Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2996 It's Time to Let Go of Many Things

Since that late-night knock on the door, Yang Wei and Ye Qianqian seemed to have reached a tacit understanding.

They no longer deliberately avoid certain topics, but they also never easily touch on the core issues. The improvement in their relationship is reflected in some extremely subtle, even somewhat clumsy, daily interactions.

Yang Wei began to pay attention to Ye Qianqian's schedule. If he learned that she had a meeting or reception in the evening, he would send her a short message in advance:
"Drink less alcohol, and keep some yogurt on hand."

Ye Qianqian usually doesn't reply, but sometimes you'll find that there are actually a few extra boxes of a certain brand of yogurt that she often drinks in the refrigerator at home.

When Ye Qianqian inspects grassroots areas, she will linger a little longer and ask more detailed questions when she sees projects related to the "anti-aging" plan.

When she gets back, she might casually mention something to Yang Wei at the dinner table:
"Today we went to the demonstration site in the 73rd Regiment, where they reported that the 'Shayuan No. 1's' wind resistance in spring still needs to be strengthened." Yang Wei would silently make a note of this and have the technical team follow up later.

They were like two hedgehogs who had once fought fiercely and were now both wounded. They carefully retracted some of their quills, trying to get closer, but afraid of being pricked by each other again, or hurting each other.

The first to keenly perceive this change was their son, Yang Chenglong.

Boys of this age have an extraordinary insight into the relationship between their parents.

He noticed that his father was coming home for dinner more often, and although it was still very late, the lingering melancholy on his face seemed to have faded a bit.

Although Mom is still busy, when she occasionally talks to Dad, her tone is less businesslike and more like... a kind of "discussion".

What surprised him most was that one Saturday afternoon, when he opened the study door, he saw his father and mother standing together in front of the old bookshelf in the study.

Dad was taking a dusty box down from the top shelf, while Mom stood beside him, looking up at it with a faint smile on her lips. The scene was so harmonious that it made him feel momentarily dazed.

"Dad, Mom, what are you looking for?" Yang Chenglong asked curiously.

Yang Wei and Ye Qianqian turned around at the same time, a hint of embarrassment flashing across their faces, as if they had been caught doing something "bad".

"Nothing, just looking for some old documents." Yang Wei coughed lightly and put the box back in its place.

Ye Qianqian walked over and casually ruffled her son's hair: "Have you finished your homework? What do you want to eat tonight?"

Yang Chenglong looked at his parents, secretly pleased. Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, he could feel the invisible, tense atmosphere in the house slowly dissipating. That was enough for him.

That afternoon, Yang Wei and Ye Qianqian were indeed looking for "old documents".

Yang Wei wanted to find an original report from many years ago on soil moisture in northern Xinjiang to compare the data changes after the implementation of the "reverse aging" plan.

He remembered that the report seemed to be kept in an old box in the study.

Just as he was laboriously taking the dusty cardboard box down from the top shelf, Ye Qianqian came in looking for a book.

The two opened the box together, and inside, besides several yellowed documents, they unexpectedly discovered some forgotten old items—

Several photos of them when they were young show them smiling brightly, their eyes full of hope for the future, without any of the heaviness and estrangement that followed.

There's also the crooked scarf that Yang Wei clumsily knitted when Ye Qianqian was pregnant (which she never got to wear); and the mud imprint of Yang Chenglong's tiny feet when he was born...

These objects, which carry shared memories, are like a key that instantly unlocks the floodgates of those memories.

Those beautiful times, buried by arguments, misunderstandings, and long cold wars, surged back.

The two of them looked at these things and fell silent. A complex emotion filled the air—a mixture of nostalgia, sadness, and a sigh at the relentless passage of time.

"Those were... such good times." Ye Qianqian picked up a photo of the two of them standing in front of the Twin Towers model when the Military Reclamation City was first built, and sighed softly, her voice carrying a barely perceptible sob.

Looking at the photo of Ye Qianqian nestled beside him with a bright smile, Yang Wei felt as if his heart had been clenched tightly.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end it turned into an almost inaudible sigh. He reached out and gently brushed the dust off the photo.

They didn't say anything more, silently packed the things away, and put them back in the box. But the feeling they had at that moment was real.

It reminds them that, besides hurt and estrangement, there was once intense and sincere love between them, a passion for fighting together, and the joy of bringing life into the world.

