Since her cousin was away, Zhang Huimin had been spending her free afternoons at the Qiao household, keeping her friend company. She was worried that Wei Jiajia might overthink things and feel lonely.
That day, Zhang Huimin had the day off. She and Zeng Guoqiang had just gotten their marriage application approved and were heading to the county office to get their marriage certificate.
As if that weren’t enough good news, Zeng Guoqiang had also been assigned a house—the empty one right next door to Wei Jiajia’s. His fiancée was more than pleased with this development and made sure to reward him generously. As for the details of that reward… well, that was not for outsiders to know.
For the past two weeks, he had been heading straight home after work to clean and prepare the house. His goal was to have everything ready before their marriage certificate was in hand so that the moment they were officially married, he could bring his wife home. After all, a married couple should live together—it was only natural.
They weren’t planning to hold a wedding ceremony at the base. Instead, they would invite close friends and comrades for a simple home-cooked meal. The formal wedding celebration would take place in his hometown around the New Year, but frankly, he had no intention of waiting that long to be with his wife.
He had already waited nearly three years. He couldn’t bear to wait a second longer.
Besides, now that his fiancée was around, dropping by the Qiao house for meals was even easier—no one would dare gossip about it just because Qiao Haoyu wasn’t home.
Wei Jiajia and Zhang Huimin helped out at the new house every day. When Zhang Huimin saw the custom furniture Wei Jiajia had ordered, she immediately decided that she wanted the exact same pieces—except for the bed, of course. She also wanted to add a dressing table to the set.
This was something Wei Jiajia hadn’t considered at all. After all, her storage space already had plenty of standing mirrors and full-length mirrors. She had planned to get a better feel for her new environment before figuring out a way to secretly bring one in.
A dressing table wasn’t of much use to her. Besides, all the jewelry she had received for her wedding was safely stored in her personal space—there was no place more secure than that. Zhang Huimin, on the other hand, needed one. With her frequent performances, makeup was a necessity, and she had plenty of odds and ends to store. Wanting her own dressing table made perfect sense.
Today was the big day—the day they had carefully chosen to get their marriage certificate.
Last night, Wei Jiajia had given Zhang Huimin an early wedding gift. Among the items, the lingerie stood out as the centerpiece.
Many of the women in the art troupe secretly bought delicate undergarments, but none of them had anything quite as daring as what Jiajia had gifted her. Both the color and the design were nothing like what one could find in an ordinary department store—only imported goods carried such an unmistakably seductive touch.
Though Zhang Huimin had blushed furiously upon receiving it—especially once she understood why Jiajia had given it to her a day early—she still accepted it with a shy but delighted expression. After all, what woman wouldn’t want to look beautiful for the man she loved?
With Zhang Huimin out for the day, Wei Jiajia stayed home and worked on her writing. She hadn’t been at it long when an urgent knock sounded at the door.
When she opened it, she saw a young soldier she didn’t recognize standing outside.
His expression was somewhat tense as he spoke. “Sister-in-law, the commander asked me to tell you to pack a few things and wait by the main entrance. A car will come to take you into the city.”
Hearing this, her heart began to pound violently. Forcing herself to stay calm, she asked, “Did something happen to Qiao Haoyu?”
“Captain Qiao was injured at the end of his mission. He has already undergone surgery at the military hospital in the city,” the young soldier explained. “The commander sent me to take you there so you can care for him. But don’t worry, sister-in-law, the surgery was a success. He’s out of danger and should wake up soon.”
Noticing the color draining from Wei Jiajia’s face, the soldier quickly added that last part, hoping to reassure her.
Only then did she feel like she could finally breathe again. “Give me a moment,” she said. “I’ll just grab a few things.” With that, she rushed inside to pack.
When she arrived at the car parked outside the compound with the young soldier, she was surprised to see Commander Qin sitting in the front seat.
“Get in. I’m going with you,” he said.
Qiao Haoyu was one of his most capable officers. The severity of his injuries—so grave that he had barely survived—made it impossible for the commander to rest easy until he saw him with his own eyes.
Settling into the back seat, Wei Jiajia said, “Thank you, Commander Qin.”
