Chapter 129 Will a spousal relationship work?
Tian Yuan held the family visit application slip in his hands and read it several times. The first column was: Name of visiting relative. He filled in his name. The second column read: Name of person being visited. He filled in Pan Lei. The third column was: Relationship between the visitor and the person being visited. Tian Yuan…stopped writing. Isn’t writing brother a more low-key option? It’ll not attract any criticism.
Or perhaps a friend? But friends looked to be ineligible to visit. Only kin, parents, or a spouse were permitted to visit.
Do I really need to enter spouse in the relationship column? He'd have no chance of getting in. How could a grown man visit another man under the guise of a spouse? This would most emphatically not work. He'd be blocked at the gate. This family visit note would be ripped off if it was forwarded for review. What could be done if it landed Pan Lei in hot water?
Tian Yuan took up the pen again and was about to write the word 'brother' when he paused once more.
No, Pan Lei said I must write the word spouse. It must be feasible because Pan Lei said so.
Forget it. I’ll write spouse.
He considered writing spouse, but put down the pen again, thinking it wouldn’t work.
He planned to use up all of his leaves in the hospital in order to visit Pan Lei at the army base. He'd be depressed to death if he was denied admittance at the gate.
Ahhhh, what should I do?! What should I write?!
Both options seemed to be wrong. Pan Lei would be upset if he wrote brother; he couldn't get in if he wrote spouse. What could he do? He was dying of anxiety.
Tian Yuan scratched his head, took up the pen, put it down, scratched his head again, picked up the pen, put it down. After an hour of this, his hair was on the verge of falling out, and he still couldn't fill out the relationship column. What should I do?
Bang! He slapped the pen down in frustration and dashed to get a drink of water. He desperately wanted to rip off this vexing application form, but getting another one would be difficult. Furthermore, he was eager to see Pan Lei again. What am I to do?!
"Ahhhh..." he cried, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't come up with a good solution. In the end, what did he want to write? Did he want to write ‘spouse’ or ‘brother’? Nope. He was itching to write that he and Pan Lei had a father-son relationship. My father-in-law will most likely enforce military law on me.
His thoughts were going in circles, and he was at his wit’s end. Tian Yuan squatted on the ground, depressed and clutching his hair, unable to put pen to paper.
"Hey baby, did you fill out the form properly? If you’re done, I'll have someone to collect it for approval."
Pan Lei's phone call was like a knight in shining armor. Tian Yuan considered it as him having finally found someone who could give him advice.
"I…I don't know what to write."
"You little fool! It’s so simple. Visitor’s name, Tian Yuan; person being visited, me; relationship between the visitor and the person being visited, spouse. What’s so difficult about it? Write it quickly."
I’ve spoiled him too much. He can't do such a simple thing.
"Are you sure I’ll be able to enter the gate if I fill in spouse? Pan Lei, you’re not going to make me dress up as a woman, are you? Are you planning to force me to pretend to be a woman in order for me to visit in the name of your spouse? If that’s the case, even if you beat me to death, I won’t come."
He'd rather not go if he had to dress up as a woman and walk with swaying hips to enter the military zone.
"What nonsense! Why on earth do I love you if I like women? I want you to utilize your relationship with me as my lover to enter the military base openly. I want you to come see me so that everyone can see how much my lover stands out from the crowd. I cannot let you feel wronged under any circumstances. You’re my lover. Why do you have to write brother? Just do what I say. Come on, grab a pen."
Tian Yuan remained still.
"You promise I’ll be able to see you if I fill in spouse? Are you sure, you promise?"
"Aiya! I promise, I swear to God, you can come in, see me, and stay with me for more than forty days. Now go write it. Hurry up."
Tian Yuan was powerless. His hand hovered over the relationship column as he picked up the pen.
"Pan Lei, I, I…"
I still don’t think this will work. He hadn’t spoken these words yet, but Pan Lei was already roaring at the other end.
"Relationship between visitor and person being visited, spouse. Write it for me, stroke by stroke, in a clear and plain way. Hurry up! Write it right now for me."
Tian Yuan scribbled, relationship: spouse, as Pan Lei roared loudly.
When he finished writing, he almost burst into tears. He was confident that he wouldn't be able to see Pan Lei. He would almost certainly be turned away at the gate. I most certainly will.
"Take a picture for me, darling, and then send me the MMS. I want to confirm it."
Pan Lei was quite pleased. He checked the MMS and saw the word ‘spouse’ clearly written in the relationship column. He laughed heartily. Yes! Finally! His Tian’er was going to visit him as his lover. He wanted everyone to know that his family’s husband would be paying him a visit.
"Darling, baby, wait at home. I’ll have someone pick up the form tomorrow. You can ask for leave now. Someone will come and pick you up once the application is approved. We’ll meet at the barracks. I'll be waiting for you. You have no idea how much I miss you, baby. I miss you terribly."
"I'm the same as you, but I'm scared I won't be able to see you."
"Don't worry, I'll handle everything. Now go pack your bags."
Tian Yuan then waited nervously. He was going to be turned down, he wouldn't be able to enter, he'd be investigated, and they wouldn't be able to see one another. He was anxious and kept thinking that it was impossible.
Who would have guessed that the consent document would be sent on the third day? He was allowed to visit family somehow. The military district’s leader is mentally ill, right? Isn’t he aware that a man is posing as a spouse in order to see a man? How did he agree with this?!
