That one sentence hit like steel striking a piano string.
Su Yemang choked up. “Are you talking about my ex husband?”
The answer was like saying nothing at all, yet saying everything.
For a moment, his whole body tensed, so hard that his ribs ached.
Xiao Ye looked at her, imagining her with another man, kissing like this.
He closed his deep eyes, expression dark and ugly.
Su Yemang didn’t understand.
Suddenly, Xiao Ye spoke, “Once the typhoon ends, we’ll go back.”
Outside the pit.
The wind was so strong it sent branches and stones tumbling down the mountainside.
The mountain entrance was blocked by huge boulders, inaccessible.
Xiao Ye’s border patrol squad had descended the mountain early and reported back to headquarters.
The Liaodong Military District already knew that Su Yemang and Xiao Ye were trapped on the mountain and was doing everything it could to rescue them.
But all the paths up the mountain were blocked by the typhoon, making it impossible to reach them.
They had to wait for the typhoon to subside before clearing the stones blocking the roads.
At the military district headquarters, the commander sighed helplessly.
“Ah, Xiao Ye’s wilderness survival skills are well known in our district… it’s just… poor Su.”
Back in the deep pit.
The ground was layered three times first, Xiao Ye gathered branches and weeds to make a fire; then he unpacked the bedding from his bag and wrapped Su Yemang in it.
He sat by the fire the whole night.
The next day.
The typhoon had stopped, and the warm sun rose high.
Su Yemang opened her eyes to see Xiao Ye’s solid chest in front of her.
He had been holding her… all night?
The wound on his wrist was still alarming.
Xiao Ye looked down. “Cold?”
“Mm hmm.” Su Yemang nodded.
Xiao Ye quickly got up and pulled a pack of coarse field rations from his bag, handing them to Su Yemang.
Then he struck a match and reignited the fire.
Picking up her clothes, he said, “It’ll take a while to dry your clothes. You eat the rations first.”
He gave her the entire pack of 761 compressed rations.
Su Yemang first checked Xiao Ye’s wrist before starting to eat the biscuits.
Her eyes shone as she stared at his broad back.
Xiao Ye propped up her clothes with branches, noticing her gaze from the corner of his eye.
A subtle smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Gentle toward her, teasing her, making her addicted, then leaving her.
Su Yemang ate too quickly, nearly choking.
Xiao Ye hurriedly handed her the military water canteen. “Drink it all. No leftovers.”
She took it and gulped a mouthful, finally exhaling in relief as her esophagus felt comfortable again.
Softly, she said, “Thank you.”
Xiao Ye gave a cold “Mm.” “The typhoon’s over. I’ll get you out of the pit with the rope soon.”
Su Yemang nodded. “Mm. I just want to brush my teeth quickly.”
She had seen Xiao Ye’s stamina before.
During their four years in the countryside, they had fallen onto cliff ledges, and Xiao Ye had carried her up without a scratch.
He was already planning in his mind.
Be gentle with her now, then ignore her later.
Heh.
That way, he could make Su Yemang ache for him.
Just like he had for five years sleepless, distraught, doubting himself, only time to soothe him.
The wounds had finally faded slightly, but their encounter on the train reignited his heartache.
So he would take revenge, leave her again, and make her hurt too.
Xiao Ye turned back, continuing to dry Su Yemang’s jacket…
Down the mountain.
The rescue team searching for Xiao Ye and Su Yemang had cleared the debris and started ascending the mountain.
Xu Gu led the squad up the trail.
They immediately saw Su Yemang and Xiao Ye descending with their packs.
“Captain Xiao! Professor Su…”
At the military district cafeteria.
Chatter filled the dining hall.
Yun Ruo entered carrying a meal box, and two women were gossiping.
“Did you hear? That Su Yemang and Xiao Ye were trapped on the mountain all night.”
“Oh yes! A man and a woman alone overnight… must be trouble!”
Yun Ruo slapped her meal box. “Oh, aunties, still gossiping here, huh?”
Her voice was so loud that people around looked over, and the two women immediately awkwardly ran off…
Yun Ruo pushed her bangs aside, found a corner to sit in, and picked up a black bun.
