Chapter 3

While she was asleep, something inside her body was quietly changing, without arousing anyone’s suspicion.

After examining her, the doctor quietly walked out.

“Comrade Zheng, Comrade Wang, physically there’s nothing wrong with little Mòyán, but mentally, she’s been under constant emotional distress. She’ll need some time to recover.”

“For someone her age to suddenly lose both parents and then suffer another shock at night—it’s already a miracle that she hasn’t had a complete breakdown.”

“The best thing for her now is a safe environment where she can recuperate properly. Time is the best medicine—otherwise, something worse will eventually happen.”

Zheng Aihua looked anxious. “Director Qin, you’re a close friend of Moyao. I know you care about this child too.”

“But she’s just a lonely orphan now—where could she possibly go? In times like these, a young girl can hardly survive alone.”

Director Qin wanted to say something, but seeing how frail the girl was, he shook his head. Forget it—speaking now might only make things worse.

“I’ll do my best to prescribe her something, but the most important thing is to avoid any further shocks. If something happens again, it’ll be harder to save her.”

“And who the hell did this to her? The marks aren’t minor—the bruises around her neck are severe, and if that arm had been hit any harder, it might have been useless.”

Wang Lian gritted her teeth. “It was those damned bastards again—always sneaking in and out of Xiàguó. One day, we’ll find their base and burn it to the ground.”

Everyone knew what she meant, so no one responded.

When Feng Moyan woke up, she found herself alone in the hospital room. Her throat was dry, and just as she was about to reach for some water, the door opened.

Zheng Aihua entered with a joyful look, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes bunching up.

“You’re awake, dear. I made you some millet porridge. Your body’s weak right now, so you need to recover slowly with nourishing food.”

“In a few days, I’ll have your Uncle Qiu catch a pheasant and make you chicken soup. You’ll be better in no time.”

Feng Moyan knew the condition of her body. In her past life, for the sake of her missions, she had learned everything—music, chess, calligraphy, painting—even multiple languages were a breeze for her.

To stay alive longer, she had secretly studied medicine during missions. It was her way of ensuring she could act independently, without being controlled.

Her current body was just weak—frightened, but not seriously ill. With proper food and care, she’d recover quickly.

“Auntie, thank you—and Uncle Qiu too. If not for you, I wouldn’t have even been able to arrange my parents’ funeral. And last night, I troubled you again…”

This girl was still as obedient and thoughtful as ever.

“What are you saying, child? You grew up right under my nose—you’re just like a daughter to me. And besides, your Uncle Qiu was your father’s brother. Of course, we’d help.”

“Don’t worry about anything else. The army will handle it. You just focus on getting better.”

Feng Moyan didn’t say much else. She silently ate a small bowl of porridge. The taste was ordinary, but to her, it was more precious than a feast.

That evening, Qiu Lianhai rushed in with a grave expression. She could see the worry etched on his face—either the man from last night had a suspicious identity, or he’d said something threatening.

“Uncle Qiu, why are you here at this hour? Who was that man last night? Why did he break into our home in the middle of the night?”

Her string of questions caught Qiu Lianhai off guard. “That man claimed he was just an ordinary thief. He said he heard your parents passed away and had bad intentions…”

“He probably thought you, being an orphan, wouldn’t resist. Figured he could rob your house and leave without consequence. He didn’t expect you to be armed.”

What a load of nonsense. No one with half a brain would believe that.

Why not rob some other place? Why go to a military compound? It’s like trying to pluck a tiger’s whiskers—laughable.

“Uncle Qiu, you and Commander Bo don’t seriously believe that, do you? He was clearly targeting my parents.”

“He asked me directly if my father had left me anything before he died—any last words—or whether we were hiding anything in the house.”

“You know my parents. They served the military for so many years, never even touched the black market. How could they possibly do anything against the country?”

“Unless… unless my father’s last mission threatened certain people. Why else would they come after me too?”

“If my father hadn’t secretly taught me self-defense, I might have joined my parents in death last night.”

“The slander thrown at my family’s grave… we don’t even have a place to seek justice, isn’t that right, Uncle Qiu?”

Qiu Lianhai felt a deep pain in his heart. Of course he knew everything she said was true—but the higher-ups wouldn’t budge. They were even stopping the investigation into the mission.

“Child, stay out of this. This isn’t something a young girl like you should get involved in. Just find a job, live in the family compound, and I’ll find you a good husband to marry.”

Feng Moyan had fought hard to live again—there was no way she’d let others control her life. Not even her parents could decide her future.

“Uncle Qiu, I appreciate your good intentions. But I will get to the bottom of this.”

“I may be powerless now, but that won’t always be the case. I will make sure my parents receive justice. The heroes who died must not have died in vain.”

“Good. That’s the spirit.”

A hoarse voice sounded at the doorway. Qiu Lianhai immediately stood at attention. “Good evening, Leader Long. I didn’t expect you to come.”

Leader Long looked at the girl on the hospital bed. Her brows had the shadow of Feng Qian’s, but she resembled Moyao even more.

“Young as you are, you’ve got a good mindset. We absolutely cannot let our soldiers die in vain.”

“We will investigate this matter. But the country is unstable right now—we ask for your patience. It won’t take forever.”

Qiu Lianhai quickly introduced him with respect: “Moyan, this is Leader Long, our nation’s second-in-command. He came especially to see you.”

So this was the second-in-command. He didn’t look that old, yet his hair was already so gray—worry must age people fast. She’d heard his son was only twenty.

“Hello, Leader Long. I’m Feng Qian and Moyao’s daughter—Feng Moyan. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Just as you said—I’m not worried the country will forget them, nor do I mind how slowly the nation develops.”

“But your time and energy are limited, so please don’t block my investigation. After all, I am the one being targeted. I might even get intel faster than you. How about that?”

Qiu Lianhai wanted to interrupt, but Long Yuan raised a hand to stop him. Very few young girls dared talk to him like this—his own son got nervous around him.

“So tell me, what do you plan to do?”

Feng Moyan leaned back on the bed and looked out the window at the darkening sky.

“First, I’ll get better. Then I’ll leave the family compound. I want to go to the countryside—a change of environment.”

“Everyone wants to get close to power, but Xiàguó can’t afford turbulence. I don’t have the strength to protect myself right now, so staying away is the safest bet.”

Qiu Lianhai was stunned. “No, you can’t! Your father pampered you growing up—you can’t survive the countryside. Your body won’t be able to handle it!”

Even Leader Long disagreed. There were many ways to handle things—going to the countryside wasn’t the best option.