AHDIBCB Chapter 18

He had silently criticized the guy several times, yet not only did the guy turn out to be nothing like he had imagined—greedy for small gains—but he even helped him earn favor in front of the director. This feeling was hard to describe.

Yuan Yi had rarely encountered someone like He Yanwu before. Ever since entering the workforce, he had often seen people who could talk eloquently but were slow to act. Those who spoke little but did a lot, however, were rare.

Everyone wanted to be recognized—who would do a good deed and wish to remain anonymous?

Aside from He Yanwu, the only other person Yuan Yi could think of was his former middle school teacher who had helped him before.

And if it weren’t for his bad mood today due to lack of sleep, he wouldn’t have come this early. If that were the case, who knew when he would have found out about this?

“Thank you, Director Qiao. I’ll make sure to learn well.”

“As long as you have the determination, that’s enough. People—if they can fight for what they love even once, it’s worth it.” Director Qiao tossed the white towel over his back. “Keep practicing, I’ll go for another run.”

“Goodbye, Director Qiao.”

Yuan Yi replayed the recording on his communicator.

Nowadays, communicators are both compact and practical. Making calls and browsing the internet are just the basics—these devices can also project multiple screens simultaneously like a miniature projector, function as an excellent voice recorder, and even render online courses in a full holographic display. 

There were also features Yuan Yi had never seen before, such as light-and-shadow 3D scanning and intelligent emergency calls. He projected the anatomical diagrams he had taken in class onto a shaded area, listening while studying, his efficiency skyrocketing.

Without even realizing it, the irritability he had felt earlier had completely vanished after arriving at school. He remained fully focused on his studies until past six o’clock, then headed to the school cafeteria for a meal.

Yuan Yi used facial recognition to purchase breakfast for two—one serving of vegetable and chicken wrap with seafood porridge, plus a bowl of wonton noodles. He wasn’t treating anyone; it was all for himself.

The morning crowd wasn’t as large as at noon. Yuan Yi sat by the window and had only eaten a little when he happened to turn and notice someone standing in the woods outside the cafeteria.

The person appeared to be on a call, likely using built-in earbuds, as only his lips moved without any audible speech. He occasionally rubbed his forehead, looking somewhat helpless at times.

He Yanwu hadn’t expected to receive a call from his grandfather on the way to grab a meal. Absentmindedly rubbing his growling stomach, he said, “I’m still having people look into the matter with Ship No. 24. Go see you? No, no, it’s not the right time yet.”

The person on the other end of the call said, “Look at you, so eager to teach your wife at school. What’s the matter? Your mother introduced so many before, and none of them satisfied you, but this one does?”

He Yanwu felt a little guilty. “What are you talking about? I just think he’s different from the rumors and want to observe him a bit more. Besides, by the time I came back, he was already here… If I drive him away now, tell me, how is a student supposed to handle that?”

Marshal Jian let out a snort. “How kind of you. But I’m serious about this. You can see for yourself that this marriage was just a matter of both families getting what they needed. But to be frank, I’m not satisfied with either the Zhou family or the boy himself. If you were really gone, that’d be another story. But you’re very much alive, and this kid—whether in temperament, ability, or family background—is far from an ideal choice. So if you truly don’t like him, there’s no need to force yourself. If you want a divorce, just go ahead. I’ll speak with Zhou Tandai about it today. Don’t worry, before you’re officially ‘back to life,’ I’ll have the boy return to the Zhou family, and I’ll make sure they don’t mistreat him.”

He Yanwu chuckled. “Grandpa, there’s really no need.”

Jian Qingchuan said, “Don’t be so quick to refuse. Think carefully about what I said—don’t end up regretting it later. A couple needs to have common ground to make a marriage work. That boy may come from the Zhou family, but you know exactly how he grew up. There’s already a big age gap between you two, and if his worldview isn’t broad enough, do you think he’ll be able to keep up with your way of thinking? Think it over, you brat.”

He Yanwu didn’t respond—because the moment his grandfather finished speaking, he ended the call.

Yet, He Yanwu remained standing there. He was indeed thinking. And to his surprise, he realized that Yuan Yi actually had a level of maturity uncommon for his age.

The forums had been in an uproar these past few days, yet as the person at the center of it all, Yuan Yi simply went about his business, completely unaffected. His coursework was excellent, his questions were concise and to the point, and his learning approach was clear and structured. In fact, many of his ideas even aligned with He Yanwu’s. He didn’t seem like a nineteen-year-old college student at all. And He Yanwu wasn’t the only one who had noticed this.

Air Force Headquarters.

Marshal Jian sat in his rocking chair, glancing at a photograph on the table. The child in the picture was fair-skinned and chubby, with a round face full of youthful energy, nestled in the arms of a middle-aged woman. The elderly man and the child were both beaming at the camera, their smiles radiating pure joy.

The orderly poured a cup of tea and handed it over respectfully. “Commander, didn’t you praise that student Yuan Yi during your morning exercise? Why have you changed your mind so quickly?”

Jian Qingchuan waved at his adjutant. “You explain it to him.”

Adjutant Chen chuckled. “Xiao Lin, you don’t understand. Our commander’s grandson was born rebellious. If you agree with him and go along with his current thoughts, he’ll drag his feet and hesitate. But if you go against him, it’s a different story. He’ll become especially determined.”

The orderly nodded. “No wonder the commander spoke that way.”

