The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 7

Mingyue locked eyes with him for about ten seconds before Chen Che finally released his hand. His gaze remained as sharp as a blade, and the corners of his mouth pressed down slightly as he warned her again not to scream.

“I won’t scream,” Mingyue said, showing no fear. Instead, her eyes sparkled. “You’re Chen Che, right?”

Chen Che looked at the woman before him, searching his memory, but he was certain he didn’t know her. He wasn’t a germaphobe, but he strongly disliked others touching his things—especially his rare private space. He frowned and asked again in a low voice, “Who exactly are you?”

Mingyue felt a surge of excitement. For days, she had been planning something, and seeing Chen Che in the flesh made her feel that her plan had a fighting chance.

Striking while the iron was hot, she sat up in bed and extended a friendly hand, clearing the sleep from her throat. “Comrade Chen Che, let’s introduce ourselves. I am your fiancée, Song Mingyue.”

Chen Che: “…”

When did I get a fiancée? He took a closer look at her. Her messy hair fell across her smooth forehead, and her large, clear eyes—dark as mountain grapes—stared at him without blinking.

Chen Che averted his gaze, his voice cold and tinged with exhaustion. “I don’t have a fiancée. Don’t talk nonsense.”

He assumed this was another blind date arranged by his mother. After he had sternly told them years ago that he wouldn’t marry, Zhou Fang had stopped for a while. Clearly, something had triggered her to start the process all over again.

Since it wasn’t yet dawn, Chen Che decided to clear things up in the morning. He stood up, offering a compromise: “You sleep here. I’ll go to the guest room.”

“Don’t go. Both guest rooms are occupied,” Mingyue said, reaching out to grab his hand. It was then she noticed he was wearing leather military boots. In her time here, she usually saw men in cloth shoes or “liberation” sneakers; seeing these cool, handsome boots framing his long legs was a revelation.

Mingyue’s heart skipped a beat. She patted the spot next to her. “Sit down first. I have something to tell you.”

Chen Che didn’t know what she was up to. He had been working for a day and a night without sleep, and the corners of his eyes were slightly red with fatigue. However, his exhaustion didn’t diminish his icy sense of distance. Any other woman would have been intimidated, but Mingyue was radiant.

“I wasn’t lying when I said I’m your fiancée,” she began, adopting a negotiating tone. “Our parents set a betrothal for us when we were kids. They want us to be a couple. I know you’re unwilling, and frankly, so am I. But look at the reality—if you don’t find a partner, your parents will never stop nagging you.”

Chen Che frowned. “What are you trying to say?”

“Let’s have a fake marriage. We’ll satisfy our parents first, and once the wedding is over, we can move out. You go your way, I’ll go mine. No interference.”

Mingyue had two reasons for this. First, the man was a “short-lived ghost.” She wanted to stay close to try and save him. If fate couldn’t be changed, then she’d become a widow—which wasn’t a bad deal. As a widow, her mother wouldn’t pester her to remarry, and she could live a peaceful life. Second, she was a fan of his looks. He was tall, handsome, wealthy, and fit her aesthetic perfectly.

Seeing his hesitation, she wondered if she had moved too fast for the 1980s. She made one last push: “Our parents aren’t young anymore. As long as we aren’t married, they’ll worry every day. Don’t worry, I won’t overstep. We can even sign a contract.”

Chen Che found the girl’s thoughts bizarre, but one thing she said struck a chord: Their parents weren’t young anymore. He was cold on the outside, but he cared deeply for his family—especially his grandmother, who had raised him. He knew his grandmother longed to see him settled, but his dangerous work and the possibility that he might never be able to have children made him reluctant to burden any girl.

He thought for a moment before his sharp gaze softened slightly. “I am not a good choice. You should find someone else.”

So all that talking was like playing a lute to a cow? Mingyue thought. What a blockhead.

“Do you want to get married right now?” she asked.

