Chapter 127

From then on, Lan Yingde turned a blind eye to Yun Kai and his servant. He wanted to throw them out the door with their luggage, but he was afraid of provoking Yue Ming's retaliation. He simply turned a blind eye to the situation. To keep them apart, he even scheduled Yue Ming for a full shift, taking her out early and returning late.

When he got home at night, he would keep his eyes and ears open. Yunkai secretly wanted to go find Yueming, but when he got to Yueming's door and raised his hand to knock, Lan Yingde appeared behind him. The gloomy look in his eyes made him sweat and he went back to his room in shame.

Feng Xiaosai reminded him that he had been out for too long and it was time to go back to Yun Xiang.

He knew it was time to go back, but he didn't dare! He was afraid that as soon as he left, Lan Yingde would take Yueming and vanish without a trace. In the past two years, he had frequent nightmares, all of which were filled with Yueming's resolute back. The heart-wrenching pain woke him from his dreams. Panicked and lonely, he wandered around the yard where Yueming once lived, but he didn't know where she was.

He never wanted to experience this kind of pain again.

After the previous incident at the resettlement center, almost everyone who could walk had left, except for the truly paralyzed. Yueming understood why her father had assigned her so many shifts during his free time. She didn't argue or resist; when there was work, she did it. When there wasn't, she would just sit outside her father's office and stare blankly. Father and daughter would always eat out before returning home.

That day, she sat on a small stool, chin in her hand, in a daze as usual. Lan Yingde came out of the office and saw that she was daydreaming about some unknown country. He reminded her, "The sun is so strong, be careful of heatstroke."

Yueming was still immersed in his own thoughts and had not yet come to his senses. He casually agreed, "Okay." Although he agreed, he did not move.

Lan Yingde sighed when he saw her distracted look. He stood in front of her, shielding her from the sun, and asked softly, "What's wrong? Are you angry with Dad?"

Yueming did not answer, but asked Lan Yingde: "Dad, Mom is gone now. Do you hate me? If it weren't for me, Mom wouldn't have died."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lan Yingde scolded, "Your mother died because of a lack of medicine and my poor medical skills. It's not your fault. You are the child we have been waiting for the most."

Looking at her father who was shielding her from the sun, Yueming said, "You must be very sad that Mom is gone, right?"

He was more than just sad. Seeing his wife's life slipping away on the bed, he lost the desire to live. Facing death, his wife was also afraid, but she still cried and urged him to raise their daughter well.

He closed his eyes, which were filled with memories, and said in a hoarse voice, "I was sad at first, but you kept crying, and I was so busy taking care of you that I didn't have time to be sad."

Yueming whispered, "Sister Jiufang said that when Brother Qi died, her first reaction was that she didn't want to live anymore. But she couldn't let Brother Qi be alone in a foreign country as a wandering ghost. As her widow, she wanted him to come home."

She lowered her head, her voice choking with sobs, "You're all so strong! But I... can't be as strong as you. That day, Yunkai collapsed on me with blood all over his face, and the first thought in my mind was, what should I do if he dies?"

Drop by drop, her tears fell to the ground. She gritted her teeth to hold back her tears. "It's not that I don't care about what happened in the past, nor that I don't hate it. But no matter how many harsh words I said, or how hard my heart was, when I faced death, I realized that I didn't want him to die. As long as he could live, I would do anything. Dad, I broke off the engagement to help him because I loved him. I'm willing to put aside the past and reconcile with him now... It's also because I love him!"

Looking at his daughter whose shoulders were shaking with tears, Lan Yingde's eyes swelled up. He patted Yueming's shoulder and said, "Dad knows."

That day, the Lan family's father and daughter returned home early. At the dinner table, Yun Kai watched Yue Ming, who was concentrating on eating without looking away, and secretly decided to go out and call her to ask her out quietly.

After taking a few bites, he pushed his bowl aside and said, "I'm done, you guys take your time." He was ready to slip out and wait for the opportunity to make a phone call.

Not wanting to ignore him any longer, Lan Yingde also put down his bowl and said, "When you're done eating, come with me to the study."

Yun Kai secretly cursed inwardly. Lan Yingde was probably running out of patience and was about to kick him out. He looked at Yueming, who was also looking at him, hesitant to speak. Just as he was about to say something, Lan Yingde's cold voice came over: "Why, do you want another bowl of soup?"

Yun Kai had no choice but to follow Lan Yingde to the study. Halfway through, he remembered that Lan Yingde hated the timid and incompetent behavior. He suppressed his panic and helplessness, straightened his back, and calmly followed him into the study.

