Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Ji Yunshu could hear her own heart racing.

Just last night, she had been thinking that no one would be willing to marry a girl from a capitalist family like her, and today, the brother she respected and admired the most had extended his hand to her.

"I... I..." Ji Yunshu managed to stammer out just two words, finding herself unable to piece together a complete sentence.

She truly didn't know how to respond.

"I know this is sudden." Pei Yufeng waited for a moment, and seeing that Ji Yunshu still had a dazed look in her eyes, his voice dropped noticeably, but he continued to explain patiently, "Call it selfishness on my part—I don't want you to go. Of course, Grandmother doesn't want you to leave either. If you're willing to marry me, you can stay. You can stay by Grandmother's side, and I'll... be more at ease too."

"I know Brother Pei means well." After a long pause, Ji Yunshu finally spoke, her voice thick with emotion. "I really need to think about this, think it over carefully. I... I..."

Ji Yunshu felt that she should be overjoyed. She knew Pei Yufeng inside and out, and he was an exceptional man. If she could marry him, it would truly be marrying up. But this was all too sudden. Yesterday he was still the stern older brother who had helped her out of a tight spot and grown up alongside her, and today he was asking to marry her and had already laid out a path for her future.

Ji Yunshu's head was spinning, unable to think clearly about anything.

Pei Yufeng glanced at her, nodded, and didn't rush her for an answer.

"Let me walk you back first." He finally moved the hand hanging at his side, and realized his palms were slick with cold sweat.

The two walked back in silence. The sun had climbed higher, casting short, dark shadows on the ground. The poplar leaves rustled loudly in the wind, sounding louder than usual.

When they reached the Ji family's front door, Pei Yufeng stopped and looked at her. "Take your time thinking. I'll wait for your answer."

Ji Yunshu nodded and was about to push open the door when Pei Yufeng suddenly stepped forward, his tall frame almost completely overshadowing her. "Xiaoshu, even if you don't accept, I hope our relationship can remain as it was before. Is that alright?"

Pei Yufeng's voice now carried a lot more pleading and dependence. "I'm not He Jianjun. If you don't accept, I won't come bothering you again."

Ji Yunshu looked at Pei Yufeng's furrowed brow and suddenly wanted to reach out and smooth it away, but she held herself back. "Brother Pei, don't say that. You'll always be the brother I respect the most."

Pei Yufeng pursed his lips and nodded, watching Ji Yunshu go inside.

When she got home, He Qiuxia was eating breakfast with the family. Seeing Ji Yunshu come in, she quickly scooped her out a bowl of congee. "You're back? Sit down and eat—the porridge is getting cold."

Ji Yunshu washed her hands and sat down at the table. Meng Li was already there, holding a bowl of congee and taking small sips. Seeing Ji Yunshu sit down, she put down her bowl and put on a concerned expression.

"Sis, when are you heading to Suzhou? I can help you pack your things." Meng Li's voice was soft and gentle, sounding genuinely sincere. "Suzhou might not be as good as the capital, but the climate is nice and good for your health. Sis, since your health isn't great, maybe going there will help you get better."

As she spoke, she glanced at He Qiuxia and added, "Don't worry, Mom. Once Sis goes to Suzhou, I'll write to her often."

He Qiuxia paused, her hand holding the congee bowl, and her eyes reddened again. She didn't respond, but she'd lost her appetite.

Ji Yunting slapped his chopsticks down on the table and looked at Meng Li with irritation. "Can you stop talking? We're eating. Just give it a rest."

Meng Li's eyes instantly welled up at his words, and she hung her head, looking hurt. "I'm just worried about Sis. I didn't say anything wrong."

She sniffled, her voice growing even softer. "Sis will be reunited with her birth parents once she goes to Suzhou. Isn't that a good thing? Suzhou is wonderful—it's got little bridges over streams and classical gardens, way more charming than the capital. Sis will definitely love it there."

Every word Meng Li said was like a knife twisting in He Qiuxia's heart. The capital was so far from Suzhou—almost two full days and nights by train. How could Ji Yunshu's frail body endure that? He Qiuxia's eyes grew redder and redder. She fought back tears and said nothing, just lowered her head and sipped her congee one mouthful at a time.

Ji Yunting's face had already darkened, but Meng Li kept going. "Sis, you need to take good care of yourself in Suzhou. The food there leans sweet, so you'll definitely like it. The girls there are all soft and pretty—you'll be a hit when you get there..."

"Meng Li." He Qiuxia finally spoke, her voice soft but carrying an indescribable weariness. "Eat."

Meng Li opened her mouth, saw He Qiuxia's expression, and smartly shut her mouth.

Ji Yunshu sat there, her chopsticks untouched. She hadn't been listening to what Meng Li was saying—her mind was completely stuck on what Pei Yufeng had said by the exercise field.

"Will you marry me?"

Why did Pei Yufeng suddenly propose to her? Was it only to keep her in the compound with Grandmother, or because... he liked her?

Ji Yunshu quickly dismissed the latter possibility. She figured she was being a little too full of herself.

Ji Yunshu had no doubt about her own charm. She knew she was beautiful—countless guys had confessed their feelings to her since she was young. But Ji Yunshu felt they were all too frivolous and unworthy of her. Besides, she had been engaged to He Jianjun back then, so naturally she hadn't gotten close to other men.

Of course, even without the engagement, she wouldn't have given those men a second glance. What she liked was a man who was upright, strong-willed, who loved her but also had a bigger love for the world. If possible, she hoped to know someone for at least six months before dating, and at least two years from meeting to marriage before she could decide whether someone was worth entrusting her life to.

