Jiang Yan sat across from Pan Baohua, feeling an indescribable grievance.

Her relationship with Third Brother Pan and Zhou Cheng had been forged on the frontlines, a bond born from life-and-death situations.

Her cousin Jiang Wu had done something wrong, crossing Third Brother Pan’s bottom line.

When Third Brother Pan attacked Jiang Wu in anger, the confrontation left Jiang Wu severely injured. Though emergency treatment saved his life, he was left permanently disabled. His lame left foot was the lesser concern – there was another hidden injury that couldn’t be spoken of… At the time, Jiang Yan knew nothing of the truth, and as a member of the Jiang family, she naturally couldn’t side with Third Brother Pan.

While Jiang Wu was in emergency care, Jiang Yan had secretly visited Pan Baohua in solitary confinement.

Pan Baohua told her that her cousin had committed an unforgivable wrong, leaving Jiang Yan conflicted and torn.

She trusted Pan Baohua’s character and knew he wouldn’t make baseless accusations.

But Jiang Wu had grown up with Jiang Yan, and they were very close – many things in Jiang Yan’s life had been taught by Jiang Wu!

While she was still wavering, the Jiang family erupted in fury, demanding severe punishment for Pan Baohua. However, the unit’s senior leadership deeply trusted Pan Baohua. Jiang Yan didn’t know what negotiations took place behind the scenes, only that in the final resolution, Pan Baohua avoided a special tribunal but was required to immediately leave the unit – after that, Jiang Yan never saw Pan Baohua again.

Until the end of last year, when Jiang Yan discovered this document.

Thinking about it now filled Jiang Yan’s heart with bitterness.

All the people she knew had tried to cover up for Jiang Wu. The Jiang family that raised her wasn’t exactly as she had always believed them to be.

Everything around her had collapsed, and Jiang Yan didn’t know what was real anymore.

“Third Brother, I should have believed you back then. If I had actively searched for evidence, you wouldn’t have had to leave the unit…”

Jiang Yan finally spoke, her tone filled with endless regret.

Pan Baohua handed her a bread roll, “You haven’t eaten, have you? Have something first. It’s sweet – the kind you girls like.”

Nonsense, you like it too, otherwise why do you always fidget with bread?

Xia Xiaolan didn’t expose Pan Baohua’s attempt at heroic dignity.

Jiang Yan took the bread and finished it in a few bites.

Pan Baohua asked if she wanted more, and only after seeing her shake her head did he rub his head:

“You don’t need to blame yourself. Jiang Wu deserved death, but I also violated unit discipline. Taking matters into my own hands against Jiang Wu was wrong – if not for Zhou Cheng and the senior leadership’s help, leaving the unit would have been the least of my concerns! Do you want to know if I regret it? I do regret it – not for acting impulsively and leaving the unit, but for not finishing off Jiang Wu when I had the chance.”

Even in his intense anger then, he hadn’t forgotten his position.

That’s why Jiang Wu was left disabled, not dead.

Thinking about it now, he should have killed Jiang Wu then, to prevent the Jiang family from causing trouble for Zhou Cheng.

Pan Baohua suddenly turned his head, “Sister-in-law Xiaolan, could you and Cheng get me a few more bread rolls?”

Zhou Cheng seemed about to speak.

Xia Xiaolan pulled his hand, “Third Brother, I’ll get you a new flavor this time, with fruit jam!”

Xia Xiaolan dragged Zhou Cheng out of the room.

Pan Baohua saw Jiang Yan’s dissatisfaction and handed her the last bread roll:

“Zhou Cheng and Xiaolan are as sweet as honey together. Some things can’t be forced. If he had feelings for you, you two would have gotten together long ago. Broaden your perspective – look how vast the sky is, how wide the earth is. There are so many things more important than romantic feelings. If you can’t be lovers, you can be friends, be siblings… People can have many different kinds of relationships.”

Jiang Yan held the bread, unclear whether she had absorbed Pan Baohua’s words of wisdom.

Pan Baohua didn’t say more.

They had many good qualities.

Sometimes these good qualities could become flaws.

Once they set their minds on a goal, that determination and ruthlessness to complete the mission became impossible for others to intervene.

Pan Baohua felt Jiang Yan was showing signs of that tendency now.

“Jiang Yan, you need to think this through. Now that you’ve given me this material, I won’t show any mercy to Jiang Wu. The Jiang family covered up his crimes, so they’ll face consequences too. How will you handle that then? No matter what, Third Brother owes you a great debt, but while you’re helping me, we need to be reasonable. I’m not Zhou Cheng’s father – I can’t offer him as a gift to repay your kindness, don’t you agree?”

Jiang Yan looked up:

“I had already thought it through before going to the academy, Third Brother. I don’t regret it.”

Ah, what a foolish girl.

What chance did this foolish girl have against Xia Xiaolan?

Pan Baohua felt truly regretful.

There’s no such thing as having it all – Zhou Cheng’s attitude wasn’t wrong either. Only by giving Jiang Yan no hope could she move on.

…

Xia Xiaolan forcefully dragged Zhou Cheng out of the room.

“Third Brother has something to discuss with Jiang Yan. Why were you staying there?”

Zhou Cheng touched the documents in his pocket and didn’t hide them from Xia Xiaolan: “I don’t trust Jiang Yan, or rather, I don’t trust the Jiang family. How Jiang Yan obtained these materials seems somewhat deliberate.”

Poor Jiang Yan.

Xia Xiaolan’s sympathy was probably only as big as a grain of wheat.

Why should she sympathize with someone who coveted Zhou Cheng?

Sympathy would affect judgment.

Jiang Wu gave Xia Xiaolan a dangerous feeling, so Zhou Cheng’s caution was appropriate.

“Anyway, now that we have the materials, we have the initiative. Whether to investigate and how to investigate depends entirely on you and the Third Brother’s thoughts. Zhou Cheng, I feel like Third Brother isn’t very enthusiastic about this matter…”

Not as enthusiastic as Zhou Cheng.

Logically, this was Pan Baohua’s matter.

Xia Xiaolan felt something was strange about this.

Zhou Cheng started – his wife was truly perceptive. He had only suspected it himself.

That day in the room, it was just him and Third Brother Pan. Third Brother had said something heartfelt to him – whether he could return to the unit wasn’t strongly related to the Jiang family. Zhou Cheng had some suspicions, but Third Brother Pan neither confirmed nor denied them.

“You also fear this might be a trap set by the Jiang family?”

Xia Xiaolan nodded, “I can’t say for sure. You know Jiang Yan and the Jiang family better, but if I wanted to destroy evidence, I would have done it immediately, not letting anyone have a chance to access it… not even my own mother. If I did something wrong, letting my mother know would only add to her psychological burden, so I’d be even more careful around her.”

So how could the Jiang family let Jiang Yan get hold of the materials?

They raised their daughter – wouldn’t they know Jiang Yan’s character?

Even if Jiang Yan didn’t betray the Jiang family, letting her know what bad things Jiang Wu had done would affect family harmony.

“If you suspect a trap, why did you let Jiang Yan bring the materials to Pengcheng?”

Xia Xiaolan glared at him, “Obviously, with the materials in our hands, we can use them however we want! If they stayed with Jiang Yan, she’d keep using them as bait to get close to you. She does understand you somewhat, knowing you value loyalty and righteousness, and would get involved in matters concerning Third Brother Pan…”

The tense atmosphere dissipated with Xia Xiaolan’s words.

Zhou Cheng couldn’t help but smile: “You’re getting Third Brother jam-filled bread – extra sour, right?”

Hmph, what woman wouldn’t be jealous?

What’s strange about her being jealous?