Chapter 044

Meng Li’s mysterious and cryptic words were only half-believed by Ji Chen, so he didn’t pay much attention to them at the time.

It wasn’t until late October, when major media outlets officially announced the restoration of the college entrance examination, that he remembered what she had said and started to seriously think about it.

During a break, he grabbed a newspaper and went to the hospital to find Meng Li. As soon as they met, he said, “The college entrance examination has really been restored.”

There were other female soldiers in Meng Li’s office, and when they saw Ji Chen walk in, they all lowered their heads, trying to hide their smiles.

The meaning of their smiles was clear—they were gossiping.

Having spent so much time together, some things were obvious even to the blind. The female soldiers in the hospital all knew that Ji Chen liked Meng Li, and it was just as clear that Meng Li also had feelings for him.

At first, the object of everyone’s gossip was Yu Sitian.

Yu Sitian came from a family background that matched Ji Chen’s well, and they made an ideal couple—talented and good-looking. The two had known each other for a long time. However, Ji Chen had no interest in Yu Sitian. The one he liked was Meng Li, whom Yu Sitian disliked the most.

Because of this, Meng Li had attracted a lot of jealousy.

Someone like Ji Chen, with his distinguished family background and striking looks, had likely been shaped by his upbringing. After joining the army, his skills only grew stronger, setting him on a path toward a promising future. He was precisely the kind of ideal partner that many young women in the military dreamed of.

Anyone lucky enough to rise through the ranks and marry a man like him would have a secure and comfortable future—one that others could only envy, as if they were living in a dream.

Although Meng Li and Ji Chen still maintained a pure comradeship, she wasn’t used to being looked at in this way.

She cleared her throat lightly, stood up, and walked out with Ji Chen, heading to the end of the corridor to talk.

As soon as they left the office, the female soldiers began gossiping in hushed voices.

“Do you think Li’er has the luck to get into the Ji family?”

“That depends on Ji Chen. We’ll see if he stays faithful.”

“If he isn’t serious about Li’er, wouldn’t that just make him a scoundrel?” one of them remarked.

“What did he do to be called a scoundrel? Although I like Li’er too, and think she’s prettier and has a better personality than Yu Sitian, I still feel Ji Chen and Yu Sitian are a better match,” another voice responded.

“Bah! How vulgar! Does family background have to be a factor in dating? Free love has been advocated for ages now, okay?”

…

Meng Li and Ji Chen stood by the window at the end of the corridor, where she took the newspaper from his hands.

After reading the report, she smiled slightly, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. She looked up at Ji Chen and said in a low voice, “So, do you believe me now?”

Ji Chen had just caught his breath, still recovering from the walk. “What’s your plan? Are you going to apply for discharge right now?”

Meng Li rolled the newspaper in her hand. “Discharge? I haven’t completed my two-year compulsory service yet. Can I even leave?”

Ji Chen stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You could leave if you wanted.”

Meng Li thought for a moment and shook her head. “It wouldn’t look good. I’m not participating this year, but there’s always next year. I’ll wait until my service period is over, then apply again. It’ll be the same.”

She had already thought this through when she unexpectedly found out that she had been approved to enlist.

It wasn’t easy to leave the army before completing the two-year compulsory service, and it would have a very negative impact. Since she had chosen to become a soldier, she felt it was her duty to fulfill her obligations, so that when the time came to leave the military, her heart would be at peace.

Seeing that Meng Li had made up her mind, Ji Chen didn’t say much more.

He stared at her face for a while, thinking that if she left, he wouldn’t be able to see her often. The thought felt strangely uncomfortable.

After a moment, he fixed his gaze on Meng Li and said, “Remember, apply to a university in Beijing.”

Meng Li didn’t engage in any more banter. She simply nodded at him. “I understand.”

The two of them were talking by the window when Yu Sitian, who was on her way to her office, saw them.

At this point, Yu Sitian was no longer surprised by the sight, but her face still darkened instantly. She quickly averted her gaze and entered her office.

Once inside, she slammed the case folder down on the desk and sat down heavily.

Feeling uneasy and dissatisfied, Yu Sitian reached for the newspaper on her desk and, unexpectedly, saw the article about the restoration of the college entrance examination.

After reading it, she asked Lu Fangfang, “The college entrance exam is really coming back?”

Lu Fangfang, who had been writing, paused and looked up at her. “The newspaper says so, so it should be officially restored. There have been rumors about it for a while, but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. And the exam is just a month away.”

Yu Sitian wasn’t particularly interested in this matter, as she wasn’t planning to take the exam. She asked out of curiosity, then put the newspaper aside.

Her mind was still filled with anger from seeing Ji Chen go to find Meng Li. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Meanwhile, in Meng Li and Ji Chen’s world, there was no place for Yu Sitian.

They simply didn’t have the energy to concern themselves with someone so irrelevant.

Meng Li continued to focus on her work, living her life in peace and stability.

Her days were repetitive—either working or reading.

In the past, when she read books, others would secretly laugh at her, calling her crazy.

