The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 71

A figure stood by the window, its slender silhouette framed softly by the moonlight. Song Mingyue sat up from her bed, and with just one look, she felt a psychic connection—she knew exactly who it was.

Zhang Jingjing’s earlier scream had been quite powerful, and both Song Aiguo and Wang Yufen had emerged from their room. Seeing Mingyue head out, they asked what was happening. “It’s nothing, Dad, Mom. You two go back to sleep.”

Song Mingyue immediately unlocked the front door and headed to the back of the courtyard. Turning the corner, she saw him standing in the moonlight—radiant, peerless, and exactly the man she had been longing for.

It felt surreal, but Chen Che had already rushed over, pulling her into a tight embrace. Song Mingyue leaned against him, breathing in his familiar, comforting scent, and wrapped her arms around him. “How did you get here?” she asked softly.

Chen Che didn’t answer, only holding her tighter, as if he were holding his entire world.

Seeing their daughter stay outside for so long, Song Aiguo and his wife grew worried. As they stepped out, they saw their daughter in the arms of a man. The moonlight was hazy, and the elderly couple couldn’t see clearly. Assuming the worst, they covered their eyes and scolded, “Mingyue, you can’t be doing such reckless things!”

“Dad, Mom, it’s me.”

The man opposite them didn’t reply until they peeked through their fingers. As their eyes adjusted to the light, they saw the tall, imposing figure of their son-in-law, Chen Che.

“Oh my! Chen Che, why are you back in the middle of the night? Come in, come in!”

Chen Che offered a brief explanation: he had an opportunity to hitch a ride with a military vehicle and decided to stop by. In truth, Song Mingyue had told him she was heading to Shanghai and then home. Not knowing if she was still in Shanghai, he had come to Pingcheng simply hoping to catch her. He hadn’t expected the timing to be so perfect.

Wang Yufen was overly enthusiastic, cooking him a bowl of shredded pork noodles in the middle of the night. She sat across from him, watching him with the classic look of a mother-in-law who grows fonder the more she looks at her son-in-law.

Since Song Mingnian’s room was still empty, Song Mingyue sent Chen Che there after he finished his meal. “It’s late, go get some sleep. Zhang Jingjing and I need to rest, too.”

Between her lover and her friend, Song Mingyue chose the latter, which touched Zhang Jingjing deeply. “Mingyue, you didn’t have to worry about me. It’s so rare for you and Captain Chen to be together.”

“Am I that kind of person?” Mingyue interrupted. “He’s a man, he can manage, but this is your first time at my house; of course, I have to keep you company.”

This made Zhang Jingjing tear up, further cementing her belief that Song Mingyue was her best friend.

However, after Zhang Jingjing fell asleep, Song Mingyue lay awake, her mind wandering to the other room. Unable to sleep, she decided to check on him. Early autumn meant a distinct chill in the air, and she shivered as she left the warmth of her blankets. Outside, a neighbor’s dog barked, startling her. She felt guilty, though she wasn’t sure why.

The door to her brother’s room was unlocked. Song Mingyue pushed it open gently. Inside, a figure lay on the bed, sleeping soundly. She didn’t want to wake him, but couldn’t resist a peek, so she crept in. There was a small desk lamp by the bed, and as she fumbled in the dark for the switch, she felt a sudden force pull her down. Before she could react, she was pinned to the bed.

She wasn’t afraid; her eyes sparkled instead. “Sir, is it really appropriate for you to be so touchy-feely in my house?”

Chen Che muttered against her neck, “We’re legally married.”

He kissed her, and Song Mingyue responded immediately. They had missed each other terribly. Their kiss grew more intense, and it was only when Mingyue gasped for air that Chen Che let go. She tried to sit up to protest—not because she wasn’t into it, but because the position was uncomfortable—but Chen Che pulled her into his arms, keeping her still. “Let me hold you for a moment.”

Right then, he needed this hug to recharge. They cuddled and kissed until the roosters crowed, when Song Mingyue whispered, “I have to go back. Jingjing might notice if I’m gone.” She didn’t get an answer. When she finally managed to turn around, she realized he had fallen asleep in that exact position.

He must have been exhausted. His face lacked its usual coldness in his sleep, and Song Mingyue felt her heart swell. She couldn’t help but kiss his cheeks and lips before gently slipping out of his arms. She made it to the door, then turned back one last time to steal another kiss before returning to her room.

