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

After returning home, Lu Zhenghan locked himself in his office, rubbing his temples incessantly, his mind replaying Xia Qiuran's words to him.

If you get along, you stay together; if you don't, you separate. Relationships come and go, and they are no exception.

How could she be so casual about relationships? Did she never intend to be with him properly from the beginning?

My head was throbbing and aching from thinking, and I don't know how much time had passed.

"Ding ding"

"Ding ding"

Lu Zhenghan was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the knocking on the door several times.

It wasn't until Zhou Guangming pushed the door open and came in that he came to his senses.

"You scared me! Xiao Zhang said you were inside, but I knocked on the door for ages and there was no response. I was worried something had happened to you," Zhou Guangming said with a sigh of relief when he saw Lu Zhenghan sitting unharmed at his desk.

Lu Zhenghan then snapped out of his reverie: "I was just thinking about something, I got lost in thought. Is there anything I can help you with, Uncle Zhou?"

"These are dumplings your grandma made at home. She asked me to bring them to you."

Zhou Guangming placed the lunchbox on Lu Zhenghan's table and then sat down in the chair next to him.

Lu Zhenghan glanced at it but didn't open it.

"There's a canteen in the army, so there's no need to go through all this trouble."

Zhou Guangming noticed that Lu Zhenghan was still emotional and immediately spoke up.

"Zhenghan, I have to say something to you. How could you throw a tantrum at your elders? Your grandparents have already made concessions, and they even promoted Xia Xia. If it were anyone else, they would be overjoyed."

"But if my father hadn't interfered, Xia Qiuran wouldn't have had so much trouble."

Lu Zhenghan's angular face was expressionless, but his voice carried a cold aura.

Zhou Guangming sighed softly. He knew that Lu Zhenghan was always stubborn, and it would probably take him several days to get over this.

"Your father has his reasons, you'll understand them in time. Eat the dumplings while they're hot."

At this moment, Lu Zhenghan put the lunchbox aside, straightened his back, and stared at Zhou Guangming with a serious look in his eyes.

"Uncle Zhou, can you tell me? What exactly is the reason? Why did my father suddenly come back from abroad and insist on making things difficult for Xia Qiuran?"

Grandpa and Grandma refused to tell, and now only Zhou Guangming knows the details. Lu Zhenghan couldn't help but ask again.

Zhou Guangming frowned, a deep crease forming on his brow. He placed one hand on the table and kept rubbing his fingers together, looking quite troubled.

"Zheng Han, this is an era of equality for all, and I shouldn't be saying this, but there are some things that are indeed beyond our control."

Zhou Guangming's vague answer made Lu Zhenghan even more puzzled. He leaned forward more than halfway, and his voice became more urgent.

"Uncle Zhou, what exactly happened?"

Zhou Guangming hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Your father heard about you and Xia, back when you were still together, and he felt you weren't a good match."

Upon hearing this answer, a look of surprise flashed across Lu Zhenghan's eyes. He hadn't expected his father to actually think that way. From a young age, he remembered his family always telling him that everyone was equal, with no distinction between high and low status, and that everyone, whether rich or poor, was an equal worker. Why did everything change when it came to him?

"You all look down on her because of her poor background?" Lu Zhenghan asked again, seemingly unwilling to give up.

"Your Uncle Zhou comes from the countryside, so why would I look down on Xia's background? Besides, I even tried to match you two up before, don't you remember?" Zhou Guangming replied immediately.

"Then it's all my parents' idea." Lu Zhenghan's face grew colder and colder, unable to understand why his usually open-minded family would act this way now.

Zhou Guangming walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Zhenghan, it is true that the new society emphasizes equality for all, but everyone has different responsibilities. For example, your father is engaged in scientific research and projects, doing great things that benefit the country and the people. He and your mother have not been able to spend much time with you since you were little because of their work. Don't they feel sad? Are they willing to leave you behind? Of course they are sad too, but compared to more important things, they have to put you aside for the time being."

"The situation is the same now. Your marriage is no longer just about you. You have to consider the bigger picture."

"What does this mean?" Lu Zhenghan's eyes narrowed slightly, with obvious doubt in them.

Zhou Guangming stopped hiding it and clearly explained the whole story.

He had just discussed it with the old chief. Keeping it a secret was not a solution. With Lu Zhenghan's abilities, he would find out soon. If they found out about it from someone else, it would probably be even more troublesome. It was better to tell them now.

"Your father's research project on radio communication has hit a bottleneck. Only with the help of a senior researcher who has returned from studying in country A can the bottleneck be broken. However, that researcher has one condition."

Zhou Guangming paused for a moment before continuing.

"And my only request is to be with you."

"What?"

"Who is she? I don't know her at all, why would she be with me?"

Lu Zhenghan paused abruptly, as if he had heard something utterly absurd when he heard the reason.

"You know her, she's your childhood playmate, Nie Ru," Zhou Guangming continued.

Upon hearing the name, Lu Zhenghan's eyes flickered, and he finally recognized it.

"How about it? Do you remember now? Back in the old family compound, when you were four and she was two, she wet her pants, and you even made her sit in the basin to bathe her, saying she was unhygienic."

Zhou Guangming, fearing that Lu Zhenghan hadn't remembered yet, then reminded him.

"Uncle Zhou, when was this? I've completely forgotten about it."

Lu Zhenghan turned around, his brows furrowed deeply.

He and Nie Ru were childhood friends. When they were young, both of their parents were busy, so he would usually play with his younger sister, who was two years younger than him, in the yard. When Nie Ru was five or six years old, their parents moved away due to job transfers, and he never saw her again after that.

Zhou Guangming: "Zheng Han, our country needs talent right now. If you can keep her here and get her to give up the idea of ​​returning to Country A, that would be a great achievement."

"Uncle Zhou, marriage is about mutual respect and love, and there needs to be a foundation of affection. I haven't seen her for so many years, we're practically strangers. How can we just get married like this?"

Lu Zhenghan was now feeling extremely overwhelmed. Yuan Qiaoling had left, and now Nie Ru had come along. Why was his family so insistent on forcing him to find a suitable partner?

"Your grandma has some photos; you can take a look first. They're a perfect match for you."

Zhou Guangming was about to continue speaking when Lu Zhenghan suddenly looked up and interrupted him.

"Uncle Zhou, I will seriously consider what you said."

He didn't want to argue right now; he just wanted some peace and quiet.

"Really? That's great! Zheng Han, since you're single now, you can definitely get to know them first. Maybe you'll fall for them."

Zhou Guangming, however, thought that Lu Zhenghan had come to his senses, and immediately replied with a smile. After leaving the house, he quickly turned to the family compound to report the good news to Lu Chuan and his wife.