But now that the college entrance exam was being reinstated, those who had once mocked her suddenly disappeared. Many began to praise her for having foresight.

There were a lot of people who joined the army, but only a few were able to rise through the ranks and remain.

With the restoration of the college entrance exam, there was now another path to take, and everyone wanted to give it a try, though they were also afraid of failing.

It was only at this point that people realized how correct Meng Li’s decision to keep studying had been.

Inevitably, they couldn’t help but wonder why they hadn’t followed her example.

But no matter how others struggled with their doubts and regrets, Meng Li remained steady and focused.

There were still six months to go—it wasn’t a long time, but it wasn’t too short either.

The Spring Festival in 1978 was Meng Li’s second Spring Festival in the army, and the process was much the same as before.

After the brief Spring Festival break, life quickly returned to normal.

As the warmth of spring grew stronger, Meng Li’s time to finish her service was drawing nearer.

She began counting the days, already writing to Meng Xucheng to explain her plans.

Meng Xucheng respected her decision and had no objections.

He had cleaned up the house, just waiting for Meng Li to return home after her discharge.

Just when Meng Li thought she would smoothly finish her remaining days and proudly retire, a small accident occurred.

It wasn’t her who was in an accident, but Ji Chen.

Ji Chen had gone on a field training exercise with his unit, and in order to protect his comrades, he was injured.

He was treated at a local hospital, and after stabilizing his condition, he was transferred to the military hospital.

Since Ji Chen was admitted to the military hospital, Meng Li had spent most of her free time with him.

In addition to giving him injections and bringing him meals, she also kept him company, reading books and newspapers together.

Yu Sitian was so jealous that her eyes turned red with anger, and she sulked every day.

Her bad mood made life difficult for Lu Fangfang and Jiang Yunmian as well.

Meng Li, accustomed to ignoring them, was unaffected by their behavior.

That evening, she had a night shift. After dinner, she used the allowance she had saved up to buy some fruit.

Since they were enlisted soldiers, their allowances were pitifully small.

Meng Li usually didn’t spend much, saving every little bit for when she truly needed it.

She carried the fruit in a mesh bag back to the ward, and when she entered, she looked at Ji Chen and smiled at him. “I bought you something tasty.”

After speaking, Meng Li placed the fruit on the bedside table and sat down to peel an apple for him.

The ward had three beds, but for now, only Ji Chen was staying there.

Ji Chen looked at Meng Li and suddenly sighed, “I wish I could stay here until you finish your service.”

Meng Li handed him the peeled apple, “You should be thinking about getting better, not about staying in the hospital.”

Ji Chen took the apple, then asked Meng Li for the knife. He cut the apple in half, giving her one piece. “Well, how else would I get to see you every day if not here in the hospital?”

Meng Li took her half of the apple and shot him a glance. “Behave yourself.”

Ji Chen smiled and took a bite of his apple, swallowing it before continuing in a mischievous tone, “Do you think I’ll get lovesick after you leave?”

The conversation was getting more and more flirtatious. Meng Li reached out to cover his mouth. “If you keep talking nonsense, I’m leaving. You can stay here and read your books and newspapers by yourself. I have night duty tonight, so don’t expect me to come visit.”

Ji Chen raised his hand to gently move hers away, smiling as he said, “Okay, okay, I won’t say anything more.”

Meng Li felt satisfied, but when she tried to pull her hand back, she realized that Ji Chen had tightened his grip, making it impossible to free her hand.

Ji Chen gently rubbed her hand, and his eyes suddenly seemed to glisten with moisture.

Meng Li met his gaze, and her heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, she tried to pull her hand away again.

Ji Chen tightened his grip slightly, his voice low and steady. “After you go home, don’t flirt with anyone else. Not even in college. Wait for me to get promoted.”

Meng Li felt the warmth of his hand against hers, and the air around them seemed to thin. Her heart pounded faster.

Suppressing the heat rising in her chest, she met Ji Chen’s gaze and asked softly, “What about you? There are so many people in the army who like you.”

Ji Chen let out a light chuckle. “I can’t date until I get promoted. Once I do, the first thing I’ll do is report it to the regiment commander. After that, I’ll officially be yours. With the organization keeping an eye on me, what are you afraid of?”

It made sense. The military was strict about such matters—there was no room for mischief.

Meng Li’s cheeks flushed pink as she looked at him. “If you report the relationship, I won’t dare flirt with anyone else. So what are you afraid of?”

Ji Chen chuckled again but didn’t push the conversation further.

The intention behind his words was to express his feelings, not to control her.

He kept holding Meng Li’s hand, not letting go, gently rubbing the palm of her hand, creating a growing wave of emotions between them.

Suddenly, he found himself unable to control his impulses, leaning in a little closer to Meng Li.

Instinctively, Meng Li tried to pull away, but he pulled her back.

With only an inch separating their faces, Meng Li’s heart raced in a panic. She blinked her eyes rapidly, her face turning even redder as she whispered, “The apple… we haven’t finished the apple yet…”

Ji Chen remained silent, his expression serious as he fought to maintain control.

