Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Huo Shaoheng quietly removed his arm and walked out of Song Jinning’s small bathroom to head to her office. Song Jinning followed him to her office with a smile. “Tell me, what did you want to speak to me about?” Song Jinning opened the notepad on her laptop to prepare to mark down what Huo Shaoheng needed on her calendar as a reminder so she wouldn’t get too busy and forget.

Huo Shaoheng sat across from Song Jinning with one hand resting on her desk and the oher playing on his phone. He calmly told her, “I just submitted my marriage request.”

Song Jinning gasped, her jaw dropping for a long moment. After some time, she stood up in surprise and braced herself against the desk, leaning forward to ask anxiously, “Shaoheng, you’re really going to get married?! Who is the bride? Is it.. Is it… Nianzhi?!” Since Song Jinning had regained consciousness, she had quickly noticed that Gu Nianzhi looked at Huo Shaoheng in special way. Of course, Huo Shaoheng also treated Gu Nianzhi differently. She was happy to see the pair become a couple. Gu Nianzhi was a genius girl while Song Jinning had also been labeled a “genius girl” in her youth. Geniuses cherished each other, so she adored this lively and cute young girl.

Huo Shaoheng nodded slightly, a small smile on his lips as his finger tapped on Song Jinning’s desk gently. Even his tone had softened. “You like Nianzhi, too?”

“Yes, I’m very taken with that young girl!” Song Jinning smiled brightly, her expression joyous. After a while, she got confused. “Submitting your marriage request is a good thing, so why are you asking me for help?” She assumed there had been some difficult problem…

Huo Shaoheng cast his eyes down on the delicate carvings on the burgundy mahogany desk and replied in a low voice, “After I submitted the marriage request, Father expressed his opposition during the military’s discussion.”

“What? He opposed? What right does he have to oppose?!” Song Jinning was immediately enraged, her fair skin flushed red and alluring eyes stirred with anger. She slapped the desk viciously. “Don’t worry, I’ll go find your father tomorrow. I’ll teach him a lesson if he dares to get in the way of my daughter-in-law joining the family!”

Huo Shaoheng didn’t think that Song Jinning would be so supportive of him and Gu Nianzhi. A rush of warmth rose in his heart. However, it was a fleeting feeling as he resumed his normal calmness. “Then I’ll leave it to you.” Huo Shaoheng stood up and bowed slightly. “It’s late. You should rest now.”

“Yes, I won’t keep you any longer. It’s already late, so you should try to go to bed.” Song Jinning glanced at her watch. It was already past three am. She personally walked her son out, and the quiet hallway lit up once again from the motion sensor lights. Song Jinning’s fair skin was luminous under the glow. “Shaoheng, then does Nianzhi know about you submitting the marriage request? What gift should I prepare for her as mother-in-law? Do you know what she likes?” Song Jinning asked happily because she wanted nothing more but to have Gu Nianzhi join their family right away.

Huo Shaoheng stiffened. With both hands in his trouser pockets, he walked slowly with a shake of his head. “She doesn’t know yet.” He then looked at Song Jinning. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

“Why?” Song Jinning stared at him in shock. “Why does it need to be confidential?” She understood her son was involved in a very special job, so she was always careful to avoid giving him trouble.

Huo Shaoheng shook his head again. “It’s not because of that.”

“Then why not? Who would even act the way you are? How can the girl not know when she’s about to get married? Are you really going to plan the whole thing yourself!?” Song Jinning couldn’t hold back her laughter because she was in such a good mood.

Huo Shaoheng recalled how Gu Nianzhi resisted her new identity, so he only kept silent before replying, “Because the marriage request is only the first step. She still has to go through a background check after she passes. I’m also not sure about the time it takes to complete the background check. It may be six months or several years.”

“Oh…” Song Jinning was perturbed. “I don’t recall it being that complicated when I married your father?”

“Yes, it’s because of different positions and ranks, so the level of background check is also different,” Huo Shaoheng explained simply.

Song Jinning understood right away. In other words, Huo Guanchen didn’t have a particularly high rank back then and only held a mid-tier position, so the time required and procedure for the background check was much simpler. On the other hand, Huo Shaoheng was already a general and part of a specialized and confidential military department, so the time required and procedure for the background check was not comparable.

After seeing Huo Shaoheng off, Song Jinning only slept for three hours before getting up to wash her face and change. She returned to the Huo Manor once again before Huo Guanchen left for work.

Now that Huo Guanchen lived there alone after the Zhang’s were driven out, and Huo Xuenong and Huo Jialan had gone to Europe, the house was so empty that even footsteps echoed. Huo Guanchen left early and returned late, so he didn’t spend too much time there. But because Song Jinning had arrived early today, Huo Guanchen was still at home.

As soon as he looked up, he saw Song Jinning walk in wearing a sky blue dress suit. Huo Guanchen’s breath nearly stopped. He stared blankly at the cold and beautiful woman walking up to him and was about to speak when Song Jinning frowned and asked unhappily, “Why did you oppose Shaoheng’s marriage request? What right do you have to oppose it?!”

Huo Guanchen’s passion was extinguished by her words, and his expression fell instantly. He asked in a low voice, “What are you talking about? How did you know about that?” He had expressed opposition during a general military meeting. Could someone have leaked intelligence? Huo Guanchen immediately thought of General Ji, and his anger burned fiercely in his heart.

“It doesn’t matter how I found out, I’m only asking if you are rejecting Shaoheng’s marriage request!” Song Jinning glared angrily, yet her bright and elegant face appeared even more lively and beautiful.

“I do oppose it.” Huo Guanchen’s expression darkened as he straightened his neck and retorted cooly, “Are you saying that you support them?”

“Of course I support them.” Song Jinning also straightened her neck to not show any weakness. “Shaoheng and Nianzhi are a match made in heaven. What are you opposing them for?!”

“A match made in heaven?!” Huo Gunachen wanted to laugh madly at the sky. “Jinning, don’t you know that Nianzhi grew up under Shaoheng’s care! Shaoheng is her guardian!”

“So what? He’s only her guardian, not a biological relative.” Song Jinning smiled disdainfully. “I already sorted it out a long time ago. The military requested that Shaoheng care for Nianzhi. What misconceptions do you have about such a nominal guardianship?”

“It’s not my misconception, it’s what others will think!” Huo Guanchen felt his veins were about to burst as he looked at the stubbornly misled Song Jinning. He glared at her. “Nianzhi grew up with him, and she was only 12 years old when he became her guardian! Did you know she was only 12!? Shaoheng is a whole ten years older than Nianzhi. What will others think?! What will they think?! Does Shaoheng want to advance his career!? Have you thought about that?!”