Chapter 94 "...Who are you with? It's you..."
In the Gobi Desert during the height of summer, the weather can change in an instant. Just a moment ago, the sun was blazing, but in the blink of an eye, dark clouds were pressing in from the direction of the Tianshan Mountains.
"It's going to rain heavily!" Shu Ran looked at the dim sky outside the window and quickly called to the children, "Quick! Close the windows! Pack your things, get ready to go home from school!"
The children scrambled about. Large raindrops began to fall, splashing mud onto the ground.
"The rain is too heavy! Let's wait until it subsides a bit before we leave!" Shu Ran made the decision, watching the rain intensify. The children obediently stayed in the classroom.
The rain came suddenly and violently, and soon the world was covered in a white mist. Rainwater seeped in through the gaps in the window paper, forming small puddles on the ground.
"I'll go find something to plug the gaps in the window," Lin Xuezhou said, getting up to find a rag and some old newspapers.
Shu Ran comforted the younger children who were a little scared: "Don't be afraid, summer rain comes and goes quickly."
Just then, the classroom door was pushed open, and Chen Yuanjiang walked in carrying a bundle of waterproof tarpaulins. He had obviously come from elsewhere in the rain; his military uniform was soaked through and clung to his body, and his hair was dripping wet.
He seemed relieved to see the children and Shu Ran safe and sound in the classroom, but his gaze darkened again when he saw Lin Xuezhou busy by the window.
"Special Envoy Chen? What brings you here?" Shu Ran asked in surprise.
"It's raining heavily, come and take a look." Chen Yuanjiang wiped the rain off his face, untied the rope binding the rolled-up canvas, and spread the rolled-up pieces of discarded military canvas on the ground.
After finishing these tasks, his gaze fell on the window, where Lin Xuezhou was standing on tiptoe, trying to plug the leaking cracks at a higher place, her posture somewhat awkward.
Chen Yuanjiang didn't say anything, but strode over, grabbed the rag from Lin Xuezhou's hand, and said in a harsh voice, "I'll do it."
He was tall and had long legs. With a stretch of his arm, he could easily reach places that Lin Xuezhou couldn't reach, and deftly stuffed the gaps with a rag and newspaper.
Lin Xuezhou awkwardly stepped aside, watching Chen Yuanjiang's practiced movements, and said sheepishly, "Thank you, Special Envoy Chen."
Chen Yuanjiang ignored him, quickly checked the other windows, and only after confirming that there was no more water seepage did he turn around and look directly at Shu Ran. "The rain isn't going to stop anytime soon. I'll take the children home. The older ones come with me, and the younger ones... you take them and wait for me to come back for them."
His arrangements were swift and decisive, leaving Shu Ran and Lin Xuezhou no room for objection.
Shu Ran paused for a moment, looking into his deep eyes, and swallowed the words that were about to come out. She nodded: "Okay."
Chen Yuanjiang immediately organized the older and braver children to put on waterproof canvases and hold each other's clothes. He walked in front, holding up a larger piece of canvas to shield the children in front from the wind and rain, and soon disappeared into the rain.
Only Shu Ran, Lin Xuezhou, and a few of the youngest children remained in the classroom.
Lin Xuezhou looked out the door and pushed up his glasses: "Special Envoy Chen... cares a lot about the students."
Shu Ran didn't reply, but just looked at the raging rain outside the window, her heart not as calm as it appeared.
Chen Yuanjiang's abrupt and dismissive attitude, his actions that practically snatched the work from Lin Xuezhou's hands, and the intense look he gave her...
He seemed to be defining or declaring something in an awkward way.
After an unknown amount of time, the rain turned into a light drizzle. Chen Yuanjiang reappeared at the door, soaked to the bone, his trousers covered in mud.
"Let's go," he said to Shu Ran and the remaining children.
He naturally picked up the little girl who was already a bit sleepy, and then looked at Shu Ran: "Stay close to me."
Shu Ran took the hands of the other two children and followed him out. Chen Yuanjiang deliberately slowed his pace, walking slightly ahead of her.
On the muddy road, only the sound of footsteps could be heard.
Chen Yuanjiang carried the little girl ahead, his back ramrod straight. He didn't turn around, but each step he took was heavy, as if he were struggling against something.
Shu Ran followed behind, leading the other children, her gaze fixed on his retreating figure. His posture in the classroom earlier, and now this silent back view, both conveyed a certain emotion.
She wasn't an naive young girl. In the workplace and life of the 21st century, she had seen far too many pursuits and tests, whether direct or subtle. Chen Yuanjiang's behavior at this moment was exactly like those men who harbored jealousy but were too proud to say it openly, and could only make their presence known through actions.
Thinking of this, Shu Ran felt a little amused, yet also a strange feeling that she couldn't quite explain. The slight annoyance she had felt from the downpour was somewhat dispelled.
They first took a few children home, and the parents thanked them profusely as they took the children in. They then invited them inside to take shelter from the rain, but Chen Yuanjiang turned them away with the words, "I still have a mission."
Next, he took Xiaoya to her house. When they arrived at Xiaoya's door, Chen Yuanjiang handed the still-sleepy Xiaoya to her mother, who came out to greet them. Xiaoya's mother thanked them repeatedly and tried to persuade them to stay, but Chen Yuanjiang simply shook his head, turned around, and left, his steps even faster than when he arrived.
Shu Ran could only give the maid a quick smile and hurried after her.