“No need for thanks. I’m his superior—I wouldn’t be at ease unless I checked on him personally.”
Qiao Haoyu’s mission had been to lead a small squad to the border and retrieve a weapons expert being secretly sent back to the country. Arrangements had been made with foreign allies to smuggle the expert to the border, where Qiao’s team would receive him and ensure his safe transfer.
At first, everything had gone according to plan. They picked up the expert and spent two days trekking through the jungle before finally crossing into home territory. The team had just started to relax—once they got the expert to a classified facility, their job would be done.
But just when they thought they were in the clear, something went terribly wrong.
Someone in the unit had been bribed by enemy agents and leaked information about the mission. On their way back, while traveling by train, they were ambushed by armed spies.
To protect the expert, Qiao Haoyu had thrown himself in front of him, taking two bullets in his place. Fortunately, the enemy agents were subdued on the spot, and the train arrived at the station soon after. That quick arrival was what saved Qiao Haoyu’s life—had they been stranded in the wilderness, he could have bled out before reaching medical help.
Despite the unexpected attack, the mission had been a resounding success. The expert had gotten through it with only a scare and was now safely at his destination. More importantly, the incident had exposed a traitor within their ranks and led to the capture of several enemy spies. After an overnight interrogation, the intelligence gathered revealed the extent of their infiltration. Among those arrested were two high-ranking officials from critical departments—hidden threats lurking within the very fabric of the people.
If not for this mission, who knew how much further their treachery would have gone?
After a three-hour drive, Wei Jiajia and the others finally arrived at the military hospital in the city.
The moment she stepped through the door, her eyes landed on Qiao Haoyu, lying on the hospital bed with his eyes closed.
“Commander, what brings you here?” The soldier sitting beside the bed immediately stood up and saluted. He was a fellow officer who had been on the mission with Qiao Haoyu, an infantry captain from another regiment. He had been keeping watch over him for the past two days.
Commander Qin returned the salute and gave Captain Hu a firm pat on the shoulder. “You’ve done well, Captain Hu. We came to check on Captain Qiao. Has he woken up yet?”
“Not yet, but the doctor said there’s a good chance he’ll regain consciousness tonight.”
“That’s good to hear,” Commander Qin said with relief. Then he gestured toward Wei Jiajia and introduced her. “This is his wife. It’ll be easier for her to take over his care now. I’ve also brought his adjutant to assist her. You don’t need to stay any longer—once we’ve settled things here, you’ll head back with me.”
“Good evening, sister-in-law!”
Wei Jiajia quickly turned to Captain Hu with gratitude. “Hello! You’ve done so much for us—I can’t thank you enough. Once he’s recovered, please come over for dinner. We’d love to properly show our appreciation.”
“Well, I won’t say no to that, sister-in-law! I’ve heard from everyone that your cooking is amazing. Apparently, it’s so good that Captain Qiao rushes straight home after work every day,” Captain Hu said, half-jokingly, hoping to lift her spirits.
“It’s no trouble at all.”
Once Commander Qin and the others left, Wei Jiajia finally had a quiet moment to take a proper look at her husband.
“Sister-in-law, I’ll go to the cafeteria and get you some food. You haven’t had dinner yet,” Qiao Haoyu’s adjutant, Xiao Shi, said.
Wei Jiajia wasn’t hungry at all, but she knew she had to take care of herself. If she didn’t eat, she wouldn’t have the strength to care for her husband when he woke up. “Alright, thank you,” she said, pulling out some ration tickets and handing them to him.
“I can’t take these, sister-in-law. The commander already gave me ration tickets, and besides, the expenses will be reimbursed later.” Before she could argue, he grabbed the food container and dashed out the door.
Seeing how quickly he disappeared, Wei Jiajia made a mental note to find another way to thank him later. Then she turned back to the hospital bed and sat down on the chair beside it, taking Qiao Haoyu’s hand in hers.
He had lost weight. Faint scratches marred his face, and his beard had grown out, giving him an unkempt look. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, evidence of exhaustion.
Her fingers traced the contours of his brow and cheek, memorizing every detail. Even now, in such a weary and battered state, his handsomeness remained unchanged.
