Chapter 19: Writing the Letter of Guarantee

Ye Changzheng looked up in shock, his gaze landing on Xie Jinyu, who was busy inside the room. Her hair had not yet dried and hung loosely around her shoulders. Clad in a simple blouse, she possessed a rustic, natural beauty.

It was only then that Ye Changzheng finally understood why Xie Jinyu’s seasickness had been so severe. He rushed over, swept her into his arms, and spun her around the room in sheer excitement.

Suddenly lifted by Ye Changzheng from behind, Xie Jinyu turned deathly pale with fright. She clutched her abdomen with both hands and trembled, "Changzheng! Stop it! Put me down!"

Hearing her plea, Ye Changzheng’s frantic heart calmed instantly. He carefully placed her on a chair, ensuring she was seated securely. Before she could grasp what was happening, he cupped her face in his hands and planted a firm, passionate kiss on her brow.

"Xiaoyu, I only just received your letter."

Seeing his visible agitation, Xie Jinyu guessed the reason but asked knowingly, "What letter?"

"You wrote that you are pregnant." Ye Changzheng slowly crouched down before her, his eyes full of disbelief. "May I touch it?"

Xie Jinyu guided his hand to her lower abdomen. It was still perfectly flat. "Grandma said it’s too early for the baby to move."

The warmth of his palm reached her heart, stirring a bittersweet sensation within her.

"From now on, leave all the housework to me. You just focus on the pregnancy."

Xie Jinyu laughed bashfully, "Am I really that delicate?"

A radiant joy filled Ye Changzheng’s handsome face. He had never expected to become a father so soon, and the news left him dazed with happiness.

"Xiaoyu, you must listen to me on this," Ye Changzheng said, holding her hands tightly as he began to envision the future. "Xiaoyu, this is our first child. I hope it’s a boy..."

"Are you... favoring sons over daughters?"

For Xie Jinyu, she would love her child regardless of gender. In her past life, her adopted son had been an ingrate; she had yet to determine if the fault lay in his genes or her own upbringing.

"Xiaoyu, don’t misunderstand. I don’t favor sons," Ye Changzheng hurried to explain. "I just think if it’s a big brother, he can look after his younger siblings."

In the 1970s, when they lived, every household had several children. It was common for the older ones to help look after the younger ones. Ye Changzheng’s line of thinking was perfectly normal.

"Changzheng, I must make this clear: I will treat all my children equally," Xie Jinyu said, not yet knowing if the baby was a boy or a girl. "I hope you can do the same."

"I like girls too, really." Ye Changzheng almost held up three fingers to swear. "I promise, I will absolutely not favor boys over girls."

Xie Jinyu pulled the letter paper from his hand, placed it on the table, and took out her fountain pen. "Empty words are not enough; you must write a pledge."

Ye Changzheng took the pen and scribbled a pledge on the back of the letter. Xie Jinyu had once believed that she was neglected by her adoptive parents because she was a girl. Only after her death did she realize the true reason was that she wasn't a biological member of the Xie family. Therefore, whenever the Xie family faced a crisis, she was the first to be sacrificed. She also knew clearly that in her past life, Chen Wanru’s successful identity theft had been facilitated not only by the village secretary’s family but also by her own adoptive parents, who acted as accomplices.

"Xiaoyu, please take a look."

Ye Changzheng handed her the pledge. Xie Jinyu read it carefully and then signed her own name beneath it. This document was not just a promise from Ye Changzheng; it was a promise she made to the child in her womb.

"Xiaoyu, are you hungry? Let me cook you a bowl of noodles."

Xie Jinyu wasn't actually hungry; the egg drop soup had settled her stomach. Since the room was now tidy, she wanted to familiarize herself with the environment of Endless Island.

"Let’s go out for a walk first."

"Alright."

The sunset on Endless Island was breathtaking. Orange light bathed the entire island. A gentle breeze blew, swaying the clothes hanging on the lines. Ye Changzheng walked on the outer side of the path, shielding Xie Jinyu with his body. He acted as a dedicated tour guide, describing every place they passed.

"This is the living area. Over there is the military zone; family members aren't allowed inside."

"The red brick building ahead is the market, containing the store, bookstore, butcher shop, and fabric shop."

People greeted Ye Changzheng from time to time, and he responded with a smile.

"Beside that is the square, where they sometimes show movies."

"And next to the square is the school, and the hospital is right next to the school."

Having walked the route once, Xie Jinyu had it memorized. They purchased daily necessities like fabric, oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar according to their list. When Xie Jinyu reached out to take the items, Ye Changzheng took the mesh bag instead.

"I’ll carry it. Don’t tire yourself out."

Xie Jinyu chuckled, "Am I really that delicate?"

"Xiaoyu, I am your legal husband, and we have a marriage certificate. You can rely on me."

Back at the bungalow, they organized everything. Ye Changzheng handed a package of peach blossom cakes to Xie Jinyu, saying, "Xiaoyu, if you get hungry at night, eat these."

Exhausted by the long journey and the cleaning, the couple went to bed early. Fearful of pressing against her, Ye Changzheng stayed on the edge of the bed in a single position all night. However, Xie Jinyu woke up hungry in the middle of the night. She crept out of bed, intending to eat a few cakes.

The moment she moved, Ye Changzheng woke up.

"Xiaoyu, what’s wrong?"

Xie Jinyu blushed, whispering like a mosquito, "I’m hungry."

Ye Changzheng turned on the light, rubbed his eyes, and said to her, "Stay in bed, I’ll take care of it."

He got up, opened the cabinet to fetch the cakes, and prepared a cup of malted milk for her. Watching him under the lamplight, Xie Jinyu felt a slight sting of emotion in her eyes.

"Changzheng, why are you so good to me?"

Ye Changzheng reached out to stroke her hair, his tone indulgent and doting. "Xiaoyu, you are my wife. Eat slowly."

To Xie Jinyu, the cakes and malted milk were not particularly rare delicacies, but because of his words, her heart felt as sweet as if it had been dipped in honey.

Just as she took a bite of the cake, a horn sounded.

"Changzheng, what happened?"

Ye Changzheng swiftly put on his clothes and said to the bewildered Xie Jinyu, "That’s the emergency assembly horn. I need to go see what’s happening."