Chapter 2

Suspecting that Old Mr. Ji might not be home, Lin Qiao’s first reaction upon seeing the Jeep was that Old Mr. Ji had returned. However, cars from this era didn’t have tinted windows, and with one glance, she immediately noticed the broad-shouldered, straight-backed figure in the back seat. Even though the light inside the car wasn’t very bright, she could still make out the handsome profile of a young man.

Sure enough, the car door opened, and the first thing to step out was a pair of long legs wrapped in a uniform.

The man was very tall, and as he got out of the car, he adjusted his military cap with swift movements and a calm expression. Although he wasn’t wearing shoulder insignia, making it impossible to determine his rank, his mere presence exuded an oppressive aura.

Lin Qiao noticed that the maid immediately became nervous and cautiously greeted him, “You’re back?”

The man nodded in return and, while striding inside, glanced at the situation at the door, “What’s going on?” His voice was very deep.

“Well…” The maid hesitated, instinctively looking towards Lin Qiao.

Before the man’s gaze could fall on her, the door, which had just closed, opened again, and the woman from earlier returned, “Second brother is back.”

The man responded with a grunt and asked, “How’s Dad?”

“He was just sent to the hospital, and the specifics are still unclear. I came back to pack some things and will head over soon.”

“Then I’ll go to the hospital first.” The man frowned slightly and turned to leave.

Lin Qiao couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but she felt the woman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Moreover, the man looked somewhat familiar…

Oh, right, it was from that photo!

It wasn’t that they looked exactly alike, but there was a three or four-point resemblance in their features, and the way he frowned was strikingly similar.

Could this be the male lead from the original book?

Seeing the man about to get into the car, Lin Qiao didn’t think twice and took two steps forward, “Has Old Mr. Ji’s old injury flared up again?”

Old Mr. Ji had joined the army at a young age, earning countless military honors but also narrowly escaping death several times, leaving him with many chronic ailments. These old injuries would flare up from time to time, and Lin Qiao’s question clearly indicated she knew about the Ji family’s situation.

Ji Duo paused in his action of opening the car door and turned to look at her, “Who are you?”

Under his gaze, the oppressive feeling intensified, but Lin Qiao just smiled, “My name is Lin Qiao, and I…”

“It’s nothing serious. You should go to the hospital first.” Ye Minshu hadn’t expected Lin Qiao to intercept him with a single question just as he was about to leave and hurriedly interrupted.

Realizing she had appeared too anxious, she softened her tone, “Dad’s health is important. You go to the hospital first, and I’ll handle things here.”

The more anxious she appeared, the more suspicious it seemed. Lin Qiao pressed her lips together and didn’t argue with her.

Sure enough, Ji Duo wasn’t fooled and continued to look at Lin Qiao. She then took out the letter from her bag, “May I visit Old Mr. Ji? My grandfather and he were comrades, and I’m here to visit him.”

Compared to Ye Minshu, this girl, who looked under twenty, was much more composed.

In reality, Lin Qiao knew nothing about the Ji family’s situation. She didn’t even know if the “Dad” they mentioned was the Old Mr. Ji she was looking for.

When Lin’s grandmother fell seriously ill, she hadn’t been able to speak clearly before her death, only mentioning that the Lin family owed a life-saving debt to the Ji family and that there was a betrothal between the two families. Lin Qiao had learned about Old Mr. Ji’s old injuries from reading those letters.

Listening to their conversation, it was clear someone in the Ji family was ill. If it was indeed the Old Mr. Ji she was looking for, missing this opportunity might mean waiting ten days to half a month without seeing him.

Fortunately, she had guessed correctly. Ji Duo didn’t ignore her and took the letter, scanning it briefly before looking at Ye Minshu.

Under his piercing gaze, Ye Minshu’s face showed a hint of discomfort.

Ji Duo handed the letter back to Lin Qiao, “Get in the car.” He bypassed the half-open rear door, leaving the more spacious area for Lin Qiao, and sat in the front passenger seat himself.

Ye Minshu wanted to say something more, but Lin Qiao had already gotten into the car and closed the door in one swift motion. Her face turned sour as she watched the Jeep turn a corner and drive further away. After a moment, she turned and went back into the courtyard. Not long after, she came out again with a bag, hurrying towards her home in the east alley.

On the other hand, Lin Qiao was clearly much more relaxed. Regardless of whether the man in front was the male lead or not, meeting Old Mr. Ji meant she had achieved half of her purpose for coming.

Suppose he was the male lead, even better. After all, he seemed calm, rational, and perceptive, the type to weigh the pros and cons and make the best choice. He wasn’t bad-looking either, so at least being fake married to him for a few years wouldn’t be hard on her eyes.

