CHAPTER 19:  Being Caught (Revised)

“Have you noticed? Ever since Educated Youth Su started teaching in town, she’s never around during her breaks. Think she’s seeing someone out there?”

“No way, right? Isn’t she a military wife?”

“She’s an unmarried military wife—and pretty too. It’s normal for her to have ideas.”

“Yeah. That’s not a proper military marriage, no protection. Maybe she’s found someone better in town!”

Su Yuan heard every word, and fury surged up inside her. She forgot all about hiding.

What kind of people were these? Nothing better to do in the slack season than to gossip maliciously.

At that moment, Fu Mobai bent down and murmured in her ear, “Want to make them shut up?”

Her eyes lit up instantly—oh, how she wanted to. She nodded without hesitation.

The next second, he curled his lips into a smile, gazed deeply into her eyes, and said clearly, “Yuan Yuan, I like you.”

“…”

Not only was Su Yuan stunned, but the gossiping women also froze, as if their throats had been clamped shut.

In that instant, it seemed the world contained nothing but the wind and the pounding of her heart.

Su Yuan’s face flushed scarlet. She couldn’t dodge his gaze in time, nor did she know how to face this unexpected moment.

They had known each other since childhood, growing up side by side, sharing countless springs and autumns. But… how could he possibly like her?

When did he start liking her?

There had been no warning at all.

“Yuan Yuan, I’m serious.”

Afraid of cornering her and making her avoid him in the future, Fu Mobai didn’t demand an answer right away.

No matter how anxious he felt, he would endure it.

“Come on, before they get here. Let’s leave first.” As he spoke, he wheeled his bicycle forward and patted the back seat.

Su Yuan tried to calm her racing heartbeat. When her eyes fell on the seat, her cheeks warmed, and she suddenly felt her backside burn just from the thought. But soon, without hesitation, she sat down — not far away, a group of women was already heading in their direction.

The cool autumn breeze brushed against her cheeks, but it couldn’t wash away the heat rising from within.

Sitting on the back seat, she cupped her face in her hands and stared at the retreating fields, a surreal feeling settling over her.

Sensing the quiet behind him, Fu Mobai gradually slowed his pedaling, wanting to give her enough time to think.

No one knew how much time had passed before Su Yuan finally broke the silence. “Are we going to the library now?”

His grip on the handlebars tightened. He answered with another question, “You want to go somewhere else?”

“No, the library’s fine.”

She still lacked the courage to take that step forward.

“Alright, we’re almost there.”

Fu Mobai sped up again, and the library soon came into view.

They were looking for Sichuan cuisine recipe books — Su Yuan had been craving spicy food lately, but she knew too few Sichuan dishes, which was why they’d planned today’s trip.

The recipe books were all in the library’s northwest corner. The librarian pointed them in the right direction, teasing as she did, “You two… got good news coming soon?”

Su Yuan’s heart gave a jolt. How did she know he’d just confessed to her? And “good news” at that?

She was about to ask when Fu Mobai spoke first, explaining, “We’re not planning to get married. We’re just here for cookbooks — she hasn’t had much of an appetite lately.”

“Oh, I see~” The librarian smiled and let them be.

Su Yuan’s mind was in a jumble. She picked up a book and lowered her head, but every line of text looked like gibberish.

Fu Mobai stood at her side and suddenly leaned closer. “What are you reading?”

“Oh, just… seems like home-style cooking. I didn’t really look.”

She subtly stepped aside, handing the book to him. Her fingertips brushed against his, sending a faint electric tingle through her, and she quickly drew her hand back, her heart growing even more restless.

Fu Mobai gripped the book tightly, his chest rising and falling — outwardly calm, inwardly anything but.

The library was quiet except for the sound of pages turning. Everyone else kept their heads down, too absorbed to notice the faint tension in this corner.

Su Yuan picked up another book and slowly flipped through it to cover her unease. Seeing this, Fu Mobai fetched a small stool for her.

“Thank you.”

“No need to be polite with me.”

Once she sat down, he leaned casually against the bookshelf, his relaxed posture gradually calming her taut nerves. Bit by bit, she was able to focus on the pages in her hands.

At some point, golden sunlight poured through the glass windows, bathing the shelves in a soft glow. The two of them stood wrapped in a haze of light, as if draped in a thin layer of gold — hazy, warm, and beautiful.

They didn’t leave the library until noon.

By then, Su Yuan had had the whole morning to steady herself and could finally meet his gaze without flinching.

Fu Mobai noticed the change and asked, “I know a place that does great braised dishes. Want to try it?”

She was hungry and didn’t refuse. “If you let me treat, then we’ll go.”

The first step in a refusal: draw a clear line.

Fu Mobai’s lips pressed together lightly, but he agreed without hesitation. However, when it came time to pay, he beat her to it, giving her no chance to set that boundary.

“Keep those food stamps of yours. I don’t need them — I don’t pay for meals on base, so saving them does you more good than me.”

They stood in front of the restaurant, facing each other. Hearing his words, Su Yuan bit her lip before mustering her courage to speak plainly.

“Fu Mobai, I’m someone with an unclear background. Right now, I don’t want to be in a relationship or get married.”

Especially not with him — he had a special position, carrying the hopes of all their elders. If she really did find her family one day, and if they turned out to have a complicated background…

It would only jeopardize his future.

Her firm refusal left him silent. Just as Su Yuan thought the matter settled, he spoke again.

“I can wait. I’ll wait until you’re willing. And don’t think about avoiding me — it won’t work.”

