Night Wanderer

Zong Ying decided to approach before the other person had finished their cigarette.

He looked up at her, the tobacco quietly burning in the dim blue light of dawn, the smoke thin and easily dispersed with a breath.

"Excuse me, are you Commander Sheng?" Zong Ying asked.

Faced with this sudden approach, Sheng Qinghe slightly narrowed his eyes and continued smoking the remaining cigarette. "You know me?"

"I'm Dr. Sheng Qingxiang's physician. I've seen your photo at the Sheng family residence." Zong Ying, mindful of the tension between Sheng Qingrang and the Sheng family, avoided mentioning her connection with Sheng Qingrang to prevent any complications in seeking help.

As she spoke, she glanced at the cigarette in his hand—still half left—giving her ample time to explain the situation.

The fourth son had been observing her—her attire neat and simple but not clean, her white shirt stained with blood, her shoes similarly soiled. Her hands were slender yet strong, cradling a newborn baby while a timid little boy hid beside her.

It was the kind of wartime disarray that was all too common, yet she seemed oddly out of place, as if she didn't belong to this world.

"So?" Sheng Qinghe flicked the ash off his cigarette and asked with interest, "Why come to me?"

"Mr. Sheng Qingxiang just underwent an amputation and has a severe postoperative infection. I was locked out of the concession while retrieving medicine and now need to deliver it to the residence." She got straight to the point, turning her head toward the concession gate. "But the entrance is closed."

"What does delivering medicine to my elder brother have to do with me?" Sheng Qinghe curled his lips, his youthful face full of indifference. "It's not the National Army that controls access to the concession."

His disdain for the Sheng family was something Zong Ying hadn't anticipated.

With the rejection so clear, Zong Ying didn't beg further. She freed a hand to take the child beside her and continued walking forward.

After about a hundred meters, the sound of a car starting echoed from afar. Just as Zong Ying thought they would speed past, the jeep suddenly braked sharply and stopped beside her.

Without even looking at her, Sheng Qinghe, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke in a tone that was almost an order: "Get in."

Zong Ying hesitated for three seconds. Just as he was about to say "forget it if you won't get in," she reached out to grip the car door and quickly ushered the children into the back seat.

Sheng Qinghe glanced back. "Delivering medicine is one thing, but what's with these two kids?"

Zong Ying replied, "Can I choose not to answer that?"

Sheng Qinghe lit another cigarette, resting his hand on the side as if considering, but in the end, he only said two words: "Whatever."

The car drove through several streets, took a long detour, and finally stopped outside a military camp.

Clearly, Sheng Qinghe had no intention of taking them back to the concession immediately. Without even a word to Zong Ying, he entered the camp, leaving them stranded outside.

The sky gradually brightened, the wind lighter than yesterday, and the rain had stopped. Zong Ying sensed signs that the typhoon was about to pass.

After over half an hour, a non-military jeep suddenly drove out from inside, braking sharply again and stopping just inches in front of Zong Ying.

Sheng Qinghe, now in civilian clothes, sat in the driver's seat looking down at her, his expression carrying a hint of playful arrogance.

Zong Ying silently got into the car with the two children. Only after settling in did she briefly and directly say, "Thank you."Sheng Qinghe remained indifferent to the thanks and drove straight to another entrance of the concession, as if he knew in advance that there wouldn’t be too many people gathered there.

And indeed, the closer they got to the military encampment, the more refugees tended to stay away, making it harder for crowds to gather and cause trouble.

The car stopped at a small side gate. Sheng Qinghe pulled a document from his shirt pocket, unfolded it with one hand, and showed it to the guard inside. The concession policeman leaned in to scrutinize it carefully, but then his gaze shifted to Zong Ying in the passenger seat.

The officer examined Zong Ying several times before walking to the side to take a closer look at her shoes. Sensing something amiss, Zong Ying frowned when the policeman asked through the gate, "Excuse me, are you Miss Zong?"

Zong Ying furrowed her brows and countered, "Is there a problem?"

The policeman noticed her wariness and tension and quickly explained, "It’s like this—yesterday, Lawyer Sheng was looking for you through the concession police station and specifically mentioned you." He paused. "Your shoes are quite distinctive, Miss Zong."

Sheng Qingrang was looking for her?

Zong Ying pressed her lips together as the policeman opened the side gate. Beside her, Sheng Qinghe put away his document and glanced at her with a meaningful look. "Third Brother seems quite concerned about you. Are you his girlfriend?"

Zong Ying’s expression remained unreadable, her voice calm and steady. "Does it matter?"

Sheng Qinghe curved his lips into a faint smile and restarted the car. "Of course it matters—if Third Brother cares about you."

Before they arrived, the police station’s call had already rung multiple times at Sheng Qingrang’s apartment and office. After going unanswered, the call was finally redirected to the Sheng residence.

Youngest sister Qinghui, upstairs, picked up the phone. Upon hearing the good news, she immediately rushed down the stairs, her previously sullen face now bright with excitement. "Third Brother! Dr. Zong has been found—she should be back soon!"

Sheng Qingrang had just arrived at the residence and was standing in the living room with his estranged second sister, on the verge of another argument over their eldest brother’s condition and Zong Ying’s safety. But with Qinghui’s announcement, Zong Ying was cleared of the suspicion of "abandoning a patient and fleeing," leaving his second sister’s accusations groundless and forcing her to fall silent. Meanwhile, the news that Zong Ying had been safely found allowed the weight in Sheng Qingrang’s heart to ease slightly.