Just as Yang Wei and Ye Qianqian's relationship was slowly warming up, external pressures arrived unexpectedly.

The previous discussions about Ye Yuze and Yang Geyong "bullying others by abusing their power" have been dug up by someone and linked to several reforms promoted by Ye Qianqian.

An influential online article alluded to the fact that Ye Qianqian was able to quickly advance certain policies that touched on vested interests because her family's capital was "protecting" her, and even implied that she used her position to facilitate her "anti-aging" plan.

This article quickly went viral, putting considerable public pressure on Ye Qianqian.

Although the investigation team quickly clarified the facts and proved that all projects complied with procedures, the negative impact had already been caused.

That evening, Ye Qianqian returned home, looking exhausted, with a lingering sense of gravity between her brows.

Yang Wei noticed something was wrong with her and, unusually, asked, "Are you in trouble?"

Ye Qianqian rubbed her temples and, without hiding anything, briefly explained the public opinion storm.

After listening, Yang Wei remained silent for a moment, then took out his phone, dialed a number, and spoke in a calm tone that carried an undeniable authority:
"Secretary Li, please contact Lao Zhao from the Cyberspace Administration and Editor-in-Chief Wang from Caijing Weekly... Yes, it's about that recent nonsensical article. On my behalf and in the name of my affiliated company, I will issue a statement clarifying that the 'anti-aging' plan has no connection with the Corps' policies and that we will pursue legal action against those who spread the rumors."

Without consulting Ye Qianqian, he took the strongest possible counterattack. This wasn't a discussion; it was a declaration.

Ye Qianqian looked at him, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew that Yang Wei's actions were not only for the "anti-aging" plan, but also for her. He was protecting her and sharing her burdens in his own way.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Yang Wei put away his phone, glanced at her, and said in a calm tone, "We're family, no need for formalities."

"One family." He hadn't used that word in a long time.

Ye Qianqian lowered her head, her eyes welling up with tears. Sometimes, external storms can actually bring those on the inside closer together. This time, they didn't fight their own battles; instead, a subtle alliance was forming.

The ice is melting at an accelerated pace. Although the road ahead remains long, and the scars of the past will not completely disappear, the flame of hope has been rekindled on this frozen land, and it burns ever brighter. They are learning how to walk towards each other again, bearing their wounds.

Okay, let's continue writing about the twists and turns and progress in this relationship's repair. Yang Wei's strong statement was like throwing a boulder into a lake with turbulent undercurrents.

The statement was carefully worded and logically clear. It not only completely severed any improper connection between the "anti-aging" plan and Ye Qianqian's official position, but also included information on some of the rumor-mongering accounts collected by the legal department of the subsidiary company, demonstrating a willingness to take legal action.

This powerful blow had a significant effect. Several of the most vocal self-media outlets quickly deleted their posts and apologized, while the larger behind-the-scenes manipulators temporarily fell silent, observing the changing winds. The pressure from public opinion eased dramatically.

However, this did not make Ye Qianqian feel completely at ease. Yang Wei's intervention, while resolving the immediate crisis, also made her realize more deeply that she, Yang Wei, and the family power they represented were already a community of shared interests, sharing both prosperity and adversity.

This deep bond gave her a sense of security, but also a feeling of indescribable constraint.

After dealing with the public opinion storm, Yang Wei did not take credit; instead, he became even busier. His "anti-aging" project encountered strong resistance from local environmental organizations in a marine ranching project in Southeast Asia, and he had to fly there personally to mediate.

On the eve of his departure, he unusually came to Ye Qianqian's study. The door was open, and she was reviewing documents under the lamp.

“I’m going to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow; there’s a bit of a problem with the project there,” he said, standing at the door.

Ye Qianqian looked up and put down her pen: "Is it serious?"

"It's not a big problem, just a communication issue that needs to be discussed in person." Yang Wei paused, then added, "It will probably take about a week."

"Okay, be careful." Ye Qianqian nodded, her tone calm.

The conversation was simple, but it represented progress. In the past, he might have just sent a message, or not even bothered to notify her at all. And she might have simply replied with a curt "I know."

Yang Wei's time in Kuala Lumpur was not easy. Coordination meetings, hearings, and discussions with local community representatives... with conflicting interests at play, progress was slow.

After the day's heated debates, returning to the hotel at night, a sense of loneliness in a foreign land quietly creeps in.

