The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 90

Although the foot traffic wasn’t as high as the first day, many girls still stopped by. Seeing that the shop was running low on stock, they urged the owners to restock quickly, promising to return for more. Song Mingyue made a pact with them: by the same time next week, the inventory would be fully replenished, and she would post a sign at the entrance to notify everyone.

“That’s a great idea! I pass by here on my way to work, so I can just check the sign and see when the new stock arrives. It saves me from having to ask every time,” one girl said.

Song Mingyue asked, “What kind of styles do you prefer?”

The girls trusted her implicitly. “I’ll leave it to you. Lamei from our factory said you’re the one who recommended her clothes, and they suit her perfectly. I trust your taste.”

When the shop was empty, Song Mingyue taught Zhang Jingjing and Pei Xiaoyu how to better coordinate outfits for customers. She knew that as the business grew, she wouldn’t be able to handle everything alone, so the two of them needed to become experts. Fortunately, both were hardworking and eager to learn to alleviate the burden on Song Mingyue.

Meanwhile, Chen Che had purchased two train tickets for their departure in two days. When he submitted his leave report, Zhao Hongwei was displeased. “Hmph, Chen Che, you weren’t like this before. You used to be the most dedicated of us all. What’s going on? You’re actually asking for time off?”

Regardless of what was said, Chen Che remained unmoved and handed over the application. “Please sign here.”

Zhao Hongwei huffed, snatched the pen, and scrawled his name at the bottom. Before Chen Che left, Zhao added, shaking his head, “Beauty truly ruins a man. Even a thousand-year-old iceberg can be melted and turned into a slacker.”

Despite his grumbling, his tone was joyful. He was genuinely happy for Chen Che. Zhao had always worried that Chen Che would forget to live his own life, losing himself entirely in his work. Now, with a family, Chen Che was becoming a normal man—someone with flesh and blood who took responsibility for the person he loved. How could Zhao not be happy for him?

They would only be in Shanghai for two nights and two days—less time than it took to travel there. Chen Che didn’t let Song Mingyue lift a finger, packing the luggage himself. He only brought two sets of clothes but packed a mountain of food, fruit, and dry rations, terrified she might go hungry. He even packed blankets and other daily essentials. Having grown up in the military, he handled these tasks with ease, folding her clothes into neat, perfect squares.

Song Mingyue sat nearby with her legs crossed, chatting with him. “When we get to Shanghai, I’m going to introduce you to someone.”

“Who?”

Song Mingyue thought for a moment. “A friend I met in Shanghai last time. We’re quite fated, I think.”

That was the only way to say it; the reality was far more complex. In her previous life, when she lived with her grandmother, the old woman would often sigh: “I won’t live to see you get married. I don’t know what kind of man you’ll end up with, but please, don’t be like your mother—ruining the best years of your life for a man.” Back then, Song Mingyue didn’t understand why her grandmother was always so melancholic despite their wealth. Her grandmother would just touch her head and say, “My Yueyue is blessed; you’ll definitely be more successful than your mother.”

Though they were in different dimensions, Song Mingyue wanted to bring Chen Che to see Chen Cuicui. It felt like fulfilling a regret from her past life. Still, everyone had their own destiny; in this lifetime, Song Mingyue had no connection to the Qin family, and she didn’t want to force a change. She didn’t know if it was because of the pregnancy, but she found herself feeling unexpectedly sentimental.

Fortunately, Chen Che took care of everything. Even when she felt uncomfortable, she found herself deeply satisfied with their life together.

The compound wasn’t too far from the train station, but Chen Che, worried she might get tired, cycled her there. He dropped her off at the entrance while he went to a parking lot for bicycles. Since train stations were crowded, many locals cycled there, so a parking service had been set up; it cost one yuan to leave a bike for a few days. Chen Che paid the fee, took the tag, and rushed back to her, afraid she might feel lonely or overwhelmed.

Once inside, Chen Che arranged everything perfectly so Song Mingyue didn’t have to do a thing. Only when they boarded the train did he finally relax, terrified that the chaotic crowd might bump into her.

On the train, Chen Che’s attentiveness was almost excessive. He prepped seat cushions, a small blanket, various snacks, and water. The surrounding passengers stared in shock, wondering what kind of good fortune Song Mingyue had accumulated to find such a man. Regardless of the gossip, she accepted his care with calm grace.

An older woman nearby scolded her husband, “Look at that man, then look at you. Have you ever treated me that well for even one day?”

