After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

Those few words struck Gu Zheng's heart like a hammer blow.

He knew that medicine was her faith, her whole world. Even when choosing a ring to symbolize marriage, her first consideration was still her profession.

This woman is calm and rational, yet so pure that it breaks your heart.

He lifted her left hand, which he was holding, and placed it in his large palm. Her hand was beautiful, with long, slender fingers and distinct knuckles.

It was these hands that pulled him back from the brink of death on that cold, rainy night in the dark mountain forest.

His gaze finally settled on her slender ring finger. It was smooth and flawless, the delicate skin gleaming like ivory under the light.

Gu Zheng used the index finger of his other hand to gently trace the base of her ring finger, as if measuring its size. The thin calluses on his fingertip brushed against her sensitive skin, causing a slight shiver to run through her.

The feeling was unfamiliar, shooting up her arm from her fingertips, making half of her body feel numb.

Ye Zhen wanted to pull her hand back; the feeling of being controlled made her uncomfortable.

He wouldn't allow her to back down, his fingers tightening their grip on her hand. His voice deepened, carrying an undeniable force: "Don't move, let me see."

The sales clerk was baffled by the strange young couple. But the customer is always right, especially a military officer who clearly held a high position. She had no choice but to rummage through the bottom drawer.

"Hey, found it!" She rummaged through a pile of odds and ends and pulled out a small velvet bag, then poured it onto the counter.

Two silver rings rolled out.

They were a pair of simple, plain wedding rings, without any patterns, just smooth circles. Because they had been stored for so long, the silver surface had oxidized somewhat, and the color had become dull, like a creature forgotten by time.

The sales clerk wiped the items somewhat sheepishly with a soft cloth: "Sir, this is the only pair left. They were samples sent from the factory, but nobody wanted them. You see…"

Gu Zheng's gaze fell on the slightly larger men's ring, and he picked it up and slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand.

The size is just right.

The silver ring on his tanned, well-defined fingers did not look shabby; instead, it had a low-key and understated quality.

He is satisfied.

Then, he picked up another small women's ring and, without saying a word, took Ye Zhen's hand again.

This time, his actions were no longer a test, but a solemn ritual.

He gently polished the somewhat dull silver ring with his fingertips until it regained its shine. Then, he took her left hand, his gaze as focused as if he were performing a delicate surgery.

He held the cold silver ring, aimed it at her ring finger, and slowly, inch by inch, pushed it into the base of her finger.

The movements were very slow, as slow as a close-up shot in a movie.

The surrounding noise seemed to fade away at that moment. Ye Zhen could clearly feel the cold metal ring sliding across her knuckles, with a just-right sense of restraint, before finally settling securely on her finger.

The moment the ring was slipped on, she lowered her eyes and looked at the silver light on her finger.

In a hard corner of her heart, it was as if this cold metal had nailed a mark that belonged only to him. From then on, she was no longer just Ye Zhen.

Her ring finger has found its home.

In that moment of distraction, a sharp, sarcastic yet somewhat familiar voice rang out beside them, breaking the rare tranquility.

"Oh, who do we have here? Isn't this Ye Zhen, the ungrateful wretch our Lin family has raised for eighteen years?"

The voice was filled with undisguised malice and contempt.

"What's wrong? Kicked out of the Lin family, couldn't make a living? Married off to a soldier so quickly? Tsk tsk, what terrible taste! Couldn't even afford a decent gold ring, just a broken silver one to fool you. How pathetic!"

Ye Zhen and Gu Zheng turned their heads at the same time, looking in the direction of the sound.

The speaker was a middle-aged woman dressed flamboyantly, with the latest perm and bright red lipstick. Ye Zhen recognized her; she was a distant relative of the Lin family, someone who seemed to be the daughter-in-law of Zhao Shuya's cousin, named Wang Cuifen.

