Life in siheyuan era

Shen Lanyin absolutely believed in Zhou Zhiyuan; there was nothing he couldn't accomplish. She was certain he would successfully bring Han Xue and Li Wu together.

However, Shen Lanbo lacked this confidence and thought Zhou Zhiyuan was being presumptuous. While Li Wu was indeed a good man, Han Xue might not be interested in him.

He had been hiding a secret, never revealing it to anyone.

This secret made him feel somewhat guilty towards Han Xue, leading him to consistently support her career advancement.

His relationship with Han Xue puzzled many, with some even suspecting impure motives.

Zhang Limin, however, believed it was due to Zhou Zhiyuan's influence and felt Shen Lanbo was impartial, demonstrating a sense of public duty.

Han Xue also thought so. She was unaware that she was the only woman Shen Lanyin was so fiercely guarding against in reality.

But she knew that Zhou Zhiyuan's dinner invitation tonight had ulterior motives.

Tonight, Zhou Zhiyuan invited everyone to Hongyun Hall, where a dining table perfectly accommodated six people.

Li Wu, the regimental commander, sat to her left, while Shen Lanyin sat to her right.

To Li Wu's left sat Shen Lanbo. Although he was Li Wu's former platoon leader, the focus tonight was on Li Wu and Han Xue.

This arrangement made Li Wu feel awkward, and he exchanged pleasantries with Shen Lanbo for a long time.

Han Xue, however, understood the situation immediately. As the banquet officially began, she raised her glass and said cheerfully, "I'm very happy to meet Regimental Commander Li Wu. Let's have a drink."

Then, she toasted Shen Lanbo, "Director Shen, thank you for your guidance."

Finally, she toasted Zhou Zhiyuan, "The luckiest thing in my life was meeting you, and the unluckiest thing was also meeting you."

Han Xue's words had a hidden meaning, and Shen Lanyin's face instantly turned cold.

Han Xue raised her glass and drank it all in one gulp, then said to Fang Nan, "We're both mothers. Sister Fang Nan and Lanyin understand me. Xiaojing's grades are dropping, and I need to go back and talk to her."

She greeted Fang Nan and Shen Lanyin, then walked out of the private room, leaving Zhou Zhiyuan awkwardly holding his glass.

Shen Lanbo stood up and walked out, instructing Yuan Shi to send someone to escort Han Xue home.

Li Wu also understood what was happening at this point, staring at Zhou Zhiyuan with a deep voice, "Zhiyuan, shall we go outside and spar?"

Zhou Zhiyuan gave a wry smile, put down his glass, and turned to walk out. Li Wu stood up and followed him out, and soon a series of thuds could be heard outside.

Fang Nan looked at Shen Lanyin, seeing her cold expression. She was about to get up and stop Zhou Zhiyuan and Li Wu when she saw Shen Lanbo stride in, and couldn't help but ask anxiously, "They're fighting. Aren't you going to do something?"

"No need to worry. They were like this back in the army. They'll stop when they're tired."

Shen Lanbo sat down, staring at Shen Lanyin and said in a deep voice, "I originally wanted to take a secret to the grave, but your attitude and Han Xue's reaction have made me determined to tell you."

Hearing him speak so mysteriously, Fang Nan sat down nervously, while Shen Lanyin stared intently at Shen Lanbo, listening to him slowly say, "I was seriously injured in the counterattack on the plateau and had a very long dream before I regained consciousness."

Hearing this, Shen Lanyin and Fang Nan exchanged surprised glances, then turned to listen to Shen Lanbo continue, "I don't remember many parts of this dream, but a few fragments have become clear after later efforts to recall them."

"The scene in this dream seemed to be a very large-scale movement. During this movement, Mom and Dad were sent to a farm for labor reform, and I experienced heart-wrenching grief and countless dangers."

"...Don't speak, let me finish. During this movement, only the political commissar and Zhiyuan stayed by my side, but the political commissar was often transferred, and only Zhiyuan was always with me."

"He risked his life against hundreds of people for me, held a gun to the head of some big shot for me, and sneaked out in the middle of the night to spy on those people's secrets to blackmail them into letting me go."

"Do you know? My heart was already dead at that time. If Zhiyuan hadn't desperately protected me, I would have really died."

He stopped here, and Shen Lanyin asked in a low voice, "Why were you so heartbroken?"

Fang Nan asked anxiously, "What about me?"

Shen Lanbo reached out and grabbed her hand, saying softly, "You were also implicated. Fortunately, your father-in-law protected you, but he couldn't protect me."

Hearing this, Fang Nan felt relieved and held Shen Lanbo's hand tightly, listening to him ask, "You may have also heard that my relationship with Han Xue is impure."

Fang Nan replied softly, "I believe you."

Shen Lanbo shook his head gently and replied in a low voice, "This is an important reason why I decided to tell you. I don't want you to misunderstand."

