Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Ji Yunshu ultimately didn't get to let the cat sleep with her.

Every night before bed, Pei Yufeng would prepare food and water and place them in the next room, then carefully put the cat inside, not giving Ji Yunshu any chance to sneak it into bed. Ji Yunshu wanted to protest, but soon her protests were stifled, leaving her with nothing but whimpers.

The National Day holiday quickly came to an end, and Ji Yunshu once again received a phone call from Meng Yunzhen.

On the other end of the line, Meng Yunzhen's voice sounded like a completely different person from last time. Last time her voice had been hoarse and weary, weighed down by sudden troubles that left her breathless. This time her voice was much brighter, and her tone even carried a hint of easy laughter.

She said the matter had been resolved—the school had reinstated her in the project group, Sun Hefang had been transferred out of the project team, and the underclassman who had taken her place had been sent back. If nothing unexpected happened, the project would pass the final review within a month, and she should be able to finish writing and publish her paper without a hitch.

Ji Yunshu held the receiver and let out a long sigh of relief. The stone that had been weighing on her heart these past days finally lifted. She was about to say "that's wonderful" when Meng Yunzhen paused on the other end, her tone growing a bit sheepish, her voice lowering.

"Xiaoshu, I really want to thank your husband's comrade-in-arms this time. But... the way he helped me was rather unconventional." Meng Yunzhen's voice carried a hint of awkwardness. "He said I was his 'fiancée.'"

"What?" Ji Yunshu didn't react for a moment.

Meng Yunzhen continued speaking on the other end, her words coming faster than usual, as if trying to explain something even she found hard to believe. She said that man had appeared when she was at her most helpless—before the letter of guarantee had arrived, the department was pressuring her to submit her data, her advisor couldn't hold up under the pressure either, and she was hiding alone in the lab, crying, feeling like she had no way out. Then that man appeared, went straight to the department chair's office, and said he was Meng Yunzhen's fiancé, from a military family with a clean political background, willing to vouch for Meng Yunzhen's political standing.

The department chair didn't believe it at first, but after verifying his identity, the department chair's attitude changed immediately. The department leaders who had been cold and harsh toward her suddenly became polite, stopped pressing her for data, and Sun Hefang was called in for a talk and transferred out of the research team within days. The whole situation turned around so fast it felt like a dream.

"I know this sounds bad," Meng Yunzhen's voice carried a hint of guilt, "but with this identity protecting me, the department's attitude toward me is completely different. The project should go through smoothly, and I'll be able to graduate on time next year. Xiaoshu, when he first said it, I was shocked too—I didn't know him at all—but since I knew he was your husband's comrade-in-arms, I played along. There really was no faster solution than going along with it."

Ji Yunshu held the receiver, her heart heavy. Although everyone said people shouldn't be treated differently based on family background, in reality, class origin still mattered enormously. With someone from a good family background or a Party member speaking on behalf of Meng Yunzhen, everything was completely different.

"Thank you, Xiaoshu." Meng Yunzhen said finally. "These past few days, I've finally gotten things resolved. I don't know how to thank you enough."

"It's no big deal. You're my sister—it's what I should do." Ji Yunshu felt like something wasn't quite right, but she couldn't put her finger on what.

The person Meng Yunzhen described came from a military family too, but Ji Yunshu felt that this "comrade-in-arms of Pei Yufeng" didn't line up with something she remembered. She hadn't asked Pei Yufeng in detail about the specific comrade he'd found, but he'd casually mentioned that day that the comrade, just like him, had graduated from the Naval Academy, was three years older, and was probably already married.

If he was already married, then why would he use that kind of excuse to help Meng Yunzhen?

Pei Yufeng had been specially recruited into the military at fourteen. Ordinary soldiers usually enlisted around seventeen, and at twenty-seven or twenty-eight, he should indeed be at the typical age for marriage.

"Yunzhen, sis," Ji Yunshu's voice unconsciously lowered, her tone carrying a cautious tentativeness, "this person who helped you—what's his name?"

"Yue Ling. Yue as in the character for 'hill,' Ling as in 'soaring ambition.'" Meng Yunzhen said, and when she spoke the name, her voice softened for a moment, as if she'd said something that made her heart feel warm.

Ji Yunshu remembered that Pei Yufeng's comrade-in-arms wasn't named that. The person Pei Yufeng mentioned had a three-syllable name, but this person's name was two syllables. Although Ji Yunshu didn't know his comrades that well, something was definitely wrong here!

Ji Yunshu was starting to panic, but she couldn't be sure she'd misremembered. She quickly asked for more details: "Sis, tell me more—do you remember when he first came to find you? Did he ever say he was Pei's comrade-in-arms?"

Ji Yunshu tried to keep her voice sounding casual and normal, but her fingers had already started twisting the phone cord without realizing it.

