Chapter 40: An Unexplained Emotion That Didn’t Belong to Her

Compared to the food factory and garment factory, the Steel Mill was the Shen siblings’ most frequent destination.

Shen Yi’an in particular could be considered half a regular at the Steel Mill.

When she was younger, Shen Guozhong would bring her along; as she grew older, she would come bouncing over on her own.

So when the stern-faced gatekeeper spotted her, his face instantly broke into a smile.

“Well, if it isn’t the Shen girl coming to see your dad again?”

“Go on in, no need to register!”

“Director Shen mentioned this afternoon that if you showed up, you should head straight to his office.”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Uncle. I’ll head in now.”

As she passed by, she casually left a few fruit candies on the gatekeeper’s desk.

The candies were already in her satchel—just a small gesture of goodwill.

Watching her retreating figure, the gatekeeper shook his head cheerfully.

Director Shen’s youngest daughter was always so polite.

After all these years, every time she visited, she would leave something behind for him.

Whether it was candies, peanuts, or melon seeds, his grandchildren had certainly benefited from her generosity.

But how could such a wonderful girl be plagued by a frail constitution?

He worried about how she would manage in the future…

Shen Yi’an was unaware of these concerns. By now, she had already found her way to the workshop director’s office.

Before even stepping inside, she could hear bursts of laughter—both male and female voices—emanating from within.

“…I always said Old Shen is blessed.”

“On the verge of being promoted to deputy director, and now his future son-in-law is another feather in his cap.”

“My, how can someone be so fortunate? Why not share some of that luck with the rest of us?”

As the teasing subsided, Shen Guozhong’s voice chimed in.

“Enough from all of you!”

“My daughter is as lovely as a flower—of course her future husband must be accomplished!”

“Besides, when young couples start a life together, they ought to have something to be proud of, don’t you think?”

Several voices chimed in agreement.

“You’re right…”

Standing at the doorway, Shen Yi’an felt somewhat exasperated.

This wasn’t what her father said at home!

At home, he always insisted she was too young to consider marriage.

He’d say she had been away at university for years, spending little time with family, and now that she had graduated, she ought to stay and accompany them.

At the time, Li Beichen could only nod repeatedly in agreement.

How had everything changed in the blink of an eye?

Could it be that the atmosphere at home was different from that at the factory?

Just as Shen Yi’an was lost in thought, a glance through the window caught someone’s attention.

A voice immediately exclaimed, “An’an, how long have you been here?”

“Come in quickly—it’s hot outside, be careful not to get heatstroke.”

As he spoke, Li Beichen gently guided Shen Yi’an by the arm into the office.

Seeing this, the group chatting in the office gradually dispersed.

“Oh, the Shen girl is here! We should make ourselves scarce!”

“Whether the young lady comes or not, we ought to leave—we still have work to finish.”

“Exactly, I said we should go earlier, but you all insisted on staying to chat.”

Recognizing the familiar faces, Shen Yi’an politely greeted each one. “Uncle Zhao, Uncle Liang, Uncle Tao, Aunt Meilan, Aunt Taohua—you’re all here!”

“I just came by for a visit—I hope I’m not interrupting anything important?”

“No, no, no!” Upon hearing this, the few who had stood up waved their hands with smiles.

“We were just about to leave anyway, you came at just the right time.”

“You two, father and daughter, have a chat. We have some matters to attend to and will be on our way.”

After seeing the office staff off, Shen Guozhong finally beckoned to Shen Yi’an.

“You’re only coming now—did you go to your two older sisters’ places?”

“Did you get everything settled?”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an took the water cup handed over by Li Beichen, took a couple of sips, caught her breath, and then answered, “Everything’s settled.”

“Eldest sister said she’ll go to the meat processing plant and ask her husband to get meat and bones at the internal price.”

“Second sister said she’ll get the drinks from the factory at the employee price, so I don’t need to worry about that.”

“Later, Li Beichen and I will go to the market to buy groceries. Dad, is there anything else you need?”

Knowing that everything had been arranged, Shen Guozhong nodded in relief.

“If everything’s arranged, then that’s fine.”

“I don’t have anything specific to prepare—it’s all up to you, the little head of the household.”

