Chapter 73

Chapter 73

The person who couldn’t keep secrets, Yu He, was currently drinking Coke.

Choking on his drink, Yu He coughed and responded, “Cough, cough, cough. You didn’t say it was a secret before you told me. If you had, I wouldn’t have listened.”

Zhang Zhen approached Yu He, very confident in his judgment, “But you also don’t like kids.”

Because of their shared dislike for children, Zhang Zhen seemed to have already classified Yu He as part of his camp.

Yu He hadn’t yet decided whether or not he wanted to be teammates with Zhang Zhen and hesitated, “I... I guess I'm okay with them.”

Zhang Zhen’s expression was indifferent as he quietly scrutinized Yu He.

True to his military background, under Zhang Zhen’s heavy gaze, Yu He quickly confessed, “Actually, I really don’t like them. Kids are noisy and they tend to lie a lot.”

Yu He had a younger cousin, a second child from his uncle Yu Shiqian, who was a full generation younger than Yu He. Yu He’s uncle had this child late in life and was extremely indulgent with him.

When the child was two or three years old, during Yu He’s emotionally unstable and often violent middle school years, the family might have warned the child to ‘stay away from your cousin, he might hit you’. For some reason, every time the child visited Yu He’s house, he would claim that Yu He had hit him.

This situation escalated to the point where Yu He and Yu Shiqian were fighting so fiercely they almost tore the house down. The adults were convinced that a child would not lie, especially since the younger cousin described the incidents so vividly, making even Yu He start to doubt himself.

The truth only came to light later when Yu He was not at home due to a monthly exam at school, and yet his younger cousin still claimed that Yu He had hit him during his visit. That was when Yu He was finally vindicated.

Even his uncle was angry at that point, demanding to know why his son had lied. The young cousin’s reason for lying was that every time he said Yu He hit him, the next time they visited Yu He’s house, Yu Shiqian would make Yu He go out and buy toys for him.

In the eyes of a child, the justification for framing someone could be so simple.

Yu He wasn’t sure if he was that absurd when he was a child, but because of this incident, he found it genuinely hard to like kids.

Upon hearing Yu He mention the child's lying, Zhang Zhen, who was about to leave, sat back down, evidently agreeing with the point: "Zhang Chenyang, in order to shirk responsibility, will subconsciously say things in his own favor, and this behavior is extremely despicable."

As a military man, the sense of responsibility is fundamentally ingrained in Zhang Zhen's veins. He has quite a few complaints about Zhang Chenyang's avoidance of mistakes and lack of courage to take responsibility.

Zhang Zhen recounted to Yu He two instances of Zhang Chenyang making mistakes and shirking responsibility, and then he summed it up with deep and earnest words, "This is not the attitude a man should have when facing problems."

A man?

Yu He fell silent for a moment: "He is only three years old."

Zhang Zhen said: "You can see a person's nature when they are three, and it’s clear by the age of seven. Rulan spoils the child too much, and I can't intervene. Whenever I talk about Zhang Chenyang, he starts crying and runs to Rulan; it's really impossible to manage."

Zhang Zhen didn’t specify whether he meant he couldn’t manage Zhang Chenyang or Fu Rulan. The likelihood is that he couldn’t manage either.

With an age difference between the husband and the wife, who doesn’t know how much Zhang Zhen cherishes his young wife?

Yu He didn’t understand the significance of Zhang Zhen telling him all this. If even Zhang Zhen had no solution, how could he be of any help?

Zhang Zhen’s eyes were deep, and he looked at Yu He with determination, getting straight to the point and revealing the ultimate reason for their conversation, “Fu Yunzheng can manage them.”

Fu Rulan really spoils her younger brother Fu Yunzheng to the bone. If curing Fu Yunzheng's leg required Fu Rulan to carve out her heart as a medicinal catalyst, she wouldn't blink an eye before cutting out her own heart.

Yu He sorted out the logic and finally understood why Zhang Zhen, with his status, took the initiative to speak to him.

Zhang Zhen wanted to discipline Zhang Chenyang but couldn’t intervene because of Fu Rulan, so he turned his attention to Fu Yunzheng.

