Chapter 46: Jealousy Toward Zhong Xiao

Sun Yangzhong’s arrival at the Taizhou Island Military District, accompanied by Zhong Xiao and Mr. Qin, soon began to spread around the base. Resources were scarce here, so for now, Mr. Qin and his party were settled in rather modest dormitories, while Zhong Xiao was temporarily assigned to the dormitory building for the medical staff of the central hospital.

It was Lan Zuo herself who escorted Zhong Xiao to the dormitory. She arranged Zhong Xiao’s bed, made it up with clean sheets and blankets, and though Zhong Xiao had meant to help, Lan Zuo wouldn’t hear of it. With swift and practiced hands, she took care of everything, even bringing her a ceramic basin, two new towels, and a bottle of hot water. Somehow, she’d also managed to find two bottles of milk for her.

Anyone could see that Lan Zuo’s treatment of Zhong Xiao was anything but ordinary.

Zhong Xiao was assigned to room 303, while Hou Manling and Yuan Tianqing, the two head nurses, lived across the hall in 301. In fact, with just the two of them, 301 had spare beds to offer. But Lan Zuo was well aware of Hou Manling’s feelings toward her own son. To avoid any complications, she chose not to place Zhong Xiao in the same room.

That didn’t mean Hou Manling was unaware. By the afternoon, she had already heard about several squads being hastily reorganized for a rescue mission, news delivered in person by the former director from Yuecheng, Mr. Qin. And with him, she learned, was a young woman—one who was, by all accounts, extraordinarily beautiful.

It was Yuan Tianqing who brought back the news and shared it with Hou Manling at dinner. “Manling, have you heard? Our military district’s old director is back, and he brought a girl with him. She’s so beautiful, apparently she left the gate guards dumbstruck. The soldiers couldn’t talk about anything else at dinner.”

Hou Manling’s hand paused, spoon in mid-air.

Yuan Tianqing went on, “And the strangest thing is, Director Lan was so attentive to her—she was laughing and crying, holding her hand. I’ve never seen Director Lan treat anyone so warmly. It was almost like she was… her own daughter.”

In truth, Yuan Tianqing had wanted to say “as if she were her future daughter-in-law,” but she held back for fear of upsetting Hou Manling.

Hou Manling grew wary the moment she heard how well Lan Zuo was treating Zhong Xiao. She said nothing, however, until she returned to the dormitory and saw Lan Zuo herself making up Zhong Xiao’s bed and organizing her things. That left a bitter taste in Hou Manling’s heart.

Lan Zuo was usually so busy she barely had time to touch the ground, let alone handle such domestic tasks. Hou Manling had always taken it upon herself to help with these little things; for years, she’d cared for Lan Zuo better than her own mother, washing and changing her sheets, preparing her towels.

Yet now, the perpetually busy Lan Zuo was personally looking after Zhong Xiao in every detail?

No sooner had Lan Zuo finished settling Zhong Xiao in than an emergency call came from the hospital—an operation needed her attention. She hurriedly gave Zhong Xiao a few words of advice before rushing out.

As soon as Lan Zuo left, the other medical staff crowded around Zhong Xiao, eager to get to know her.

“So your name is Zhong Xiao? Which ‘Xiao’ is that?” one asked.

“The one with the bamboo radical on top and the character ‘You’ underneath,” Zhong Xiao replied with a smile.

“Where are you from?” another inquired.

“Yuecheng,” Zhong Xiao answered, “I grew up there.”

“How are things in Yuecheng now? We’ve heard that a lot of cities are cracking down very hard. Is Yuecheng all right?”

“Zhong Xiao, what’s your relationship with Director Lan? Are you a distant relative?”

“We heard you came with Director Qin. Why did Director Qin return? Is something happening at the West Sea front?”

Questions swirled around her, and Zhong Xiao answered them all with patient grace. To her, these unfamiliar but friendly faces were a sight she hadn’t seen in many years. In her past life, those around her were either after her fortune or her body. She cherished this feeling, so new and rare.

Just then, the group exchanged glances and, grinning, finally voiced the question that had been burning in their minds.

“Zhong Xiao, are you… are you really the legendary fiancée of Commander Song?”

“Yes, yes! Is Director Lan so kind to you because you’re her future daughter-in-law?”

Zhong Xiao found herself at a loss for words. If she said yes, it would not be quite true—the marriage was not yet settled, and Lan Zuo had never tried to force her. She had no idea what Song Tingshen thought; after all, they had never even met—everything was unknown. Yet if she said no, it would not be true either, for there was indeed a formal engagement, and she still carried the military dependent’s certificate. In a certain sense, she really was Song Tingshen’s fiancée.

As Zhong Xiao pondered how to answer, a sudden noise came from the doorway—the sound of water being thrown. Everyone turned to look.

They saw the door to the room across the hall open. Hou Manling stood in the doorway, holding an enamel basin, which she had just emptied onto the corridor floor. A puddle of water spread across the passage.

The group startled, turning to look at Hou Manling—all except Zhong Xiao, who simply lifted her gaze to meet the girl’s.

The girl across the hall wore two braided pigtails. Her face was round, but her eyes swept upward at the corners, lending her a cool, mature air. She was not exactly beautiful, but her bearing was striking. She stood as tall as Zhong Xiao, her skin darker and her frame sturdier—a result of life on this sea-ringed island and years of military training.

By contrast, Zhong Xiao was as fair and delicate as a porcelain doll, her skin so pale and tender it seemed it might yield to the lightest touch. Her features were classic: an oval face with smooth lines, large round eyes that gave her an air of innocence. Her nose was high and fine, the tip delicate, with a small beauty mark on the right side of the bridge—a face both beautiful and proud, radiating an aura that warned strangers to keep their distance.

The instant Hou Manling saw Zhong Xiao, she was struck dumb with shock. Never in all her years on Taizhou Island, nor back in her hometown, had she seen a woman so breathtakingly beautiful—so much so that she nearly forgot to breathe.

For a moment, Hou Manling stood frozen, staring woodenly at Zhong Xiao, as if she had forgotten anything else she’d meant to do.

Then, after the initial astonishment, a wave of jealousy surged within her.

Yes, she was jealous of Zhong Xiao. Zhong Xiao was simply too beautiful. And such a beautiful woman might possibly… be Song Tingshen’s legendary fiancée.

Zhong Xiao, for her part, noticed that Hou Manling’s gaze was different from the others. Rising to her feet, she walked to the doorway and offered Hou Manling a radiant smile.

“Hello, my name is Zhong Xiao. May I ask your name?”