The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 72

Outwardly, Chen Che seemed indifferent, but inwardly, he was consumed by jealousy. Since Zhang Jingjing didn’t know the backstory, she was brimming with curiosity about Song Mingyue’s former fiancé. She tugged at Chen Che and asked, “Captain Chen, have you ever met him?”

“I have,” Chen Che replied coolly.

“What was he like? Was he as good-looking as you?” Zhang Jingjing asked with zero social awareness.

Chen Che maintained his calm demeanor, answering with a straight face, “He wasn’t good-looking. He had misaligned eyes.”

Help, Mingyue thought. How do I not remember Liu Jiabao having misaligned eyes? While his features weren’t as refined as Chen Che’s, Liu Jiabao had been considered a handsome guy—he was 1.85 meters tall, which was why the “original” Song Mingyue had been so infatuated with him. However, she didn’t call his bluff; she just chuckled to herself.

Zhang Jingjing assumed Captain Chen was just bad-mouthing a rival, so she pressed Song Mingyue: “Is he really cross-eyed? I think Captain Chen is just petty.”

You’re asking that even though you know he’s petty? Song Mingyue decided to stand firmly by her husband’s side. She nodded solemnly, “He does have misaligned eyes. Chen Che isn’t lying.” After saying this, she reached out to hold his hand, deliberately scratching his palm. Chen Che wrapped his hand around hers, brushing his thumb against her pinky. Song Mingyue felt as if she had been zapped by electricity, though they both continued walking as if nothing had happened.

University security was very strict. As they were in the middle of classes, the guard stopped the three of them at the gate. “What are you here for?”

“I’m looking for someone,” Mingyue said. “My brother is a student here.”

The guard looked them over—they didn’t look like troublemakers—but school regulations forbade outsiders. He pointed at Chen Che and Zhang Jingjing. “Are these two with you?”

“One is my husband, the other is my friend. We’re here together.”

“Fine, you go in. These two stay at the gate.”

Since it was just a quick check on Song Mingnian, it wouldn’t take long. Mingyue told them, “You two wait here; I’ll be back as soon as I see him.”

Chen Che ruffled her hair. “Go on.”

Pingcheng University was a comprehensive institution, and its campus was sprawling. She walked for quite a while before seeing the teaching buildings. She was looking for the mathematics department when she saw two girls walking ahead. She caught up and asked politely, “Excuse me, do you know how to get to the Math department?”

The prettier girl asked, “What do you need the Math department for?”

“I’m looking for my brother. He’s a student there.”

The second girl laughed. “What a coincidence! Xiaojing’s boyfriend is in the Math department. What’s his name?”

“Song Mingnian.”

The pretty girl’s eyes lit up with a kind smile. “You’re Mingnian’s sister? He’s mentioned you!”

It really was a small world. The girl offered to take her there. On the way, Mingyue learned her name was Wang Xiaojing, whose boyfriend lived in the same dorm as Mingnian. Mingyue explained she was visiting from out of town and was leaving in a few days, so she wanted to see her brother.

“I know,” Xiaojing said. “Mingnian told us. You married a soldier, right? He’s always been so proud of you.”

“I feel the same—my brother is much more brilliant than I am.” The Math department was the jewel of Pingcheng University, ranked highly nationwide. Song Mingnian had scored well above the university’s entrance requirements, but he had a clear goal. Song Mingyue respected his determination.

When they arrived, Mingyue realized they were at the men’s dormitory. Xiaojing led her in without hesitation. “They don’t have classes right now; they should be in their room.”

“Is it okay for us to enter a men’s dorm?”

“It’s fine,” Xiaojing laughed. “There’s no curfew here.”

The three-story building showed its age. Inside, the facilities were old, the walls were peeling, and the wooden banister on the stairs was worn down to the raw wood. Just as they reached the third floor, a man emerged from the laundry room.

“Jian-ge!” Xiaojing called out.

The man, Guo Jian, was a roommate of Mingnian. He turned to joke with Xiaojing, but froze the moment he saw Song Mingyue behind her. As a math major and an avid reader, he considered himself a bit of an intellectual. When he saw Song Mingyue, he finally understood what “love at first sight” in books truly meant. She wore a long dress, her face was cold and clean, and her shallow dimples gave her smile a lethal charm.

“Who… who is this?” Guo Jian stuttered.

“This is Mingnian’s sister,” Xiaojing introduced them. “She’s here to see him. Is he in the dorm?”

