Reborn in the 70s: Pampered by Regiment Commander-Chapter 480 - 330: Exposed

The first watch of the night came.

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"Your name is Zhong Hongying, right?" Zhou Mikang asked indifferently, looking at Zhong Hongying to confirm.

"Yes." Thinking her words had an effect, Zhong Hongying felt both joy and sorrow. She was happy because her goal seemed within reach, and she was sorrowful because Lin Chuxia seemed to be so valued by Regimental Commander Zhou. If Luo Xiaoqiong had been the lucky one, her feelings might not have been so bitter. Why did it have to be Lin Chuxia?!

Zhou Mikang made a call to the 401 Hospital right in front of Zhong Hongying, getting through to Song Yanqi: "Auntie Song, could you please let Chuxia take the phone..."

Zhong Hongying’s complexion turned pale in an instant. She wanted to stride forward and forcibly hang up the phone, but she knew that if she did, Zhou Mikang could shoot her dead, and no one would question it.

Liu Lianbao had been watching Zhong Hongying’s expression and now sighed and shook his head. How could he have been so fond of her before?

Chuxia had just finished eating and returned, chatting leisurely with Wang Yan. Hearing Song Yanqi calling her to take the phone, she felt uneasy. Zhou Mikang was not the type of person who made tender phone calls. If he was calling at this time, could it be her parents were in trouble again? Or was he in a hurry to leave? Or had something happened to the Zhou family?

In any case, during the short walk from her office desk to where Song Yanqi’s desk was, a myriad of thoughts flashed through her mind.

"Hello, what’s the matter?"

"What’s wrong with you?" Zhou Mikang furrowed his brows, as Chuxia seemed fine when they had parted in the morning. Why did she sound so listless now?

Startled, Chuxia quickly realized what might be wrong and hastily said, "Nothing’s wrong with me. I was just worried that if you called at this time, it might mean something serious had happened."

"Zhong Hongying is a fellow villager of yours, right?"

"Yes."

"Did you ask her to plead with me?" Zhou Mikang asked, deliberately glancing at Zhong Hongying. In fact, he had already noticed the drastic change in her demeanor when he made the call, but he wanted to embarrass her even more. Daring to use his little wife as leverage? She must think too highly of herself—if he allowed it, her smugness would only grow!

"Plead with you for what?" Chuxia reflexively asked, then immediately realized, "Oh, I’m not familiar with her; we don’t get along. She always used to ridicule me. Why would I ask her to plead with you?"

"You’re not familiar with her, you don’t get along, and she used to ridicule you?" Zhou Mikang purposefully repeated.

"Yes. Her mother also always went to my house to mock my mom, making her angry. In short, I don’t like her, and you’re not allowed to help her!"

"Alright, I got it." Zhou Mikang hung up the phone and turned to the pale-faced Zhong Hongying, "Is deceiving the regimental commander fun for you?"

"No... no..." Zhong Hongying, her lips quivering, couldn’t utter a complete sentence. She just grabbed Liu Lianbao’s sleeve violently, shaking it.

Liu Lianbao yanked his sleeve back, "I can’t believe you’d do something like this..." He looked at Zhou Mikang, "Regimental Commander, I’m sorry."

Zhou Mikang waved him off: "This has nothing to do with you. You can go back. Zhong Hongying, you are now expelled from the military. Go pack your belongings. Your company commander will take care of the procedures for you."

Zhong Hongying clung to Liu Lianbao, refusing to let him leave, and looked at Zhou Mikang, "Regimental Commander Zhou, please give me another chance. I promise I’ll train hard and strive to serve the country as soon as possible!"

Zhou Mikang looked at her coldly, "Don’t give yourself such a grand title. Do you want me to have someone drag you out, or will you walk out on your own?"

Her legs gave way, and Zhong Hongying slumped onto Liu Lianbao. How could things have turned out this way? If she returned like this, how could she face anyone again?

Not only had the marriage not taken place, but she was also being sent home in disgrace. She couldn’t bear that. Had she known it would come to this, she would have preferred staying single...

"Lianbao, I was wrong, I know I was wrong. Please help me beg Regimental Commander Zhou to let me stay. I will wait for you. I’ll wait for you to come back from your mission before we get married.

I admit I’m vain, and it was wrong of me to be so petty, but the letters to my family have been sent, the dowry is ready, and relatives have been notified. If the wedding is canceled abruptly, I’ll never be able to face the village again.

I confess my vanity. I was afraid of being looked down upon by the villagers, which made me act so irrationally. Now, I regret it deeply.

Regimental Commander, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. This morning, I went to the hospital to plead with Chuxia. She refused to help me, saying she had no right to interfere in your work.

But I was just too stubborn, thinking if I didn’t get married, I wouldn’t be able to face my comrades-in-arms or relatives and friends...The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became, and in desperation, I thought to ask for your help.

I believed marrying Lianbao was something good, and you would surely support me, but I didn’t expect you to leave the decision to him.

