The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 47

Only the best of the best could enter the military research institute, and Jiang Manman was a “paratrooper”—someone who dropped in from the outside. If she hadn’t possessed undeniable talent, the compound would never have recruited her.

Because of this, Jiang Manman became a household name overnight. When people heard the story of her traveling thousands of miles out of a pure desire to serve the country’s scientific advancement, they were deeply moved. In an era where China was desperate for development, selfless and capable individuals like her were hailed as heroes.

But Jiang Manman only had eyes for Chen Che. Having lived through these years once before, she knew the basic data and research directions. Using that knowledge to earn the respect of the team was easy. Her ultimate goal was to close the distance between herself and Chen Che, one step at a time.

Song Mingyue only learned from Zhang Jingjing that Jiang Manman was no longer staying with relatives but had already moved into the military compound.

She didn’t mind where the girl stayed, but Chen Che’s attitude infuriated her. He was right there in the unit; he must have known immediately. They had just argued about his habit of keeping her in the dark, and yet he hadn’t reflected at all. He just kept going his own way.

Mingyue tried to stay calm, but she couldn’t help but think of the original story’s antagonists, Song Jiajia and Liu Jiabao. When a woman shares the same interests and professional language as a man, the “magnetic field” between them naturally draws closer. Chen Che wasn’t Liu Jiabao, and she had confidence in him… but she didn’t necessarily have confidence in men in general.

As Zhang Jingjing and Zhao Xing excitedly discussed the “genius cousin,” Mingyue remained silent. The city-wide performance was only two days away. She decided to suppress her anger and focus on the competition. No matter how bad things got with Chen Che, her emotions would never be her entire world. She remembered her vow when leaving Pingcheng: she was going to make something of herself, and this performance was a crucial step.

That evening, Chen Che returned home to find Mingyue even colder than before. This wasn’t the “punishing” coldness of a few days ago; this was the silence of a woman who had truly checked out. She didn’t lecture him or get angry; she simply went about her business as if he didn’t exist.

Chen Che couldn’t stand it. After sitting alone in his room for nearly an hour, he summoned the courage to talk to her.

In her room, Mingyue was working on a detailed business plan for selling watermelons at the arts competition. This was her first real venture in the 1980s. She believed that while “even a pig can fly if it stands in the path of a gale,” success required both luck and 100% preparation.

She had already coordinated with Pei Xiaoyu through Zhang Jingjing. Xiaoyu had agreed to a partnership without hesitation. Though young, Xiaoyu was a natural entrepreneur waiting for her moment. With Xiaoyu’s supply and Mingyue’s strategy, the plan was solid. Mingyue even noted down exactly how to slice the melons to make them look appealing and which “potential customers”—like young couples—to target with their shouting.

Chen Che knocked and entered. Mingyue looked up, her mind still on the plan. “Is there something you need?”

“Mingyue, I want to talk. If I’ve done something wrong, tell me. I can change.”

For a man as stoic as an iceberg to say such things was not easy. Mingyue closed her notebook. “Alright. What do you want to talk about?”

“Can you just tell me directly what I did wrong?” Chen Che asked. He had never been good at social cues, and he genuinely couldn’t figure out why she was still upset.

“You weren’t going to tell me that Jiang Manman joined your institute, were you?”

Chen Che was stunned. He hadn’t expected that to be the reason. He had felt the friction between the two women before and simply assumed Mingyue didn’t want to hear about the girl. “Is that it?”

“Jiang Manman isn’t your real cousin, yet she’s gone to great lengths to get close to you. Don’t you find that strange?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Mingyue felt a bit regretful. She didn’t like “pick-me” competition. She reminded herself that if Chen Che was a good man, no one could steal him, so why was she being defensive?

Chen Che, however, missed the point entirely. “Mingyue, you’ve misunderstood. She only came here so I could help her get a foot in the door at the institute. She’s performing very well there. Her goal is clearly her career, not me.”

Mingyue didn’t want to argue. “Fine. Maybe I overthought it. I’m busy with the competition for the next few days. Can we deal with ‘us’ after it’s over?”

Chen Che thought the misunderstanding was resolved, but seeing how serious she was, he didn’t dare push back.

After he left, Mingyue let out a long sigh. She didn’t know if she was being paranoid or if Chen Che was just incredibly dense.

Relationships are exhausting, she thought, lying on the bed. She wondered if she was fated to repeat the original owner’s tragedy. If Chen Che did eventually change his mind, would she be devastated?

She decided she would be sad—she genuinely liked him, especially his “visual value”—but she wouldn’t be like the original Mingyue. She wouldn’t destroy herself over a man. As long as she had her own career and life, she wouldn’t be tethered to a man’s whims.

With that thought, her ambition burned even brighter.

The next morning, Mingyue woke up even before the military bugle sounded. She ran into Chen Che in the hallway.

“Morning,” she said briefly.

Chen Che was dazed. Since she had arrived, Mingyue had never woken up this early. She didn’t wait for his reaction; she put on her sun hat and headed for the door to meet Jingjing and Xiaoyu to finalize the watermelon order.

“Mingyue!” Chen Che called out from behind.

“Yes?” she asked, turning back.

Chen Che felt a void in his chest. He didn’t know what to say, but something felt very wrong. Usually, if she woke up early, she would tease him about his morning run. Even if he didn’t know how to respond, she was always smiling. Now, her greeting was polite, but completely hollow.

“Do you… have plans today?” he asked.

Usually, Mingyue was the one asking about his work. He was always too busy to know what she was doing. Now that she wasn’t sharing, he felt the sting.

“Yes,” she said coolly. “I have things to do.”

She walked out of the compound and met Zhang Jingjing. “Mingyue! I thought you’d still be asleep; I was just coming to wake you!”

“I have a business to run, Jingjing. Am I that unreliable?” Mingyue joked.

As they walked away, Jingjing looked back and saw Commander Chen still standing at the gate, watching Mingyue’s retreating figure with a look of deep, silent longing.