Chapter 165: She Does Whatever She Likes

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: She Does Whatever She Likes

Once inside the guest house, Tang Xiaoyue and another orderly, Fang Huixiang, were incredibly busy.

Jiang Moli went over to help, taking the opportunity to ask Tang Xiaoyue, "Who are all those people outside?"

"They’re from the military region’s arts troupe, here to put on a Mid-Autumn Festival performance for the soldiers."

Mid-Autumn Festival was still over half a month away, but each of the arts troupe’s touring groups had to visit several garrisons, so they always arrived early to perform.

Tang Xiaoyue said with some excitement, "This is the first time they’ve ever come to our base."

The Menghai Command Post was under the 77th Brigade. Initially, only a company was stationed here, but it gradually expanded to a battalion, and then to a regiment.

Due to its remote location, poor transportation, and other factors, they had never had the chance to host a performance like this in all these years.

’No wonder all these female soldiers are so poised and graceful. So they’re from the arts troupe.’

Tang Xiaoyue pointed to a tall female soldier and whispered in Jiang Moli’s ear, "That’s the vice commander. She’s the youngest officer at the vice-commander level in the entire military region’s history, a level-5 cadre!"

Jiang Moli was rather surprised.

The soldier looked very young, perhaps only twenty-five or twenty-six.

Her features were bright and elegant, and her figure was tall and graceful. She bore a strong resemblance to the lead actress, also surnamed Yang, from the movie *Youth*.

A level-5 cadre in the arts troupe was equivalent to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

A female lieutenant colonel this young was just as impressive as Lu Cheng.

While Jiang Moli was asking about the soldiers from the arts troupe, many of them were whispering about her in turn.

"That woman is quite pretty. She doesn’t look like she’s part of the military."

"She’s average at best. Can’t hold a candle to our Commander Yang."

"Exactly. Our Commander Yang is the belle of the whole military region."

Hearing her troupe members’ chatter, Yang Lijiong glanced at Jiang Moli in the lobby before quickly looking away.

After completing the check-in procedures, the troupe’s logistics director made a request. "Could you please arrange a quieter suite for our Vice Yang?"

Tang Xiaoyue nodded quickly and asked, "Would the first floor be acceptable?"

"There’s too much foot traffic on the first floor. It’s too noisy."

"Then we only have the third floor."

The logistics director frowned slightly. "The third floor is the top floor, so it gets too hot from the sun. Is there nothing on the second floor?"

"The suite on the second floor is already occupied."

"Who’s staying there? Can you make arrangements for them to move to the first or third floor?"

Both Tang Xiaoyue and Fang Huixiang instinctively glanced toward Jiang Moli.

Jiang Moli grinned at the logistics director. "As it happens, I’m the one staying there. And no, we can’t ’make arrangements.’ I don’t like the first or third floors either."

Wu Guofang gave Jiang Moli a surprised look, sizing her up from head to toe.

Like the soldiers outside, she had assumed Jiang Moli was a military family member who worked at the guest house. She never imagined she was a guest herself, let alone one staying in a room reserved for officers.

’But she’s so young. At most, she’s married to someone at the platoon level.’

"Comrade," Wu Guofang said, "our Vice Yang is a level-5 cadre."

Jiang Moli gave a wry smile. "What a coincidence. My husband is a camp commander with the rank of lieutenant colonel. That puts him on the same level as your vice commander."

’In reality,’ Jiang Moli thought, ’Lu Cheng’s role as a camp commander carries more weight than a vice commander of an arts troupe. The former is a combat officer with troops under his command!’

Wu Guofang was stunned to learn that Jiang Moli was a camp commander’s wife.

Jiang Moli looked to be twenty at the most, whereas an officer promoted to camp commander would be thirty years old at the very least.

’A young, beautiful girl marrying a man a dozen years her senior? She must be a gold digger, just after his power and status.’

『Disdain Value +1. 10,000 Yuan Credited.』

Jiang Moli smiled when she heard the notification that more Disdain Value had been credited to her account.

Since Jiang Moli refused to give up the room, Wu Guofang was out of options. She could only take the keys out to the courtyard and start assigning rooms to the other soldiers.

