The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 98

Before the sky had even begun to lighten, Chen Che was awake. To be precise, he had barely slept all night. He did not turn on the light, moving quietly and cautiously as he climbed out of bed. The windows were open, and the crystalline moonlight poured in like sheer gauze, illuminating Song Mingyue. Chen Che watched her sleeping face—so peaceful and beautiful—for a long moment. He reached out to touch her, but pulled his hand back, finally settling for a gentle kiss on her cheek. On the table nearby lay a letter he had written for her.

This was not his first time heading off to a mission; he had lived this way for many years. Whenever the organization had a need, he never shirked his duty. Yet, this was the first time Chen Che felt such unprecedented agony—the first time he truly understood the meaning of deep, heavy reluctance.

It had been agreed that he would leave at 7:00 AM, and Wang Yufen had set her alarm for 5:00 AM, intending to make fresh dumplings for his breakfast. As the saying went, eating dumplings before a departure and noodles upon returning brought good luck. However, Chen Che rose just after 4:00 AM. He had set his departure time at 5:00 AM, but he moved it up by two hours specifically to avoid letting Song Mingyue watch him walk away.

Before leaving, he went to wake Wang Yufen. She was a light sleeper who had been counting the hours, and she rose the moment he knocked softly. “Little Che, why are you up so early?”

Chen Che urged her to stay in bed. “Mom, please go back to sleep. I’m leaving soon.”

Hearing this, Wang Yufen became more alert. “Isn’t it at seven? Why so early? Let me get up and make you dumplings.”

“Mom, there’s no need. Please don’t get up; I’m worried about waking Yueyue.”

Wang Yufen sighed, her movements slowing. “How can you leave in the morning without eating? I’ll heat up some buns for you.”

“That won’t be necessary; you’ve already prepared dry rations for me, and that will be enough.”

Wang Yufen looked at his upright, military silhouette, and her eyes reddened. “Life out there isn’t like home. No matter how busy you are, you must eat. Don’t work yourself to the point of collapse.” She continued to fuss over him with maternal concern.

Chen Che nodded. “Mom, thank you. While I’m gone, I entrust Yueyue to your care.”

“You silly child, what are you saying? Yueyue is my daughter; I will always be by her side.”

Chen Che reached out and hugged Wang Yufen. Since the first time they met, he had seen how much she doted on Song Mingyue, which made it much easier for him to leave his wife in his in-laws’ care.

“Yueyue has many ideas. Whatever she wants to do, just let her do it.”

“You take care of yourself out there,” Wang Yufen replied. “Yueyue has me. Once the baby is born, we will write to tell you.”

He was the father of the child, yet he might not even have the chance to see the baby being born. “Mom, take care of yourself,” he said. He picked up his bags and left without looking back.

Wang Yufen ultimately got out of bed, wrapped a coat around her shoulders, and stood at the door to see him off. She gazed at his retreating figure until it vanished into the night, then lingered for a while before closing the door. Leaving silently is for the best, she thought; she was worried that Yueyue wouldn’t be able to handle the heartbreak. Chen Che was a good man, but his profession required too many sacrifices. She felt for her daughter, but life was rarely perfect.

After closing the door, Wang Yufen intended to go back to sleep, but she couldn’t help but check on her daughter. Peeking through a crack in the door, she saw Song Mingyue sitting on the edge of the bed, her gaze fixed intently on the window, watching the outside world.

How could Song Mingyue not have known? From the moment Chen Che got up, she had been awake. But since he didn’t speak, she didn’t expose him. When he kissed her, her tears had almost streamed down; she had held them back with great effort.

Now that Chen Che was gone, Song Mingyue’s heart felt hollow. Others might not understand why she was so mournful—he was only going on a mission, not leaving for good—but she kept her anxiety hidden within her.

The next morning, Wang Yufen prepared breakfast as usual, deliberately avoiding any mention of Chen Che. “Daughter, what would you like to eat?”

Song Mingyue sat down, and after breakfast, she went to her shop. She and Zhang Jingjing had nearly finished finding a new house, and for the last few days, Jingjing had been sleeping at the shop. Once the lease was signed, Song Mingyue planned to move with Wang Yufen as well.

At the table, she brought it up. “Mom, I bought a house in the city. If there is enough time, let’s move next week.”

