Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

The mother and daughter hugged each other and wept. Only Zhao Dong understood how much grievance and guilt was mixed into He Xiao's sobs.

"Old man, Xiaoxiao is back! Xiaoxiao came back to see us..." her mother said, excitedly pulling He Xiao into the room.

Inside the room, on an old, worn-out wooden bed, lay a man who was skin and bones. The man was in his fifties at most, but he looked like he was in his seventies or eighties.

"Xiaoxiao..."

"Dad!" He Xiao rushed to the bed and helped her struggling father sit up.

The man's emotions were understated and restrained. There were no heartfelt declarations; he just held tightly onto He Xiao's hand, tears welling in his eyes. Everything was conveyed without words.

"Mom, Dad, I've been so unfilial. I've been toiling away for so many years, yet I've still let you suffer like this. I'm so sorry... I'm sorry for failing to repay you for raising me..."

"Silly child, as long as you're doing well, we're happy. And when we're happy, we don't feel any hardship," her mother said, holding He Xiao's hand, her eyes filled with tender love.

He Xiao's tearful, beautiful eyes looked toward Zhao Dong. Her parents thought exactly as Zhao Dong had said they would. The love of parents truly knows no bounds. Their lifelong wish is simply for their children to have better lives. That... and nothing more.

"And this is?"

Just then, her parents finally noticed Zhao Dong, who had been silent all along. The two of them scrutinized him for a moment and then cast questioning gazes at He Xiao.

He Xiao's pretty face flushed with shyness, and she muttered, "His name is Zhao Dong. He's... he's my boyfriend..."

"Boyfriend!?"

A look of joy spread across her mother's face, and she quickly got up to pull Zhao Dong over. She looked him up and down and said with satisfaction, "This is wonderful! This young man looks so spirited. He's handsome and tall—a perfect match for our Xiaoxiao!"

Her father quickly waved him over. "Young man, come sit over here."

Zhao Dong moved to sit beside her father, taking his hand guiltily. "Hello, Uncle. I came in such a hurry that I didn't have a chance to buy any gifts. I hope you won't take offense."

"Not at all, not at all," her father said, waving his hand dismissively as he glanced around the room in embarrassment. "Just the fact that you're willing to come here and don't look down on Xiaoxiao and us is enough to make us happy. All that talk about gifts is too formal."

Zhao Dong felt a pang of bitterness and offered comfort, "You're too kind, Uncle. Xiaoxiao is a big star now, so how could I possibly look down on Xiaoxiao and you?"

Hearing this, her parents exchanged a glance but didn't reply. This subtle action, naturally, did not escape Zhao Dong's eyes.

They say a child is their parents' own flesh and blood. How could she possibly deceive the people who knew her best!? It seems her father and mother have long known that she isn't having an easy time. They're just afraid of upsetting her, so they've never brought it up. Actually, it isn't hard to guess. Given He Xiao's personality, she must have always been a filial daughter. Working away from home for so long without returning... being 'busy' is definitely not a reasonable excuse. The only possibility is that she isn't doing well and is afraid of worrying her parents, so she's been avoiding coming back...

After a brief silence, her father patted Zhao Dong's hand and remarked with a sigh, "Big star or not, in our eyes, Xiaoxiao is just an ordinary girl. She needs to get married and have a man to take care of her. It must be so hard for a girl like her in the city. We've urged her to find someone before, but she always used being busy as an excuse. Now that she's actually brought a boyfriend home, we old folks are happy for her from the bottom of our hearts."

"Rest assured, Uncle," Zhao Dong said solemnly. "I promise you, from now on, I will never let Xiaoxiao suffer the slightest grievance. Since you are Xiaoxiao's parents, you are my parents, Zhao Dong's parents. I will definitely honor you both alongside Xiaoxiao."

"Good... good..." Her father's old eyes grew red, his voice choked with emotion.

"Alright, alright, Xiaoxiao bringing her boyfriend home is a happy occasion. Stop saying such depressing things." Her mother wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, pushed her husband's hand away, and then took Zhao Dong's hand herself, smiling brightly. "Zhao Dong, where are you from?"

