Chapter 155: A Terrifying Trip to the Restroom

Zhu Pengfei was so furious that his face turned entirely red. If word of this matter got out, he feared the position of deputy battalion commander he had just been promoted to would slip away.

"What is there to be afraid of? No one saw us anyway."

"The few of you, keep your mouths shut tight about this! Even if someone comes asking, hold your ground! If any of you mess things up for me, I'll send you packing right back to our hometown!"

Meanwhile.

Xia Yan had finished tidying up when a sudden wave of discomfort hit her stomach. Unlike her own home, the guesthouse had no private toilet; everyone had to use the communal latrine in the residential area.

There was a slop bucket inside the room, but with Lin Ling present, she felt too embarrassed to relieve herself indoors.

Rumaging through her luggage, she fished out a flashlight and headed downstairs, preparing to walk to the compound's public restroom.

Lin You lived right next door. Hearing the commotion from the neighboring room, he parted the curtain to take a look.

Outside the door, illuminated by the moonlight, the retreating figure was unmistakably Xia Yan. She was holding a flashlight and acting rather sneakily.

"Where is this girl heading so late at night?"

Suspecting that the fire at their home earlier in the day was likely an act of arson, Lin You felt uneasy. He quickly put on his clothes and followed her.

Of course, Xia Yan had no idea Lin You was trailing her. Deep in winter, apart from the occasional patrolling soldier, hardly anyone else was out; most people were already snuggled deep beneath their quilts.

The public restroom was about a ten-minute walk from the guesthouse, and the moonlight over the mountains was exceptionally bright.

Had it not been for her upset stomach, Xia Yan would have genuinely wanted to stop and appreciate the moonlit starry sky.

Just as she paused to glance up at the heavens, her stomach churned violently again, and Xia Yan immediately quickened her pace. Watching from behind, Lin You found it rather peculiar—what was going on with this girl, stopping and speeding up alternately?

Not until he saw the public restroom not far ahead did Lin You finally understand. So the girl had needed the washroom. But since there was a bucket inside the room, why brave the bitter winter cold to walk this far when she was obviously in such a rush?

Lin You wrapped his military overcoat tighter around himself and waited a short distance away for Xia Yan to come out.

Once inside the latrine, Xia Yan held her breath. Dry pit toilets like this were utterly terrifying, with a massive cesspool gaping right beneath one's feet... She didn't dare look down even for a second, lest she throw up.

It was pitch black, a chilly draft was blowing against her backside, and she took every precaution to avoid slipping and falling in. If no one came to rescue her in time, she would go down in history as the most pathetic and disgusting time-traveler ever to meet her end.

Stepping out through the latrine door, Xia Yan finally dared to draw a deep, full breath.

With her stomach settled and her mood improved, and finding herself unable to sleep, she remembered there were still a few books she hadn't retrieved during the daytime cleanup. She decided she might as well drop by her old home to pick up a few books to take back with her.

Seeing Xia Yan emerge from afar, Lin You was just about to call out to her when the girl abruptly turned around and headed off in the opposite direction.

"Where is this girl off to now?"

Lin You quickened his pace and followed.

Entering the family quarters, Xia Yan originally intended to go straight home. However, recalling the words Qian Yuxiang had spewed earlier in the day, along with the incident where her son was blocked from entering, she figured Zhu Pengfei must be home right now.

She was going to go give him a piece of her mind!

Just as she reached the threshold of Zhu Pengfei's home, however, she heard Zhu Pengfei shouting from inside: "Why on earth did I ever marry a woman like you? You can't even manage to properly teach a child at home!"

"Hmph, I never took Zhu Pengfei for a man who knows right from wrong. It seems these kids were just spoiled rotten by Qian Yuxiang."

Xia Yan paused outside the door, feeling that Zhu Pengfei wasn't entirely unreasonable—he spoke quite uprightly; he had simply drawn a bad lot with his wife.

