On the way back, it was already late, and there were almost no pedestrians on the road, making the journey smooth.
Qi Chengyan glanced at the tired Cheng You, "Did you hand over the things?"
Cheng You pursed her lips and nodded, "It should be in the news tomorrow."
She intended to donate the Mu Xi grass from the medicinal herb garden free of charge. The profits from Zhen Shan Tang were already enough for her; she didn't need to profit from Mu Xi grass.
Qi Chengyan patted her head and said, "Actually, even selling it would be reasonable." None of the researchers' achievements went unsold. And no one, unlike Cheng You, made all their pharmaceutical recipes available for public viewing.
Cheng You leaned back against the seat, eyes half-closed, a smile playing on her lips. "When I knew my stepmother was a viper, all I wanted was to leave that home, by any means necessary. But wishing wasn't enough; I had no money and no ability. Back then, all I thought about was making money."
Qi Chengyan chuckled and asked, "And now?"
Cheng You stared at him, her eyes burning, "Defending the country, are you doing it for that small allowance?"
Qi Chengyan looked straight ahead. Of course not. The allowance for soldiers wasn't that high. Song Jingtang, being a businessman, earned more in a month than Qi Chengyan's annual allowance. Money wasn't the primary motivator. Years of rigorous training and an iron discipline were the hardest. It wasn't for money; it was for a heart full of passion.
There was no need to answer. How could Cheng You not know? "I can't go to the battlefield like you, but I want to do something within my power." She didn't want to be a great person, her abilities were limited, and she didn't need to be recorded in history. Cheng You simply wanted to leave something memorable in her limited life. Perhaps in a hundred years, her descendants would be able to feel genuinely proud when mentioning her as an elder.
Qi Chengyan's fingers tightened, and he suddenly slammed on the brakes, pulling the car over to the side of the road. Cheng You opened her eyes, about to speak, when her red lips were sealed by his. The kiss, imbued with all his affection, was passionate and lingering.
Cheng You stared at him blankly, "Why did you suddenly kiss me?"
Qi Chengyan gently rubbed her lips with his thumb and whispered, "Because I like you so much."
Cheng You pursed her lips and smiled, "I know you like me a lot!"
Qi Chengyan pulled her head to rest on his chest, his powerful heartbeat clearly audible. "This liking grows a little more each day."
Cheng You looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Qi Chengyan, who taught you these sweet nothings?"
Qi Chengyan leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Words from the heart, they don't need teaching."
Cheng You gazed out the window at the pitch-blackness. There was nothing much to see, but she felt happy.
...
After the exchange meeting, National Day followed, and Cheng You finally had a few days of rare vacation. However, the information she had released the previous day was too explosive. Many people had inquired about her whereabouts, wanting to discuss it with her. Cheng You, having finally secured a few days off, just wanted to eat and drink with Qi Chengyan and be a couch potato. She asked Qi Chengyan to fend off these people.
But when Old Master Yun and Academician Wang arrived, Cheng You didn't know what to do. She couldn't refuse these two. Cheng You thought for a moment and then asked Chen Qin to take them to the medicinal herb garden. If they wanted to research Mu Xi grass, it would be more effective to see it themselves. Upon hearing this, the two elderly gentlemen eagerly headed to Yan Jiao. They could always talk to Cheng You another day, but the opportunity to study Mu Xi grass up close in the herb garden was rare.
During the holiday, Sun Xiaowan felt bored and came to chat with Cheng You. She told Cheng You about her pregnancy in person. The early stage meant she wasn't showing yet.
"Song Jingtang's mother has been wanting to move in, but I've stubbornly refused." Especially after Tang Jing had caused some trouble in the military district, leading to Song Jingtang's father being demoted. Tang Jing was like a possessed woman, coming to their house every day. If she still had to attend school, she would have to face that face daily, which was truly annoying. "She even found someone to buy a folk remedy, saying drinking it could guarantee a son. Song Jingtang heard about it and threw her out directly."
Cheng You furrowed her brow upon hearing her words, "You didn't touch it, did you?"
Sun Xiaowan pouted, "I'm not stupid." She also had brothers, but her family treated them equally without any bias. Having grown up in such a family, she didn't care about the sex of her unborn child. If it was a boy, he could join the army like Qi Chengyan, or become a businessman like Song Jingtang. If it was a girl, she could study medicine like Cheng You, or go abroad to study like Duan Liping. Everyone could shine in their areas of expertise, regardless of gender.
Cheng You gently touched her belly and said softly, "A boy or a girl is the same. I'm going to be the godmother anyway."
Sun Xiaowan glanced at her, "What about you and Qi Chengyan? Are you planning to have children anytime soon?"
Cheng You propped her chin, "We'll see when fate allows. I'm not using any contraception deliberately." As for when the child would come, it was up to fate.
Sun Xiaowan said, "I was thinking if we could arrange a childhood engagement."
"That idea is not good. It's enough if they can play well together. Arranging a childhood engagement for them now, and then they don't like each other, wouldn't that ruin the friendship between our two families?" Cheng You flatly refused. Sun Xiaowan had to abandon the idea.
She looked up at the sky and, after chatting with Cheng You for a while, started yawning. "I've been feeling particularly tired lately."
Cheng You said, "Then go inside and rest for a bit."
Sun Xiaowan was about to agree when she heard Tang Jing calling from the doorway, "Xiaowan! Xiaowan, come out!"
Sun Xiaowan didn't want to move and sat there rolling her eyes. "How did she know I was at the compound?"
Cheng You smiled, "The compound is small, it's normal she knows." In just this short time, Tang Jing had called her more than ten times. Sun Xiaowan couldn't avoid going out any longer.
"Stop shouting, it's so noisy!"
Tang Jing didn't seem to care about her impatience and grabbed her wrist, "Why didn't you come home when you arrived at the compound? Come home quickly, you're pregnant now, you can't just run around."
Sun Xiaowan shook her hand off, "I'm not running around, I was just talking at Cheng You's place."
"How can that be!" Tang Jing raised her voice.
"Why can't it be? Being with Cheng You is much safer than being with you!"
Tang Jing's face turned ashen, as if looking at a disobedient brat. "Of course not. Cheng You hasn't had children yet, maybe there's something wrong with her body. What if she negatively affects your unborn child?" She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if her words weren't detestable.
Sun Xiaowan was so disgusted she couldn't even be bothered to argue with her, spitting out two words filled with disgust: "Madwoman!" At this moment, Tang Jing seemed no different from a madwoman in her eyes.
Tang Jing insisted on touching her, even disregarding her pregnancy and trying to drag her away. Sun Xiaowan could no longer tolerate it. She went inside and locked the door, leaving Tang Jing to shout outside. Only when someone from the Song family arrived and took her away did Sun Xiaowan say impatiently, "You can't let her come to my place again next time. She's like a lunatic."
Tang Jing indeed never had the chance to appear before her again. This incident became the catalyst, triggering the illness hidden beneath her normal facade. Since no one in the Song family had time to care for her, she was sent to a psychiatric hospital.