Chapter 57: Birth

A few days later, the winter sun shone with a crisp brightness. On the training ground of the camp, slogans were deafening, and neat footsteps stepped on the frozen ground, raising dry dust.

Xie Shiyu was wearing a neat military uniform and walking slowly with Gu Qiuhan beside him. Gu Qiuhan's posture was as straight as a cedar, and his black coat made his outline even colder and harder. Even in this military camp full of male hormones, his imposing and cold aura was not overwhelmed at all. Instead, it attracted the curious or awe-inspiring gazes of many soldiers.

"Is that Captain Gu from the Northwest Military Region?" someone whispered with admiration in their tone.

"He looks like he's not someone you'd want to mess with..."

Xie Shiyu was pointing at a row of brand new equipment in the distance and introducing them. A group of soldiers who had just finished basic training were marching past in formation, sweat steaming from their faces.

At this moment, a tall and thin young soldier standing at the edge of the queue deliberately slowed down his pace and glanced at Gu Qiuhan. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but just loud enough for those nearby to hear. It was filled with an uncontrollable sourness and provocation:

"Tsk, so being born into a good family makes you different, huh? He's quite ruthless when it comes to meddling in other people's affairs. He forced a female comrade to the point where she couldn't even wear a military uniform and had to be sent back to her hometown... Tsk, tsk, what a move!"

The indirect criticism in his words was obvious, pointing directly at Gu Qiuhan's "too harsh" handling of the Lin Weiwei incident. The air seemed to have lost its warmth in an instant. The faces of several soldiers around him changed, their steps froze, and they subconsciously looked towards the center of the storm.

Gu Qiuhan's footsteps did not pause at all, and he even hesitated to glance in that direction. However, at the moment when the provocative words fell, an invisible aura as cold as the Siberian cold current suddenly spread out with him as the center.

The temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees. The once noisy queue suddenly became dead silent, and even the breath was held.

Xie Shiyu frowned, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he was about to shout.

At this moment, Gu Qiuhan raised his hand slightly. It was a very simple, even casual gesture, but it carried an irresistible pressure, and accurately stopped Xie Shiyu from speaking.

He finally turned his head, his movements extremely slow, his eyes like an ice-hardened blade, pinpointing the face of the soldier who had spoken with incredible precision. There was no anger or contempt in his eyes, only a pure, cold scrutiny that looked down on an ant.

"Not convinced?" His voice was low, even dull, but it was like an icicle striking frozen ground, carrying a strange penetrating power, clearly piercing everyone's eardrums. "Practice?"

Four words, understated, but weighing more than a thousand pounds.

The soldier's face flushed crimson, as if he had been slapped hard. His lips trembled violently, and his Adam's apple moved up and down, as if he wanted to say something harsh to get back at his former self. However, under the gaze of those cold eyes that seemed to be able to see through all bluffing, his courage melted away in an instant like thin ice in the sun.

Finally, under the reproachful or mocking gazes of his comrades around him, he lowered his head tightly, almost burying it in his collar, and dared not make any sound.

Gu Qiuhan's gaze shifted away indifferently, as if he had just brushed away a tiny speck of dust. He continued to look calmly in the direction Xie Shiyu had just pointed. The solidified air around him began to flow again, carrying with it the palpitations of surviving a disaster.

The corners of Xie Shiyu's tightly-locked mouth relaxed, and a barely perceptible smile and coldness flashed across his eyes. It was a silent admiration for his brother-in-law's ruthless methods, and also a stern warning to the remaining undercurrents in the camp.

He walked a few more steps with Gu Qiuhan before speaking in a low voice with a soothing tone: "Brother, don't take it to heart. You're just a young fool and can't figure things out."

Gu Qiuhan didn't stop walking, his eyes sweeping across the dust rising from the distant training ground. His voice remained calm, but it struck Xie Shiyu's heart like a stone dropped into a deep pond: "You're just a clown, not worth mentioning."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Xie Shiyu, his eyes penetrating sharply. "As for you, take good care of Yueyue. If anything happens to them, you'll be the only one I'll hold responsible."

The cold wind on the platform carried the smell of coal dust. The huge iron wheels of the train turned slowly on the track, letting out a heavy sigh. Mother Gu held Gu Qiuyue's hand tightly, and thousands of words were choked in her throat. In the end, they turned into repeated reminders: "... Eat on time, don't be greedy for cold weather, and be careful when walking..." Her voice was already choked with sobs.

Gu's father's hand fell heavily on Xie Shiyu's shoulder, and the heavy weight was a silent entrustment: "Qiuyue and the child are in your hands. Be sure to notify us when she starts."

"Dad, Mom, don't worry." Xie Shiyu stood straight and spoke in a firm voice.

Gu Qiuhan stood one step behind his parents, his gaze fixed on his sister from under his hard brows. The layer of frost that had covered his sister for years seemed to melt for a moment, revealing the deep concern underneath: "Take care of yourself. Call me anytime if you have any questions." His words were concise, but as heavy as a promise.

Gu Qiuyue nodded vigorously, but she couldn't hold back her tears, which rolled down her face.

The long whistle sounded like a farewell horn, urging separation.

The train started slowly, and the window glass reflected the receding figures of my parents and brother.

Gu Qiuyue leaned in Xie Shiyu's strong and warm arms, looking at the long steel dragon blending into the gray skyline in the distance, feeling empty in her heart.

"Don't be sad," Xie Shiyu's low voice sounded above her head, with soothing power. He hugged her tightly, rubbing his chin lightly against the top of her head, and outlined a blueprint for the near future. "When this little guy comes out and the weather gets warmer, we will take him to the capital, let our grandparents hold him enough, and let our uncle love him too." His palm gently covered her round belly, where a new hope connecting the two places was being nurtured.

Returning to the familiar courtyard, without the presence of my parents and elder brother, the house suddenly became much quieter, but this quietness was soon filled with another more solid and focused sweetness.

Xie Shiyu's care became more and more meticulous, as if he wanted to fill all the emptiness caused by separation with his presence. Gu Qiuyue's heart also calmed down completely. She focused on the wool at her fingertips, weaving stitch by stitch, carefully weaving the anticipation for the arrival of a new life. The days flowed by in the quiet waiting, with the sweetness of frosting, because in the late pregnancy, she had less and less time to translate.

The day slipped into another afternoon. The early spring sunshine shone through the glass window, shining warmly on the desk covered with a floral tablecloth. Gu Qiuyue was lowering her head and carefully putting a document she had just translated into an envelope.

Suddenly, a tight and strong tightening feeling suddenly grabbed her lower abdomen, the force was heavy and fast, as if being grasped and tightened by an invisible hand.