After Commissar Zhao left, only Xiao Mandong and Shen Linzhou remained in the hospital room. Shen Linzhou sat up straight, his body rigid and his face bearing the seriousness expected of a soldier, yet his gaze kept drifting away. He simply didn’t dare meet Xiao Mandong’s eyes, and his fingers unconsciously picked at the bedsheet.
“Comrade Xiao Mandong, I’m going to brief you on the mission arrangements.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke. His voice was low, but every word was clear. “For safety reasons, everything will be conveyed verbally. The main objective of this mission is to capture Old Kai alive and force him to reveal his superior. As for the arrangements, I’ll stay in the village under the pretense of pursuing you. Of course, you can keep rejecting me to protect your reputation. We just need a reasonable excuse for me to enter the village. Many people know that you saved me last time, so I’ll use that as the reason. I’ll say that I’ve fallen for you and want to court you. That way, I can take the opportunity to monitor Sun Wenbin. As for the rest of the plan, we’ll make adjustments as the situation develops. I’ll keep you informed. I hope we can work closely together and complete the mission as soon as possible.”
He deliberately emphasized the word “mission,” as though he were drawing a clear line between them and reminding himself that this was fake—that it was only a mission and must not be taken seriously. Yet as he spoke, the tips of his ears turned red, and his heart pounded wildly.
Xiao Mandong was silent for a few seconds before nodding decisively. “All right. I’ll cooperate.”
Xiao Mandong didn’t notice anything unusual about Shen Linzhou. She knew they couldn’t reveal the entire plan to each other. She didn’t care about that. As long as Xiao Manxue could go to school, she wasn’t afraid of anything.
Shen Linzhou instantly relaxed. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, but when he heard Xiao Mandong agree, he felt incomparably relieved. The corners of his lips lifted involuntarily. But he quickly realized what he was doing and hurriedly lowered his head, pretending to straighten the buttons on his uniform to hide his lapse.
Xiao Mandong glanced at the time. “I have an appointment, so I’ll be leaving.”
She had arranged to go to Lin Wenya’s home for dinner. She couldn’t very well arrive empty-handed, so she planned to use this time to buy something at the supply and marketing cooperative.
“All right,” Shen Linzhou replied, lifting his head as he watched Xiao Mandong disappear through the hospital-room door.
The moment the door closed, he could no longer conceal the smile on his face. His eyes and brows relaxed completely, and his heart was filled with eager anticipation—the anticipation of the mission beginning and of finally having a legitimate reason to get closer to her.
He was even thinking about whom he should ask for advice on how to pursue a girl.
“Deputy Commander Shen, what are you thinking about? You look awfully happy.”
Zhou Qichuan’s voice suddenly came from the doorway.
Shen Linzhou snapped back to reality. The foolish grin on his face had not yet faded when it collided with Zhou Qichuan’s probing gaze.
“N-Nothing.” He cleared his throat and tried to recover the stern composure of a soldier. “I was just thinking about the mission. It feels like we’ll be able to complete it soon, so I’m happy.”
Zhou Qichuan raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. But he didn’t press the matter. Instead, he carried the enamel mug in his hand into the room and set it on the table.
“Doctor Xiao asked me to bring you this medicine. She said it’ll help you recover faster, and you have to drink every last drop.”
Xiao Mandong knew that Shen Linzhou’s injuries were quite serious. Since this mission involved dealing with enemy agents, she felt that he needed to recover as quickly as possible to prevent anything from going wrong. So she had mixed a little spiritual spring water with brown sugar for him to drink. To avoid arousing suspicion, she had also added half a packet of coptis.
Shen Linzhou picked up the enamel mug and tilted his head back, drinking it in one go. The moment the liquid entered his mouth, his expression changed dramatically. The bitter taste shot straight to his brain, making him choke so badly that he nearly vomited on the spot. But beneath the bitterness was a hint of sweetness, which only made him feel even more grateful toward Xiao Mandong. She was truly thoughtful. Worried that the medicine would be too bitter, she had even added sugar.
