Since he put it that way, I couldn't refuse again. I gritted my teeth and opened the back door, but then I heard Arthur say: "Could you sit in the front? I'm afraid I'll forget the way and waste your time."

I silently pulled back my foot and closed the back door, taking the passenger seat.

Throughout the journey, I felt entirely uncomfortable, keeping my head turned toward the window.

Arthur didn't mind in the least, a faint smile always lingering on his lips.

Eastern Theater General Hospital.

For over a year, I had come to the hospital without fail to care for my mother, and I had become very familiar with all the doctors, nurses, patients, and their families.

"Elena's here! You’re so early today!"

"Elena, your mother is recovering so well! Why, last night, she was even the one who called the nurse to remove the IV needle for my mom!"

Everyone greeted me as we walked by, and I stopped to respond to each of them.

Soon, someone noticed Arthur following me and asked with gossipy delight, "Oh my, such a dashing young man! A soldier, I take it? Are you two seeing each other?"

"No..." I lowered my head, embarrassed. In such a situation, I didn't know how to explain it.

The older woman opposite me gave me a 'I understand' look, patted my shoulder with the back of her hand, and instructed: "Don't worry about it, make sure to invite me to your wedding when it happens!"

I offered a forced, awkward smile, but Arthur’s back straightened even further—'imposing' was not even a strong enough word to describe him.

As soon as we entered Evelyn's ward, we instantly drew everyone's attention.

"Oh my, Sister Evelyn! Your daughter has brought you a son-in-law!"

Chapter 17

A glimmer of joy appeared in Evelyn's eyes as she sat up on the bed and took my hand, asking, "Elena, who is this?"

I patted the back of her hand reassuringly. Before I could introduce him, Arthur placed the gifts he had been carrying all the way onto the nightstand, unpacked the fruit basket for everyone in the room, and then introduced himself.

"Hello, Aunt Evelyn. I am Arthur, the eldest son of Comrade Arthur. I just returned from the front lines and arrived home yesterday."

"Good, good," Evelyn replied twice, looking more satisfied with him the longer she looked.

Arthur was attentive and articulate; within just a short while, he had integrated himself with the aunts and ladies in the ward, making Evelyn laugh heartily.

For her, having a stable source of support for her daughter, allowing her to live the rest of her life carefree, was better than anything else.

In the midst of the conversation, she grabbed my hand and whispered, "Mom thinks this boy, Arthur, is better than that Julian boy. He’s eloquent, and life will be interesting with you two together in the future."

"Unlike that Julian boy, who was cold and stiff as a wooden block. Mom likes this one."

Evelyn spoke softly, but soldiers have keen hearing, and Arthur, who was busy chatting with the others, felt the corners of his mouth lift involuntarily.

As for that Julian boy, he naturally knew exactly who he was.

Last night, he had already sat Fu Shuning and Xie Wanzhi down and questioned them thoroughly about everything concerning Elena. In marching and warfare, the most important thing is to know yourself and your enemy; that way, you are never defeated.

For some people, the opportunity had already been lost.

Just as the conversation was heating up, Sterling knocked on the door and walked in.

"Arthur, Elena, my brother-in-law just called to say that guests have arrived at the house, and he wants you two to go back early this evening."

"Understood, Uncle," Arthur replied.

As soon as Evelyn heard that guests had arrived at the house, she urged me and Arthur to leave early.

"Elena, go back early so you can lend your Auntie Xie a hand."

"No need, Auntie. We don't need my mother to do chores at home, let alone Elena. We’ll just go back early; as long as we don't miss dinner, it will be fine."

Arthur narrowed his eyes like a fox, a hint of craftiness flashing through them.

It was only afternoon when we left the hospital.

Arthur insisted that he hadn't bought new clothes in a long time and wanted me to help him pick some out.

While he claimed he wanted my advice, in reality, whenever he saw a pretty dress or skirt, he would hold it up against me. If he liked it, he bought it, without even letting me try them on.

"You’re beautiful, and the clothes are beautiful. You’ll definitely look even better wearing them. No need to try them on—really, no need. Buy it. That one, too. Yes, this one as well."

"This pearl necklace is very pretty. It will look great when you wear a dress. You’re wearing a dress today, so I’ll put it on for you. It’s perfect. These earrings, too."

We shopped until evening. Arthur carried big and small bags, most of which were bought for me.

"Elena has such good taste; I love every piece of clothing you picked for me."

"Our Elena is truly beautiful; she looks good in anything. Once my work is finalized, I’ll exchange my vouchers and buy you all new clothes."

Arthur chatted and laughed the whole way, and I responded while walking by his side.

His hand remained behind me, even when walking through doorways, making it look as if he were holding my waist.

The people on the sofa looked up at the sound, seeing the two of them looking intimate.

I was caught off guard, locking eyes with Julian.

In an instant, my feet felt as heavy as lead, unable to move even an inch. I had never imagined I would see Julian again in this lifetime, let alone under such circumstances.

The sudden embarrassment made me want to turn and flee.

But then I asked myself, why should I run? What was there to run from?

He was the one who stubbornly believed I was a vain, promiscuous woman clinging to power. The verdict had already been reached; no matter what I did or how I explained, it wouldn't change his mind, so why care?

Realizing this, I took a deep breath and met his gaze with a calm expression.

Clang.

Julian stood up abruptly, knocking over the teacup beside him.

Chapter 18

Scalding tea spilled over Julian's leg, but he didn't seem to notice.

Ever since he received the anonymous repayment from Elena, he had a premonition that they would meet again, but he didn't expect it to actually happen.

As Julian prepared to speak, Arthur quickly intervened. He placed his arm around my shoulder and introduced us: "Elena, you probably don't know them yet. These two are Uncle Cheng Julian and Auntie Jie Xiao from the capital. This is their son, Julian."

"Uncle Julian and my father were old comrades-in-arms."

Arthur had known exactly who was coming tonight, yet he pretended to be surprised.

Julian's parents looked embarrassed and guilty, while Julian’s eyes were flushed with excitement.

Meanwhile, Arthur and Xie Wanzhi, who knew their son's character all too well, were struggling painfully to hold back their laughter. One pretended to cough while shielding their face, the other pretended to drink tea while their mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Fu Shuning was biting his lip so hard it looked like he was about to burst, eventually pinching his own thigh to stop himself from laughing.

But Arthur seemed to feel that the fire wasn't burning bright enough. He hugged my shoulder and added, "This is Elena, Gu Elena, my... dear little sister."

He said the words "dear little sister" with such tenderness and affection, and I did not deny it.

I stood tall, smiling appropriately, and greeted everyone in turn: "Hello, Uncle, Aunt, Brother Julian."

Julian's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, drawing several sharp glances from Arthur. Seeing that his son had had his fun, Arthur cleared his throat, suppressing his smile by force.

"There’s still a while before dinner, and you young people won't be interested in what we’re discussing. Arthur, why don't you take Elena upstairs to rest first?"

"I'm going too!" Fu Shuning scrambled up like a monkey, obsequiously grabbing the bags from Arthur's hands and showering me with compliments.

"Sister Elena, this necklace looks so good on you! Goodness, it was made to be worn around your neck!"

My mood, which had been dampened by Julian, began to brighten under Fu Shuning's playful teasing.

I reached up to touch the pearls and smiled, "Well, your brother bought it."

"I could tell! Sister Elena, let me tell you, my brother is great at everything, especially his taste—it’s top-notch!"

Julian watched the three of them chatting and laughing as they went upstairs. His gaze trembled, and the bitterness and sourness churning in his heart nearly drowned him.