Chapter 1: Gu Jingyao is back

“Wuwuwu… Jingyao, you’re finally back! Do you know? When I heard the bad news about you, I felt like my whole world shattered!”

“Thank goodness! You came back safe! When I heard you were returning, I couldn’t sleep for several nights. Heaven truly has eyes to let me see you again.”

In the courtyard of a modest two- to three-story red-brick compound, tree leaves swayed gently in the wind, and cicadas chirped endlessly from the branches. At the compound gate, large characters read “Serve the People,” and within the walls, bright red banners were strung up: “Welcome National Hero Gu Jingyao Home” “Salute to Comrade Gu Jingyao”

Gu Jingyao, who had grown up in the courtyard and served in the military, had been declared dead during a mission four years ago. Now, after surviving countless perils, he had returned to the army and was coming home today after being discharged.

Suddenly, a woman in a light green dress with a graceful figure rushed up to Gu Jingyao, shoved a bouquet of jasmine flowers into his hands, and then threw herself into his arms, sobbing with joy, overcome with excitement and emotion.

Standing at the edge of the crowd, Lin Moran quietly watched Xu Jingya embrace Gu Jingyao. Her emotions were complex.

If she were just a neighbor or an outsider watching the scene a devoted woman reunited with a man who had come back from the dead, wrapped in an emotional embrace she would likely be moved too.

But unfortunately, the man being hugged by Xu Jingyao was her husband.

“Mom, is he really my dad? Didn’t you say only husbands and wives can hug? Then why is my dad hugging that woman?”

Compared to Lin Moran’s calm demeanor, the small chubby four-year-old boy beside her was clearly upset. His tiny fists were clenched, and his little nose was red with frustration and anger.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it brought the buzzing crowd to a sudden halt.

Only then did everyone remember Lin Moran was Gu Jingyao’s wife. Gu Jingyao wasn’t dead. No matter what, the first person to greet him should have been his wife, not Xu Jingya.

But when they looked at the child beside Lin Moran, Gu Quanzhe, who looked nothing like Gu Jingyao, their attitude shifted slightly. Lin Moran had given birth less than seven months after marrying Gu Jingyao. A simple calculation would reveal the child’s timing didn’t add up it couldn’t be Gu Jingyao’s. The Gu family had long been bitter over this, and Lin Moran herself knew how scandalous it was. She had left the Gu family right after giving birth.

And besides, Xu Jingya and Gu Jingyao were childhood sweethearts grew up together, went to school together. Compared to Lin Moran’s indiscretions, this hug between the two felt far less out of line. If anything, it seemed like karma Lin Moran had wronged Gu Jingyao, and now she was getting a taste of her own medicine, watching her man’s heart lie elsewhere.

Even if everyone believed it wasn’t worth arguing over, the atmosphere in the compound became strangely tense.

Xu Jingya lifted her head, looked at Gu Jingyao somewhat awkwardly, and then feigned casualness: “Jingyao, Moran came too.”

Then she turned to Lin Moran and said: “Moran, I was just a little overwhelmed. Nothing is more moving and exciting than seeing Jingyao come back alive.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m just like a brother to Jingyao. Right, Jingyao?”

As she spoke, Xu Jingya turned again, her eyes locking on Gu Jingyao, waiting for confirmation.

Lin Moran’s eyes also fell on Gu Jingyao for the first time since he entered the courtyard, she could see him clearly.

After several years, Gu Jingyao’s features had grown sharper, his posture straighter, his face more defined, full of uprightness and masculine dignity. The medals on his chest gleamed. Beside him, everyone else seemed insignificant.

But the bouquet of jasmine flowers in his hand given by Xu Jingya pierced her eyes:
“Sending jasmine to a gentleman may he never leave.”

“Moran, I’m back,” Gu Jingyao said in a low voice, his eyes falling on her. He didn’t respond to Xu Jingya’s question about being like siblings.

Had she not seen them embrace…
Had she not seen the jasmine bouquet…
Had she not read the ten or so letters left among his “personal effects”…
She might have been truly moved.

But in those unsent letters, not a single one was written to her. Every word of longing was for his white moonlight Xu Jingya the very woman he had just held so tightly.

Everything in this moment, and everything before it, crushed her expectations and excitement into dust.

“Mm. Now that you’re done hugging your female brother, let’s go home.”

Everyone else was feeling emotional and celebratory. Lin Moran didn’t want to spoil the moment or argue over the so-called “brotherly” hug. She forced herself to stay calm and spoke in a quiet tone.

Gu Jingyao’s brow creased slightly, his jaw tightened.

“Moran, there’s no need to speak so sarcastically. You’ve misunderstood.”

Gu Jingyao said nothing. But Xu Jingya, clearly unhappy, felt she was being insinuated against.

Lin Moran’s eyes suddenly lifted cold and sharp and she let out a scornful laugh: “What exactly did I misunderstand? You’re the one who said you’re his brother. You’re the one who threw yourself into his arms. Which part did I get wrong? Or is ‘brother’ just an excuse to hug Gu Jingyao? Today it’s hugging in the name of brotherhood, tomorrow it’ll be sleeping together after all, don’t most brothers sleep in the same bed?”

Xu Jingya’s face turned red with humiliation and anger.

Lin Moran had always been soft-spoken anyone could walk all over her. Xu Jingya had never expected her words to suddenly become so cutting. On such an important day, she gave her and Gu Jingyao no face at all.

“Jingyao, I… I really didn’t…” Xu Jingya’s eyes filled with tears, looking pitifully at Gu Jingyao.

Gu Jingyao’s brow furrowed even deeper. He looked hard at Lin Moran and said:
“Moran, watch your words.”

Xu Jingya gave him flowers, hugged him in public, and acted more affectionate than his own wife yet he offered no explanation, no defense, and instead scolded her for being disrespectful.

Gu Jingyao’s blatant favoritism, and Xu Jingya’s victorious expression, felt like needles stabbing into Lin Moran’s chest.

Her heart, which she had tried so hard to calm, began to bleed again.

Then she raised her head, her eyes full of sarcasm: “Sorry to interrupt your mutual pining.”

She looked down and gently said to her small son: “Zhezhe, we’ve seen him now. Let’s go home.”

Little Gu Quanzhe’s cheeks were flushed, and his big eyes were full of hurt and fury.

He was always mocked by the other children for being a fatherless bastard. Today, when the neighbor Panghu excitedly told him his dad had returned, he begged his mother to take him to see him. She didn’t want to come, but he pleaded and pleaded until she took half a day off to bring him.

And now, his dad was hugging another woman.

He finally got the chance to speak to him, but his father was cold, not even cracking a smile—he didn’t even look at him. He kept tilting his head up, staring at him, but there was no recognition in his eyes.

“Mm. Mama, let’s go. Panghu lied. My dad didn’t come back. My dad’s dead. We haven’t visited in two months his grave’s grass must be taller than me by now. Let’s go to the Martyrs’ Cemetery tomorrow.”

Gu Quanzhe’s little mouth trembled as he clenched his teeth in frustration.

So sad.

So angry.

So disappointed.

So heartbroken.

He thought he finally had a dad and could prove everyone wrong.

But now… he wished his father had just remained a photo on the wall.

Only then did Gu Jingyao notice the little boy standing next to Lin Moran his small face tight, lips pouting, eyes glaring.

“Moran, this is…” Gu Jingyao’s brows drew tight, his eyes filled with confusion as he looked at her.

Lin Moran felt stabbed by his gaze. At the sight of their son, there wasn’t even a flicker of joy or surprise in his eyes only doubt and disbelief.

As if her child was just some bastard she had stolen from the streets.