Chapter 32

Chapter 32

As a sharp and observant person, Wen Sheng quickly got her son out of there. The feeling of having such a big worry sorted out so swiftly was truly wonderful.

If things went smoothly between the two, no matter what nonsense Song Qiang pulled, it would all be in vain.

Wen Sheng felt a sense of relief, holding Xie Zhuoyun's hand as the child was on his best behavior throughout the walk. Before heading out, she had told him to behave, and he hadn’t made a single sound—so thoughtful.

Scooping up her son, Wen Sheng gave his soft, chubby cheeks an affectionate kiss. "Sweetie, how about we go home and have some canned peaches?"

Xie Zhuoyun, who had been about to fuss, immediately stilled. He looked at Wen Sheng with excitement and responded loudly, "Okay!"

His voice was loud and clear. Seeing how adorable he was, Wen Sheng’s heart melted into a puddle, and she couldn’t resist kissing him again. "You can have two bowls! Your dad’s not here—let’s raise some hell!"

"Yeah!! Raise hell!" Xie Zhuoyun clapped excitedly, and Wen Sheng burst into laughter.

Under the night sky, mother and son talked and laughed all the way home.

The next day, Sunday, Wen Sheng was still off work. Without her diligent husband to wake them, both mother and son slept until the sun was high in the sky. In the end, it was Xie Zhuoyun’s hungry stomach that woke Wen Sheng up.

"Alright, alright, I’m getting up, son!" She raised her hands in surrender. After putting the child to sleep the night before, she had found herself strangely awake and ended up reading a book cover to cover before finally going to bed.

Being forced to get up now felt like such a drag.

She missed Xie Ran even more.

After they both finished getting ready, Wen Sheng didn’t have the energy to make breakfast, so she took him straight to the cafeteria. By then, it was late, and only leftovers remained. Fortunately, both Wen Sheng and Xie Zhuoyun were not picky eaters—they happily ate cornmeal buns with pickles.

"Eat slowly," Wen Sheng gently reminded Xie Zhuoyun, watching him devour everything like it was the best thing ever. She felt a pang of guilt, like she’d been starving him.

Even a simple cornmeal bun seemed like the best thing ever to him.

Xie Zhuoyun blinked, his mouth full of sweet, soft cornmeal bun. Hearing Wen Sheng’s words, he chewed a little slower, but his hands didn’t stop—before finishing what was in his mouth, he was already going for another piece.

Seeing this, Wen Sheng couldn’t help but worry.

After breakfast, she patted the boy’s round belly. "Come on, let’s go find Grandpa Liu Yan to walk it off."

Since it was a rest day, both elders should be home.

But even if they weren’t, it would be fine as long as Liu Yan was there—Wen Sheng just wanted to catch up on some gossip.

They took their time walking, in no hurry at all. Xie Zhuoyun kept stopping to pick up stones, and Wen Sheng didn’t rush him, letting him collect as many as he wanted. This way, he’d tire himself out and take a nap when they got home—less hassle for her.

"Hey, Commander Xie’s family!" Just as they passed by a house, Wen Sheng was suddenly hollered at. The address was so formal that it took her a moment to realize it was meant for her. It wasn’t until someone tapped her shoulder that she realized it was her.

"Who are you?" she asked, looking at the thin, friendly-looking woman with a warm smile.

The woman, Yang Qiaofang, was thirty-six and had a twelve-year-old son who had just started junior high. His grades were terrible, and he was so mischievous that even his father couldn’t control him. Yang Qiaofang was out of ideas when her sister-in-law mentioned that a new teacher had joined her nephew’s class—a certified college-educated person who had even won awards and was really impressive.

Everyone was talking about it.

"Commander Xie’s wife, my husband is in the same regiment as yours. I’m Yang Qiaofang."

"Just call me Xiao Wen, sister-in-law," Wen Sheng said with a polite smile.

"Alright, Xiao Wen. I heard you’re college-educated! Well, here’s the thing—I was wondering if you could help me with something!" She glanced around; seeing no one nearby, she lowered her voice. "My son just started junior high, and his grades are struggling. Could you tutor him? Don’t worry, I’ll pay—just set the rate."

Her husband’s pay was decent, and with only one son, she was willing to pay whatever it took to secure his future.

Wen Sheng was caught off guard by the sudden request and looked at the woman in confusion. "Huh?"

Yang Qiaofang noticed her hesitation and quickly added, "Oh, Xiao Wen, you have a child too. I’m really desperate. Don’t worry, it would just be during holidays—it won’t take up much of your time."

Her tone was sincere, but—

Wen Sheng winced. If Xie Ran were home, she might have considered it, but now it was impossible. With Xie Zhuoyun relying solely on her care, tutoring required preparation time she simply didn’t have.

"Sister-in-law, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but my husband is away on assignment, and I’m alone with the child. Tutoring requires advance preparation. How about I ask some teachers at my school for you?"

She remembered two teachers who had mentioned tutoring neighborhood children. If there was payment involved, they might be willing.

But Wen Sheng’s refusal immediately made Yang Qiaofang’s face fall. She could find other teachers herself, but she wanted a college-educated person—they were a real catch.

