Chapter 150: Going Abroad, If Line

Chapter 150: Alternate Timeline - The Study Abroad Path

Song Fenglan had not recovered memories from a past life, and she didn’t accompany her husband on military assignments. By June 1977, the Song family had been cleared of political charges and returned to the capital.

Qin Yizhou had done his utmost, but getting back everything the Song family lost would still be difficult—it couldn’t be rushed.

As Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan walked through the courtyard together, he asked about her future plans.

"I want to study abroad," Song Fenglan stopped and looked at him.

As a regiment commander, Qin Yizhou’s position meant Song Fenglan’s plans would hold him back professionally.

"Let’s... let’s get a divorce." Song Fenglan knew their marriage had hindered Qin Yizhou’s promotions. Even his current position was solely due to his own efforts. "I’ll take Zi Hang with me."

"Alright..." Qin Yizhou didn’t want a divorce, but he couldn’t stand in the way of Song Fenglan’s future.

If she needed to study abroad, if she needed this divorce—then so be it.

"Thank you for all your support over the years," Song Fenglan said. "You can remarry later—it’s fine."

Staying in the country wasn’t an option for Song Fenglan. Here, she couldn’t study cutting-edge technology. She felt driven to pursue aerospace, to follow in her uncle’s footsteps. Even with her family’s rehabilitation, she’d still face political hurdles.

Under these circumstances, studying abroad was the only choice.

Song Fenglan wouldn’t leave Zihang with Yizhou, nor with the Song family. She feared her son would struggle without her.

"..." Qin Yizhou remained silent. He truly loved Song Fenglan—he’d never remarry.

After their divorce, Qin Zihang changed his name to Song Zihang.

The Qin family had never accepted Song Fenglan or Zihang, so the name change was necessary. Song Fenglan refused to let her son live under their shadow. He’d already put up with enough whispers. Taking him abroad would free him from that stifling atmosphere.

The Song family had overseas relatives, so Song Fenglan could stay with them or make her own arrangements.

When the Qins learned of the divorce, Qin Yizhou’s mother couldn’t hide her delight.

"You should’ve divorced long ago," she said, sitting in the living room. "I told you—Song Fenglan only ever used you. She never loved you. Being with her ruined you. Good riddance to the boy too. Now you can remarry."

"I have no plans to remarry," Qin Yizhou said firmly.

"You’re still young—how can you not remarry?" His mother frowned. "Listen to me. I’ll find you a proper match—"

"No need. I won’t remarry," Qin Yizhou cut in. "No meddling, no sending people to my unit. No paperwork, no wedding."

He understood his mother’s intentions, but she didn’t grasp his pain. He loved Song Fenglan deeply; she was the only one for him.

"Song Fenglan is leaving the country, and you’re still carrying a torch for her?" his mother sneered. "The moment her family was cleared, she pulled this trick. What kind of person does that?"

"She had no choice," Qin Yizhou said.

"Others had no choice too—what makes her so different?" his mother scoffed. "Those Songs have no loyalty. You helped them so much, and this is how they repay you."

"If she didn’t care for me, she wouldn’t have asked for a divorce now," Qin Yizhou countered.

"Are you stupid?" His mother couldn’t believe he still defended her. "If she cared, why didn’t she show filial duty?"

She had never approved of Song Fenglan. Now, she freely maligned her, assuming Qin Yizhou would listen. But he didn’t.

"You never accepted her—I never asked you to," Qin Yizhou said. "End of discussion."

Qin Yizhou walked away from the Qins and looked at Qin Zihang—no, Song Zihang. He spoke to the boy, telling him to mind his mother from now on.

Qin Yizhou bought Song Zihang all sorts of treats. As he watched his son, his heart twisted with sorrow.

"Stay with Mom, don’t give her grief, and don’t run off, understand?" Qin Yizhou said.

"Mm." Song Zihang nodded.

"You..." Qin Yizhou almost asked if his son wanted to stay behind, but decided it was better for him to go abroad with Song Fenglan.

