Nuan mentioned the day before yesterday that there would be updates during the second watch of the night, and that was true. However, after seeing that frustrating advertisement placement yesterday, I couldn’t even find my own work, let alone expect my readers to. Since its launch, it feels like it’s been running naked for a month now. I’m genuinely a bit hurt. Folks, please read the genuine version. This way, Nuan’s performance can look a bit better, and the recommended advertisement placements can improve, thus boosting Nuan’s motivation. Just like students who constantly feel neglected, they start to get disheartened. My morale depends on you all.
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"Hello, Division Commander Xu!" Qiao Ningyi first politely greeted Xu Zhenghong, then turned to her father, Qiao Wannian, "Dad, I’m fine. I had a bad lunch, and I’ve already been on a drip. I’m just a bit weak right now."
"How did you manage to get a bad stomach at a time ?" Qiao Wannian frowned even more, "If your grandma found out, she definitely wouldn’t let you stay here any longer."
"Dad, you can’t tell grandma, if it wasn’t because I was worried you might get confused, I wouldn’t have rushed over here..."
Xu Zhenghong sat awkwardly to the side, his face twitching.
"Cough..." Embarrassed by his daughter’s comments in front of his subordinates, Qiao Wannian coughed awkwardly, "This child, what are you saying?"
"Hehe..." Qiao Ningyi stretched her arms and legs, smiling, "Dad, look, I’m quite healthy now, so please don’t be hard on Division Commander Xu. This incident was our own doing; it has nothing to do with the captain or the Division Commander. You shouldn’t lose your temper over it."
"This child..." Qiao Wannian didn’t know what else to say.
Xu Zhenghong really wanted to find an excuse to leave, but doing so would be too deliberate. He had no choice but to casually pick up a file and pretend to be busy...
"Dad, I sneaked out to come here. Now that you know I’m fine, let’s just let this go, okay?
Don’t tell grandma anything, or else, I’ll let her know about your secret smoking!" Qiao Ningyi said as she got up and waved to Xu Zhenghong, "Goodbye, Commander."
"Old Xu, Yi Yi being in the medical team, don’t let that slip. This child, she doesn’t want others to discredit her efforts, and I’ve already promised her that." To cover up the embarrassment, Qiao Wannian advised Xu Zhenghong with a serious face.
Xu Zhenghong nodded gravely with a dark line on his forehead: "Military Commander, I understand." Was he considered a fool? If Yi Yi didn’t want to hide her identity, would she have had her residence transferred to the countryside?
Moreover, he wasn’t deaf. They had been speaking so loudly in front of him; could it be that if he pretended not to hear, he really hadn’t heard?
Realizing his admonitions might seem foolish, Qiao Wannian laughed self-deprecatingly: "Ah, when kids grow up, they all have their own ideas about things. By the way, your little girl must be almost twenty by now, right?"
"Twenty-one..." Xu Zhenghong also sighed, "And she’s not any less worrisome, insisting on acting in movies, and irremovable as well. Her grandparents were so mad they didn’t speak to her for half a month. In the end, they still ended up hovering around her, worried she might pick up bad habits."
"It’s not easy for anyone, but having a girl in movies is also nice. Yi Yi’s grandma actually hopes Yi Yi would join the arts troupe. Too bad, this child is dead set on being a medic..."
As they started talking about their children, both fathers had a load of grievances to share, and here they were, deeply engrossed in the conversation, when the room door opened and another father—Zhou Jingping came in.
Both men quickly stood up and saluted, maintaining decorum in front of others, knowing only a few were aware of Xu Zhenghong being Zhou Jingping’s brother-in-law.
Of course, Qiao Wannian knew.
"Enough, we’re in the office, no need for such formalities." Zhou Jingping waved his hand and sat down, looking at Qiao Wannian, "What are you doing here? Came to hide from Peng Zuoqi’s critiques? "
"Am I afraid of him?" Qiao Wannian snorted, "If he has a problem, we can confront it head-on. Whoever chickens out is the loser!"
"Look at how roguish you sound, do you resemble a Military Commander?" Zhou Jingping laughed jokingly, "Brag Qiao, you really live up to the name!"
"Commander, why are you saying the same thing?" Qiao Wannian said as he glanced at Xu Zhenghong, "Old Xu, tell me, where do I resemble a braggart?"
Was this a setup or what?
Xu Zhenghong quickly stood up: "Commanders, I need to check the arrangements in the auditorium..." saying so, he almost sprinted out of the office.
"Hahaha..." Zhou Jingping burst out laughing, "Old Qiao, you even scared our Commander Xu away, still gonna deny you’re a braggart?"
"Commander, I admit it." Qiao Wannian shamefacedly scratched his head, "I guess this straightforward temper of mine just can’t be changed in this lifetime."