Chapter 9

Zhao Yilu’s eyes were filled with seriousness. During his time as an educated youth, he had only seen Fan Lihua a few times from a distance and didn’t really know her. He really hoped to find an opportunity in the future to spend more time with her.

Fan Lihua had no idea what complicated thoughts Zhao Yilu was having at the moment—she only registered that he said he would come visit her during his leave!

That gave her a real fright. He absolutely couldn’t come! What if he saw her big pregnant belly and told his brother He Siyan? What would she do then?

Fan Lihua thought they weren’t even that close, so Zhao Yilu wanting to visit her probably meant he was worried she wouldn’t repay her debt. She immediately waved her hands nervously to refuse.

“No, no, that’s not necessary! I promise I’ll definitely pay you back. You really don’t need to chase your debt all the way to Yangcheng!”

Worried that he still might be planning to visit Yangcheng, Fan Lihua hurriedly added, “Just focus on protecting the country and the people. I won’t shortchange a soldier a single cent! If you’re still worried, I can return the money to you right now. Here, take it back—I won’t borrow it anymore! That way we won’t need to contact each other again, and you won’t need to come looking for me!”

With that, Fan Lihua took the money she had hidden in her pocket and tried to return it to Zhao Yilu.

Zhao Yilu’s expression stiffened instantly. He hadn’t expected that a casual mention of visiting her would provoke such a strong reaction! Her voice had even gotten louder, and some nearby passengers were woken up and looked over.

Realizing her outburst, Fan Lihua quickly moved toward the door of the train, trying to hide behind Zhao Yilu’s tall frame.

Zhao Yilu pushed the money back into her hand with a solemn face and said coldly, “Put it away and stop taking it out. Be careful, someone might target you! I promise I won’t go to Yangcheng. And don’t worry about paying the money back soon—I hardly spend anything in the army, and I get a monthly stipend. You, on the other hand, are in a new place all alone. You have to take good care of yourself. Once you settle down, remember to call me!”

As if afraid she might try to return the money again, Zhao Yilu turned around and went back to his seat before Fan Lihua could say another word.

Fan Lihua let out a long sigh of relief, tucked the money away again, fetched some water, and slowly returned to her seat.

When she got back, Zhao Yilu was already asleep, leaning against the window. Fan Lihua took a sip of water and decided to lie down for a bit as well. She used her small bundle as a pillow and curled up on the two-person bench. After all the emotional turmoil earlier, coupled with the sleepiness of pregnancy, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Zhao Yilu opened his eyes and, under the warm yellow light of the train, quietly looked at Fan Lihua for a while. He faintly curled the corners of his lips before closing his eyes again…

The train rumbled on through the night, not stopping at small stations. It wasn’t until after 5 a.m. that it halted at a major hub in the central region.

After the train arrived, the new recruits had to transfer trains since their destination was different from Fan Lihua’s group. The carriage slowly began to fill with chatter again.

Zhao Yilu stood up and took a long look at Fan Lihua, who was still curled up asleep on her seat, then got off the train with the main group.

Fan Lihua was woken up by Geng Ailing.

“Lihua, wake up…”

Fan Lihua opened her eyes groggily, taking a while to remember she was now inside a novel and still on the train heading south.

“Sis Geng… good morning…”

“Lihua, the train has arrived in Zheng City. It’ll stop here for about half an hour. Let’s get off and grab some breakfast! I just heard someone say the food on the platform is cheaper than on the train and doesn’t even need ration tickets,” Geng Ailing said excitedly.

Fan Lihua nodded, “Sure, Sis Geng. Today’s breakfast is on me.”

Geng Ailing looked a little embarrassed but was clearly pleased. “Oh, well, I won’t stand on ceremony then. Let’s hurry or the food will be gone!”

Fan Lihua quickly got up too. She hadn’t eaten much the night before and was really hungry now.