She was about to push harder when Wen Sheng cut in.

"Well, sister-in-law, I have something to attend to later, so I’ll be going now. I’ll ask around tomorrow at work to see if any teachers are available, alright?"

Wen Sheng could tell the woman was displeased, but she knew she couldn’t take on the task herself. Seizing the moment, she quickly made an excuse and left—it wasn’t the right time to linger.

Yang Qiaofang didn’t get a chance to say another word. Wen Sheng had said her piece and hurried off with her child, moving so fast it was as if she were running from a monster. Annoyed, Yang Qiaofang muttered, "What kind of person is she? Not a helpful neighbor at all."

She gritted her teeth. Tutoring wouldn’t take that much time—how selfish!

Wen Sheng had no idea what the woman was thinking. She quickened her pace, pulling Xie Zhuoyun away from the area and only slowing down once they were farther off.

Though she understood the woman’s desperation for her son’s sake, the urgency had still startled her.

Shaking her head helplessly, she glanced at Xie Zhuoyun and decided it was best to just go home. Gossip could wait for another day—home was where she felt most comfortable.

But before heading back, mother and son had to stop by the co-op store to buy groceries for the next few days. Once she started work again, she wouldn’t have time to buy meat in the morning, and if she went after work, there would be nothing left.

"Mommy, it’s heavy~" Xie Zhuoyun stumbled along, a can of yellow peaches in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other, his little face flushed red. Wen Sheng couldn’t help but laugh. "I told you to get a small can—you’re the one who got greedy!"

Xie Ran had been away for almost ten days, and they’d finished all the canned food at home. But the cans were heavy, and Wen Sheng hated buying them.

Still, if her son wanted them, she would buy them—but she wasn’t carrying them. Whoever wanted to eat them could carry them.

She was already carrying a basket of vegetables and snacks herself.

"Daddy, I miss Daddy," Xie Zhuoyun whined. If Daddy were here, he could be carried comfortably in his arms.

Not just Xie Zhuoyun—Wen Sheng’s palms were red from carrying the basket, and she missed her husband too.

Mother and son exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.

They had no idea how long this assignment would last or when Xie Ran would return. The military exercise he’d been rehearsing for so long was almost here.

If he didn’t come back soon, he’d miss it.

Meanwhile, far away, Xie Ran and three comrades had just begun their reconnaissance work.

The scattered clues were too scarce. They could only search based on the criminal’s previous patterns, and even that had to be done discreetly to avoid alerting anyone. In just a few days, Xie Ran had lost another two pounds from working day and night.

"Damn it, these bastards are good at hiding. If I catch them, I’ll slap each and every one of them in the whole gang!" It was mealtime, and everyone looked utterly disheveled, faces smeared with black mud—unrecognizable except for their eyes.

Xie Ran stuffed a mantou into his mouth, "There must be a mole here. We must be cautious. If we let them slip away, all our hard work over such a long time will be wasted."

It wasn’t just them enduring the hardship; outside, several members of the public security bureau were also waiting for their updates, ready to provide backup.

"Don’t worry, we all understand. But boss, why did you join this mission too?"

"Whoever is capable steps up. Is that hard to understand?" Xie Ran coldly took another bite, washing it down with cold water. "Enough nonsense. Did anyone notice anything unusual just now? Let’s cross-check."

"Yes, sir!"

The group immediately turned serious. The area was vast and sparsely populated, making it difficult to detect anything out of the ordinary at first. But since they were all specially assigned personnel, failing to uncover anything would mean betraying the organization’s trust.

Each person reported the anomalies they had observed, and as they cross-referenced the information, it all fucking matched!

After three nights of investigation, they finally made some progress. A faint smile appeared on Xie Ran’s face—it seemed he would be able to return home soon.

Honey, I miss you—

Xie Ran gulped down a large mouthful of ice-cold raw water, but even the frigid liquid couldn’t cool the fiery longing in his heart. The thought of the two of them—mother and child—waiting for him at home filled him with renewed energy and determination.

In the military compound, Wen Sheng had finally managed to put the child to sleep. Exhausted, she sat up, yawning, and dragged herself to the kitchen.

She'd kept water heating on the stove with firewood, and it was still scalding hot when she poured it out. After a quick wash, her tired body suddenly felt refreshed the moment she stepped out. She left only one lamp on, its dim, yellowish glow, and with no one beside her, she found herself missing Xie Ran deeply.

In the past, when the two lived apart, they often exchanged letters—even after having a child, they never stopped—or called each other.

After moving to the army base, she hadn't felt this way since.

Now, Wen Sheng carefully walked to the wardrobe and opened it. Inside was a drawer containing the family’s most valuable possessions, including a small metal box. She took it out, opened it, and found it packed with letters—all correspondence between the two of them.

The older ones showed obvious signs of aging on their envelopes. Wen Sheng’s smile grew wider as she carried the metal box into the main room, turned on the light, and searched for the first letter they exchanged after confirming their relationship.

‘A Sheng, reading your words brings me your presence…’