After saying this, Shen Lanbo turned to Shen Lanyin and said, "Han Xue's work ability is indeed very strong, but she has a very good relationship with Zhiyuan and is also the woman my sister has always been wary of. Is my heart really that broad-minded?"

Saying this, Shen Lanbo looked at Shen Lanyin and said in a low voice, "This is the main thing I want to tell you."

Shen Lanyin replied slowly, "You don't need to say anymore. I know that in your dream, Han Xue was Zhiyuan's wife, and you feel guilty towards Han Xue."

Hearing her say the correct answer, Fang Nan's face showed surprise, while Shen Lanbo's face showed a wry smile. This sister has always been very smart.

But Shen Lanyin said easily, "I finally understand why I have to guard against Han Xue. She was originally Zhiyuan's wife, so the two's words and actions are very compatible."

"It seems that my sixth sense is indeed very strong. I used to think that without me, Zhiyuan would definitely marry Han Xue. It seems I was right."

After saying these words, Shen Lanyin stared at Shen Lanbo and said slowly, "Brother, you say that these things can't change anything. You won't tell this secret to Zhiyuan or anyone else, and for me, it will only make me more wary of Han Xue."

"Zhiyuan and I will not be separated in this life, and we will be together in the next life. Han Xue will never have a share."

Hearing her say such harsh words, Fang Nan hurriedly said, "What your brother dreamed of was only that part. Maybe Han Xue and Zhiyuan divorced later, it's hard to say."

Hearing Fang Nan speak, Shen Lanbo didn't say anything, but Shen Lanyin said solemnly, "Han Xue will not divorce Zhiyuan. And the reason why my brother feels guilty is not just because Zhiyuan desperately protected him, right?"

Since the words had come to this point, Shen Lanbo could only say in a low voice, "They were very loving. No matter what Zhiyuan did, Han Xue fully supported him, including protecting me."

Shen Lanbo spoke the answer, and Fang Nan had no more excuses to persuade, and could only say, "Don't say anymore. Only the three of us know about this. Don't let Zhiyuan hear it."

"It doesn't matter if he hears it. Zhiyuan's personality is like this. Whoever is his wife, he will be wholeheartedly devoted to her."

Shen Lanbo said the words, but his body stood up, and he continued, "They've been fighting for so long, we should go out and take a look too." Saying this, he stepped out.

Zhou Zhiyuan and Li Wu often fought, which was no secret in the circle, nor was it a secret in Li Wu's regiment, but it was the first time at the Sunshine Grand Hotel.

Seeing this scene, the waiter hurriedly ran into Yuan Shi's office and shouted, "President Zhou and that soldier are fighting."

Hearing this news, Yuan Shi jumped up and ran out.

But he had no confidence. Secretary Nie was not here. Who could stop Zhou Zhiyuan from fighting?

Yuan Shi's brain began to work quickly, but then he thought of something and felt strange.

Zhou Zhiyuan was hosting a dinner tonight, and Shen Lanbo and Shen Lanyin both came. With these two present, how could Zhou Zhiyuan have gotten into a fight with the soldier?

Yuan Shi would never intervene until he understood this question. He ran to the scene and stood still, seeing two figures rolling around on the ground. He glanced around and didn't see Shen Lanbo and Shen Lanyin, so he immediately stopped Xu Laosan, who was running over, "Have the brothers form a circle to maintain the scene. No one is allowed to go forward."

Xu Laosan hadn't reacted yet and shouted, "The boss is fighting with someone. Can we not go up?"

"Shut up." Yuan Shi shouted angrily, "When Zhiyuan takes action, when is it your turn?"

Hearing Yuan Shi's angry shout, Xu Laosan reacted. Zhou Zhiyuan was fighting, and he really couldn't intervene, so he shouted and had more than a dozen security guards surround the scene. Customers were running this way, and the courtyard was soon overcrowded.

It was not news that Zhou Zhiyuan, the general manager of the Sunshine Grand Hotel, was fighting, but there were not many eyewitnesses. Hearing this news, whether it was the guests in the private rooms or the guests in the lobby, everyone immediately put down their glasses and chopsticks and ran to the courtyard, including the Bang Geng sisters and Tang Yan.

Tonight, Bang Geng's purpose in treating Xiaodang and Huaihua to dinner was simple: to let Xiaodang and Huaihua get along well with Tang Yan.

The four of them were eating and chatting, and the atmosphere was harmonious, but a customer ran in and shouted, "Go out and see quickly. The general manager of the Grand Hotel, President Zhou, is fighting with a soldier."

His intention was to call his companions, but with one shout, all the guests in the lobby stood up. Xiaodang was the first to put down her chopsticks and run out, followed by Huaihua.

Everyone was excited to hear this news. Zhou Zhiyuan, the general manager of the Sunshine Grand Hotel, was also a celebrity. It was said that this celebrity often fought, and tonight they could feast their eyes.