Jian Qingchuan flipped through the documents in his hand. “That boy Yuan Yi—honestly, I wasn’t satisfied with him at first. But his background is pitiful, and his temperament is gentle, so I figured he could at least get along with Yurou. That’s why I turned a blind eye. But then, he actually surprised me. So of course, I have to seize the opportunity and give things a push. This great-grandson of mine didn’t come easy.”

The orderly grinned. “The older, the wiser. Have some tea, sir.”

Jian Qingchuan took the teacup. “By the way, Jianyu, how’s that investigation going?”

Adjutant Chen slowly withdrew his smile and turned serious. “The fleet’s top position is now vacant, and the people below are still debating who should take over. I estimate that in another half a month, they’ll have a decision. When the time comes, they’ll definitely ask for your opinion as well. I’m guessing Li Heng is also waiting for this.”

Jian Qingchuan tapped the lid of his teacup lightly. “Ever since Old Li passed away, some people have gotten bolder. Keep an eye on them. They’ll likely throw out bait first, testing whether Li Heng is still alive. Only when they’re certain he’s gone will they push their real candidate forward. They’ve done this before—we can’t let Li Heng fall for it.”

Adjutant Chen nodded. “Understood. Don’t worry, I’m keeping tabs on it. As for those tampering with the Star Bridge, should we…”

Jian Qingchuan took a sip of tea and waved a hand. “Let that kid handle it himself. A man should clean up his own house—don’t you think?”

Adjutant Chen didn’t dare to have an opinion on that.

The mere thought that the identity of “He Yanwu” had been specially arranged years ago by the old commander and Li Heng as a contingency plan left him in complete awe. It was one thing to think ahead—but to anticipate problems years in advance? That was terrifying. When it came to the old commander, whatever he said, that was the way it was.

Meanwhile, back at Ji Hua Medical Academy’s cafeteria, Yuan Yi had already started on his second breakfast.

He Yanwu strolled into the cafeteria wearing a pair of oversized khaki shorts and a plain white T-shirt, his hair sticking up in random directions. With his hands shoved into his pockets, he looked completely unserious as he lazily glanced over the menu while rubbing his stomach.

Since all the meals were made by smart kitchen systems, there wasn’t much variety to expect. Suddenly, He Yanwu regretted sharing his beef with those two troublemaking juniors, Yue Zhen and Pan Yuechen. He should’ve kept more for himself—especially since those two hadn’t even bothered to explain anything to Yuan Yi yet.

Just as he was thinking that, he spotted Yuan Yi and, without much thought, ordered exactly what Yuan Yi was having—just doubled.

Two portions * 2. That made four.

Carrying an oversized tray loaded with food, He Yanwu walked over. “You haven’t even been here a month, and you’re already eating this much?”

Yuan Yi replied, “I’m eating for three people with just two portions. You, senior, are eating four portions all by yourself—how do you say that with a straight face?”

He Yanwu froze for a second. “Eating for three? You got two people in your stomach?”

Yuan Yi mumbled, “Mm.”

He hadn’t intended to say anything, but somehow, whenever he talked to He Yanwu, the conversation always seemed to carry a bit of an explosive edge. He couldn’t even explain why. He wasn’t the warmest person, sure, but he wasn’t the type to talk with barbs either. So, in conclusion, He Yanwu was just asking for a comeback.

But He Yanwu was actually a little surprised.

He could have easily looked into Yuan Yi’s pregnancy records if he wanted to, but that would mean revealing his identity—so he had never done it. Besides, plenty of people were already keeping an eye on this matter; as long as Yuan Yi and the children were safe, that was enough.

Still, he hadn’t expected Yuan Yi to be carrying two.

Especially since he had also chosen to transfer into the medical field—an incredibly demanding and exhausting profession. Having twins on top of that? He Yanwu couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration.

If Yuan Yi’s parents were free and had the time, it would be understandable—he wouldn’t have to worry too much about raising the kids. But from what He Yanwu knew, his parents weren’t retiring anytime soon. And Yuan Yi didn’t seem like the type who would leave child-rearing to others.

“You’re not worried it’ll be exhausting, raising two at once?”

“Of course it’ll be tiring. But if there are two of them, at least they’ll have each other,” Yuan Yi replied. “Kids should have other kids to play with.”

Parental companionship was one thing, but children had their own kind of social life.

He Yanwu thought of Zhou Xingran’s temperament and figured that was probably part of Yuan Yi’s reasoning too. Maybe it was because Yuan Yi had been lonely as a child, without anyone to truly play with—so he didn’t want his kids to experience the same solitude.

Yuan Yi finished his second breakfast and noticed He Yanwu still looking at him. “What?”

He Yanwu said, “Nothing. I’m heading to the boxing gym in the morning, but I’ll be free in the afternoon. If you have any questions, you can wait for me at the library then.”

Yuan Yi thought about his schedule for the day. “Thanks, Senior He. I should be able to get to the library by around 2:30 PM. Also… I misunderstood you before. My apologies.”

He Yanwu smirked. “You ran into Dean Qiao on his morning jog?”

Yuan Yi nodded. “If you have time, I can bring you some more. I don’t have much else to offer in return, but at least I can do this.”

His tone was the same as before—not particularly cold, but not exactly warm either.

With that, he stood up, gave a slight nod, and left.

The moment he reached the cafeteria entrance, his communicator buzzed with a new message from He Yanwu.—Didn’t eat enough. Bring two more jin.

Yuan Yi: Got it.