RMM – Chapter 5 First Meeting

Xi Yuechen initially refused to be hospitalized, thinking he could just rest for a bit and be discharged—it wasn’t anything serious, after all. But in the end, under the combined pressure of Political Commissar Liu and his own mother, he had no choice but to surrender, leaving all arrangements to them. After all, he had nothing to do while on leave anyway.

But there was one thing that our Colonel Xi seemed to have completely forgotten.

It was only when Shen Liang mentioned Su Ruo that Xi Yuechen suddenly remembered—he was a newlywed. He had a wife ten years younger than him. The orders that night had come too suddenly; he hadn’t even had time to say goodbye. He had no idea how she was doing now.

Hearing Shen Liang’s words, Xi Yuechen was slightly shocked. He had only been away for half a month—how had so much happened in that short time?

To be honest, he wasn’t particularly familiar with Su Ruo. He had joined the military early and barely returned home a few times a year, let alone had any interactions with her. He had only ever heard about her from Shen Liang and Xi Yuehui.

Xi Yuehui would mention his friends during their phone calls, and after hearing the name enough times, Xi Yuechen naturally remembered it—especially Su Ruo. Her name always seemed to come up, intentionally or not. Xi Yuechen had heard it so often that he simply laughed it off without much thought.

Every time Shen Liang talked about Su Ruo, it was always something like “She’s grown up” or “She’s getting prettier.” From her tone, she had long considered her as her future daughter-in-law. Xi Yuechen wasn’t unaware of the childhood engagement arranged by his mother and Aunt Zhang, but he had never taken it seriously. These kinds of misunderstandings rarely turned into reality, so he never paid much attention to Su Ruo.

To him, she was just a young and pretty girl, ten years his junior. So when Shen Liang started arranging their marriage, he was surprised. He couldn’t help but wonder—why would that little girl agree? She still had her whole youth ahead of her; there was no reason for her to tie herself to him.

Shen Liang had simply told him to stop overthinking and wait for the wedding.

On their wedding day, when Xi Yuechen saw Su Ruo in her elaborate bridal gown, he was momentarily stunned. But when he noticed the cold, emotionless curve of her lips, he quickly looked away and focused on entertaining the guests.

One thought lingered in his mind: Was this marriage a mistake or not?

Now, hearing about what had happened to Su Ruo, he couldn’t help but feel guilty. If he hadn’t left, perhaps some of these things could have been avoided. But at least she was safe. As for her memory loss—besides the initial shock, he didn’t feel much about it.

There hadn’t been much between them to begin with. Whether she remembered or not, it wouldn’t really change their relationship.

“What? Mom, do I have to go?” Su Ruo looked troubled, hesitating at the hospital entrance.

She had only been discharged for a day, and Zhang Huaqing was already telling her to visit the hospital—to see Xi Yuechen.

Zhang Huaqing was firm: “Your husband is lying in a hospital bed, and as his wife, you won’t even go see him? What kind of behavior is that? You have to go!”

With that, she rushed Su Ruo to change clothes and dragged her toward the hospital, completely ignoring her daughter’s reluctant frown.

“Mom, maybe I shouldn’t go in,” Su Ruo pleaded, still standing at the door of the hospital room. “I don’t even remember anything. What would I even say to him? It’s going to be awkward.”

“Losing your memory doesn’t mean you stop seeing people,” Zhang Huaqing scolded. “Xiao Chen is your husband. How long do you plan to avoid him? Are you planning to just run away from your marriage? Go in there and get along properly!”

After finishing her lecture, she pushed open the door and pulled Su Ruo inside.

Xi Yuechen was leaning against the headboard, reading a newspaper. He had already overheard bits of their conversation from outside and more or less figured out what was happening.

Thanks to years of training, his senses were unusually sharp.

As Su Ruo was pulled into the hospital room by Zhang Huaqing, she saw the man on the bed engrossed in his newspaper. When he finally looked up, she was slightly taken aback.

After learning that Xi Yuechen was a soldier—an experienced officer, no less—she had already formed a rough image of him in her mind.

Now that she was seeing the real Xi Yuechen, she realized just how far off her imagination had been. He wasn’t the burly, tanned man she had pictured. Instead, his face had a calm refinement to it. His sharp, well-defined features made him appear incredibly composed yet strikingly handsome.

It was hard to believe that someone who had spent so many years in the military—someone who had been tempered through countless battles and had risen to the rank of regiment commander—looked like this.

Strict and imposing, yet elegant and effortlessly handsome.

So, this is my husband? Su Ruo suddenly felt that perhaps it wasn’t so impossible to accept after all.

“Zhang Ayi, you really didn’t have to trouble yourself to visit me,” Xi Yuechen put down his newspaper and greeted Zhang Huaqing with a gentle smile. He made a move to get out of bed to properly welcome her.

Zhang Huaqing quickly stepped forward to stop him. “Stay put! You’re in the hospital; you should be resting properly.”

“It’s not that serious. I’ve been fine for a while now—my mom’s just being overly cautious,” Xi Yuechen replied with a smile.

