The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 78

When she said she wanted to talk, Chen Che immediately turned on the light to listen.

Song Mingyue didn’t like keeping things bottled up, so she asked bluntly, “Are you being sincere when you say you agree to come with me to the hospital?”

Chen Che stared intently into her eyes. After a moment, he replied in a low voice, “No.”

The two looked at each other in silence.

About two minutes later, Chen Che turned his face away. “Yueyue, I never thought about being a father, but these past few days, I couldn’t help but fantasize about what I would be like as one. My father was very strict, and we were never close. If I were a father, I certainly wouldn’t be like them. I would cherish and protect him, making him the happiest child in the world.”

“But,” he continued, “you don’t have to change yourself because of my thoughts. I can only imagine it, while you are the one who has to endure the physical pain of motherhood. So, I won’t demand anything of you. Just do what you want to do.”

Compared to the rigid, forceful attitudes of Wang Yufen and the others, Chen Che’s words struck a deeper chord with Song Mingyue. She wasn’t afraid of a man throwing a tantrum; she was afraid of a man playing the “victim,” especially one as handsome and stoic as Chen Che, who showed tenderness only to her.

Song Mingyue looked at his clear, affectionate eyes and chose to ignore them, immediately lying back down to sleep. She could not let her train of thought be derailed by him.

The next morning, Chen Che and Song Mingyue got ready, and he took her on his bicycle to the Mo City People’s Hospital.

Meanwhile, at the military research institute, Chen Che had requested a half-day off. His cousin, Jiang Manman, happened to stop by. After spending time with her, Wang Bing and the others disliked her and wouldn’t even acknowledge her. Jiang Manman took a look around, noticed Chen Che was gone, and asked boldly, “Why haven’t I seen Captain Chen today?”

Wang Bing emphasized, “Our Captain went to accompany his wife. He’s going to be a father soon, so some people should give up that idea early.”

Chen Che is going to be a father? Is Song Mingyue pregnant? Jiang Manman’s expression changed instantly. They were a married couple, so it was normal for her to be pregnant after being married for a while. But she couldn’t accept it. Every day she spent around Chen Che, her desire to marry him grew more intense. She had been holding back, hoping to make a good impression first before finding a way to win his heart back. She knew it was shameless to destroy someone else’s marriage, but she didn’t care. Having been reborn once, she only wanted to live for herself; nothing else mattered.

As a result, Jiang Manman spent the rest of the morning in a daze. After lunch, her supervisor proactively gave her the afternoon off, saying, “You’re not in your right mind today; go home and rest.”

On the way home, Jiang Manman was full of malicious schemes. This child must not be born, she thought. She had seen too many examples of divorced couples staying entangled forever because of their children.

At the hospital, the doctor first had Song Mingyue undergo an examination. Ultrasound wasn’t widespread then, so they relied on blood tests and an experienced doctor’s assessment. The baby was healthy, but because Song Mingyue had nearly drowned once before, her body was significantly weakened. The doctor advised her to rest at home for a while to avoid the risk of a miscarriage.

After the doctor finished giving a series of precautions, Song Mingyue interrupted: “Can I have an abortion now? I don’t want this child.”

The doctor was confused. “Induced labor? Aren’t you a married couple? The child is healthy—why would you want to terminate the pregnancy?”

She certainly couldn’t tell them she had business to attend to. In this society, a woman’s primary duty was to have children. Thinking quickly, Song Mingyue let her face fall. “Doctor, we can’t have this child. I was sick a while ago and took a lot of Western medicine; I’m terrified the child might have health issues because of it.”

“When did you take the medication?”

“A few days ago. I was vomiting because I was pregnant, but I thought I was sick, so I took a lot of medicine.”

The doctor analyzed the situation: “A child’s vitality isn’t as fragile as you think. Since you’re just at the beginning, it shouldn’t be a major issue. However, just to be safe, if you don’t want it, that’s fine. I suggest you go to a larger hospital to consult further.”

“No need to ask around. I don’t want it. Please just give me the referral for the procedure.”

Family planning policies hadn’t yet started, but to have an abortion, one needed a referral letter. That was the main reason Mingyue came today. The doctor made one last attempt: “You both seem like highly educated people. If money isn’t an issue, you could go to the provincial capital. I have a senior colleague there whose technique is excellent. I can recommend you to him.”

This time, Chen Che spoke up. He followed Mingyue’s lead: “We don’t dare gamble on the ‘what-ifs.’ Please, give us the referral letter.”

“You two… there are so many people coming here struggling with infertility. You finally got pregnant—how can you be willing to give it up?”

Chen Che clenched his fists tightly. He didn’t say a word until the doctor handed him the referral letter, at which point he politely thanked him.