Because of the late night, everyone slept in, though Wang Yufen was the first up. She prepared porridge and side dishes, waiting patiently for them to wake. Chen Che hadn’t slept this soundly in ages; the final stages of a project had kept him running on little sleep for weeks. Coming home to find her missing had only added to his restlessness, but now, with his wife by his side, he slept like the dead.

When he finally woke, the day was bright. He pushed open the door to be met by Wang Yufen’s warm greeting: “Little Chen, you’re up! Go wash up; I’ll get your breakfast.”

Chen Che scanned the house and courtyard but couldn’t find Song Mingyue. Wang Yufen smiled as if she knew his thoughts. “Mingyue hasn’t gotten up yet.”

“Okay. Mom, don’t worry about it. I’ll wait for them.”

Seeing her son-in-law wasn’t eating, Wang Yufen went to check on the girls. Zhang Jingjing was already awake. Seeing Wang Yufen, she signaled for quiet: “Auntie, Mingyue is still sleeping.” Wang Yufen gestured for her to come out and eat. Zhang shook her head, saying she would wait for Mingyue.

Song Mingyue woke to see her mother and Zhang Jingjing communicating through silent gestures. When she sat up, Wang Yufen’s voice rose: “Yueyue, get up! Chen Che and Jingjing are waiting for you to eat breakfast. Finish eating, then you can go back to sleep.”

With her husband and her friend in her own home, Song Mingyue felt truly happy.

After lunch, she decided to visit her brother at the university. On the way through the city, Wang Yufen warned her: “Song Jiajia owns several shops in the city now. If you see her, just pretend you don’t.”

“Don’t worry, Mom, I know how to handle her.”

Wang Yufen explained the situation. After marrying Liu Jiabao, he had become mentally disabled—unable even to feed himself. Song Jiajia had begun running roughshod over the household, and the Liu parents, seeing their son’s condition, dared not speak up. Using the Liu family’s resources, Song Jiajia had become quite successful, though her private life was a mess; she had taken many lovers behind her husband’s back.

As fate would have it, people you don’t want to see are the easiest to bump into. As Song Mingyue was looking for a gift for her brother, Song Jiajia called out from behind, “Song Mingyue?”

Mingyue turned to see Song Jiajia sporting an exaggerated, frizzy perm, wearing a red dress, and carrying a tiny handbag, looking down her nose at them. “Well, if it isn’t Song Mingyue. You actually dared to come back.”

Song Jiajia had been pampered for too long and let it go to her head. Seeing Mingyue, she couldn’t wait to settle old scores. She was no longer the Song Jiajia of the past; she wanted to get even.

Jiajia swung her hand to slap Mingyue’s face, but before Mingyue could react, Chen Che and Zhang Jingjing rushed to protect her. Chen Che grabbed Jiajia’s wrist firmly, causing her to shriek in pain. Zhang Jingjing was furious: “Who do you think you are? How dare you hit Mingyue?”

That feeling of being protected without even having to lift a finger felt pretty good. Chen Che shoved Jiajia’s hand away and said coldly, “Don’t let it happen again.”

It was a simple threat, and normally Jiajia would have fired back with, “I’ll do whatever I want!” but staring into his icy eyes, she felt a sudden chill and couldn’t say a word. As they left, Zhang Jingjing added a final threat: “You heard him. If you touch her again, you’ll regret it.”

Song Mingyue hadn’t uttered a syllable, but Jiajia was already trembling with rage. She knew the man—it was the husband Song Mingyue had married before—but she had no idea who this Zhang Jingjing was or where she came from.

To Zhang Jingjing, Song Mingyue was the definition of kind and innocent; she was friendly to everyone, even poor children like Pei Xiaoyu. She couldn’t understand why anyone would want to hit such a person.

“Mingyue, who was that woman? I’m curious—how did you offend her?”

“That’s my cousin, Song Jiajia,” Mingyue replied casually.

Zhang Jingjing’s curiosity burned brighter. “So, what did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything. She was the one who snatched my useless fiancé.”

“What? You had a fiancé?” And he was snatched by someone else? Who on earth was so blind that they didn’t want Mingyue?

Song Mingyue waved it off with magnanimity. “Forget it, let’s not talk about the past.”

Chen Che, however, remained troubled. He had met that man before and heard the rumors. It had been a close call—he had almost missed out on Song Mingyue entirely.