Chapter 14B: A Sleeper Berth and a Sleepless Heart

As soon as she said that, the woman’s expression changed. She quickly struggled to sit up from the berth and reached out to stop Lu Wei from leaving.

“Oh no, no need, really. I’m getting off in just a few stops. I can tough it out.”

“Comrade soldier, don’t trouble yourself. You should take care of your wife. Looks like it’s her first pregnancy—gotta be extra careful…”

With that, she swiftly and nimbly packed up her things and headed toward the hard seat car.

Watching the woman’s retreating figure, Ye Zhi gave Ye Xiaoding a thumbs-up. “Nice job. You’ve earned yourself a milk candy.”

Who would’ve thought the kid could come up with something like “less than three months pregnant”? Sharp little thing!

Ye Xiaoding took the candy and grinned. “Ah Ma said if you meet someone thick-skinned, just be thicker-skinned than they are.”

Lu Wei smiled at Ye Zhi. If he had been traveling alone this time, he probably would’ve just let it go.

Wearing this military uniform meant responsibility—it meant serving the people.

But now, he wasn’t alone. He had a wife and a child to take care of.

Thankfully, Ye Zhi had handled it perfectly.

She preserved his image as a soldier without letting them be taken advantage of.

When their eyes met, Ye Zhi smiled warmly. “Let’s put the luggage away. There might be more people coming later.”

This sleeper compartment had four berths. They had bought two, so two more were still unclaimed. Someone was bound to show up.

Lu Wei nodded. “Alright.”

He obediently stowed the luggage while Ye Zhi took out the cloth she had prepared and started to lay it out over the berth. But the sleeper beds were tiny, and the cloth was meant for use on Qiongzhou Island, so it didn’t fit quite right.

After several tries, she still couldn’t arrange it properly. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. Lu Wei took the cloth gently from her hands and said, “Let me do it.”

Ye Zhi felt the warmth of his palm and quietly handed the cloth over, stepping back a little. “Go ahead.”

Lu Wei moved a little closer to where she had been standing and efficiently started spreading the cloth over the berth.

The compartment was already cramped, and his tall frame made it feel even tighter. Now with both of them standing side by side, there was barely any room—they were practically touching.

Ye Zhi watched his movements. He had taken off his military jacket, revealing a clean white shirt underneath. His sleeves were rolled up twice, exposing muscular arms. Her gaze wandered upward to his defined Adam’s apple and strong jawline.

Suddenly, she thought of the photo they had taken when registering their marriage.

Lu Wei was really good-looking—and incredibly charismatic.

They’d taken four copies of the photo. She had given one to her family, and just last night, during a long heart-to-heart talk, her sisters-in-law had giggled over how handsome he looked, saying how well-matched they were.

Ye Zhi had always been a sucker for good looks, and she liked handsome men. But she never expected she’d marry such a good-looking and upright soldier.

She wanted to flirt—but didn’t dare.

It was driving her crazy.

The next moment, she caught Lu Wei looking back at her. She snapped out of it and quickly averted her gaze.

Looking down at the neatly made bed, she sighed inwardly. Not only was Lu Wei good-looking, but even the way he made a bed was flawless—smooth, not a wrinkle in sight!

Was this what they called the discipline of a true soldier?

Lu Wei noticed the surprise in her eyes and simply said, “Get some rest. I’ll bring you something to eat.”

Ye Zhi grabbed his sleeve. “No need, I’m not hungry.”

It was summer, and the green-skin train didn’t have air conditioning. While it was better ventilated than the hard seat cars, it still had a weird smell.

She really couldn’t eat anything right now.

Lu Wei saw her pale face and handed her a flask of water. “Then have some water.”

“Mhm. You should sit down and rest too.”

They both had bottom bunks, so they sat across from each other—staring, silently.

Ye Zhi had never sat alone on a long-distance train with a man before. Even though little Ye Xiaoding was there, he had already curled up in a corner and dozed off.

It was his first time on a train. He’d been excited at first but didn’t want to cause trouble for Ye Zhi, so he just quietly looked around without making noise. Compared to usual, he was on his best behavior.

Just as Ye Zhi was wondering how to break the awkward silence, two more passengers arrived in their car.

After a brief exchange of greetings, the train slowly began to move forward.

Watching the scenery blur past outside the window, Ye Zhi started to feel drowsy. She leaned against the already-sleepy Xiaoding and drifted off.

In the midst of her half-sleep, she vaguely heard Lu Wei speaking softly to Xiaoding.

Moments later, her curled-up body found a little more space. She shifted into a more comfortable position and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Lu Wei’s dark eyes glanced over at the sleeping Ye Zhi, and he whispered to Ye Xiaoding, “You sleep over here.”

Xiaoding asked, “Uncle Lu, then where will you sleep?”

Lu Wei’s lips curved slightly. “I’m not sleepy. You go ahead.”

He had to look after his wife.

Of course, that wasn’t all he was thinking.

The green-skin train chugged along, stopping and going for an entire day and night before finally reaching its destination—

Guangzhou.

Ye Zhi could only think back on the exhausting journey and felt like vomiting.

Meanwhile, Lu Wei and Xiaoding looked totally fine—well-fed, well-rested.

Whether on the train or at the Guangzhou station, they still looked bright-eyed and refreshed.

Ye Zhi, however, felt like a wilted leaf.

When they finally reached the station square and she breathed in the fresh air, she finally felt a little more alive.

Ye Xiaoding stared up at the train station in Guangzhou, wide-eyed with amazement. “The buildings are so tall!”

“Are all buildings in big cities this tall?!”

Ye Zhi chuckled. “Probably a lot of them are, but not all.”

Before she could fully catch her breath, Lu Wei had already led them onto a city bus.

Summer in Guangzhou felt like it could melt a person. Getting on the bus was like stepping into a steam room—dry going up, but by the time you got off, your clothes would be dripping.

Everyone was drenched in sweat.

Thankfully, it wasn’t many stops, and soon Lu Wei got them off.

Ye Zhi had assumed Lu Wei would take them directly to his mother’s hospital housing compound, but to her surprise, they arrived at a state-run guesthouse instead.

Seeing her confusion, Lu Wei explained, “Our ferry leaves at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. This place is closer to the dock.”

Their room was on the second floor. Ye Zhi opened the window and looked out—just about a hundred meters away stood the Taikoo Wharf.

It was one of Guangzhou’s busy trading ports in the 1970s—bustling with people and activity.

Turning back to Lu Wei, Ye Zhi asked, “So when will we meet your mother?”

Lu Wei raised an eyebrow and replied, “I just called her. She’s about to go on a business trip—there’s an important meeting only she can lead.”

As for his father, he had already been reassigned and was likely now in a military district in the southwest.

Lu Wei added, “It was all rather sudden. I hope you understand.”

Ye Zhi let out a small breath of relief, though she couldn’t say why. “We’re family. No need to stand on ceremony—we’ll meet someday.”

Besides, she had been worrying about not having enough time to shop in Guangzhou.

Now? She could finally stretch her wings.

She was determined to stock up on all the flavors of life for their upcoming island journey.

She was so ready!

Ye Zhi was in high spirits. From their pile of luggage, she pulled out her favorite dress, then headed to the bathroom to freshen up, planning to change into clean clothes and treat herself to a good meal.

Lu Wei noticed her barely-contained excitement and couldn’t help but ask, “After seeing Guangzhou, are you sure you’ll still want to go to Qiongzhou Island?”

Ye Zhi’s face lit up with a bright smile. “Do I have a choice?”

Lu Wei choked on her response, his expression darkening. “What do you think?”