The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 101

Upon seeing Chen Che, the tension Song Mingyue had been holding inside finally dissipated.

The journey had been exhausting; she had never in her life traveled so far or felt so weary. The truck had jolted relentlessly, and she had felt nauseous almost from the moment she boarded. She had endured it all, however, not wanting to cause trouble for anyone else. Seeing Chen Che provided an outlet for all the heartache and frustration she had suppressed. He could never know how hard she had been trying to love him, even from a distance.

In the original narrative, Chen Che was a tragic figure. He had been devoted to his country and his profession, giving everything he had, only to end up with nothing. But with Song Mingyue now by his side, he was no longer alone.

Chen Che brought their luggage into his quarters. Wang Yufen, possessing a keen sense of propriety, knew the young couple would want to talk. “Xiao Che,” she said, “where is the washing area? I have a few soiled clothes I need to attend to.”

Chen Che offered to help, saying, “Mom, I will accompany you.”

“No need. You two stay here; just tell me where it is and I will go myself.” Wang Yufen knew she was creating space for them, and Chen Che thanked his mother-in-law. Before leaving, she thoughtfully pulled the door shut, giving them their privacy.

Finally, they were in their own space. Song Mingyue tiredly wrapped her arms around his waist. “Don’t move; let me lean on you for a while.”

“My Yueyue, have you suffered much on this journey?” Chen Che asked.

Song Mingyue nodded, though she chose not to speak. It didn’t matter; the result was what counted—she was finally with him.

Chen Che asked what had prompted her to come. He had already submitted a leave request and would have been able to go home by the end of the month. However, it would have been only a short leave of about a week, prompted mostly by Old Yu’s letter. Chen Che trusted Song Mingyue, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel jealous. He had begun to lose confidence in himself; Old Yu had mentioned a university student who was handsome, energetic, and, most importantly, someone who had the time to spend with Song Mingyue. Compared to that, he felt like a failure, unable to be by his wife’s side during her pregnancy. Although this was the reality for most in the military—some of his superiors were meeting their children for the first time when they were already three or four years old—Chen Che’s heart had remained restless. He felt that seeing her was the only way to settle his mind. He never expected that Song Mingyue would beat him to it and arrive here first. He was deeply moved.

What surprised Chen Che even more was Song Mingyue’s declaration that she wouldn’t be leaving for the next few months.

“We are husband and wife, and I am pregnant. Constant separation is not good for the baby’s prenatal care. I plan to live here until the child is born.”

Chen Che asked worriedly, “What about your shop?”

“Business is fine. The competition isn’t too strong, and Jingjing and the others are familiar with everything now. It will be fine without me for a few months.” While she said this, she knew in her heart that things were often chaotic without her direct oversight, but she had to choose what was most important.

Song Mingyue let go of Chen Che and looked around the room. The living conditions were harsh; the walls were made of poured mud and clay. The furniture was sparse—a small bed, a tiny cabinet, a square table, and three stools. It was a far cry from their life in the compound at Mo City, to say nothing of the smaller house they had moved into later. It was especially difficult to live in such a small space while three months pregnant.

“Will we have to live here?” she asked. “Can we use our own money to rent a place elsewhere?” Because of Chen Che’s special profession and the remote nature of the area, housing was hard to find.

Chen Che realized then that she was truly serious about staying. Most of the men in his unit were here alone because the area was too remote and unsuitable for families. Chen Che tried to persuade her to return: “Yueyue, I will try to go home more often. This place isn’t right for you.” They also frequently dealt with sandstorms that made it impossible to even open one’s eyes.

Song Mingyue was undeterred. “What does ‘suitable’ mean? If the environment is a bit rough, I can handle it.”

“But I can’t,” Chen Che insisted. “If you are here, I will feel nothing but guilt.” He felt he had failed to provide her with a decent environment.

He is such a fool, Song Mingyue thought. He had no idea what he was truly facing, and this was no longer a matter of mere guilt; it was a matter of avoiding a lifelong regret. Since she insisted on staying, Chen Che could only give in. Deep down, he was happy: “I will apply to my superiors. If family members are staying, we can be allocated a two-room unit, though the renovation will likely be just as basic as this.”

Song Mingyue almost fainted at the thought—was it truly that simple? She felt this was the absolute baseline of what she could accept. However, once they moved in, they could at least decorate it a little.

Chen Che’s teammates, knowing a woman had come to find him, were filled with curiosity. Once the housing situation was briefly settled, Chen Che could no longer restrain himself. He pulled Song Mingyue toward the edge of the bed, and they kissed deeply—a kiss born of long separation.

Just as they were caught in the moment, a knock sounded at the door. Chen Che pulled away, but Song Mingyue, having faced many challenges, was not afraid of being “caught.” She pulled him back for another kiss, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Outside, the soldiers were whispering to each other. “Is Battalion Commander Chen not back yet?”

“That’s impossible. I just saw Xiao Wang, and he said Chen Che brought two women with him.”

“Wait, why two?” The man who had seen them hadn’t mentioned that the other woman was middle-aged, likely Chen Che’s mother-in-law.

They knocked a few more times and, receiving no answer, turned to leave. At that moment, Song Mingyue opened the door. Her face was flushed, her lips red and full. The soldiers, all married, understood immediately what had delayed them, and being military men with thin skin, they felt quite embarrassed.

Song Mingyue, however, was unfazed. She smiled warmly and asked, “Are you looking for Chen Che? He is home.”

“Yes, yes, we are looking for the Battalion Commander.”

“Let me introduce myself. I am Chen Che’s wife, Song Mingyue. You can just call me Mingyue.”

The soldiers were stunned. She was beautiful, with a delicate face and fair skin. Before this, they had jokingly wondered who could be worthy of their Battalion Commander, but now, they found themselves envying Chen Che.

Noticing the way the young soldiers were looking at his wife, Chen Che instinctively stepped in front of her. “Is there something you need?” He was notoriously possessive.

Song Mingyue chuckled softly and stood beside him, her poise elegant. “I will be here for a while to take care of Chen Che. If he does anything wrong, please let me know.”

“Don’t worry, sister-in-law! We will definitely keep a close eye on the Commander for you!”

“Then thank you all.”

After they left, Song Mingyue asked about the others, like Wang Bing, who usually traveled with Chen Che.

“Those boys have made progress,” Chen Che said. “They are at the front lines, several hundred kilometers from here. When they return, I’ll invite them over.”

Song Mingyue suddenly realized that Chen Che had previously always run toward danger, and she had assumed this location was the front line. “Are you not at the front lines… because of me?”

Chen Che didn’t want to lie to her. He nodded: “Yueyue, since I have you, I will do my absolute best to balance my career with our life. I know it’s unfair to you.”

“I told you before, I don’t care about that. You don’t have to do this,” she said, though she felt a glimmer of hope. In the original story, he had followed the others to the most dangerous places. If he had changed his path, perhaps his fate would change as well.

Still, she could not let her guard down. The first thing to solve was their living situation. Chen Che, being a man of action, immediately picked up his pen to write a formal request for a larger room.