Chapter 4

The enamel cup in the man’s hand was still extended in front of her.

Su Ruo withdrew her gaze from the little boy and looked at the enamel cup. Inside was dark reddish-brown sugar water, with a rich aroma of brown sugar.

Perhaps she was trying to find some sense of reality, or maybe because her throat and head were both hurting terribly, she finally reached out and took the cup from the man. Without caring whether anything had been added to it, she raised it and took several big gulps.

The warm, sweet brown sugar water slid down her throat and into her stomach. Not only did it soothe her throat, but it also seemed to restore some of her strength.

Her mind became a little clearer.

The scent and sweetness made her current situation feel more real.

She dug her fingernail hard into her palm again.

She wasn’t dreaming.

Still holding the cup, she turned her head back toward the table, pointed at the calendar, and said, “That calendar—can I take a look at it?”

Her voice was a little hoarse.

But it was still her own voice.

Thinking of that, she looked at the man again and said, “A mirror, do you have a mirror? I want to see myself.”

Due to her upbringing, Su Ruo was a sensitive person.

Even though she was extremely confused and panicked at the moment—and the man in front of her didn’t look particularly pleasant either, his face cold, his whole aura intimidating—she still felt that he didn’t harbor much malice toward her.

Maybe it was because he wore a military uniform, carrying a natural sense of righteousness and integrity that made him seem trustworthy.

And Han Zecheng was indeed an outstanding soldier.

His senses were exceptionally sharp.

He felt that something was off about her.

He looked into her eyes.

They were dark and clear, even carrying a hint of innocent trust and pleading…

Her eyes had never looked like this before.

Perhaps… it was because she could now take the college entrance exam and return to the city?

His expression, which had just softened a little, turned cold again. He lowered his eyes and glanced at the cup in her hands. Seeing that she was gripping it tightly and there was still half a cup left, he didn’t ask for it back. Instead, he stood up, went back to the table, took the calendar with one hand, and pulled open a drawer with the other. He retrieved a small round mirror and came back to sit by her bed, handing both to her.

Su Ruo was stunned again when she saw the small round mirror.

Because it was something she knew well.

It was a keepsake left by her mother, something she had had with her for as long as she could remember.

She put the enamel cup aside on the bedside table, not even bothering with the calendar first. She grabbed the small mirror, gripping it tightly. Only when the embossed copper patterns and inlaid gemstone on the back of the mirror dug into her palm and caused a sharp pain did she finally feel a bit grounded.

She took a deep breath and brought the mirror up to her face. She saw a familiar face in it—though her condition didn’t look great, the familiar brows and eyes, the slightly upturned nose, and even the tiny mole on her lip that could only be seen if looked at closely—it really was her. She finally let out a breath of relief.

It was her. She was fine.

Trying to calm herself down, she then reached out for the calendar in the man’s hand.

She held the calendar and carefully looked at the “1977” printed on it, staring at it several times to make sure she wasn’t mistaken.

Then she flipped through it… It was indeed a real calendar. She even found some of her own notes written on the earlier pages—though they were just a few jotted entries—they were unmistakably in her handwriting.

Surely no one would go out of their way to make such a complete fake calendar from five years in the future, right?

So then what exactly was going on?

Su Ruo was panicking inside, but no matter how panicked she was, she didn’t want anyone else to notice something was off before she figured things out.

She closed the calendar and, avoiding the man’s gaze, turned to the little boy.

Then she realized—he had been staring at her the whole time with eager eyes.

What should she say?

She turned her head toward the bedside table, set down the calendar in her hands, and casually picked up the enamel cup. She handed it to the little boy, trying her best to relax, the corners of her mouth tugging upward into a stiff smile. “Have some water. Look at you—your lips are all cracked.”

The little boy looked at his A’ma, then looked at the brown sugar water. He licked his lips and said, “A’ma, you drink. I’m not thirsty.”

Su Ruo was still not quite used to being called A’ma (mom), but facing such a child, her heart couldn’t help but soften. Her voice, once tense, now softened as well. “Mhm, I already drank some. Let’s share, okay?”

Only then did the little boy hum in agreement and nod his head vigorously. His eyes sparkled as he carefully accepted the enamel cup and took a couple of cautious sips.

Clearly, he was very thirsty.

“Are you hungry? I’ll get you a bowl of porridge.”

Han Zecheng had been quietly watching the interaction between Su Ruo and their son.

Even though she didn’t seem very willing to speak to him, he was already used to that. They only saw each other once every six months or so, and when they did, they were always polite but distant.

Still, although she was acting strangely, her emotions weren’t overly intense, and she seemed very caring toward their son. His initially tense expression relaxed a bit.

When Su Ruo heard him speaking to her, she looked up and gave him a polite yet cautious smile. “Alright. Thank you.”

She really was hungry.
Still lightheaded and dizzy.

Though she was still anxious, no matter what was going on, the most important thing was to first fill her belly and regain some strength.

Han Zecheng hadn’t expected her to smile at him.

Since he met her, she rarely smiled.

Of course, he always knew she was beautiful, but he hadn’t expected that when she smiled, she would look so soft and radiant. Her paleness and weariness disappeared, and she came alive—as if starlight had scattered across the surface of a lake.

He was momentarily stunned. His expression softened even more, and he turned to leave.

Just as he reached the doorway, her hoarse and weak voice sounded again, “You… I’m not feeling well right now. My head hurts. I don’t want to see anyone else for the time being. If someone comes to visit, could you help turn them away for now? Once I feel better, I’ll greet them myself.”

Han Zecheng paused.

