Chapter 122

But this excuse was too far-fetched; Chen Momo couldn’t convince herself. She wondered what kind of wondrous fate this was.

Beiming Qianye gazed at Chen Momo, a faint ache in his heart. He wondered what she had gone through all alone these past few years. The person he had been searching for was right in front of him, yet he had to keep his emotions in check. He was afraid that losing control might frighten her.

“Mommy, it smells so good! What delicious food are you making?” Sensing the silence in the air, Chen Xiaobao took the initiative to break the awkwardness. He had promised to help his uncle!

Chen Momo smiled. “Since Xiao Bao is back, Mommy will make your favorite braised fish, okay?”

Chen Xiaobao nodded happily. “Okay, thank you, Mommy!”

Chen Momo noticed that her son had grown quite a bit taller. It seemed he had been living well by Beiming Qianye’s side. After all, his nutrition and everything else had been properly taken care of. Feigning nonchalance, she shot a glance at Beiming Qianye and asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Beiming Qianye’s heart warmed. This seemingly casual question felt like a warm current flowing quietly through his heart, comforting his entire being.

“I’ll have the sour mustard green fish,” Beiming Qianye replied. The moment he said it, the aroma of the dish seemed to bloom on the tip of his tongue. During the days he was away, he had constantly missed the taste of that dish. But in truth, he missed the person who made it even more.

“Alright,” Chen Momo said. “Then we’ll add a sour mustard green fish and a plate of braised pork.” Only then did she notice Shen Zhongchen standing behind him. She asked, “Secretary Shen, what would you like?”

Shen Zhongchen chuckled. “Anything is fine with me. Miss Chen, just make whatever you originally planned.”

Chen Momo nodded and headed into the kitchen to get busy.

Xu Xiaoka quickly chimed in, “I’ll go help.” After all, with so many dishes to prepare, Sister Momo wouldn’t be able to handle it alone!

Once they retreated to the kitchen, Beiming Qianye quietly observed the apartment. Glancing around, he noticed that Chen Momo’s lifestyle habits had changed significantly over the years. She used to be an elegant woman with a taste for a slightly bourgeois lifestyle, always buying niche perfumes and clothes she liked. But now, the apartment was mostly filled with Xiao Bao’s things—his clothes, his books, his toys. Items belonging to herself were few and far between.

Thinking about the years Chen Momo had spent living with Yang Shunsheng, and the kind of life she must have endured, he could only imagine the endless grievances she had suffered. A pang of heartache gripped Beiming Qianye’s chest. Now that she was back, he would definitely make it up to her!

***

“Hello, Base Commander! Where are you heading, Base Commander?” the gate guard greeted Gu Rongjin with a hearty smile.

At that moment, Gu Rongjin was behind the wheel, preparing to leave the base. For some inexplicable reason, he was in a foul mood today. He had found out that the Chief had taken Xiao Bao straight to Chen Momo’s home. He didn’t know when their relationship had become so intimate.

Gu Rongjin had always been excellent at controlling his emotions. Nothing could easily stir his mind, and he rarely let anyone read his expressions. Behind his back, everyone called him “stone-face” or “iceberg.” He didn’t care in the slightest.

Today, however, his mood was dreadful. As a former Special Forces soldier, he had been trained to sever his emotions completely. For a long time, he had forgotten what the word “emotion” even meant. Yet today, he felt those emotions rushing back—a profound sense of irritability.

Gu Rongjin gave the guard a flat look. “Going out for a drive to clear my head.”

The guard’s eyes widened. “To clear your head?”

He could hardly believe that such a phrase would come out of the Base Commander’s mouth. In his eyes, the Base Commander was a man devoid of a heart, utterly lacking the basic human emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. Today was truly different.

Gu Rongjin drove through a landscape of ice and snow. The surrounding snow had slowly begun to melt, making the temperature seem even colder than when it was snowing. Fortunately, the sun had come out.

His thoughts drifted back to the time before his military discharge. He carried a heavy psychological burden—a deep trauma that ultimately sealed his fate to retire from the service. Back then, he was a valiant and heroic Special Forces operative executing a mission to track down the Heilong Gang. He was the one who secured most of the leads regarding the syndicate.

Gu Rongjin remembered that he had a direct subordinate with the codename “Fire Rose.” He had never met her in person. But through their constant chain of intelligence exchanges, he found himself developing unusual feelings for this unseen informant.

Later, Fire Rose was unexpectedly killed in an explosion. Gu Rongjin still remembered that day. He lay in bed, gasping heavily for air. It felt as though a massive hydraulic jack had been pressed against his chest, leaving him unable to move or struggle. He could not forgive himself. The intelligence had been transmitted by him. He had relayed the wrong information, which directly led to Fire Rose’s death. He owed her a life.

Guilt gnawed at him like a venomous snake. Whenever he remembered that Fire Rose’s tragic demise was his fault, he found it impossible to absolve himself. He was later diagnosed with depression and subsequently left the ranks of the Special Forces. Many people couldn’t understand it; he could have had such a bright future. But Gu Rongjin just couldn’t forgive himself. A man who transmitted flawed intelligence didn’t deserve to stay in the organization, much less have a brilliant future.

After abandoning his promising career, Gu Rongjin found an ordinary job at a sub-district office in Han City. The neighborhood under his jurisdiction was always the best—the safest, most united, and most harmonious. This was also why his aura contrasted so sharply with the elderly men and women of the neighborhood committee. He fundamentally did not belong here. Bound by an unforgivable mistake in his duty, he had willingly lowered his status to become an ordinary neighborhood committee director, dedicating the rest of his life to serving this city.

“If only she were still alive…” Gu Rongjin muttered to himself. “The mission was a success. If she were still alive, she would definitely be happy about the annihilation of the Heilong Gang. Our efforts were not in vain.”

It was from that point on that Gu Rongjin’s face had become increasingly “frozen.” He thought he would remain devoid of emotion for the rest of his life. He never expected that the Chief’s arrival today would still manage to unsettle his mind.

Humans are truly strange creatures, Gu Rongjin thought.