Chapter 47.2

“Su Xi, come to my office.”

In the springtime of the year 66, when flowers bloomed and the grass grew lush, the arrival of spring awakened all the greenery on Hong Jun Island.

After six months of internship and rigorous assessments, Su Xi had become a full-fledged doctor.

That noon, shortly after finishing eating her lunch, Su Xi received a summons from the Director.

Director He’s expression was very serious. Despite having a bad premonition, Su Xi’s expression remained unchanged as she followed Director He’s footsteps.

On the way, neither of them spoke; they simply walked forward with their heads down.

Director He walked quickly, and Su Xi’s heart grew heavier with each step.

Upon arriving at the office, Director He stopped Su Xi from closing the door, rubbed her temples, and motioned for Su Xi to sit.

Su Xi’s mind was racing. She couldn’t help but think about Xie Zhen and Xi Yannan, who were out on a mission, and wondered if something had happened to them.

Then she reconsidered. Since she was at the hospital, if something had happened to Xie Zhen or her Brother, she would have known.

What could it be?

Was it possible that they had encountered an accident and could not be transported to the island’s hospital in time?

Just as Su Xi was about to give in to her anxious thoughts, Director He spoke up. She looked at Su Xi with a resolute expression and said, “What I’m about to tell you might be quite shocking for you. After hearing it, you might feel scared or disgusted. But whatever decision you make, we will respect it.”

Su Xi felt increasingly confused and more anxious. It sounded as though something had happened to Xie Zhen.

At that moment, Su Xi could no longer contain her emotions. She stood up abruptly, placed her hands on the Director’s desk, and asked urgently, “Did something happened with Xie Zhen? What happened to him?”

Director He was taken aback, not expecting Su Xi to misunderstand so badly. She quickly waved her hand and said, “No, no, Xie Zhen is fine.”

Su Xi’s legs grew weak, and she fell back into her chair. She was relieved to hear that Xie Zhen was fine, but then she wondered, “Is it my Brother?”

But that didn’t make sense. If something had happened to Brother, why would the Director say such things to her?

As expected, Director He denied, “It’s not your Brother either. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

Su Xi’s shoulders relaxed, and she rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache. “Director, please just tell me what’s going on. If you keep making me guess, I might just lose my patience.”

Director He, taken aback by Su Xi’s anxious reactions, found the situation both heavy and somewhat amusing. Her round face showed an apologetic smile: “Sorry, Su Xi. I didn’t express myself clearly.”

Seeing Director He still able to smile, Su Xi’s anxiety eased somewhat. “Director, what is it?”

This time, Director He got straight to the point. “You know Xie Zhen has a sister, right?”

Su Xi nodded. “Yes, I know. Her name is Xie Ying. I remember she sent me a gift when we got engaged. What happened to her?”

Director He’s expression turned serious again. “I don’t know if Xie Zhen has told you, but Xie Zhen’s sister, Xie Ying, got married a few years ago. Her husband is Wen Yuan, a returned researcher. He is very capable, though I won’t go into details about his work—it’s better for you not to know too much. What I need to tell you is that everything was fine until this year, someone maliciously reported that he was… engaging in treason. He has now been sent to H Province for re-education through labor. The situation happened very suddenly. To protect Xie Ying and their twin sons, Wen Yuan voluntarily asked friends to publicly announce their divorce and how they had already severed ties.”

From the moment Su Xi heard about the returned researcher, she had already suspected what was coming.

As Director He continued, Su Xi’s face grew darker and darker. “You called me because something happened to Xie Zhen’s sister, right? What about Uncle Xie and Auntie Si Yun? Are they okay?”

Director He was impressed by how perceptive the young woman was. “Uncle Xie and Si Yun are fine. They are both long-time revolutionaries with a solid background. The only son-in-law with an overseas identity has distanced himself in time, so they were not affected.”

At this point, Director He felt her throat growing dry. She stood up and poured a glass of water for herself and Su Xi.

After sipping a few times to clear her throat, she continued, “But Uncle Xie and Auntie Si Yun are in a very difficult position. Any sign of trouble will attract attention. It’s not possible to leave Xie Ying and the twins at home. To many people, even though the relationship has been severed, the two children are still Wen’s. Even though they are only three years old, to those who cannot tolerate them, they are still… considered a sin.”

Su Xi understood immediately. “So, Uncle Xie and Auntie Si Yun want to send my sister to Hong Jun Island?”

Director He nodded, her eyes filled with hope. “Right now, both your Uncle Xie and  Aunt, and us who are close to them are being watched by those with ulterior motives. Uncle Xie can protect Xie Ying and the children, but staying in Jing City would be detrimental to both parties. The children are young, and they need a good environment to grow up in. So, Uncle Xie decided to send them out.”

Of course, sending them here meant that they could not put the son at risk.

The head of the Xie family had also considered Xie Zhen’s special military unit and its high level of confidentiality. Only a few people had access to the exact address.

The only concern was whether the son’s wife would have objections.

Although it might not be directly linked, if someone found out, it would reflect poorly on their reputation.

They had considered informing Xie Zhen in advance, but sending a message now was too risky, and they couldn’t afford to be discovered.

They had to send the family out first and deal with the aftermath later. If that didn’t work, they would find another solution.

The only thing the head of the Xie family might have overlooked was that his son was on a mission and had no idea about the situation in J City.

Perhaps he had anticipated this and still chose to act, possibly due to hopes he had for his son and his future daughter-in-law.

Su Xi got straight to the point. “Where are my sister and the children now?”

Director He was relieved and her eyes welled up. She could tell from Su Xi’s directly calling Xiao Yung “sister” that Su Xi’s attitude to the situation was positive. To be honest, she and Old Xie had prepared themselves for the possibility that Su Xi might refuse.