I really had no other choice but to involve Chuxia, hoping for your leniency... Regimental Commander, I’m so sorry. I’m really sorry. Please, give me another chance. If I’m really expelled, I might as well be facing a dead end."

"Is that a threat?" Zhou Mikang narrowed his eyes at her, "Do you think I am someone who can be threatened?"

"I wouldn’t dare, I... I... I mean it." Zhong Hongying’s eyes were full of despair, "For me, if I really can’t get married, and get fired too, then I would rather choose death."

After all, they had loved each other once, and seeing Zhong Hongying so helpless made Liu Lianbao feel very uncomfortable, so he looked towards Zhou Mikang and pleaded, "Regimental Commander, can you let me talk to her?"

"Talking is a matter between you two, I will not interfere." Zhou Mikang said as he picked up the phone, "Connect me to the women’s company..."

"Let’s go." Liu Lianbao then pulled Zhong Hongying towards the door, "No... I won’t go..." Zhong Hongying desperately clung to him, "I beg the Commander to forgive me... I don’t want to leave..."

"If you knew this day would come, why did you do it in the first place?" Liu Lianbao forcefully dragged her out and into a quiet corner, "I’ve followed the Commander for several years now, and he hates those under him who play tricks and lie the most. Anyone who does that, without exception, cannot stay; no amount of pleading will make a difference.

"Continuing to beg will not change anything, and moreover, it will make the Commander even angrier. Do you want to go home on your own or be escorted home? Which option will you choose?"

Zhong Hongying was suddenly stunned. Escorted home?! That was something she couldn’t imagine. Why, when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, did it turn out they could still get even worse...

"You are too vain, and you can’t handle any setbacks or failures. How can this be?" Liu Lianbao sighed again, "Actually, if you hadn’t made a fuss and just been a good soldier, when I returned from my mission, there might still have been a chance I would marry you. But you insisted on escalating things to the point of no return.

"You say, if you can’t get married, and can no longer be a soldier, you would rather die. How can you be so weak? Zhong Hongying, I really feel like I’ve completely misjudged you!"

"If..." Zhong Hongying looked straight at Liu Lianbao, "I mean, if I were to transfer back home, would you still... would you still marry me afterward?"

"Why must you marry me?" Liu Lianbao stared intently at her, "Is it for your vanity or do you truly like me as a person?"

"Both," Zhong Hongying looked at him earnestly, "I have true feelings for you."

"Alright, as long as you are willing to follow the leadership’s arrangements, I will marry you when I return from my mission, if we are still fated to be together."

"Do you think that if there were a better match, I would immediately kick you aside and eagerly marry over there?"

"Isn’t that so?" Liu Lianbao let out a soft sigh, "Haven’t you already done that once before?"

Zhong Hongying was taken aback, then her eyes showed surprise, "Is it because of Luo Hongqi that you aren’t marrying me? Am I right?"

"That’s partly the reason, but it’s not the only one."

"I admit, I did wrong by Luo Hongqi, but being with him, and being with you, it’s definitely not the same thing..."

Zhong Hongying then told Liu Lianbao about how her mother and aunt had tried to arrange her marriage to a village official much older than her in private.

She explained that choosing Luo Hongqi was a desperate measure when she was left with no other options. In the circumstances at that time, Luo Hongqi was the only choice she had, but with him, it was out of genuine liking.

"What do you like about me?" Liu Lianbao frowned at her, "When I expressed my feelings to you, you probably didn’t even understand me well."

"Although I didn’t understand you, your achievement of reaching this rank at your age shows that you are an exceptional soldier. I have always admired soldiers since I was little, especially outstanding ones! Marrying an exceptional soldier has been my dream since I was young. I have no reason not to like you, and no reason to reject you."

...

Five minutes later, Liu Lianbao appeared again in Zhou Mikang’s office, but this time Zhong Hongying didn’t follow, Zhou Mikang gave him a faint glance, "Are you here to plead for her?"

"No." Liu Lianbao quickly shook his head, "Regimental Commander, I want to make my stance clear, I have promised her, after I come back, I will marry her."

Zhou Mikang just stared straight at him, not saying anything.

"Regimental Commander..." Liu Lianbao stiffened under his gaze, "I... I’m not marrying her out of grievance. She’s several years younger than me, and she’s also beautiful. I truly don’t feel aggrieved marrying her."

"Liu Lianbao, marriage is not child’s play."

"I know." Liu Lianbao said with a serious face, "I didn’t want to marry her because of her vanity and unceremoniously dumping Luo Hongqi.

"But I’ve just found out that when she agreed to date Luo Hongqi, it was to avoid an arranged marriage, a desperate measure.

"Even if she hadn’t met me, she wouldn’t have ended up with Luo Hongqi after joining the army. As for her vanity, I’ve realized that everyone has some vanity, it’s just a matter of degree.

"Although she plays petty tricks, she hasn’t harmed anyone. As long as she’s willing to live a good life, with her personality, she will make a good wife." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

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