An Accidental Military Marriage

Staring at the review materials and textbooks being devoured by roaring flames, Jiang Qing froze for two seconds before screaming:

"Lu Tingting, what are you doing? You burned all my review materials?!"

Lu Tingting placed her hands on her hips triumphantly. "That’s right, I burned them all! I’m not just going to burn your things—I’m going to take care of a bitch like you, too!"

With that, she lunged forward and grabbed Jiang Qing’s hair.

But Jiang Qing was no pushover; she quickly fought back.

The two of them fought and rolled on the ground like a pair of wildcats.

Jiang Qing: "Lu Tingting, are you insane?"

Lu Tingting: "Don’t you dare play innocent with me! You made me take the fall for you. Just watch how I’m going to kill you!"

Jiang Qing froze.

’That’s right, how could I have forgotten that Lu Tingting took the fall for me!’

’If Lu Tingting knows, doesn’t that mean Lu Cheng knows too?’

’Before long, the other families and soldiers will also find out that I was the one who fabricated rumors about my stepsister and spread them!’

’How could I possibly stay here after this?’

Jiang Qing was utterly panicked now, and she even forgot to fight back.

Lu Tingting seized the opportunity to pin her down, clawing and scratching until Jiang Qing was screaming in pain.

...

Having slept soundly the night before, Jiang Moli woke up early for a change and was having breakfast with Lu Cheng.

When Lu Cheng told her that Jiang Qing was the culprit who had spread the rumors, Jiang Moli wasn’t surprised in the least.

"Your stepsister seems honest, but behind your back, she’s a real handful!"

"A handful, ’too’? Who’s the other one?"

Meeting Jiang Moli’s teasing gaze, Lu Cheng calmly replied, "The other one is Tingting."

Speaking of Lu Tingting, Jiang Moli found the situation amusing.

’That silly girl... who knows what kind of scene she’ll make now that she knows she took such a huge fall for Jiang Qing.’

Seeing her smile, Lu Cheng couldn’t help but ask, "Your stepsister slandered you like that behind your back. Aren’t you angry at all?"

"We’ve never gotten along, even as kids. It’s not surprising at all that she’d bad-mouth me behind my back."

’Reputation is a fickle thing, but the money is real and sitting in my account.’

’If I’m being honest, I should probably thank Jiang Qing for helping me make money.’

Lu Cheng couldn’t read her mind, but he interpreted her reaction as broad-minded and indifferent to fame, very different from the other petty and calculating military family members.

"Moli, regarding your stepsister’s actions, do you have any thoughts or requests?"

Seeing Jiang Moli’s puzzled expression, he explained, "Those who do wrong should be punished."

Hearing this, Jiang Moli couldn’t help but recall a question she had once asked him.

—What if I’m the one who does something wrong?

—Then I’ll stand at attention and take the punishment with you.

"How are you planning to punish her?" she asked curiously.

"Although your stepsister isn’t a soldier and can’t be disciplined according to military regulations, what she’s done is enough to have her expelled from the base."

’In the original novel, the ’original owner’ of this body, that vicious stepsister, was killed off early on.’

’Meanwhile, Jiang Qing, the female lead, used her advantage of being reborn, along with her self-reliance and diligence, to become one of the first military family members to be admitted to university.’

Jiang Moli figured that with Jiang Qing’s tenacious personality—the type to never give up until she achieves her goal—if she were sent back, she’d probably latch onto the Jiang family and make them pay for her university tuition.

"School is starting soon. We might as well let her stay here and ’shine.’"

From Lu Cheng’s perspective, Jiang Moli’s decision was not only kind and magnanimous but also showed great character.

’She’s my wife, after all. Truly one of a kind.’

After finishing breakfast at top speed, Lu Cheng washed the dirty clothes Jiang Moli had changed out of the previous night before heading out.

Leaving the guest house, he didn’t head straight back to the barracks but went to the school dormitory instead.

When he arrived, Lu Tingting and Jiang Qing were in the middle of a heated fight.

He pulled the two of them apart.

