B5SB -Chapter 83 Captain Cao Said the Wrong Thing

Family Apartment Building

Gu Yihan carefully helped Zhao Ju up the stairs; her home was on the second floor.

When they reached the second floor, Gu Yihan looked at the narrow corridor of the block-style building, cluttered with various items. The hallway wasn’t very spacious.

Seeing the incredulous look on Gu Yihan’s face, Zhao Ju laughed, “You’re smart—you picked the small courtyard. I regret moving into a block-style building.”

Gu Yihan nodded. “I didn’t expect people to leave things in the hallway.”

Zhao Ju walked to her apartment door and tried to push it open—it wouldn’t budge. Then she knocked, turning to Gu Yihan with a side glance: “Wait a bit, come in and sit for a while. Chat with me when you’re resting.”

Inside, Shi Jianguo’s mother heard the knock and knew her delicate daughter-in-law had returned.

She pursed her lips, opened the door, and said, “So you know how to come back, huh? If you’re capable, you wouldn’t have returned. Do you think your family lives nearby?”

Gu Yihan looked up at Shi Jianguo’s mother. Seeing her gentle features, she truly hadn’t expected such words to come out of this woman’s mouth.

“Auntie, Zhao Ju is pregnant. Aren’t you worried about her safety?”

“If Zhao Ju runs into danger, you wouldn’t be able to explain it to Shi Jianguo, right?” she said, helping Zhao Ju inside without waiting for a response.

Seeing a guest present, Shi Jianguo’s mother restrained herself from saying more and, in front of outsiders, put on a gentle demeanor: “I’m just worried she might get into trouble, couldn’t help but speak out.”

After settling Zhao Ju, Gu Yihan, noticing her frustrated expression, could only say, “Rest well. I’ll come find you after I take a break.”

Zhao Ju looked at Gu Yihan reluctantly. “Don’t forget to come see me when you rest. It’s too boring alone at home.”

Gu Yihan nodded to show she understood.

No sooner had Gu Yihan stepped out than Shi Jianguo’s mother slammed the door shut with a loud “bang.”

The door slammed so loudly that everyone in the corridor peeked out. The block-style building had poor sound insulation, and since Gu Yihan had only recently arrived in the family apartments, many army wives didn’t recognize her.

Gu Yihan ignored their gazes and walked past their doors directly.

“Creak.”

Lin Yifei opened the door after finishing his meal, preparing to go downstairs to the duty room, just as Gu Yihan passed by the neighbor’s door. “Xiaohan?”

Gu Yihan turned to Lin Yifei, glanced behind him, and not seeing Qiao Shuhui, asked, “Colonel Lin, you live here too?”

Lin Yifei smiled and nodded. “Why are you at the family apartments?”

As she went downstairs, Gu Yihan glanced sideways at Lin Yifei and said, “I’m sending my friend home. She lives here too.”

Lin Yifei walked beside her. “Yajing knows you’re in the army and even complained about you. She said you didn’t notify her about your marriage, don’t treat her as a friend. Just reminding you—don’t forget to write a letter.”

Gu Yihan had only told a few people at the machinery factory about her marriage; no one else knew.

She could imagine Li Yajing stomping her feet at home, scolding her for being heartless, and she giggled at the thought.

Lin Yifei’s eyes were momentarily dazzled by Gu Yihan’s smile, and his heart skipped a beat. He instinctively pressed a hand to his chest, sensing that smile was strangely familiar.

Wen Juan, sharp-eyed, saw Gu Yihan walking and laughing alongside Lin Yifei.

She immediately pulled Captain Cao into the hallway to hide, pointing at the pair: “Look! Isn’t that your regiment commander?”

Captain Cao followed his wife’s hand and only saw the back of his commander and a female comrade, assuming it was the commander’s wife.

He looked at his wife in confusion. “They’re just taking a walk. Why are you making such a fuss?”

Wen Juan looked at her husband speechlessly, opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. The two then went upstairs.

Qiao Shuhui had prepared braised pork for dinner and felt a little full. After clearing the dishes, she went out for a walk to aid digestion.

Her pregnancy was still in the early months, so she planned to walk every day to ease the burden later when giving birth.

As she opened the door, she saw Captain Cao and his wife. She greeted them: “Wen Juan, just returned from your family?”

Hearing Qiao Shuhui, Captain Cao was startled and blurted, “Aren’t you walking with Colonel Lin?”

When Qiao Shuhui heard this, her face slowly darkened. She sneered, “Captain Cao, who did you see our Yifei with?”

Wen Juan didn’t have time to cover her husband’s mouth, and could only awkwardly say, “Xiaohui, don’t listen to him. He’s mistaken.”

Before Qiao Shuhui could react, she pulled Captain Cao inside, closing the door in one smooth motion.

After closing the door, Wen Juan scolded Captain Cao: “Do you even have a brain? How dare you say anything without thinking?”

Captain Cao, realizing his mistake, mumbled, “I was just so surprised to see the commander’s wife. I wondered how she got back so quickly.”

Wen Juan was speechless, ignoring him entirely. She turned to sit on a stool and said, “Isn’t it obvious? The person walking with the commander is not his wife.”

Captain Cao hurriedly patted her shoulder, “I was wrong. Next time I’ll look carefully and not speak recklessly.”

Meanwhile, Qiao Shuhui stood at the door for a long time, lost in thought. She no longer felt like going for a walk and returned to her room, sitting on the bed in a daze.

In her previous life, her family favored sons over daughters. After high school, she went out to work, working hard for over a decade just to earn money to help her younger brother get married.

She never imagined that upon opening her eyes this time, she would be reborn in this era and meet someone as outstanding as Lin Yifei.

Qiao Shuhui had deliberately married Lin Yifei to become a general’s wife, to be at the top, making those who looked down on her look up in awe.

A vicious glint flickered in her eyes—no one would ever take Lin Yifei from her.

At midnight, Lin Yifei opened the door and saw a faint light in the bedroom. Puzzled, he entered and saw that Qiao Shuhui was still awake.

He approached her and felt her forehead—no fever.

Only then did Lin Yifei relax. “Why aren’t you sleeping? You’re pregnant; staying up late isn’t good for your health.”

Qiao Shuhui clutched his waist tightly, feeling him stiffen, deeply saddened.

Through her sobs, she said, “Yifei, I dreamt you abandoned us.”

Lin Yifei gently pushed her away, his expression calm and steady. “That’s impossible. Don’t think such things. I would never abandon you.”

He recalled a call from his cousin Li Yajing earlier that night: “Cousin, have you lost your mind? You’re passing up someone rich, beautiful, and capable like Gu Yihan.”

“That Qiao Shuhui just needs company. She will only hold you back. You’re a soldier; you can’t always be with her.”

Those words had left a trace in his mind. With Qiao Shuhui still pregnant, he could only patiently say, “Xiaohui, trust me. Don’t overthink. I’m a soldier; I don’t make principled mistakes, and I would never abandon you for no reason. The mission that Colonel Lu should have gone on was mine. I declined it because you were pregnant and not feeling well.”

Qiao Shuhui looked at Lin Yifei with eyes full of grievance, wanting to ask about the woman from earlier, but hadn’t spoken yet.

Lin Yifei interrupted gently, “It’s late. Rest now.”

He blew out the candle, lay down beside her, and held her in his arms. “Go to sleep now.”