Now, only the two of them remained. The rain had almost stopped, with only water still dripping from the eaves. Darkness had completely fallen, and a few lights flickered on in the company compound.
Chen Yuanjiang continued walking ahead, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far from Shu Ran. He neither turned around nor spoke.
Seeing his expression, Shu Ran finally couldn't help herself and quickened her pace to walk alongside him.
“Special Commissioner Chen,” she began, “thank you for coming today and taking the children home.”
Chen Yuanjiang didn't stop walking; he simply gave a low "hmm" in response.
Shu Ran turned her head to look at him, only able to see his serious profile. She paused deliberately before continuing in a normal tone, "Teacher Lin was helping to seal the gaps in the windows just now. Luckily you brought the canvas, otherwise the classroom would have really flooded."
The words "Teacher Lin" stung Chen Yuanjiang.
Chen Yuanjiang paused for a moment, then resumed his normal pace, though it seemed a little faster. He hummed again, this time sparingly uttering even a single syllable, his tone clearly impatient.
Shu Ran felt even more amused. She could almost picture him with his lips tightly pressed together and his brows furrowed.
She stopped speaking and simply followed quietly beside him. The two walked silently on the muddy road, their footsteps mingling.
As they neared the entrance to the dugout, Chen Yuanjiang finally stopped. He turned around to face Shu Ran. In the darkness, his eyes shone with an astonishing light, as if suppressing some kind of emotion.
Shu Ran also stopped and looked up at him, not avoiding his gaze.
The two looked at each other.
He seemed to want to say something; his lips moved, but his gaze ultimately fell on the ground, and he said nothing in the end.
That awkward feeling of wanting to ask but not daring to, wanting to express but trying hard to restrain oneself, is almost overwhelming.
Shu Ran understood completely. Looking at his unusually outspoken anger, she suddenly felt that this usually cold and hard man was also... somewhat adorable.
She didn't want to see him continue being awkward, nor did she want to play this guessing game anymore.
"Chen Yuanjiang." She suddenly called him by his full name.
Chen Yuanjiang suddenly looked up at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Shu Ran met his gaze, a smile curving her lips, her tone knowing: "Are you unhappy? Because I'm with Teacher Lin?"
She meant "to work together on stencils," her tone slightly teasing, wanting to see his reaction.
However, these words struck Chen Yuanjiang like a bolt from the blue.
"Together"?
His mind went blank. All his guesses, frustration, and restraint were confirmed at that moment by those three words. He thought Shu Ran was announcing to him that she and Lin Xuezhou had established that kind of relationship.
Shock left his limbs stiff. He couldn't believe it—how long had it been? They…were already together? A sudden, overwhelming sense of regret gripped his heart. A profound sense of loss followed, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. So, she…really didn't have those feelings for him.
All the attention, the closeness and care, were just wishful thinking on his part.
These emotions surged within him, almost bursting from his chest. But aside from the initial flash of shock, his face quickly returned to calm.
He avoided Shu Ran's smiling gaze, his voice remaining calm, even colder than usual: "No. It's your freedom to be with whomever you want."
After he finished speaking, he almost immediately turned to leave.
Shu Ran was stunned. His reaction... was wrong.
She carefully considered what she had just said, and then looked at Chen Yuanjiang's somewhat defiant and aloof demeanor as he tried to distance himself from her, and suddenly understood.
He misunderstood! He interpreted "being together (doing things)" as "being together (in a romantic relationship)"!
Seeing his "I'm fine, I'm okay, it has nothing to do with me" attitude, Shu Ran's mischievous thoughts disappeared, replaced by a feeling of both amusement and tenderness.
This misunderstanding seems to be quite serious.
Watching his retreating figure as he turned to leave, she spoke up in time, softening her voice to explain, "Officer Chen, what I mean is, Teacher Lin and I were cutting stencils and printing study materials together, working very late. Is that why you're unhappy?"
Chen Yuanjiang, who had already turned halfway around, suddenly stopped.
Wax cutting...printing documents...work...
As the overwhelming sadness subsided, Chen Yuanjiang breathed a sigh of relief, followed by immense embarrassment.
He stood frozen in place, his back to Shu Ran, the tips of his ears burning. What had he been thinking? What had he said?
"It's your freedom to be with whomever you want." — Looking back now, that statement seems incredibly stupid!
Shu Ran watched his retreating figure, imagining the complex expression on his face. She didn't press him further, but simply sighed softly, her tone returning to normal: "The rain has stopped, I'm going back. You should go back and change into dry clothes too."
This time, she didn't wait for his response. She pushed open the door of the dugout and went inside.
Outside the door, Chen Yuanjiang remained in that awkward posture for a long time before turning around, looking at the closed door, and wiping his face hard, unable to tell whether it was rain or cold sweat.
The regret was still there, but it was no longer the panic of losing something. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
He stood there for a while, then finally turned and walked away. Tonight, he felt like a complete fool.
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Author's Note: [Mini-Theater]
Chen Yuanjiang accused Shu Ran: "You did this on purpose, you bad woman!"
Shu Ran: Hehe~
Chen Yuanjiang turned his face away and whispered: What should I do? But I love you so much…
[Author's Ramblings]
Last night I put my draft in the draft box and set it to post at 9 PM, but when I woke up this morning I found it hadn't been posted at all! [crying emoji] I'm so angry! I'll give some surprise points to the comments section as compensation for today's late post. [gold ingot emoji]
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