The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 89

Chen Che accompanied Song Mingyue to the hospital. Perhaps it was due to her sudden anxiety, but by the time they arrived, Song Mingyue was doubled over in pain.

Medical technology in this era was limited, and since it was nearly 6:00 PM, the regular departments were closed, leaving only the emergency room. The equipment there was sparse. Chen Che, typically a man who kept his emotions hidden, was visibly tense; a thin layer of sweat had formed on his brow despite the cool late-autumn air.

The emergency doctor asked a few questions before prescribing some anti-miscarriage medication. It was the standard treatment for any pregnant woman who came in, regardless of the specific underlying issue. There wasn’t much else to be done. After taking the medicine, the doctor asked her to stay for thirty minutes of observation. “If you’re still in pain, I’ll call our (chief physician). Stay here and don’t move around.”

Chen Che kept a tight grip on Song Mingyue’s hand throughout. Both could feel the cold sweat on each other’s palms. Sensing his nervousness and helplessness, and finding the atmosphere far too heavy, Song Mingyue smiled. “I never imagined our Battalion Commander Chen would have moments where he loses his cool.”

Chen Che tightened his grip but remained silent.

Song Mingyue squeezed his hand back. “If I can’t keep this baby, will you blame me?”

For the first time, Chen Che spoke. He looked at her earnestly and said, “No. Yueyue, I will never blame you. I only need you to be safe.”

Song Mingyue nodded. “Hmm, that’s a decent answer. So, if it comes down to choosing between saving the mother or the child, you’ll choose me, right?”

Chen Che didn’t quite understand. “What do you mean, ‘saving the mother or the child’?”

Song Mingyue traced the lines on his palm, laughing softly.

Whether it was the medicine or simply the act of resting, the pain subsided significantly after half an hour. Before they left, the doctor warned Chen Che, “You must not let your wife work this hard again. Pregnancy is not a simple matter. She survived this scare, but who knows what will happen next time?”

“Understood. Thank you, Doctor.”

Hearing that she was out of immediate danger, Chen Che’s heart finally settled.

Walking out of the hospital, they passed a noodle shop. A bowl cost one yuan and fifty cents. Chen Che stopped, saying he hadn’t had dinner yet.

“You didn’t eat at the cafeteria?” Song Mingyue asked.

Chen Che had been so focused on her shop’s grand opening, wanting to finish his tasks and go find her, that he had skipped both breakfast and dinner. He used to do this often, often resulting in stomach issues, but since marrying Song Mingyue, he had maintained a regular diet and his stomach had recovered. He could have endured the hunger, but he didn’t want to trigger another bout of illness and cause her to worry. So, he ordered a bowl of noodles to tide himself over.

Even while eating, his thoughts remained on her shop. “How did it go today?”

“It was amazing! You wouldn’t believe it—people came from all the surrounding suburbs from morning until night. It was so lively.”

She spoke with a beam, and Chen Che listened patiently. For some reason, hearing her talk about it warmed his heart. He knew better than anyone how much effort she had poured into this business, often leaving early and returning late. Seeing her hard work pay off made him swell with pride, though he remained silent, simply smiling as he watched her.

But as she spoke, Song Mingyue sighed internally. If I hadn’t been so busy today, the baby wouldn’t have been in such danger. It was a warning. If it happened again, she might truly lose the child. Yet, the shop had just opened, and so much required her direct supervision. Plus, they were running low on clothes—she and Zhang Jingjing needed to get to Shanghai as soon as possible to finalize their supply deals. She couldn’t afford to waste this momentum.

Back in bed that night, she mentioned the trip to Shanghai to Chen Che. Her intention was to emphasize how difficult her situation was and that the trip was unavoidable. However, as soon as she hinted at the hardship, Chen Che offered his full support.

“Do you want to go to Shanghai? I have three days of leave this week. I’ll submit my report and go with you.”

“I can’t let you do that. You just accompanied me there last time, and your work is important. I don’t want to disrupt your duties.”

