QTIMP -Chapter 289 Character Persona – Violent (Part 17)

“Why do you insist on going out to work, sis? I’m a battalion commander now. My salary every month isn’t low at all—I can completely support you. And with my position, I can apply for military family housing. You wouldn’t even need to live outside. You could stay in the compound for family members. It’s both safe and convenient.”

Si Qiu slapped his hand away. He winced in pain and quickly pulled it back.

She shot him a glare. “Who said I need you to support me? I’ve got hands and feet of my own. Do I look like someone who needs you to take care of me?

Besides, we’re not even related by blood. What would it even look like if I stayed in the family compound?

Get lost. Don’t keep showing up in front of me. Just seeing you makes me want to hit you.”

A pitiful, delicate little flower—yet every time she met Chen Changsheng, she turned into a raging mother tiger.

This guy always managed to step perfectly on Si Qiu’s trigger points, making her want to reach out and give him a proper lesson.

To outsiders watching, the two of them really did look like siblings. Chen Changsheng even treated this “older sister” like half a mother.

“Then sis, I’ll take you to the guesthouse. Tomorrow I’ll send you to the city,” he said, whining as he followed behind her.

“Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

Yang Dezhi gave him a push too.

“Old Chen, are you stupid?”

With the reminder, Chen Changsheng quickly pulled Yang Dezhi along. “Old Yang, help me carry the luggage.”

The two of them carried Si Qiu’s bags and took her to the guesthouse.

As for Battalion Commander Jiang and Section Chief Song, they had to deal with the matter of the spy first.

At the military guesthouse, they opened a room. Si Qiu tossed the bundle containing her daily necessities to Chen Changsheng. He quickly caught it, opened it, and took out bedsheets to remake the bed—he had done this kind of thing often before.

So the moment Si Qiu lifted a hand, he already knew what she meant to do.

Yang Dezhi followed the guesthouse staff to get two thermoses of hot water. After everything was settled, Chen Changsheng took Si Qiu’s empty food container and enamel mug and went to the cafeteria to get meals.

Si Qiu also took out a change of clothes from another bag. Using the hot water, she washed her hair and wiped herself down. The trip had been dusty and exhausting.

When the two of them brought the food back, Si Qiu took out a packet of pastries and a bag of candies and shoved them into Yang Dezhi’s hands.

Then she sent them both away.

Now she could finally rest properly in the guesthouse—she didn’t want to deal with them anymore.

“Sis, then you rest. I won’t bother you. I’ll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning.”

After sending the two of them off, she finished the meal in the lunchbox. With her martial background, this body had a fairly large appetite.

She took the empty lunchbox and thermos and went to the guesthouse staff to have them cleaned, then refilled the thermos with hot water.

After bolting the door, she collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep completely.

She had been exhausted all day—first the long car ride that nearly drained her, then dealing with Chen Changsheng, and after that, scheming and arguing with that “old fox” the political commissar.

Now that things finally quieted down, fatigue came rushing in.

She slept straight through until the next morning’s wake-up bugle. Sleeping so long actually left her with a slight headache.

She took her towel and toothbrush cup to the backyard well to wash up. When she returned, she saw Chen Changsheng leaning against the door holding a lunchbox, waiting for her.

Si Qiu opened the door, and the two of them went inside.

“Sis, today it’s millet porridge and cornmeal cakes. I even asked Chen Dezhi to bring me some pickled vegetables.”

Si Qiu took out her lunchbox and told him to pour half of the porridge for her. She also took two corn cakes, while she pushed the rest of the porridge and six corn cakes over to him.

Chen Changsheng didn’t stand on ceremony. While eating, he said, “When I was getting the food, I ran into Regiment Commander Jiang and Section Chief Song. They both looked like they hadn’t slept all night—eyes all red.”

“But Section Chief Song said that after we finish eating, we’ll head back to the city. I’ve already asked for leave. After you finish eating, sis, pack your luggage.”

“When they come to pick us up, don’t make them wait.”

Si Qiu nodded.

As expected, just after they finished eating and packed up the lunchboxes, Section Chief Song and the others arrived. Si Qiu quickly put her lunchbox into her suitcase.

She had brought quite a lot of luggage. When they were about to leave, she reached out to carry it herself, but Chen Changsheng and Regiment Commander Jiang both picked it up.

Seeing her confused look, Jiang Yiming turned slightly and explained, “I’ll drive you there.”

Si Qiu softly said thank you.

Section Chief Song rubbed his face hard. “Let Xiao Chen drive instead. You and I both stayed up all night—your eyes are red too.”

Jiang Yiming loaded the things into the car. Just as he was about to open the driver’s door, he saw Chen Changsheng running over. He lowered his eyes, opened the back door, and got in.

Section Chief Song sat in the passenger seat, while Si Qiu and Chen Changsheng sat in the back. Meeting Si Qiu’s gaze, he grinned foolishly.

He even received an eye-roll from her.

Chen Changsheng felt a little wronged. His sister used to side with him the most. When village kids bullied him, she would chase them down with a stick and beat them up.

But now, it felt like she couldn’t even be bothered to look at him.

Still, he realized he hadn’t thought things through before, so he quickly said, “Sis, what’s the village like now?”

Si Qiu roughly described what had happened in the village—though she slightly exaggerated it. As she spoke, Chen Changsheng’s eyes turned red.

“It’s my fault… I let down our parents, and I let you down too, sis. From now on, we’re real siblings. I’ll definitely treat you well.”

“Can you stop being so weepy?”

Si Qiu frowned in annoyance, then happened to meet Jiang Yiming’s gaze when he turned his head. She felt a bit awkward, but quickly didn’t care anymore and even gave him a friendly smile.

Jiang Yiming found this woman genuinely interesting. She was lively and decisive, completely the opposite of her delicate appearance.

More than that, she was educated and articulate. Even the famously eloquent Section Chief Song had been led in circles by her.

He had just a slight, barely noticeable interest in her.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have personally volunteered to drive them back. The trip to the city alone would take two or three hours.

He could have simply sent Lin Zi to take them.

Thinking of this, he said gently, “If you run into any problems in the city later, you can call the army.”

“Changsheng just took over as battalion commander and might be a bit busy. You can come to me instead. After all, the army and the people are one family—and you’re a military dependent.”

This time, it was Section Chief Song who rolled his eyes.

Meanwhile, Chen Changsheng looked extremely grateful. “Commander, you’re really too good to me! But don’t worry, Section Chief Song said that once she gets into school, there won’t be many problems.”

“If anything really comes up, I might be busy, but I can still back my sister up.”

Hearing this, Section Chief Song quickly nodded along, his gloating smile completely unconcealed.