It was late at night.

Xu Xinghe lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The courtyard was so quiet you could hear the chirping of insects.

It's possible that she hasn't been getting enough exercise lately, which is causing her to have trouble falling asleep.

She thought of Jiang Linchuan, of his departing figure, wondering if he was safe and if his mission had gone smoothly.

Just as she was staring blankly at the ceiling, she suddenly heard a light footstep outside the yard.

Xu Xinghe's heart skipped a beat, her first thought was that Jiang Linchuan had returned!

He's always like this; he never tells her before he comes back from a mission, and he likes to surprise her.

Unable to contain her excitement, she didn't even bother to put on her shoes, rushing out of bed barefoot and quickly pulling open the door, shouting, "Lin Chuan!"

But the person standing at the door made her smile freeze instantly on her face.

It wasn't Jiang Linchuan, but Lian Xiao.

He was wearing a training uniform, his hair was a little messy, and he was tiptoeing into the yard, obviously sneaking in.

Seeing Xu Xinghe suddenly rush out, Lian Xiao was also startled. "Xinghe? You...you're still awake?"

A wave of disappointment washed over Xu Xinghe, and she stopped in her tracks. "Lian Xiao? What brings you here?"

“I heard you were sick, and it seems quite serious. I’ve been worried about you.” Lian Xiao scratched his head, feeling inexplicably embarrassed. “I’ve come several times these past few days, but Zhang Cishu has stopped me each time. He said you have a contagious cold, and that if you infect one person, the entire military will be in trouble. The soldiers have heavy training duties, and there aren’t enough medicines for them. He absolutely refused to let me in.”

Lian Xiao coughed lightly, "I was really worried about you, so I thought I'd sneak in to check on you in the middle of the night. I don't want to disturb you, I just want to make sure you're safe. I'll leave after I'm done."

Xu Xinghe couldn't help but smile as she listened to his words.

Although it wasn't Jiang Linchuan, Lian Xiao's determination to come despite knowing the danger warmed her heart.

She stepped aside to make way for me, saying, "Let's go inside, it's chilly outside."

Lian Xiao followed her into the house, and as soon as he sat down, he couldn't wait to ask, "How are you? Are you feeling better? Is anything bothering you?"

“I’m not sick,” Xu Xinghe said softly. “The excuse I made up before was just a temporary excuse. I just didn’t want to see anyone, so I told people I was sick.”

"What? You're not sick?" Lian Xiao stood up abruptly, instantly enraged. "That bastard Zhang Cishu! He actually lied to me! He stopped me time and time again, making it sound so serious. Why didn't he just tell me you weren't sick? I think he did it on purpose to prevent me from seeing you!"

As he spoke, he turned to rush out, shouting, "No way! I have to find him and settle the score, beat him up and vent my anger!"

"Don't go!" Xu Xinghe quickly stopped him. "He's doing this for my own good. I told everyone I was sick so I could have some peace and quiet for a few days. Cishu is covering for me to avoid any complications. If you go and cause a scene, everyone will know I'm faking illness. If someone with ulterior motives finds out, it will be bad for you."

She added softly, "Besides, you have to go out for training every day. If you come to my place frequently, it will be easy for people to find out that I'm not sick, which will cause even more trouble."

As Lian Xiao listened to her words, his anger gradually subsided, but he was still somewhat indignant. "He can't lie to me like that. I've been worried for days and haven't been able to sleep well."

Even so, he knew there was some truth to it and reluctantly accepted the explanation.

He stared at Xu Xinghe's face for a long time, and seeing that she had a rosy complexion and bright eyes, she really didn't look sick. Only then did he feel completely relieved. "It's good that you're not sick."

Looking at the night outside the window, Lian Xiao stood up. "Since you're alright, I'm relieved. I should go now."

Staying at a girl's house late at night is not a good thing.

Xu Xinghe nodded and saw him to the door.

Lian Xiao had only taken two steps when he heard a voice behind him again, "Lian Xiao, wait! Have you... heard anything about Lin Chuan lately?"

Lian Xiao stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. "No, I've asked several times too. Political Commissar Wang has no news of him. He just said to wait patiently. Don't worry too much. Jiang Linchuan is so capable, he'll definitely be fine."

Xu Xinghe gave a soft "hmm".

"Don't think too much about it, get some rest." Lian Xiao noticed her disappointment and comforted her. "I'll tell you as soon as I hear news about him."

After saying that, he didn't linger and quickly disappeared into the night.

...

After a period of emergency repairs, the railway was finally reopened to traffic.

When news of the army's withdrawal arrived, Xu Xinghe naturally recovered from his illness.

In the early morning, there was a knock on the door of the courtyard.

Director Li and Lin Hui stood outside the door, both wearing polite smiles, clearly having come specifically to visit and say goodbye.

"Xinghe, we heard you've recovered, so we came to see you." Director Li spoke first, his tone gentle. "The General is leaving today, so we came to say goodbye."

Lin Hui stood to the side, and her face looked quite unpleasant whenever she wasn't smiling.

Xu Xinghe stepped aside to let the two into the house, poured two glasses of warm water and handed them over, "Thank you, Director Li, and thank you for your concern, sister-in-law. I'm fine now."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Director Li changed the subject and brought up the prescription again. "Xinghe, I know you value the prescription highly, but when the General Headquarters returns to the capital this time, I can take your prescription back with me for clinical trials, which will save a lot of time. Do you think... could you reconsider? Many soldiers need this kind of effective medicine. Just think of it as doing it for the troops, for those soldiers who defend our country."

Lin Hui immediately perked up and chimed in, "Yes, Xinghe, your ointment is so effective. If it could be widely distributed, it could save so many lives! Don't worry, we will definitely make good use of it and will never let you down."

Xu Xinghe refused again, "Director Li, I'm really sorry. As I said before, the prescription will be decided later. I know you mean well, but I have my own considerations for this matter, and I hope you can understand."

There was absolutely no room for negotiation.

Lin Hui's smile froze instantly, and her face visibly darkened, becoming extremely unpleasant.

She tried everything, from deliberately getting close to him to self-harm to get medicine, but after all that effort, she still got nothing.

The general was leaving, and she had no reason to stay.

Because the Heilongjiang Provincial Military Department had launched a full-scale investigation, her accomplices dared not make any moves, and fate did not give her any further opportunities.

Not only did they fail to obtain the prescription, but they also didn't know what kind of punishment they would face when they returned.

Thinking of all this, Lin Hui's face turned even worse. She couldn't even maintain her forced smile, her lips were pressed tightly together, and she couldn't say a word.

Director Li noticed his wife's unusual behavior and frowned.

Lin Hui is usually sensible and virtuous, and she is always generous and proper in her dealings with others. Why is she like this today?

He could only try to smooth things over, "Xinghe, don't mind her. Your sister-in-law's foot injury hasn't fully healed yet, and she's been having some trouble walking. She also had to travel today, so she's been a bit quiet and doesn't look too well."

Xu Xinghe glanced at Lin Hui, who had her head down, and said nothing more. "It's alright, have a safe journey."

Lin Hui finally managed to lift her head, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, her voice hoarse, "Thank you."