Zhang Huaqing shot him a disapproving look. “It’s because she cares about you. You shouldn’t take any illness lightly, big or small. Taking time to recover properly is never a bad thing.”

Then, as if realizing something, she suddenly paused and chuckled. “And why are you still calling me ‘Ayi’?”

Xi Yuechen was briefly stunned before he gave a small laugh and corrected himself, “Mom.”

Zhang Huaqing finally beamed with satisfaction. “That’s more like it. You should’ve changed the way you address me a long time ago.”

Xi Yuechen smiled but didn’t say anything. Instead, his gaze drifted toward Su Ruo, who had remained silent behind them. He had definitely noticed how obviously she had been scrutinizing him just now.

Feeling his sudden attention, Su Ruo grew flustered, unsure of how to react.

“Ruoruo, what are you standing there for? Come over here,” Zhang Huaqing called, noticing that Su Ruo was still hesitating a few steps away from the hospital bed.

“Ah? Oh…” Su Ruo felt like she was being forced onto a stage with no preparation. Awkwardly, she shuffled forward.

As both Zhang Huaqing and Xi Yuechen turned their gazes onto her, she felt a wave of frustration. Why are they both staring at me like that?

Seeing her daughter’s hesitation, Zhang Huaqing shot her a sharp look that clearly said: Call him properly!

Su Ruo braced herself and muttered under her breath, “Uh… Greetings, Commander…”

Zhang Huaqing almost wanted to smack her forehead in exasperation. What kind of greeting is that? Did she hit her head so hard that she became this clueless?

Xi Yuechen, on the other hand, was momentarily taken aback. Commander? Where did that come from?

“What nonsense are you saying? Losing your memory doesn’t mean you’ve lost your common sense!” Zhang Huaqing scolded.

Then what am I supposed to call him? Husband? Darling? There was no way she could say that! Su Ruo fumed internally.

Seeing the way her face subtly twitched in frustration, Xi Yuechen suddenly found her expressions surprisingly animated.

“It’s fine, Mom,” he said, stepping in to ease the situation for once.

Only then did Zhang Huaqing finally let Su Ruo off the hook and shift her attention to chatting with her son-in-law.

Su Ruo was more than happy to be ignored and sat on the nearby sofa, zoning out.

“Ruoruo, Ruoruo.”

She had no idea how much time had passed before Zhang Huaqing turned and called her name.

“Hmm? What is it?” Su Ruo snapped back to reality.

“I’m leaving.”

“Oh, okay.” Upon hearing this, Su Ruo let out a silent sigh of relief. Finally, we’re leaving.

But as she stood up, ready to follow, Zhang Huaqing stopped her.

“I’m the one leaving, not you. What are you doing? Sit down and chat with Yuechen. I’m heading home—your father should be back soon.”

At these words, Su Ruo immediately panicked. What?! She’s leaving me here alone? No way!

“Mom, I should just go with you. I… I just remembered something important to do!”

“What could you possibly have to do? You don’t even recognize anyone now. You’d just be sitting alone in your room anyway. Stay here.” Zhang Huaqing ignored her daughter’s weak attempts to escape.

“Mom, I—I don’t know the way back by myself!”

Su Ruo was desperate to come up with any excuse to avoid staying behind.

Xi Yuechen watched as she nearly jumped out of her skin at the idea of being left alone with him. Am I really that terrifying? He wasn’t some wild beast—why was she so eager to run away?

“It’s fine, I can have someone take Ruoruo home later. Don’t worry, Mom.”

Xi Yuechen had suddenly decided that he wanted to keep Su Ruo here, just to go against her wishes.

Sure enough, the next second, Su Ruo’s face darkened.

After Zhang Huaqing left, silence fell over the hospital room.

Xi Yuechen’s eyes were on his newspaper, but his focus was entirely on the girl sitting on the sofa. He couldn’t help but wonder—How did she change so much after losing her memory? The Su Ruo he had heard about from Xi Yuehui was nothing like this.

Eventually, Su Ruo gave in to the oppressive silence. Spotting some oranges on the coffee table, she looked up and hesitantly asked, “Um… Commander, do you want an orange?”

She honestly couldn’t think of a better way to address him. This was the easiest title to say.

As expected, the moment Xi Yuechen heard “Commander,” his brows furrowed slightly. She’s still calling me that?

“You shouldn’t call me ‘Commander,'” he corrected.

Su Ruo turned to look at him, her gaze clear and full of curiosity. Her eyes silently asked—Then what should I call you?

Under her searching gaze, Xi Yuechen actually felt a rare sense of awkwardness. What should she call me?

Technically, they were married, but the age gap between them was undeniable. Those intimate terms of endearment—not only would she struggle to say them, but even he would find them uncomfortable to hear.

“Ahem, Ruoruo, then peel an orange for me.”

Xi Yuechen cleared his throat and quickly buried his face in the newspaper, using it as a shield to cover up his awkwardness.

Su Ruo didn’t press the issue of what to call him anymore. She simply grabbed an orange and focused on peeling it.