The procedure was scheduled for a week later. After paying the fees and taking the receipt, Song Mingyue finally felt at ease. The child could not be kept; she had decided that long ago, and nothing would change her mind.

However, walking side-by-side with Chen Che, she could clearly sense his low spirits. He had compromised for her, after all. Song Mingyue decided to coax him; she suddenly grabbed Chen Che’s arm on the street and deliberately called him “Hubby” in a cutesy, high-pitched voice.

“Hubby” was a trendy and bold term at the time, and Chen Che was embarrassed, especially hearing her say it in that tone. Several young wives walking nearby heard her and immediately quickened their pace, though they couldn’t help but peek at her.

Song Mingyue didn’t care. She clung to Chen Che tightly. “I want to eat dapanji (big plate chicken) today. Let’s go to a restaurant.”

Because of the detour, it was already past 12:00 PM. Perhaps due to his low mood, Chen Che wasn’t hungry at all, but he agreed to her suggestion with a simple, “Okay.”

The restaurant wasn’t crowded. Song Mingyue found a seat and handed the menu to Chen Che. “I’m treating you today. Order whatever you want.”

Chen Che didn’t seem interested; he didn’t even flip through the menu, handing it back to her. “Anything is fine. I’ll listen to you.”

The atmosphere turned awkward. Song Mingyue paused, then took the menu back, called the server, and ordered three dishes. She had only had a bite in the morning, so she was genuinely hungry. She ordered three dishes Chen Che usually liked, but when she started devouring the food, Chen Che barely touched his chopsticks.

Since he had handed the menu back, they hadn’t exchanged a word. Song Mingyue didn’t want to be the one to break the silence, so she didn’t address him. Diners came and went, most chatting and laughing, but their table was completely devoid of conversation.

When Mingyue finished, Chen Che paid the bill and waited for her at the register. “Let’s go, let’s go home.”

It felt as if she were the one being unreasonable. Sitting on the back of the bicycle, Song Mingyue felt an indescribable discomfort, yet she could feel that Chen Che was giving her the cold shoulder. For the first time in a long while, there was an awkward silence between them.

As they took a turn, Chen Che suddenly said, “Hold on tight.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Chen Che stiffened. It had been a long time since he heard her use such formal language. It sounded polite, but it invisibly stretched the distance between them. Back home, Song Mingyue jumped off the bike and went straight inside. Usually, she would link arms with him, chatting and laughing while they parked. Chen Che realized it: Song Mingyue was angry.

He didn’t know what he had done to upset her. Shouldn’t today be a day for her to be happy? The date for the procedure is set.

While they were in the middle of a cold war, an uninvited guest arrived. While Song Mingyue was refolding the clothes she had brought back, Jiang Manman showed up with gifts. From inside the room, she heard her talking to Chen Che: “Brother Chen, congratulations! I heard Mingyue is pregnant, so I came over specially to see her.”

It was a blatant case of “the weasel paying respects to the chicken.” And for her to say that in front of Chen Che was just twisting the knife in his wounds. Before Chen Che could respond, Song Mingyue pushed open the door and walked out with a bright, flowery smile. “What a rare guest! Not at work today?”

“You don’t have any family here, so when I heard such big news, I had to come over and check on you.”

Song Mingyue naturally walked to Chen Che’s side, intentionally emphasizing: “Hubby, why is your face so ugly? Are you not welcoming to your cousin?”

Jiang Manman’s face darkened. She didn’t care about the sarcasm; she was just annoyed by how good Song Mingyue was at seducing him.

Chen Che returned the gifts to her. “It’s not a day off, and this isn’t worth your trip. Go home.”

“I’m genuinely here to congratulate you.”

Chen Che ignored her entirely. “I have things to do. I’m going back to the room to read.”

Usually, he wouldn’t be this blunt, but he was already in an incredibly bad mood, and Jiang Manman talking about the child was like throwing gasoline on a fire.

Song Mingyue waved her hand. “He’s always like this with people he dislikes. Can’t help it.”

Jiang Manman was used to it and had developed a thick skin. She didn’t care what Mingyue said; she just wanted to get her point across. “Once the baby is born, you’ll be stuck at home raising children. Don’t worry, though; I’ll help Chen Che with his career.”

“You?” Song Mingyue sneered contemptuously. “He has plenty of colleagues. I don’t care about any old cat or dog; he doesn’t take them to heart anyway. In his heart, the most important people will always be me and our child.”

Jiang Manman was no match for Song Mingyue. She had come to make Song Mingyue retreat, but Mingyue didn’t care about her games at all—in fact, Jiang Manman only succeeded in making a fool of herself.

On the way home, however, Jiang Manman accidentally overheard a piece of news.