Meng Yunzhen was a bit embarrassed by her questions but answered truthfully anyway. She said Yue Ling had suddenly appeared at her lab door three days ago. She had just been given an ultimatum by the department and was about to fall apart, crouching at the end of the hallway crying. He was wearing a military uniform and stood there looking at her for a long moment, then walked over and handed her a handkerchief. He said he'd been asked to check on how she was doing and asked if she needed help. She was wary at first, but he volunteered that he was an active-duty soldier and showed her his military ID. He said he already understood her situation—her family background problem wasn't unsolvable, as long as someone was willing to vouch for her.

"Then he said he'd do it." Meng Yunzhen's voice became very light, as if recalling a beautiful moment that felt unreal. "I thought he was joking at first, but then I remembered you said your husband would send a comrade to help, so I didn't give it another thought. After that, he went to the department chair and vouched for me in his own name, saying I was his fiancée and he was willing to take full responsibility."

Ji Yunshu held the receiver, her mind racing. Three days ago—that was October 3rd. Pei Yufeng had sent the letter of guarantee by express mail from Qiongzhou Island to the capital on the afternoon of the day she made her first phone call. The post office said it would take at least five days to arrive, meaning the earliest it could arrive was October 5th. In other words, when Yue Ling appeared before Meng Yunzhen, Pei Yufeng's letter of guarantee was still on its way.

Pei Yufeng's comrade-in-arms had no ties to Meng Yunzhen. There was no reason for him to vouch for her on his own—she was, after all, Pei Yufeng's wife's sister. It would make more sense for him to wait for Pei Yufeng's letter of guarantee before helping her.

So this person wasn't Pei Yufeng's comrade-in-arms. He had arrived before the letter of guarantee, ahead of the actual help. How did he even know about Meng Yunzhen's situation?

"Yunzhen," Ji Yunshu's voice unconsciously dropped even lower, "how much do you know about this person? His unit designation, his specific position, where his family is from, who's in his family... do you know any of that?"

Meng Yunzhen was silent for a moment on the other end of the line. "He said his family has a military background, and his father is also in the military. He didn't specify the unit number, and I didn't feel comfortable pressing for details. But he's Pei's comrade-in-arms, so I figured there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Sis, think carefully—did he ever say he was Pei's comrade-in-arms?" Ji Yunshu closed her eyes, feeling that this was getting more and more complicated. "Pei's letter of guarantee would take five to seven days to reach the capital even by express. You said Yue Ling found you three days ago—the letter still hadn't arrived. Even though Pei had called ahead to ask for help, once the letter of guarantee arrived, there would be no need for him to claim you were his fiancée to fix things. After all, this is a lie... and if it comes out, it's your reputation that suffers."

A stunned silence fell on the other end of the line. Meng Yunzhen's breathing became rapid, as if someone had just doused her with cold water.

Ji Yunshu continued, trying to keep her voice steady: "Yunzhen, don't panic. I need to go back and ask Pei Yufeng about this, get him to look into who this Yue Ling really is. Until then, don't meet him alone again, and don't agree to anything he asks for."

Meng Yunzhen's voice started to shake: "But he's already helped me—"

"I know he helped you." Ji Yunshu reassured her, her voice gentle but firm. "But if he's not Pei Yufeng's comrade-in-arms, why would he pretend to be one? Why would he come to you before the letter of guarantee arrived? Why would he claim to be your fiancé instead of just vouching for you as a comrade-in-arms? Sis, have you thought about any of this?"

Meng Yunzhen went completely quiet on the other end. After a long moment, she said softly, "I... I haven't thought about it. I... I don't know what to do now, but I trust you, Xiaoshu. Please call me this afternoon."

Ji Yunshu said heavily, "I'll do my best."

After hanging up, Ji Yunshu sat in her chair, staring off into space for a long time. Her mind churned through every detail of the matter, and the more she thought, the more a chill ran down her spine.

Her dreams had fragments about the Meng family's future, but most of them had to do with Wang Wanru and Meng Guangze. She had seen them and Brother Meng being sent down to the countryside, ragged and utterly miserable. Her memories of Meng Yunzhen were sparse—she didn't know if Meng Yunzhen had married, who she'd married, or what happened to her. These gaps now became sources of anxiety.

When Pei Yufeng came home from work at noon, Ji Yunshu rushed over and quickly told him everything Meng Yunzhen had said on the phone.

As soon as Ji Yunshu asked about his comrade's name, Pei Yufeng immediately replied, "My comrade is called Qiu Jinghuan—three characters in Chinese. He is indeed from the capital, but his family is from the countryside. He took the political route at the Naval Academy and was stationed back in the capital after graduation. He called me back this morning saying the letter of guarantee had arrived and he was making time to go check on your sister. The letter just arrived today—he plans to go see your sister tomorrow or the day after. As for Yue Ling... I've never heard of that name."

