Chapter 27 – Fiancé

“Yun Yun, who were you looking at?”

Shen Yunyun snapped out of her daze, silently remembering the direction Ning Zhiyuan had gone before replying, “I think I saw someone I know.”

Her companion asked curiously, “Aren’t you going to say hi, then?”

“Not for now. Let’s go back to our carriage first.”

“Alright.”

Shen Yunyun had just returned from visiting her hometown in Yunnan Province. On the way back, she happened to run into an old classmate, Su Wei. Su Wei came from a well-off family and was generous by nature. Upon hearing that Shen Yunyun couldn’t get a sleeper ticket, she went ahead and got her a soft sleeper ticket.

But Shen Yunyun had her own calculations. Su Wei’s family situation was complicated. If Su Wei happened to fall for Ning Zhiyuan, what would she do?

Ever since seeing Ning Zhiyuan at her aunt’s house years ago, she had never forgotten him.

After graduating high school, her family arranged many blind dates for her, but she intentionally ruined every one of them.

Only she knew her heart belonged to one man—there was no room for anyone else.

Originally, she could’ve found a comfortable job in her hometown, but when her aunt mentioned that Ning Zhiyuan was in the Fujian Military District, she ignored her family’s objections and resolutely signed up for the health officer recruitment exam there.

Coincidentally, her cousin worked as a deputy battalion commander in the Fujian Military District, so she stayed at his place and thus could see Ning Zhiyuan more often.

Although she rarely got to meet him, compared to the other women who also liked him, she still held a certain advantage.

That’s why she absolutely couldn’t let him run into someone else!

Meanwhile, Sang Feiyu and Ning Zhiyuan had already arrived at their train carriage. There were no doors between the compartments, only deep green curtains for separation.

The hard sleeper compartments were open-plan, with 11 sets of bunks per carriage. The ends had shorter beds, and the middle had standard ones.

Each set consisted of three levels—upper, middle, and lower.

Typically, six beds formed a semi-enclosed unit.

At the junction between carriages, there was a shared enamel spittoon.

Ning Zhiyuan and Sang Feiyu had standard bunks—he had the middle bunk, she had the lower.

After placing their belongings on the bed, Ning Zhiyuan handed her a new pair of slippers and went to fetch water with a kettle.

Sang Feiyu stared at the slippers in surprise. She hadn’t expected Ning Zhiyuan to be so considerate!

Suddenly, the sound of heels clicking echoed, and a pair of brand-new black leather shoes entered her field of vision. She looked up instinctively and saw a female comrade with a fox-eyed face and shoulder-length hair standing there.

“Comrade, can I trade beds with you?”

Sang Feiyu responded without hesitation, “No.”

Shen Yunyun’s brow twitched. “Mine’s a soft sleeper. It’s much more comfortable than this. And soft sleeper tickets aren’t easy to come by. Are you sure you don’t want to switch?”

“If the soft sleeper’s so great, why do you want to switch with me?” Sang Feiyu asked, curious.

Shen Yunyun’s fox-like eyes smiled sweetly, but it gave people a chilling feeling.

“I know someone here and want to stay in the same carriage so we can look after each other on the road.”

She added, “Besides, I’m letting you take the soft sleeper and not even asking you to pay the difference—you’re really getting a great deal.”

Sang Feiyu lounged lazily on the bed and mumbled in a low voice, “Chi sin.” (Cantonese slang for “crazy”)

“What did you say?”

Shen Yunyun didn’t understand and said as if it were settled, “I’ll go pack my things. You pack yours too. We’ll switch right now.”

Sang Feiyu watched her walk away and thought, Is this woman mentally ill?
When did she ever agree to switch bunks?

Not long after, Ning Zhiyuan returned with the kettle. Sang Feiyu, feeling the urge to pee, quickly headed to the restroom.

Ning Zhiyuan then took a soft little quilt out of his bag and spread it over Sang Feiyu’s bunk.

Sang Feiyu was still recovering from injuries, so sleeping on a hard sleeper was indeed uncomfortable for her.

That’s why Ning Zhiyuan wanted to make the journey to the base as comfortable as possible for her.

Just then, Shen Yunyun came in carrying her luggage and immediately saw Ning Zhiyuan bending over to make the bed.

The little quilt on the bed was even in her favorite shade of green!

Had he asked her aunt about her preferences?

Shen Yunyun’s eyes softened as she gazed dreamily at Ning Zhiyuan. Her heart pounded uncontrollably.

She subconsciously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and walked softly behind him. “Zhiyuan-ge, thank you.”

Ning Zhiyuan turned around, looking on guard and suspicious. “Who are you?”

How does she know my name?

Shen Yunyun’s smile froze. “I’m Yunyun.”

“Yunyun who?” Ning Zhiyuan’s tone was cold and interrogative.

“My aunt is Shen Hongmei—your aunt.”

“We’ve met several times.”

Ning Zhiyuan frowned slightly, half-believing. “Have we?”

“So why were you thanking me?”

At this point, he was utterly confused.

“For making the bed,” she replied. “I swapped beds with the female comrade who was originally here, so now this bed is mine.”

But the moment she finished, she realized something was off!

If he hadn’t even recognized her, how could he be making the bed for her?

A horrible thought struck her, and her jaw dropped. “Don’t tell me you were making the bed… for that woman?”

“That’s right!”

At some point, Sang Feiyu had returned and now walked up, gently hooking her arm around Ning Zhiyuan’s.

“Comrade, why would you assume my fiancé would be making a bed for you?”

Shen Yunyun’s face turned beet red, all the way to her ears.

Everyone in the compartment turned to look at her. She stuttered, speechless, wishing she could vanish into thin air.

“Xiaoyu, she said she’s a relative of my aunt,” Ning Zhiyuan explained quickly. “But I really don’t know her.”

Hearing that, everyone else’s expressions toward Shen Yunyun turned strange.

She never imagined that the cold-faced officer known for avoiding women would already have a fiancée!

But she quickly calmed herself.

Fiancée wasn’t the same as wife. Military marriage investigations were strict and lengthy—three to five months at least.

And her cousin hadn’t mentioned anything about Ning Zhiyuan getting married, so this must’ve been a recent development.

As long as they hadn’t registered, she still had a chance.

Shen Yunyun composed herself and smiled gracefully. “Zhiyuan-ge’s aunt is my aunt too.”

“We’ve met many times, and since we’re stationed at the same base, it’s common to run into each other. I just didn’t expect Zhiyuan-ge to say he doesn’t recognize me.”

Sang Feiyu smirked at her sweetly manipulative tone. “Oh? So your relation is kind of distant, huh?”

“Well, you’re generous. Don’t blame my fiancé for not remembering you.”

“After all, who would go out of their way to memorize their aunt’s niece from her side of the family?”

Shen Yunyun bit her lip lightly, wearing an embarrassed and aggrieved expression, as if suffering the greatest humiliation in the world—