THUMP!

Zhao Dong's heart skipped a beat. So, it's come to these questions, has it? If they were strangers, I would have answered without hesitation. But these are He Xiao's parents. If I say I'm from East Sea, will her mother think it's too far?

Zhao Dong glanced at He Xiao without changing his expression, only to see her nod slightly, her beautiful eyes resolute. Seeing this, he had no choice but to answer honestly, "I'm from East Sea. But don't worry, Auntie, I..."

"Oh, Zhao Dong, don't get me wrong," her mother quickly interrupted with a smile. "I was just asking casually. I didn't mean anything by it. East Sea is indeed far, but transportation is so advanced these days. It only takes a few hours by plane or high-speed train. We're not old-fashioned people; we wouldn't hold that against you."

"Your aunt is right. In this day and age, with how fast you can travel, distance isn't an issue," her father added with a beaming smile.

Hearing this, Zhao Dong was deeply moved. Sometimes the humblest people have the biggest hearts. It's a stark contrast to the Lin Family, who would force lovers apart even if their own children were completely against it. How pitiable, lamentable, and laughable...

"By the way, Zhao Dong, what do you do for work?" her father asked.

Without a second thought, Zhao Dong replied, "I'm running a small business of my own. Supporting a family won't be a problem."

"Good. Great wealth and fortune are like passing clouds. Living a stable and steady life is what truly matters," her father said, his face full of relief. He then took He Xiao's hand, placed it in Zhao Dong's, and told her earnestly, "Xiaoxiao, your father may not have accomplished much in his life, but I'm a good judge of character. Zhao Dong is a good, reliable man. You two must take care of each other. As long as you're happy, your mother and I will be the happiest parents in the world."

"Dad..." He Xiao's voice choked up again. "I promise... We'll definitely take care of each other..."

The kindness of He Xiao's parents exceeded Zhao Dong's expectations. Their conversation was incredibly pleasant.

Half an hour later, He Xiao suddenly thought of something and asked her mother, "Mom, don't you usually go help out in the neighborhood around this time? Why didn't you go today?"

"Today? Oh... today... there wasn't much going on in the neighborhood..." Her mother hadn't expected He Xiao to ask this. She looked slightly flustered and gave a vague excuse before quickly turning back to chat with Zhao Dong.

He Xiao was full of doubt, but she couldn't put her finger on what was wrong.

"Zhao Dong, would you like some water? I'll go heat some for you."

"Sure," Zhao Dong replied with a smile.

A short while later, He Xiao came in carrying a tray with three glasses of water. After handing one to Zhao Dong and another to her father, she offered the third to her mother. But when her mother saw the glass, she hesitated to reach for it.

"I... I don't feel like drinking water. Just put it on the table." Her gaze darted away.

Seeing this, He Xiao's suspicions were finally confirmed. Something is wrong! My parents must be in some kind of trouble!

He Xiao put down the glass and, before her mother could react, grabbed her hand. Upon closer inspection, on the back of her mother's hand near her forearm, there was indeed a long, recently formed scar. It wasn't deep, but it looked like a scratch.

"Mom! What is this?"

"It's nothing, nothing. I just accidentally cut myself while chopping vegetables," her mother said, hurriedly pulling her hand away and covering the wound with her other hand.

"Mom!" He Xiao demanded indignantly. "That's clearly a scratch, and it looks like a woman's scratch at that! How could you get that from a kitchen knife?"

"I said it's not, so it's not!" her mother quickly retorted.

He Xiao looked over at her father. Although he remained silent, there was a profound helplessness in his world-weary eyes.

Seeing this, it dawned on He Xiao. "Was it He Jing? Did she give you trouble again? That girl is just too hateful! I'm going to find her right now!"

"No, no, no, don't go!" her mother cried, quickly grabbing He Xiao.

"Then tell me what happened!" Worried for her mother, He Xiao's anxious tone became slightly harsh.