Chapter 496 - 493: Secret

"Not really, he’s been on a mission these days, so it’s just me."

"Your Ning Jiang really trusts you."

"Well, what can I do? I miss him. Otherwise, why would I leave my nice home and come all the way here to stay?"

"True that." Being a military spouse, it’s the hardest bitterness to express.

"This down jacket of yours looks really nice, where did you buy it?"

"Department store. Do you like it?"

"It looks good."

"There should be some sold here too, let’s have a look around."

The weather is pretty nice today, there’s no wind. The sun is gently shining.

...

"How is your brother’s blind date going? Where’s the girl from?" Yang Ting asked, holding a young girl’s arm while strolling down the street.

The young girl smirked disdainfully, "A bureau chief’s daughter, dreaming of climbing onto our family’s big tree. My brother is just having fun. He’s probably taking her shopping right now."

"I thought Xiangyang might be serious this time. Have you met the girl?"

"Haven’t met her. She arrived yesterday, staying at the hostel next to our compound, from Z City, seems her surname is Mu, she’s a communication soldier. She should look decent, otherwise, my brother wouldn’t be interested."

"Xiangyang is really something. Isn’t he afraid Uncle and Aunt will find out?"

"He won’t let my parents know. They shamelessly insisted on meeting, brought their daughter over during the New Year. My mom just wanted to meet and be done with it. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just send them back. My brother is experienced; such opportunists, desperate to climb to power and wealth, are no good. He’ll find a way to not let the girl complain."

Yang Ting covered her mouth and chuckled, treating it all as a joke.

Lin Wan, who had spotted Yang Ting earlier, tried to avoid unnecessary trouble by staying behind them but ended up overhearing the conversation.

Z City, surname Mu, a communication soldier. How could they be talking about someone so much like Sister Mu Qing?

Lin Wan took note, decided to check it out. After shopping with Shi Lan, she parted ways and paused near the hostel adjacent to the compound on her way back.

Just to see if she could run into someone familiar.

Luckily, it wasn’t too cold today. Lin Wan stood by the entrance for about half an hour, but no one she knew came in or out.

Just when Lin Wan was about to leave, a mother and daughter approached from outside, and the young woman could only be Mu Qing.

"Look, how considerate Xiangyang is. He spent over a hundred bucks on you just this morning. His father’s now a leader in our district, his mom is the head nurse at the Central Hospital. Xiangyang is promising, about to graduate from university and join the Ministry. Even as a technical soldier, how can you not be satisfied? I’m telling you, cut ties with that country bumpkin classmate of yours. Or don’t blame us for not recognizing you as our daughter."

"What’s wrong with my rural classmate? He’s a university student, now working in government, how come you can’t accept him?"

"What’s so special about a university student? Aren’t you one too? And stop talking about government jobs. You think the government’s easy to stay in? Without skills, without connections, you’ll never get ahead. I’m telling you, Xiangyang’s inviting you out tonight. Don’t give me that long face, okay?"

"You barely met, now he’s asking your daughter out alone at night, aren’t you worried?"

"What’s there to worry about? If we can get closer to them, it’s a good thing. Stay upstairs properly and don’t cause any trouble, got it?"

"You..." Mu Qing was infuriated by her own mother. These past two years, she’s often been upset with them. But what choice does she have? No matter how dissatisfied, they are her parents.

This year, she initially planned to enjoy her annual leave, but unexpectedly, her mom tricked her into coming here.

As the mother and daughter passed by Lin Wan, Lin Wan turned her back so they wouldn’t see her face.

If Mu Qing’s mom found out she was the sister of that so-called rural bumpkin, no doubt there’d be no kind expression for her. She had heard their conversation crystal clear. In her two lives, she had never met anyone like Mu Qing’s mom. No wonder her brother and Sister Mu Qing hadn’t made progress. With such parents, her brother might find it hard to advance.

Lin Wan trailed them into the hostel, mainly to see which room Sister Mu Qing and her mom were in, so she could report back to her brother and maybe give him a surprise.

"Comrade, you need to register to stay here," a staff member called out just as Lin Wan reached the lobby.