With this reassurance, Lin Qiao appeared very relaxed. At least, the typical nervousness of a rural girl arriving in the city for the first time was nowhere to be seen in her. Even though the two people in front didn’t speak, she didn’t find the overly quiet atmosphere in the car tense at all.

As the car arrived at the hospital, Ji Duo finally glanced at the rearview mirror, seeing the young girl resting her chin on her hand, gazing out the window with a calm and serene expression. The sunlight outside was bright, her long eyelashes slightly lowered, and her narrow, beautiful phoenix eyes gently squinted.

The man paused his gaze and then spoke, “You…”

“You go ahead. I’ll wait in the car.” Lin Qiao turned her gaze back, seeing the surprise in his eyes, and smiled, “The person was just brought to the hospital, and we don’t know the situation yet. It might not be convenient to visit. I can wait elsewhere and go up when Old Mr. Ji is ready to see me.”

The Lin and Ji families hadn’t had contact for many years, and it was clear that Lin Qiao, a young girl, had come for a reason.

Ji Duo brought her along mainly because he didn’t know the specifics of the relationship between the two families and whether Old Mr. Ji would want to see her. Since she had come all this way, it wouldn’t be right to let Ye Minshu block her at the door. However, it wasn’t appropriate to bring her up without knowing Mr. Ji’s condition. He hadn’t even spoken yet, but she had already thought of it.

Calm, bold, and measured in her actions…

She didn’t seem like an ordinary eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl from a modest background.

Ji Duo gave Lin Qiao another look, “Then wait in the car.” He then instructed the driver and got out of the car.

The driver, Xiao Fang, was a young man with a square face and a crew cut, who didn’t seem to talk much.

In this era, there were few cars, and naturally, few people knew how to drive. Most learned to drive in the military and had to be resourceful and well-connected. Being a driver in the military was considered a good job, and it was easier to find work after retiring.

Xiao Fang was assigned to Ji Duo because he was quiet and reliable.

Ji Duo wasn’t difficult to serve, but he liked to work swiftly and decisively. He had dealt with a few old soldiers who were all talk and no action, and preferred someone like Xiao Fang, who was more straightforward.

Because of his personality, many people were somewhat afraid of him. Xiao Fang had never seen a young girl speak so freely in front of him. After parking the car in a shady spot, he couldn’t help but glance at the rearview mirror.

Lin Qiao noticed and smiled, “Comrade, how many years have you been in the military? You drive very well.”

Drivers who come from the military are usually very skilled. When driving for their superiors, they can’t afford to make mistakes. Those responsible for transportation are even more impressive, having encountered all kinds of complex road conditions. If there’s a landslide ahead, they can make a quick U-turn and drive back the way they came.

However, compared to Lin Qiao, Xiao Fang was clearly not as socially adept and felt a bit embarrassed when caught sneaking a glance. “Not many years,” he replied.

Being a driver requires not only good driving skills but also discretion. Lin Qiao chatted with him, not to pry information, but with a smile, she pointed outside the window, “Can I go for a walk? I won’t go far, just around here, and I’ll be back soon.”

Ji Duo hadn’t said she couldn’t get out, so Xiao Fang nodded.

When Lin Qiao said she’d be back soon, she meant it. Not long after, Xiao Fang saw her returning with a net bag of apples.

Ji Duo came down from upstairs and also noticed the bag of apples, his gaze briefly resting on it.

Lin Qiao noticed and said, “I saw a store selling these nearby, so I bought some. Apples symbolize peace and good fortune.”

Visiting a patient empty-handed is considered very impolite. She didn’t have much money, so she could only afford these apples. In this era, canned fruit was more popular, but given the Ji family’s conditions, they probably didn’t lack those. Fresh fruit was healthier.

Lin Qiao asked Ji Duo, “How is Old Mr. Ji doing?”

“He has a bit of high blood pressure, but it’s nothing serious.” Ji Duo helped her open the car door, “Let’s go, I’ll take you up.”

Old Mr. Ji was clearly staying in a cadre ward, the room was clean, with only two beds placed side by side.

The old man lay on the bed by the window, his hair white, showing his age, but his spirit was still good. Seeing Lin Qiao, he immediately tried to sit up.

Xu Li, who was by the bed, quickly helped him, “Take it easy, be careful not to fall again.”

“I told you, I just got anxious, it’s nothing. You’ve been nagging all afternoon.” The old man sounded impatient but still slowed his movements.

Xu Li helped him sit up against the headboard, then brought a chair for Lin Qiao and poured her a cup of hot water, “You came from so far, are you tired?”

