Chapter 291 - 291: Brother Really Wants to Ask

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Fan Heping’s eyes widened, and his tone didn’t give Qin Lu any face. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

With just one sentence, he successfully drew the attention of both Nan Yan and Grandpa An.

“Ah Lu, do you two know each other?” Grandpa An spoke up, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

Qin Lu nodded. “Yes.”

“No, we don’t,” Fan Heping denied, clearly still annoyed. He turned away from the two.

However, despite his denial, it was of no use.

His previous words had already revealed the relationship between the two.

Moreover, their relationship seemed quite good.

Nan Yan wasn’t surprised at all by Qin Lu’s social circle.

She wasn’t shocked that the two of them knew each other.

Grandpa An, observing Fan Heping’s proud demeanor, smiled and took a sip of tea, not pursuing the topic any further.

In fact, after Nan Yan and Qin Lu sat down, it was Fan Heping who continued the conversation. He looked Nan Yan up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. “Young lady, do you have any interest in joining the military?”

“The military?” Grandpa An put down his teacup, looking concerned as he turned to Nan Yan. “Yanyan, do you want to join the military?”

Grandpa An didn’t want Nan Yan to join the military.

The military life was too arduous, and there was always the looming uncertainty of war, which meant constant danger to one’s life.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t patriotic; it was just that he couldn’t bear to see Nan Yan endure such hardship.

Moreover, his health might not hold up for much longer, and he wanted Nan Yan to spend more time with him.

“No,” Nan Yan reassured Grandpa An before turning her attention to Fan Heping. “Captain Fan, I have no intention of joining the military. If you’re here to persuade me to join, there’s no need to waste your breath.”

She had just heard Qin Lu addressing Fan Heping as “Captain,” so she used the same title.

Fan Heping looked serious and spoke with gravity. “Young lady, you have extraordinary shooting talent. If you were to undergo systematic training, you would undoubtedly become an exceptional marksman—truly one in a million! This is a talent that many people dream of. Are you willing to waste your natural gifts?”

“Compared to shooting, I have other talents that are even more remarkable,” Nan Yan’s tone was determined, filled with a sense of self-assuredness.

However, she was speaking the truth.

Her shooting skills had been developed during a one-year Special Forces training program she had undergone to improve her physical fitness.

It was widely known that scientists often had relatively weak physical constitutions.

Because she had been dealing with various viruses for a long time, her body’s immune system was far from as strong as an ordinary person’s.

So, maintaining a strong physique through training was crucial.

“What talent?” Fan Heping didn’t believe it and thought Nan Yan was making excuses.

Qin Lu pinched Nan Yan’s hand and interjected, “Captain Fan, Yanyan isn’t interested in joining the military. She plans to pursue research in the future.”

“Joining a research lab? Isn’t that tedious? Young lady, you might be too young to understand, and you might think that joining a lab is glamorous. Let me tell you, labs are filled with a bunch of old men, and daily life is both annoying and boring. Dealing with viruses and bacteria every day can also make you bald.

How about joining the army instead?”

Fan Heping didn’t feel embarrassed at all about painting a negative picture of the national research industry. He was willing to give up his own face if it meant persuading Nan Yan to join the military.

He even had the expression of someone determined to bring Nan Yan into the army, no matter what.

Nan Yan was about to reject him once more when Qin Lu gestured to her with his eyes, indicating that he would take over.

“Captain Fan, why don’t you wait until after Yanyan finishes her high school entrance examination to talk about this? Even if she agrees to join the military, she should at least complete high school first.”

“She’s not in a position to consider these matters right now. Please don’t burden her with additional decisions at this time,” Qin Lu suggested.

Fan Heping considered it and looked at Nan Yan. He negotiated with her, saying, “Here’s the deal, young lady. After you graduate from high school, I’ll invite you to visit the military camp. I’ll make an exception and let you experience military life for a while. You can make your decision then.”

“Sounds good.”

Nan Yan didn’t resist this suggestion from him. In fact, she was curious and wanted to see the military situation in their country.

She had grown up abroad but had pure Chinese blood, and her family was all ethnically Chinese.

In her heart, only here could truly be called her homeland.

“Shall we exchange contact information?”

“Sure.”

After Nan Yan and Fan Heping became friends, Fan Heping didn’t stay much longer. However, before leaving, he called Qin Lu aside.

Nan Yan felt that the two of them might have something to discuss, so she stood by the door without getting closer.

After about ten minutes, when the two had finished their conversation, Fan Heping turned back to wave at Nan Yan before leaving the old mansion.

Once Fan Heping had left, Qin Lu returned to Nan Yan’s side. His ink-black eyes stared directly into her eyes, as if he were trying to peer into her soul.

After a while, he sighed with a mixture of helplessness and curiosity. “Yanyan, how many more surprises do you have that I don’t know about?”

Observing the familiarity between Qin Lu and Fan Heping, she had no doubt that he had spent time in the military.

While outsiders might think she was just a good shooter, professionals would recognize that she used the techniques of a true sniper.

Qin Lu smirked, “Brother was quite curious but didn’t want to upset you, so I refrained from asking.”

“Alright,” Nan Yan responded nonchalantly. “Then let’s not bring it up.”

Qin Lu chuckled at her nonchalant and cunning attitude, reaching out to pinch her cheek.

In the end, he compromised with an indulgent tone, “Okay, whenever you feel like telling your brother, just let me know.”

Since Qin Lu didn’t ask Nan Yan, she refrained from questioning him about his relationship with Fan Heping.

It seemed that they both had been trying to get closer to each other while avoiding touching upon each other’s secrets.

They both exercised restraint and respected each other.

After drinking some tea at the old mansion, Qin Lu played a chess game with Grandfather An, took a phone call, and then left with a slightly solemn expression.

In the afternoon, with nothing much to do, Nan Yan waited for the owner of the shooting range to deliver her three prizes and then took the brown bear plushie that Lin Zhiyan wanted to her house.

Lin’s Residence.

Lin Zhiyan’s physical condition had improved significantly compared to the initial days.

Especially after receiving a personal invitation from Elder Zhong, the head of the Art Association, to join the association, her mood improved, and her recovery accelerated.

“Yanyan, this bear is so big?”

Lin Zhiyan stared in surprise at the brown bear plushie, which was almost taller than herself.

Nan Yan chuckled and said, “Is it okay if I put it in your room?”

Compared to the towering Gundam robot, this bear was manageable.

“Yes, yes! I want it to sleep with me!” Lin Zhiyan replied excitedly.

Lin Zhiyan had no friends and had been wanting a companion for a long time. Having a plushie to keep her company made her very happy.

Nan Yan easily carried the bear, which was almost her size, upstairs.

After placing the bear on Lin Zhiyan’s bed, Lin Zhiyan asked, “By the way, Yanyan, do you know Mr.. Zhong?”