Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ji Yunshu turned to look at Pei Yufeng, the anger in her chest still hadn't fully subsided, but she didn't want to show it in front of him. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Thank you, Brother Pei, but not for now. I can handle it myself."

Pei Yufeng quietly watched Ji Yunshu, seeming puzzled by how this girl, who had always been soft and reliant on He Qiuxia, had suddenly grown a spine.

He wanted her to lean on him, but he also wanted her to handle things herself.

"Don't overdo it. Call me if you need anything." Pei Yufeng finally gave in to Ji Yunshu's determined look. "I'm on leave until mid-August."

"Okay, if I really need help, I will." Ji Yunshu nodded firmly.

Pushing open the courtyard gate and stepping inside, He Qiuxia was just carrying dishes out of the kitchen. Seeing Ji Yunshu, she asked, "What was all that commotion just now? I heard noise outside and wanted to go check, but your brother insisted on stopping me."

"Mm, He Jianjun said he wants to court me." Ji Yunshu said as she headed to the kitchen to wash her hands. At that, Meng Li, sitting at the dining table, froze for a second.

Ji Yunting was already seated at the table. He looked up toward Ji Yunshu's direction, his tone sounding a bit annoyed. "So did you say yes?"

"No, but he didn't let me get a word in." Ji Yunshu returned to the table and sat down. Picking up her bowl, she told He Qiuxia, "Mom, I'll go tomorrow afternoon to set things straight with He Jianjun. Don't worry."

Ji Yunting nodded, satisfied, and picked up a bite with his chopsticks. "Handle it however you want."

He Qiuxia sighed, feeling like maybe the two kids just weren't meant to be. "Xiaoshu, be polite when you talk to him. You can't act like you do at home."

"I know, Mom." Ji Yunshu nodded.

She couldn't let He Jianjun keep this up. He didn't care about his reputation, but she sure cared about hers!

The next afternoon, before heading out, Ji Yunshu washed her face again, changed into a clean white shirt, and combed her hair neatly into place. She checked herself in the mirror, then patted her cheeks to look more alert.

Figuring it was almost quitting time, Ji Yunshu headed straight for the entrance of He Jianjun's unit.

The Military Region Staff Department was on the east side of the compound, a gray brick building with a sentry post at the entrance. Ji Yunshu got there before five, when the sun was still high, baking the ground white. She didn't go in but waited in the shade by the entrance, craning her neck, scared He Jianjun might slip by her.

People started trickling out after work. Some recognized her, did a double take, and murmured to each other. Ji Yunshu pretended not to hear, keeping her eyes glued to the gate.

At 5:40, He Jianjun walked out.

He was in his military uniform, holding a canvas bag, chatting with a colleague, a smile on his face. When he looked up and saw Ji Yunshu approaching, his smile flickered for a second before snapping back.

"Sister Yunshu, what brings you here?" He Jianjun walked over quickly, his voice not loud but deliberately loud enough for those nearby to hear. "I was just about to file a relationship report with the Political Commissar yesterday!"

At that, the people around He Jianjun all gave Ji Yunshu knowing looks. In the military, you had to file a report to date or get married. He Jianjun was already considered an old bachelor in the army. Now that a girl had come looking for him and he mentioned filing a relationship report, didn't that basically make her his fiancée?

Ji Yunshu hadn't expected He Jianjun to twist the truth like this. She even felt he had said it deliberately to provoke her. Everyone in the compound knew Ji Yunshu had a hot temper and wasn't one to mess with—like a firecracker ready to blow at the slightest spark. If she actually "blew up" at the entrance of a military unit, not only would her reputation be ruined, but it would also make He Jianjun look calm and collected.

Ji Yunshu clenched her fists to hold back her fury, speaking each word slowly and clearly: "Second Brother He, I came to see you today to clear up what happened yesterday. Yesterday you stood at my door and told the neighbors you still wanted to court me. I think that was out of line, but you left before I could turn you down. I'm here today to do just that."

The smile on He Jianjun's face started to crack. He shifted a little and lowered his voice. "Yun Shu, there are too many people here. Let's talk about this somewhere else."

"We'll talk about it right here." Ji Yunshu ignored him, raising her voice a little. "You're an active-duty officer, and I'm an unmarried, decent young woman. A grown man like you standing at my door saying stuff like that—what will people think when word gets around? Will they think you're devoted and loyal, He Jianjun, or that I'm fickle and unfaithful, Ji Yunshu?"

Several people nearby had already stopped to stare. He Jianjun's expression shifted for a moment, his lips pressing tightly together, his eyes flickering. He wanted to cut her off but couldn't exactly drag her away in front of everyone. He could only stand there, his expression shifting from warm to barely contained irritation.

"The things your mother said about me have spread all over the compound—that I'm clinging to my spot as the Ji family's daughter, that my family background isn't good enough for yours. I never said a word about any of that. People's mouths are their own; I can't control them." Ji Yunshu paused here, then continued, "But yesterday you came and stood at my door saying that—what will people think of me? Do you really not know, or are you just pretending?"

He Jianjun's face darkened completely. His hand gripping the bag tightened, veins bulging on the back of his hand. The corner of his mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, then swallowed it back. A crowd had already gathered around them. He couldn't lose his composure in front of so many people, but his chest was visibly heaving, his breathing growing heavier.

"Sister Yunshu, that's not what I meant." He gritted his teeth, forcing the words out, still keeping a smile on his face, though it had long since gone stiff and fake. "I just... I just wanted to make my feelings clear to you."

