Chapter 28 – The Female Supporting Character in the Confession Book

After years of peace, the war suddenly broke out again. Everyone’s attention was focused on this war, and each person’s heart was tightly knotted. Families with soldiers in service were especially glued to the newspapers every day.

Wen Yuejun also guessed that her son-in-law had gone to the battlefield. So, every day, she would visit the village captain’s house to listen to the radio. When she returned home, she would share the news she had heard on the radio with the family.

Zhang Xiuying would secretly pray several times every morning, hoping that her son-in-law would be safe.

The atmosphere in the school was also different from usual.

Every day, good news of victories would come through, and each time, it would spark cheers from a group of patriotic individuals.

Finally, March arrived, and the war ended in a complete victory. The People’s Liberation Army withdrew from Y Country, and on their way back, they brought with them materials that had once been sent as aid to Y Country, destroying many roads and facilities along the way.

Since the victory announcement, Wen Xin had been waiting for Gu Xiuping to come home. But as time passed, by April, the others who had gone on the mission with Gu Xiuping had all returned. However, there was still no sign of him.

A great fear enveloped Wen Xin.

In her previous life, she had only been a koi that had turned into a spirit, with no heritage of demons. The few magical skills she had were learned secretly from a little Taoist priest. She was unable to master advanced spells like fortune-telling.

Gu Xiuping had never appeared in that reincarnation novel either. Wen Xin didn’t know what had become of his fate.

She had once hoped that her good fortune would transfer to him, but now, she was no longer sure.

The news that Gu Xiuping hadn’t returned was something Wen Xin kept hidden from her family, but it couldn’t be concealed from her in-laws.

Ye Xianya, not at ease with Wen Xin, took leave and hurriedly traveled to the Provincial Capital. Wen Xin was still studying at school, and when she saw Ye Xianya, the hidden strength she had been holding onto instantly crumbled, and tears fell from her eyes in an instant.

Ye Xianya felt a lump in her throat. Having experienced war herself, she could deeply understand Wen Xin’s feelings. In the past, she had also anxiously waited day after day, just like Wen Xin.

Every time others came back, but Gu Weimin didn’t, she would spend sleepless nights, feeling anxious and unable to speak.

At that time, her mother-in-law would try to stay with her as much as possible, talking to her. Ye Xianya was deeply grateful to her mother-in-law. Now, she wanted to pass on this love to Wen Xin.

Ye Xianya took Wen Xin out for a meal. As they sat down, Ye Xianya said to Wen Xin: “Don’t worry too much. Your father has been keeping an eye on the battlefield. He has checked the casualty lists several times, and Gu Xiuping’s name hasn’t appeared. He might have been left behind to help clean up the battlefield.”

The war had ended, but that was just on the surface. On a smaller scale, there would still be some minor conflicts, and at such times, an army was needed to wrap up the situation.

Wen Xin didn’t understand much about the battlefield. After crying so much, her eyes were still a little red. Ye Xianya thought back to when she was young and sighed inwardly.

“Xin Xin, I came this time because I want to buy a house for you in the Provincial Capital. Your father said that now the war is over, if Gu Xiuping comes back, his position in the Ji Province Military District will definitely be elevated. Your studies aren’t finished either, and running back and forth isn’t really practical. If you have a house in the Provincial Capital, at least you’ll have a place to stay, and it’ll be more comfortable than staying in a dorm.”

There was another reason Ye Xianya wanted to buy Wen Xin a house. She was afraid that Gu Xiuping wouldn’t come back. The battlefield was ever-changing, and the absence of Gu Xiuping’s name from the casualty list didn’t mean they could rest easy. There were many people who went missing on the battlefield.

If Gu Xiuping really wasn’t lucky, then this house would be the Gu family’s compensation for Wen Xin.

Wen Xin was very smart. As soon as Ye Xianya spoke, she understood what she meant.

Wen Xin shook her head. “Mom, let’s wait until Gu Xiuping comes back to talk about the house. I’m fine in the dorm. My roommates are all easy to get along with.”

Living in the same dorm meant there were small frictions now and then, but there were no major conflicts. Wen Xin didn’t find the dorm uncomfortable, nor had she ever thought about buying a house in the Provincial Capital.

Wen Xin’s refusal was expected by Ye Xianya. She sighed and didn’t say anything more. The house would be bought, whether or not Wen Xin agreed. If necessary, she would privately buy it.

Wen Xin took leave and, that evening, took Ye Xianya back to the family compound.

On the days when Gu Xiuping wasn’t home, Wen Xin had kept the habit of coming back every weekend, so the house was always neat and clean.

The decor of the house was very much Wen Xin’s style, and Ye Xianya silently nodded in approval.

That night, Ye Xianya slept in the second bedroom while Wen Xin lay in the master bedroom, staring at the ceiling. It was only in the late hours of the night that she finally closed her eyes and fell asleep.

This time, Wen Xin had a dream.

Wen Xin dreamed of the first life where the original owner was with Lin Jianzhang. In the original owner’s life trajectory, by this time, she had already given birth to a child with Lin Jianzhang. The child was two years old.

That day, the original owner went out with the child to play. The entire family compound was discussing the two officers from their military district who had sacrificed their lives in this war, one of whom had the last name Gu.

The original owner had been staying at home to care for the child, and the few military wives she befriended were also mothers. The things they talked about the most were their families and children. This was the first time they talked about an unrelated man.

They said that the officer with the surname Gu was incredibly handsome. They had all undergone the same training, but he was the fairest-skinned. It was said that his family was from Yan Jing, and his family conditions were very good, but he had high standards. Even though the regimental leaders had introduced him to several girls, he hadn’t shown any interest in them.