“…”

Su Yuan blinked, stunned by his sheer stubbornness. He was so unreasonable it made her chest tighten with exasperation.

She was about to glare at him when she spotted a group of people across the street — familiar faces that made her heart lurch. Without thinking, she stepped forward and pressed herself into his arms.

The sudden softness made Fu Mobai freeze for an instant. Then, almost instinctively, he wrapped an arm loosely around her, joy bursting in his chest until his heartbeat felt out of control.

“You changed your mind? You’re agreeing?”

Su Yuan rested her forehead against his chest, trying to make herself as small as possible.

“I haven’t. Don’t overthink. And don’t move — just give it a minute.”

There weren’t many people around, so Fu Mobai, not understanding, could only do as she asked.

Unfortunately, a handsome man and a beautiful woman together drew attention no matter how hard they tried to hide.

Take Shen Qing, for example. She nudged Yang Xiaohong excitedly. “Look! That man’s really something — you won’t find anyone in town as handsome as him!”

Yang Xiaohong followed her gaze and her eyes lit up too, but quickly dimmed. “Didn’t you see he’s holding his wife? Stop staring.”

The others looked as well. Feng Shumiao, whose eyesight was excellent, narrowed her eyes. Something about the woman’s clothes seemed familiar.

“Look at those little leather shoes — don’t they look familiar to you?”

Their gazes dropped. Shen Qing was the first to react. “Aren’t those Su Yuan’s shoes?! Don’t tell me—”

In an instant, everyone seemed to have radar installed, all turning toward the center of the gossip.

At that moment, Su Yuan, like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand, still clung to a shred of wishful thinking. In her ears was the sound of the man’s low, steady breathing, making her ears itch.

Until—

“Yuan Yuan, is that you?”

“Oh my god, it really is Su Yuan!”

The painfully familiar voices pierced her eardrums. Continuing to play dead was clearly not an option.

Su Yuan quickly jumped out of Fu Mobai’s arms, turned to stand straight, and forced a polite smile. “What a coincidence. Weren’t you all going to Qingshan City? How come you’re here?”

Shen Qing didn’t answer, instead giving her a meaningful look. “Shouldn’t you be introducing him to us?”

Two people hugging in the street—what their relationship was needed no explanation.

Several pairs of eyes all turned toward her in unison. Su Yuan couldn’t withstand the pressure and answered stiffly, “This is Fu Mobai.”

Everyone present had heard the name before. Shen Qing’s eyes lit up immediately. “We knew he had to be your boyfriend! But wow, I didn’t expect him to look this good in person!”

One by one, everyone started greeting Fu Mobai warmly.

Compared to Su Yuan’s quail-like timidity, Fu Mobai maintained a slight smile and nodded politely, the very picture of grace and refinement—nothing at all like the intimidating figure he was rumored to be.

It was enough to make everyone assume he was a gentle, scholarly man—just like his name suggested.

After a round of small talk, Shen Qing teased, “No wonder you didn’t have time to keep me company—you had a date with your revolutionary comrade!”

Su Yuan’s face turned crimson. She wished she could dig a hole and crawl in.

“Where were you headed? Why don’t I tag along?”

Given the choice between being gossiped about and facing Fu Mobai, she’d rather endure the gossip. After all, she had rejected his confession just a moment ago, only to rope him into lying for her the next—talk about humiliating.

But the others didn’t know what she was thinking, and none of them wanted to play third wheel.

“It’s our one day off—why don’t you two enjoy your date? We have other things to do. It’d be awkward if we brought you along.”

As for the details they wanted to know, they could just ask her once she was back in the village.

Five minutes later, watching her friends disappear into the distance, Su Yuan felt like crying.

Seeing her expression, Fu Mobai held back a laugh and put on a serious face. “Yuan Yuan, let’s find somewhere to talk.”

Feeling guilty, she could only agree.

The two of them returned to the restaurant and ordered two stir-fried dishes and bowls of rice.

“You just had lunch. Can you even eat again?” Su Yuan asked.

The man handed her a pair of chopsticks and replied calmly, “If I can’t finish, I’ll take it back for dinner.”

The food was just a cover—a way to hide the nervous, shameless, and secretly excited state he was in.

When the dishes arrived, Fu Mobai finally spoke. “Now that everyone knows about our ‘relationship,’ what’s your plan?”

That was exactly what Su Yuan had been fretting over. Before she could sort out her thoughts, he continued, “Since you don’t want to get married now, and I don’t want to settle for someone else, how about this—we just keep up the act until either of us finds someone for real.”

“That’s not fair to you.”

Su Yuan frowned, about to refuse, but Fu Mobai went straight for the jugular. “So what do you suggest instead? Tell everyone you lied? I’m not letting you do something that stupid.”

Su Yuan pressed her lips together, once again regretting the lie she’d told—one that had harmed both of them.

By dusk, when she returned to Baiyun Village, her friends—who had so unceremoniously abandoned her earlier—were already waiting at the village entrance, every face brimming with gossip and curiosity.

As Su Yuan walked closer, her steps felt light and unsteady, as if she were treading on clouds.

Feng Shumiao spotted her first and waved. “Finally! We’ve been waiting for you for half an hour.”

“That’s right. I didn’t even dare eat much dinner just so I’d have the energy to grill you later—so you’d better spill everything, no holding back,” Yang Xiaohong added, patting her flat stomach for emphasis.

Shen Qing craned her neck to look behind Su Yuan. “Where’s your boyfriend? Didn’t he walk you back?”