Before Song Fenglan and her son left, Qin Yizhou returned to base. His leave was short—he couldn’t linger in the capital.

At the Song residence, Song Fenglan’s mother studied her daughter and sighed.

"Why the divorce?" she asked.

"He’s military brass. A leader’s wife going abroad—how’s that look? Not good!" Song Fenglan countered. "Who knows when I’ll be back? With how things are, no one can promise there won’t be more changes."

Song Fenglan refused to hold Qin Yizhou back. With her and their child gone, he could start fresh.

"Yizhou did so much for us. His uncle got us doctors, sent medicine," her mother said. "You..."

"I know," Song Fenglan cut in. "But I won’t throw my life away for a man. I need to study. Mom, I’m going to build airplanes."

"You..." Her mother’s eyes reddened. "Like your uncle?"

"Someone’s gotta carry the load if we want a better tomorrow," Song Fenglan said. "If we don’t push harder, our kids will face the same injustices. Enemy jets swanning through our skies—how many pilots rammed ’em head-on and died?"

"She should go," her father declared. "Fenglan’s a Song—her uncle’s own flesh and blood."

"I only worry for her. Yizhou’s a good man, and they just... divorced." Her mother sighed. "She’ll never land another man like Yizhou. After all he’s done for us..."

"Let ’em call me a backstabber—I don’t care. The boy’s coming with me. Dad, Mom, it’s just..."

"It’s no big deal," her father said. "Go. You have my support. We all support you."

This was Song Fenglan’s hard-won chance. Her father wouldn’t clip her wings. If she wanted science, she’d have it.

Every soul shares the duty for our nation’s fate. He couldn’t have her stuck on lovey-dovey nonsense. Her future’s bigger than this—she deserved to soar.

"Wouldn’t Zihang be better off here?" her mother ventured.

"And have the Qins interfere? Yizhou will remarry," Song Fenglan said. "He’s coming with me for schooling abroad. We’ll return when I graduate."

Her mind was set. Divorced meant done—she’d cut ties for good. She might never remarry, but men bounce back faster than women. No sense complicating his life.

So Song Fenglan took Song Zihang abroad.

At the Nancheng army barracks, news of Qin Yizhou’s divorce spread. By then, Li Hui had married Guo Peng. Though Qin Yizhou had rejected Li Hui repeatedly, folks kept throwing women at him post-divorce. He still refused.

"No plans to remarry—not in this lifetime," Qin Yizhou stated. He wouldn’t lead anyone on.

Song Fenglan never set foot in the barracks, but talk about her spread like wildfire. What kind of woman could leave Qin Yizhou so devoted?

Auntie Fatty, who’d never met her, pictured some cultured beauty.

"Rich girls really play by their own rules," she mused at home. "She’s got Colonel Qin wrapped around her finger."

"Don't talk like that," Zhang Chenghai said. "You've never even met her."

"That's what everyone outside is saying," Auntie Fatty replied. "They all say Colonel Qin's wife was domineering, that she was just using him. And now, even after the divorce, he refuses to remarry. If it were me, I'd remarry."

"You don't know what his wife was really like, so don't gossip like that," Zhang Chenghai chided.

When some spoke ill of Song Fenglan, Qin Yizhou would immediately defend her, saying his ex-wife was wonderful and nothing like what they claimed.

Li Hui was bitter. Had she known Qin Yizhou would divorce so soon, she wouldn't have married Guo Peng. But it was too late—she was already married. Li Hui and her cousin Shi Guilan gossiped outside, saying the colonel's wife was surely a black-hearted woman.

Staff Officer Xu remained unaffected by such talk. After all, no one could have predicted that Song Fenglan would one day rise to such prominence.

After moving abroad, Song Fenglan had to juggle her studies with caring for her child. While her son attended school, she hired a nanny but still kept a close watch, worried the caregiver might not be attentive enough. Before leaving the country, Qin Yizhou had given her all his savings.

Initially reluctant to accept, Song Fenglan eventually took the money when Qin Yizhou insisted she would need it overseas. Song Zihang struggled to adjust at first but gradually adapted.