Chen Che lay beside her, his voice calm and steady. “Yueyue, I can’t rest easy if you go alone. I only feel like myself when I’m by your side. Besides, I can take care of you on the road.”

“But your work…”

“I have my own arrangements. I’ve accumulated plenty of leave, so three days is fine.”

Naturally, Song Mingyue was delighted at the prospect of him coming along. If she went to Shanghai, she wanted to visit Qin Shuang and Chen Cuicui, and having Chen Che there would be like an informal meeting with her family.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, her leg cramped. It was a combination of her long, busy day and the fact that she was pregnant. Why is childbirth so difficult? she thought. It’s like enduring the eighty-one trials.

She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Chen Che gently pulled her into his arms. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

Song Mingyue whined in pain. Being around Chen Che made her feel a hundred times more fragile. “My leg hurts.”

Chen Che moved immediately. Seeing him head toward the end of the bed, she thought he was going to the hospital again. “It’s just a cramp—I walked too much today.”

He calmed down and sat at her feet. His large, thick palms began to massage her delicate, fair calves with a gentle but firm touch. It felt incredibly soothing. As she drifted off, she mumbled, “Did you learn how to do this? The pressure is perfect.”

To her surprise, he admitted, “In the mountains, we’d sit for days and nights at a time. We used to massage each other to relieve the fatigue.”

“When I recover, I’ll learn how to massage you, too,” she promised.

Chen Che smiled and continued his work. Under his soothing touch, Song Mingyue fell asleep quickly. He stayed there, massaging her long after her breathing had evened out. Finally, he tucked her in, kissed her cheek, and stroked her hair. “You’ve worked hard,” he whispered.

Song Mingyue slept blissfully. Chen Che was up early to make breakfast before leaving for work. Zhang Jingjing came over to wake her. “Mingyue, do you really feel completely fine today?” She had been a nervous wreck all night, fearing the hospital had missed something. Seeing Mingyue rested and vibrant, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

The two went inside, and Zhang Jingjing hugged her. “Mingyue, I really just love being with you.”

“Is Old Yu giving you trouble again?” Song Mingyue asked. “Did he yell at you last night?”

“No, but…” Zhang Jingjing felt the distance between them growing. They hardly had anything to talk about, and Old Yu never initiated conversation. Last night, he had even scolded her for not being “proper” and said he wanted to sleep in a separate room.

Zhang Jingjing had been furious and told him to move his things, but that morning, the anger had faded into a cold realization of how far their marriage had deteriorated. Being with him felt suffocating. Being with Song Mingyue, however, was comfortable—she could be herself, whine, and talk like a young girl.

They walked to the shop together. Along the way, Song Mingyue told her that Chen Che would be accompanying her to Shanghai, and that Zhang Jingjing would stay behind to manage the store with Pei Xiaoyu.

Zhang Jingjing felt a sudden pang of jealousy. “Why aren’t we going together?”

“Someone has to look after the shop. You’re more experienced than Xiaoyu; I trust you more. Jingjing, do you want to go to Shanghai?”

“Of course not! The train ride alone would kill me. You and Battalion Commander Chen go—that’s for the best.”

Everything seemed to be falling into place. As they walked, Zhang Jingjing supported Song Mingyue, terrified she might slip or feel unwell. Jingjing kept reminding her to rest and not push herself too hard on the trip.

“Don’t worry,” Song Mingyue said. “Chen Che is with me. He’ll take care of me.”

Zhang Jingjing could hear the warmth in her voice when she mentioned him. “Mingyue, the relationship you and Battalion Commander Chen have is truly enviable.”

“I admit, I’m lucky to have met him. He’s a good man,” Song Mingyue said, looking at Zhang Jingjing. “But that kind of luck isn’t a life necessity. If we ever end up with a bad man, we can just walk away. We don’t have to force it.”

She had noticed Zhang Jingjing’s gloomy disposition ever since she arrived, and she knew it had to do with Old Yu. Song Mingyue decided to stop giving advice. Once they made their own money, the presence or absence of a man wouldn’t matter—and they certainly wouldn’t care about the likes of Old Yu.