Her words drew a sideways glance from Liu Changyou.

She was waiting, curious to see how her daughter would answer.

"Yes! My sister-in-law is gorgeous and incredibly capable. She’s my idol!" Liu Changyou’s daughter nodded after a moment’s thought.

It was true she had never met Xie Changning, but that didn’t stop her from hearing stories about her.

"Jiaojiao, have you met your sister-in-law, then?" Yu Huo asked, her curiosity about Xie Changning apparent.

He Jiao tilted her head, looked at Yu Huo, and then said earnestly, "Sister Huo, I know you really like our big brother, but he’s already married. Shouldn’t we stop paying so much attention to them?"

’Whether we’ve seen her or not, it doesn’t affect our lives!’

A flicker of amusement showed in Liu Changyou’s eyes at He Jiao’s words. She was quite pleased with her daughter’s response.

’It’s not that I’m prejudiced against her now,’ Liu Changyou thought. ’But what she did in Shanghai... it makes me feel like she’s no longer the child I so carefully raised. In fact, I’m starting to think her very first meeting with us was planned all along. Then again, maybe I’m just being paranoid. But if there wasn’t something wrong from the start, why would she suddenly throw away her wonderful godparents and a promising future just to do... that?’

At that thought, Liu Changyou felt as if all the money and time she’d invested over the years had gone to waste.

Liu Changyou never doubted her husband. The fact that he had come home and told her meant the military already had concrete proof.

The only reason they hadn’t made a move yet was to use her as bait to catch a bigger fish.

"Godmother, what are you thinking about?" Seeing Liu Changyou staring at her, Yu Huo couldn’t help but frown and touch her own face.

’Ever since I walked through the door, I’ve sensed a subtle shift in my godmother’s attitude. It’s very subtle. At first, I thought she’d noticed something was off about me. Now, on second thought, it’s probably that she thinks I have a crush on Yue Yihan and is worried I might do something drastic. That would make sense.’

A hint of coldness flashed in Yu Huo’s eyes, but she kept her expression neutral, not letting anyone notice anything was amiss.

Once the seed of suspicion is planted, every subtle action from the other person becomes magnified.

And that was exactly how Liu Changyou now saw Yu Huo’s every move.

She hadn’t missed the flicker of ice in Yu Huo’s expression. ’I regret this,’ she thought. ’If I had known, I never would have accepted her as my goddaughter.’

’Now she’s a total hot potato!’

As she was mulling this over, a sudden realization dawned on her. She began to understand why Yu Huo showed such an unusual interest in Yue Yihan.

’Yue Yihan is the youngest regimental commander, with a boundless future ahead of him!’

’Anyone who grew up with him knows he’s the responsible type. If something were to... happen... he would absolutely take responsibility.’

A chill ran down Liu Changyou’s spine at the thought.

’To think she’s already so calculating at her age!’

"I wasn’t thinking about anything. Just wondering when your godfather will be back."

"I heard Brother Yi Han brought his wife back, so he should be home soon, right?" Yu Huo smiled, determined to keep the conversation on Xie Changning.

Liu Changyou’s expression hardened.

"Yu Huo, why are you so curious about Yi Han’s wife?"

Liu Changyou’s stern face was a rude awakening for Yu Huo. She realized her fixation on Xie Changning was overstepping the bounds of her position.

Yu Huo quickly composed herself and smiled at Liu Changyou. "It’s just that everyone says she’s beautiful—even prettier than Sister Wen from the Art Troupe. I couldn’t help but be curious."

Yu Huo brought up Wen Shangqiong from the Art Troupe.

Wen Shangqiong was the belle of the Art Troupe. She was beautiful, a talented dancer, and the dream girl for many men on the base.

Liu Changyou seemed convinced, or at least she let out a breath and relaxed on the surface. "For a moment there, I thought you were trying to break up their marriage. You can’t interfere with a military marriage. They can have you shot for that."

She was trying to intimidate her.

Yu Huo burst out laughing and leaned against He Jiao. "See? Godmother still treats me like a kid, trying to scare me!"

He Jiao glanced from her mother to Yu Huo and smiled along with them.

’For some reason,’ she thought, ’the atmosphere at home feels strange today.’

...

When He Liuzhang returned, he did indeed have Yue Yihan with him.

He had anticipated Yu Huo would be waiting, which was why he had specifically brought Yue Yihan along. Xie Changning, meanwhile, remained at the guesthouse and hadn’t left.

Soldiers from the base delivered all three of her meals.

Furthermore, a different person was sent each time, drawn from various units.

They were afraid of giving Yu Huo any opening to exploit.

"Big Brother!" Seeing Yue Yihan enter, He Jiao cheered and rushed into his arms.

Yue Yihan ruffled He Jiao’s hair. "You’ve gotten taller again."

"Of course! I’m going to be a soldier someday. How could I do that if I’m not tall?" She was very strict about eating a balanced diet, terrified that she wouldn’t grow tall enough.

Everyone in the room laughed at her words.

Yu Huo had grown quiet ever since Yue Yihan arrived, a stark contrast to her demeanor when she was alone with Liu Changyou earlier.

Their eyes met, and Yu Huo gave a small nod—the perfect picture of an admirer seeing her beloved, now married to another.

She had rehearsed this very scene countless times back in Shanghai.

"Why didn’t my sister-in-law come over?" He Jiao voiced the question on Yu Huo’s mind.

He Jiao had never met Xie Changning, so naturally, she was quite curious about her.

"She’s a little busy contacting her leadership, so she asked me to visit your mother and you in her stead." Yue Yihan’s explanation was for He Jiao, but it also served to inform Liu Changyou that Xie Changning’s absence wasn’t by choice—she really couldn’t get away.

He Liuzhang looked at him but remained silent.

Yu Huo knew even before she returned that Yue Yihan’s wife was exceptionally capable. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken such a keen interest in Xie Changning.

Yu Huo’s gaze swept impassively over Yue Yihan. She said nothing.

She was listening.

Her behavior made Liu Changyou eye her from the side. She gave Yu Huo a look, then decided to put the matter aside for the time being.

Yu Huo ended up staying outside the military base that night.

Her status no longer made it appropriate for her to stay in the military family quarters. Liu Changyou didn’t invite her to stay, using the excuse that regulations were stricter than they used to be to turn her away.

Yu Huo knew that the base regulations had, in fact, changed.

Still, she couldn’t help but glance at Liu Changyou, her eyes narrowing in thought.

’Could it be?’ she wondered. ’Was it just because I "like" Yue Yihan that Liu Changyou’s whole family has turned cold toward me?’

Yu Huo didn’t press the issue. She simply turned and left.

’Not staying on the base has its advantages,’ she thought. ’I can find out where Xie Changning is staying and move into the same guesthouse.’

After Yu Huo was gone, Yue Yihan, who had only pretended to leave, turned back and returned to He Liuzhang’s home.

"That girl gave me the creeps. How did she get so much more somber?" Yu Huo herself might not have noticed, but to an outsider, her disposition had become deeply melancholic.