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

There's a "Lao Mo" restaurant next to the exhibition hall.

In Beijing at that time, being able to dine here was a symbol of status. The place boasted a massive seven-meter-high dome, intricately carved pillars, and waiters in revealing dresses and leather shoes moving about. The air was filled with the unique aroma of buttered bread and borscht.

Gu Zheng wasn't wearing his military uniform today; instead, he wore a dark gray jacket with the collar open, revealing the edge of his white shirt underneath. He looked less austere and more like a roguish Beijing playboy.

He was looking down, holding a knife and fork, carefully removing the tendons and membranes from the braised beef on the plate, just like cutting a steak, and then placed the plate in front of Ye Zhen.

"Try it, this dish is alright." Gu Zheng shoved a fork into Ye Zhen's hand and then took her untouched plate. "The rest are all Western-style dishes, they won't fill you up."

The table was surrounded by people, including Song Sisi and several young men wearing military overcoats. They were all childhood friends of Gu Zheng from the compound and his close associates in the army. Ye Zhen had met most of them before.

"Ouch, my eyes!" A young man with a crew cut exaggeratedly covered his eyes. "Is this still our intimidating, fearsome 'Living Yama'? His service skills are even better than the head cook in basic training!"

"Get lost." Gu Zheng laughed and cursed without even looking up, then poured Ye Zhen another glass of kvass. "This is my wife, if I don't serve her, who will? You bunch of bachelors don't know anything."

"Yes, yes, we don't understand." Another comrade raised his glass, grinned at Ye Zhen, and said, "Sister-in-law, you're a real genius. To be able to handle this iron tree that never blooms, the brothers are impressed!"

Ye Zhen cut a small piece of beef and put it in her mouth. The flavor was rich, and the meat was tender and juicy. She nodded slightly, her expression cool but polite: "He did that to save on medical expenses. After all, I'm a doctor."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Song Sisi sat next to Ye Zhen, her eyes sparkling, completely oblivious to her food.

"Sister-in-law, just tell me!" Song Sisi tugged at Ye Zhen's sleeve, her former arrogance as a leading figure in the performing arts troupe long gone. "Last time I saw you examine General Chen, what was the intricacies of that pressure point technique? I want to learn it too."

"That's palpation, which requires knowledge of anatomy." Ye Zhen put down her knife and fork, her tone calm yet professional. "But if you want to learn basic massage, I can teach you later."

"Really?! Sister-in-law, you're so kind!" Song Sisi immediately raised her glass. "Sister-in-law, this glass is for you!!"

Just as things were getting lively, the carved wooden door of the private room was pushed open.

A strong scent of cologne wafted in first.

The person who came in had a slicked-back hairstyle, so thick with hair wax that even a fly would have to do the splits if it landed on it. He was carrying a large bouquet of bright red roses, and his impeccably tailored suit was clearly an imported item from the Friendship Store.

Wei Peng.

His father was a powerful figure in the General Logistics Department, in charge of approvals, and was known in the circle for being arrogant and haughty.

"Sisi, I knew you'd be here." Wei Peng, a greasy smile plastered on his face, didn't even glance at anyone else, walked straight to Song Sisi, and shoved the flowers into her arms. "These were specially ordered for you. What do you think? Do you like them?"

The air in the private room instantly became quieter.

Gu Zheng's comrades exchanged glances, their faces showing anticipation. This Wei Peng had been pursuing Song Sisi for over half a year, and all he did was throw money at her—utterly vulgar.

Song Sisi frowned, leaned back, and avoided the bouquet of flowers as if she were dodging some kind of virus.

"Wei Peng, are you sick in the head?" Song Sisi rolled her eyes, showing no mercy whatsoever. "How many times have I told you, I'm not interested in you. Take your flowers and go somewhere cool."

Wei Peng's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly resumed his shameless demeanor: "Sisi, don't be so heartless. Our Wei family and your Song family are a good match. In the entire compound, besides me, who else is worthy of you?"

"Worthy of me?" Song Sisi sneered, slamming her wine glass heavily on the table. "The man I, Song Sisi, will marry is a hero with calloused hands, blood on his body, and the courage to protect his country! Not a rich kid like you who relies on his father to get approvals, dabble in supplies, and reeks of money!"

