When Chu You opened her eyes again, everything had changed.
There were no cold, writhing black veins, no suffocating air of pollution, no tense standoff at the edge between life and death.
What greeted her was a spacious and bright living room.
Ivory walls, warm yellow lights, the wooden floor polished to a mirror-like shine, softly reflecting a gentle halo.
The sofa was draped with an elegant floral slipcover, a lush green potted plant sat on the coffee table.
The entire space was arranged warmly and thoughtfully, filled with the breath of daily life.
Chu You frowned slightly, subconsciously glancing around.
The style of these furnishings looked somewhat old-fashioned, yet they were so pristine, it was as if no one had ever used them.
What stirred a faint ripple in her heart was that the room’s layout… gave her a strange sense of familiarity she couldn’t describe.
It felt as if she’d been here before?
Just as she was concentrating, trying to seize the vague impression flitting through her mind.
“Ka-da.”
A faint sound of a door opening came from the side.
Chu You instantly turned her head, alert.
A pair of young men and women in crisp military uniforms walked out side by side from a bedroom, chatting and laughing together.
The man stood tall, handsome, with the determined look unique to soldiers and a sharpness not yet worn down by time between his brows.
The woman was gentle and beautiful, holding onto the man’s arm, her face glowing with happiness and contentment.
And in her arms, she cradled with great care a baby wrapped in a light blue swaddling cloth.
The little one slept soundly, a soft pink face nestled in the fabric, showing only a round forehead and a few wisps of fine baby hair.
“Nancheng, how many days are left in your leave this time?”
The woman looked up, her voice gentle, with a hint of playful complaint, as she asked the man beside her.
Nancheng?
Upon hearing this name, Chu You’s pupils contracted slightly, and all the doubts and familiarity she had felt finally found their answer at this moment.
So that’s it…
This place was indeed a dreamscape constructed from Xia Ji’s memories and obsessions.
Xia Ji’s father, the hero who had gone missing when she was a child, whose fate was still uncertain, was named Xia Nancheng.
With this realization, Chu You’s gaze grew sharp and cautious.
She looked once more at the gentle woman—her features soft and serene, her demeanor calm, carrying the joy and faint helplessness of a new mother.
This must be Xia Ji’s mother, Hu Jing.
Finally, her gaze slowly fell and settled on the baby in Hu Jing’s arms, oblivious to the world, sleeping soundly.
So small, so soft, carrying all her parents’ love and hope.
A life ahead that should have been filled with sunshine and flowers…
Chu You’s expression grew complex and hard to read.
She never imagined she would have such a unique meeting with the infant Xia Ji.
“The Commander approved a month’s leave for me. There’s plenty of time…”
Young Xia Nancheng replied with a bright smile, his gaze never leaving the baby in his wife’s arms, his eyes full of love and tenderness.
“But you, Ajing—”
“What about me?”
Hu Jing raised her brow at her husband.
Hearing this, Xia Nancheng reluctantly shifted his gaze from the baby to his wife.
“Your unit is about to head north, and you’re a Yixian Zuozhan Danwei commander. For the sake of our child, for me… you put in a request to transfer posts. Don’t you feel wronged?”
“Eh?”
Hu Jing blinked, her eyes curving into crescents as she feigned surprise.
“How did you know? You’ve got a lot of nerve, prying into military secrets!”
“I’m sorry, Ajing.”
But Xia Nancheng didn’t follow her joke, instead apologizing earnestly.
“I’ve wronged you…”
Hu Jing froze for a second, then turned away, her voice somewhat dry.
“You—you always say this kind of sentimental nonsense!”
“We’re lovers, husband and wife, and now new parents.”
“For this little family of ours, for the baby, someone has to make a sacrifice—besides, it’s hard and dangerous at the front line. How do you know I didn’t ask for the transfer because I’m afraid of dying?”
“A-anyway, don’t say those apologetic things again, I don’t like hearing them.”
