The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 6

After lunch, Chen Daoyuan had to return to his office. He invited the Song family to stay in the guest rooms at his home, but Song Aiguo politely declined. They had already booked a state-run guesthouse. Staying in someone else’s home felt restrictive; it was better to spend a little money to ensure the family felt comfortable and at ease.

Chen Daoyuan agreed to pick them up at the guesthouse that evening for a proper dinner at his home.

As soon as the Chens left, Wang Yufen’s polite smile vanished. Based on the lunch conversation, she could guess that a match between her daughter and the Chen son was unlikely. They were likely being invited just to go through the motions of fulfilling an old promise.

“Is there something wrong with that boy?” Wang Yufen muttered. “What young man grows up and doesn’t want to marry and have children? Why is he the exception?”

Mingyue chimed in from the side, “Maybe he has greater ambitions. Realizing one’s value in life doesn’t only happen through marriage and kids.”

“What kind of ambition requires giving up a family? What’s the point of such an ambition?” Wang Yufen sighed, looking at her daughter. “Don’t start thinking like that. You still need to find a good family and settle down peacefully.”

Having mentally given up on Chen Che, Wang Yufen asked Aiguo to see if Chen Daoyuan knew any other suitable boys. “It might be better if she doesn’t marry into that family. Their status is so much higher than ours; Mingyue might not be valued there. Let’s find someone more like us—a stable man with a good job so they can live a quiet life.”

She even thought Secretary Guo, the young man from earlier, seemed like a decent prospect. Aiguo told her not to rush; the primary purpose of this trip was still the meeting with Chen Che. If that failed, they would look for other options.

The Chen family lived in the military command’s residential compound. The entrance was grand, guarded by sentries in uniform who saluted when they saw Chen Daoyuan’s car.

Inside, a wide, straight road was lined with camphor trees. The setting sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground between detached, small villas. Wang Yufen had never seen such houses in Songzhuang or even Pingcheng.

Zhou Fang welcomed them warmly. “No other guests today, just a simple family meal between our two houses.”

Though she called it a “simple meal,” the table was laden with dishes Zhou Fang had prepared herself. Wang Yufen immediately went to the kitchen to help. As she peeked around the house, she realized it had two floors. The sight didn’t make her envious; instead, it gave her a heavy sense of pressure. This wasn’t the life of ordinary folk like them. She felt even more strongly that her daughter shouldn’t marry into this world.

In the living room, Chen Daoyuan and Song Aiguo reminisced about the old days. Mingyue and her brother listened until Mingyue, exhausted from the early morning travel, began to doze off.

“Yueyue, look! This is Chen Che, the one you’re meeting tomorrow,” Song Mingnian suddenly nudged her.

Chen Daoyuan had pulled out a photo album. He flipped past the old photos from the countryside to the family portraits. Mingyue blinked her groggy eyes at a photo of a chubby one-year-old holding a rattle, smiling at the camera.

Mingyue: “…” What am I supposed to see in this?

Chen Daoyuan chuckled. “He was fourteen months old there. Back then he loved to laugh. I don’t know what happened, but later on, he started wearing a stern face all day.”

Indeed, as the photos progressed, Chen Che became increasingly serious. There was a ten-year gap in the album, but the recent photos showed a man in a green military uniform, standing tall and straight. His features were undeniable—sharp brows, eyes like stars, and a clean, handsome face.

Mingnian whispered to her, “If the real person is as good-looking as the photo, you’d better hold on tight to him.”

But he’s a short-lived ghost! Mingyue thought. For some reason, seeing the photos made the knowledge of his future even more painful.

Dinner lasted until after 9:00 PM. Song Aiguo was quite drunk, while Chen Daoyuan, more accustomed to social drinking, was still steady. He insisted the Songs stay the night.

Because Aiguo tended to be rowdy when drunk, Wang Yufen wanted to stay by his side to serve him. Mingnian offered to sleep on the sofa in the large living room.

“That won’t do,” Zhou Fang insisted. “It’s warm, but you might catch a chill. Why doesn’t Mingnian stay in Chen Che’s room for the night?”

It was nearly 10:00 PM when they retired. Mingnian lay down in Chen Che’s room and found the bed incredibly soft. He realized there was a mattress on top—a luxury he hadn’t experienced. As always, his first thought was of his sister.

He knocked on Mingyue’s door and found her bed was a standard hard board. “Mingyue, sleep in my room. The bed there is much more comfortable.”

Mingyue yawned. “What about you, Brother?”

“I’ll sleep here. Go on, get some rest. We have business tomorrow.” Mingnian laid down on her bed, ending the discussion.

Mingyue, who had once had high standards for bedding in her past life, sank into the soft mattress. She felt so relaxed she wanted to sing ‘Older brothers are the best in the world.’ She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

In the middle of the night, she heard a sound in the room.

Drowsy, she turned over and tried to go back to sleep, but someone was shaking her awake. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw a large face hovering inches from hers.

Her heart dropped. Just as she was about to scream, a hand clamped over her mouth. A cold, indifferent voice spoke:

“Don’t shout. This is my room. Why are you in my bed?”

Moonlight streamed through the white curtains, illuminating the man before her. His brows were like blades, his nose bridge was high and straight, and his quiet eyes were cold and devoid of emotion as he looked her over.

Mingyue finally realized who it was.

This was Chen Che. She was finally seeing the man from the book.

But the book never mentioned he was this handsome.