CIATB Chapter 146 contains shock, anger, heartache, and a touch of inexplicable understanding.
Chapter 146 contains shock, anger, heartache, and a touch of inexplicable understanding.
In that instant, he had already accepted this fact.
Everything about my older brother over the years flashed through my mind.
He always said he was busy with military affairs, and even his wedding with Shuyue was held in a hurry.
After marriage, the two lived in separate rooms and never exchanged a single decent word of tenderness.
He went to the military base and stayed in the dormitory, rarely even returning home.
He could count the number of times he held his child on one hand.
Every time I take the child, my movements are as clumsy as if I'm holding a hot potato.
His eyes held only restraint and aloofness, devoid of any fatherly warmth.
Over the years, he always felt that his elder brother lived like a sophisticated machine, fulfilling his duties as a military commander, husband, and father in an orderly manner, but never for a moment living for himself.
Now, the machine has suddenly changed direction.
He was in utter shock when Lu Chenzhou's voice came from the other end of the phone.
It all sounded a little unreal to him.
"Ranran, give me the phone."
"No!"
The girl on the other end of the phone was being coquettish, followed by a clear, wet kiss, soft and sticky.
"I don't want you to answer the phone unless you kiss me first."
"Stop fooling around."
Lu Chenzhou's voice rang out again.
Deep, cold, and with the unique dignity of a soldier.
But at this moment, there was a hint of indulgence in his tone that he had never shown before, as soft as if he had kneaded cotton.
Lu Chenyuan's pupils contracted sharply, and his whole body stiffened.
The sounds around him seemed to be playing in slow motion, each word striking his heart.
He knew that voice all too well, yet it felt terrifyingly unfamiliar.
What's familiar is that it's his older brother's voice.
What was unfamiliar was the gentleness in the last syllable; it was something he had never heard before.
He suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, as if a heavy stone was pressing down on it, making it difficult to breathe.
He recalled the weariness his older brother always looked in his eyes when he came home.
It wasn't the fatigue from training; it was a deep-seated weariness.
It's a kind of exhaustion that even catching up on sleep can't dispel; it seeps into your very bones.
He always says, "It's okay, I'll be fine after this busy period."
But this time, I've been busy for over a decade, and it's never ended.
The study was piled high with documents, including war plans, training programs, and family affairs, all covered with sticky notes.
He sat at the table, his fingertips tapping on official documents, sometimes for the entire night.
Every time he leaves home, his back is straight like a javelin, his shoulders and neck are so stiff that it hurts to even look down, but he never complains of being tired.
"Ranran, stop fooling around."
Lu Chenzhou's voice rang out again, his tone so soft it was almost coaxing.
"Be good, give me your phone."
"Calling at this time must mean something urgent."
Lu Chenyuan's fingertips trembled slightly, and his hand holding the phone loosened and tightened again.
slowly?
He had never heard his older brother mention this name before.
The other end of the phone went silent instantly.
Two seconds later, the girl's soft voice came through, carrying a hint of spoiled obedience.
"Okay, here you go. You're such a busy person, working even in the middle of the night."
Immediately afterwards, there was the rustling sound of the blanket being lifted and then gently pulled back on.
The girl seemed to have gone back to bed and gone back to sleep.
Lu Chenyuan closed his eyes, an extreme sense of stagnation welling up inside him.
He could picture the scene: a dimly lit room with a warm yellow bedside lamp, a girl nestled in a soft blanket, her eyes crinkling as she looked at his older brother, who sat on the edge of the bed, taking the phone from her hand, his eyes full of tenderness.
He suddenly remembered that when his elder brother was thirty years old, someone from the Shu family came and said that Shu Yue was pregnant.
After his father forced him and Shu Yue to get their marriage certificate, he stood in the study, clutching the certificate in his fingers until his knuckles turned white, and remained silent for three whole hours.
When he came out of the study that day, his eyes were frighteningly red, but he smiled and said, "It's fine."
At the time, he thought his older brother was doing it willingly, but now he belatedly realizes that it was a compromise and a helpless act.