One late night, he inexplicably took out his phone and opened his chat with Ye Qianqian. The conversation was still from a few months ago, about the schedule of their child's school activities.

He hesitated for a long time before typing a line: "The rainforest climate here is humid and hot, with lots of mosquitoes." He wrote and deleted, deleted and wrote again, and finally posted only a photo of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur at night through the rain, without any caption.

A few minutes later, her phone vibrated. Ye Qianqian replied with another photo—a clear moon under the night sky over Junken City. There was no caption.

A silent understanding flowed through the airwaves. Neither of them were good at expressing their emotions with words, especially after everything they had been through.

But this clumsy, cross-border image "communication" is like a thin thread connecting two hearts that were once estranged.

In the following days, they would occasionally engage in this kind of "photo exchange." Yang Wei would take pictures of local specialty foods, while Ye Qianqian would take a picture of the blooming jujube flowers outside her office window.

There were no comments, no follow-up questions; it was simply a very subtle way of telling the other party, "I'm here, and I saw this."

A week later, Yang Wei finally resolved most of the problems and embarked on his journey home. The city lights were already on when the plane landed in Junken City.

He dragged his weary body along with the crowd toward the arrivals gate, not expecting anyone to come pick him up. In the past, he would either take a taxi himself or be driven by his company driver.

However, just as he looked down at his phone, preparing to contact the driver, a familiar voice rang out beside him:
"This way."

Yang Wei looked up abruptly and saw Ye Qianqian wearing a simple trench coat, standing by a pillar not far away, looking at him calmly. She also seemed to have just finished get off work, and her face still carried a trace of weariness from her busy work.

For a moment, Yang Wei felt a little dazed. He couldn't remember the last time Ye Qianqian picked him up from the airport. It seemed like something from a past life.

"You...why are you here?" He walked over, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

"It's on my way." Ye Qianqian said succinctly, turning and walking towards the parking lot. "The car is outside."

Yang Wei followed behind her, watching her tall yet slightly slender figure, a complex surge of emotion welling up inside him. He knew she was definitely not "going by chance." From the Corps headquarters to the airport, it was practically a journey through the entire city.

Inside the car, the atmosphere remained somewhat subdued. Ye Qianqian focused on driving, while Yang Wei leaned against the window, watching the familiar street scenes rushing past.

"Has everything been resolved over there?" Ye Qianqian asked, looking straight ahead.

"Yes, it's temporarily over," Yang Wei replied. "The main issues were cultural differences and communication problems, which require more patience."

"Mmm," Ye Qianqian responded.

Another silence fell. But this silence was not the cold, distant silence of the past; it was more like a shared tranquility after exhaustion.

When they got home, Yang Chenglong was already asleep. The house was quiet.

"Are you hungry?" Ye Qianqian put down her bag and asked casually. "There's broth in the kitchen, you can make some noodles."

Yang Wei meant to say he wasn't hungry, but what came out of his mouth was, "Okay."

He sat on the living room sofa, listening to the soft sounds coming from the kitchen: water boiling, noodles being cooked, and scallions being chopped. These everyday, homey sounds, at that moment, felt like a distant memory.

After a while, Ye Qianqian came out carrying a steaming bowl of soup noodles and placed it on the coffee table in front of him.

A clear broth, thin white noodles, a few green vegetables, a perfectly fried egg, and sprinkled with finely chopped scallions.

A simple bowl of noodles instantly warmed Yang Wei's stomach and heart after days of hard work.

He picked up his chopsticks and ate silently, head down. The taste was familiar; it was the same taste she often made for him many years ago when he worked late into the night.

Ye Qianqian didn't leave. She sat on the single sofa next to him, picked up a magazine and flipped through it, keeping him company.

After finishing the bowl of noodles, Yang Wei felt much of his fatigue dissipate. He put down his chopsticks, looked at Ye Qianqian, and said earnestly, "Thank you."

Ye Qianqian paused in her flipping through the magazine, without looking up, and simply gave a soft "hmm".

This seemingly ordinary bowl of hot noodle soup, along with this unexpected airport pickup, is more powerful than any fancy words.

They silently convey a message: I am still here, caring about you. The cracks in life may never be completely healed, but they can be gradually filled and covered by these subtle, persistent efforts and warm moments, eventually becoming less grotesque and glaring.

Their relationship, built up little by little, is like a seed in the frozen soil of northern Xinjiang in spring, slowly and steadily growing towards the sunlight.

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