This is clearly a case of one thing surpassing another, a big fish eating a smaller fish.

Zhang Zhen couldn’t manage Fu Rulan, Fu Rulan couldn’t manage Fu Yunzheng, and Fu Yunzheng couldn’t manage Yu He.

So, reversing the logic chain, as long as Yu He could whisper in Fu Yunzheng's ear for Zhang Zhen, then on the matter of Zhang Chenyang’s education, Fu Rulan wouldn’t have the final say.

This is truly a strategy of striking the snake at its vital spot, capturing the leader to catch the whole gang.

Zhang Zhen is indeed a natural-born strategist.

Yu He is seeing this simple yet highly ingenious tactic for the first time; truly worthy of someone who has studied military strategy.

Yu He gave a thumbs up: "Impressive."

Seeing that Yu He had understood, Zhang Zhen timely offered an incentive: "Out there in the world, if you don’t want to use the Fu family’s name, you can use my name, Zhang Zhen. Beyond the law and military discipline, I can help you smooth things over."

Yu He: "......"

This is truly a massive piece of pie.

In just the span of a meal, Zhang Zhen skillfully integrated both sentiment and interest, easily drawing Yu He to his side.

Bypassing Fu Yunzhang to find Yu He is much more effective than directly seeking Fu Yunzhang. From a familial perspective, Fu Yunzhang and Fu Rulan share blood ties, and it's unreasonable for Fu Yunzhang to side with Zhang Zhen against his own sister. Theoretically, given Fu Yunzhang's high position, it would also be difficult for Zhang Zhen to offer conditions that could sway Fu Yunzhang.

It is much harder to directly influence Fu Yunzhang, but persuading Yu He is considerably easier.

Zhang Zhen reveals his final trump card: "Rulan often gathers with other military spouses. I can ask the wives of my comrades to speak highly of you, ensuring she won’t make things difficult for you the next time you meet."

These words strike a chord with Yu He.

Yu He's eyes light up, and he high-fives Zhang Zhen in agreement: "Deal."

At night, Yu He lies on his pillow, recounting the process of forming an alliance with Fu Yunzhang.

"I don’t even know when it happened, but somehow I ended up on his side." Yu He gestures on the pillow with his index finger, "You know, since he guessed that I would tell you he doesn’t like children, then he must have known that I wouldn’t hide our alliance from you, right?"

Fu Yunzhang chuckles softly, "He'd prefer that you tell me."

Zhang Zhen disagrees with Fu Rulan’s parenting style and wants to participate in Zhang Chenyang’s education. Ultimately, it's for Zhang Chenyang’s benefit. As Zhang Chenyang’s uncle, Fu Yunzhang has no reason to refuse if it benefits the child.

Zhang Zhen isn’t really relying on Yu He to persuade Fu Yunzhang. Rather, by turning Yu He into an ally, Fu Yunzhang will naturally side with Zhang Zhen.

Regarding the issue of Zhang Chenyang’s education, Fu Yunzhang was initially indifferent. Zhang Zhen went through great lengths to even approach Yu He, which firstly implies the severity of the issue and secondly means that once Yu He gets involved, Fu Yunzhang has no choice but to jump in as well.

So, Zhang Zhen is naturally not worried about Yu He spilling the beans.

Yu He, not fully grasping Zhang Zhen’s high-level maneuvers, vaguely feels like he has become a pawn, yet from his perspective, it’s a win-win situation.

Properly educating Zhang Chenyang benefits Zhang Zhen, Fu Rulan, and Fu Yunzhang alike. Meanwhile, by helping Zhang Zhen, Yu He gains a powerful backer. In addition, Zhang Zhen promises to alleviate Fu Rulan’s hostility towards Yu He, fostering positive interactions and harmonious development between the two families.

Fu Yunzhang patiently dissects the situation for Yu He: "He wants to use me to persuade my sister, so naturally, he needs to offer enough in return. His initiative in extending an olive branch to you shows his sincerity."

Zhang Zhen is older than Fu Rulan, and Fu Yunzhang is older than Yu He. By putting himself in their shoes and after observing their interactions a few times, Zhang Zhen realizes that Fu Yunzhang treats Yu He exceptionally well. Others might see it as a fleeting interest, but Zhang Zhen, by drawing parallels to his own situation, understands how serious Fu Yunzhang is.