Su Ruo simply didn’t want anyone to notice something was wrong.

But Han Zecheng misunderstood.

He thought about the half-day he’d been back, the way his mother criticized her and how the rest of the family looked at her. Who knows what she had been through during this time?

His chest tightened slightly. Yet, thinking about how she always kept her distance from him—and that after this she might leave him forever—his heart felt even more stifled. After a brief pause, he replied, “Alright,” and strode out of the room.

After the man left, Su Ruo finally let out a breath of relief.

She held the little boy’s hand and took another good look around the room.

The furnishings were simple. There was a dark red lacquered wooden wardrobe, a bookshelf, and a desk with scattered items on top. After she looked around, her gaze shifted out the window… but instead of tall buildings or busy streets, she saw scattered trees and vast open fields beyond.

Where was this place?

“A’ma, are you still not feeling well?”

The boy’s childish voice rang out again.

Su Ruo pulled her gaze back to him and shook her head with a smile. “I’m fine.”

She reached out and patted his head. “Have you been eating properly these past two days?”

“I have.”

In truth, he hadn’t. With his mother sick, how could he have any appetite?

“Has anyone been bullying you?”

“Who would dare?”

The little boy clenched his fists and lifted his chin slightly. “If anyone dares bully me, I’ll beat them up!”

Su Ruo: …Kid, your fists are still soft as dough!

Su Ruo continued to ask him questions, simple and domestic. Yet even from these, she was able to piece together some information that helped her settle down a little more.

Han Zecheng soon returned with a bowl of plain porridge.

Su Ruo didn’t act coy. Though she still felt unwell, she forced herself to eat under the man’s gaze, feeding herself and spooning some into the little boy’s mouth. Before long, the bowl was empty.

Han Zecheng handed the empty bowl to the boy. “Guoguo, take the bowl to the kitchen and go play outside for a bit. I want to talk to your mom.”

So, his name was Guoguo.

Han Guoguo nodded. He looked at Su Ruo with reluctance.

Because of Han Zecheng’s words, Su Ruo had tensed up again. But this was something she would have to face eventually. She smiled at the little boy and gently said, “Come back in a bit, alright?”

Only then did the boy happily carry the bowl and run out.

Now, there were only two people left in the room.

He sat down by the bed and looked at her.

Su Ruo glanced at him before lowering her eyes, quietly inhaling.

His gaze was sharp—like it could see right through someone.

Su Ruo stayed silent.

Until she figured out what was going on, she didn’t want others to realize her odd behavior. Since he wasn’t speaking, she didn’t say anything either. Instead, she focused on organizing everything she had seen and heard since waking up.

“Ah Ruo,”

He finally spoke. “Don’t worry about registering for the college entrance exam. I’ll take care of it for you. I’ll also talk to the family so they don’t interfere. But—”

He paused, his voice deepening further. “What exactly… are you thinking?”

Su Ruo kept her eyes down, unable to see his expression.

But she saw the fists resting on his legs tighten, and his tone grew heavy.

Clearly, he cared a lot about what she was thinking.

What was Su Ruo thinking?

What could she even think?

She just wanted to understand what on earth was going on right now!

College entrance exam…?
Wasn’t she already supposed to be in college?

And as for university admissions, they were all by recommendation—college entrance exams had been abolished years ago.

And then there’s her son, this man sitting by her bed, and that elderly woman from earlier—who exactly are they?

Actually, when she saw that “1977,” she already had a vague guess in her heart… Could it really be the year 1977 now?

But that was just too unbelievable.

She was fine just a moment ago, so why would she suddenly jump from 1972 to 1977? What happened to those five years?

Were they swallowed up?

Or had her brain gone haywire, and she was hallucinating?

Still, she bit her lip.

No matter what the situation was, it had already come to this. She had to pull herself together and deal with it properly.

“I don’t know either. My mind’s a bit of a mess.”

She looked up at him, trying her best to suppress her anxiety, and forced a serious expression as she said, “What about you? What do you think about all this?”

Han Zecheng clearly didn’t expect her to ask him what he thought.

He looked closely at her.

Su Ruo, although still young… well, she wasn’t even sure anymore if she was still considered young. But she was holding it together pretty well, and her ability to fake composure was impressive. Even though Han Zecheng’s gaze was sharp and made her feel uneasy inside, she still managed to hold firm.

Thankfully, he didn’t keep staring at her for long.

He looked down at her small hand clutching the quilt tightly and said, “I’ll talk to the brigade and help you get registered. Just go take the exam. If you pass, you can go to university. As for Guoguo… if it’s inconvenient for you, the family can take care of him for now, or we can see if there’s a better arrangement.”

“If you don’t pass this time, just stay home and review carefully, then try again next year… or if you want to bring Guoguo with you and follow the military, that’s fine too. That way, you’d have more time to study.”

Though the two of them hadn’t spent much time together, after nearly five years of marriage, he still understood her to some extent.

She didn’t like it here—she never had.

Not being able to attend university back then had been a huge blow to her.

Now that she had the chance to leave, there was no way she’d choose to stay.

Su Ruo slowly processed what he said. Since she still didn’t understand her current situation, she remained quiet.

“But as for a divorce, A’Ruo…”

His voice deepened, and his tone became hard to read. “In the future, if you find someone suitable, we can discuss the matter of divorce again. But right now, with the exam coming up so soon, it’d be best if you focused on your studies first.”

Find someone suitable…

Then we can discuss the matter of divorce again?

Even though Su Ruo didn’t have the awareness that she was actually this man’s wife, his words still left her stunned.

Would a normal husband say something like that?