But just as he was on the verge of losing that control, the door to the ward suddenly made a noise, as if it had been bumped.

Meng Li was startled and quickly stood up, taking a step back.

Meng Li startled and quickly stood up, putting distance between them. She turned toward the door but saw no one outside.

Still feeling uneasy, she walked over and pulled it open.

Peering into the hallway, she caught sight of a figure in a white coat disappearing at the far end of the corridor.

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and returned to the room with a look of unease on her face.

As she slowly walked back to Ji Chen’s bed, her face was flushed with embarrassment. She shoved the half-eaten apple into his mouth and quickly turned to leave.

Ji Chen bit into the apple, smiling. He didn’t seem too bothered.

Meng Li wasn’t sure whether the scene earlier had been seen by someone. Logically, she and Ji Chen hadn’t done anything out of line, and the person hadn’t caught them in the act, so it should be fine.

But for some reason, she felt a little guilty, as if she had done something wrong, and her heart remained uneasy.

Of course, the unease passed by the end of the night, especially since nothing had happened after all.

The next day, everything went back to normal. After lunch, Meng Li returned to the dorm for a nap.

Once her nap was over, she quickly got ready and planned to head back to the hospital. She didn’t think much about what happened the previous night.

But just as she was about to leave the dorm after changing her clothes, Yu Sitian suddenly stood up and blocked her path.

Lu Fangfang and Jiang Yunmian had already left, leaving only the two of them in the dorm.

Meng Li usually didn’t interact much with Yu Sitian, so it was a surprise when she was suddenly stopped.

However, Meng Li wasn’t in the mood to deal with her, so she tried to step aside and leave.

But just as she moved to the side, Yu Sitian blocked her again.

Meng Li looked up at her. “Is there something you need?”

Yu Sitian’s expression was unfriendly, her face darkened as she asked, “Are you and Ji Chen in a relationship?”

Meng Li’s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained steady. “No.”

Yu Sitian sneered. “Still lying? I saw everything last night!”

Meng Li quickly realized that the person she had seen outside the ward the previous night was Yu Sitian.

Remaining calm, Meng Li replied, “What did you see?”

Yu Sitian struggled to find the words, her face turning red. “You… you… you have no shame!”

Meng Li smiled lightly. “What’s wrong? We just shared an apple.”

Yu Sitian was so angry her face flushed. “Do you believe I’ll report you to the authorities?”

Meng Li’s face darkened at the mention of reporting. She had always despised people who tattled.

The past ten years had been about a society where such things were commonplace, hadn’t it?

She stared at Yu Sitian. “Ji Chen and I are not in a relationship. What evidence do you have to claim that we are? Last night, we didn’t do anything. What exactly did you see? If you saw something, why didn’t you confront us right then?”

Yu Sitian was taken aback by the question, left speechless for a while.

Meng Li kept her tone calm and steady. “Without evidence, this is slander. What kind of impression do you think you’ll leave in front of the leaders? Even if they believe you, what impact will it have on Ji Chen and me? At most, it’ll just be a warning or a reprimand. Do you really think that will hurt us?”

Yu Sitian, fuming with anger, stomped her foot. “You’re such a rascal!”

Meng Li smiled faintly. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

She then calmly stepped past Yu Sitian and walked out of the dorm without a second glance.

Left fuming, Yu Sitian sat down on her bed, tears welling up in her eyes.

Meng Li, however, didn’t let the small incident bother her.

Even if Yu Sitian did report them, she and Ji Chen had their own ways of explaining things.

Because of that small incident, Meng Li made a conscious effort to distance herself from Ji Chen.

At an age when emotions ran high, some things were difficult to control.

She was about to finish her service and return home, so she didn’t care much about any potential consequences for herself.

But Ji Chen was planning to stay in the military, and she didn’t want him to leave a bad impression on the leadership because of her.

After that brief episode, Meng Li’s remaining time in the army was uneventful.

When her service period ended, she didn’t apply to stay.

She had done well in all her duties during her time in service, and the leadership had even tried to persuade her to stay.

But her decision was already made. She informed the leaders that she planned to return home and apply for college, and the leadership respected her choice and did not try to stop her.

As she packed her things and prepared to leave, several of her close comrades came to see her off.

Ji Chen was busy with his unit and couldn’t make it to send her off.

Meng Li walked out of the military base carrying her package, and after taking a few steps, she turned around.

She had thought she had already prepared herself enough, that she wouldn’t feel reluctant.

But at this moment, she couldn’t help but feel deeply unwilling to leave.

Once she walked out, the people inside those heavy gates would belong to another world entirely.

Her heart ached with a deep sense of loss. She crouched down, her knees touching the ground, and ran her fingers through the dirt beneath her.

Her eyes were moist, but Meng Li didn’t let the tears fall.

She took a deep breath, stood up, and turned around for one last look at the place she had stayed for two years. With a salute, she bid farewell.