But when she looked across the aisle, she noticed the seats that had been occupied by the new recruits were now empty. Curious, she asked, “Sis Geng, where did those new recruits go?”

“Oh, them? I heard they’re taking a different route—they had to transfer trains.”

Fan Lihua thought about it. Yangcheng and Guicheng were both in the south but indeed on different routes. She glanced at the now-vacant diagonal seat, feeling a bit wistful. That cannon-fodder younger brother… she probably wouldn’t see him again, would she?

“Lihua, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up!” Geng Ailing called out.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Fan Lihua quickened her pace to catch up.

Even though Huaguo was still under a planned economy, the winds of reform had begun to blow in some places. For instance, on the station platform, some people were selling homemade goods. The authorities mostly turned a blind eye.

The two women bought a few buns on the platform and happily returned to the train.

Before eating, Fan Lihua didn’t forget to take out the things Zhao Yilu had given her. She first used some water from the thermos to wet a towel and wiped her face, then used the rest to brush her teeth.

“Lihua, how are you so particular about cleanliness? You’re brushing your teeth and washing your face even on a train!”

“I’m just used to it, Sis Geng. If I don’t freshen up, I feel uncomfortable and can’t enjoy my food.”

“People in the village used to say you were lazy and—” Geng Ailing paused, “But after getting to know you, I realized rumors can’t be trusted! I’ve never met anyone as clean as you!”

Fan Lihua let out a dry chuckle. Of course it was different—she wasn’t the original Fan Lihua anymore.

The two of them chatted and finished the buns. Just as they were full and letting out satisfied burps, a well-dressed, elegant middle-aged woman and a handsome young man came to sit across from them.

The young man said, “Mom, these are our seats. If you want to enjoy the scenery, you sit by the window. I’ll sit on the aisle. I already spoke to the conductor—if any sleeping berths become available, they’ll let us know right away.”

Fan Lihua happened to glance at the two and gave a polite smile. But just as she raised her lips, she couldn’t hold back a burp. The smell of the chives in her bun burst out, and she wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it.

But it got worse. The handsome young man smiled at her and said, “Comrade, you’ve got a bit of chive stuck on your tooth…”

Fan Lihua immediately covered her mouth with her hand and tried to clean her teeth with her tongue. This was a full-blown social death moment—she wanted to vanish on the spot!

The elegant woman next to the man glared at her son. “Is that any way to talk to a young lady?”

The young man gave an awkward chuckle and said to Fan Lihua, “Comrade, I meant well—just trying to help. Don’t take it the wrong way.”

Fan Lihua forced a smile, gritted her teeth, and replied, “No problem. Thank you for the reminder.”

The woman across from her noticed how fresh and pretty Fan Lihua looked and couldn’t help feeling curious. She smiled and asked, “Young lady, where are you headed?”

Seeing the woman’s refined demeanor and kind tone, Fan Lihua casually answered, “Yangcheng.”

The woman was delighted. “Oh, what a coincidence! We’re heading to Yangcheng too. Looks like we’ll have some company for the trip!”

Fan Lihua gave a polite smile but didn’t say more. They were still strangers, after all—she stayed cautious and didn’t want to chat too much.

Unexpectedly, the young man noticed her caution and spoke even more enthusiastically than his mother. “Comrade, we’re good people—please trust us! We’ll be on the train together for two more days. We’d love to be friends.”

He continued, “Let me introduce myself first. I’m Zheng Zening. I just got accepted to Yangcheng University. This is my mother, Ms. Jiang Wenli, an editor at a newspaper. We came to Zheng City to visit my grandparents. What about you? From your accent, you don’t sound local—first time going to Yangcheng?”

At that moment, Fan Lihua’s eyes widened in disbelief and she stared at him like she wanted to burn a hole through him.

This guy was Zheng Zening!!!

The second male lead from the original book!!!

What kind of unbelievable luck was this—meeting two major characters in one train ride?!