Seeing that Lu Tingting wasn’t really hurt, he didn’t ask any further questions.

He had come to question Jiang Qing about the rumors.

Unable to deny it, Jiang Qing tearfully admitted her mistake to Lu Cheng, trying to win his sympathy and pity with her tears.

This was a trick that had never failed her before.

However, she didn’t know that Lu Cheng hated it when people cried and whimpered in front of him, regardless of whether they were men or women.

His own wife, of course, was the exception.

"Jiang Qing, cut the act. The army isn’t your personal stage where you can just cry and expect a round of applause!"

Watching the colorful array of emotions cross Jiang Qing’s face, Lu Tingting felt absolutely ecstatic.

’Compared to how he scolds outsiders, my Third Uncle is actually quite gentle with me.’

...

"Zhang Jia Ming, Camp Commander Lu wants to see you in his office."

"Understood."

Hearing the message from his comrade, Zhang Jia Ming’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly, he was secretly pleased.

Six months ago, he had single-handedly captured two smugglers and seized a batch of important materials, earning Lu Cheng’s appreciation.

After that, Lu Cheng would often summon him and assign him tasks.

The last time he had been assigned a mission was two months ago.

Lately, he had been making frequent mistakes that angered Lu Cheng, and he had started to think he had "fallen out of favor."

’I wonder what kind of mission he’ll give me this time.’

Filled with excitement and anticipation, Zhang Jia Ming came before Lu Cheng. "Squad Leader Zhang Jia Ming of Third Company, Fourth Platoon, Fourth Squad, reporting!"

"Close the door."

"Yes, sir!"

As he turned to close the door, Zhang Jia Ming couldn’t help but wonder: ’Could he be giving me a confidential mission?’

"Zhang Jia Ming, I called you here today to discuss a personal matter..."

When he heard that Jiang Qing was the one who had spread the rumors, Zhang Jia Ming’s subconscious refused to believe it.

"Camp Commander Lu, could there be a mistake? Xiao Qing isn’t that kind of person..."

Lu Cheng cut him off coldly. "Jiang Qing has already admitted it herself."

Zhang Jia Ming was speechless, his face flushed with shame. "Camp Commander Lu, I didn’t know about this."

"Moli is magnanimous and won’t hold a grudge, but as her husband, I won’t let her suffer this injustice for nothing."

...

Zhang Jia Ming stumbled to Jiang Qing’s dormitory, his head feeling heavy and his steps light.

Jiang Qing was tidying up the bed that Lu Tingting had messed up. When she saw him, her face went deathly pale. "Jia Ming, you know?"

Zhang Jia Ming looked at her, the love gone from his eyes, replaced by a chilling disappointment.

"Xiao Qing, why did you do it?"

Before Jiang Qing could speak, tears began to stream down her face. "Because I was jealous. We both received marriage proposals on the same day, but her betrothal gifts were worth more than a hundred times mine. She was basked in glory while I was ridiculed. I don’t care about fame or fortune; all I want is to truly love you. But in everyone else’s eyes, I became some shameless, desperate woman who threw herself at her in-laws."

Seeing her cry so heartbrokenly, Zhang Jia Ming’s anger and confusion melted away, replaced by guilt and self-blame.

"It’s because I’m not capable enough. I’ve let you suffer."

Jiang Qing cried with her head down, hiding the calculating look in her eyes.

She had many reasons to be jealous of Jiang Moli, but only the marriage proposal and the wedding were reasons that could make Zhang Jia Ming feel guilty.

"Jia Ming, I’m just an ordinary, average woman. I get jealous, I make mistakes... I hate this part of myself, too."

Seeing her sobbing uncontrollably, Zhang Jia Ming’s heart ached, and he pulled her into a hug.

"There, there, don’t cry. I don’t blame you."

Lu Tingting, returning after her breakfast, happened to overhear this and chimed in sarcastically, "Of course you don’t blame her. If you’re going to blame anyone, blame yourself for having no taste and no judgment, marrying a two-faced monster like her!"

Jiang Qing nearly fainted from anger.