“Good, everyone’s looking well.”
Seeing the young women gathered around, all dressed beautifully, Director Wu was in good spirits. He nodded in response to their greetings and asked with a smile, “Is everyone here? Has the headcount been taken?”
The tall, thin-lipped girl hurriedly replied first, “Director Wu, I just counted—there are sixteen of us. That should be everyone.”
Director Wu shook his head. “No, we’re missing one.”
The tall, thin-lipped girl looked somewhat embarrassed, while the others exchanged puzzled glances, wondering who was missing.
Director Wu scanned the group and understood. “We’re missing the prettiest one. But there are still two minutes until the appointed time, no rush.”
At these words, Fu Jiarong—the tall, thin-lipped girl—felt a jolt in her heart. She suddenly remembered the country bumpkin she had looked down on and shooed away earlier. The other girl had been wearing a fur-lined hat that covered most of her face, but the almond-shaped eyes with upturned corners visible above it had stirred a hint of wariness in Fu Jiarong’s heart.
Just then, a somewhat familiar voice came from behind.
“Sorry, Director Wu, I’m late. I’ve kept you waiting.”
Fu Jiarong turned and, sure enough, saw the person who had made her wary. The girl had cunningly pulled down her hat, revealing a petite, fair face several shades paler than her own. Fu Jiarong bit her lip in silent resentment.
“Not late at all, I just arrived myself,” Director Wu said warmly, stepping forward to take Feng Mingshu’s hand and teasing, “Your hands aren’t cold—seems you’re dressed quite warmly.”
Feng Mingshu, bundled up so thickly she was nearly spherical, smiled sheepishly and resolved to stick to her low-profile approach.
“Alright, time’s up. Let’s all head in,” Director Wu announced, leading the group briskly toward the auditorium entrance while still holding Feng Mingshu’s hand.
Feng Mingshu felt both flustered and honored but couldn’t pull away, so she kept pace with Director Wu.
This unique treatment drew mixed reactions from the young women—some envious, some jealous, but most were curious, speculating about her identity.
It wasn’t just the female comrades hurrying to enter; a line of soldiers with upright postures was also filing in. Their strides were steady, their eyes bright, but as they drew closer to the young women, their gazes began to wander.
The young women blushed and stole glances in return.
Only Feng Mingshu kept her head down, striving to minimize her presence. At a glance, one could only see her dark hair, a neat braid, and a faint glimpse of snow-white neck.
Admittedly, revealing that bit of neck had been a small mistake on her part, but the red scarf would have drawn even more attention, so she hadn’t dared to wear it.
Zhai Qingping was the tallest among this row of officers and had high standards. He had attended the previous two social dances but hadn’t taken a liking to anyone. This time, he held no particular hopes, treating it merely as an opportunity to listen to some music and relax.
But as his gaze drifted idly, it caught on a flash of snow-white among the chattering young women, momentarily dazzling him.
Still, he had seen fair-skinned girls before. Zhai Qingping withdrew his attention indifferently and stepped into the auditorium, making for a bench in the corner.
Director Wu had been watching him from the start and wasn’t about to let him slip away. He immediately waved him over. “Comrade Zhai, come here a moment.”
“Director Wu, you’re such a busy man. How did you find the time to come?” Seeing there was no escape, Zhai Qingping approached with a faint smile and exchanged pleasantries.Director Wu said with a smile, “No matter how busy I am, I must care about the marital status of you single men in the military. Today, I’ve brought the daughter of a friend. Let me introduce you.”
Zhai Qingping responded indifferently, “Director Wu, there’s no need to trouble yourself over me. I’m not in the mood for this right now…”
His words abruptly trailed off as Director Wu beckoned a young woman over. She had a petite face the size of a palm, snow-white skin, round and bright almond-shaped eyes, cherry-red lips, and rosy cheeks, resembling a fresh peach on a morning branch, glistening with dew.
In a daze, he recalled that this was the girl who had caught his eye earlier with a glimpse of her fair neck.
So this is what she looks like.
“What, you don’t want to get to know her? Fine then, I’ll introduce Mingshu to someone else.” Director Wu teased with a playful smile, taking Feng Mingshu’s hand as if to leave.
“Please wait a moment.”
Zhai Qingping snapped out of his reverie and swiftly blocked their path. His gaze settled on Feng Mingshu’s face as he smiled and extended his hand. “Hello, let me introduce myself. I’m Zhai Qingping, from Beijing, currently studying at the Bin City Maritime Academy.”
The approach of an unfamiliar man made Feng Mingshu somewhat nervous, but she maintained her politeness and extended her hand. “Hello, my name is Feng Mingshu.”
A smile played on Zhai Qingping’s lips as he reached for her hand, but the moment their fingers barely touched, her slender, pale fingertips slipped away like a nimble fish.
Director Wu observed this clearly and chuckled. “Since you’ve met, you can chat on your own. I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”
“Director Wu, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Comrade Feng,” Zhai Qingping promptly assured, a relaxed smile gracing his lips.
“Lao Zhou, hurry up! The dance has already started.”
Just then, two more officers arrived at the entrance of the auditorium—one with a dark complexion, the other exceptionally tall, though the latter had bandages wrapped around his head and wore a slightly impatient expression.
“Lu Xiangqian, do you not think it’s wicked to drag an invalid like me to a dance?”