After a while.
A technician wearing glasses came over. “Are you Comrade Yun Ruo?”
Yun Ruo looked up, stunned.
She slowly said, “Yes… that’s me.”
“Hello, I’m here to meet you for a blind date. Sister Wang introduced me.”
Yun Ruo gave an awkward smile. “Mm hmm, okay, have a seat.”
Last time she had only joked, but she hadn’t expected her neighbor, Sister Wang, to actually introduce someone.
Alright, fine. She would go on the blind date and finally get that married man out of her head.
The man with glasses babbled on about his work, and Yun Ruo nodded along, just playing polite.
“Oh! Yun Ruo’s on a blind date?”
“She’s already thirty two. They’d better talk properly.”
“Look at her face it’s different from ours in Central Plains, no wonder she’s a capitalist’s daughter…”
Yun Ruo didn’t look up. “Ugh, so noisy. How come there are mice at noon?”
The glasses guy hesitated but couldn’t help staring at Yun Ruo’s pretty face.
On the west side of the cafeteria.
Su Yechuan lowered his blue cap and walked in carrying a toolbox.
The cafeteria’s power equipment had been repaired, so it was time to leave.
He asked around with the troupe and was told Yun Ruo usually came to the cafeteria around this time.
So, out of curiosity, he came to try his luck.
He looked around nervously, holding his meal box…
Then he saw Yun Ruo.
Across from her, a man with glasses was staring blankly at her.
Yun Ruo didn’t show any discomfort, and occasionally smiled.
Su Yechuan exhaled heavily. He couldn’t eat, but quickly finished his meal anyway.
Yun Ruo was still sitting there, her smile like a blooming flower.
She smiled, then went to get soup.
The soup was free, but the line was long.
Su Yechuan took the chance to approach and said something to the man with glasses…
The glasses guy was startled, immediately turned, and fled in panic.
Su Yechuan saw Yun Ruo return with her soup and quickly left as well.
When Yun Ruo came back and saw the glasses guy was gone from the seat, she froze for a moment.
In the corner, Su Yechuan raised the corner of his mouth and quickly left the cafeteria.
7:30 p.m., dusk had fallen.
Su Yemang’s home.
After encountering the rescue team with Xiao Ye, she went to the clinic and then each went home.
Su Yemang thought she wasn’t sick, so she began working.
She handed over the excavated batteries and started writing the report on the nuclear battery burial site.
When she got sleepy, someone knocked at the door.
Two large buckets of hot water and dinner, malted milk, etc., were placed at the door.
Xiao Ye’s door lightly shook.
Su Yemang sighed, brought them inside, and went to take a shower.
Right after the shower, she caught a cold.
Su Yemang took out a photo of Xiao Ye and looked at it.
Su Yixin saw the person in the photo and immediately ran to Xiao Ye’s house next door.
Ten minutes later.
Xiao Ye climbed over the backyard wall, carrying a big bag of medicine.
In a low voice, he said, “These are medicines for colds. Take them to your mother and have her take them.”
He shoved the medicine to Su Yixin and turned to leave.
Suddenly, Su Yixin pursed her lips mischievously, then cried and ran after him, hugging Xiao Ye’s leg tightly.
Tears streaming, she said, “Uncle Xiao Ye, don’t go! Mom is really sick!”
Su Yixin had been holding the photo of Uncle Xiao Ye ever since her mother came back she must have missed him.
Xiao Ye’s face instantly turned pale as he stood there.
After a moment, he sighed and quickly went to Su Yemang’s bedroom.
With a “bang,” he pushed open the door, and Su Yemang’s photo fell into the bedding.
Su Yemang hurriedly used her bottom to cover Xiao Ye’s photo. “Captain Xiao… why are you here?”
Xiao Ye’s eyes were sharp as an eagle; he had already noticed it was a photo.
What photo was she looking at so intently, with a faint blush on her cheeks?
Whose photo was she hiding?
Veins bulged on Xiao Ye’s forehead.
He walked over. “What are you hiding?”