Chapter 1348: Chapter 1348: 1348: Who Will Laugh at You

Chapter 1348: Chapter 1348: Who Will Laugh at You

Lu Yichen carried Luo Qiao into the yard.

Rong Daniang came out and was startled: “Qiaoqiao, what’s wrong?”

Lu Yichen didn’t stop walking: “Nothing, she just had a bit to drink and feels dizzy. I’ll carry her back to rest.”

Luo Qiao’s small hand pinched Lu Yichen’s waist, making him grimace in pain, but he didn’t dare make a sound.

Rong Daniang noticed how quickly they passed by: “Alright, let her rest in the house. In the future, make sure she drinks less; it’s not worth the trouble.”

Lu Yichen responded while walking away: “Got it.”

They quickly disappeared around the corner.

Back in the room, Lu Yichen placed her on the bed. Just as he was about to stand up, Luo Qiao reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck: “Why did you have to say I was drunk? It’s bad for my image.”

Lu Yichen chuckled: “Who’s going to laugh at you?”

Luo Qiao began to pout and complain: “What if Rong Daniang tells the kids? If they ask me tomorrow, what am I supposed to say?”

Seeing her in this state, Lu Yichen leaned his forehead against hers: “Okay, my fault. I shouldn’t have said you drank too much. I should’ve claimed you were just being lazy and didn’t want to walk.”

Luo Qiao burst into laughter and kissed Lu Yichen on the cheek.

Lu Yichen teased: “Satisfied now?”

Luo Qiao murmured softly: “Hmm… I’m a little thirsty.”

Lu Yichen got up: “Wait here, I’ll go make you some honey water—it’s perfect for sobering up.”

Luo Qiao countered: “I’m not drunk; I don’t need to sober up.”

It didn’t take long before Lu Yichen returned with the honey water: “Come on, Qiao Bao, sit up and drink this.”

Lu Yichen helped Luo Qiao lean against his chest: “Do you want to hold it yourself, or should I feed you?”

Luo Qiao looked at the situation and joked: “If someone saw this, they’d think I’m a patient.”

Lu Yichen playfully bit her shoulder: “What nonsense are you saying? Hurry up and drink. Later, I’ll draw a bath for you, so you can relax and sleep early.”

After taking a bath, changing into pajamas, and lying down, Luo Qiao finally felt better. She overheard the children arriving as Lu Yichen got up: “You rest; I’ll go check on them.”

With that, he quickly stepped outside. Not long after, Yanyan’s voice could be heard: “Dad, where’s Mom?”

“Your mom’s tired and went to sleep. Don’t disturb her. Go back to your room, wash up, and go to bed.”

Xiao Ye tried to sneak past Lu Yichen but was caught by the back of his shirt: “Your mom’s sleeping.”

Xiao Ye realized he couldn’t get through: “Dad, let me go. I wasn’t going in.”

After settling the kids down, Lu Yichen returned to their room. Seeing Luo Qiao with her eyes closed, freshly showered, he looked at her sleeping, petite figure: “You really know how to worry people—worse than the kids. You know you can’t drink, but you still did. Truly disobedient.”

Saying this, he pulled the blanket up for her, turned off the lights, held her in his arms, kissed her on the forehead, and drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Luo Qiao entered the office building and noticed groups of people gossiping about something. When she walked into her own office, she quietly asked a colleague nearby: “What’s going on?”

“Teacher Gao from the next office and Teacher Huang from ours were caught having an inappropriate relationship.”

“So what’s the situation now?”

“Both Teacher Gao and Teacher Huang have been summoned by the higher-ups.”

A nearby coworker began discussing the matter: “Teacher Gao must have been frustrated by the Yue Family, and given Teacher Huang’s gentle personality, he made a mistake.”

Luo Qiao thought back to Teacher Huang’s expression after work that day—it seemed the two of them already had some entanglement at that time.

Someone chimed in: “Teacher Huang really… If you want to date, why not choose someone single? Why go for a married man? Now she’ll probably face disciplinary action.”

At lunch, Miao Shuang revealed further details: “Turns out, it’s because Teacher Gao’s mother-in-law hasn’t let go of their house. She kept causing trouble every few days. Teacher Gao likely couldn’t stand it anymore, and his relationship with his wife soured.”

Miao Shuang glanced around and added: “I heard that Teacher Gao even proposed divorce a while ago, but his wife refused. She must’ve been hurt by her mother-in-law. Then Teacher Gao met the gentle and sweet Teacher Huang and fell for her.”

Luo Qiao recalled the commotion caused by Old Lady Qian—the aunt of He Qiuping—at the school. That woman even tried to claim distant family ties with her. Frankly, with such a mother-in-law, cheating seemed almost understandable. Anyone would struggle to endure it.

Miao Shuang commented: “Teacher Gao is too shameless. Even rabbits don’t eat grass near their burrow, but he specifically picked the grass nearby.”

Luo Qiao didn’t want to discuss it further and said: “Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Every family has its woes, and it’s not for us to judge.”

Miao Shuang knew Luo Qiao preferred avoiding trouble, so she smiled and changed the topic: “Did your dad set the wedding date?”

Luo Qiao nodded: “Yes, it’s set for the twenty-second of Lunar December.”

Miao Shuang chuckled: “Your dad must feel like his hardships have finally ended—especially with your siblings’ blessings. He must be over the moon.”

Luo Qiao replied: “It’s the least we owe him.”

Miao Shuang looked at her curiously: “What do you mean?”

Luo Qiao explained softly: “For years, my dad’s salary, aside from household expenses, was entirely spent on treatments for my eldest and second brothers. Because of that, my irresponsible mom argued with my dad countless times.

Later, it was only when my third and fourth brothers started working that he finally had some spare money. Initially, my parents’ marriage was never about love; it was simply to repay a debt to my grandfather.

But over the years, that woman never warmed to him—she never truly considered him. Their relationship was just a partnership in life. After I returned, they kept arguing until they divorced.

He lived alone for so many years, and now he’s finally found someone he truly loves. So we siblings genuinely want him to be happy.”

Since Miao Shuang already learned about the family’s situation during Old Lady Qian’s previous drama at the school, there was nothing to hide.

The two women ordered their meals and sat down. They heard others still discussing Teacher Gao. Perhaps the chaos caused by his mother-in-law at the school had been too much, so now people were commenting from a broader perspective.

******

In the afternoon, on her way home, Luo Qiao was surprised to see Stone approaching to greet her.

With a wide smile, Luo Qiao asked: “Stone, is it your break?”

Stone grinned as he walked over to take the items from her hand: “Yes, we got a few days off, so I came back.”

Noticing that Stone looked even sturdier than before, Luo Qiao thought about how life in the company must’ve been more intense than at the military academy: “Stone, is it tough in the company?”

Stone replied with a smile: “Being a soldier is never easy, but that’s what it means to be ready at all times. Training is routine; you get used to it.”

Luo Qiao nodded: “Well said. Once your formal unit is assigned, I’ll go with you to Qingshan Village to pay respects at your mom’s grave, so she can be at peace.”

Stone nodded firmly: “Alright.”