“Hey, don’t blame me. It was the political commissar who ordered me to fetch you from the hospital. He said as long as you can get out of bed, you have to come. He also told me to relay a message to you.”
“Go on, then.”
“Ahem, listen carefully.” Lu Xiangqian cleared his throat, struck a pose, and boomed with full vigor, “Zhou Jinshan, pretty girls aren’t tigers! Don’t be a coward, you silly lad—go snatch the prettiest one for yourself!”
At that very moment, a song had just ended, and the next one hadn’t started yet. In that brief silence, Lu Xiangqian’s loud voice echoed throughout the entire auditorium.
Everyone in the hall turned to look in unison.
The “silly lad” Zhou Jinshan’s face darkened, and he turned to leave.
“Hey, Lao Zhou, don’t go! I didn’t mean it just now—it was just bad timing,” Lu Xiangqian quickly grabbed him and apologized.
Amid their tussle, several officers approached, greeting Zhou Jinshan and inquiring about his injury and recovery.
Zhai Qingping also went over, but before leaving, he apologized to Feng Mingshu and promised to return soon.
Feng Mingshu very much wanted to tell him it wasn’t necessary, but he left too quickly. So, she found a bench in the corner and sat down, planning to endure a little more time before leaving.
“Aren’t you curious about who that Zhou Jinshan is?”
The light before her dimmed as Fu Jiarong approached, looking down at her from above.
Feng Mingshu glanced up at Fu Jiarong, then averted her gaze and replied with three words: “Not curious.”Fu Jiarong was taken aback but didn’t leave. Instead, she sat down beside her, lifted her chin, and gestured toward the group of girls who were stealing glances at Zhou Jinshan while whispering among themselves: “You might not be curious, but they certainly are. To be honest, since we’re here for matchmaking, everyone wants to match with the best candidate—it’d be something to boast about back home.”
Feng Mingshu didn’t respond, yet Fu Jiarong continued unabated: “I have a relative in the military who told me Zhou Jinshan recently accomplished a major feat. The injuries he’s carrying were sustained during that achievement. Once he recovers, his rank is set to be promoted.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
Feng Mingshu’s tone was cold. She didn’t care for overly enthusiastic people, especially since she and Fu Jiarong had just met today. Speaking intimately without a foundation of friendship was hardly advisable.
Fu Jiarong felt as if she’d been casting amorous glances at a blind man, which irritated her, but she suppressed her anger: “Then I’ll be straightforward. I know Zhai Qingping—our families have some connections. I came here specifically for him today. As long as you don’t engage with him, I’ll help you get connected with Zhou Jinshan.”
Feng Mingshu frowned slightly, feeling annoyed: “There’s no need to involve me in your affairs with Comrade Zhai, nor do I require your assistance in making connections.”
Thinking she was refusing to cooperate, Fu Jiarong’s thin eyebrows shot up: “Don’t assume that just because Director Wu introduced you to him, you stand a chance. He’s met plenty of beautiful girls over the years, including many from the cultural troupe, and you don’t stand out in the slightest among them!”
Feng Mingshu lifted her eyelids to glance at Fu Jiarong, a look that made the latter’s temper flare: “What’s that expression supposed to mean?”
Feng Mingshu brushed off nonexistent dust from her sleeve and replied leisurely: “I was just admiring how outstanding you are. It seems you must hold a special place in Comrade Zhai’s heart.”
It sounded like a compliment, yet something felt off.
Before Fu Jiarong could figure it out, the auditorium suddenly switched to a lively dance tune, and men and women began filling the dance floor.
At the same time, three straight-backed military officers approached. Half a step ahead was Zhai Qingping, who smiled warmly at Feng Mingshu and said, “Comrade Feng, so this is where you’ve been. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
The moment Fu Jiarong saw Zhai Qingping, she rose joyfully, but his eyes and words were solely for Feng Mingshu. Her face stiffened momentarily before she forced the perfectly practiced smile she’d rehearsed: “Brother Qingping, it’s been a long time.”
Only then did Zhai Qingping notice the girl standing beside Feng Mingshu. After a brief glance, he looked puzzled: “Comrade, who are you? I don’t recall ever meeting you.” Calling someone ‘brother’ so casually isn’t really appropriate, is it?
Though he didn’t voice this last thought, his expression conveyed it clearly.
Fu Jiarong’s eyes welled up with hurt tears: “Comrade Zhai, we really have met. It was on September 3rd last year, at Xiangfu Restaurant in Beijing. Our families ran into each other, and my uncle took me to your private room to chat. Uncle Zhai, seeing that I’m younger than you, told me to call you ‘brother.'”
Hearing this, Zhai Qingping vaguely recalled the incident, but a trace of mockery curled his lips: “My father was just being polite, but you actually took it upon yourself to claim kinship. If everyone did that, half the young girls in Beijing would be calling me ‘brother,’ and I wouldn’t be able to keep up.”
Fu Jiarong never expected Zhai Qingping to be so merciless toward women. She stood frozen in shock, tears streaming down her face.Zhai Qingping didn’t spare Fu Jiarong another glance, instead turning his gaze toward the quiet young woman who had been sitting on the bench the whole time. With a smile, he said, “Comrade Feng, let me introduce my two roommates.”
“This one, dark as a coal briquette, is Lu Xiangqian.”
“And this injured one is Zhou Jinshan.”