Wang Yufen was puzzled. “Isn’t this house perfectly fine? Why buy another one in the city?” She knew that in a year, Song Mingyue would likely have to follow Chen Che elsewhere—a wife’s life was often dictated by her husband’s path—so buying a house here seemed like a short-term solution.

But Song Mingyue had already made the decision. “My shop is here, so I will be living in this area often. Besides, the current house is too far from the shop; the new one is much closer and easier to walk to.”

Wang Yufen rarely objected to her daughter’s choices. If she wanted to move, they would move. She knew her daughter missed Chen Che, and the current house was filled with shadows of him. What Chen Che did was a mystery to most, but the families in the courtyard knew it was high-level, honorable military work. After he left, the other families became even more attentive to Song Mingyue, often bringing her food or gifts. Yin Xiumei, in particular, spent a lot of time at their place and had become quite close to Wang Yufen.

The new house in the city was leased, and Zhang Jingjing had already moved in. As Wang Yufen packed, she realized they were really moving. Yin Xiumei, watching her pack the tea set, asked, “Sister Yufen, the New Year just passed, why are you washing the tea sets?”

“Oh, Sister Xiumei, Yueyue found a house in the city. We might be moving soon.”

“What??”

Wang Yufen felt a pang of reluctance. She had finally gotten used to the people here; she wasn’t sure if she would adapt to the new place. Yin Xiumei tried to persuade them to stay, citing safety concerns. “The city isn’t as safe as this! Our courtyard has guards. Outside, there are thieves and criminals. Yueyue’s business is growing—is it really safe out there?”

Wang Yufen found this logic sound and shared her concerns with Song Mingyue that evening. However, upon hearing that the new residence was also a faculty housing compound for the university, Wang Yufen felt relieved. She noticed Song Mingyue’s belly had grown larger and added, “You should go to the shop less. Walking around with such a big belly makes me worry.”

“I don’t feel much discomfort for now,” Song Mingyue replied. “If I do, I will rest.”

Previously, Song Mingyue hadn’t felt much of a connection to the baby, but after Chen Che left, the child became her only confidant. Every night when she felt overwhelmed, she would talk to her baby. Their bond grew stronger every day.

Eventually, even Yin Xiumei accepted the move. Many people in the courtyard even came to help them pack. As for Old Yu, Song Mingyue saw him once during the move. She had intended to confront him, but as soon as she approached, he scurried away as if terrified of her. Song Mingyue didn’t know why, but she didn’t care; once she left the courtyard, her interactions with him were limited.

Standing at the gate, Song Mingyue waved goodbye to the guard, who told her she was welcome to visit anytime. She nodded, looking at the familiar buildings, and couldn’t help but remember the day she first arrived—everything had been so strange and new. In just a year, she had come to know every corner of this place. It had witnessed her relationship with Chen Che and the arrival of their child. She waved a quiet farewell, hoping that when they all met again, everyone would be in a better place.

The house Song Mingyue bought belonged to a military family. The owners had two units, but since their son had settled in the capital, the elderly couple sold one. It was a two-story house with five rooms and a decent-sized courtyard. In later years, this would easily be considered a villa, though in the current city, such homes were common enough.

Zhang Jingjing had been living there for a few days and had everything ready. “Yueyue, I was so scared living here alone! I’ve been waiting for you and Auntie to arrive.”

Wang Yufen took a careful look around. It was much larger than their home in Pingcheng, and she never imagined she would live in a two-story house in her lifetime. Two rooms upstairs were for Zhang Jingjing and Pei Xiaoyu (who would stay there when she was too busy with work). Downstairs were rooms for Song Mingyue, Wang Yufen, and a guest room.

Zhang Jingjing felt she was living her ideal life. During the day, she managed the shop with increasing confidence, and in the evening, she returned to a home-cooked meal prepared by Wang Yufen. She loved being Song Mingyue’s “little shadow.”

One afternoon, while at the shop, Song Mingyue suddenly felt unwell. There were many customers present, so she didn’t want to make a scene; she decided to head home. Perhaps it was the exhaustion of the season transition—she had spent days carefully planning the new collections with her contacts in Shanghai.

As she walked home, a young child on a bicycle sped down a slope, heading straight for her. Song Mingyue frowned, sensing an inevitable collision, when suddenly, a stranger stepped in front of her to block the way.