Wen Shuang'er's eyes reddened again, resembling a small injured rabbit. "I'm sorry... it's all Shuang'er's fault..."
Jing Feng, standing by, was furious. Seeing this woman so wronged, anyone would think Miss Bai had done something to her!
Patriarch Wen stepped forward, looking at Bai Ran with deep apology. "Child, I apologize on behalf of that degenerate."
Hearing this, Bai Ran raised an eyebrow. "Patriarch Wen, you misunderstand. I am truly Wen Ke's friend."
"Wen Ke is my daughter. I know her perfectly well. She's had few friends since childhood, so please don't try to fool me."
Patriarch Wen's tone was so assured that Bai Ran felt a flicker of annoyance.
Her lips moved, and finally, she spoke. "Patriarch Wen, do you truly know her?"
Her clear eyes met Patriarch Wen's gaze, calm as a lake but unfathomably deep.
Patriarch Wen faltered, instinctively wanting to say he did, but his eyes met Bai Ran's, and the words wouldn't come.
"Perhaps the people who know their children least are their parents."
Saying this, Bai Ran turned and left, following the direction Wen Ke had gone.
Patriarch Wen stood frozen, her words echoing in his mind: the people who know their children least are their parents...
Seeing the situation was not right, Wen Shuang'er affectionately linked her arm with his. "Daddy, don't listen to her. Since you were born, you've been the one who knows her best!"
"You know her preferences, you know everything about her. How could an outsider possibly understand?"
Preferences... Patriarch Wen's heart trembled. Ke'er's preferences... he had never known...
He had never bothered to find out what snacks she liked, what style of clothes she preferred, or even what type of person she fancied...
How ridiculous! Patriarch Wen withdrew his hand and left, his expression dejected.
Wen Shuang'er, left behind, her eyes turned icy, her hands by her robes clenching tighter.
...
Outside the Wen manor, Wen Ke sat quietly against the wall, gazing at the sky.
"You must be wondering why I pretend to like women..."
She smiled bitterly, the cracks in her armor seeming to exude a hint of sorrow.
Bai Ran did not reply, simply sat beside her, a diligent listener.
Wen Ke was naturally beautiful, but the hardships of the military camp had given her a sharper edge.
"Years ago, I rescued a dying woman in an alley and brought her back to the manor."
Wen Ke's eyes were still slightly moist, but devoid of any sparkle.
"Little did I know, it was a trap deliberately set by Wen Shuang'er."
The woman was hired by Wen Shuang'er. After recovering, she spread rumors that Wen Ke had abducted her in the street and molested her.
Patriarch Wen was enraged and banished her to the military camp, refusing to hear any explanation.
"I remember it so clearly, that old man's disappointed look... No one believed me..."
"Not even my former beloved..."
Wen Ke had once had a connection with the legitimate son of the Liu family, Liu Yu, who was a new recruit under her command.
Earlier, Liu Yu had been madly in love with her. He loved her brilliance, her valor, her everything.
Gradually, Wen Ke opened her heart and revealed all her scars to him.
They were planning to get married.
However, after Wen Shuang'er appeared at the military camp, everything changed.
When Wen Ke angrily berated Wen Shuang'er, Liu Yu stepped in front of her, standing in opposition to Wen Ke...
"The person I had protected behind me, at that moment, shielded someone else before my eyes..."
"It's quite ironic, really..."
Liu Yu's attitude towards her began to shift. He loathed her, loathed her assertiveness, her refusal to yield, her perpetually lofty demeanor.
Wen Ke gritted her teeth, her slender eyelashes trembling. "He said... he actually loved Wen Shuang'er, not me, Wen Ke..."
Liu Yu stood with Wen Shuang'er, jointly accusing her of molesting women and being disgusting.
With Liu Yu's involvement, the tide turned completely, and Wen Ke could no longer make any waves.
'Her former lover admitted it, what else is she arguing about?'
'It's bad enough she likes women, but she also forcibly defiled her. What a disgrace to the Wen family!'
'A female general in the army? Bah! She doesn't deserve to wear that armor!'
Wen Ke closed her eyes tightly, and after a long while, opened them to look at Bai Ran. "You are the first..."
"The first person to hear me say all this."
Bai Ran's expression was calm, betraying neither joy nor sorrow. "It is my honor, General Wen."
This single address, "General Wen," struck Wen Ke's heart, crumbling the high walls she had built, stirring the clouds.
The world said she was unworthy of her armor, yet only one person still addressed her as General Wen.
"So gentle..." She laughed brightly, tears faintly glinting in her eyes. "What if I actually fell for you?"
Bai Ran chuckled, her features exquisitely beautiful in the sunlight. "If I didn't have someone I liked, perhaps I would try?"
They looked at each other and smiled in understanding, like kindred spirits who had met too late, or like close friends sharing a drink.
Whether it was a jest or not no longer mattered; what mattered was that their hearts resonated at that moment.
...
In the Wen manor, Wen Shuang'er joyfully threw herself into a man's embrace. "Brother Liu!"
Liu Yu's eyes were filled with affection as he affectionately ruffled her hair. "Shuang'er, I brought you some pineapple pastries."
He lifted the food box and dangled it before Wen Shuang'er, smiling tenderly.
When Wen Ke and Bai Ran returned, they saw this scene.
Liu Yu held a pineapple pastry, offering it to Wen Shuang'er's lips, a picture of sweetness.
Seeing their arrival, Wen Shuang'er tugged at Liu Yu's sleeve, not daring to look directly at Wen Ke. "Brother Liu, perhaps we should go back to our room... Sister will be upset..."
A blooming Tianshan Snow Lotus, Bai Ran raised an eyebrow.
But before Wen Ke could speak, Liu Yu glared at her. "Wen Ke, are you jealous even of your own sister!"
"What the hell," Jing Feng rolled up his sleeves, ready to punch him.
He had overheard Wen Ke and Miss Bai's conversation from nearby and had been barely holding back. Now, this little punk was pulling this stunt?
Where did this thick skin come from, to be so heavily coated?
Wen Ke let out a self-deprecating laugh. She had been truly blind to have ever liked such a person.
"What, using my favorite pineapple pastries to appease Wen Shuang'er?"
Wen Shuang'er's face stiffened, the lingering taste of pineapple pastry in her mouth.
Liu Yu frowned. How could he have forgotten this? Would Shuang'er be angry...
He looked back; Wen Shuang'er squeezed out tears, looking wronged. "It's alright... Brother Liu definitely didn't mean it..."
Her tear-streaked face softened Liu Yu's heart. How could there be such an obedient and sensible woman in the world?