pretentious, Comrade Zhao? If you didn't understand before, I'll say it again: our engagement is null and void, and we have nothing to do with each other anymore."

Xia Qiuran simply turned around and tried to take a detour in another direction, while Zhao Feng seemed to grit his teeth unwillingly.

"Let's add it to 100 lines now."

Xia Qiuran acted as if she hadn't heard and walked straight ahead.

Ungrateful.

Zhao Feng was instantly filled with rage. He clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands clearly visible. "Xia Qiuran, don't go too far. You broke off the engagement because of that poor soldier, didn't you?"

Xia Qiuran guessed who Zhao Feng was referring to and stopped in her tracks. "Comrade Zhao Feng, please watch your words. Soldiers are not people you can insult so easily."

Zhao Feng snorted coldly and pointed at Xia Qiuran, completely different from his previous refined demeanor.

Nowadays, families with better financial conditions will arrange factory jobs for their children. Only men from poor families who have no future in rural areas will choose to join the army, since no one wants to train under the scorching sun every day.

"Don't think I didn't see it. You were walking and chatting with that poor soldier. Xia Qiuran, I'm a foreman at the car factory now. In a few years, I'll be promoted to workshop director. What does that poor soldier have to compare with me?"

"Zhao Feng, what I am has nothing to do with you, and what position you get promoted to in the future has nothing to do with me either. Don't overestimate yourself."

Xia Qiuran smiled inwardly. Lu Zhenghan's grandfather was a veteran who had fought on the battlefield, his grandmother came from a scholarly family and held a prominent position in the literary world, his parents were scientific research elites who researched state secret instruments, and she herself had become a regimental commander at the age of twenty-six. Where did she get the confidence to compare with them?

Too lazy to waste any more words, Xia Qiuran picked up the walnuts and hurried away.

"You think 100 yuan is too little? Xia Qiuran, do you want me to take you to look in the mirror and see if you're worth it?" Zhao Feng suddenly grabbed Xia Qiuran's wrist and glared at her like a madman.

How dare a country bumpkin who toils in the soil act so high and mighty with him? If it weren't for the fact that the matchmaker had introduced him to eight or nine girls without any success, Xia Qiuran would never have come into his life.

"Let me go, Zhao Feng! If you keep this up, I'm going to call for help!"

"Go ahead and shout. I'll just say you're my fiancée and see how the police handle the case," Zhao Feng threatened, gripping Xia Qiuran's wrist tightly.

"Help! Someone help me!" Xia Qiuran shouted without hesitation. She didn't believe the police would help a scoundrel. Besides, Zhao Feng had a job. Who knew who would be scared in the end?

"You dare to actually shout? Shut up!" Zhao Feng was indeed anxious at this moment, and hurriedly tried to cover Xia Qiuran's mouth.

"ah."

As the two were arguing, Zhao Feng suddenly felt a dull pain in his waist, followed by a scream as he fell heavily to the ground.

Xia Qiuran hurriedly turned around and saw that Lu Zhenghan had kicked Zhao Feng away. Without thinking, she quickly ran behind Lu Zhenghan.

Zhao Feng lay curled up on the ground in pain, his face pale, and he couldn't get up for a long time.

"If I ever see you being violent towards women again, it won't be as simple as just kicking you. Get out."

Lu Zhenghan lowered his eyes and coldly rebuked.

Knowing he was no match for Zhao Feng and was in the wrong, Zhao Feng quickly clutched his back and limped away.

...

In the car, Lu Zhenghan saw Xia Qiuran rubbing her red wrist through the rearview mirror.

"Is your wrist alright?" I asked.

"It's alright, it'll be fine in a day or two." Xia Qiuran placed her wrist on the walnuts she was holding in her arms.

Lu Zhenghan glanced at it, somewhat puzzled as to why Xia Qiuran hadn't been willing to put down the walnuts in her hand during the intense argument.

"That walnut is very important to you," he asked in a deep voice.

"Yes, it's for Comrade Han. It wouldn't be good if it broke."

Xia Qiuran readily admitted it, but Lu Zhenghan's expression grew even more gloomy upon hearing this answer.

She hasn't even properly broken up with her fiancé yet, and she can't wait to find someone else. At first, she showed interest in him, but after meeting Han Yu, she frequently contacted him. What is this girl thinking? Does she have no self-respect or self-love at all?

"I just heard from that person that you agreed to get married but then broke off the engagement." Lu Zhenghan glanced at Xia Qiuran again in the rearview mirror.

Xia Qiuran: "Yes, I didn't know his character at first, but I broke off the engagement after I saw through him."

"Comrade Xia, relationships and marriage are very serious matters. If you haven't thought it through, it's best not to start. What you're doing is not a good thing for either yourself or others." Lu Zhenghan's deep voice seemed to reveal displeasure as he stared at the road ahead, speaking with a hint of sarcasm.

Xia Qiuran didn't think too much about it. She just felt that Lu Zhenghan was unhappy because of what had just happened. It was annoying to have to ask your boss for help when you go out with him.

"Don't worry, I've already made it very clear to Zhao Feng and his family that we have nothing to do with each other anymore. If he continues to harass me like this, I will report him to the police."

Lu Zhenghan closed his eyelashes. She was in such a hurry to make her stance clear to him that she was indeed afraid of being misunderstood and thus prevented from contacting Han Yu.

"It takes time to see if someone is suitable. Comrade Xia, you are still young and don't know much. Perhaps your current choice is wrong. It's like you've put a lot of effort into cracking open the walnuts you're holding, only to find that the kernels inside aren't what you wanted."

Lu Zhenghan's words had a double meaning: until he fully understood Xia Qiuran's thoughts, he absolutely would not allow her to have any interaction with Han Yu.

Hearing this, Xia Qiuran was speechless for a moment. Zhao Feng's character was bad, no matter how much time passed. She had lived a whole life, how could she not know much? But she couldn't very well explain that she was reborn now.