"I get your feelings loud and clear." Ji Yunshu looked at him. "I already made it clear before—we're not suitable. I hope you won't say such things anymore. It's not good for you, and it's not good for me."

Ji Yunshu's words were perfectly polite, but every sentence was firm and resolute, leaving no room for He Jianjun to maneuver.

A female officer nearby who also knew Ji Yunshu overheard and nodded. "Xiaoshu makes a good point. Xiao He, you really did handle this wrong. You're an active-duty soldier—you need to be even more mindful of how your actions look."

One of the military family members watching also chimed in, "Exactly, exactly. Dating is between two people—how can you go shouting about it at someone's doorstep?"

He Jianjun's face flushed red and pale by turns. His gaze darkened for a moment before he quickly suppressed it and forced a smile. "Sister Yunshu is right. I didn't think it through. It won't happen again."

After saying this, the corner of He Jianjun's mouth twitched downward, and a flash of malice flickered in his eyes, but no one noticed.

Seeing that the matter was mostly settled, Ji Yunshu was about to leave when she heard some muttering nearby.

"Isn't she just the daughter of a capitalist? Acting all high and mighty."

"Officer He taking an interest in her is her good fortune, and she's still putting on airs."

"Exactly. She got a good deal and still acts like she's hard done by."

Ji Yunshu turned around, about to speak, when someone suddenly pushed through the crowd.

Meng Li was wearing a floral dress, her hair braided in two plaits, her eyes red and watery as if she was about to cry. She walked up to Ji Yunshu, her voice trembling with grievance. "Sister, how can you think of Second Brother He that way?"

Ji Yunshu looked at her, somewhat surprised to see her suddenly appear here.

Seeing that Ji Yunshu wasn't responding, Meng Li raised her voice a little more so everyone around could hear: "Second Brother He has been so good to you. He hasn't married even now because he's been staying true to his promise and waiting for you, Sister. You broke off the engagement and he didn't blame you—he even wanted to court you again. He's done so much for you. Can't you understand him a little? Blocking him at the entrance of his unit and saying these things—how do you expect others to see him?"

Her tears were welling up in her eyes, looking pitiful and endearing. The people who had been muttering just moments ago immediately perked up, whispering among themselves.

But what Meng Li was thinking wasn't any of that.

She was calculating in her mind—by stepping forward to defend He Jianjun now, he would definitely be grateful to her. His mother would also think she was sensible, a hundred times better than Ji Yunshu. In the days she'd been at the compound, although He Qiuxia treated her and Ji Yunshu about the same, she always felt like there was some invisible barrier. She wanted to win over the Ji family, but more importantly, she wanted the He family to see her worth, to see how different she was from Ji Yunshu.

She had it all figured out in her head—the more Ji Yunshu made a scene, the greater her own chances would be.

As for whether He Jianjun actually liked her—that didn't matter. What mattered was seizing this person who could help her establish a foothold in the compound. He Jianjun had a bright future ahead of him. Marrying him would make her an Officer's Wife for life.

Ji Yunshu watched Meng Li pleading He Jianjun's case with that aggrieved expression and finally understood what game she was playing.

"Meng Li, I don't quite understand what you're saying." Ji Yunshu's voice was neither loud nor soft. "What exactly has He Jianjun done for me? Has he sacrificed by enduring the rumors after the engagement was called off? Or has he sacrificed by standing at my doorstep and embarrassing me? If you know something I don't, then tell me. I'd like to hear it too."

Meng Li was stunned. She hadn't expected Ji Yunshu to be so direct, not taking the bait but instead throwing the question back at her.

"Sister, that's not what I meant..." Meng Li's voice grew smaller, tears still swirling in her eyes, but her momentum was gone.

Ji Yunshu was about to say something when a deep voice came from outside the crowd.

"Comrade Meng Li, I have a question for you too."

Ji Yunshu looked up. From where the voice came, the crowd parted to make way. Pei Yufeng stood there in his navy uniform, his back ramrod straight, his cold, stern face seeming to be covered in frost.

She didn't know when Pei Yufeng had arrived. His face showed no expression as his dark, deep eyes fixed on Meng Li. "You've only been at the compound for a few days. How do you know so much about the matter between Ji Yunshu and He Jianjun?"

The surroundings fell silent for a moment.

The onlookers exchanged glances, their expressions shifting. Some began to look Meng Li up and down, their gazes carrying something new.

Yes—how did she know? The matter between Ji Yunshu and He Jianjun was a private affair between the two families. Outsiders would only know the general gist at best. Meng Li, who had just arrived and hadn't even gotten everyone's names straight, how could she go on about "Second Brother He has done so much for you"?

How could she possibly know what He Jianjun had sacrificed?

Tears were still streaming down Meng Li's face, but she looked as if someone had a grip on her throat. Her lips quivered, and her mind was racing—she couldn't exactly say she'd read it somewhere, and she definitely couldn't bring up her dreams.

"I... I just heard about it..." Meng Li's voice was weak.

"Heard it from who?" Pei Yufeng asked again, his tone still flat, but his eyes were boring into her like nails.

Meng Li couldn't speak.

The older woman next to her had already shifted her expression, muttering, "Something's off about this girl."

Another auntie chimed in, "Exactly, she's only been here a few days, and she's already that familiar with the He family's boy? Did she take a liking to him or what?"

Meng Li's face went pale. She lowered her head, her hand gripping her skirt trembling, her lips pressed tightly together.

She was seething inside—she'd come to stir trouble for Ji Yunshu, so why had the tables turned on her?

Author's note:

Thanks for reading. I'll resume updating at noon every day. We're almost at the plot from the synopsis.