Chapter 11: Calling the Name

Shen Qingyao turned around and took a small step forward.

"You're leaving?" Jiang Yan asked calmly.

"Yes," he replied.

Shen Qingyao smiled gently. "Then go about your business. I'll stay here a while longer before I leave."

"It's nothing major, really."

His words implied that Jiang Yan didn’t really want to leave.

Initially, Shen Qingyao thought he would just leave, but seeing such a big man act so coy—it felt like he was acting spoiled, didn’t it? Was she just imagining things? What was up with this man? No fair playing tricks!

Her mind started to race with little schemes.

Her ears burned, and she opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words.

Just as she was about to speak, her stomach let out a small sound.

Jiang Yan glanced down at her belly. "Hungry?"

Shen Qingyao jumped back. "The incident with Lu Shaojun happened so suddenly..."

"I’m heading back to the team. The canteen might still be open. Why don’t you come with me?"

"Together?"

Shen Qingyao thought it over.

Impulsively, she nodded.

Before leaving, Jiang Yan greeted the doctor.

If there were any issues, they would inform Jiang Yan directly; Shen Qingyao didn’t need to worry.

A car was waiting at the hospital entrance. Jiang Yan gave the driver a look and signaled him to keep quiet.

The driver watched as Jiang Yan took Shen Qingyao toward the military district.

Fortunately, the military hospital wasn’t far from the military district, though entering was quite troublesome.

It was the military district’s rest time, but many people dressed in uniforms similar to Jiang Yan’s were still training.

Shen Qingyao dared not look around much.

She wasn’t sure if she might accidentally see some classified information.

Walking with her head down, Jiang Yan suddenly stopped.

Chen Zheng appeared in front of him, sweating, standing at attention and saluting.

"Squad leader, the commander is waiting for you in the office. He said you should come back right away."

Chen Zheng’s eyes kept glancing at Shen Qingyao, and when their eyes met, he smiled bashfully.

"I’ll be there shortly," Jiang Yan said with a slight bow, leading Shen Qingyao in another direction.

"I don’t know what the canteen has left, but if you don’t like it, I can have someone buy something outside."

Shen Qingyao glanced at Jiang Yan, feeling that his thoughtfulness was beyond measure.

---

The countryside military district’s canteen was extremely basic. The so-called canteen was really just a public area with a single large pot.

Though Shen Qingyao was a bit picky, she wasn’t difficult to please.

Jiang Yan could eat anything, so she wouldn’t be finicky.

The elderly lady saw newcomers and brought out two basins to serve food.

The canteen was near the training ground, and many people leaned on the fence watching Jiang Yan and Shen Qingyao.

A burly man jogged over. Before he reached them, he raised his hand and grabbed Jiang Yan’s neck.

"Damn you, Jiang Yan! Where the hell have you been? You left those old geezers for me to deal with!"

"Ouch! And who’s this beauty..." The man’s tone softened when he saw Shen Qingyao.

Jiang Yan didn’t mind. "This is my wife, Shen Qingyao."

Shen Qingyao bit her chopsticks while studying the man.

He had a prominent scar running from his brow to his eye.

Wearing only a tank top with a jacket slung over his shoulder, he looked rather unkempt.

His crew cut was streaked with a few gray hairs, though he didn’t seem very old.

"Yao Yao, this is Xu Kaifeng, my colleague," Jiang Yan introduced.

Xu Kaifeng slapped Jiang Yan’s back heartily.

"When did you get married, man? Where’d you meet such a beauty?"

His face showed disbelief, as if questioning how Jiang Yan could have married Shen Qingyao.

"Just happened to meet her," Jiang Yan said, putting down his chopsticks.

He reached into his pocket as if looking for a cigarette.

Remembering Shen Qingyao was there, Jiang Yan withdrew his hand.

"I don’t mind if you want to smoke."

Shen Qingyao hurried to explain, but Jiang Yan smiled and shook his head.

"It’s not that you’re married. Otherwise, those damn old men would just torment me alone. That’s not allowed!"

"Strange. When you were in Beijing, you didn’t get married, even though the higher-ups assigned you a place. But as soon as you’re transferred back, you get married without telling your buddies."

Xu Kaifeng gritted his teeth, clearly uneasy.

"You were transferred back from Beijing?"

Shen Qingyao blinked.

Now she found herself unable to eat.

In the novel, after Shen Mengyi and Lu Shaojun married, they received transfer orders back to Beijing.

After Shen Mengyi returned to Beijing, she brought Wang Guihua and Shen Dongsheng there as well.

Du Tang’s house and other belongings left in Beijing were squandered by Shen Dongsheng; even Shen Qingyao’s uncle’s family was ruined by the Shen family.

As for the original self, she stayed in the small village in Xi’an, married an ordinary man, and died painfully in the mountains.

Shen Qingyao’s grandmother, who stayed in Xi’an to accompany her, passed away less than a year after Shen Qingyao’s marriage.

---

Though the plot was simple, many things had happened along the way.

Unfortunately, Shen Qingyao hadn’t read the novel carefully and couldn’t recall all the details.

Shen Mengyi had married, and the original self had been to Beijing and struggled, yet the endings were all disappointing.

Thinking of the story and the original self’s unfortunate life, Shen Qingyao’s heart ached.

She was carefree and unburdened; even crossing into the book, no one cared about her.

But the original self was different—she had people who truly loved her.

Shen Qingyao hoped to rewrite the original self’s story.

She had thought that after marriage, she would only need to wait for the transfer orders. But she forgot to clarify the true identity of the man before her.

She wasn’t even sure if Jiang Yan had appeared in the book.

Yet, somehow, she had blindly married this man.

Shen Qingyao was startled, her pupils dilating involuntarily.

Her reaction amused Xu Kaifeng, who leaned on the table, casually.

"How novel. I thought everyone in Qingtan Village knew by now. Seems there are still people unaware."

"What’s this? You’ve got quite a few secrets from your little wife, huh?"

Jiang Yan was flustered. "Don’t cause trouble."

He knew Shen Qingyao wanted to return to Beijing but hadn’t realized she cared so much about it.

"Yao Yao, I can explain..."

"Wait, don’t explain yet. Just tell me—can I still be transferred back?"

Jiang Yan sat up straight, his gaze sincere. "I can."

Shen Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief. "Then it’s all right."

A big question mark appeared over Xu Kaifeng’s head. "Your wife’s quite something. I was waiting for some drama."

"Drama? Maybe next time, Feng-ge," Shen Qingyao said with a sweet smile, scheming in her heart.

"Hey, that’s a sweet mouth. Say ‘Feng-ge’ again, I want to hear it."

Jiang Yan abandoned his refined manner. "Get lost."

With Jiang Yan’s dismissal, Xu Kaifeng stopped making a fuss.

He shrugged off his jacket, hummed a tune, and left.

"You can only call him Xu Kaifeng."

Shen Qingyao asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"No reason."

Jiang Yan’s heart flared with an inexplicable anger.