Although Pei Yufeng had known her for nineteen years and did meet all of Ji Yunshu's criteria, she felt that the way Pei Yufeng looked at her was no different from how Ji Yunting looked at her—it had always been that way since childhood, purely like a sister. If he had any such feelings, wouldn't he have shown even a hint of it all these years?

Moreover, their lives had been plain and uneventful growing up. Pei Yufeng had rarely been home in recent years—she'd probably spent less time with him than the female soldiers in his unit had. What reason would Pei Yufeng have to like her?

But if he didn't like her, why would he want to marry her? Just to keep someone by Grandmother's side?

Grandmother was indeed good to her, but Pei Yufeng didn't need to sacrifice his entire life for that.

The more Ji Yunshu thought, the more confused she became.

But one thing she knew clearly—this was her best option. If she married Pei Yufeng, she wouldn't have to go to Suzhou. Her household registration problem would be solved, and her family background problem would be solved too. Pei Yufeng was a naval officer and the child of martyrs with an impeccable background. Marrying a man like him, no one would dare question her family background.

As for whether Pei Yufeng liked her—that didn't matter. What mattered was that she could stay, no longer having to live in fear because of her dreams.

Ji Yunshu finally made up her mind. She set down her chopsticks and looked up at He Qiuxia. "Mom, there's something I need to tell you."

He Qiuxia looked up, her eyes still red.

"Brother Pei came to find me this morning," Ji Yunshu began hesitantly. "He... he proposed to me."

The atmosphere at the table shifted instantly.

He Qiuxia froze, nearly dropping her bowl of congee. She set it down and stared at Ji Yunshu in disbelief. "What did you say? Xiao Pei? Pei Yufeng?"

"Mm." Ji Yunshu nodded, knowing this would come as a shock to them. "I want to say yes."

Hearing this, Ji Yunting, who hadn't seemed particularly surprised before, now showed a hint of astonishment. He frowned and spoke. "Xiaoshu, this is one of the most important decisions in life. You need to think it through."

"I know. I've thought it through. Brother Pei has always been good to me since we were young. If I marry him, he'll definitely treat me even better." Ji Yunshu was comforting He Qiuxia and Ji Yunting, but she was also trying to convince herself. She trusted Pei Yufeng's character. If he had proposed, it must have been after careful consideration. Whatever he decided, he would do to the best of his ability, so Ji Yunshu truly wasn't worried about her married life.

Hearing Ji Yunshu's firm choice, Meng Li also set down her chopsticks. The corner of her mouth twitched upward slightly before quickly pressing back down, but the schadenfreude in her eyes couldn't be hidden.

In the original book, Pei Yufeng was a short-lived man—he died young on a remote island, leaving no descendants behind. Ji Yunshu would be widowed within a few years of marrying him. She really was grasping at straws, willing to marry anyone.

Meng Li lowered her head, picked up her bowl, and took a sip of congee, using the rim to hide her smile.

But her mouth didn't stay idle, and her voice remained that soft, concerned tone. "Sis is so clever. Moving into the Pei family means she can still live in the compound. It's just a pity that Brother Pei serves on a remote island, so his military registration is tied to the island. I wonder if Sis can still get capital city household registration after marrying him. Even if not, Brother Pei will surely take the initiative to apply for Sis to stay, right?"

Ji Yunshu glanced at her, knowing exactly what she was scheming. "I don't plan to stay in the capital. I'm going to accompany him at his post."

He Qiuxia's expression changed instantly.

"Accompany him at his post?" He Qiuxia's voice rose a notch. "Qiongzhou Island is hot all year round, with frequent typhoons and torrential rain. How can you withstand that? Your health has never been good. What will you do over there? Xiaoshu, you can't be foolish about this."

"Mom, I..."

Before Ji Yunshu could finish, Ji Yunting also reacted. He looked at Ji Yunshu and asked her seriously, "Are you sure you want to accompany him? Pei Yufeng is a man of good character, but you've never been able to endure hardship since you were young. Qiongzhou Island is so far away—are you certain you want to go with him? If you've truly made up your mind, I support you."

He Qiuxia shot him a glare. "That's enough out of you."

Ji Yunting fell silent, but the look he gave Ji Yunshu was a firm one that said he'd always have her back.

Meng Li set down her bowl with a sigh, looking all worried for Ji Yunshu. "Sister, Brother Pei seems like a decent man, but he's stuck on that island almost all year and rarely comes home. If you marry him, you'll be living alone there, in a place you don't know—how miserable would that be?"

Ji Yunshu ignored her. She stood up, wiped her mouth, walked to the door, and put on her shoes.

"Xiaoshu, where are you going?" He Qiuxia quickly asked.

"I'm going to find Brother Pei." With that, Ji Yunshu pushed open the door and ran off toward the Pei house.

Once she'd made up her mind, Ji Yunshu felt a sense of urgency she'd never known before.

So what if Qiongzhou Island was harsh? Could it ever be harsher than the suffering in her dreams? In her dreams, because Qiongzhou Island was far from the capital, the Great Movement hadn't hit as hard there—maybe it really could help her protect the Meng family.

It just felt like she was using Pei Yufeng.

Then she'd do her best to treat him well once they were married, Ji Yunshu thought.

The sun in the courtyard was already high, bleaching the dirt path white. She reached the Pei family's doorstep and, without stopping to catch her breath, immediately knocked on the gate.

The door opened quickly. Pei Yufeng stood there, seeing the sweat on Ji Yunshu's face and her flushed cheeks, and froze for a moment.

"Sister Yunshu?" Pei Yufeng stepped aside to let her in.

Ji Yunshu didn't go inside. She stood at the doorway, looking up at him.

The sun shining on her face was a bit dazzling, but she gazed at Pei Yufeng with burning intensity and gave him a smile brighter than the sunlight itself. "Comrade Pei Yufeng, are you still taking military dependents on the island?"