Chapter 78 Plan

As the night deepened, the children were tired from playing and were coaxed by Xie's mother to wash up and go to bed. The small courtyard finally became completely quiet.

The early summer evening breeze, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, brushed against my cheeks, bringing a slight coolness. Gu Qiuyue and Xie Shiyu sat side by side on a small bamboo stool in the courtyard, shoulder to shoulder. Above them was a deep blue sky, rarely seen in the city, dotted with a few sparse stars.

The fear and heaviness that had been suppressed during the day finally found an outlet in this quiet night, wrapped in the calm breath of her husband.

Gu Qiuyue gently leaned her head against Xie Shiyu's sturdy shoulder, her gaze fixed on the blurred outline of the rooftops in the distance. Her voice was soft, yet clear in the silence, "...Liu Mei had a miscarriage, right in our dormitory." She felt the arm around her tense for a moment, then slowly relax, giving her strength. "It was her wife from her hometown who came and assaulted her... She bled profusely. Before she fainted, she yelled... 'Retribution.'"

She omitted the specific blood and chaos, and only outlined the heavy and depressing outline.

Xie Shiyu listened silently, his chin resting gently on the top of her head, his warm breath caressing her forehead. He didn't ask for details, didn't judge, but simply wrapped his arms around her with absolute strength, silently telling her: He was here, he was listening, and he understood the weight of this.

This silent tolerance can smooth out the wrinkles in her heart better than any words of comfort.

The next morning, just as the sky was turning pale, Xie Shiyu was already dressed neatly. His straight military uniform made his figure look even more upright like a pine tree. Gu Qiuyue walked him to the gate of the courtyard.

"Take care of yourself." Xie Shiyu raised his hand, and gently brushed the faint blue shadows under her eyes with his fingertips. His eyes were deep, with unmistakable concern, "If there is anything... call me." The discipline in the military academy is strict, but if there is an emergency at home, they can also contact them, provided that they are at school.

Gu Qiuyue nodded, her throat tightening a little: "Yeah, you too."

Watching his tall, straight figure stride away from the alleyway as the mist gradually dissipated, and finally disappearing around the corner, Gu Qiuyue slowly withdrew her gaze and turned to head back to school. The warmth of home was like a temporary safe haven, but the storm outside the harbor had not truly subsided.

Pushing open the door to dormitory 308, a heavy atmosphere hit me. Wang Fang was sitting on the edge of her bed. Seeing her come in, she immediately felt like she had found someone to confide in. She leaned over and lowered her voice, her tone filled with the excitement of sharing gossip. "Qiuyue, do you know? Something big has happened. Chen Xiaocao from 307 next door, her mother came to school yesterday, crying and howling, right downstairs. She insisted that Chen Xiaocao drop out immediately and go back with her to get married to raise money for her precious brother's betrothal gift. She said she raised her so much that it was time to repay her family."

Gu Qiuyue paused as she put down the book. This familiar plot made her feel a chill in her heart.

"Guess what happened?" Wang Fang kept it a secret, her eyes sparkling. "Zhou Mingxuan! The Zhou Mingxuan who publicly confessed his love to you, happened to be passing by. He rushed over and stood in front of Chen Fang. He said things like, 'Student Chen Xiaocao is both virtuous and academically excellent, a talent cultivated by the country,' and 'Arranged marriages are feudal dregs, and school rules and regulations absolutely do not allow interference with students' legitimate studies'... He had a lot of talk, and her mother was stunned. In the end, the security department persuaded her to leave."

Wang Fang spoke with great joy, then lowered her voice mysteriously at the end, "I heard... Zhou Mingxuan has taken the initiative to help Chen Xiaocao with her missed lessons these past two days, wow..." She winked, and everything was said without words. Gu Qiuyue just said "hmm" lightly and put the toiletries in place.

Zhou Mingxuan's courage to step forward was both unexpected and reasonable.

At lunch time, the cafeteria was bustling with people.

Gu Qiuyue and Wang Fang had just sat down after getting their meal when the voices of several girls at the neighboring table clearly drifted over, their voices filled with undisguised surprise and contempt.

"Is this true? That Wang Lili from Class 3? She looks so quiet and gentle..."

"It's absolutely true. I heard that everyone from her husband's family came to look for her. She was married in the countryside and had children. She hid them well enough."

"Oh my god, what's she thinking? Many of our classmates are married and have children. Why is she hiding this?"

"Why else? You just want to climb up the social ladder..."

Wang Fang forgot to move her chopsticks after hearing this, her face full of shock. She subconsciously looked at Gu Qiuyue, but Gu Qiuyue seemed not to have heard the discussions. She looked calm and focused on eating the food in the bowl.

To her, these things were just different footnotes to the heavy reality and no longer caused much waves. Her calmness made Wang Fang feel a little embarrassed.

Back in Room 308, the topic inevitably turned to the "time bomb" in the dormitory. Liu Mei's bed had been made up. She had been resting in the dormitory these days, but the faint smell of blood seemed to still linger in her nose, reminding her of yesterday's tragedy.

"Hey, Liu Mei...is it appropriate for her to still live in the dormitory in this condition?" a roommate whispered.

"Who knows if someone will come to her house and cause trouble again?" another immediately chimed in, a voice tinged with fear. "That scene the day before yesterday...it's terrifying just thinking about it. How can anyone sleep or study peacefully if she stays in the dorm?"

"Exactly! How unsafe!" the third roommate chimed in, his tone becoming more intense. "How about...we report this to the counselor? Try to get her to move out? Or maybe find a place somewhere else the school can arrange for her?"

Several pairs of eyes looked at Gu Qiuyue, who had been silently tidying up her desk, seeking support and recognition. For a moment, the only sound in the dormitory was the rustling of papers rubbing against each other.

Gu Qiuyue neatly stacked the last of the books, stood up, and calmly glanced at her roommates, who all had different expressions. Her voice was not loud, but very clear, with a sense of distance and detachment: "The school will handle it."

She didn't accuse or agree, simply stating a fact, as if discussing a business matter unrelated to them. Wang Fang and the others exchanged complicated glances, filled with surprise, confusion, and even a subtle hint of resentment. How could she be so calm? So... indifferent?

The discussion gradually died down, with a bit of disappointment. Some people climbed onto the bed and slept, some opened their books but were absent-minded, and Liu Mei lay in her own bunk, hiding in the quilt and crying secretly.

Gu Qiuyue ignored the gazes cast upon her. She opened a drawer and took out a brand new hardcover notebook. The dark blue cover looked exceptionally calm. She unscrewed the pen, filled it with ink, and solemnly wrote five words on the title page, stroke by stroke:

Three-Year Plan

The tip of the pen slid across the paper, making a rustling sound, with a determination to cut off the chaos.