As the music began, the curtain slowly rose. On the stage, Wen Ci and Yu Qing stood on the left and right sides respectively. In the center of the stage were seven or eight drums mounted on stands.
Wen Ci held the water sleeves in her hands. When the curtain reached the top, she smiled gracefully and, following the rhythm, flung the water sleeves outward. The flowing sleeves obeyed her movements perfectly.
When the water sleeves struck the drum surfaces, the audience was stunned.
They weren’t standing directly in front of the drums to hit them. Instead, their bodies were about a meter away from the drum surfaces, relying on the long water sleeves to strike the drums.
The makeup on their faces was also different from that of the female soldiers in the cultural troupe.
Even though they were dancing, the beauty marks under their eyes were particularly striking. Even the soldiers who had seen Yu Qing before had trouble recognizing whether the person on stage was really her.
A soldier from the Fifth Regiment asked, “Brother Xue, which one is our sister-in-law?”
“The one on the left is our sister-in-law, and the one on the right is Doctor Yu.”
“What? The one on the right is really Doctor Yu? She’s so beautiful!”
The families in the residential area were also full of praise.
“Sister Wen Ci is so beautiful. In that outfit, she looks like a fairy descending to earth—absolutely stunning!” Zhu Jing and the others didn’t hold back their compliments.
“Yes, she is.”
After the performance ended, Wen Ci and Yu Qing held each other’s hands and bowed to the audience. The curtain slowly descended.
Yu Qing bit her lip and looked at Wen Ci with sincere eyes. Nervously, she said, “Wen Ci, even if I get punished by my superiors, I have to tell you this.”
Seeing Yu Qing’s expression, Wen Ci furrowed her brows. She had a bad feeling in her heart, and for some reason, her heart began to pound wildly.
The joy on Wen Ci’s face faded. Her throat moved slightly, and her eyes deepened as she slowly asked, “What do you want to tell me?”
“Regimental Commander Huo is seriously injured and is currently in a coma. I overheard this in the dean’s office. He’s been urgently sent to a hospital in the capital.”
The capital’s medical facilities are the best in the country.
“How could this be?!”
Wen Ci’s eyes filled with disbelief. Was the probability of getting injured on a mission really that high?!
“From what I overheard, there was a city-wide riot in one of the border cities, resulting in heavy casualties. Later, a fully armed military unit was dispatched to suppress it.”
Wen Ci’s lips trembled. “Then, what about Huo Jingyuan?”
“Huo Jingyuan was likely part of the first batch of troops stationed there, which is why he’s in a coma…”
It felt like a string in Wen Ci’s mind had snapped. Her eyes went numb, and she shook her head, forcing a smile to comfort herself. “It’s okay. Huo Jingyuan is the strongest soldier in the northwest. He’ll definitely pull through.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, but then her expression turned resolute.
“I need to go to the capital.”
“I’ll go with you.”
The journey from the northwest to the capital was long. Even by green train, it would take three or four days. Yu Qing gripped Wen Ci’s hand and comforted her, “I’ll take my annual leave and accompany you to the capital.”
She had been in the northwest military region for less than a year.
She wasn’t good at socializing, and her relationships were mostly with colleagues. Although she hadn’t known Wen Ci for long, Wen Ci was the first friend she had made in the northwest military region.
After leaving the stage, Wen Ci didn’t bother to change out of her water sleeve costume. She tightly clutched the sleeves and scanned the drill ground but didn’t see the regimental committee members.
Suddenly, Wen Ci remembered how Xue Li had been avoiding her during the day. She hurriedly ran to the area where the Fifth Regiment was seated and directly confronted him, “How is Huo Jingyuan now?”
She was certain Xue Li knew about Huo Jingyuan’s condition!
Xue Li, who had just been about to greet her, froze. He opened his mouth but hesitated. The other brothers in the Fifth Regiment sensed something was wrong.
“What’s going on? Isn’t the regimental commander on a mission in Xincheng?”
“What does sister-in-law mean by that?”
Then, everyone’s eyes turned to Xue Li. The man sitting next to him nudged him with his elbow, “If you know something, tell us.”
Xue Li was sweating profusely. He forced a smile and said, “He’s on a mission in Xincheng. The regimental commander is resourceful—what could possibly happen to him?”
As he spoke, Xue Li stood up from his seat and said with a smile, “Sister-in-law, there’s something I need to discuss with you.”
Wen Ci lowered her eyelids. “Alright.”
When they reached the area near the military building, Xue Li looked around to make sure none of his comrades were nearby. He sighed, “Sister-in-law, how did you find out about Huo Jingyuan’s injury?”
“Never mind how I found out. How is he now?”
Xue Li shook his head. “I don’t know. All I know is that Huo Jingyuan is seriously injured. The regimental committee asked me to contact my family and request my grandfather’s help.”
“Your grandfather?”
“My grandfather is a top-level director at the capital’s military hospital.”
After becoming a dean, most people transition from technical roles to administrative roles, and their surgical skills gradually weaken over time. The most skilled doctors are those who remain on the front lines.
The regimental committee members looked anxious. As soon as they came downstairs, they saw Wen Ci and Xue Li. One of them urgently said, “Wen Ci, go pack your things immediately. I’ll arrange for someone to escort you to the capital.”
Wen Ci: “…”
Hearing the regimental committee member’s voice, Wen Ci’s heart sank. “Is he not going to make it?”
“He’s still in surgery, but Minister Jiang wants you to return to the capital!”
Jiang Zhenjun, as a minister, had immediately contacted experts he knew to come to the hospital upon learning of Huo Jingyuan’s injury. On the surface, Huo Jingyuan was his son-in-law.
Moreover, Elder Huo was highly respected!
Although he had passed away, his only grandson needed to be taken care of.
Wen Ci said, “I don’t need to pack. I can leave now.”
The regimental committee member said calmly, “You’ll be staying in the capital for at least two months, so you should go home and pack your things, as well as Jingyuan’s.”
According to the hospital’s report, if Huo Jingyuan was lucky and had no major issues, he could be discharged in two months at most. If he was less fortunate, he might remain in a coma for several months. If he was unlucky, then…
“I understand.”
Wen Ci returned home in a daze. She took out clothes one by one from the wardrobe and packed them into a bag. Suddenly, a red object fell out of one of the pockets.
She picked it up—it was their marriage certificate.
Opening the marriage certificate, she saw that the photo of her and Huo Jingyuan was a composite. Her youthful face was paired with his handsome one.
They looked more like siblings than a married couple.
Suddenly, a tear fell onto the marriage certificate. Wen Ci’s tears flowed uncontrollably as she reached out to touch the face in the photo.
She and Huo Jingyuan had never taken a photo together.
They had never held a proper wedding banquet.
Wen Ci took a deep, trembling breath. Once Huo Jingyuan recovered, she would fulfill these small wishes one by one.
Xue Li was waiting outside the courtyard in his car. Yu Qing knocked on the car window with her luggage and said, “Can I accompany Wen Ci to the capital?”
Xue Li rolled down the window. “Did the hospital approve?”
Yu Qing nodded. “I’ve taken half a month of leave, plus I’ve used up more than ten days of my annual leave in advance. I have a month to accompany Wen Ci.”
Leave a Reply