Colonel Ji Anguo parked the car in front of the cake shop, ran to the other side, and helped Shen Yunhe out.
After entering the shop, Jiang Banyue immediately smelled a strong scent of alcohol and frowned as she looked toward the entrance.
Shen Yunhe pushed Ji Anguo away and staggered toward her, hugging her tightly and nuzzling her in a clingy, almost dependent way.
“Wife, I’m back!”
“Let go! Who’s your wife? Bastard!”
Jiang Banyue struggled out of his arms. Unsteady on his feet, Shen Yunhe was pushed back a few steps. Ji Anguo quickly rushed over to support him, smiling helplessly.
“Sister-in-law, calm down. I dragged him to drink. We’re old comrades—we just got carried away.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Jiang Banyue frowned at him.
“Get out. I still have to run my shop!”
“This… Sister-in-law, even if you’re angry, you can’t just ignore your man when he’s drunk…”
“What man? Stop talking nonsense!”
Annoyed, Jiang Banyue pushed them both out. Ji Anguo and Shen Yunhe staggered backward step by step.
“Sister-in-law, let’s talk this out…”
In the end, Ji Anguo had no choice but to help Shen Yunhe back into the car.
“You really made your wife angry. She won’t even let you into the shop.”
Shen Yunhe sobered slightly and rubbed his face, staring at the woman busy inside the shop.
“Anguo, thanks for bringing me back.”
“It’s nothing. Your wife—”
Ji Anguo hesitated.
Shen Yunhe let out a deep breath, his expression full of regret.
“We’re divorced.”
“Ah?”
Ji Anguo looked at him with a complicated expression, unsure what to say. No wonder she drove him out—they were already divorced, yet he still came to cling to her. It was obvious he regretted it and wanted to reconcile.
“You should go back. I’ll sit here alone for a while.”
“Alright, I’m leaving.”
After Ji Anguo left, Shen Yunhe sat alone in the car in silence.
After sunset, the shop finally quieted down. He got out, brought in the things he had bought, and stuffed all his remaining money and ration tickets into a bag before walking back into the shop.
Jiang Banyue snapped at him irritably.
“Why are you here again?”
“Banyue… I bought some things for the kids. Tonight I’m leaving. Let me spend a little more time with them, okay?”
Seeing his pitiful look, she softened and agreed.
He happily put down the things, picked up the children, and played with them until after eight, when he finally coaxed them to sleep.
He reluctantly kissed all three children before going downstairs.
Standing in front of her, he said goodbye unwillingly.
“I’m leaving. I’ll send money every month for the children’s expenses.”
“No need. I can support them myself.”
“I still will.”
She felt an inexplicable heat under his intense gaze and became flustered.
“Just go already. It’s late. I’m closing the shop.”
“Alright. I’m leaving. I’ll send money every month.”
“Do whatever you want.”
He looked at her deeply one last time and turned to leave.
She finally sighed in relief and went upstairs.
..
Shen Yunhe drove for two days straight before arriving at the military base. After returning to the officers’ quarters, he showered, changed out of his uniform, and headed to the office.
Under a tree in the residential area sat a plainly dressed woman. When she saw him return, she quickly ran off to the cultural troupe to report to Liu Juan.
“Colonel Shen is back! The person you asked me to watch has returned!”
“Really?”
Liu Juan’s face flushed with excitement.
Zhang Xiufen, who had been working with her, rolled her eyes in disdain. Everyone in the unit knew Liu Juan shamelessly clung to Colonel Shen, and no one respected her—but she had money, and people were willing to tolerate her for it.
Liu Juan paid her to monitor Shen Yunhe. Zhang Xiufen didn’t want to deal with her, but she needed the money to support her family.
“Give me one yuan,” she demanded.
Liu Juan happily handed it over.
“From now on, report everything about Colonel Shen to me.”
“Got it.”
Zhang Xiufen left happily with the money.
Back in the dormitory, the women began gossiping.
“She went out again to dress up—who is she trying to seduce?”
“Who else? Colonel Shen, obviously.”
“Isn’t he on leave?”
“I saw him driving back this morning.”
“How would Liu Juan know if she never left the dorm?”
A girl whispered mysteriously:
“What if she’s been monitoring him?”
“That’s serious… that’s illegal.”
“If not, how does she always know his whereabouts first?”
The dorm fell silent. If true, this wasn’t just dismissal—it could lead to a military court.
Meanwhile, Liu Juan stood under a poplar tree, adjusting her hair and waiting for Shen Yunhe. She had calculated his route carefully.
Soon, she saw him approaching.
She lowered her head and pretended to walk forward—planning to “accidentally” fall into his arms and force a marriage scene in front of everyone.
But just as she got close, before she could fall—
Shen Yunhe, still reading a document, lifted his leg and kicked.
“Ah—!”
Liu Juan was kicked straight into the tree and fell to the ground.
The surrounding soldiers held back laughter and quickly dispersed, pretending nothing had happened. No one dared laugh—after all, this was the colonel’s kick.