“Here, it’s done.”

Her soft, crisp voice rang beside his ear.

Xi Yuechen looked up, realizing that Su Ruo had already walked over. She held a small dish with the peeled orange slices and leaned forward slightly, gazing at him.

The sunlight spilled onto her, making it seem as if she was glowing. Against the light, he couldn’t quite make out her face clearly.

Taking the dish from her, he casually picked up a slice and popped it into his mouth.

The next second, his eyes narrowed slightly—Mm, a bit sour.

Su Ruo immediately noticed his reaction and knew he couldn’t handle sourness. Without hesitation, she reached out, took the dish back, and set it on the table beside him.

“The orange is quite sour. If you can’t eat it, don’t force yourself,” she said gently.

Xi Yuechen, whose dish had just been taken away, was about to protest. But hearing the considerate tone in her voice, he let it slide and simply responded with a low “Mm” in acknowledgment.

Then he watched as Su Ruo returned to the sofa, pulled out her phone, and immersed herself in her game, completely silent and focused. She didn’t even glance up once.

It was painfully obvious—Colonel Xi had just been completely ignored.

For some reason, Xi Yuechen felt an odd sense of dissatisfaction at this realization.

“Does your head still hurt?”

His sudden question startled Su Ruo. Her hand froze for a split second, and in that moment, the little character in her game collapsed to the ground in a dramatic defeat.

She shot an annoyed glare at the culprit lounging on the bed, then lowered her head and restarted her game, refusing to respond out of sheer pettiness.

Seriously? Of all times, he had to speak up at the most crucial moment? Now everything I played up to this point was wasted!

Xi Yuechen was baffled by her irritated look. Seeing her resume her game, he frowned and said, “Stop playing. It’ll make your head hurt. It’s bad for your eyes too.”

The authoritative tone instantly crushed her defiant spirit. With a slight pout, she put down her phone. But feeling like she had to save some dignity, she stubbornly retorted, “I’m fine now. It doesn’t hurt!”

Even if it did, it’s none of your business! she added silently in her head.

Xi Yuechen was briefly speechless—no one had ever spoken to him in that tone before.

But seeing that she had obediently put her phone away, he felt strangely satisfied. His expression softened.

“Come here.”

He thought his voice was already gentle enough.

In fact, if his subordinates had witnessed this scene, they would have been completely dumbfounded—So the fearsome, cold-faced ‘King of Hell’ actually has this side to him?!

But Su Ruo didn’t notice anything unusual about Xi Yuechen at that moment. To her, he was just a cold, expressionless, self-important man—completely unlikable. Any good impression she had of him at their first meeting had long since disappeared.

So, she stood up, looked directly at Xi Yuechen, and said, “Commander, I’m a bit tired. I’d like to go home.”

Her sudden request to leave left Xi Yuechen momentarily puzzled. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her—was her head really hurting?

It wasn’t surprising that he was confused. Having spent years in the military, where discipline and logic ruled, Colonel Xi had been hardened by experience. Reading the delicate emotions of a young woman? That was beyond his expertise.

“Mm, I’ll have Yuehui come over and take you home,” he finally said.

Su Ruo looked at his blank face and secretly wondered—Does this guy have nerve damage or something? He’s basically a living mannequin. What kind of earth-shattering event would it take to actually make him show an expression?

When Xi Yuehui arrived at the hospital room, he was met with an awkward sight—one person staring into space with their chin propped on their hand, the other reading a newspaper in absolute silence. The air was heavy with an icy stillness.

He couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

One was his older brother, the other his childhood friend. When the two got married, he had felt both worried and happy. Worried because they had no emotional foundation—what if they didn’t get along? But also happy, because even though their marriage was arranged, neither had been forced into it. Over time, they might just grow to love each other. If they ended up happy, then of course, he’d be happy too.

But this? What the hell was this? They weren’t acting like a married couple at all—more like total strangers. Sure, Su Ruo had amnesia, but what was his brother’s excuse?

Trying to break the awkward silence, Xi Yuehui chuckled as he stepped in. “Yo, both of you are here. Having a nice chat?”

Su Ruo shot him a wow, you’re really something kind of look, while the man on the bed didn’t even spare him a glance.

“Heh… Ruoruo, how about I treat you to a meal later? We can chat for a bit,” Xi Yuehui said, scratching his head. Anything to make them spend a little more time together.

“I’m leaving, I’m not hungry.” Su Ruo rejected the offer instantly. She couldn’t wait to never come back here, let alone stay longer.

Xi Yuehui looked at her eagerness to leave, then at his completely indifferent brother, and inwardly smirked. Great. The emperor isn’t worried, but the eunuch is panicking.

Fine, he’d just send her off.

Xi Yuechen finally lifted his eyes from the newspaper, watching as Su Ruo followed Xi Yuehui out. He wanted to remind her—get some rest.

But by the time the words reached his lips, she was already gone.

Only when their figures completely disappeared from the room did he retract his gaze and swallow down the words he never spoke.

He resumed reading his newspaper.

Except… how long had he been staring at the same page?