He Zheng’s words had a terrible effect. The moment he spoke, Jiang Ning felt as if the wall behind her was crawling with scorpions and geckos.
The thought of those creatures scurrying onto her, slipping under her clothes, made her scalp tingle with terror.
Unable to find a grip on his jacket in her panic, she simply grabbed the belt at his waist. She needed to hold onto something—anything—to feel even a shred of security.
In the darkness, He Zheng’s face was flushed crimson all the way down to his neck.
He tried his best to ignore the woman clutching his belt, but she was pressed so close that her breath fanned across his chest. It was hot and maddeningly ticklish.
The veins on his temple strained.
He attempted to step back, but the crowd behind him was too dense, leaving him no room to retreat.
“Sister-in-law,” He Zheng lowered his voice, “you don’t need to be nervous. As long as you don’t touch the wall, you’ll be fine.”
How could she not be nervous?
The wall was right behind her. For all she knew, it was already covered in scorpions and geckos.
Jiang Ning refused to take a single step back. Instead, she clung to He Zheng, her fingers still white-knuckled on his black leather belt.
He Zheng: …
He’d thought she was only afraid of toads. He never imagined she was this terrified of everything else.
If he’d known, he never would have said a word.
The night air was frigid atop the mountain, and a torrential downpour had forced a crowd to huddle under the trees, shivering and rubbing their arms for warmth. Yet, deep inside the cave, the air was stifling. Jiang Ning felt a thin layer of sweat coat her back.
Without a watch, she had no idea what time it was. But after a while, a faint light began to filter through the rain, and she estimated it must be nearly five o’clock. The rain had also slowed to a steady drizzle.
When will help arrive? she wondered.
Communication was difficult out here. Even if a rescue team came, finding them would be a challenge.
Only when the full light of dawn flooded the cave, banishing the shadows, did Jiang Ning’s fear finally subside.
She glanced down, her eyes falling on her own stomach, and realized her hand was still gripping He Zheng’s belt.
Jiang Ning: …
She hastily let go and stepped back a fraction, her gaze immediately drawn to the man’s lean, powerful frame.
He wore a short-sleeved olive-drab T-shirt, the thin fabric soaked through and clinging to his body. The wet material traced the distinct, hard lines of his abdominal muscles, even highlighting the contours of his obliques. The shirt was tucked neatly into his trousers, the soaked military pants wrapping around his long, straight legs.
She had to admit, the male lead had an incredible figure.
And that physique… Jiang Ning thought. All those muscles were clearly hard-earned.
The memory of gripping his belt made her face flush with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I was just… scared.”
The mention of scorpions and geckos was enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.
Only after Jiang Ning let go and stepped back did He Zheng finally exhale. He stared out of the cave, his voice strained as he replied, “It’s fine.”
Jiang Ning finally realized how He Zheng had been protecting her. He had positioned himself with his arms braced against the wall on either side of her, sealing her into the small space between his body and the rock. No matter how the rest of the crowd jostled and pushed, they couldn’t reach her—much less touch her stomach.
“Your man really dotes on you, doesn’t he?” a woman’s voice suddenly chimed in from the side. “He’s got you tucked away so no one can bump into you. Not like my husband—he just kept walking and we got separated the moment we hit the mountain. I don’t even know which cave he ended up in.”
Jiang Ning blinked, turning to look at the woman. She appeared to be in her thirties, wearing a gray jacket that was completely soaked through.
Just as Jiang Ning was about to explain that he wasn’t her man, He Zheng spoke up.
“She’s my sister-in-law.”
The woman immediately fell silent.
Jiang Ning quickly added, “My husband died in the line of duty. I’m carrying his child, so I have to protect the baby.”
The woman’s expression softened with sympathy. Poor thing, she thought. A widow so young.
***
The rain didn’t let up until ten in the morning, when it finally tapered off. One by one, the people crowded in the cave began to emerge for a breath of fresh air.
Jiang Ning stepped outside, greeted by the earthy scent of wet mud.
The entire mountain slope was swarming with people. He Zheng reached into his bag and pulled out the cookies he’d bought at the state-run store before they set out, handing them to Jiang Ning so she could eat something to tide her over. He’d also managed to fill his military canteen with hot water before bed last night, enough for her to drink.
She looked down at the cookies wrapped in greaseproof paper. The colorful packaging read Calcium Milk Cookies, a quintessential product of the sixties.
In later years, people wouldn’t even glance at these in a supermarket, but in the sixties, they were a luxury. Not only had most country folk never seen them, but even in the cities, not everyone could afford them.
Jiang Ning looked up at He Zheng. He was tall—she didn’t even reach his shoulder.
“You should eat some too,” she said.
“I’m not hungry,” he replied. “You go ahead, Sister-in-law.”
The rescue team could still be hours away, and their food supplies were dwindling. She needed to eat first.
Jiang Ning knew he was trying to be thoughtful, but she had no appetite. She unwrapped the cookies, ate a few, and then handed the package back to He Zheng.
His brow furrowed. “You’re not eating anymore, Sister-in-law?”
“I just don’t have an appetite,” she admitted.
Besides, she really needed to use the restroom. She hadn’t gone once since boarding the train yesterday. But with so many people around and no place for privacy, she could only hold it.