A strange, inexplicable emotion suddenly welled up in Lu Chenyuan's heart.
There was shock, anger, heartache, and a strange sense of understanding.
What angered me was that my older brother had cheated on me during our marriage, violating military regulations and his marital vows.
What breaks my heart is the suffering my older brother has endured over the years.
And understanding came from his sudden realization of his elder brother's weariness over the years.
Only his own brother knows best how hard his life has been over the years.
As the main combat force in the east, the Eastern Theater Command has a normalized combat readiness mission and extremely high requirements for actual combat.
The position of army commander involves commanding a large number of troops, and working around the clock is the norm.
He was stationed at the military base year-round, only occasionally returning to the Lu family's old residence. He was polite to Shu Yue, but while responsible towards the children, he was distant.
Over the years, he has shouldered the heavy responsibility of combat readiness for the Eastern Theater Command while handling various affairs.
Even when he was sick and had a fever, he would endure it until he finished handling urgent military affairs before going to the hospital.
As for the eldest sister-in-law, Shu Yue, it's clear that she has some feelings for the eldest brother.
It's just my personality; I've never known how to show him genuine and proactive care.
He has always been taciturn.
On one occasion, he even overheard the Shu family calling his sister-in-law: "Men shouldn't be treated too well, otherwise they'll be too accommodating."
Over the years, the Shu family has troubled the eldest brother a lot, helping this relative get promoted and smoothing things over for that relative.
The older brother was lonely and helpless.
Looking back now, it's a tragedy.
In his world, there is no liking, favoritism, or tenderness, only duty, obligation, and responsibility.
He is the eldest son of the Lu family, the commander of the Eastern Theater Command, the son-in-law of the Shu family, and the father of the child, but he is not Lu Chenzhou.
He was like a donkey tied to a millstone, turning day after day, unable to stop, and unwilling to stop.
Over the years, he has hidden all his emotions in the restraint of a soldier, not daring to show even the slightest fatigue. He has endured this for more than a decade, living his life as a tool of his family and the army, never having a moment to make choices for himself.
Lu Chenyuan's breathing gradually calmed down, and the shock in his heart slowly subsided, turning into a bittersweet feeling.
He suddenly understood that his older brother's choice was not made on a whim, but was the result of ten years of accumulated fatigue and courage.
Don't ask.
Lu Chenzhou's voice came through the receiver, interrupting Lu Chenyuan's thoughts.
I heard the sound of a door opening and closing on the other end of the phone; he seemed to have gone into another room.
Lu Chenyuan opened his mouth, but the question he wanted to ask remained unspoken.
He wanted to ask, "Brother, are you really sure about this?"
I want to ask you, have you forgotten your responsibilities?
Do you know the consequences of doing this?
But when the words reached his lips, he fell silent.
He knew his older brother's personality all too well.
Calm, restrained, and always anticipating the consequences of their actions.
Having taken this step, it must have been after careful consideration.
"You don't need to worry about my love life."
Lu Chenzhou's voice rang out again, still cold and hard, but with an undeniable firmness.
Lu Chenyuan's heart sank.
He knew what his older brother meant; he didn't want him to get involved.
But he's his younger brother, his only sibling. How could he not care?
"There's no need to tell Mom and Dad, and definitely don't tell Shuyue."
"Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll make some demands of the Shu family and see what Shu Yue wants. Then I'll give it to her."
Lu Chenyuan's fingertips trembled slightly.
He knew that the Shu family would not give up easily.
As the commander of the Eastern Theater Command, Lu Chenzhou's extramarital affair is a major taboo strictly prohibited by military discipline.
Once exposed, the lightest consequence would be removal from the position of army commander, demotion, or transfer. It is even possible that the commander's qualification would be revoked, the party post removed, and the punishment recorded in the personnel file. Expulsion from the party and military, and forced retirement as a demobilized soldier are also possible.
He could even imagine the Shu family's reaction after learning the truth.
Anger, negotiations, demands for compensation, and even escalation to the point of involving the military and family members.