Time flew by, and seven years passed in what seemed like no time. Song Fenglan achieved remarkable success abroad, earning her doctorate and multiple patents, with major breakthroughs in her field.

Foreign agencies had begun monitoring her closely, and Song Fenglan knew it was time to return home. But with so many eyes on her, the return wouldn't be simple.

When domestic leaders learned of her willingness to return, they were stunned. Given the Song family's hardships during the special era [referring to the Cultural Revolution], they had assumed she would stay abroad. Her breakthroughs were precisely what the country urgently needed.

Ensuring her safe return became a matter of great importance.

Song Fenglan sent Song Zihang back a month earlier on the excuse of visiting his grandparents. She didn’t tamper with his luggage but instructed him to relay her messages to the family.

At eleven or twelve, Song Zihang understood some of the dangers but knew not to burden his mother further. He returned quietly.

Qin Yizhou never imagined he’d be reassigned to the capital, let alone tasked with a secret mission to protect Song Fenglan. Years had passed without news of her. His parents, being rural farmers, lacked the connections to know how she fared overseas.

On sleepless nights, Qin Yizhou often thought of her, lying awake with closed eyes.

When Song Fenglan stepped out of her foreign home, she was already with security detail. Her uncle’s former classmates—elderly professors—pressured foreign agencies to allow her departure.

Even so, many countrymen covertly protected her. Aboard the ship, she remained vigilant until finally reaching Chinese soil, where she could finally relax. Some around her were prepared to provide human protection if necessary.

Authorities greeted her upon arrival, with Qin Yizhou among them.

Their eyes locked—neither had expected a reunion under such circumstances.

"First, back to the capital," someone said.

"Alright," Song Fenglan nodded.

She boarded a car, then transferred to a train bound for the capital. Qin Yizhou and his team provided close protection. When they found themselves alone in a train compartment, facing each other, an awkward silence fell between them.

Song Fenglan didn’t know what to say. In letters from home, they had occasionally mentioned Qin Yizhou remained unmarried—early on, at least. The later years stopped mentioning it.

Wondering whether he had remarried, this reunion was awkward.

"You—"

"You—"

They spoke simultaneously, then fell silent again.

"After you..."

"You were saying..."

Once again, they spoke in unison, and Song Fenglan laughed.

"Long time no see," Song Fenglan said. "Have you seen Zihang?"

"No, not yet," Qin Yizhou replied.

When Qin Yizhou first received the order to escort Song Fenglan, he had no time for anything else. This was a secret mission—the fewer who knew, the better. Qin Yizhou had to get it right; he couldn’t afford any mistakes.

When he learned that the person he was to protect was Song Fenglan, he realized that divorcing her had been the right decision. He shouldn’t have held her back; he should have let her soar.

"You’ll see him when we get back," Song Fenglan said.

She paused after speaking, unsure what else to say. Perhaps Qin Yizhou had already remarried and had other children—perhaps Song Zihang wasn’t his only child.

Seeing Song Fenglan fall silent, Qin Yizhou didn’t press further. He didn’t mention that he hadn’t remarried; it wasn’t necessary. What mattered was that Song Fenglan had returned safely. When he first received the order, his heart had clenched—he feared she might meet the same fate as Song Xingyun. He hoped she’d return unharmed; Song Zihang couldn’t lose his mother.

During the two days on the train, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou spoke little.

Qin Yizhou felt it wasn’t the time for certain words, while Song Fenglan saw no reason to disrupt his life further. She didn’t know why the higher-ups had assigned Qin Yizhou—perhaps because he was familiar with her.

Upon reaching the capital, Qin Yizhou escorted Song Fenglan to the Song family home. After dropping her off, he still had to arrange round-the-clock security for her. They couldn’t let their guard down just because she had returned.

After all, foreign interests had recognized Song Fenglan’s capabilities. They had tried to keep her abroad with lucrative offers, but she turned them down—she wanted to come home.

Song Zihang knew what his father looked like. He stood in the doorway, watching as Qin Yizhou left. Father and son hadn’t met face-to-face in years, yet even at the doorstep, Qin Yizhou didn’t cross the threshold.