The husband was indignant. “Young man,” he grumbled to Chen Che, “your wife has hands and feet; why do you have to serve her like this?”

Chen Che replied bluntly, “She’s pregnant.”

Oh, pregnant. That didn’t justify it, though. When his own wife was pregnant, she worked in the fields! She wasn’t this delicate. Seeing that this man was handsome, well-dressed, and clearly a “henpecked husband,” the older man huffed and stopped talking. When the man tried to strike up a conversation later, Chen Che simply gave him the cold shoulder.

Because of Chen Che’s foresight, the entire journey was effortless for Song Mingyue.

They arrived in Shanghai without a hitch and checked into a high-end guest house—which was essentially a hotel. Lying on the comfortable mattress, Song Mingyue didn’t want to get up. She had originally planned to visit Qin Shuang and Chen Cuicui that evening, but the train had exhausted her. As soon as she lay down, she fell fast asleep. When she woke up, it was pitch black outside—past 9:00 PM.

Seeing her stir, Chen Che moved to lift the dishes on the table. “They’ve gone cold. I’ll ask the staff to reheat them; let’s eat.”

Song Mingyue hugged him tightly from behind. “Thank you, Battalion Commander Chen. You’ve worked hard.”

Chen Che turned and kissed her forehead. “With those words, it’s not hard at all.”

“But I really am hungry.”

Soon, Chen Che returned with the hot food and watched her eat. “Sleep after you finish; you haven’t rested well these past two days.”

“What about you?” she asked.

Chen Che climbed into bed with her and wrapped his arms around her. It was the most comfortable sleep she’d had in a long time.

The next morning, she felt more refreshed than she had in weeks. “The mattresses in this hotel are wonderful; they’re not lumpy at all,” she remarked. Chen Che took note of this, planning to ask where they sourced their mattresses later.

But today, there was more important business. Song Mingyue led him to the alleyway. As before, she introduced Chen Cuicui as her grand-aunt. Chen Cuicui, who had been sitting outside chatting with neighbors, jumped up immediately when she heard her grand-niece had arrived.

“Yueyue! You’ve finally come back. I thought you’d forgotten about your grand-aunt,” Chen Cuicui said, beaming.

“Never! I had to go back to take care of some business, but the moment I arrived, I came straight to you.”

Chen Cuicui wasn’t truly angry. She looked around, noticing the other girl wasn’t there, and instead, there was a man standing with her—a very handsome one at that. When she saw Chen Cuicui eyeing Chen Che, Song Mingyue added, “Let me introduce you. This is my husband, Chen Che.”

Chen Cuicui’s smile widened. She was a good judge of character, and at a glance, she could see Chen Che was a standout man, and the way he looked at Song Mingyue was filled with adoration. “Wonderful, wonderful. You two make a perfect match.”

That morning, Qin Shuang wandered home and saw an incredibly handsome man sitting in their yard. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating. When Song Mingyue appeared, she asked Qin Shuang, “Don’t you think this man is incredibly handsome?”

“Handsome? Look at that jawline, his demeanor, his height—he’s an absolute masterpiece!”

Qin Shuang knew what a “masterpiece” was, but this masterpiece belonged to Song Mingyue. Chen Cuicui came out to look for flour and introduced them. Wait… such a magnificent man was Song Mingyue’s husband?

Chen Che, knowing how much this family meant to Song Mingyue, was kind and approachable. Qin Shuang realized that not only was he handsome and kind-hearted, but he was also wealthy. The room was filled with over a dozen high-quality gifts he had brought.

Qin Shuang, a notorious gossip with a soft spot for handsome men, kept asking questions. “Xiao Chen, what do you do for a living?”

“I work at a standard government unit.” (Chen Che couldn’t disclose the classified nature of his work, and Song Mingyue didn’t elaborate.)

When Qin Shuang pressed about his salary, Chen Cuicui pulled her aside, scolding her for being rude. Song Mingyue felt uncomfortable, but she couldn’t afford to offend Qin Shuang yet—she still needed her help with the inventory.

Overall, the meal was a happy one. The fact that Chen Che had met Chen Cuicui and won her approval meant the world to Song Mingyue. In this dimension, she had fulfilled the wishes of her past life.

As for Qin Shuang, Song Mingyue still couldn’t understand her. She seemed to have inherited her mother’s eye for handsome men—so what could have happened to make her choose the old, balding father she had settled for?