Zhang Zhen chooses Yu He as an ally to declare his stance to Fu Yunzhang: "Even though your sister doesn't accept Yu He now, I already regard him as family. I won’t look down on him because of past rumors and gossip. Our collaboration this time is a win-win situation, and in the future, I can also mediate in matters concerning you and Yu He."

Fu Yunzheng continued, "On the surface, facing the alliance between you and Zhang Zhen, I have three options: to help you guys, to help my sister, or to stay neutral. But after careful consideration, except for helping you, the other options are essentially impossible."

Helping Fu Rulan would not only put me at odds with Yu He, but it would also bring no benefits to her marriage with Zhang Zhen. So that option is out of the question. Staying neutral and not taking sides would be equivalent to telling Zhang Zhen that Yu He is not that important to me. If our objective is not achieved, Zhang Zhen would definitely re-strategize. This current setup is a win-win situation for Yu He, but the next one might not be.

Yu He frowned, flipped onto his back, and buried himself in the blankets, "Oh my, my head hurts just from listening to this once. How could anyone even come up with such a scheme?"

Fu Yunzheng lifted the down quilt, "Zhang Zhen comes from a military background. He's used to deploying troops and strategizing over thousands of miles."

Yu He covered his head unhappily, "I used to think he was so upright and honest!"

"Being straightforward and being naive are two different things," Fu Yunzheng sighed, "He is very skilled in strategizing, but he won't harm you. You've seen my sister's princess-like temper. It's quite something for him to go through such great lengths."

Yu He rested the back of his hand on his forehead, "If I weren't so naive, you wouldn't have to get involved in this mess. Who knew we would run into him at the restaurant."

Fu Yunzheng also lay down, and he couldn’t tell if it was just his imagination or because he was in a good mood, but he felt lighter than before. The thought flashed through his mind, but he didn’t dwell on it.

"Since Zhang Zhen wants to involve me, he would have found another way even if he didn’t approach you," Fu Yunzheng consoled Yu He, "The Zhang family has a strong presence in Beijing. It's a good thing for him to be eager to be your backer. If I had to ask him to protect you, the scheme he’d come up with would be even bigger."

Yu He sighed, "I also want to learn these tactics."

Fu Yunzheng’s long eyes moved slightly, "You will when you grow up."

Yu He turned over, "I have already grown up."

The bedside night light was very dim. The switch was right beside the bed, and Yu He could just reach out to turn it off, but he didn’t. Instead, he used the candle-like dim light to look at Fu Yunzheng.

Fu Yunzheng was also looking at Yu He.

The line of Yu He's jaw was clear but not sharp, and the youthful rebellion in his brows had settled down.

He had peach blossom eyes, which used to look sentimental when he was daydreaming, as if he was longing for something. But now, Yu He's eyes had become deeper, with the misty affection solidifying into frost and snow, carrying a strong aggressiveness.

These were the eyes of a man, filled with affection and possessiveness towards Fu Yunzheng.

Yu He hadn’t worried about being replaced by someone else for a long time, nor was he worried that Fu Yunzheng would choose someone else.

He would not allow such a thing to happen.

Their relationship now was a mutual choice, establishing an incredibly deep and unbreakable bond.

During many conversations, Yu He had made it very clear that if Fu Yunzheng ever dared to leave him, he would drag Fu Yunzheng back.

Fu Yunzhen finally realized that Yu He was not joking or whispering sweet nothings.

Yu He was stating the facts.

Yu He wouldn’t allow Fu Yunzhen to leave him; every step he took was to catch up with Fu Yunzhen, to hold onto him tightly.

In this relationship, the initiative was originally given to Yu He by Fu Yunzhen. However, unbeknownst to them, Yu He had already completely regarded Fu Yunzhen as his sole partner, akin to a mature male beast, diligently dragging Fu Yunzhen into his nest.

Yu He was no longer just a little crane that could only live by Fu Yunzhen’s side.

Fu Yunzhen felt joy mixed with astonishment, and had to admit: “You’ve indeed grown up.”

His wings have become strong.