"How is that my fault? When I married you back then, you weren't even a platoon leader! Do you have any idea how hard it's been for me following you all these years? Now that you're a deputy battalion commander, you look down on me? Have you ever raised these kids since they were little? Have you ever taught them? Hasn't it all been me breaking my back, doing all the chores and raising the kids at the same time? Do you have any idea how much I've suffered bringing these five children up this big?"

Qian Yuxiang wept bitterly as she poured out her grievances.

If she didn't already know Qian Yuxiang's true character, Xia Yan might have genuinely believed Qian Yuxiang had it terribly hard.

"I did it all for this family! Do you think it was easy for me to claw my way up to the position of deputy battalion commander?! All the hardships and beatings I've taken over the years!"

"Who told you not to be as capable as Lin You? He's young and already a full battalion commander! When it all comes down to it, it's just because you're useless!"

Qian Yuxiang was consumed by resentment at the moment and refused to listen to a word Zhu Pengfei said, immediately firing back with a sharp retort.

"What did you just say?!"

Zhu Pengfei was already in a foul mood today because his son had stirred up massive trouble, and now Qian Yuxiang was berating him as useless. Unable to stomach it any longer, the two of them instantly came to blows.

Hearing the commotion inside the house, Xia Yan froze in her tracks. Why on earth were they fighting? Judging by the sounds, the battle was exceptionally fierce.

Xia Yan blinked. It looked like she wouldn't be able to go in today; she shouldn't risk getting herself dragged into this mess. She might as well go home and get her books first.

Seeing her turn away, Lin You glanced once at Zhu Pengfei's house and then resumed following Xia Yan at a measured, unhurried pace.

After walking a few steps, Xia Yan suddenly looked back. Ever since she headed toward the restroom earlier, she had the distinct feeling someone was tailing her. Being tracked like this in the dead of night was terrifyingly creepy—what if the stalker was the arsonist? Then...

She suddenly remembered an occasion back in her past life when she had worked until the early hours of the morning. The buses had stopped running, and as a fresh graduate, she couldn't bear to spend money on a taxi, so she had walked home.

It was on that exact night that she had been chased down an entire street by several drunken men.

The experience had left a deep, lingering shadow on her mind, making her exceptionally sensitive in situations like this.

Without a second thought, Xia Yan broke into a run.

Just as Lin You rounded a corner, he caught sight of Xia Yan taking off at a sprint, leaving him completely baffled. Why on earth was this girl running?

Xia Yan dashed all the way back to her house. Fortunately, the lock on the courtyard gate hadn't been changed yet. She slipped inside, latched it securely behind her, and leaned her back against the door, panting heavily. Only now did she realize the clothes on her back were thoroughly soaked with sweat.

Lin You stared at the tightly bolted courtyard gate. What on earth was this girl locking the door for?

At that moment, Ruan Xiaotian happened to step outside and spotted Lin You standing by the gate scratching his head.

"Xiao Lin, didn't you stay at the guesthouse? What brings you back at this hour?"

"I came back to pick up a few things."

"Where's Xiao Xia? Didn't she come back with you?"

"She's inside."

Ruan Xiaotian glanced at the tightly closed courtyard gate and walked over with a grin. "What? Did you newlyweds have a spat?"

"As if. My wife and I have a great relationship. But look at you, wandering out this late—did sister-in-law kick you out? Are you holding those clothes because you're heading to the barracks dormitory?"

Ruan Xiaotian coughed awkwardly. Having accidentally provoked his wife's anger just moments before, he had indeed been tossed out.

Inside the courtyard, Xia Yan recognized the familiar voice speaking outside. Peering through the gap in the wooden door, she saw it was none other than her own husband.

"Lin You, what are you doing here?"

"I was following you."

Seeing the courtyard gate swing open, Lin You cast a meaningful look in Ruan Xiaotian's direction.

"So the stalker trailing me this whole time was you! I thought some pervert was after me."