Huo Jingrui’s words left Qiao Wenyu feeling even more guilty. "Big Brother Huo, I know I was wrong. This time when I go back, I’ll definitely get down to business and not drag my second uncle down again." Huo Jingrui patted his shoulder. "It’s good that you know your mistakes and can change. You can’t bring shame to our compound." Qiao Wenyu immediately stood at attention and gave a standard military salute. "Yes, I guarantee I will complete the task!" A smile touched Huo Jingrui’s lips. "I’ll be watching your future performance." The Qiao and Huo families lived in the same compound. Qiao Wenyu originally didn’t need to be sent to the countryside. Old Master Qiao had wanted to send him to the army, but when Qiao Wenyu found out that Wei Zijia had been secretly signed up by her stepsister to go to the countryside, he resolutely decided to follow her. Moreover, he used his family’s connections to transfer Wei Zijia directly to Hua’an Farm Reclamation, as his second uncle was stationed there. Because of this, Old Master Qiao lost his temper with his grandson, Qiao Wenyu, for the first time. But being the person he was, Qiao Wenyu soon managed to coax the old master, and they reconciled. By the time Yunyi finished her work, Wei Zijia and the others had also climbed down from the tree and were helping to sort through the items the Japanese men had brought. Seeing they were all injured to some extent, Yunyi offered, "Let me help you treat those wounds." Qiao Wenyu had actually wanted to speak up much earlier. "You should check on Zijia first. The spot where her ankle was injured is starting to fester." Yunyi gestured for Wei Zijia to sit down. When Yunyi saw the wound hidden beneath the trouser leg, her favorable impression of the young woman deepened. No wonder someone like Qiao Wenyu, from such a prominent military compound family, would defy his own relatives to protect her. She was so seriously injured, yet she hadn’t uttered a single word of complaint and was still helping to sort things. If it had been someone else, they probably wouldn’t have been able to endure it. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novel⁂fire.net Yunyi’s touch was especially gentle as she treated the wound, afraid of causing her more pain. Qiao Wenyu, standing to the side, looked on with a pained expression. "Zijia, bear with it a little. It will be better soon." He blamed himself again. It was all his fault. If he hadn’t insisted on going further in, Zijia wouldn’t have had to suffer , and she nearly would have lost her life. Thinking of the despicable behavior of those men earlier, his anger surged. He got up, strode over to the Japanese men, and kicked each of them fiercely, not even sparing the three who were already dead. Zheng Xuewen, afraid Qiao Wenyu would get too hung up on it, said, "Wenyu, it’s not your fault. Don’t take all the blame. We all agreed to it at the time." Qiao Wenyu sighed softly. "Surviving this time was sheer luck. If something had really happened to you two, I wouldn’t know how I’d face your families. My grandfather would definitely be furious, calling me an unfilial descendant who would disturb the family’s peace even in death." Zheng Xuewen was amused by his words. "Come on, didn’t everything turn out fine? Besides, if we had gotten into trouble, do you think you would have been safe and sound? If you were gone, how could you even worry about facing our families? And as for Old Master Qiao, if you had really gotten into trouble, he wouldn’t have the heart to be furious. He’d probably be heartbroken, regretting not having been gentler with you in the past." Qiao Wenyu sighed softly. "Brother, thank you." The two men lightly punched each other’s shoulders, exchanged a smile, and then walked back to Wei Zijia. Yunyi had just finished applying the medicine. "When we go down the mountain later, it would be best if—" Before she could finish, Qiao Wenyu quickly interjected, "I’ll carry her down the mountain. I won’t let her injury worsen." Yunyi suddenly laughed and gave Qiao Wenyu a thumbs-up. "You’ve chosen a good partner." Wei Zijia hadn’t expected Yunyi to say such a thing, and her face turned red with shyness. Indeed, they had confirmed their relationship before being sent to the countryside. Qiao Wenyu had always been considerate of her, protecting her both before and after they arrived in the countryside. Thinking of his kindness towards her, she looked up and stole a glance at Qiao Wenyu, their gazes meeting directly. Her face was full of bashfulness, his eyes full of adoration. Seeing their expressions, Yunyi unconsciously looked for Huo Jingrui. Just then, as if sensing her gaze, Huo Jingrui looked over at her. Their eyes met across the distance. They shared a knowing smile, a spark igniting in their hearts, and neither looked away for a long moment.