The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 42

Arriving at the West City Police Station, Chen Che still felt a sense of unreality.

Jiang Manman? Was it really that cousin he barely knew?

It wasn’t until the officers brought her out from the back that he accepted it. Standing before him was indeed Jiang Manman, whom he hadn’t seen in years.

Upon seeing Chen Che, Jiang Manman became incredibly emotional. Ignoring everyone around them, she rushed forward in tears, stood on her tiptoes, and threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

Jiang Manman was petite, barely over 155cm, and very thin. Her “doll face” was striking—elegant and refined, with dark, clear almond eyes beneath arched brows. Even in her simple clothes, she radiated the aura of a “pure and pitiful white flower,” the kind of look that instinctively made people want to protect her.

Her reaction seemed a bit exaggerated, but Song Mingyue didn’t think much of it. She simply assumed the girl had endured a hard journey and was relieved to finally see family.

Chen Che, however, remained strictly proper. When Jiang Manman hugged him, he held his hands up and out to his sides, doing his best to avoid physical contact. His entire body language screamed resistance.

The officer spoke up first. “Alright, pay the fare and you can go.”

Chen Che gently pulled her away, maintaining a firm distance. “Why are you here? Is something wrong?”

With tears still hanging on her lashes, Jiang Manman looked up at him with eyes full of burning passion. “Cousin, I came here to find you.”

Chen Che was even more confused. “Why? Did something happen to my aunt?”

Jiang Manman choked back a sob. She didn’t know how to say the words. It’s not about your aunt. It’s because I wanted to see you, Brother Chen Che. I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime.

At the thought of her past, her eyes reddened again. She hoped he would forgive her loss of composure. In her previous life, she had pined for this man until her dying breath, never able to make peace with her unrequited feelings.

She had thought that if she could go back to when she was twenty-five, she would do anything to find him and tell him she loved him. From the moment she fell for him at eighteen, she had loved him in secret for forty years. Forty years—most of her life spent in the pain of a silent crush.

Fortunately, when she opened her eyes again, she was back.

Jiang Manman had returned to her twenty-fourth year. The first thing she did upon being reborn was travel across the country to find him. Now that she was standing before him, she feared her sudden movements would make him uncomfortable, so she just wiped her tears and shook her head.

Mingyue stepped in to break the tension. “Chen Che, pay the fine first and take your cousin home.”

Reluctantly, Chen Che paid the fifty yuan from his savings before the police released her. As they left, an officer offered a parting word of advice: “Comrade, you’re young. Don’t be foolish and do anything illegal again.”

Jiang Manman didn’t hear a word. Her eyes were fixed entirely on Song Mingyue. She wondered who this woman was and why she was constantly by Chen Che’s side. In her previous life, Chen Che had remained solitary until his “accident.”

Who is this woman?

Mingyue felt uncomfortable under the girl’s stare. Once they reached the street, she held out her hand. “Hello, Manman. I’m your cousin’s wife. My name is Song Mingyue.”

The moment she heard the word “wife,” Jiang Manman’s face turned deathly pale.

Mingyue smiled. “What’s wrong? Are you surprised to find out your cousin is married?”

“Surprised” was an understatement. Jiang Manman felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her. How could Chen Che be married? She had finally found him, only to hear the worst possible news.

Seeing her grim expression, Mingyue was baffled. This wasn’t the look of a cousin hearing about a relative’s wedding; it was the look of someone whose lover had been stolen.

Heavens, Mingyue thought, I shouldn’t think such things about a simple sibling relationship. She checked herself, trying to convince herself that they were just very close. But looking at Chen Che’s reaction, they didn’t seem close at all.

Everything felt strange.

Chen Che stood close to Mingyue, subconsciously signaling that he didn’t want this newcomer to disrupt his life. “Jiang Manman, I have some money left. I’ll buy you a train ticket so you can head home early.”

“No, I’m not leaving,” Jiang Manman said stubbornly. “I came here for a reason.”

“And what reason is that?”

