Well, people are free to love in the military too.

"She has a history of misdeeds; she ran away from a marriage," Sovia Morris chimed in, well aware of those procedures.

Unexpectedly, Old Qiu burst out laughing and responded to Sovia Morris, "Sister-in-law, you're talking about when Ruby fled her marriage and went to Tibet for Marcel, right? She told me all about it. Honestly, it was a good thing she ran away. Otherwise, if they had actually married, several people would have been hurt. Her former fiancé, your family's eldest young master, wasn't it said that he truly loved Ruby's sister? Isn't this perfect now? Both sisters married into the same family, changing from sisters to sisters-in-law, and they won't cause trouble or quarrel. It ensures family harmony."

Sovia Morris's face instantly darkened.

"Sister-in-law, surely you don't dislike Ruby so much that you want me, as their superior, to obstruct Marcel? Sister-in-law, that would be wrong of you. Marcel and Ruby are truly in love. He's unmarried, she's unwed, and they've already missed out on so many years. After all the twists and turns, they've finally reached this point. Their story is so convoluted it could be a novel! We should be too busy blessing them; I certainly don't want to be the one to break up such a loving couple. As the saying goes, 'Better to demolish a temple than to ruin a marriage.' Hmm, they're preparing to get married, so it's practically a marriage already."

Old Qiu's preachy and persuasive manner made Sovia Morris's stomach ache with irritation.

This Old Qiu, after all these decades, was still the same. If he believed something was right, he would stick to his guns even if the sky were falling. In the eyes of some, this was being tactless, but to most, he was filled with a sense of justice.

Sovia Morris found no way to stop Marcel Horne's marriage through Old Qiu, so she had no choice but to call her husband and have him personally exert pressure on Marcel's unit.

She herself, fuming, left the military base without even seeing Marcel and immediately went looking for Ruby Bluen.

"When Marcel's report approval comes through, we will inform you," Ruby Bluen replied calmly, unshaken by Sovia Morris's rage.

"Approval, approval!" Sovia Morris shot up, her face hardening as she fumed, "Ruby Bluen, let me tell you, don't think that just because Marcel submitted a marriage application, you can be with him! As long as my husband and I don't agree, you can forget about getting married! Even if the marriage application is approved, the household registration book is still in my hands. If I don't give it to Marcel, let's see how you two get married!" After spitting out this tirade, Sovia Morris turned and stormed off arrogantly.

Her expression was as hard as marble.

If Sovia Morris had known that she would one day beg Ruby Bluen to marry Marcel Horne, she would have died before daring to speak so ruthlessly.

Ruby Bluen remained seated. Only after Sovia Morris had vanished from her office did she let out a deep sigh. There was no sign of surrender in her eyes; no matter what, she was determined. In this lifetime, she would marry no man other than Marcel Horne.

In winter, darkness fell quickly once evening arrived. As soon as the sun set, the black curtain of night descended.

Julia Bluen didn't wait for Glades Horne to pick her up; she drove herself from the company towards Golden Kirin Garden.

Tonight, she had decided to return to the Horne family with Glades Horne to prevent the old madam from worrying so much.

While driving, she thought of her good friend Rachel Bailey and decided to give her a call. She was surprised when someone other than Rachel answered. Just as she was about to ask more, the other person hung up. When she tried calling Rachel's number again, it was already switched off.

Thinking Rachel Bailey might be in trouble, she quickly called her husband, Glades Horne. He assured her Rachel was fine, guessing she had probably just lost her phone and someone else had picked it up. This eased Julia's mind slightly.

She had no idea that Rachel Bailey, with completely empty pockets, was currently in a taxi rushing to A City, nor did she know how Rachel would pay the hefty cab fare once she arrived in two days.

She also asked Glades Horne where he had arranged for Rachel Bailey to stay and how Hansen Ruiz had reacted. Glades Horne didn't answer directly, only telling her to rest assured that he would make her friend accept Hansen Ruiz.

She trusted Glades Horne's ability to handle things, so she naturally felt at ease and didn't press further, only telling him that she was heading home first.

After the couple exchanged a few words of concern, she ended the call and focused on driving.

After driving for a while, she remembered that the old madam's favorite kumquat cakes were probably gone, so she decided to buy some more for her and turned at an intersection.

As she passed a high-end designer clothing store, she suddenly saw her sister-in-law, Adele Horne, laughing and talking with a young, handsome, and dapper man. He was well-dressed in a suit, exuding an air of composure and maturity as they stepped out of the store. Adele Horne held several bags, likely full of designer clothes. This sister-in-law of hers had always lived extravagantly; if it wasn't a designer brand, she wouldn't wear it.

Hadn't Glades Horne frozen her bank cards? She shouldn't have any money to buy things. So, did that man buy them for her? What was his relationship with Adele? Were they lovers? How come no one knew Adele Horne was in a relationship?

"Adele, are you happy?" Othiel Evans and Adele Horne had no idea Julia Bluen had seen them. As the two emerged from the store, Othiel Evans asked Adele Horne warmly, his eyes, still holding a hint of adoration, brimming with tenderness for her.

The two had just recently agreed to meet and had only visited one store so far.

Adele Horne hadn't driven. Her car had run out of gas, and with no money to refuel, she had been too embarrassed to use it.

Thankfully, Othiel Evans's car spared her from embarrassment.

A Porsche, no less.

"You've spent quite a bit of money," Adele Horne said, smiling with a hint of shyness, a faint blush appearing on her beautiful face. Whenever she was with Othiel Evans, she found her heartbeat would gradually quicken.

Why hadn't she ever noticed before that Othiel Evans was such a considerate man? Then again, he used to dye his hair, and she disliked it when people dyed their hair. Perhaps that was why she had never really paid attention to him or noticed his good qualities.

"That's a small amount of money. As long as you're happy, Adele," Othiel Evans said. He opened the car door for her, and after she got in, he got in himself. Once inside, he noticed a small strand of Adele's hair fluttering in front of her face. He affectionately picked it up and tucked it behind her ear, their faces drawing very close. This intimate gesture made Adele Horne's face flush instantly. She quickly pushed him away, laughing as she scolded, "Hey, young man, don't treat me like a child. I'm a year older than you, you know!"