Ji Yunshu felt as if an invisible hand had clenched her heart. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice: "Then who is Yue Ling? Why would he pretend to be your comrade? And how did he find out about Yunzhen's situation?"

"Quite a few people probably know about your sister's situation—with the school kicking up such a fuss, most students in her department probably know." Pei Yufeng thought for a moment, thinking seriously. "We don't know his intentions yet. Is Meng sure she doesn't know this person at all?"

"From what Yunzhen described, she didn't know him before." Ji Yunshu recalled what Meng Yunzhen had said.

"You go eat at the cafeteria first. I'll go call Qiu to ask." Pei Yufeng took meal coupons and prepared to head out with Ji Yunshu. "I'll ask if he knows who this guy is."

"Okay." Ji Yunshu followed Pei Yufeng out. He rode his bicycle to take her to the officers' cafeteria, then went back to call Qiu Jinghuan. Ji Yunshu, knowing Pei Yufeng hadn't eaten either, got two servings and ate while waiting for him in the cafeteria.

Half an hour later, Pei Yufeng returned: "I asked. Yue Ling is someone he knows, but he doesn't know how he found out about your sister's situation or why he went to see her instead of him."

"I'm calling Yunzhen right now." Ji Yunshu grabbed her bicycle keys and ran out. Pei Yufeng, leaving his meal behind, followed her, and the two of them hurried to the post office together.

When the long-distance call went through, Meng Yunzhen sounded even more panicked than in the morning. After receiving Ji Yunshu's call, she'd gotten more and more scared and didn't know what to do.

Ji Yunshu relayed Pei Yufeng's exact words—that the letter of guarantee had just arrived, that his comrade was named Qiu Jinghuan, that Qiu Jinghuan hadn't had time to go see her yet, that the man named Yue Ling was not Pei Yufeng's comrade-in-arms, but Pei Yufeng's comrade did know him, and he was indeed a soldier—they just didn't know why he'd come to help her.

Meng Yunzhen drew in a sharp breath on the other end. She was silent for a long moment, then said in a voice thick with tears, "Xiaoshu... right after you called, Yue Ling came to see me. He... he proposed to me."

Ji Yunshu held the receiver, completely caught off guard by this turn of events. She asked incredulously, "Proposed? He proposed to you?"

"Not long after I got off the phone with you, he came to my school again." Meng Yunzhen's voice was fast and urgent, with barely contained panic. "After you called me, I stayed in my dorm thinking about it—the more I thought, the more scared I got, the more I felt something was wrong. But I still had to do experiments. I'd just left my dorm when I ran into him in the hallway. He... he waved me over in the hallway, in front of several classmates, and asked if I would marry him."

"Were there other people around who might have overheard when he proposed?" Ji Yunshu closed her eyes, feeling this person seemed a bit too bold.

"No, no—we were far away from everyone else." Meng Yunzhen quickly explained.

"Then did you agree?" Ji Yunshu asked urgently.

"No!" Meng Yunzhen denied quickly, her voice carrying a note of hurt and shame. "How could I possibly agree? I don't even know him—I've only known him a few days, and I can't even be sure he is who he says he is. I said I'd think about it, then rushed back to the lab. My mind was a mess all morning, I couldn't focus on my experiments at all, and I kept waiting for you to call this afternoon."

"Listen, sis." Ji Yunshu took a deep breath, trying to sound calm. "Don't panic right now. Pei said that although he's not his comrade-in-arms, he does seem to be a soldier. I'll have Pei ask his comrade to verify whether it's the person he knows. Don't panic—at least he hasn't done anything too out of line to you yet."

Meng Yunzhen thought for a moment and said quietly, "Right... he's been very polite to me, and he's soft-spoken."

"So that means, so far, he hasn't shown any bad intentions." Ji Yunshu said. "But that doesn't mean you're wrong to be scared. A stranger suddenly appears before you, helps you by claiming to be your fiancé, and then proposes before you've even figured out his real identity—anyone would be scared. It makes sense that you're scared. Something really is off about this."

Meng Yunzhen was silent on the other end of the line for a long moment, then said softly, "Xiaoshu, what do you think he's really after?"

Ji Yunshu didn't answer that question. Because she didn't have an answer either. An active-duty officer from a clean family background with a bright future could easily find a suitable girl and court her openly. Why would he risk being investigated by the military to approach a female student with a problematic family background? Why show up before the guarantee letter arrived? Why use a lie to help a complete stranger? For her looks? Meng Yunzhen was indeed pretty and neat, but not to the point where a stranger would fall for her at first sight and gamble his career. For money? The Meng family had once been well-off, but most of their assets had been donated by now—she was just an ordinary student, what could he possibly gain from her?

She couldn't figure it out. Every possible answer failed to explain all the questions.