When she reached Yang Lijiong, Wu Guofang casually mentioned Jiang Moli’s refusal to switch rooms.

Yang Lijiong said nothing in response, but as she passed through the lobby, she gave Jiang Moli a long, searching look.

With the arrival of the arts troupe, the guest house instantly became a much livelier place.

The sounds of shouting, laughter, and the CRASH of things being dropped filled the air. It had the distinct feel of a girls’ dorm.

...

Zhong Weiguo personally received Yang Lijiong and gave her a tour of the camp.

"Our facilities here are a bit limited—we don’t even have an auditorium. I’m afraid we’ll have to ask your troupe to perform outdoors. But please, let us know if you have any requests. We’ll do our best to accommodate you."

Yang Lijiong looked around and said, "It’s too hot during the day. Let’s schedule the performance for the evening. We can set it for two days from now. The troupe members are exhausted from the journey, so let them rest for a night and rehearse for a day. Two days should be enough time."

"All right. I’ll assign someone to help you with the stage. You can give him all your requirements."

Yang Lijiong smiled sweetly. "May I make a request?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Could you assign Camp Commander Lu to handle the stage preparations?"

Zhong Weiguo looked surprised. "Oh? Do you know Camp Commander Lu?"

Yang Lijiong was direct. "I’ve long admired him from afar. I have great respect for Camp Commander Lu’s talent and skills."

Zhong Weiguo clapped his hands and laughed. "Excellent! I’ll have someone call him over. As it happens, he just helped his wife build a stage not long ago, so he has experience with this sort of thing."

The smile on Yang Lijiong’s face faltered. "Camp Commander Lu is married?!"

"He is! They just got married less than two months ago, haha!"

Yang Lijiong took a shallow breath and forced a laugh, though it sounded a bit unnatural.

Zhong Weiguo subtly changed the subject.

Lu Cheng arrived shortly. "Commander Zhong, you were looking for me?"

Zhong Weiguo gestured to Yang Lijiong to make the introduction. "This is Vice Commander Yang from the military region’s arts troupe. She’s here to organize the performance..."

Yang Lijiong’s gaze landed squarely on Lu Cheng, her look of admiration tinged with a hint of regret.

’She’d been so focused on her career all these years that she’d neglected her personal life. Two months ago, her superiors in the troupe had told her about Lu Cheng. She had been very interested at the time, but then she was tasked with a performance in the Capital and had only returned to the troupe two weeks ago. A vice commander like her wasn’t normally needed to personally lead a performance tour to Menghai. She had come specifically to meet Lu Cheng. Seeing him in person now, she was more than satisfied. Unfortunately, she was two months too late. He was already married.’

Once Commander Zhong finished his introduction, she smiled and extended a hand to Lu Cheng. "Hello. I’m Yang Lijiong."

Lu Cheng acted as if he hadn’t seen her outstretched hand, merely giving a faint nod. "Hello."

’So the rumors are true,’ Yang Lijiong thought. ’Untamable and aloof, and he doesn’t spare women any pleasantries.’

Yang Lijiong withdrew her hand, an inwardly appreciative glint now in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Then I’ll leave the stage arrangements to you, Camp Commander Lu."

Lu Cheng was noncommittal. "It’s part of my duties."

Yang Lijiong looked at him and asked, "I heard from Commander Zhong that you recently started a family. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"What does your wife do?"

"Whatever she wants. As long as she’s happy, that’s all that matters."

When she noticed the warmth and the hint of a smile that softened his features as he spoke about his wife, Yang Lijiong felt a strange pang of displeasure.

’She considered herself to be perfect, outstanding in every way, and utterly impeccable. She had never lost out to another woman before.’

...

Seeing that it was almost lunchtime, Jiang Moli put on a straw hat and headed out.

She hadn’t gone far when she ran into Yang Lijiong and her entourage returning from the main camp.

Uncharacteristically, Yang Lijiong took the initiative to speak to Jiang Moli. "Hello, Comrade. My surname is Yang. May I ask for yours?"

Jiang Moli smiled. "I know. Vice Yang, right? So young and accomplished. My surname is Jiang."

Yang Lijiong smiled faintly. "Comrade Jiang, I heard your husband is a camp commander. I wonder which one he might be?"