After entering the room, Lan Yingde sat down behind the desk. Without his permission, Yun Kai did not dare to sit down. He stood in front of the desk, pretending to listen attentively.

Lan Yingde glared at Yun Kai and said, "Tell me now. You've come all the way here. What are your plans for Yue Ming? If you want her to be your second wife, then you don't need to go back to Prime Minister Yun. Find yourself a good place here."

Yun Kai couldn't believe it. After a beating and a few days of being ignored, Lan Yingde relented? His mind raced. After bowing, he said solemnly, "You've probably heard the rumors in Xincheng. I'm not married yet! Of course, the one Yueming is marrying is Yintai."

"Rumors?" Lan Yingde raised his eyebrows. "I'm afraid they're not all rumors, are they?"

What he said was the truth, without a trace of hesitation or guilt: "My uncle and aunt sent my two cousins ​​to Yunxiang, and they did have the intention of getting married. But I told my mother a long time ago that I had no intention of getting married, and she rejected it."

Lan Yingde didn't believe it: "Will your mother agree? You have no heir, she must be the most anxious one." For a Zhaopian leader, it is a big deal to have no direct blood heir. He didn't believe that the old lady would let Yunkai act recklessly.

Yun Kai said calmly: "There is also the good fortune of my eldest brother's family! He can also be the heir of Yun Xiang."

Lan Yingde was extremely shocked.

After a long silence, Yun Kai knelt down and kowtowed to Lan Yingde. "My past mistakes can't be erased with a few words. I know you're worried I'll make the same mistake again. I promise you that from now on, Yue Ming and I will be separated only by death, not by life. As long as I live, I will never abandon Yue Ming again."

Lan Yingde knew Yunkai was truly sincere towards Yueming. His previous abandonment was forced by the current situation. Honestly, if it weren't for his daughter, he would have said it was understandable.

That’s all!

Looking at Yunkai kneeling upright, he heaved a long sigh and said, "Go back and get ready! I'll bring Yueming back to Yunxiang in a few days and ask your mother to come and propose marriage!"

Yun Kai was so shocked by this huge surprise that he was speechless. The repeated and panicked speculations of the past few days were completely dispelled in this moment. He kowtowed to Lan Yingde again and said repeatedly: "Thank you, father-in-law, for your help. I will leave for Yun Xiang the day after tomorrow to prepare."

Before leaving, Yunkai hosted a banquet for Captain Du, thanking him for his care for Yueming and for protecting the Lan family. Captain Du was disgusted by his assertion of sovereignty and raised his eyebrows, saying, "If I had known Yueming was going to return, I would have accepted her proposal."

Yun Kai's face froze, but then he pretended to be indifferent and said, "My coming to Tengchong really pushed her to the limit. She dared to do anything out of spite. Captain Du cares deeply about the country, so he wouldn't take such a sentimental thing to heart."

Lieutenant Du puffed out a cigarette and squinted at him. "Don't flatter me. I didn't agree to her because I was worried she'd end up a widow. Actually, I like her quite a bit."

Seeing Captain Du's eagerness to kill the conversation, Yun Kai didn't mind. He smiled and said, "I heard from a friend that you pursued her when she was still studying in Kunming. If I hadn't come to Tengchong to find her, you two might have really been together."

Lieutenant Du narrowed his eyes and said, "Yes! Why did you come here? It would be much better for you to stay home and marry a wife of your own social status and live a good life. But you have to come here and be a nuisance to others."

Yunkai fiddled with his wine glass. "Perhaps you think I invited you today just to show off, or to be hypocritical? But if Yueming ultimately chooses you, no matter how unwilling I am, I will sincerely wish her happiness." Seeing Captain Du sneer at his insincere words with disdain, Yunkai continued with a smile and said his but: "But she was kidnapped that day and scared the hell out of me. Whether she likes it or not, I will take her away. In this world, only her father and I would risk our lives for hers... Ah! I'm not saying you don't care about Yueming's life. Your life is of great use, and mine is more useless."

This bastard is so annoying, and we have no point in talking. Lieutenant Du was about to leave, so he picked up his coat, which was draped over the back of the chair, shook it twice, and threw it over his shoulder. His eyes, narrowed by the smoke from the cigarette in his mouth, stared at Yun Kai with a warning, "Then I hope that Chief Han will remember your words today. If I ever find out that Lan Yueming is unhappy in your house, I will go and get her back. I don't care if she's married or not. I'm just a soldier, I don't care about such things."

Yun Kai stood up to see him off and said with a smile, "Lan Yueming will be Yun Xiang's future, you worry too much."

