By retreating to a corner of the auditorium during such a dance, Feng Mingshu was subtly conveying her disinterest in the male attendees.
But she hadn’t anticipated that Zhai Qingping would not only seek her out but also enthusiastically introduce his roommates to her.
Feng Mingshu felt somewhat troubled, yet her upbringing prevented her from being impolite. She rose with a polite smile to greet Zhai Qingping’s two roommates: “Hello.”
Though her smile was merely courteous, the three men across from her perceived it quite differently.
Lu Xiangqian’s dark face flushed instantly, his tongue tangling: “H-hello.”
Zhou Jinshan’s gaze was sharp and direct as he stared at Feng Mingshu. He stepped forward and extended his hand: “Hello, comrade. I’m Zhou Jinshan.”
The man was very tall, and his sudden advance almost enveloped her in his shadow. Startled, Feng Mingshu wanted to retreat, but the back of her knees were already pressed against the bench’s crossbar, leaving no room to move. Meanwhile, his hand was already extended before her.
In that instant, she felt like a small animal cornered by a predator, vulnerable to being devoured at any moment—depending entirely on the other’s whim.
Therefore, she dared not show the slightest provocation and compliantly offered her right hand: “Hello, Comrade Zhou.”
She used the formal address.
The man seemed dissatisfied, his brow furrowing slightly as he grasped her hand and asked, “Could you tell me your name?”
His gaze bore down on her from above, making her scalp prickle. She answered as quickly as possible: “Feng Mingshu. My name is Feng Mingshu.”
She thought that giving her name would prompt him to release her hand.
The man did let go, but he didn’t step back. Instead, he leaned closer and asked, “Comrade Feng, do you know how to dance?”
“Ah?” Feng Mingshu was bewildered. Tilting her head up, she nearly bumped into his chin and hastily leaned back, bracing herself against the chair back.
“Hey, Lao Zhou, that’s not fair.”
Just then, Zhai Qingping threw an arm around Zhou Jinshan’s shoulder and forcefully pulled him back two steps, a smile playing on his lips. “I met Comrade Feng first. I should be the one to ask her for the first dance.”
Zhou Jinshan raised an eyebrow, calmly removing Zhai Qingping’s hand. He glanced at Feng Mingshu and said unhurriedly, “Who she dances with should be Comrade Feng’s own decision.”
“Lao Zhou, you’re something else!” Zhai Qingping gritted his teeth, then turned to Feng Mingshu with a bright smile. “Comrade Feng, Lao Zhou is right—the choice is yours. Feel free to choose, and I guarantee no one will pressure you.”
Zhai Qingping had noticed how Zhou Jinshan’s forceful handshake had frightened the young woman. He regretted not anticipating that Zhou Jinshan, who usually kept his distance from women, would act this way; otherwise, he would have separated them sooner.
But it wasn’t too late now.
Zhai Qingping’s lips curved into a smile, his eyes filled with certainty and confidence.
Zhou Jinshan’s brow furrowed slightly, but he said nothing, his gaze remaining fixed on Feng Mingshu’s face.
Lu Xiangqian watched in stunned silence before jolting to his senses and quickly stepping back two paces, signaling his non-involvement and intent to merely observe.
As for Fu Jiarong, who had run off in tears, no one paid her any mind.
Facing the two men’s stares, Feng Mingshu took a deep breath and apologetically said, “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to dance. Please ask someone else.”
Her words were met with a moment of silence.
How could any girl selected to attend this social dance not know how to dance?Even if one didn’t originally know how, with crash course training after being selected, they could manage to dance passably well—after all, it was just simple ballroom dancing.
Zhai Qingping raised an eyebrow skeptically, just as Zhou Jinshan beside him said, “As it happens, I don’t know how either. Comrade Feng, shall we sit on the side for a while?”
Zhai Qingping inwardly cursed the other man’s cunning but moved quickly, blocking Zhou Jinshan with a smile. “Lao Zhou, your injury hasn’t fully healed yet—you really should rest more. Comrade Feng, I’m quite good at dancing. I can lead you.”
He spoke the last sentence while looking directly at Feng Mingshu, his gaze gentle and confident.
Feng Mingshu certainly knew how to dance—not just ballroom, but classical and ballet as well. Claiming she couldn’t dance was merely to reject these two officers, but she hadn’t expected them to persist.
Left with no choice, Feng Mingshu played her final card: “Comrades, there’s something I need to clarify with you—I come from the Feng family.”
“What about the Feng family?” Zhai Qingping asked with a casual smile at the corner of his mouth.
Comrade Feng dressed simply, suggesting her family circumstances weren’t great, but why would he care about that?
“The Feng family was once one of the four major families in Bincheng. I come from a capitalist background,” Feng Mingshu explained bluntly.
The smile instantly froze on Zhai Qingping’s lips. Though he was from Beijing, he’d heard his grandfather speak of the Feng family from Bincheng.
The Feng family had started with a dye workshop, later selling fabrics overseas and expanding into other industries, thriving greatly. Although during the war years, the Feng family had contributed funds and support to our Party, it couldn’t erase their capitalist label.
Given the current delicate political climate, and coming from a Beijing family with more access to information and repeated warnings from elders to avoid entanglement with capitalists to protect his future, Zhai Qingping felt the weight of those admonitions.
Echoes of his elders’ advice in his ears, Zhai Qingping looked at the girl who had captured his heart at first sight and asked with a sliver of hope, “Comrade Feng, are you joking with me?”
Feng Mingshu remained calm. “It’s easy to verify—you can ask Director Wu.”
With his last shred of hope dashed, the light in Zhai Qingping’s eyes dimmed. He forced a polite smile. “My apologies for disturbing you.”
With that, he turned and left.
He feared that if he stayed any longer, it would be harder to let go.
Feng Mingshu, however, breathed a sigh of relief. She had known all along that her background would deter any officer in the auditorium who showed interest in her.
They had bright futures ahead—no need to ruin their prospects over a woman.
While this outcome was expected, it still left her feeling disheartened. Not wanting to waste any more time, Feng Mingshu reached for the military-green backpack on the bench, preparing to leave.
But as soon as she moved, a tall figure blocked her path. The man leaned down and asked, “Is Comrade Feng leaving?”
Standing so close, Feng Mingshu again felt that overwhelming pressure. She tightened her grip on the backpack strap, forcing composure as she replied, “I’m heading back. Please step aside, comrade.”
“Where do you live? I’ll walk you home,” Zhou Jinshan said succinctly.
Feng Mingshu looked up at him in astonishment. “Didn’t you hear clearly? I come from a capitalist family.”
“I’m interested in you as a person, not your background,” Zhou Jinshan responded plainly and firmly.
Feng Mingshu stared blankly for a moment before retorting sarcastically, “How can background not matter? Marrying me would affect your future. Or are you just interested in a relationship with no intention of actually marrying me?”The man’s face darkened instantly, and an imposing aura pressed down once more. This time, Feng Mingshu did not retreat, lifting her chin stubbornly to glare back at him.
“Only dating without marriage is nothing but hooliganism. I, Zhou Jinshan, would never stoop so low.” The man’s gaze was dark and intense, locking onto her eyes as he spoke each word deliberately.
Feng Mingshu felt her mind go blank with a buzzing sensation, staring at the man in a daze.
Meanwhile, Lu Xiangqian grew frantic on the side, urgently whispering to Zhou Jinshan, “Lao Zhou, don’t be foolish!”