"Comrade, I’m not staying. I’m here to find the two people who just came in; one is my sister, the other is my aunt," Lin Wan smiled politely, acting very open.

The lady at the front desk, seeing she didn’t look like someone up to no good, let her through.

Once up the stairs, Lin Wan exhaled deeply with relief. She managed to spot the room where the two women were staying.

It was unfortunate that Sister Mu Qing was sharing a room with her mom. She had no way to get a word with Sister Mu Qing.

Having noted the room number, Lin Wan didn’t linger and hurried back home. It was already past one, her godparents should be returning soon. When Lin Wan reached her brother’s room on the second floor, Lin Yinghui was still asleep. "Brother, brother, are you feeling unwell?"

"Mm, just a bit of a cold, took some medicine at lunch." Lin Yinghui rubbed the bridge of his nose and sat up.

"Brother, did you have lunch?"

"I did. What time is it?" Lin Yinghui was somewhat groggy from sleep.

"It’s after one. Brother, let me tell you something," Lin Wan smiled mysteriously.

"What is it?" Lin Yinghui yawned lazily, "I saw Sister Mu Qing today."

"Where?"

Lin Wan knew that as soon as her brother heard Mu Qing’s name, he would surely perk up.

"At the hostel in front of the compound..."

Lin Wan recounted to her brother the day’s events, including Mu Qing and her mom’s conversation.

Listening to this, Lin Yinghui frowned, looking rather unhappy. He got out of bed and was about to head out, "I’m going to find her."

"Brother, if you go now, you’ll definitely run into Mu Qing’s mom, and she won’t let you see Sister Mu Qing."

"Then what should I do? I can’t just watch Qingqing walk into a fire pit."

"Didn’t I mention it? That Xiangyang guy is coming to meet Sister Mu Qing tonight. Wait at the hostel beforehand; find an opportunity then."

While the siblings were talking upstairs, their godparents, worried they might be bored, rushed back after lunch. Mei Lang Jun still hadn’t returned from his mom’s place.

All afternoon, Lin Yinghui was restless at home, his thoughts already wandering over to Mu Qing. Fortunately, Mei Shuqing went out for some business in the afternoon. Checking the time, Lin Yinghui found an excuse, borrowed his godmother’s bicycle, and left too.

Before leaving, Lin Wan snuck a supportive look at him to cheer him on.

Her brother wasn’t frail; he worked every day and built quite a bit of strength. But, given what the mother and daughter implied, this Xiangyang was a soldier. He likely knew some martial arts.

As Lin Wan worried about her brother, she received a call from Han Yi.

"Aren’t you on a mission? How come you’re calling back?"

"Today’s pretty relaxed, just finished work. There’s a phone at our place, and I missed you, wanted to hear your voice."

Lin Wan shyly glanced at her godmother, Liang Qian, who was watching TV nearby. Liang Qian naturally understood the couple had intimate things to talk about, so she lightly coughed, said she was sleepy, and retreated to her room, hurriedly giving the couple some privacy.

Seeing her godmother close the door, Lin Wan giggled into the phone, "No one around you?" Otherwise, Han Yi wouldn’t be saying such sweet things.

"Mm, they’re all out."

"When do you finish tomorrow?"

"Probably by evening. I came across a shop today that sells overseas goods, you’d think the stuff there is nice. After the mission, I’ll take you there."

"Okay, I went to Dashilan with Shi Lan today. Bought quite a few things. Ai Yi, I’ve already spent several hundred on this trip to the Capital City."

"You self-proclaimed millionaire little miser, heartbroken over just a few hundred bucks?"

"Sigh, I just think the phrase ’money spent like water’ by the ancients is so apt."

"Don’t worry. After this mission, your husband’s getting a bonus, enough for you to spend."

"Mm... I’ll wait for you to come back. Being outside is never as good as being at home. Although our godparents treat us well, I miss Mom and Little Star."

"We’ll stay here for a couple of days, then go back to see them. If you don’t want to stay, we’ll just spend a day and head back."

"Mm, alright."

Lin Wan and Han Yi chatted about trivial everyday matters, and before they knew it, they talked for almost half an hour.

Sigh, though it wasn’t their own phone, conserving wasn’t their main concern.

....