Hearing this, Xia Nancheng didn’t press the slightly heavy topic.
His face softened into a gentle smile again.
He habitually reached out, gently pinching his wife’s soft earlobe—a small gesture they’d shared since they fell in love.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you, no more apologies…”
Xia Nancheng enjoyed the warmth at his fingertips as he spoke softly, “I learned a few dishes from Huang Shifu in our logistics team. I’ll go buy ingredients later and cook for you.”
He bent slightly, making a formal invitation, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“May I ask the Commander to grace us with your presence and sample this subordinate’s humble cooking?”
Hu Jing was amused by his mock-serious manner, letting out a “pfft” of laughter, her gaze playful with feigned annoyance.
“Red-braised ribbonfish, steamed spare ribs with rice flour, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables—am I right?”
“I just mentioned in passing during my last visit to your Zhudichang that Huang Shifu’s dishes suited my taste, and you really remembered…”
She couldn’t resist a smile seeing the undisguised anticipation in her husband’s eyes.
She waved her hand, “Alright, alright, since you’re so sincere, I’ll give you this honor today!”
“Yes! Mission guaranteed complete!”
Xia Nancheng straightened up at once, responding as if accepting an important order, making Hu Jing laugh again.
She watched her husband playfully, enjoying this rare and warm moment, then suddenly changed the subject as she remembered something important.
“Oh right, Nancheng, about the baby’s name that we discussed before—have you thought about it?”
“We can’t keep calling her ‘baby’ forever, right?”
“Oh right, I almost forgot!”
Reminded by his wife, Xia Nancheng put away his playful look and grew more serious.
As he spoke, he carefully took out a palm-sized, slightly worn brown leather notebook from the pocket of his military jacket.
He flipped through it page by page with care.
Chu You could see it was filled with densely written names, some with notes on their meanings, the handwriting at times neat, at times scribbled, showing clear traces of careful deliberation.
Finally, he reached a page near the end.
The page was exceptionally clean, with just two characters written in slightly larger, upright script.
Xia Nancheng stopped there.
He turned the notebook toward Hu Jing, his finger pointing at those two characters, his tone carrying a barely noticeable nervousness and anticipation.
“Xia Ji—wife, what do you think of this name?”
“Xia Ji?”
Hu Jing gently furrowed her delicate brows, repeating it softly, mumbling, “It sounds… a little odd.”
Xia Nancheng chuckled, as if he had expected this response, and began to explain patiently, his eyes alight with earnestness.
“The last character of my name is ‘Nancheng’, and you have ‘Jing’ in yours.”
“I’m just an unrefined man, not very well-read, and can’t come up with those elegant, flowery names. But for our baby—”
His gaze returned to the sleeping baby in his wife’s arms, his expression so gentle it was almost tangible, brimming with endless love and hope.
“She is the most precious gift Heaven has given us, the proof and continuation of our love, our future and the rest of our lives.”
His voice grew deeper and softer, filled with the weight of a solemn promise.
“So I thought, even when we’re old and gone one day, as her parents, I want us to always accompany her, to let her know she will always be loved deeply by us.”
“So, I took parts of our names and combined them for hers—Xia Ji.”
Hearing her husband’s heartfelt explanation, the crease in Hu Jing’s brow gradually smoothed.
Her eyes grew brighter as she softly repeated the name, “Xia Ji… Xia Ji…”
The more she said it, the more it rolled off her tongue.
The more she said it, the more she felt the meaning behind it and her husband’s clumsy but deep love.
Finally, she looked up, a radiant, warm smile blooming on her face as she nodded firmly.
“Alright! It’s rare for you to put in so much thought… Let’s go with your idea. She’ll be called Xia Ji!”
She then lowered her head and gently rubbed her cheek against her daughter’s soft little face, her voice light and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the baby’s sweet dreams.
“Did you hear, baby? You have a name now. Your silly dad picked it for you.”
“Your name is Xia Ji. Do you like it?”