Captain Du gave him a deep look and said, "Have a safe journey, Chief Han."

He probably wants to say that he will die in the west, right? Don't sue him, it's like cursing him.

Before leaving Tengchong, Yueming planned to arrange Yehu's wedding. She and Lieutenant Du's adjutant had fallen in love with each other and had agreed to hold the wedding after the war was over. But now that the war seemed to be raging and the young lady was about to return to the dangerous and dangerous Yunxiang Mansion, Yueming refused to get married and insisted on returning to Yunxiang with the young lady.

Yueming tried to persuade him helplessly, "How can you be more of a demon than me? You promised to marry her, but now you regret it. How embarrassed are you, Adjutant Ma?"

Ye Hu said bitterly, "Master, you two are crazy. You still want to go back to Yunxiang to marry the second young master. What will happen if I don't go with you? Those flatterers in the Tusi Mansion don't know how to frame you. I will tear their mouths apart."

Yueming touched his nose and said awkwardly, "That's not the case."

Seeing her sister acting up, Ai Ye pinched Ye Hu and glared at her, scolding, "Don't worry about these useless things. The young lady has me by her side. How can I let her suffer? If those people dare to say a bad word about the young lady, I will pull their hair and slap them. You marry well and live a good life. If anything happens to the young lady in Yunxiang, I will write to you, and you can ask your brother-in-law to bring a cart of soldiers to support the young lady."

Ye Hu thought about it and realized that if the young lady was wronged in Yun Xiangfu in the future, she could drag Ma Yong to seek justice for the young lady.

On the day of the wedding, Adjutant Ma came to the Lan residence to pick up the bride. The wedding hall was filled with the Lan family's dowry for Ye Hu. The other soldiers who came to pick up the bride were shocked. This was not just marrying off a servant girl, it was just like marrying off a daughter from a wealthy family.

Lan Yingde and Mrs. Lan gave the newlyweds some instructions, while Yueming sat by and watched with a smile. She was genuinely happy for the couple.

When the newlyweds left the house, Ye Hu suddenly turned around and ran back to the wedding hall before reaching the main gate. He knelt before Yue Ming, held her hand, and burst into tears, saying, "Miss, I can no longer serve you. You must take care of yourself. If your master doesn't do anything about the bullying they have done to you, please write to me. I will go to Prime Minister Yun's residence even if I have to walk to get you back."

Lan Yingde...When did I say I don't care about her anymore?

Yueming held her hand and choked up assuring her, "Don't worry, I'm not someone who can be bullied. It's not easy to have a home in troubled times, you must live well." We all have to live well.

As I was about to leave this home, I suddenly felt that every blade of grass and every tree in this temporary shelter had become inseparable. The cucumbers climbing the wall were tender and growing vigorously, with a yellow flower on top. The pomegranate tree next to me was in full bloom, and it looked like it would bear a lot of fruit this year. Yueming looked at the red flowers and thought regretfully that she would not be able to eat them this year.

She turned her head and saw Lan Yingde standing behind her, looking at her with a complicated expression. She pointed at the cucumber and said to Lan Yingde with a smile: "Dad, let's make a cold salad with it tonight. No matter how small it is, I'm a little greedy."

Looking at his daughter's smiling face, Lan Yingde had a blank expression: "You look so bad, have you thought it through and decided to break off the engagement? It's not too late to regret it now."

Yueming laughed. "What's there to regret? I just can't bear to leave here. Although I can only do simple things in the clinic, every time I think about how I'm doing my part for the country and for us to drive out the Tartars, my blood boils. I can't bear to leave this feeling."

Lan Yingde patted his head and looked at her gravely, then patted her shoulder: "Remember what I told you when we left Kunming?"

"Of course I remember. You said that the ideal is not determined by where you realize it, but by whether you achieve it."

Lan Yingde nodded with relief: "You must remember this: don't trap yourself in a cage."

Captain Du came to see the Lan family off on the day they left. Yueming asked him to take good care of Ye Hu. He nodded in agreement and said to Yueming, "Lan Yueming, do you still remember that birthday wish you made?"

Yueming was puzzled: "That? The one for eating the cake? Did you buy it?"

Captain Du looked at her and said, "Peace and prosperity for the country and the people. I will do it."

Watching his departing figure, Yueming felt her eyes sore and unbearable, and she shouted loudly at his back: "Du Youjie, I am proud of you."

Captain Du didn't turn around, but just waved his hand with his back turned. His eyes reddened as he cursed inwardly: "You have a conscience and haven't forgotten my name."