Volume 1, Chapter 9: Fu Juechuan Carries Qiaoqiao on His Back, the Atmosphere Heats Up

"Hiss..."

"Qiaoqiao..." Zhou Cong instinctively crouched down to help her up.

"What are you doing?"

A sharp shout followed by the sound of rapid footsteps rang out. In the next second, Zhou Cong was shoved to the ground, his black suit stained with dust.

"It's you!" Zhou Cong's palm was scraped. He looked up to see Fu Juechuan in his military uniform. Enraged, he braced his hands and stood up.

Fu Juechuan ignored him completely, his focus entirely on Ye Qiaoqiao's injured ankle. After a quick inspection, he said, "It's a sprain. You'll need some medicine, but don't worry, it's nothing serious."

Ye Qiaoqiao asked in a daze, "Brother Fu, why are you here?"

"Just passing by," Fu Juechuan explained briefly. "The commendation ceremony has been finalized. Aside from daily training, things aren't that busy. I'll take you to the infirmary before heading back to the training camp."

Ye Qiaoqiao nodded instinctively. Only after agreeing did she realize with lingering confusion why Fu Juechuan was being so good to her. However, before she could think it through, Zhou Cong, who had been watching their every move, was already red-eyed with fury.

"Qiaoqiao, what is your relationship with him!" Zhou Cong had been busy trying to get Jiang Yao out for the past few days. He had barely rested, let alone cared about Ye Qiaoqiao. He had originally dismissed her offhand comment about marrying Fu Juechuan during their broken engagement as a joke, not taking it to heart. But what he saw today filled him with a sense of foreboding.

"Brother Fu is my fiancé. Before long, we will hold our engagement banquet," Ye Qiaoqiao said, looking at him with calm self-restraint. She wanted Zhou Cong to give up completely and stop clinging to her because of her family's influence.

"Qiaoqiao, you're joking with me, right?" Zhou Cong could no longer smile; the words were squeezed out from between his teeth. He stared at Fu Juechuan, who stood quietly by Ye Qiaoqiao’s side, and almost ground his teeth to dust. How could he—why him?!

"Do you think I would lie about something so significant?"

Zhou Cong instinctively stepped forward, reaching out to grab her hand in anger. "Qiaoqiao, I apologize to you. Don't be headstrong and marry someone you don't love. I don't believe you have no feelings for me anymore."

Ye Qiaoqiao stood up and slapped him across the face.

She had endured the urge to do this for a long time. *Crack.* It was incredibly loud. Zhou Cong, a man who valued his reputation above all else, stood frozen for a long moment with the imprint of five fingers on his cheek before touching his face and looking at Ye Qiaoqiao. His eyes were bloodshot, his voice as dark as ink. "Ye Qiaoqiao, don't regret this."

"I will definitely get Jiang Yao out, and I will never marry you again." Gritting his teeth, Zhou Cong turned and left.

Ye Qiaoqiao was not surprised; this was how Zhou Cong truly felt. His previous persistence now seemed ridiculous to her. She only regretted not slapping him again.

Once Zhou Cong was gone, Ye Qiaoqiao realized she had announced their engagement without consulting Fu Juechuan. She turned to look at him, instinctively wanting to explain, but Fu Juechuan didn't question it at all. Even before she could speak, he crouched down in front of her.

"I'll take you to the infirmary for treatment." Fu Juechuan offered his broad back to her, as if he had already accepted their engagement as a given. If she tried to explain now, wouldn't it seem redundant and overly distant? With that thought, Ye Qiaoqiao decided not to explain.

In a good mood, she couldn't help but smile, leaning onto his back without hesitation and naturally wrapping her arms around his neck. "Brother Fu, then... I'll trouble you." She rested her head against his shoulder blade and whispered.

"Hmm." Fu Juechuan felt his back burning so intensely it affected his ability to think, his Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably. He stiffened and stood up abruptly.

"Ah!" Ye Qiaoqiao let out a soft cry. "I'm going to fall."

Fu Juechuan quickly reached back to support her thighs. The scorching heat transferred to his palms, searingly hot. He clenched his hands into fists, trying his best to avoid touching her soft skin. "Don't worry, I won't drop you," he reassured her in a muffled voice.

Ye Qiaoqiao hugged his shoulders again and noticed his dark red earlobes, which made her feel a bit shy. To be honest, this was the first time she had ever been carried on a man's back. The scent at the tip of her nose was the smell of laundry detergent from Fu Juechuan's clothes, not sweat.

"Brother Fu, did you know me a long time ago?" Ye Qiaoqiao asked, trying to make conversation to ease the awkwardness.

Fu Juechuan walked toward the infirmary, responding casually, "Yes."

Ye Qiaoqiao had assumed he wouldn't reply, so she hadn't thought much of it. His sudden answer stunned her for a moment. She swallowed and asked in a low voice, "Brother Fu, when... did we meet?" She realized her memories were almost entirely filled with the ten years of her previous life after marrying Zhou Cong and the time after her death; the days before her marriage felt as distant as a past life.

Fu Juechuan’s footsteps faltered for a second before returning to normal. His expression was cold and stern, a flash of disappointment passing through his steady eyes. "A long time ago. It wasn't anything particularly memorable—forget it if you have."

Fu Juechuan clearly did not intend to dwell on the past. Ye Qiaoqiao didn't dare to pry further, fearing she might say the wrong thing and displease him. She decided to wait until her father returned that evening to ask, treating it as reminiscing about the old days.

"Brother Fu, oh, I forgot to give you the thank-you gift." Ye Qiaoqiao tapped her head, suddenly remembering.

"A gift? Not necessary," Fu Juechuan replied in a low, firm voice. "If it's because of what happened the other day, there's even less need. I didn't really help you with anything. There are still rumors spreading about you being abandoned; don't be angry if you hear them when we get to the infirmary."

"I'm not angry. I don't even like Zhou Cong anyway." Ye Qiaoqiao truly didn't care. She wasn't surprised that such gossip was spreading in the residential compound; after all, her peers there included both friends and rivals. Of course, the main ones were those military second-generation kids who would say anything nasty just to curry favor with Zhou Cong. Why should she care about their words?

Seeing that Fu Juechuan didn't respond—clearly not believing her—she politely stopped asking. Ye Qiaoqiao sighed helplessly in her heart and simply leaned on his back to rest.

Still, she couldn't help but study his handsome profile: his thin lips pressed tight, his facial features sharp and distinct, his skin in good condition. His entire being radiated a calm, steady sense of security. Ye Qiaoqiao quickly turned her head away, not daring to look any longer.

Fu Juechuan had been so tense under her gaze that his muscles were rigid. Only when her eyes moved away did he let out a sigh of relief.

As soon as Fu Juechuan carried Ye Qiaoqiao to the infirmary, they ran into Li Lele, who had never gotten along with her.

"Well, well, look who it is. Just caused a scene about being dumped by her fiancé, and she still has the nerve to show her face in public." Li Lele had grown up in the military compound with Ye Qiaoqiao and had always been her sworn enemy.