The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 46

After Wang Mo finished speaking to Zhao Xing, he walked ahead alone. Zhao Xing, trailing beside him, felt her steps grow heavier. Even without looking back, Wang Mo knew her mood had plummeted.

Once he mentioned going to the capital, the spark Zhao Xing had moments ago vanished. Yet, Wang Mo walked quickly and did not look back. To look back required capital—something he lacked. He understood the gap between them all too well; it was written in the way the people in this compound looked at him.

Zhao Xing was the moon in the sky, while he was down in the dirt, a bit of useless mud. He just wanted to leave, go somewhere where no one knew him, and start his career over.

Zhao Xing walked behind him in a daze, wanting to ask him what was going on. But her pride as a young woman wouldn’t allow her to beg for attention from a boy.

Song Mingyue was waiting in the hall. Seeing them walk in one after the other with such heavy, depressing auras, she asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Nothing,” Wang Mo said flatly. “Let’s begin practicing.”

The rehearsal was a disaster. Mingyue only needed to watch for a few moments to see they were making constant mistakes. Zhao Xing’s heart clearly wasn’t in it.

Mingyue suddenly stopped playing. Zhao Xing and Wang Mo froze.

“Don’t tell me this is the result of all your practice,” Mingyue said sternly. “The performance is almost here. I don’t know what happened between you two, but you cannot bring personal emotions onto the stage. Is it that hard to focus?”

Both were silent. Zhao Xing’s eyes welled up with tears. She felt an immense sense of disappointment; she had looked forward to this rehearsal so much. She knew Mingyue was right—they only had their off-hours to practice—but after what Wang Mo said, she couldn’t concentrate.

“I’m sorry,” Zhao Xing choked out. “I’m not in the right state today. Let’s do this another time.” She turned and ran out.

“Mingyue, please… go talk to her,” Wang Mo called out before Mingyue followed.

Mingyue didn’t answer him, but she hurried after Zhao Xing. Though the 1980s were becoming more open, the idea of a girl pursuing a boy was still quite radical. She found Zhao Xing under a large tree, weeping.

“Don’t hide it, I know you like Wang Mo,” Mingyue said gently. “What happened?”

“He said… he’s going to the capital,” Zhao Xing sobbed. The capital was thousands of miles away. Given the transportation of the era, he might never come back more than a few times in his life.

“Mingyue, what should I do?”

Mingyue sighed. She knew Wang Mo loved modern dance, which was barely tolerated here. In the capital, where rock and roll and new trends were emerging, he had a real chance. But his gain was Zhao Xing’s loss.

“You can’t interfere with his choice,” Mingyue told her. “But you need to decide what you want. If you fear what others think and want a quiet life, you’ll hurt for a while and eventually forget him. But if you feel you’ll regret it for the rest of your life, then tell him how you feel. At least then you’ve tried.”

Mingyue pulled her up. “Go home and think about it. But remember, the competition is for the compound. We have to be the best. Don’t you want to show Wang Mo your best side on that stage, since it might be your last time dancing together?”

Zhao Xing wiped her eyes. Mingyue was right. She wanted to give it her all.

Meanwhile, Chen Che was struggling with a different problem: How do you coax a wife when you’ve made her angry?

He was too embarrassed to ask his colleagues, so he had Wang Bing ask around during a break. The other soldiers immediately teased him. “Wang Bing, why are you asking? You’re single! Are you planning to get hitched?”

Chen Che sat in the corner, listening to them joke about how “their wives always listen to them,” and realized he wasn’t going to get any real advice. He stood up and retreated to his office.

Mingyue had been giving him the cold shoulder for days. He thought he had reflected enough, but then she said to him: “I went to the hospital today and saw Jiang Manman. She’s still weak.”

Chen Che was confused. “Didn’t she go stay with her father’s comrade? Why is she still in the hospital?”

Mingyue shook her head with a look of disappointment. “Chen Che, shouldn’t you be asking me why I was at the hospital? Do you even care about me?”

“Why were you at the hospital?” he asked, late to the punch.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Mingyue said, standing up to leave. “What matters is that I’ve realized you have no idea how to cherish someone.”

Chen Che sat in his office for a long time, stumped. He had to admit, sometimes girls were a species he simply could not understand.

Just as he was racking his brain, a Commander from another department ran in. “Chen Che! You won’t believe it! That data we’ve been stuck on for months? A girl just solved it in no time!”

Chen Che immediately switched back to work mode. He joined a crowd heading to the professor’s lab to see this genius. When he saw Jiang Manman standing there, he was stunned. He remembered his uncle complaining that his daughter was a poor student. How had she broken their record?

“This is the girl who solved the formula,” the Regimental Commander introduced proudly. “Manman, these two are our elite. You can learn from each other.”

“I know them,” Jiang Manman said, looking radiant and healthy. “Cousin, we meet again.”

The Commander was shocked. “Cousin?”

“Yes, Chen Che’s aunt is my mother,” she explained.

Jiang Manman’s performance was undeniable. She knew things they hadn’t even considered—unsurprising, given her decades of future knowledge. The department decided to grant her a special admission. Talent like hers had to be utilized.

Chen Che felt a sense of respect for her “patriotism,” as she had given a moving speech about contributing to the motherland. Just like that, Jiang Manman became Chen Che’s colleague.

A few days later, Zhao Xing was in a better state, and the dance rehearsals were back on track. Zhang Jingjing came to the hall to bring them fruit.

“Mingyue,” Jingjing chatted, “Commander Chen’s family is really incredible, isn’t it? Are all his relatives geniuses?”

“His family?” Mingyue asked.

“Yeah, his cousin! She’s just as impressive as the Commander.”

Mingyue was bewildered. “What does his cousin have to do with this?”

“You don’t know? Jiang Manman was specially recruited by the military research department! It’s all over the compound. Imagine, a girl getting into the research unit based purely on her ability!” Jingjing said with envy.

Mingyue froze. So… once again, I’m the last person to know?