Having lived a whole life already, Jiang Manman forced herself to calm down. She didn’t know why the “plot” of her memory had changed, but she had to adapt.

“I’m looking for a job. I graduated university and want to do meaningful work. My mother suggested I come to you for help.”

It was a blatant lie. As soon as she woke up and realized Chen Che was in Mocheng, she had rushed here without a second thought. But she had prepared an excuse: to save Chen Che, the best way was to work by his side.

Chen Che saw through the holes in her story. He and Jiang Manman had almost no relationship, and his aunt knew that. With all the family connections back home, there was no reason she would be sent to him.

He declined politely. “I don’t have a suitable job for you here. I suggest you go home; your father can arrange something much better.”

Jiang Manman’s father—Chen Che’s uncle-in-law—held a high-ranking position in W City.

Mingyue felt a bit of pity. Regardless of the circumstances, the girl had just come from the police station; they had to at least host her. Jiang Manman’s look of a “wronged little sister” touched her. “Alright, let’s go home first. We can figure out the details after you’ve rested.”

Since Mingyue said it, Chen Che didn’t object further.

The three of them had only one bicycle, so they walked. Chen Che, knowing Mingyue hated walking long distances, offered, “Mingyue, sit on the back, I’ll push you.”

“No, I’ll walk with you both.”

Jiang Manman watched them, realizing that not only was Chen Che married to a stunningly beautiful woman, but he also seemed to adore her—his eyes rarely left her.

When she saw Jiang Manman slowing down, Mingyue supported her. “Manman, are you okay? Do you feel unwell?”

“I’m fine. Probably just the bad food at the station,” she said with a strained smile, pointedly avoiding Mingyue’s touch.

It was getting late. Mingyue suggested they eat at a state-owned restaurant before heading to the compound. Chen Che agreed immediately. “Whatever you want.”

As they walked, Chen Che took Mingyue’s hand, and she leaned into his arm. Seeing Jiang Manman trailing behind, Mingyue called out, “Manman, keep up!”

At the restaurant, Mingyue handed the menu to Jiang Manman. “What do you want to eat? Order whatever you like.”

Jiang Manman had no appetite. Watching the couple’s “public display of affection” made her feel sick. Her mind was in a whirl. What should I do? Even with the knowledge of a past life, she felt panicked.

In her previous life, she would have stepped back and wished them well. But this time, she had learned to be possessive. She wouldn’t let go so easily. She watched Mingyue cling to Chen Che with jealousy.

Does this woman know what will happen to Chen Che in the future? she thought. I am the only one who can save him.

Jiang Manman ordered several expensive dishes. Then, she asked innocently, “I usually just order what I like. Is it too expensive?”

“It’s fine,” Mingyue replied. “Eating should make you happy.”

After the order was placed, Chen Che added, “And an order of Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs.”

That was Mingyue’s favorite. She smiled at the waiter. “Yes, and please add extra vinegar. I love ‘eating vinegar’ (being jealous).”

Once the waiter left, Mingyue tried to chat. “Manman, do you take after your mother or your father more?”

She meant that Manman clearly took after her father, as everyone in the Chen family was tall, while Manman was quite small.

Jiang Manman took a sip of hot water. She realized Mingyue didn’t know she and Chen Che weren’t blood-related. Since Chen Che hadn’t told her, Manman wouldn’t either—not yet.

“I take after my father more. Right, Cousin?”

Chen Che felt trapped. He couldn’t interrupt Mingyue’s chatter to explain their real relationship without it being awkward. He still couldn’t figure out what Jiang Manman was up to.

Jiang Manman decided to probe Mingyue. “Mingyue, how did you and my cousin meet?”

“An arranged childhood marriage,” Mingyue replied.

Jiang Manman felt a pang of heart-wrenching pain but kept her face calm. “What do you think of my cousin?”

Mingyue glanced at Chen Che with a smile. “Not much. He’s such a ‘Straight Man’ (clueless/stoic).”

“Straight Man?” Jiang Manman repeated, confused by the term.