Chapter 15: Laying It All Out

Su Qinghu let out a helpless sigh. “Anyway, that’s just how things are.”

For now, the business with Da Dan and Er Dan was settled, but as for that fool who was chasing after her—well, that was another story. After all, that guy wasn’t even scared off by the name of the man standing in front of her now!

Chen Lie asked, “Who is that?”

“You don’t know?” Su Qinghu was surprised. “Zhang Dongsheng.”

Chen Lie froze, his fists immediately clenching.

“Didn’t Teacher Sun tell you the name of the idiot who was after me?” Back when she’d asked her teacher for help, she’d mentioned this person’s name.

She’d guessed that the reason her teacher hadn’t helped her directly was because Zhang Dongsheng did have some background that even her teacher couldn’t go up against.

So, in the end, the path her teacher offered was marriage—to the man in front of her, who had local connections.

Back then, the original Su Qinghu had been living in constant fear, grasping at any straw she could find. She hadn’t cared whether her prospective husband was tall or short, handsome or ugly, what his personality was like—she’d just agreed in a hurry.

Maybe it was impulsive, but looking back now, it was a smart decision.

A girl who’s beautiful, educated, articulate, just coming into her own, but with no family background—trying to stand up to absolute power was just a fantasy.

If you want to protect yourself, seeking outside help is the best and most effective way. And the “Chen Lie” her teacher had mentioned was the best help she could get.

She’d thought her teacher had told Chen Lie the idiot’s name…

Chen Lie said, “…I don’t remember.”

That’s what he said, but who was Chen Lie? With his training, there was no way he’d forget the name of a “sworn enemy.”

He was probably just trying to protect Teacher Sun.

Hearing this, Su Qinghu decided to take his words at face value and changed the subject. “Zhang Dongsheng was taken care of by Zhao Liangyan.”

She’d thought that just mentioning Chen Lie’s name would scare that dog off, but it hadn’t worked at all. If anything, he’d looked at her with even more fervor, clinging on even tighter…

“Oh right, Zhao Liangyan said he knows you, and he gave me a stack of ration coupons.” Su Qinghu pointed toward the bedroom. “I took them.”

They were all in the bedroom.

“Okay,” Chen Lie replied, showing no objection.

The air went quiet for a moment. Su Qinghu asked, “How long will you be back this time? When are you leaving?”

“Two days. I leave the day after tomorrow,” Chen Lie replied.

Su Qinghu nodded. A few wisps of her hair fell across her smooth, pretty forehead, making her look even fairer and more delicate. Her bright eyes sparkled, and when she smiled, it was as if the whole room lit up.

“Did you go to Zhao Liangyan’s place before coming back?” Su Qinghu asked. “In the future, is it okay if I accept things he brings over?”

Right now, Zhao Liangyan seemed to be caught in the middle between Zhang Dongsheng and Chen Lie.

Chen Lie answered, “I’ll go see him tomorrow. After that, we shouldn’t need to trouble him anymore.”

That was an answer to both her questions.

Since he hadn’t gone to see Zhao Liangyan, he probably didn’t know what she’d asked Zhao to do.

In that case, then—

“I think, if someone can shine in their own position, even inspire others, then they should stick to their post.”

So don’t retire, she meant. “And, if in this life, you can do what you love and dedicate your energy and passion to it, that’s a very happy and fortunate thing.”

Chen Lie was silent.

He could vaguely guess what Su Qinghu meant, but things weren’t as simple as they seemed on the surface.

“I think the country needs you more,” Su Qinghu said.

At that, Chen Lie couldn’t help but laugh.

Unlike before, when his smiles were so faint they were barely noticeable, this time he laughed out loud, showing seven or eight teeth.

Su Qinghu was baffled—what was he laughing at?

Did he think she sounded too much like a model citizen?

But—

In her memory, everyone talked like this, even between husband and wife. As soon as the country was mentioned, feelings and ideals would be elevated, and everything would be for the good of the nation…

“All right, I understand,” Chen Lie nodded, his posture relaxing, the seriousness melting away. “Is there anything you want to ask me?”

Even though their reasons for getting married weren’t exactly pure, it seemed like they might actually make a go of it.

If that was the case, it was better to be open and honest from the start, to avoid future troubles or arguments.

“I want to ask about your ex-wife,” Su Qinghu said bluntly. “Da Dan and Er Dan have told me about her, so I know a bit.”

She asked so directly, but kept a close eye on Chen Lie’s expression. Seeing that he looked calm and unbothered, she felt emboldened and pressed further, “What I want to know is, did she leave you with any debts or loans?”

Ever since the country lifted restrictions on studying abroad, more and more people wanted to go. As long as you had some ability, even if money was tight, you’d find a way to get a visa.

Most of the officials handling these things were honest, but there were always a few who’d make things difficult unless they got a bribe. So every extra step in the process cost money.

Submitting documents, handling the paperwork—it all took money and effort. And before you could even apply to go abroad, you had to pass the language test.

Self-study might not be enough, so signing up for a language class to boost your TOEFL score became the best option.

Besides TOEFL, you also needed to pass the GRE.

With the pressure of life, study, and work all at once, if you wanted to reach your goal quickly, spending money to save time was the most efficient way.

Money was needed everywhere. So, did he give his ex-wife enough to live on? How much could she have saved? And if she was also paying for a like-minded boyfriend to go abroad with her…

Chen Lie didn’t know what she was thinking, but seeing her eyes dart around, he subconsciously assumed she wasn’t thinking anything good about him.

“No,” Chen Lie met her gaze. “All of that was checked before we signed the divorce papers.”

Including the fact that she hadn’t dared to cross any lines while they were still married.

“All right, I don’t have any more questions,” Su Qinghu said, lifting her chin. “You can ask me anything you want, too.”

That little gesture of superiority made Chen Lie want to laugh, but he didn’t call her out on it.

“I don’t have anything to ask.” Teacher Sun had already told him she’d had a childhood sweetheart, but that they’d broken things off cleanly before she married him.

After saying that, Chen Lie thought of Zhang Dongsheng and added, “If you want, you can tell me if there’s any trouble you still need help with. Before I go back, I’ll take care of it for you.”

Hearing this, Su Qinghu got excited. “Install running water and piped gas!”

She didn’t care whether he had money or not—these were essentials, and they had to be sorted out!

It was weird borrowing water from neighbors, and the water tower was too far away. She didn’t want to make do with either.

The courtyard house was pretty old, and since it had been empty for a long time, the furnishings were still from the fifties or sixties.

Chen Lie said, “I’ve already arranged for the running water. It should be done in the next couple of days. As for piped gas, that’s probably not possible—would a gas canister do?”"