Back To The 80s-Chapter 633: Extra Three: Galsang Flower on the Plateau (Part Five)_1

Chen Gang didn’t completely understand what Lu Weiyi meant, but he agreed that Sun Meng was indeed a good girl – practical, capable, and most importantly, unafraid of hardship. She had never once complained about the tough life in the Tibetan area. "Yes, she is good," he nodded.

Lu Weiyi scoffed, "All men are the same. Always looking for the next best thing." Without waiting for Chen Gang’s response, she moved towards the window and sat down, ready to wallow in her thankfully unrequited first love. She was grateful that it hadn’t gone beyond hand-holding. If she had married and had kids with someone only to find out they were cheating on her, she would have died of heartbreak.

Chen Gang didn’t understand why Lu Weiyi’s mood had suddenly turned cold. He closed his eyes to rest.

Lu Weiyi turned to look at the slumbering Chen Gang, his handsome chiseled features conveying a man of integrity instead of a married philanderer, reminding her that appearances could be deceiving. She thought men in her family were the best – her grandfather, uncle, and her father were all respected figures beyond their home who transformed into loving husbands doting on their wives once they stepped inside their house.

Over the next two days, Lu Weiyi spent her time in the hospital taking care of Chen Gang, trying to prevent Sun Meng from having any alone time with him. Whenever Sun Meng went home to cook porridge, they would chat casually about life, culture, and food.

When Sun Meng arrived with the insulated bucket filled with porridge for Chen Gang, she froze at the door of his room.

Lu Weiyi was leaning over Chen Gang, their mouths seeming to touch from Sun Meng’s perspective. Tears welled up in her eyes as she put down the bucket and quickly turned to leave. She didn’t want Chen Gang to see her crying. She wanted to maintain her dignity.

Lu Weiyi quickly scrambled off Chen Gang and furiously wiped her lips. She shot Chen Gang an angry look before running off to find Sun Meng; she didn’t want to be misunderstood. Being the third party was the last thing she desired.

Suppressing his chest pain, Chen Gang was a bit depressed. He had intended to go to the bathroom and Lu Weiyi had quickly tried to help him. In her hurry, she tripped over the bed’s edge and fell across him. She was afraid of hurting his wound and in her attempt to see whether she had, their lips had brushed against each other.

Sun Meng had chosen that unfortunate moment to bring porridge and witnessed their accidental kiss. Lu Weiyi had then rushed after her, seemingly unconcerned about his condition.

After searching without success for Sun Meng, Lu Weiyi went to the washroom to vigorously rinse her mouth. She was still peeved that her first kiss was with a man on the brink of infidelity.

Lu Weiyi decided to quickly borrow the money from Chen Gang and leave. If he wanted to cheat on his wife, so be it. She wasn’t his keeper anyway. It wasn’t worth the emotional cost.

When Lu Weiyi returned with a stern look on her face, Chen Gang was puzzled.

"You’ve recovered quite well, so could you lend me some money? I need to hurry back home or my parents will start worrying." Lu Weiyi refrained from mentioning Gu Xiaobei; she didn’t think it was necessary.

Chen Gang nodded, "I have a bank card in my pocket. You can use it to withdraw money. The PIN is six ones."

Lu Weiyi was annoyed, thinking if this man was so easygoing in everything, no wonder he attracted so many women. He had wasted a good wife. As these thoughts ran through her mind, she went to the wardrobe, found Chen Gang’s clothes, pulled out the bank card, and told him, "I’ll go withdraw money now. Don’t worry, I’ll only take 3000. I won’t take more." As she left the room, she suddenly turned back and asked, "You do have 3000 in the account, right?"

Chen Gang smiled and shook his head, "Don’t worry. There’s plenty."

Lu Weiyi withdrew 3000 yuan and checked the balance, only to see tens of thousands left in the account. She was amazed that a soldier could save so much and yet wondered why he wasn’t sending it to his wife. So questionable!

After returning the card to Chen Gang, she hurried to buy a train ticket and pack her things to leave.

After Lu Weiyi left, Chen Gang felt unaccustomed to her absence. Each day without her chattering felt quieter, lonelier. On sleepless nights, he found himself unintentionally reminiscing about their accidental kiss.

He remembered her lips’ slight movement each time she processed her thoughts, the surprise in her eyes when she chatted, her fluttering eyelashes tickling his heart.

He figured that he’d been cooped up at the hospital for too long, which is why he couldn’t stop recalling their interactions during the past few days. He remembered every exaggerated expression she’d made and the condescending looks she occasionally gave him.

Meanwhile, Lu Weiyi also had her share of troubles. On the train back to Capital City, her heart was still racing. She chalked it up to having difficulty adjusting after leaving the high plateau.

Whenever she closed her eyes, she remembered Chen Gang’s smile and his flustered reactions each time she stumped him. She dreaded that she might be falling in love with him. But that couldn’t be right; she had just gone through a breakup. It was too soon to fall for another man. Moreover, Chen Gang was supposedly a married man. She’d feel shameful for stealing another woman’s husband. Guess it’s a good thing she fled.

At Gu Xiaobei’s house in Capital City, Lu Aiguo had already returned south because of work, leaving Fang Jing to wait for Lu Weiyi.

Seeing her thin and dark-skinned daughter, Fang Jing felt both fury towards and sympathy for her. Her voice quivered as she said, "You brat. Now you remember to come home? How did you become so skinny? Given how forgetful you are, how could you have dared to venture so far alone?"

With a goofy smile, Lu Weiyi replied, "Auntie, where are Xiaopang and the others?"

"Xiaopang went with Guoguo to find Mo Wang. Apparently, your uncle had sent him off for some training in the mountains again," Gu Xiaobei heaved a sigh recounting this. She was already weary of raising Xiaopang, her son who was not yet seventeen. Mo Wang had shown a keen interest in the harsh training.

Grinning, Lu Weiyi asked, "Is Guoguo the girl Xiaopang mentioned on the phone, the one who wants to marry Mo Wang?"

Gu Xiaobei shook her head helplessly. Raising Xiaopang was already a headache, and now potentially having a daughter-in-law like Guoguo, she felt her hair might turn grey prematurely.

Suddenly remembering something, she asked Lu Weiyi, "I called Chen Gang, but he was away on a mission. His communication officer passed on the message. Did Chen Gang come to see you?"

Lu Weiyi sighed, "Auntie, even you have unreliable moments. That Chen Gang... I did meet him. But he’s not as good as you made him out to be. He’s married with children and yet can’t settle down."

This puzzled Gu Xiaobei, "When did Chen Gang get married and have children? Are you sure you didn’t mistake him for someone else?"

Lu Weiyi, who was just about to take a bite of an apple, almost choked on it, "Oh my god, did I mess up again?"

Fang Jing chuckled to Gu Xiaobei, "It seems Weiyi can only remember her studies clearly. She’s always been a scatterbrain, but her mix-ups and forgetfulness have gotten worse."