I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel

Chapter 382: Chapter 325: The Proposal—She Remembered

Unexpectedly, Yang Cui greeted Mrs. Jiang with a smile, completely out of character.

"Fanghua, are you heading into town too? That’s great, we can go together. You know I’m always timid and don’t dare travel alone. Luckily, I ran into you. Let me thank you in advance, sister."

Shen Fanghua’s face darkened; she hadn’t expected Ning Yan’s mother to be so cheeky.

When Ming Yue first returned, Ning Yan bizarrely proposed on the doorstep. After being rejected immediately, he vowed he wouldn’t give up, but then nothing followed. However, it was rumored he was trailing behind Jiang Zhenzhu like a shadow.

Anyone with a bit of sense would realize that Ning Yan’s proposal was just meant to disgust people.

It was after that proposal that the already incompatible two families could no longer stand each other. And now, with Yang Cui suddenly changing her attitude, Shen Fanghua couldn’t help but become alert.

"Yang Cui, I don’t have a sister, so don’t go claiming relations."

Yang Cui didn’t get upset, forcing a smile, "Alright, alright, I won’t claim, I won’t claim. But surely we can travel together?"

Shen Fanghua ignored her, not because she acquiesced, but because they were both heading into town along the only route, and she couldn’t shake her off even if she wanted to. She regretted not riding her tricycle.

Fortunately, Yang Cui was sensible enough not to stick too close afterward.

The two of them kept to themselves without conflict.

"Oh my, Fanghua, who would’ve thought our kids would have such fate?"

It was only then that Shen Fanghua realized Yang Cui had been following her all the way to Magpie Street. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Shen Fanghua enter a big courtyard and turn back with a smile, "Fanghua, I forgot to tell you, Ning Yan lives here and asked me to come enjoy a few days. Do you want to come in and take a look?"

Shen Fanghua held her anger all the way, paused for a moment, and then stayed mute, puzzled but without asking, just politely declining, "No need."

When she knocked on the door of number 42 with her basket on her back, her brows were still furrowed. Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Ran put down his pen and ran over with a skip.

"Who’s there?"

The familiar child’s voice wiped away Shen Fanghua’s frustrations.

"Xiao Ran, it’s your third aunt come to see you."

"Creak!" At the sound of his third aunt’s voice, the little one quickly reacted; his sister had instructed him well, and he was always mindful.

"Third aunt."

"Oh dear! It’s a bit chilly today, why are you only wearing a single coat?"

"I’m hot!" The voice was soft and weak.

Shen Fanghua stared at her nephew’s flushed face and suddenly reached out to touch his forehead.

Before she knew it, the little boy’s body went limp, and he fell backward. Shen Fanghua hurriedly stepped forward to catch him in her arms.

When Xiao Ran woke up, it was almost dark.

"Oh dear! You’re finally awake. Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? Tell your third aunt?"

The anxious look before him made Xiao Ran sit up suddenly.

"Oh dear! Take it slow! Is there anywhere that still feels uncomfortable? We can go to the hospital."

Maybe because he’d slept the whole day, Comrade Xiao Ran felt a bit out of it. Shen Fanghua wasn’t in a rush since she knew the little one had already broken his fever. She had been frantic all day, constantly wringing the towel, and finally, his face wasn’t red anymore. But the fever was stubborn, going on and off, wearing her out all day. If it hadn’t subsided, she would’ve taken him to the hospital long ago.

She was particularly grateful she came at the right time today.

Xiao Ran fluttered his eyelashes, recalling opening the door for his third aunt this morning. It seemed he fainted, and he didn’t know what happened afterward.

"I’m not feeling unwell anywhere. No need to go to the hospital. Third aunt, where’s sister? Has she come back yet?"

The world outside the window had darkened, but he didn’t see his sister.

Shen Fanghua felt deeply comforted. Her care for this child wasn’t in vain. See, he thought of her daughter first upon waking up.

Shen Fanghua couldn’t have been more pleased.

"Not yet! Neither your brother nor the others are back. How come they’re so busy? Are they like this all the time?"

Xiao Ran thought to himself that they weren’t, but even though his head wasn’t hot, he still felt weak. He moved his mouth several times but couldn’t muster a word, and Shen Fanghua wasn’t insistent on an answer.

"Hungry now, aren’t you? I’ve made you some white rice porridge. Wait here; I’ll bring it to you."

Though Shen Fanghua had been taking care of Xiao Ran, she hadn’t neglected herself. When she got hungry at noon, she found some noodles in her daughter’s kitchen and made herself a big bowl of egg noodles to keep her strength up for looking after the child. She made several dishes for the evening, but thinking her nephew had had a fever and probably wouldn’t have an appetite once it broke, she decided to make porridge instead, keeping it warm all along.

Scooping up the fragrant porridge, Shen Fanghua found the sugar jar and added two spoonfuls of sugar, stirring it and bringing it to the dazed little one on the bed.

"Can you smell the sweetness? I know you like sweet things, so I added some sugar for you.

Open up! Say ah."

Xiao Ran was stunned. In his memory, he had never been fed before.

He wanted to reach out for the bowl and spoon to say he could do it himself, but his little hands stayed tucked under the covers, unwilling to come out. If his mother were alive, she would probably feed him too.

