Chapter 39

“Hello,” Xue Miaoyun greeted, feeling a little uneasy meeting her husband’s comrade-in-arms for the first time.

“Wife, this is the political commissar of the regiment—my partner,” Cang Ling introduced, clearly proud to see the amazement in his comrade’s eyes. Still, he made sure to declare his claim by stepping forward and wrapping his arm around Miaoyun’s shoulders as he introduced them.

“Old Yan, this is my wife, Xue Miaoyun.”

Yan Minghu gave Cang Ling a silent look but said nothing. It was their first meeting after all, and he knew how to behave appropriately.

So he’s the commissar? Xue Miaoyun studied the seemingly outgoing Yan Minghu and felt that his personality was the complete opposite of Cang Ling’s. But that wasn’t surprising—partners often complemented each other.

Work partners were either very alike, able to understand each other without words, or vastly different, balancing one another.

“Nice to meet you, Commissar Yan. I’m Xue Miaoyun,” she greeted politely and invited him to dinner.

“I made a few dishes. I’m not sure if they’ll suit your taste, but please sit, let’s eat together.”

As the hostess and with it being her first time entertaining a guest here, Xue Miaoyun had wanted to prepare a more formal meal. But given the circumstances, she was limited. Fortunately, only one guest had come.

“I’ll help you bring the dishes,” Cang Ling offered immediately, his eagerness obvious.

Yan Minghu watched the man trailing his wife with a bright, overly eager smile and nearly thought Cang Ling had been possessed by something. Was this really the same “Living Hell” Cang Ling? If the soldiers back at the regiment saw this version of their commander, they’d think the sky was falling.

Clearly, this regimental commander’s wife held a very special place in his heart.

Yan Minghu was actually quite pleased. A loving marriage saved a lot of potential trouble.

As political commissar, the last thing he wanted was to mediate domestic disputes.

That was his least favorite part of the job—dealing with officers’ family problems.

Even honest officials struggle to resolve family affairs. Being a soldier wasn’t easy, but being a soldier’s wife wasn’t much easier.

Xue Miaoyun’s cooking was fairly average, but her ingredients were fresh and generously used, so the dishes naturally turned out well and were well received.

After seeing the guest off, the couple cleaned up the kitchen and dining area together. Only then did they finally have time to sit down and talk.

Cang Ling picked up an apple from the table. In his hand, the apple appeared, disappeared, and then reappeared again, like a magic trick.

“Yun’er, this is truly incredible. If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I never would have believed it,” he said, setting the apple down and looking at her seriously.

“You shouldn’t have told me about this,” he added, gently taking his wife’s hand.

Xue Miaoyun understood what he meant. A secret only remained a secret when no one else knew about it.

She leaned into his arms.

“Ah Ling, I don’t want anything to happen to you. Not at all,” she murmured, rubbing against him like a cat. “When I found out from Zhao Meihua that you might die… my mind went completely blank. By the time I came to my senses, everyone was already on the train.”

“I was so scared,” she said softly, clinging to him tightly.

Cang Ling’s heart melted into a puddle. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. Nothing will happen to me, and nothing will happen to you either. Yun’er, this secret—we can never tell anyone, not even our future children, you understand? If anything goes wrong, blame it on me.”

Cang Ling didn’t trust anyone. In fact, he even wished she had never told him. A secret like this, a bloodline like this—if it ever got out, the consequences would be unimaginable. Fortunately, this was the final generation.

“Alright, I understand.” Xue Miaoyun felt a deep sense of peace in her heart—Cang Ling had not let her down.

This was enough. After all, they were husband and wife now. Unless she stopped using her golden finger entirely, the chances of being exposed remained high. Sharing a secret like this could only bring them closer.

Although Xue Miaoyun considered herself strong, who didn’t like having someone to lean on?

Seeing how attached his wife was, Cang Ling felt overwhelmed with joy and tenderness. Thinking about how she had suffered all those years in the Song family only made his heart ache more. He had a sudden urge to keep Song Zhuanguo and Zhao Meihua far away from them. He didn’t want any unstable factors near his wife.

And then there was the matter of her being part merfolk—was that why she liked the water? No wonder she had insisted on swimming in the sea, no wonder she had been able to save him from the river that time.

If that was the case, then the best place for them to live in the future would be by the ocean. Tch, if only he had joined the navy back then.

Cang Ling held his soft and fragrant wife in his arms for a while, his thoughts drifting, before he finally settled down.

The next morning, Xue Miaoyun woke up early. She had slept too long the day before. If she hadn’t been so exhausted last night, she might’ve even had trouble falling asleep.

“I made these buns myself. Try one,” she said, pulling out steamed buns from her space. Now, at least, she no longer had to eat alone.

Cang Ling picked one up and took a bite.

“It’s delicious!” he praised. The ingredients alone proved it—his wife had truly outdone herself. He already knew her space contained her mother’s dowry and a few other valuable items.

He had no intention of coveting any of it. He only reminded her to keep those things well protected and not to take them out carelessly.

He hadn’t expected there to be such delicious buns inside as well. But thinking about it, since time didn’t pass in that space, it made perfect sense for storing food. Maybe he should start putting some supplies in there too—after all, his so-called “death date” wasn’t far off.

After breakfast, Cang Ling headed to the base for work, while Xue Miaoyun had some free time. She’d already finished tidying up the house.

Walking into the courtyard, she looked at the bare yard and started planning how to arrange the front and back areas.

The front yard could be used for growing vegetables—it would give off a humble, down-to-earth feel. If guests came by, it would seem practical and unpretentious. After all, it wasn’t fashionable these days to be overly refined or artsy.

As for the backyard, she could plant some flowers and medicinal herbs.

The space was large enough that she could even create a secret garden.

Knock knock knock!

“Is anyone home?”

“Yes, who is it?” Her train of thought interrupted, Xue Miaoyun didn’t overthink it and walked straight out.

Standing at the entrance of the courtyard was a middle-aged woman she didn’t recognize.

“Hello, may I ask who you are?” Xue Miaoyun assumed, based on the woman’s age and her refined appearance and clothing, that she was a resident of the military family compound.

Very likely, she was the wife of one of Cang Ling’s superiors.

“Hello, Comrade Xue. My surname is Qiu. I’m the women’s director here in the H Brigade family compound. I manage affairs related to the families. I heard yesterday that the deputy commander’s wife had arrived, so I came by to check in,” Qiu Yanni said. For some reason, when facing Xue Miaoyun, she found herself using much more formal language.

Normally, she spoke very casually with the other military wives. If she used formal or professional terms, they often didn’t understand her.

“So it’s Sister Qiu! Please, come in and have a seat. The house is still being tidied up,” Xue Miaoyun said warmly. Though she didn’t know who exactly this woman’s husband was, there was a high chance she was the brigade commander’s wife. Naturally, her attitude and manners had to be proper.