“No,” Chen Che replied. He was surprised she could discuss such a topic so bluntly.

“Then that’s that.” Mingyue tossed a blanket and pillow to him. “Sleep on the floor. The guest rooms are full. It’ll be light soon; if Auntie Zhou sees you haven’t slept, she’ll be heartbroken.”

She turned her back to him, pretending to be indifferent. Only when she heard the rustle of him spreading the blanket did she relax.

Chen Che was beyond exhausted. He had only slept ten hours in the past few days. Even a man of iron has a breaking point. Despite the strange situation, he fell into a deep sleep, his breathing steady and his posture disciplined even in slumber.

As dawn broke, Mingyue was wide awake. She got out of bed and quietly cracked the door open.

Outside, Wang Yufen had woken up. She wanted to wake her children so they wouldn’t look lazy in a host’s house. She walked to Chen Che’s room, assuming her son Mingnian was inside. Downstairs, Zhou Fang was already busy in the kitchen. Not wanting to make a scene, Wang Yufen gently turned the doorknob.

In a split second, Mingyue feigned being deep in sleep and “accidentally” rolled off the bed and onto Chen Che.

The clumsy acting woke Chen Che instantly. His natural reflexes took over; he pinned her down to restrain her. Just as Wang Yufen pushed the door open, Mingyue wrapped her arms around Chen Che’s neck and whimpered coquettishly, “You’re hurting me…”

Wang Yufen froze. Seeing a man and woman tangled together, she let out an “Ai ya!” and covered her face, preparing to back out. Then she realized—Wait, that girl looks exactly like my daughter!

By the time she pushed the door back open, Mingyue was “straightening” her clothes, head lowered in feigned embarrassment. “Mom, why didn’t you knock?”

Wang Yufen felt the world spinning. Her legs gave out. Downstairs, Zhou Fang heard the noise and rushed up. She caught Wang Yufen, looked at the scene, and understood instantly.

Zhou Fang remained rational but furious. She glared at Chen Che. “Clean yourself up. Downstairs in five minutes.”

Before Chen Che could even figure out how to explain the unexplainable, he was cornered by his father.

In the living room, the atmosphere was suffocating. Wang Yufen wouldn’t even look at them. Song Aiguo looked ready to break someone’s legs. Chen Daoyuan, a man of immense authority, had never been this angry.

“Kneel!” Chen Daoyuan barked.

Chen Che didn’t explain. He knelt in the center of the room. Chen Daoyuan grabbed a whip from the side and brought it down hard. Chen Che didn’t flinch or even blink.

“Is this how I raised you? How could you do something so absurd?”

As the second strike was about to fall, Mingyue threw herself in front of Chen Che, her eyes filled with “terror.” “Uncle Chen, if you want to hit someone, hit me! I chose to be with Chen Che. I’ll take his punishment!”

Chen Daoyuan couldn’t hit someone else’s child—especially a girl he thought had been “wronged” by his son. “Mingyue, move. Our family has failed you.”

“I did it willingly! I want to be with Chen Che!” She cried convincingly, playing the part of a terrified girl showing a spark of desperate resolve.

Wang Yufen watched her daughter and wept. This girl never gives us a moment to breathe, she thought.

Zhou Fang stepped in to manage the crisis. She took Wang Yufen’s hand. “We are all blindsided by this. Sister Yufen, Brother Song, I am so sorry. Since these two clearly have feelings for each other, the most important thing is to get them married immediately.”

The Songs had no choice but to agree. At least it was the Chen family; they could trust the household.

Chen Che tried to open his mouth to explain that nothing had happened—that he was just tired—but his father wouldn’t give him the chance.

“Dad, I—”

Chen Daoyuan kicked him aside. “Chen Che, you have no say here! I don’t know what got into you today, but if you are ever anything less than perfect to Mingyue, you will never step through my door again.”

Chen Che had just wanted to come home and rest for a few days. Now, his entire life had been arranged in a single morning.