After that topic was over, he turned his gaze to Li Beichen, full of appreciation.

“I approve of you dating this young man.”

“It’s fine to say you’re engaged to be married to outsiders, but you still need to be mindful of boundaries and limits in your interactions.”

“After all, you’re not married yet. Crossing the line could easily invite gossip.”

Catching the meaning in her father’s words, Shen Yi’an’s first reaction was to look at the man beside her.

What? In just a few hours, such a big change?

Perhaps sensing the surprise in her eyes, the smile in Li Beichen’s eyes instantly spread. “On the way to the Steel Mill, I had a chat with Uncle.”

“Hearing me personally promise to treat you well, Uncle probably softened his attitude because of that.”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an knew it was just an excuse.

No one understood her father’s character better than his own daughter.

To say he would easily soften his stance was absolutely impossible—unless the sky started raining pies.

But she didn’t know what had happened in between, and she knew asking wouldn’t get her any answers.

In the end, she could only half-believingly express her acceptance. “Alright, as long as you and my dad can get along.”

Anyway, she was still young, so marriage was definitely not something she was considering.

As for dating, as long as it didn’t interfere with her future plans and arrangements, it was fine.

After reminding her father to come home on time, Shen Yi’an and Li Beichen left the Steel Mill.

Compared to the scorching heat of two or three o’clock, the weather close to five was noticeably cooler.

Although it was still a bit stuffy, there was at least a hint of coolness, so walking outside wouldn’t lead to heatstroke.

Thinking that walking would be cooler than taking the bus, Shen Yi’an and Li Beichen walked to the meat processing plant.

Fortunately, it wasn’t far from the Steel Mill, or else dinner might have been delayed.

“…Brother-in-law, after work, pick up my sister and the nephews and come over for dinner.”

“And, we have everything at home, so just come empty-handed.”

Watching Shen Yi’an wave goodbye as she prepared to leave, Xing Wenqi showed a fatherly, affectionate smile.

“Alright, I got it. You two hurry along!”

“It’s your brother-in-law’s first time in Lancheng, so take him around to see more.”

After speaking, he shifted his gaze to Li Beichen.

“This girl is a bit lively—please be patient with her.”

“Tonight, us brothers-in-law can drink and chat slowly.”

Hearing this, Li Beichen’s lips curved slightly. “Brother-in-law, don’t worry. An’an and I will be waiting for you at home.”

When they went to the market to buy groceries, it turned out exactly as Shen Yi’an had predicted—Li Beichen insisted on paying.

Shen Yi’an’s reasoning was that the evening gathering was meant to express her gratitude. If he wanted to show his, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Unable to persuade her otherwise, Li Beichen had no choice but to relent.

On the way back, Shen Yi’an wanted to take the bus home, mainly because the meat and bones they had bought were heavy and cumbersome. She could already see the pale marks left on Li Beichen’s palms from carrying the bags.

But the man disagreed, insisting they walk back.

As they neared the Family Compound, he finally brought up the topic he had been saving for when they were alone. “An’an, I’m taking the train back to Jingshi tomorrow afternoon.”

“Ah?” Shen Yi’an was momentarily stunned by the sudden news.

He was leaving already?

Including the time since they had gotten off the train, they hadn’t even been back for two full days.

Perhaps sensing her surprise, Li Beichen met her gaze and explained seriously, “Before I met you, I had less than a month left before returning to the military.”

“This time, I’m going straight back to the base.”

“Failing to report on time would be a violation of discipline!”

By the time he finished explaining, Shen Yi’an had collected herself. Understanding the meaning behind his words, she felt an inexplicable surge of emotion—something foreign to her. It was sour, astringent, and swelling.

Indescribable, but undoubtedly complex.

Because of this, her voice trembled slightly without her even realizing it. “You… cough… you’re leaving so soon?”

“Well then, after we put the groceries away at home, I’ll take you to buy things you might need on the train.”

“You have your toothbrush and toothpaste, so no need to buy those. But we should stock up on food and drinks, or you might go hungry on the way.”

“And also… Hmm!”

Before Shen Yi’an could finish her reminders, she was pulled into a firm embrace.

Caught off guard, she let out a soft, muffled gasp.