The ground was a muddy mess from the rain, but Jiang Ning was standing on a thick patch of grass. She stroked her belly and gazed down the slope. The steepness of the incline made her realize how difficult it must have been for He Zheng to carry her, lugging their bags through the torrential rain yesterday.
Soldiers are something else, she thought. Their strength is on another level.
“Sister-in-law, have some water.”
He Zheng unscrewed the canteen lid and offered it to her.
She shook her head. “I’m okay.”
He Zheng’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he tightened the lid and stowed the canteen in his bag. “Wait for me here, Sister-in-law. I’ll be right back.”
Jiang Ning watched He Zheng disappear into the crowd, wondering where he was going.
He returned moments later, hoisting his bag with one hand. “Sister-in-law, I need to take you somewhere,” he said softly.
“Where?” Jiang Ning asked, puzzled.
He Zheng turned his head, clearing his throat. “A more private spot,” he murmured.
The realization hit her instantly. She hadn’t expected him to be so observant—he’d even noticed she needed to use the restroom.
Without hesitation, Jiang Ning followed him.
The terrain was rough.
When He Zheng reached out to steady her, she immediately rested her arm on his. His hand was strong and his fingers long and elegant. His grip was firm, his strength alone enough to support her entire weight as he guided her into a patch of waist-high grass.
He let go and gestured ahead with a tilt of his chin. “Go on, Sister-in-law. I’ll keep watch here.”
Jiang Ning smiled, a bright light touching her eyes. “Thank you.”
She turned and walked slowly into the brush.
This was the first time He Zheng had seen Jiang Ning smile since he’d known her.
He remembered the night he and Zhou Du had spent crouched in the grass. Zhou Du had whispered to him then, boasting that his wife was a high school student, fair and beautiful. He’d said that when she smiled, you’d want to pluck the stars from the sky for her, and that marrying such a woman made his life’s journey worth every struggle, even death itself.
He never imagined the word death would one day apply to him.
He Zheng turned his back to Jiang Ning. The mere thought of Zhou Du made the stone in his chest feel as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Jiang Ning walked into the waist-high grass, glancing back at He Zheng’s distant, turned figure. Fearing he might hear her or that she would be too embarrassed, she moved quietly and hurried back as soon as she was finished.
Other people were heading their way, including several women running toward the same spot.
Around three or four in the afternoon, the relief team arrived—a transport brigade from the nearby city. They had brought ten heavy-duty trucks to ferry the group to the city’s railway station in waves. The city sat on higher ground, safe from the floodwaters that had pooled in this low-lying valley.
The descent was treacherous, the path a muddy mess. Jiang Ning’s heavy belly made every step a struggle. He Zheng couldn’t carry her on his back, fearing his spine would press against her stomach.
He Zheng hoisted his backpack and hooked a bundle over his arm. He looked at Jiang Ning, who was panting heavily and covered in sweat. His grip on her forearm tightened slightly as he spoke. “Sister-in-law, the path down is difficult, and there’s still water at the bottom. I…”
He paused, then continued, “I’ll carry you down. You’re heavily burdened, so you shouldn’t have to wade through the water.”
Truthfully, Jiang Ning was exhausted. She had climbed mountains before, but none so treacherous. This descent was nearly the death of her.
So when He Zheng offered, she only pretended to hesitate for a moment before asking, “Won’t that be too much trouble for you?”
“Not at all,” He Zheng replied. “As long as you don’t mind.”
He bent down, slid his arms under her back and knees, and lifted her in one smooth motion.
To him, she felt light—lighter than the gear he carried during weighted runs.
Last night, when he had carried her wrapped in a blanket while rushing up the mountain, he hadn’t felt any awkwardness. But today, without the blanket, he was acutely aware of the unfamiliar softness of her body in his arms and the warmth of her legs wrapped around his forearm.
He Zheng felt stiff and uncomfortable. Keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead, he dared not look down, only taking long strides as he hurried toward the heavy-duty trucks.
Jiang Ning noticed that He Zheng was making better time carrying her than she ever could on her own.
His grip was careful and measured, supporting her back with his arms while his hands remained clenched in fists to avoid touching her. Being carried was undeniably effortless.
When they reached the bottom of the mountain, Jiang Ning spotted a rescue boat bobbing in the floodwaters. He Zheng waded through the deluge and lifted her onto the vessel. He then turned back, helping the other rescuers transfer the rest of the survivors on board.
From her vantage point, Jiang Ning watched as He Zheng stood chest-deep in the water, reaching out to catch each child as the rescuers passed them up. The floodwater would have completely submerged the children if they had tried to stand in it.
He Zheng was strikingly handsome, his features sharply defined. His soaked military uniform clung to his broad shoulders and narrow waist, accentuating his muscular build. The black belt cinched at his waist only added to the raw, masculine energy he radiated.
The unmarried women on the boat, all awaiting rescue, stared at him with flushed faces, unable to look away.
Who wouldn’t want a husband this good-looking?
And a soldier, no less. These days, soldiers enjoyed far better benefits than factory workers. Besides, how could anyone resist such a warm-hearted man?
But as the women watched, the soldier stepped onto the rescue boat, his long legs carrying him straight to a heavily pregnant woman. He knelt beside her, speaking softly, then reached into his pack to offer her a water bottle.
Oh, so he’s already married.
And his wife looks to be five or six months along.