He lay quietly on the hospital bed, like a sleeping beauty waiting for a prince’s kiss to awaken him.
“You liar… You promised you wouldn’t get hurt,” Wei Jiajia murmured, lowering her head to place a soft kiss on his lips. Then, in a whisper close to his ear, she added, “When are you going to wake up? I want you to open your eyes and look at me.”
Before she could straighten up, a sharp female voice rang out from the doorway.
“What do you think you’re doing? Who gave you permission to touch the patient so casually?”
A woman in a white nurse’s uniform stormed into the room, grabbed Wei Jiajia’s arm, and yanked her away from the bed.
The sudden aggression caught Wei Jiajia completely off guard. She stumbled slightly but quickly steadied herself, turning to look at the woman.
The nurse glared at her furiously, as if she had just committed some terrible, unspeakable act. The sheer absurdity of the situation almost made Wei Jiajia laugh.
The moment the nurse got a good look at her face, however, her expression faltered ever so slightly. Yet, she still raised her voice, scolding, “Who let you in here? Do you even know who’s lying in that bed? Have you no shame, daring to touch him like that?”
Clearly flustered, the nurse’s cheeks flushed red as she recalled the scene she had just witnessed from the doorway—Wei Jiajia kissing Qiao Haoyu.
At first, Wei Jiajia had assumed the nurse was just being strict about hospital rules, and she even felt a little guilty for breaking them. But the more she looked at the woman’s reaction, the more something seemed off.
No nurse would speak so harshly to a female visitor. Even if she didn’t know the patient’s family situation, her reaction was far too extreme.
With a calm but firm tone, Wei Jiajia met her gaze and said, “Comrade, I don’t believe there’s any law against visiting my own husband. Is that really something worth making such a scene over?”
“Impossible!” the nurse snapped the moment she heard Wei Jiajia’s response.
“Oh? And why is that?” Wei Jiajia raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Do you know him that well? So well that you’re even certain about his marital status?”
Internally, she was fuming. Qiao Haoyu, even unconscious, still managed to attract admirers—so much so that a young woman was practically picking a fight over him. Just wait until he woke up—she’d make sure he paid for this!
“And what proof do you have?” The nurse crossed her arms, her expression self-righteous. “If you can’t prove that you’re his wife, then please leave. We can’t just let random strangers into the room of a national hero. Who knows what your real intentions are?”
She was determined to make things difficult for Wei Jiajia. Even if she was his wife, she wasn’t going to let her off so easily.
Last night, when Qiao Haoyu had been rushed into the hospital, she had been on the night shift. After his surgery, she had been the one watching over him. The moment she laid eyes on him, she had been struck by his features—how could someone look so handsome even while unconscious? She had wondered what he’d be like once he woke up.
She had seen this as her chance—an opportunity to impress him with her care and dedication. She was convinced that once he woke up, he would notice her kindness and, just maybe, develop feelings for her. Perhaps, in time, he might even marry her.
After all, this wasn’t unheard of. In their military hospital, there had been several cases where nurses and officers fell in love during a long hospital stay and eventually got married. Why couldn’t she be one of them? She had been ready to put in the effort… and then, out of nowhere, this woman appeared to ruin everything.
Just as the tension between them was about to escalate further, Xiao Shi walked in, carrying the food he had gone to fetch.
“Sister-in-law, I brought back the food. You should eat something first.”
Wei Jiajia glanced at the nurse and smiled. “Well, here’s the proof of my identity.”
Xiao Shi looked between Wei Jiajia and the nurse, confused. “Proof? Proof of what? Me?”
The moment the nurse heard Xiao Shi, dressed in his military uniform, call Wei Jiajia sister-in-law, , reality sank in. This woman was, in all likelihood, truly the wife of the officer lying in that hospital bed. And just like that, before she could even make a move, her hopes had been crushed.
Her voice was stiff as she said, “No need.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Xiao Shi scratched his head in confusion as he placed the meal down. “What was that all about? I don’t get it.”
Wei Jiajia didn’t bother explaining. Instead, she picked up the food and motioned for Xiao Shi to join her at the table.
She needed to take care of herself, so that when her husband finally opened his eyes, he wouldn’t have to worry about her on top of everything else.
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