Recently, a new dancer had joined the cultural troupe, and everyone said she was very beautiful. The leaders even suggested introducing her to him. But unexpectedly, he had left.

Everyone felt regretful. The original owner listened, but didn’t take it to heart.

As time passed, Luo Manzhen and Sun Haowen’s matters eventually came to Lin Jianzhang’s attention. He became extra vigilant about the original owner and kept a very close eye on her. If she spoke even a few words to a soldier on duty, Lin Jianzhang would come back angry.

The original owner’s personality, which had been full of joy and laughter before marriage, gradually became more mature and composed.

The scene changed, and Wen Xin dreamed of Luo Manzhen and Lin Jianzhang. She saw Luo Manzhen preparing a table full of dishes and Lin Jianzhang coming home with a smile on his face. Judging from their interactions, their relationship seemed quite good.

Wen Xin watched as the two of them ate, chatting in a harmonious atmosphere about the officers who had sacrificed their lives on the southwest border.

Luo Manzhen seemed to remember the officer with the good looks and spoke of him with regret. Lin Jianzhang seemed a bit displeased but didn’t say anything. Luo Manzhen quickly noticed this and changed the subject to something else.

Wen Xin then dreamed of a forest. She saw Gu Xiuping, dressed in military uniform, running ahead with a few ragged soldiers. Behind them, a group of Y Country soldiers carrying wooden rifles were chasing them.

Gu Xiuping’s injury wasn’t serious, so he fought back while running. Soon, they ran out of the dense forest, and at the edge of the forest, there was a cliff. The surroundings were all steep cliffs.

The Y Country soldiers were getting closer, and the few soldiers exchanged looks, supporting each other. When the Y Country soldiers reached them, they suddenly turned around and leaped off the cliff.

The final scene was in the mountains, with several soldiers lying on the ground in disarray. Gradually, they all closed their eyes and never opened them again.

Wen Xin woke up with a start from the dream. She opened her eyes and realized it was already morning. Sunlight was streaming through the gaps in the window curtains, casting a beam of light on the headboard. On the headboard, there hung a photo of her and Gu Xiuping.

In the photo, the two of them had their heads close together. Gu Xiuping was smiling broadly, his teeth shining white, and his eyes were squinted into crescent moons.

Wen Xin sat for a while, then got out of bed and opened the curtains. The soldiers were still training on the training grounds as usual, but the one she longed for the most was no longer among them.

Wen Xin, as usual, made a wish: “Gu Xiuping, you must come back. I’m still waiting for you at home.”

She opened the door and went outside, and Ye Xianya came out of the kitchen, carrying two bowls of noodles.

The noodles were handmade. It was just after 6 a.m., and making the noodles would have taken at least half an hour. Wen Xin wondered just what time Ye Xianya had woken up.

“I suddenly wanted to have handmade noodles, so I got up and cooked two bowls. Are you hungry? Go wash up and come eat.” Ye Xianya said.

“Okay.”

The noodles Ye Xianya made were delicious. They had eggs, shredded cabbage, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns in the broth. The soup was a bit numbing and slightly spicy. Adding a little bit of pickled vegetables made it taste even better.

After eating, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted casually. They hadn’t spent much time together, but they often wrote to each other, so there was no sense of unfamiliarity between them.

Wen Xin took Ye Xianya to stroll around some scenic spots nearby. But each time they visited a place, Wen Xin felt a bit dizzy. These were all places Gu Xiuping had brought her to before.

Thinking of the final scene in her dream, Wen Xin’s heart tightened, and she began to feel sad.

Ye Xianya’s holiday was only a week. After just two days, she left. Before she left, she pressed a lot of money and tickets into Wen Xin’s hands.

Ye Xianya had a classmate who worked at the Provincial Capital Hospital. She went to meet her old classmate, and as for the house-hunting matter, she had passed it on to her classmate.

Wen Xin sent Ye Xianya off to the car, then went to school to officially return from her leave and attend class.

Gei Wei also came back from the library, and with her was her partner.

Her partner was someone she had just started dating a few days ago. He was from the Mathematics Department, a quiet and reserved man who seemed particularly reliable—quite different from He Zhi.

When they first started interacting, Gei Wei was open about her past relationship with He Zhi, and the man said he didn’t mind, so they continued getting to know each other. Last month, they had just confirmed their relationship.

The man was unexpectedly considerate. He would bring Gei Wei breakfast every morning, and as Gei Wei’s good friend, Wen Xin also got a share.

Whenever Gei Wei went out, no matter how busy he was, he would come to pick her up. If he couldn’t make it, he’d ask someone familiar to do it. This was another fundamental difference compared to He Zhi.

Wen Xin was really happy for Gei Wei, knowing she had found such a good partner.

Gei Wei was holding two buns in her hands. “I thought you were coming back soon, and the school cafeteria has chive-filled dumplings today, so I bought two for you. Eat them while they’re still hot.”

Wen Xin was indeed a bit hungry, so she took the buns and started eating. “You just bought them like this? What if I wasn’t home?”

“What else could I do? I’d save them for dinner tonight. Anyway, these buns are so well-made, even when they’re cold, they’re still delicious.”

Wen Xin finished one bun in just a few bites, and was about to say something when someone from another dorm knocked on their door. “Wen Xin, there’s someone downstairs looking for you.”

Wen Xin, holding the bun, walked to the edge of the corridor, leaned over to look down. In front of the big tree downstairs stood a tall and upright soldier. The moment he saw her, the man smiled and waved at her.

Wen Xin squeezed the bun in her hand and quickly ran downstairs, throwing herself into his open arms.

Classmates who saw the scene nearby burst out with teasing laughter.