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In the second month of his military service, Li Jinghuan unexpectedly found himself on stage, commanding the troops with a booming voice that resonated throughout the venue. He was fortunate enough to catch the attention of General Jiang Yuanfei, who promoted him to lead the army's elite unit. However, he never anticipated that he would encounter her again.
It was an afternoon in October when Li Jinghuan accompanied Jiang Yuanfei to a social event. As they stepped out, he noticed a graceful woman standing beside Jiang Yuanfei. She wore a striking red qipao, which accentuated her regal presence. Li Jinghuan's hand froze mid-air as he reached for the car door.
“Ling Long?”
At the sound of his voice, the woman turned around, offering a polite smile that revealed no hint of emotion in her eyes.
“Do you know each other?” Jiang Yuanfei glanced between them and asked.
“Just fellow townsfolk,” Ling Long replied nonchalantly.
Li Jinghuan discreetly inquired with the driver and learned that she was now Jiang Yuanfei's concubine. The driver informed him about a foreign doctor named Simon from Qingyuan Town in Jiangxi, who desperately wanted to open a large Western hospital but had been unable to secure approval from higher authorities. One day, Simon inadvertently saved a drowning woman and was astonished to find she bore a striking resemblance to General Jiang Yuanfei's deceased wife. With his extensive connections, establishing a Western hospital was merely a trivial matter for Jiang Yuanfei. Thus, Simon pretended to fall in love with this woman and orchestrated an extravagant engagement ceremony to bait the general. After losing his beloved wife, Jiang Yuanfei had been relentlessly searching for women who resembled her. This plan was bound to succeed.
She had been thoroughly used.
Li Jinghuan leaned against the wall and sank to the floor, his heart aching as if it were being torn apart. At that moment, he didn’t know whether to mock her misfortune or curse her for being so naive; all he wanted was to take a knife and tear Simon apart.
During the banquet, Jiang Yuanfei and Wang Zhenyuan from the Jiangnan Six Provinces clinked glasses and chatted merrily while Ling Long sat beside them, forcing smiles that made Li Jinghuan feel increasingly uncomfortable.
Seizing the opportunity while she was in the restroom, Li Jinghuan cornered her against the wall. “How did you end up in such a situation?” He reached out and gently brushed his fingers against her face.
To his surprise, she abruptly shook off his hand and replied with pride, “End up? How could that be! I’ve turned misfortune into fortune and am quite satisfied with my current life. But you—you're truly relentless!”
"Oh." The woman suddenly appeared enlightened. "I understand now, you want to curry favor with me so that I can speak a few good words for you in front of Jiang Yuanfei, right?"
Li Jinghuan wanted to explain further, but found himself at a loss for words. Just a few days after returning, he was promoted to the commander of the First Town, becoming a trusted aide of Jiang Yuanfei. It was rumored that this was all thanks to the strong recommendation from Jiang Yuanfei's concubine, Bai Linglong.
From a distance, Li Jinghuan watched Ling Long outside the training grounds, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Half a year later, Ling Long wished to return to Qingyuan Town to visit her father. However, Jiang Yuanfei was tied up with military affairs and unable to spare any time. After much consideration, he sent his trusted aide Li Jinghuan to accompany her.
Stepping once again onto familiar soil, everything looked as it had before, but the people were no longer the same. In the warm spring of February, willows hung low and flowers danced in the air. Jiang Pan's old house had become an eyesore under the ravages of wind and rain, while the Fruit Shop in the narrow alley had changed owners. A new Western hospital had opened in the east of the city, bustling with visitors.
Ling Long's father still lived in the luxurious villa gifted by Simon, situated in a sparsely populated suburb. Jiang Yuanfei had hired a number of servants to attend to him at all times. Old Bai's illness had nearly healed under Simon's treatment, but he appeared haggard and seemed even thinner than before. Upon seeing Ling Long, his sunken eyes suddenly sparkled with light as he pulled his daughter close, asking her countless questions and smiling broadly. However, when he noticed Li Jinghuan standing nearby in military attire, he paused for a moment as if wanting to say something but ultimately held back.
After staying at home for a few days, they prepared to leave. As they were parting, Old Bai grasped his daughter's hand and said, "Don't worry; there's no shortage of food or clothing here. Life is quite good." Yet even a fool could see the loneliness and desolation in his eyes. He then called out to Li Jinghuan and said, "Don't hold anything against Ling Long; this child has had a hard life and is afraid of poverty." Li Jinghuan silently nodded in agreement.
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