"Sis, listen." Ji Yunshu kept her voice steady, like soothing a frightened cat. "Once I get Brother Pei to verify his identity, if he comes to you again, tell him you already know he's not your brother-in-law's comrade. Ask him how he found out about your situation, why he helped you, and why he proposed. Ask him straight out—don't avoid him, don't be afraid. If he's really a soldier, he wouldn't dare hurt you. And if he has some hidden agenda, the more openly you confront him, the more cautious he'll be."

Meng Yunzhen was silent for a few seconds, then took a deep breath as if steeling herself. "You're right. I should ask him directly and honestly. Whatever the outcome, it's better than guessing in the dark like this."

"I'll call you once I hear from Brother Pei. No matter what happens, you have to call me afterward too," Ji Yunshu said.

"I will." Meng Yunzhen's voice sounded lighter than before, but before hanging up, she added earnestly, "Xiaoshu... thank you."

After hanging up, Pei Yufeng called his comrade again, asking him to help verify the other man's identity, preferably by setting up a meeting where the three of them could all be present. Ji Yunshu had already told Meng Yunzhen what was in Pei Yufeng's guarantee letter. So when Qiu Jinghuan brought the letter to meet Meng Yunzhen, they could confirm each other's identities by matching the contents, and then figure out who Yue Ling really was and what he wanted.

After making the call and giving his instructions, Pei Yufeng headed home with Ji Yunshu. Seeing her worried expression, he poured a glass of warm water, handed it to her, and spoke gently: "Whatever Yue Ling's motives are, at least one thing is certain—active-duty officers are bound by military discipline. If he dares do anything illegal against your sister, the military will be all over him. As far as that goes, your sister's safety shouldn't be a problem."

"But—" Ji Yunshu opened her mouth.

"I know." Pei Yufeng pressed her down into a chair, his palm resting lightly on her shoulder. "You feel like this whole thing is fishy from the get-go, and I do too. But right now we have no evidence that he's up to something. He did help your sister—that's a fact. His methods were over the top, but so far he hasn't harmed her. We'll just have to wait and see what he says after your sister has a frank talk with him."

Ji Yunshu lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with both hands, and said gloomily, "I guess that's all we can do."

Pei Yufeng went to the barracks in the afternoon, and Ji Yunshu was home alone, pedaling the sewing machine with a rhythmic clatter. But her mind was nowhere near the needlework—she sewed crookedly several times and had to rip the stitches out and start over.

Near dusk, as Ji Yunshu was crouching by the cat bed refilling the water bowls for Huajuan and Shen Shen, the courtyard gate suddenly swung open. She looked up and saw Pei Yufeng—but he was home nearly an hour earlier than usual, with the sun still hanging high in the sky, long before he usually got off work.

"Why are you back so early today?" Ji Yunshu stood up and walked over curiously.

Pei Yufeng looked down into her eyes and paused for a moment. He reached out, taking both of her hands in his, his thumb slowly stroking the back of her hand. "I received an urgent order. I'm heading out to sea tonight on a mission. No set return date."

Although Ji Yunshu had always known this was part of being a military wife, they had never been apart since they got married, so she still felt a pang of panic. From the capital to Qiongzhou Island, from the chaos of their first days on the island to the orderly routine they had now, Pei Yufeng had been by her side every day.

They cooked lunch at home, biked to the cafeteria for dinner, and at night he would hold her in his arms as she drifted off to sleep, often teasing her until she whimpered and pleaded for him to stop—all of this had become the backdrop of her life. Now he said he was going out to sea with no return date, and she suddenly felt as if a piece of that backdrop had been ripped away, revealing a hollow, empty space beneath.

She knew that Pei Yufeng's missions were classified, so she couldn't ask where he was going or how long he'd be gone. She could only wait quietly at home for him to come back once his mission was complete.

"When do you leave?" Ji Yunshu asked.

"Assembly in half an hour. I came back to tell you." Pei Yufeng squeezed her hand a little tighter. "While I'm gone, make sure you eat well. If you don't feel like cooking, go to the cafeteria. If you need anything, go next door to Huang's place or find Aunt Wang—they'll all help you."

Ji Yunshu looked down at their intertwined hands and nodded without speaking. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she wouldn't be able to let him go.

"Don't worry about the cats. I'll prepare their food before I leave—you just need to boil it for them." A small smile tugged at the corner of Pei Yufeng's mouth. "Take care of yourself. This is your first time home alone, and I'm worried."

Ji Yunshu almost laughed at his words, but she felt a lump in her throat. She pulled her hand free and lightly punched his chest. "Stop fussing. I'm not a child."

"Wait for me." Pei Yufeng couldn't help but pull Ji Yunshu into his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

He held her tightly, as if he didn't want to let her go.

Ji Yunshu nodded. "I'll wait for you."

Author's note:

Sorry I'm a few minutes late.