"What are you looking at?" Song Fenglan asked, noticing Song Zihang still standing by the door.

"Dad," Song Zihang turned to her. "Was that him?"

"Yes, it was," Song Fenglan confirmed.

"..." Song Zihang didn’t ask why his father hadn’t come in. His parents were divorced, after all.

Qin Yizhou had saved up to buy a house, with some financial help from his father. His mother had objected, wanting him to remarry instead. She’d have gladly paid more if it meant he’d start a new family. But no matter how she nagged, Qin Yizhou had no intention of remarrying—he still loved Song Fenglan. If anything, his feelings had only deepened.

When Song Fenglan’s mother saw her return safely, she let out a sigh of relief. She had been on tenterhooks, fearing her daughter might meet the same tragic fate as Song Xingyun. She’d even thought: *If it’s too dangerous, don’t come back.* But she could never truly say that.

She knew Song Fenglan would return—for her country, she would always come home.

"Fenglan," her mother called, eyes red as she embraced her long-lost daughter. Despite knowing of her achievements, she had been sick with worry. Now she could rest easy.

"Mom," Song Fenglan hugged her back, aware of how much she had worried her mother.

She’d done all she could, but some things were beyond her control.

"Just coming home is enough," her mother murmured. "Are you hungry? Eat something first."

Sister Song had already prepared a meal, waiting for Song Fenglan.

All this time, like the rest of the Song family, Sister Song had been hoping for Song Fenglan’s safe return.

Second Brother Song was now married to Cao Fang. Their meeting had been by chance—they clicked and decided it was a good match.

After the reform and opening-up, Second Brother Song started a business, which was thriving. Cao Fang had left the military, unable to continue her service. Her post had been in Nanchang, but after marrying Second Brother Song, she couldn’t get a transfer, so she resigned. Now a stay-at-home wife, she and Sister Song often volunteered at orphanages and sponsored needy students.

Cao Fang had served as a soldier. When she learned about Song Fenglan's capabilities and the number of people protecting her, she was floored. Cao Fang had assumed the Song family were just ordinary merchants, never imagining they had such formidable connections.

"Let's eat," said Mother Song.

The family gathered for the meal. Over the years, their seized assets had been partially returned, but just recently, everything was restored in one go. The Songs knew this was due to Song Fenglan's influence—all arrangements had been made before her homecoming.

They'd prepared a house for her. Eldest Brother Song was married now, making it awkward for Song Fenglan to stay. Even divorced, staying would've made her feel like a guest overstaying their welcome—having her own place was better.

This decision predated her return. The authorities had inspected her house and arranged everything. Even the servants the Song family requested were vetted and hired through official channels.

Song Fenglan could move in immediately with Song Zihang, who would start middle school upon returning. She planned to enroll him in a bilingual school—after years abroad, he was fluent in foreign languages.

After dinner, Song Fenglan and Zihang left first.

Mother Song didn't bring up Qin Yizhou's unmarried status—no point dwelling on it. Such matters depended entirely on him and Song Fenglan.

During his visits to the capital over the years, Qin Yizhou sometimes called on the elder Songs, but not every trip. He avoided burdening them—having released Song Fenglan abroad, he expected nothing in return.

While Song Fenglan dined cheerfully with her family and later walked home with Zihang, Qin Yizhou sat alone in his house, eating a solitary meal.

When Tian Keshu heard of Song Fenglan's return, she was stunned. She and Eldest Brother Qin remained married despite the Tian family's spy scandal—contained before becoming public, but their relationship had soured. Qin's mother treated Tian Keshu coldly.

"Finally, your brother gets his wish—Song Fenglan's back!" Tian Keshu needled Eldest Brother Qin.

"Wasn't she abroad?" he replied. "Could it be mistaken identity?"

"I just saw someone who recognized her," Tian Keshu pressed. "After years overseas, did she bomb abroad and slink back? Trying to reel your brother in again? She used him, dumped him—now she dares to show her face?"

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