It seemed this was Old Mr. Ji’s wife. She looked quite young and was very beautiful, the kind of beauty that only deepened with age and experience, making her much more pleasant than Ye Minshu.

“I’m not too tired. I left early and had a seat.” Lin Qiao thanked her, took the cup, and placed the apples on the bedside table, asking Mr. Ji, “I heard you were ill when I arrived. How are you feeling?” Her words were sincere, neither overly flattering nor too formal, which eased the initial awkwardness of meeting for the first time.

Old Mr. Ji waved his hand, “Why did you bring something? I’m just getting old, it’s all old age ailments.” He then asked Lin Qiao, “How is your grandfather? The last time I wrote, your uncle said he wasn’t well. We had a lot of trouble at home then, so I didn’t get to ask.”

Mentioning her grandfather, Lin Qiao showed some hesitation, “My grandfather passed away thirteen years ago.”

“Old Lin passed away thirteen years ago?”

Old Mr. Ji couldn’t hide his surprise. “It seems he didn’t make it through. Well, his injuries were worse than mine, and he suffered such a huge blow.” His tone was full of regret, and the little bit of energy he had when he first saw his old comrade’s granddaughter was gone.

Old Lin was a man who had endured hard times and fought on the battlefield, carrying the passion of the older generation of revolutionaries for their country. So when the army was recruiting, he didn’t hesitate to send his favorite and most valued eldest son, Lin Qiao’s father. Unexpectedly, despite surviving the dangerous battles against the Japanese, his son sacrificed his life on the battlefield, leaving behind only a cold military medal. Old Mrs. Lin’s hair turned white overnight, but Old Lin remained calm, even comforting his tearful wife. After receiving his son’s belongings and military medal, he fell ill and passed away within a year. In contrast, Mrs. Lin, who seemed fragile, proved to be incredibly resilient, raising the original body to the age of eighteen despite the hardships.

Old Mr. Ji clearly thought of Old Mrs. Lin as well. “I wondered why you came alone. Have you been living with your grandmother all these years?” He remembered Lin Chang mentioning in a letter that his son had died young and his daughter-in-law was only in her twenties. How could she live her life just guarding a portrait? The old couple had planned for her to remarry, leaving Lin Qiao, their son’s only bloodline, to be raised by them.

“I used to live with my grandmother, but now I live with my uncle and aunt.” Lin Qiao’s words were tactful, but Old Mr. Ji understood that Mrs. Lin was likely no longer alive. He sighed, looking at Lin Qiao with a mix of closeness and pity. “You’ve had a hard time these years.”

Seeing his sadness, Xu Li quickly changed the subject, asking Lin Qiao, “Did you come all this way to Yandu alone for something important?”

Old Mr. Ji was still ill, and Lin Qiao didn’t want to upset him. But since he brought it up, she couldn’t lie to him.

Moreover, to bring up the marriage agreement between the two families, some things had to be clarified. Since Xu Li asked, she didn’t beat around the bush. “I did come to discuss something with the elders.” As she spoke, her gaze briefly swept over Ji Duo, who was leaning against the window.

Lin Qiao felt that meeting Old Mr. Ji was largely thanks to this man. If he was indeed the male lead, knowing her purpose for this visit, she wondered if he would regret bringing her here.

Xu Li, however, thought of something else. Her son was excellent, but the older he got, the harder he was to understand. Even Xiao Ze, who grew up with him, was somewhat intimidated by him. She feared her son might have done something to scare the young girl. “It’s okay, feel free to speak.”

Ji Duo, secretly glared at by his mother, remained expressionless, his gaze also falling on Lin Qiao. Then he heard Lin Qiao say calmly, “My uncle and aunt took a bribe to marry me off, to get my cousin a job in the city. The date is set for the day after tomorrow. I don’t want to marry, so I ran away.”

The young girl’s phoenix eyes were bright, and she spoke calmly, “I want to ask Old Mr. Ji if the marriage agreement between our families still stands.”

A marriage agreement? She had a marriage agreement with the Ji family?

Ji Duo was genuinely surprised this time. Thinking of Ye Minshu’s actions to block her at the door, everything made sense.

However, judging by the reactions of Old Mr. Ji and his mother, they clearly hadn’t expected Lin Qiao to come for this reason.

Old Mr. Ji pondered for a moment, about to speak, when there was a knock on the door. Ye Minshu, who had briefly met Lin Qiao earlier, walked in with a smile. “Dad, Xiao Ze’s fiancée heard you were ill and wanted to visit. Since I was coming over, I brought her along.”