Even though Xie Ying and the children were no longer in danger, many people would avoid trouble or refuse to get involved due to concerns about their reputation.

No one expected Su Xi to accept without hesitation—without even a pause.

Director He was a bit hesitant in response to Su Xi’s decisiveness. “You know, we won’t mention anything about the children’s father to outsiders, only that he has passed away. However, if someone finds out, it won’t harm you directly, but it could damage Xie Zhen’s and your reputation. It might even affect Xie Zhen’s career advancement. Aren’t you concerned about that?”

Su Xi simply said, “She is Xie Zhen’s sister, isn’t she?”

‘So, she was family. As family, there was no need to consider the gains and losses.’

If Su Dong or Xi Yannan were in a similar situation, Su Xi could fully trust that her fiancé would make the same choice.

Director He asked again, “Aren’t you going to discuss this with your family?”

Su Xi did trust her family, but she still needed to inform them about this matter.

She said, “I will tell them about this later. So, where is my sister now?”

Director He replied, “Xie Ying and the children are in the city. She left the phone number of a guesthouse and wanted to wait until you agreed before coming to the island. She didn’t expect Xie Zhen to be away and could only contact you through me.”

Su Xi checked the time on her wrist. It was already 1 PM, but there was still time to pick them up.

She looked at Director He and said, “Director, I’ll take a half-day off to inform my brother and Grandma Chen, then head out to bring them back immediately.”

Director He, concerned, said, “I’ll go with you.”

Su Xi shook her head. “No need. Just like what you said, someone might be watching you. I should go instead. It will be safer to go to the island while it’s still light. I just need to inform Captain Zhang. We can use a false identity for outsiders, but we can’t keep it from Captain Zhang.”

Director He waved her off. “Captain Zhang is fine. I’ve already talked to him.”

Su Xi looked confused. “Captain Zhang?”

Director He blinked. “Oh, I didn’t mention this? Captain Zhang’s wife and I are cousins, so…”

Su Xi felt like she had a million questions, though she wasn’t sure if she should voice them.

So, the serious situation you described earlier—what did it even mean? In this era of limited news and on an isolated island where the highest leader is a family member, what’s there to be unsafe about?

She was quite frustrated!

—o—o—o—

After explaining Xie Ying’s situation to her brother and Grandma Chen, Su Dong unsurprisingly supported her decision.

Grandma Chen even wiped her tears, as she could not bear such stories of family separation. With tearful eyes, she began to murmur, “How pitiful the children are. I wonder who could be so heartless to do such a thing…”

When Su Xi was about to leave to pick them up, Grandma Chen even moved Su Xi’s belongings to her own room.

She had been to her son-in-law’s single dormitory, and besides the bed and a table and chair, there was nothing else.

It was no place for a family, especially with two 3-year-old children. It was much more suitable to stay at their home.

Grandma Chen, who was busy herself, felt that it was even more important to make a good impression on her son-in-law’s sister, especially given the circumstances. She wanted to make sure to give them a warm welcome.

So, Grandma Chen started rummaging through the kitchen and even killed a chicken.

She aimed to prepare a hearty meal, believing that serving a considerable number of dishes was the best way to host guests.

—o—o—o—

On the other hand, Su Xi had better luck. After waiting for just ten minutes at the dock, she boarded the same old wooden boat she had used the previous year.

The boatman was still the same old man from last year. He remembered Su Xi well, as she was the first strikingly beautiful young woman he had seen, so she had left a strong impression on him.

Su Xi chatted with the old man as they made their way to the shore, finally arriving in the early afternoon around three o’clock.

She gave the old man two yuan, asking him to wait there for a while, as she would return in about an hour and needed him to take her back.

When Su Xi arrived at the guesthouse where Xie Ying was staying, another twenty minutes had passed.

Su Xi adjusted her hair, took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door.

A somewhat flustered voice soon came from inside, “Who… who is it?”

Su Xi called out cheerfully, “Sister, it’s Su Xi.”

Once the person inside recognized who it was, she hurriedly opened the door. Upon seeing Su Xi, they immediately dropped the wooden stick they had been holding.

Xie Ying looked very much like Aunt Si Yun, almost as if they were cast from the same mold. However, compared to Aunt Si Yun’s cold elegance, Xie Ying had a gentler demeanor.

She seemed a bit embarrassed, perhaps not expecting Su Xi to come looking for her. She smiled awkwardly, “I know you. Xiao Zhen sent me a photo of you. You’re even more beautiful in person than in the picture.”

It was a genuine compliment. Xie Ying had always been praised for her looks, and she was indeed considered the most beautiful woman in the compound.

So when her mother mentioned that Xiao Zhen’s girlfriend was even more beautiful than she was, she had a hard time believing it. It wasn’t that she cared about rankings, but she thought her younger brother had finally found a partner, and her mother was simply being affectionate.

It wasn’t until Xiao Zhen sent a photo of the two of them together that she saw for herself just how beautiful her brother’s fiancée was—even in a somewhat blurry two-inch picture. It was at that moment she realized there were people in the world who could be that stunning.

Now, seeing Su Xi in person, Xie Ying felt that the photos did not fully capture her beauty; Su Xi looked even more stunning in reality.

With her red lips and delicate features, Su Xi appeared to be a gentle and graceful young lady. Seeing her made Xie Ying feel reassured, and she was relieved that Su Xi was not the kind of person she had been worried about.

Following Xie Ying’s guidance, Su Xi walked into the room and smiled. “Sister, I’m here to take you home.”

Xie Ying’s head snapped up in surprise, and without warning, tears began to fall freely on her face.