There was no time to waste now that he had the alleged authorization for a family visit in hand. Tian Yuan, who had requested leave earlier, hurriedly tidied up his belongings. He was going on a forty-day visit, so he decided he should bring some snacks with him. After arriving downstairs, he observed a Hummer waiting for him on the sidewalk. Pan Lei's actions were lightning fast. As soon as the approval was granted, he asked someone to pick him up.
A soldier stepped out of the car and carried his luggage.
He could see more and more crops on the road as they got closer to the city's outskirts. They traveled for a long time on the highway before turning off onto a slightly rugged road flanked with woods that grew denser as they progressed.
"Does Pan Lei have an irritable temper even in the army?"
"Pan Squadron is a well-known Devil Squadron. His training is rigorous, yet every soldier he trains is a good person[1]. There are no poor soldiers under a good general. Only by being so stringent can he ensure the smooth completion of each mission."
Very rigorous? What’s that like? A good man, it is said, should serve in the army. Life is incomplete if one hasn't lived in a barracks. No matter how fierce or sharp a nature one has, it can be smoothed off in the army. How about Pan Lei? Why was he gaining more and more personality? He was as keen and icy as a honed blade.
"Dr. Tian has never been to the barracks. It’s a very interesting group. You’ll like them. They say that how long you serve in the army is how many years of regret you’ll have, but if you don’t serve in the army, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. The moment for veterans’ retirement is almost here. Right now, there is a strong ‘camaraderie among comrades-in-arms’ vibe in the military district. It's quite moving."
The world's deepest feelings are shared by classmates, comrades-in-arms, and inmates. Even if they were prison pals, they wanted to know what it was like to have so-called comrades-in-arms. A brotherhood between people formed after being honed by similar experiences is superior to that between brothers.
It was a pure friendship between men.
Tian Yuan noticed a huge gate with sentries guarding the entry. He had to crane his neck to view the top of the gate because it was so high. The end of the perimeter wall was not visible at first inspection. This is the barracks.
When he was in college military training, his instructor was a two-year veteran who wasn’t much older than them. That was his first encounter with soldiers. Pan Lei: The Malfeasance was the one with whom he had the most contact. He was definitely not like a soldier; he was a bandit. He exuded banditry from head to toe and constantly appeared to be on his way down the mountain. He belonged to a military family full of soldiers. He was afraid of their imposing and General-like bearing. His first true experience with the barracks was now.
The gates opened, and the vehicle drove in.
"Doctor Tian, the commando encampment is at the very end. They’re a special branch of the armed forces, so you must obtain approval from each gate you enter. You wait here first, and I’ll go in and alert Squadron Leader Pan. He said he’d pick you up."
Tian Yuan had never been to the barracks before and had no idea what to expect. When he looked up at the guards standing at attention in the sentry station, he noticed that they were all holding rifles and that troops were coming and going on patrols. He had to wait in the front communication room.
He didn't dare to walk around freely, and he certainly didn't dare to move around carelessly. He appeared to have returned to school. If the teacher instructed him to wait in the office, he would do so honestly.
Someone entered the communication room and smiled at Tian Yuan.
"Dr. Tian, right? Please wait a while. Squadron Leader Pan is in training. He’ll be here shortly. Are you thirsty? Let me pour you a drink of water."
Tian Yuan smiled. Sure enough, the People's Liberation Army was the loveliest people in the world. Everyone was quite friendly to him. Anyone who came in was really polite to him, which greatly eased his nervousness.
He had begun feeling nervous after entering the military's domain and approached this station.
Someone brought him a chair and a glass of water. Tian Yuan expressed his heartfelt gratitude. Normally, he would show off his might to Pan Lei, but that was because Pan Lei spoiled him. This place was solemn and awe-inspiring. He couldn't act willfully and make a scene. He was also now Pan Lei's spouse. He would be driven out if they discovered he was using his identity as Pan Lei's lover to visit.
Inside the barracks, everything was kept confidential. So, he shouldn’t look around or walk around as he pleased. He would be wronged if he was shot and killed by a patrolman after being considered a spy.
The person said: "You are, Squadron Leader Pan’s lover."
Tian Yuan's back straightened instantly. What does he mean? How does he know this?
"Don't be alarmed. I work in the logistics department. Squadron Leader Pan came over a few days ago with a leave permit, stating that his lover is coming to visit him. We were quite curious and desperately wanted to know who Squadron Leader Pan's lover is. I heard they were going to come over today. I had some time on my hands and decided to come take a look. So you’re Squadron Leader Pan’s lover. Hehe, it’s okay, it’s okay. I’m just asking."
The individual who poured him water was evidently eager in a lengthy conversation. He drew a stool and sat next to Tian Yuan.
"Squadron Leader Pan is an exceptional soldier. It's simply that he's a little too irritable. You guys…how did you guys fall for each other? Squadron Leader Pan’s actions are always hardline, and he rarely changes his decisions. However, this is the first time I’m seeing a man paying a visit to another man in the military district. Squadron Leader Pan threatened me in order to obtain my signature."
Tian Yuan grumbled inwardly. Oh no! It’s all over. I told him it’s absolutely impossible for me to come in as a lover. Don’t even bring up the possibility of being chased away. He’d entered the gate with difficulty and was about to be kicked out without even seeing Pan Lei’s face.
He’d said it wouldn’t work. How could a male soldier's male lover be allowed to pay a visit? He couldn't possibly see Pan Lei.
"I’ve spoiled him too much. He can't do such a simple thing." This line was so funny!! LOL. Thanks for the chapter.
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