That's too harsh a statement.

Wei Peng's face instantly turned a deep liver color.

Being humiliated like this in front of so many people, especially in front of Gu Zheng and his group of "roughnecks," completely shattered his spoiled brat temper.

His sinister gaze swept across the table before finally settling on Gu Zheng, who was leisurely sipping his soup.

"Heroes?" Wei Peng scoffed, pointing at Gu Zheng, and said sarcastically, "Sisi, you've probably been brainwashed by these soldiers, haven't you? What heroes? They're just a bunch of reckless brutes who only know how to fight. Besides..."

He glanced contemptuously at Ye Zhen beside Gu Zheng, his eyes filled with undisguised malice: "Even a hero like him is married, and his taste isn't much better. He'd rather forgo the socialites of Beijing than pick up this filthy vase from some backwater in some poor mountain village. Doesn't he fear ruining his future?"

"Click".

Gu Zheng bent the stainless steel knife in his hand.

A terrifying aura instantly swept through the entire private room. His comrades' expressions changed; they put down their chopsticks and glared at Wei Peng with hostility.

"Wei Peng." Gu Zheng slowly stood up, his voice as low as the wind blowing from hell, "Looks like I didn't beat you hard enough when you were a kid, which is why you have such a stupid brain and don't learn your lesson."

"What do you want to do?!" Wei Peng took a step back in fright, bumping into a chair, and roared, his voice trembling with fear, "Gu Zheng, you dare touch me? This isn't a childhood anymore. You dare to lay a finger on me today!"

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Gu Zheng's lips, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he was about to step forward—

A slender, fair hand gently pressed down on the back of his hand.

Those were the doctor's hands, steady and slightly cool.

"Sit down." Ye Zhen's voice wasn't loud, but it had a strange penetrating power.

Gu Zheng's murderous aura froze, and he looked down at her.

"Don't get your hands dirty." Ye Zhen took out a handkerchief from her pocket, slowly wiped the corner of her mouth, and then looked up.

For the first time, those clear, cold eyes looked directly at Wei Peng.

"First," Ye Zhen said, holding up a finger, her tone eerily calm, "My background is spotless. I may not have had a good father, but I've saved more people than you've seen dead. My origins are a hundred times cleaner than yours."

Wei Peng was taken aback, clearly not expecting this seemingly frail woman to dare to speak to him like that.

"you……"

"Second." Ye Zhen interrupted him, stood up, and although she was dressed simply, her aura of composure in the face of adversity actually overwhelmed Wei Peng.

"My man, what were you doing in the rear while he was bleeding and fighting on the front lines? His future was earned by crawling out of piles of corpses, and it was in his own hands."

Ye Zhen turned around, staring intently at Wei Peng, a mocking smile playing on her lips:

"Instead of someone like you, whose future depends entirely on what others say and how lucky they are to be born. If you were stripped of your skin and thrown into Black Mountain Village, you wouldn't even be able to compete with the old lady for pig feed."

"Pfft!" Song Sisi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Her comrades around her also looked relieved, their eyes filled with admiration as they gazed at Ye Zhen. This sister-in-law, her words are sharper than a scalpel!

"You! You dare to insult me?" Wei Peng trembled with rage, completely losing his temper. He raised his hand, ready to charge forward. "I'll teach you a lesson today on behalf of Gu Zheng—"

Gu Zheng's eyes turned cold, and he was about to kick him away.

Just then, a loud "bang" rang out!

The door to the private room was violently pushed open, and the door even slammed against the wall with a scream due to the excessive force.

"Gu Zheng! Xiao Ye! So you two were hiding here!"

A powerful roar shook the ceiling.

Wei Peng's hand froze in mid-air. He turned his head and looked down, his face turning deathly pale as if he had been struck by lightning.

At the entrance, General Chen was pushing a wheelchair, in which sat an old man with two gold stars on his shoulders—it was none other than Commander He, whose every stomp of his foot could shake the entire military region!

General Chen, looking anxious, didn't even glance at Wei Peng and shouted directly into the room:

"Xiao Ye! Quick, quick! Old He's leg is hurting so badly, come and take a look!"