Back when he was with the Lin family, this person would fawn over the pampered "eldest daughter of the Lin family," Ye Zhen, whenever he came to visit. Now that he has lost power, his attitude has changed so quickly.

Wang Cuifen's gaze, like two sharp searchlights, swept over Ye Zhen's faded shirt, then landed on the dull silver ring on her finger, and finally settled on Gu Zheng's crisp military uniform. Her eyes were filled with condescending arrogance and undisguised contempt.

In her eyes, Ye Zhen had fallen on hard times. A fake heiress who had been kicked out of the family, she had married a random soldier and couldn't even afford decent jewelry.

Gu Zheng's face turned cold the moment Wang Cuifen finished speaking.

The air pressure around him suddenly dropped, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes, eyes hardened by battle. A chilling and terrifying killing intent instantly enveloped the entire counter.

The sales clerk behind the counter was so intimidated by this aura that she trembled and instinctively took a step back.

Gu Zheng was about to speak, to teach this arrogant woman a lesson about what it means to have trouble with one's words.

A soft, slightly cool hand suddenly grasped his hand, which was poised to strike.

Ye Zhen's touch wasn't strong, but it carried an undeniable reassuring quality. She spoke calmly before Gu Zheng could react.

She didn't look at Wang Cuifen, but instead looked down at the silver ring on her finger. Then, she raised her eyes, her gaze coldly meeting Wang Cuifen's harsh face, her tone as flat as if stating a fact.

"Gold is too vulgar," she said, each word crystal clear, "not good enough for me."

Wang Cuifen's face turned pale and then red as she choked on her words. She hadn't expected Ye Zhen to be so arrogant even after being kicked out of the Lin family. She opened her mouth, wanting to use even harsher words to mock her.

"You're someone who got kicked out..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ye Zhen suddenly took a step forward.

This small gesture allowed her to shield Gu Zheng completely. At that moment, her slender figure appeared incredibly upright, like a resilient young poplar tree, using its branches to protect the mountain behind it.

Ye Zhen's cold gaze met Wang Cuifen's without flinching.

"And another thing," her voice remained flat, yet every word was piercing, "whether he can afford it or not is none of your business."

She paused for a moment, then tightened her clasped fingers even more, and could feel the man behind her stiffen instantly.

"My man," she declared clearly, enunciating each word distinctly, "I can bear the consequences."

My man.

These four words, like a precision-guided bullet, pierced through all of Gu Zheng's defenses without any hindrance, striking precisely the softest spot in his heart.

All his anger and murderous intent crumbled the moment he heard those four words, turning into a pool of spring water, a warm current flowing through his limbs and bones.

He looked down at the woman's back in front of him.

She was so thin, her shoulders so frail, yet at that moment, she held up a sky for him.

She wasn't seeking his protection; rather, she was asserting her sovereignty and upholding his dignity in her own way.

Gu Zheng suddenly chuckled softly.

There was no trace of coldness in that laughter; it was filled with overflowing joy and tenderness.

He whispered in her ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a hint of husky laughter, "Mrs. Gu, you have to forgive me... for the rest of your life."

Ye Zhen's body stiffened slightly, but her ears turned bright red uncontrollably.

Gu Zheng ignored Wang Cuifen, who was trembling with anger. He put his arm around Ye Zhen, turned around, and paid the bill. The pair of silver rings that others considered "shabby" were more precious to him than all the gold in the counter combined.

He took her hand and left the jewelry counter as if no one else was there, leaving Wang Cuifen alone, her face turning purple with anger, like a clown who had been made a laughingstock.

The sales clerk behind the counter watched them leave hand in hand, her eyes filled with envy. Her gaze inadvertently fell on the address Gu Zheng had casually scribbled on the receipt when he paid.

The flamboyant handwriting read: "Beijing Military Region Compound, Building No. 1."

The sales clerk's eyes widened instantly.

Building No. 1 in the Beijing Military Region compound...that's...where the commanders live!