Chapter 9 – Lu Jinyuan Learns the Secret

Three days later.

Lu Jinyuan rushed back to Puping Town, covered in dust from the long journey.

As soon as he reached the apartment block, a familiar figure came into view.

Ran Jinnian was carrying a basket filled with vegetables and fruit—things she had secretly taken from her spatial storage but pretended were bought from the market.

Lu Jinyuan’s breath caught. He strode up the stairs. “Wife!”

Hearing his voice, Ran Jinnian turned around in disbelief—only to see an unshaven face suddenly leaning toward her.

“Ah!”

She jumped in fright, and the basket slipped from her hands. Vegetables and fruit tumbled to the ground.

Lu Jinyuan hadn’t expected to scare her. His whole mind was focused on his wife, and he didn’t notice anything else unusual. “Wife, are you okay?”

“Who’s your wife? Don’t talk nonsense!” Ran Jinnian smacked him.

Lu Jinyuan was half amused, half exasperated. “Wife, it’s me—your man, Lu Jinyuan.”

“Ah—!”

Ran Jinnian’s eyes widened. Now that she got a good look, she recognized the bearded man before her.

Lu Jinyuan.

It really was him.

“Husband!”

Her eyes turned red, and she threw herself into his arms.

The moment Lu Jinyuan hugged her, he realized something was off. He looked down—and saw her belly, round like a little ball.

“Wife, you…” His mind went blank, completely unable to believe what he was seeing.

Seeing him staring at her stomach, Ran Jinnian gave him an annoyed swat. “You’re going to be a father.”

All the exhaustion of the past few months vanished in an instant. Lu Jinyuan’s whole body was alight with joy. He swept her up into his arms. “Wife, you’re amazing!”

He never expected that after leaving home, she’d end up pregnant so soon.

“Hey, what are you doing? Put me down!” Ran Jinnian protested as he spun her around.

He quickly set her down again, his voice bubbling with excitement. “How many months?”

“I got pregnant not long after you left. It’s almost seven months now.”

The surprise of coming home to this news filled him with joy, but guilt quickly followed—he hadn’t been there for her all this time. “Wife, I’m sorry I couldn’t be by your side.”

“As long as you can come back safe from your missions, that’s the best thing,” Ran Jinnian said. Seeing his worn-out appearance, she guessed he had rushed back right after finishing his task.

She didn’t expect much—just that he would come back safe. “Let’s go home first.”

“You haven’t picked up your things yet.” Lu Jinyuan’s tone was full of affection.

As he bent to pick up a pear, he noticed the variety was unlike anything he’d seen before.

It reminded him of the apple from last time—both were top-grade varieties rarely seen in town. Even in the military district, such fruit was scarce.

Where had she gotten them?

He said nothing, quietly picking them up and putting them back into the basket.

“Let’s go home,” he said, carrying the basket.

As they climbed the stairs, the neighbors saw Ran Jinnian holding onto a man’s arm, then took a closer look.

“Jinyuan, what happened to you?”

“Are you alright?”

Facing their concern, Lu Jinyuan replied, “I just came straight back from a mission and haven’t had time to tidy up.”

Everyone nodded in understanding.

When they reached home, Lu’s mother was still at work.

“Go wash up first,” Ran Jinnian said, pushing him gently.

After months in the mountains, even though he had washed whenever possible, there was still a lingering smell.

Once he’d finished washing, Ran Jinnian took out a pear to peel.

Lu Jinyuan emerged, skin tanned but still strikingly handsome.

“Husband, have some pear—it’s really sweet.” Ran Jinnian, not realizing she was exposing herself to risk, handed him the peeled fruit.

He took a bite and was startled—the flavor was better than any top-grade pear he’d tasted.

Looking at his happily eating wife, he couldn’t hold back any longer. “Wife, where did you get this pear?”

“The supply and marketing co-op,” Ran Jinnian answered with her usual story.

Lu Jinyuan didn’t want to pressure her, but this kind of fruit was far too rare. “Wife, this isn’t an ordinary pear. These are only supplied to top leaders.”

Ran Jinnian froze.

Lately, she’d been taking fruit from her space to give her family, and no one had questioned it—except Lu Jinyuan.

His instincts were too sharp.

Feigning ignorance, she repeated, “I bought it at the co-op.”

“Wife, even the political commissar and division commander at our base don’t get to eat this. This isn’t normal fruit,” Lu Jinyuan said, his tone turning serious.

Realizing his change in tone, Ran Jinnian understood she’d been careless.

She had been so focused on sharing with her family that she’d forgotten how scarce supplies were in this era.

Even if the fruit she took out existed in this time, there were differences.

And with all the supplies in her space, there was no way she could hide it from Lu Jinyuan.

“Husband, I need to tell you something,” she said, meeting his gaze.

Lu Jinyuan’s heart tightened. She was going to tell him.

Without hesitating, Ran Jinnian said, “I have… a space.”

Lu Jinyuan: ???

A space?

What was that?

Seeing his confusion, she took his hand, wondering if she could bring him inside.

She was only testing it—but to her surprise, it worked.

Lu Jinyuan!!!!

The scene before his eyes changed in an instant, revealing a world completely beyond his comprehension.

“Husband, I got this space by accident,” Ran Jinnian explained briefly.

Lu Jinyuan, who had weathered storms and dangers, asked gravely, “Does anyone else know?”

“No, only you,” she shook her head.

His expression grew solemn. “This must never be known to anyone else.”

He wasn’t eyeing the supplies for himself.

But if word got out, Ran Jinnian’s life would be in danger.

He had assumed she was doing some speculative trading—never would he have imagined she had such a treasure.

“I understand,” she said. She wasn’t stupid—she’d never tell anyone else.

Lu Jinyuan looked around the villa inside the space and noticed she had stored the bankbook in a drawer—indeed, the perfect place to hide valuables.

Here, no one could ever find them.

His ability to adapt was strong, and he quickly accepted it.

When he saw the medical supplies, his eyes lit up. They were clearly high-quality.

After looking around for a while, they exited the space.

Having told him her secret, Ran Jinnian felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Now she had someone to cover for her.

Realizing she could take things out without entering the space, Lu Jinyuan reminded her earnestly, “Wife, you must be careful—careful, and then careful again—when taking anything out.”

“I will,” she promised. She was always cautious.

Not wanting anyone outside to overhear, they dropped the subject.

Now that he knew about the space, Ran Jinnian took out a chicken to stew for him, to help him recover.

Watching her produce it from thin air, Lu Jinyuan felt like he’d married an immortal.