Though Qinghui’s message extinguished the fire about to ignite in the living room, it didn’t bring Sheng Qingrang much relief.

He turned and walked to the entrance, his gaze crossing the courtyard to rest on the quiet main gate, his face still etched with lingering anxiety—beyond fear, guilt, and dread, what he needed most now was to see her, to confirm with his own eyes that she was unharmed.

After twenty agonizing minutes of waiting, a car finally pulled up at the gate, honking loudly for someone to open it.

Before Uncle Yao could react, Sheng Qingrang had already hurried over and swung the gate open himself.

Sheng Qinghe glanced at him, got out of the car, and circled around to open the other door, offering his hand to Zong Ying. "Miss Zong, we’ve arrived. Please step out."

Zong Ying naturally ignored his gesture, turning instead to instruct the little boy in the back seat to get out before carefully cradling the infant in her arms and stepping down.

The appearance of this group—aside from Zong Ying—was entirely unexpected, especially Sheng Qinghe.He had stubbornly insisted on entering military school back then and hardly ever returned home after graduation, making him the true "rebel" of this family.

After Zong Ying got out of the car, he slammed the door shut with a loud "bang," strode up to Sheng Qingrang, now matching his "third brother" in height. Curving his lips into a smirk, he lowered his voice and said, "Third Brother, how coincidental that your person came to me when she had nowhere else to turn."

Though his voice was soft, he deliberately emphasized certain words while subtly observing Sheng Qingrang's reaction. Yet Sheng Qingrang merely suppressed his emotions and replied flatly, "Thank you."

At that moment, Qinghui emerged from the small building and called out toward the gate, "What are you all doing standing at the entrance? Come inside quickly."

Up to this point, Sheng Qingrang hadn't said a word to Zong Ying, nor had he had the chance to ask about the two children—one big, one small. He only watched as she hurried toward the building and handed the infant in her arms to Sheng Qinghui.

Before Sheng Qinghui could even greet her suddenly visiting fourth brother, she was startled by the newborn. Regaining her composure, she exclaimed, "Oh, it's just been born, hasn't it? Why does it look so pitiful? Does it need to be fed?"

Exhausted, Zong Ying didn't say anything unnecessary, only nodding slightly, her eyes silently pleading, "Please."

Qinghui then keenly noticed the little boy following behind Zong Ying. Before their second sister could appear, she quickly called to him, "Come with me right away," and led them around the outer corridor to the servants' quarters.

Apart from Qinghui and the children, the other three entered the living room. The second sister immediately spotted Sheng Qinghe, froze for a moment, then scolded angrily, "How dare you show your face here?!"

Sheng Qinghe had never been one to tolerate her attitude. Finding a sofa, he sat down casually and replied with a light laugh, "Of course. Someone who's already married into another family and taken their surname can stand here giving orders, yet I can't even come back? After all, Eldest Brother is badly injured—I ought to show my concern too. For example—" His gaze shifted to Zong Ying. "By bringing a doctor back."

The second sister looked furious, while Sheng Qinghe remained all smiles. Maintaining his grin, he said to Zong Ying, "Miss Zong, weren't you in a hurry to change Eldest Brother's bandages? Then hurry upstairs."

Zong Ying was covered in bloodstains. Entering a patient's room in such a state would be highly irresponsible.

She didn't have the energy to explain to everyone. Instead, she turned slightly to Sheng Qingrang beside her and asked, "Mr. Sheng, did you bring the medicine I left at the apartment to change Eldest Brother's dressings?"

Sheng Qingrang replied, "I changed them once."

"How is he?"

"Neither better nor worse."

Lowering her voice further, she said, "My clothes might be carrying a lot of unnecessary pathogens. I need to wash up and change into clean clothes."

After speaking, she raised her eyes to meet Sheng Qingrang's gaze. Without needing further explanation, he simply said, "I understand. Come with me."

Amid the second sister's indignant shouts of "Where are you going?!" Sheng Qingrang acted as if he hadn't heard, leading Zong Ying upstairs.

He took her to the bathroom, confirmed the hot water was working, then hurried off to find her a change of clothes before stepping aside to let her enter.

Once Zong Ying closed the door and the sound of running water came from inside, he stood outside, worrying again whether the clothes he'd found would fit properly.

When in a hurry, nothing ever goes smoothly.Zong Ying washed up quickly, struggling not to recall the earlier events yet failing completely. In a daze, she finished showering, changed clothes, and opened the door—only to be met with the sound of Sheng Qinghui playing the piano downstairs, an unreal sensation washing over her.

Sheng Qingrang, standing outside the door, shared this same feeling. Terrified that all this might just be a dream, he instinctively wanted to reach out to confirm its reality. But in the end, he restrained himself from such abruptness, clenching his fist instead.

Zong Ying noticed Sheng Qingrang's tightly clenched fist and the tension in his facial muscles, guessing he might still be shaken. After locking eyes for several seconds, she suddenly stepped forward half a pace and wrapped her right arm around him.

Closing her eyes, she murmured as if speaking to herself as well, "It's alright now, Mr. Sheng."

Author's Note:

The eldest brother is called Xiang, the fourth is He, the second sister is Ping, the youngest sister is Hui—only the third child is an outlier, called Rang.