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

Wangfujing Xinhua Bookstore.

There were quite a few people there on Sunday, mostly young people in blue-gray overalls, absorbing knowledge in this ocean of learning. The air was filled with the faint scent of ink.

Gu Zheng protected Ye Zhen like a human bulldozer, carving out a vacuum for her in the crowded throng.

Ye Zhen headed straight for the foreign language original edition section on the second floor. This area was less crowded, the books were expensive, and most required foreign exchange certificates.

She stood before the bookshelf, her fingers tracing the spines of the rows of original books, her eyes gleaming with a light rarely seen in her eyes. The Lancet, NEJM… these invaluable resources in that era were her only bridge connecting her to modern medical civilization.

"I'll take all of these." Gu Zheng didn't even look at the price, and with a wave of his hand, he directly hugged the thick stack of periodicals into his arms.

An elderly scholar wearing glasses next to him pushed up his glasses and clicked his tongue, saying, "Young man, this is not cheap. This one costs more than ten yuan, and you need foreign exchange certificates for it."

A dozen or so yuan, that's half a month's wages for an ordinary worker.

Gu Zheng smiled and pulled a wad of colorful bills from his pocket. "Can anything be more expensive than knowledge? My wife likes it, so I'll buy the whole counter."

Ye Zhen turned to look at him. The man was holding a heavy stack of books, grinning foolishly, yet with a unique kind of arrogance about him.

"We don't need that many." Ye Zhen pulled out a latest issue of cardiac surgery journal. "This one is enough."

"Take it!" Gu Zheng forcefully shoved the book back into her arms. "Before, there were no other options. Now that I'm here, would I let you suffer any setbacks in your studies? I'd be too useless."

Holding the heavy books, Ye Zhen felt an overwhelming surge of warmth in her heart.

She lowered her head to hide the tears welling up in her eyes: "Spendthrift."

"That's only because I lost to you." Gu Zheng leaned close to her ear and teased her in a low voice.

……

In the evening, the two returned to the compound.

Gu Linlin hadn't returned yet, and Grandma Gu was muttering in the kitchen. Ye Zhen sat on the living room sofa, flipping through the magazines she had just bought by the light of the lamp, but her mind wasn't on the books.

Her mind kept replaying Chen Zhuo's sallow complexion and his subtle movements at the dinner table. As a doctor, she couldn't ignore this huge hidden danger.

Just then, Gu Linlin returned from outside, humming a song, carrying a bag of apples.

"Sister-in-law, where's brother?" She asked casually, her tone indifferent, seeing that Ye Zhen was the only one in the living room.

"I'm going to the study." Ye Zhen put down her book, looked up at her, her gaze as calm as a deep pool. "Linlin, can I ask you a few questions?"

"What is it?" Gu Linlin looked at her warily.

"How far have things progressed between you and Chen Zhuo?" Ye Zhen's tone was direct and calm, as if she were asking about a patient's medical history in a hospital room.

Gu Linlin's face flushed red instantly, then turned to anger: "Why...why are you asking this? You're being way too nosy!"

"Answer me," Ye Zhen's gaze remained unwavering, "Besides holding hands, have you had any intimate contact such as kissing?"

"Ye Zhen!" Gu Linlin bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her voice shrill. "What do you mean by this? What do you take me for? You're humiliating me! I know you look down on me and Chen Zhuo, but you can't pry into my privacy in such a vulgar way!"

Ye Zhen looked at her flushed face and frowned slightly: "This isn't vulgar; it's about taking responsibility for your health. His physical condition might not be as good as you think."

"He's not sick! What right do you have to curse him!" Gu Linlin trembled with anger. "You're just jealous! Jealous that Chen Zhuo is more educated than you, jealous that we have a good relationship! You were kicked out of the family and only got into the Gu family because of my brother, and now you're acting like the eldest sister-in-law, lecturing me? You don't deserve it!"

Sharp accusations echoed in the living room.

"Linlin, let me explain."

"I won't listen!" Gu Linlin slammed the door and left.

A look of helplessness appeared on Ye Zhen's face.

Just then, the study door opened.

Gu Zheng walked out, his smile vanished, and his expression became solemn and iron-like.

He walked behind Ye Zhen, placed his hands on her shoulders, and gripped them so tightly they were almost painful.

"What's wrong?" Ye Zhen looked up at him, ignoring Gu Linlin who was panting beside her.

Gu Zheng took a deep breath, his voice low and deep: "Wife, you're right. You always have been."

He placed a note he had just written on in front of Ye Zhen.

"We just got news from the General Hospital of the Military Region. They used their connections to check Chen Zhuo's medical records." Gu Zheng's eyes were icy cold. "Hepatitis B, high viral load, active viral replication phase. This bastard had someone else take his blood test for him during his pre-employment physical."

Ye Zhen's pupils constricted sharply as she looked at those words. "He served food to Linlin..." She clenched her fists. "This isn't just a marriage scam, it's poisoning."

"Grandma! Chen Zhuo just bought me some apples. I'm going to wash them and share them with everyone!" Gu Linlin came out carrying a net bag containing several unwashed apples.

"Don't move!"

Gu Zheng and Ye Zhen shouted at the same time.

Startled by the shout, Gu Linlin's hand trembled, and she froze on the spot, her face turning from white to green as a wave of grievance and shame washed over her: "You all ganged up on me..."

"Don't move." Ye Zhen strode over, her tone icy. "From now on, don't have contact with anyone until the test results are in."

Grandma Gu also rushed out of the kitchen, looking surprised and puzzled: "What happened?"

"Grandma, please step back." Gu Zheng stepped forward, his tall figure like a wall separating the old woman. His gaze swept over Gu Linlin, sending a chill down her spine. "Xiao Wang, come in!"

The guard Xiao Wang, who was standing outside the door, entered immediately and stood at attention: "Sir!"

"Take Linlin to the main hospital. You personally oversee the process, have her draw blood for tests, and do a full set of liver function tests. Until the results are in, keep her in the isolation ward and don't let anyone see her." Gu Zheng's words left no room for negotiation.

Gu Linlin screamed, "I'm not going! Gu Zheng, you're ganging up on me to please your wife! Chen Zhuo is my boyfriend..."

"That kid has hepatitis."

"I don't believe it, this is slander!"

"You'll have to tie her up, whether you want to or not." Gu Zheng lowered his eyelids, his tone as flat as a stagnant pool. "If you want to die, don't drag your whole family down with you."

Guard Xiao Wang never hesitated to carry out orders; he half-dragged, half-pulled Gu Linlin, who was wailing loudly, into the jeep.

Ye Zhen watched the taillights of the departing car, exhaled a breath of stale air, and turned to look at Gu Zheng: "Bowls, chopsticks, towels, everything she touched, all need to be boiled for forty minutes."

"I'll do as you say." Gu Zheng nodded. He looked at the weariness between Ye Zhen's brows, a trace of heartache flashing in his eyes, which was then covered by a heavy gloom. "I'm going out for a bit. I need to make a copy of the medical records. You go to sleep first."