Jiang Mingyue had been busy with a case these past few days. Together with An Jian, she was racing against time to combat a group of mountain bandits trying to cover their tracks. The bandits wanted to keep them pinned down to prevent their secrets from being exposed, but there was no way Jiang Mingyue and An Jian would let them succeed.

The area’s terrain was treacherous, and it was the bandits’ territory. Despite the difficulty in combat, Jiang Mingyue and An Jian’s team got lucky, with Lightning aiding them with its keen "Wolf King" senses, allowing them to bypass the bandits and escape successfully. They reported back to the Gan Institute, which immediately ordered a large-scale mobilization to capture the bandits overnight. By dawn, the operation was a complete success.

Next came investigations into the scene, uncovering a lot of illegal items and evidence, which further dragged in numerous officials on the job. The highest-ranking protector they found held a significant position, prompting the Gan Institute to report immediately to higher authorities.

When all was finally settled, Jiang Mingyue was able to return home, only to find the sky had already turned dark.

And just then, it started to rain outside.

"An Jian, wait for me a moment. I’m going back to get my umbrella." In reality, she was making an excuse to retrieve it from her hidden space.

Still, she had to keep up appearances, so when she returned to the office, she was just about to open her locker.

"Ring ring..."

Everyone had already left work, and there wasn’t even a night guard tonight. Originally, she didn’t plan to pick up the call, but inexplicably, some force pulled her forward, and she grabbed the receiver.

"Hello! Who is this..."

"Yueyue"

Just those simple two words froze Jiang Mingyue in place.

A somewhat hoarse voice on the other end suddenly laughed, "What’s wrong? Did I scare you?"

Jiang Mingyue finally came to her senses, her heart pounding incessantly, "Why are you only calling now?" She had already left work.

Yan Jinzhi said helplessly, "I’ve been at the experiment site the whole time; today’s my first break. We’re not allowed to communicate with the outside, had to wait until the project was over."

"Then how dare you today?"

"I’m an exception!" He didn’t mention that his superior was right beside him.

"Oh!"

"Did you miss me?"

Jiang Mingyue didn’t know that Yan Jinzhi’s superior was staring in shock, mouth agape.

What was going on?

What to do? Her heartbeat sped up again. "I did. I wish we could meet."

"I’ll try." He only thought those words, planning to buy a courtyard later to see if he could teleport to her side.

"Okay"

The words weren’t very clear, but Jiang Mingyue knew it was a promise.

She was filled with anticipation.

"How’s everything at home?"

Speaking of home, Jiang Mingyue talked a lot, especially about Jiang Zhengqing, who had been missing for eight years and suddenly returned with his wife and children.

Suddenly, Jiang Mingyue remembered something. She seemed to have never told Yan Jinzhi that they had entered a historical novel, and she knew quite a lot about the plot.

"You wait patiently for me." We’ll be able to meet soon.

Jiang Mingyue felt this man was growing gentler, so gentle that she had some illicit thoughts.

"Mm, I’ll wait for you."

"I’ve already reported to the higher-ups, and when I return, shall we get married?"

"Bang!" Jiang Mingyue felt as if her heart had exploded. What had this man just said?

"You heard me right; I want to build a long-lasting comradeship with you, hand in hand for a lifetime."

Oh my! It’s over.

For a long, long time... Jiang Mingyue covered her mouth, and big tears rolled down her cheeks.

Not out of emotion, but because... she remembered. In that instant, countless sealed memories surged into her mind like a tidal wave.

"Mingyue, marry me! I will love and cherish you for a lifetime, protect you with my life."

The same proposal echoed repeatedly in her mind.

They had known each other long ago, fell in love at first sight, swiftly establishing a relationship, but had hidden it from her elder cousin. On a day she was unexpectedly caught by her visiting cousin, the two men fought in the boxing ring for three days and nights. Eventually, they shook hands and reconciled, gaining her cousin’s support for their relationship.

How similar it is to this life!

The difference was, in the past, she broke his heart. After the battle with the Black Phoenix on Wuyun Mountain, he was severely injured, losing an arm. She lost her memory and forgot everything between them, leaving heartlessly.

Fortunately, he never gave up on her. After installing a prosthetic arm, he appeared around her as her teacher. At that time, he wore a mask, hired by her cousin as an all-round teacher, teaching her martial arts and academics, but she never recognized him.

Jiang Mingyue’s heart ached intensely, her voice somewhat broken, "Yan Jinzhi, I remember now, I remember everything."

On the other end, Yan Jinzhi was stunned for a moment before realizing what she meant.

"Yueyue"

"I’m sorry!" You must have had a hard time all those years, right?

As if he knew what she was thinking, Yan Jinzhi explained everything in one sentence, "As long as I could see you every day, it didn’t feel difficult!"

"Mingyue..." An ill-timed voice suddenly cut in, interrupting Jiang Mingyue’s good mood.

Jiang Mingyue glared at An Jian resentfully, while An Jian touched his nose, thinking Mr. Jiang was rather terrifying at the moment!

Yan Jinzhi also heard An Jian’s voice, thought about the time, and though reluctant to part, said, "It’s late. With An Jian accompanying you off work, I feel assured."

"Mm, you should eat and rest early as well."

"Okay."

Then there was silence, the phone should have been hung up, but neither made the first move.

Though An Jian had never dated, as the captain in this line of work, he was unfazed, thinking to himself that dating sure is troublesome, all that clinginess, luckily, he’s single.