# 35
**Chapter 35: We’re the Regular Army**
Under the warm light, the spear tip gleamed with a cold shimmer.
What the hell… she actually hid a spear in her room?!
Lin Qiye swallowed hard and quickly said, “No, Sister Hongying… I just wanted to ask… do you have paper and a pen?”
Hongying was taken aback. “It’s late at night. What do you need paper and pen for?”
“To write a letter.”
“Hmm… I think I have some. Wait here!” Hongying set the spear aside and went back into her room, rummaging through drawers and cabinets.
Standing at the door, Lin Qiye could clearly see the inside of Hongying’s room.
To his surprise, it was extremely simple—bare, even.
The room had only a hard plank bed, a desk lamp, a writing desk, and a plush toy beside the bed.
No extra decorations, no expensive mattress, no sofa, no air conditioner… Lin Qiye found it hard to believe that in such a luxurious villa, Hongying’s room could be this austere.
It felt less like a master bedroom and more like a hermit’s hut.
Only the cute plush toy seemed age-appropriate for her.
“Paper… paper, paper… found it!” Hongying’s eyes lit up as she walked to the door with a pen and a few sheets of paper, handing them to Lin Qiye.
“Sister Hongying… do you usually sleep here?”
Hongying glanced back and nodded. “As a Night Watch, I can’t indulge in material comforts. I must constantly temper my will… If this villa weren’t my parents’ legacy and needed upkeep, I might’ve sold it long ago and moved back to the dorm.”
Lin Qiye was silent for a moment. “I understand. Thanks… good night.”
“Good night. You should sleep early too.” Hongying smiled and waved, gently closing the door.
Lin Qiye went downstairs and sat on a chair in the living room, turning on a bright overhead light.
On the table were a sheet of paper and a pen.
The lonely chirping of cicadas drifted in from outside. The summer night’s heat had been washed away by the rain, and the silhouettes of leaves cast shadows on the table under the moonlight…
Lin Qiye held the pen, sitting motionless at the table.
After a long time, he finally lowered the pen and wrote the first line:
“To Auntie and Yang Jin…”
…
“Mom, Mom!”
Yang Jin gently shook his aunt, who had fallen asleep at the dining table.
She opened her groggy eyes, slowly lifted her head, and rubbed her sore neck. “What is it? Did your brother come back?”
Yang Jin shook his head. “No, but there’s a letter in the door gap.”
“A letter?”
“Yeah! Looks like it’s from Brother.”
“Qiye? Quick, open it and let’s see!” Auntie said anxiously as Yang Jin tore open the envelope. “This child, he didn’t come home all night and didn’t say anything. He came to the door but didn’t come in—what’s the meaning of slipping a letter through the gap?”
Yang Jin opened the letter and handed it to her. The two of them huddled together and read it carefully.
After a while, Auntie’s hands trembled as she set the letter down, sitting there in a daze.
“Mom, Brother says he enlisted,” Yang Jin said, holding the letter and turning to her.
“Enlisted? How… how could he just suddenly enlist?” Auntie muttered. “He never mentioned it before…”
“No, he did,” Yang Jin said seriously.
“He did?”
“He used to tell me in private that his biggest dream was to join the army. But because of his eyes, he gave up on it for now.” Yang Jin paused and pointed to a few lines in the letter. “Look, he says here that after his eyes healed, he secretly applied. He didn’t tell you because he was afraid you’d stop him. Last night, he quietly boarded a train to Qiqihar…”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t?”
“You only found the letter this morning. According to it, he should already be on the train!” Auntie’s mind was unusually sharp.
“Uh…” Yang Jin scratched his head. “I only noticed the letter this morning. Maybe it was there last night and I just didn’t see it.”
“But this is too sudden!” Auntie couldn’t accept it. “And Qiye’s eyes just got better. What if they relapse while he’s in the army?
No… I can’t accept this!
I’m going to the government. I want my nephew back!”
Auntie jumped up in a panic, wearing only her slippers, and rushed to open the door.
Suddenly, she stopped.
Outside stood two men in military uniforms, awkwardly frozen mid-knock.
If Lin Qiye were there, he’d recognize them immediately—Chen Muye and Wen Qimo.
“Who are you?” Auntie frowned.
Chen Muye and Wen Qimo exchanged glances. Wen Qimo immediately put on a gentle smile and saluted—not quite standard.
“Hello, are you Ms. Wang Fang, Lin Qiye’s guardian?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“We’re from the Cangnan Military Affairs Office. We’re here to deliver some enlistment paperwork and subsidies for Lin Qiye.”
“Military Affairs Office?” Auntie asked suspiciously. “What’s that?”
“It’s… the department that handles new recruit enlistments.”
“Oh… then, please come in and sit.” Auntie stepped back to let them in and went to make tea. “I was just about to go find you. Something’s not right about this!”
Chen Muye and Wen Qimo had just sat down when the latter heard this and broke into a cold sweat.
Wen Qimo leaned in and whispered to Chen Muye, “Captain, are we really going to pull this off?”
“Relax. Our paperwork came from the regular army. It’s all legit!”
“But you only submitted Lin Qiye’s application yesterday. There’s no way the documents came this fast. Are you sure… these are real?”
“…” Chen Muye’s mouth twitched. “Soon, they will be.”
“But I don’t get it. We could’ve waited for the official documents. Why the rush?”
“It’s not us rushing—it’s Lin Qiye,” Chen Muye whispered, glancing toward the kitchen. “He was afraid his aunt wouldn’t believe the letter and would go to the government to verify. But the lower-level officials don’t know we exist… you get it?”
“Got it.”
Wen Qimo nodded, straightened up, and gave a perfect smile.
“Ms. Wang Fang, rest assured, we’re the regular army. Lin Qiye’s enlistment in Urumqi has been officially approved. There’s absolutely no problem!”
Yang Jin slapped a hand over his face in exasperation.
Auntie, who was pouring tea, froze. The cup tipped over, spilling tea across the table. She turned stiffly, eyes wide.
“He… he didn’t go to Qiqihar?!”