“Yes, he is,” Guo Jian replied, his face flushing bright red. He lightly touched Mingyue’s hand during the introduction and turned to lead them to the room.

The hallway was long, lined with twenty rooms. As they walked, Guo Jian felt like his heart was pounding out of his chest. He felt awkward and unlike his usual self. When they reached the door, he didn’t even knock, just shouted, “Mingnian! Your sister is here to see you!”

Inside, Mingnian was studying diligently. When he looked up and saw Mingyue, he rushed over to hug her. “Girl! When did you get back?”

“Yesterday.”

Glad to see she’d come to find him so soon, Mingyue let go and said, “Chen Che and a friend are waiting at the gate. The guard wouldn’t let them in.”

Since they had no more classes, Mingnian packed his things, intending to head home with her. He handed a leave slip to Guo Jian: “Jian, please give this to the professor tomorrow. Tell him I have family matters to attend to.”

Guo Jian took the note, agreeing, but held Mingnian back. “Is she really your sister?”

“Yeah, the sister I’m always talking about—the one who moved away.”

Guo Jian felt his heart shatter. As a roommate, he knew Mingyue was married to a soldier. When they left, Guo Jian called out to Mingyue, “Sister, let me introduce myself again. My name is Guo Jian.” Song Mingyue acknowledged him politely but didn’t give it much thought.

On the way home, Mingnian filled her in on local news. As expected, he asked if Song Jiajia had been bothering her. Mingyue dismissed it—she didn’t want to pursue past grudges, but if anyone pushed her, she wasn’t going to be a pushover.

That evening, Wang Yufen prepared a massive feast. “By the way, Little Chen, Mingyue, your aunt came by today. She asked about your wedding—since you didn’t hold one at home, do you want to have a ceremony now?”

Song Aiguo agreed, “You should. I haven’t seen my daughter get married yet.”

“Forget it, Mom, Dad,” Mingyue said. “Ceremonies are a waste of time. I’d rather just spend time with you.”

Wang Yufen turned to Chen Che. “Little Chen, what do you think?”

“Mom, I listen to Yueyue.”

“It’ll be at home,” Song Aiguo insisted. “Your mother and I have decided—we’ll give you all the gift money; we’ll handle the logistics.”

They’re trying to bribe me. Song Mingyue considered this. “How about we just have a simple dinner?” Collecting gift money was important, after all.

Wang Yufen was beaming throughout the meal. She adored her son-in-law and imagined that once they had a baby, their family of three would be perfectly happy. Thinking of children, she was about to ask when they planned to start a family.

The next morning, Wang Yufen made noodles with pork lard, pork heart, and lung—a dish usually reserved for the New Year. Thinking of the growing family, she finally asked, “Mingyue, when are you and Little Chen planning on having a baby?”

“Mom, don’t rush us,” Mingyue waved her off. “We don’t want children for the time being.”

The topic of children was a thorn in Chen Che’s side. He had spent time in areas with high electromagnetic interference, and he worried he might be infertile. That was why he hadn’t yet undergone the vasectomy Mingyue suggested—he figured he might not need it. And he wasn’t sure if Mingyue really didn’t want children, or if she was just saying that to spare his feelings. Lately, however, he had started daydreaming about having a baby with her—would the child look like him or her?

Not long after, Mingyue felt nauseous again, especially at the smell of the pork lard. She rushed into the courtyard and retched until she brought up nothing but bile.

“Are you having trouble adjusting to the local environment?” Wang Yufen asked, worried. “Let’s go see a doctor after eating.”

“You’ve done this twice now,” Zhang Jingjing added. “We’re going with you later.”

Song Mingyue nodded, confused—her stomach was usually ironclad. As Wang Yufen reached for the sesame oil in the kitchen, a thought struck her. She put the bowl down, ran into the living room, and asked, “Mingyue, are you pregnant?”

As a nurse, she knew the symptoms well. Song Mingyue froze. Her first thought was that it was impossible; they had been careful. But then, a sudden realization hit her. She turned to Zhang Jingjing. “What date is it today?”

Mingnian blurted out the date.

Song Mingyue felt a wave of despair. She realized her period was more than a month late. She had been so busy she’d completely forgotten to track it.

“It must be… just a hormonal imbalance from being too busy,” she muttered weakly.

Wang Yufen didn’t argue. “I’m taking you to the hospital. Whether you are or not, we’ll find out for sure.”