Hello, Comrade. I'm Here to Marry You!

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: I Might Get Married Soon

Soon, Cheng Mo’s cheerful voice came through the phone.

"Huai Zheng, I’ve found out about Su Zhaozhao’s background."

"Go on."

Cheng Mo proceeded to tell Xie Huaizheng the details about Su Zhaozhao.

"Her mother passed away when she was very young. Then her father remarried, and his new wife gave him a son. Both her father and stepmother work in a factory, and now her stepmother calls all the shots at home," Cheng Mo said, all in one breath.

"The Su Family is of average means. According to my investigation, Su Zhaozhao’s maternal family was actually quite wealthy, but for certain sensitive reasons back in the day, her mother cut all ties with them."

"And yes, her grandfather was a soldier. He fought in a campaign back in the day and was in the same regiment as your grandfather, so that’s probably how they knew each other. However, he passed away five years ago."

Xie Huaizheng frowned as he listened.

He could just imagine how miserable Su Zhaozhao’s daily life must be in a household like that.

’Is that why she was bold enough to seek him out, a fiancé she’d never even met?’

’Because she’s lost all trust in her own family?’

At this thought, Xie Huaizheng felt an unexpected pang in his chest.

’Does she think that because he’s her fiancé, he’s someone she can trust?’

And yet, from the very beginning, he hadn’t shown her a shred of kindness.

At this, Xie Huaizheng pressed his lips together.

"Huai Zheng, if she really is your fiancée, you have to protect her. Sigh, just hearing about this girl makes my heart ache."

"I heard that living in such an oppressive environment made her timid and fearful. She’s supposed to be sullen, doesn’t talk to anyone, and has no friends. Her stepmother even tried to sell her off as a wife for a hundred yuan! It’s just despicable!"

Cheng Mo was getting worked up, growing angrier the more he spoke.

But the more Xie Huaizheng listened, the more something felt off.

’Timid and fearful? A withdrawn personality? Doesn’t talk to anyone?’

’Are they talking about Su Zhaozhao?’

An image of the girl’s bright, smiling face surfaced in his mind. If anyone tried to bully her, she would fight back without hesitation.

On the train, she had even taken on a vicious murderer.

’Who would dare to bully her?’

Xie Huaizheng couldn’t connect the person Cheng Mo was describing with the Su Zhaozhao he knew.

But from the looks of it, Su Zhaozhao hadn’t lied to him; everything she had told him was the truth.

Still, some things were strange.

’If his grandfather and his old comrade-in-arms were so close, why didn’t his grandfather attend the funeral when he passed away?’

’He’d also never heard him mention that this old comrade had passed.’

’Was it because he had left Beijing five years ago and paid no mind to family affairs, and so he’d missed such details?’

Yet, in the letters his grandfather wrote him, there was never any mention of it.

On the phone, he would still talk about his "old comrade" as if the man were still alive.

Xie Huaizheng’s brow furrowed deeply.

"Huai Zheng? You there? Why aren’t you saying anything?" Cheng Mo asked from the other end of the line, unable to bear the silence.

Xie Huaizheng snapped back to reality. "Thanks for looking into this for me. I’ll treat you to a meal when I get back to Beijing."

"Speaking of which, did you and Manzhi break up?"

"There was never anything between us," Xie Huaizheng said.

"Oh, come on. Everyone in our circle knows she’s been in love with you for years. Now you’ve suddenly got this fiancée from a childhood arrangement, and you’re even investigating her. Are you starting to get interested?"

Hearing the teasing tone in Cheng Mo’s voice, Xie Huaizheng was silent for a rare moment before saying, "Yes. I might be getting married soon."

Cheng Mo’s eyes widened, but before he could say anything, the line went dead.

Cheng Mo immediately started shouting frantically.

’No way, no way! What did I just hear? Xie Huaizheng said he’s getting married? And getting married *soon*? To that girl?!’

Jiang Manzhi had been by Xie Huaizheng’s side for so many years, and he’d never returned her feelings.

How long had this girl been in the picture for him to have already fallen for her?

With that thought, Cheng Mo bolted out of his office.

His colleagues, surprised to see him in such a rush for the first time, asked, "What’s wrong, Designer Cheng? Is there a problem with our project plans?"

They grew a little nervous.

Cheng Mo was a leader in the field of architectural design, and he was the one heading up the design for many of their current major projects.

But this was the first time they had ever seen him in such a panic.

It was only natural that they became a bit flustered.

"It’s nothing, carry on!"

He went straight to his boss’s office. "Sir, I need to request leave for about a week. A childhood friend of mine is in trouble, and I have to go check on him."

Once his leave was approved, Cheng Mo rushed to the train station ticket office and bought a ticket to West State.

The last time he’d been to that remote and desolate place was three years ago, for a project his firm was working on.

Now, however, he was going to see this Su Zhaozhao for himself.

’My God, what kind of woman could possibly capture Xie Huaizheng’s heart?!’

The very person on Cheng Mo’s mind, Su Zhaozhao, went to the hospital again that afternoon.

The recent car accident had left more than just Jiang Shulan and Zhao Shuqin with psychological trauma; many others were suffering as well.

After Su Zhaozhao helped ease Jiang Shulan’s distress, the hospital staff had immediately contacted her. They told her there were many other people who had suffered severe psychological trauma from the accident and needed her help.

They said she would be compensated at the standard rate for psychological counseling.

Su Zhaozhao had no reason to refuse.

She arrived at the military hospital at three in the afternoon.

The person who greeted her was, surprisingly, Lin Shumo.

When Lin Shumo saw her, a graceful smile appeared on his pale, refined face.

"We meet again."

Su Zhaozhao smiled back. "Yes, Doctor Lin."

"Please, call me Shumo," Lin Shumo said.

The hospital had put Lin Shumo in charge of these severely traumatized patients because he had minored in psychology.

Lin Shumo briefed Su Zhaozhao on the patients with severe psychological trauma. As she looked over their files, she asked him, "Do you have a pen and paper?"

Lin Shumo nodded and found a notebook and pen for her.

Su Zhaozhao had Lin Shumo call over the nurses who were caring for the patients. She went over each case with them, meticulously recording the abnormal symptoms they were exhibiting.

Seeing Su Zhaozhao’s serious and professional demeanor, Lin Shumo felt relieved.

At first, he had been worried that her previous success was just a fluke. After all, they had made inquiries and learned that Su Zhaozhao had no professional background whatsoever.

But now, he felt as if he were sitting across from a genuine clinical psychologist.

Her handwriting was beautiful—elegant, but with a sharp edge, just like her.

It didn’t seem like the writing of someone who had only graduated from middle school...

Su Zhaozhao even jotted down several technical terms in her notes: flashback, emotional numbness, somatization...

Some were even in English, and judging by her fluid script, it was clear that her English was excellent as well.

The look in Lin Shumo’s phoenix eyes, hidden behind his glasses, deepened.

"Zhaozhao, you’re quite the professional. Your English is excellent, too."

Su Zhaozhao paused. Looking down at what she had written, she was filled with a sudden wave of regret.

She had gotten too absorbed, feeling as if she were back in the modern day, and had completely forgotten about her established "character" in this book world.