At that moment, Xiao Mandong and her younger sister had arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative. They bought two tins of malted milk powder, two bags of brown sugar, and twenty eggs. She also bought a piece of fine cotton cloth for the child. As she paid, she couldn’t help sneezing twice.
When they returned to the hospital, Lin Wenya was getting out of a jeep.
“I originally wanted my brother to come pick you up, but his work is rather unusual, and he still hasn’t returned. And why did you buy all this? You’re being far too formal.”
“It’s our first time visiting your home. We couldn’t show up empty-handed,” Xiao Mandong replied with a smile.
Lin Wenya continued smiling and complaining playfully that Xiao Mandong was treating them like outsiders and wasting her money.
The three women chatted and laughed along the way. Before long, the jeep drove into the Public Security Bureau family compound. The neat rows of red-brick houses were genuinely enviable.
The moment they entered the Lin family’s courtyard, the fragrance of food swept over them.
Old Mrs. Lin, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen. “Quick, quick, let Mandong and Manxue come inside and sit for a while. Dinner will be ready soon.”
But the moment Xiao Mandong stepped inside, she saw someone who made her scalp prickle with dread. It was none other than Director Huang of the Revolutionary Committee. Sitting beside him was the woman who had been behaving intimately with him at the hospital.
“Hello, Director Huang.”
Xiao Mandong greeted him first. They had met once in the village, so she couldn’t pretend not to know him. Director Huang also smiled and greeted her as though they were old acquaintances.
Director Huang narrowed his eyes. He had never imagined that this woman would know Director Lin’s family—and that they would seem to be on such good terms.
These past two days, Xiao Mandong had been so on edge because of the enemy agent that she was practically seeing danger everywhere. She hurriedly followed Lin Wenya to see Lin Wenhui and the baby.
Lin Wenhui had changed tremendously over the past two days. Her complexion was worlds better than before, and the baby was no longer crying incessantly. Instead, the child slept peacefully beside Lin Wenhui.
While they were chatting, Old Mrs. Lin walked in and gave Lin Wenya a hard pinch on the arm.
Lin Wenya cried out, “Ow! Mom, why did you pinch me? That hurt!”
Only then did Old Mrs. Lin explain what Director Huang was doing there.
Xiao Mandong never would have imagined that Director Huang had come to introduce someone to Lin Wenya’s elder brother.
The Public Security Bureau and the Revolutionary Committee shared a family compound for their employees. Earlier that day, Lin Wenya had run into Director Huang’s mother after returning from the hospital. They had chatted for a while, and Lin Wenya had accidentally let slip that Lin Guoan was back. Who could have known that Director Huang would bring his niece over that very evening for a matchmaking visit?
Xiao Mandong’s heart jolted. She had never imagined that Director Huang would bring this woman to meet Lin Guoan under the pretense that she was his niece. She truly hadn’t expected him to be so shameless—to try to marry his mistress to the director’s son. What exactly was he plotting?
“I only mentioned it casually. How was I supposed to know they’d have the nerve to come over themselves without even finding a matchmaker?” Lin Wenya protested.
She was filled with regret too, wishing she could slap herself. Why had she opened her big mouth and said those things?
She knew perfectly well that Old Mrs. Lin hadn’t invited Xiao Mandong over merely for dinner.
Three years ago, her sister-in-law died in childbirth, leaving behind a baby girl who still needed to be fed. For the past three years, her brother, Lin Guoan, had played both father and mother to the child. He had to shoulder the demanding, highly confidential production work at the military factory while also caring for his young daughter, leaving him busy and lonely.
Old Mrs. Lin saw how hard her son’s life was and truly worried for him. Over the years, she had repeatedly tried to find Lin Guoan a suitable partner, but he feared that a remarried wife might treat his daughter poorly and turned down every proposal as tactfully as he could.
