Chapter 74 A Dangerous Sign! The Enchantress's Intuition Sounds the Alarm!

On the first day after Qin Lie left, Jiang Wu's life was no different from usual. In the morning, she played the piano in the yard and did prenatal education for her baby. In the afternoon, she sat with the military wives in the family compound, chatted, and did needlework.

Zhou Nianci kept her promise to Qin Lie and came over on time every day to fill her thermos.

"Xiao Wu, you look even better than you did a couple of days ago!" Zhou Nianci said enviously, looking at Jiang Wu's fair and rosy face. "Everyone says pregnancy is hard for women, but I think you're getting more and more beautiful as you get pregnant, like a flower, so fresh and lovely."

"That's all thanks to how well you've taken care of her, Sister-in-law Zhou," Jiang Wu said with a smile, handing her a freshly cut piece of watermelon.

With Qin Lie away, all the military wives in the compound spontaneously treated her as a priority for protection. One family would bring her two freshly laid eggs today, another would bring her some vegetables they had grown themselves tomorrow, all worried that she wouldn't be able to take good care of herself while she was home alone.

Jiang Wu savored this simple and sincere kindness, her heart filled with warmth. She felt that these days were almost unreal, so peaceful. Qin Lie acted as if he were just going to do some ordinary daily training. In the evening, he would push open the courtyard gate, covered in sweat and sporting a憨厚 (honest and simple) smile, shouting, "Wife, I'm home!"

However, when night falls and the noise subsides, leaving her alone, that feeling of unease washes over her like a tide.

The bed felt empty without his tall, imposing "human furnace." His heavy snoring and occasional mumbled sleep murmurs were no longer audible.

Jiang Wu tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. She decided to sit up, put on a coat, and go out into the yard.

The night was cool and still, the moonlight bright and clear. A gentle sea breeze blew, carrying a hint of saltiness. She walked to the corner of the courtyard and looked at the orchid in the pot, its last bloom gone. That inexplicable unease in her heart quietly resurfaced.

In her past life, she was a demoness of the Hehuan Sect, cultivating for a thousand years, making her far more sensitive to the energy between heaven and earth than ordinary people. This feeling, mysterious and profound, is often the most direct harbinger of impending danger. Every flower, leaf, blade of grass, and tree may be conveying some kind of information to her.

The orchid that withered for no apparent reason was like an ominous sign, leaving a faint shadow in her heart.

She shook her head, trying to shake off this inexplicable irritation. Perhaps she was just being too sensitive. Qin Lie frequently went out to sea on missions; he had always returned safely before. Besides, he was now the chief of staff, in command, not personally leading the charge. What danger could he possibly face?

She comforted herself with these words and went back to her room to sleep.

The next day, the third day… the days passed one by one. Jiang Wu continued to play the piano, take walks, and chat with the military wives every day. She tried her best to act as if nothing was wrong, but only she knew that the string in her heart was getting tighter and tighter.

Her right eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably without warning. At first, it only twitched occasionally, but later, the frequency and amplitude of the twitching increased, making her feel uneasy.

There's a saying that "a twitching left eye means good fortune, a twitching right eye means bad luck." Jiang Wu never believed in such things; she only trusted her intuition. And her intuition was repeatedly sending her warnings.

That afternoon, she was drawing new clothing designs in her room, trying to distract herself. But no matter how hard she concentrated, the lines in front of her would inexplicably transform into Qin Lie's honest, smiling face.

Frustrated, she threw down her pen and walked to the window. Outside, several military wives were gathered together, listening to a transistor radio. It was the only radio in the family compound, a prized possession of Political Commissar Wang. Every afternoon at four o'clock, they would gather together to listen to the news and the weather forecast.

"...This is an important weather report." The announcer's clear, articulate voice pierced through the static on the radio. "According to the Central Meteorological Observatory, Super Typhoon Haishen, the 7th typhoon of the year, formed this morning in the western Pacific Ocean. Currently, the typhoon's center is moving northwest at a speed of 25 kilometers per hour and is expected to affect the southeastern coastal waters of China within the next 48 hours..."

"Maximum winds near the typhoon's center exceed level 17, and waves will reach heights of over 15 meters. All vessels operating in the affected sea areas are advised to return to port immediately to seek shelter from the storm. Residents in coastal areas are advised to prepare for the typhoon..."

"Category 17 typhoon!"

"My goodness! How strong is that wind!"

"Has our island not experienced such a large typhoon in many years?"

The military wives were all talking amongst themselves, their faces showing worry.

Jiang Wu's heart sank when she heard the words "southeast coastal waters"!

She remembered that Qin Lie had mentioned something to her before he left. The location of this survey mission was confidential, and he couldn't say much. But he inadvertently revealed that the survey area was southeast of the island, about a three- or four-day voyage away.

Judging by the time, Qin Lie and his team should have just arrived at the mission area. And that location is right in the path of Super Typhoon Haishen!

A chilling coldness instantly shot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. It felt as if the blood in her body had frozen in that instant.

The orchid that fell for no reason, the uncontrollably twitching right eye... all the unease found its most terrifying explanation at this moment.

"Xiao Wu? Xiao Wu? What's wrong? Why is your face so pale?" Zhou Nianci noticed that something was wrong with her and asked with concern.

“Sister-in-law Zhou…” Jiang Wu grabbed her hand, her fingertips icy cold, “Do you know… exactly where Qin Lie and the others are on this mission?”

"This...how would I know?" Zhou Nianci shook her head. "It's a military secret. How could Chief of Staff Qin tell us? But don't worry, the troops must have received the typhoon warning long ago, and they will definitely have taken shelter in advance!"

"Yes, Xiaowu, don't scare yourself. Chief of Staff Qin is so experienced, he'll definitely be fine," the other military wives beside her reassured her.

But these words of comfort could not calm Jiang Wu's heart in the slightest. Others may not know, but she had a strong, ominous premonition.

She ran like a madwoman towards the military headquarters building. She needed to find the political commissar; she needed to find out whether Qin Lie and his men had received the warning and whether they had begun their return journey!

She was running breathlessly, heavily pregnant. The guards at headquarters were startled when they saw her and quickly stopped her.

"Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law, slow down! What's wrong? Tell me!"

"I need to see your political commissar! Immediately!" Jiang Wu's eyes were bloodshot, and her voice was filled with an undeniable urgency.

Political Commissar Wang, who was in a state of utter distress in his office, came out when he heard the commotion. He saw Jiang Wu and was equally at a loss.

"Xiao Jiang, what brings you here? You're pregnant, you can't run around like this, it's too dangerous!"

"Political Commissar!" Jiang Wu grabbed his arm as if it were her last straw. "Where's Qin Lie?! Are Qin Lie and the others in danger?!"

Political Commissar Wang's expression instantly turned extremely solemn. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something comforting, but looking into Jiang Wu's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, he knew that any lie would be futile.

He sighed, his voice filled with exhaustion and helplessness: "Xiao Jiang, calm down. Things... might be more complicated than we think."

He pointed to the radio in the office that was flashing a red light and said with difficulty, "We've been calling Qin Lie and the others since noon today. But... there's been no response."

"We have lost contact with the exploration vessel for more than six hours."

ps:

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