Inside the guesthouse, Lin Yuqiu was bending over to pack her luggage and get her ID; she was going to get her marriage certificate tomorrow.
She felt nervous, confused, and a little flustered.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
The sound wasn’t loud, but it felt like it was striking my heart.
She walked to the door, her fingers gripping the latch, and gently pulled the door open.
But the figure outside the door wasn’t the one in a crisp military uniform with a stern face.
Instead, it was guard Xiao Liu, with a simple and honest smile on his face, carrying two bulging bags in his hands, and a shoebox tucked under his arm.
Lin Yuqiu paused slightly, then immediately stepped aside and chuckled, “Little Liu, you’re here.”
Xiao Liu smiled and nodded, carrying the things into the house. He placed them on the table and said in a loud and considerate voice, “Comrade Lin, these are clothes and shoes that the regimental commander asked me to bring you.”
She added, “These were all personally picked out for you by the group leader at the department store.”
Lin Yuqiu still had a smile on her lips, but a faint sense of loss suddenly welled up in her heart.
She looked up and asked softly, seemingly casually, “Why didn’t your commander come up?”
Xiao Liu scratched his head, still sporting his honest smile: “The regimental commander said he had something to do and went back to the compound first.”
“They specifically instructed me to bring these things up to you.”
“He also told me to tell you to get a good rest tonight, and not to rush to get the marriage certificate tomorrow, as he will come to pick you up.”
Lin Yuqiu nodded and smiled, saying, “Thank you, Xiao Liu.”
Xiao Liu smiled sheepishly and added, “By the way, the team leader also said that the shoes were bought based on your shoe size and the clothes were chosen according to your body shape. If they don’t fit, you can tell him and he will take you to exchange them.”
After saying that, Xiao Liu turned around, went downstairs, and walked to the jeep.
The car door opened, and Zhou Runqing sat in the back seat, his face expressionless, his eyes deep, gazing at the night outside the window, silent.
Xiao Liu sat down, then turned his head, glanced at the commander’s expression, and whispered, “Commander, the things have been delivered.”
Zhou Runqing nodded slightly, gazing out the window, his thoughts unreadable.
Xiao Liu chuckled and joked, “When Comrade Lin opened the door just now, he thought it was you. His smile was so bright.”
Inside the room, Lin Yuqiu closed the door and walked to the table.
The shoebox was opened, revealing a pair of off-white sheepskin shoes.
She gently stroked the shoe’s surface; it felt soft to the touch—it was genuine sheepskin.
Then the bag was opened, revealing two dresses inside, one apricot pink and the other maroon, both brand new and stylish.
She sat down in the chair, took off her cloth shoes, and tried on the leather shoes first, which turned out to be the right size.
I got up to fetch water, washed both skirts, hung them on a hanger, and then borrowed a hairdryer from the guardhouse to dry them.
She needs to dress presentably since they’re getting their marriage certificate tomorrow.
After finishing all that, she lay down on the bed, gazing at the moonlight outside the window, but couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.
Once you take that step, your future is set.
That night, she suddenly dreamed of Xie Qingwei, something she hadn’t done in a long time.
On a clear early summer morning, along the riverbank in the park, willows sway gently, the river flows babbling, and a light breeze caresses the willow tips.
In her dreams, she seemed to vividly feel the sweet fragrance spreading from the grass and dew under the sunlight, slightly scorched.
Everything was still happening, and everything was so blissful and sweet.
She was wearing a green dress, which her mother had made for her.
Her mother would buy her new clothes every month, and her dressing table was always filled with the rouge and powder she loved as a young girl.
Before going to see Xie Qingwei, she would always pick out the dress she thought was the prettiest the night before.
She got up at five o’clock the next morning, washed and dressed, and took the Lenin Selected Works that her father had ordered her to finish reading, and went to the riverside in the park to read in the morning.
When she arrived, panting, she could always spot that slender figure in a dark blue Zhongshan suit, leaning against a willow tree, his brows slightly furrowed, deep in thought as he pondered a physics problem in his notebook.
Xie Qingwei is a recognized physics genius at school, smarter than all her peers.
Whenever this happens, the boy is always the first to look up, spotting her figure in the vast crowd. His gaze meets hers, and a pure and gentle smile spreads across his face.
She smiled back, a long-lost sweetness washing over her, and decided not to bother them any further.
She simply found a stone bench nearby, obediently picked up the Lenin Selected Works that she found boring and tedious, and pretended to read it seriously.
This time, however, she was so engrossed that she didn’t look up until a soft, amused hum came from the other side.
She saw the boy with clear, bright eyes and a warm smile, staring at her with mischievous eyes while he scribbled in his notebook.
A sense of wonder stirred within her, and she couldn’t help but get up and walk over.
But there seemed to be something blocking her way, preventing her from easily lifting her legs.
She was so anxious she was about to cry, desperately wanting to move forward, and managed to reach the boy’s side with all her might.
She looked up, gazing contentedly at the boy’s fair profile. The cool scent of morning dew and sunlight wafted from the shoulders of his crisp Zhongshan suit, mingled with the boy’s pleasant, refreshing aroma, causing her heart to flutter slightly.
She secretly rejoiced as she approached the notebook, only to find a sketch drawn on the paper filled with physics formulas and problem-solving steps—a sketch of her just as she was reading the book.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she reached out to snatch the notebook, feigning innocence as she said, “I thought you were focused on solving the problem, but you’re just using me to amuse yourself. You’re not allowed to draw anymore!”
The boy in her dream didn’t dodge; he just indulgently let her take it, but his arm gently pulled her to his side.
The two chased and frolicked under the willow tree, their clear laughter echoing in their ears. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling on their faces, making even their eyelashes feel warm and cozy, yet it stung their eyes as if they were about to well up with tears.
Just then, a sharp broadcast suddenly pierced the clear sky; the cold yet loud voice struck like a heavy bell.
“Down with the bourgeoisie! Down with the Lin family!”
The sunlight in the world seemed to be drained away in an instant, replaced by endless darkness, which frantically dragged her into the abyss.
She was swallowed by darkness, her eyes wide with terror as she tried to find the figure, but she could never find it.
“Xie Qingwei!”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she cried out helplessly, reaching out to grab at things haphazardly, only to grasp something in the void that instantly pulled her out of her dream.
She woke up with a start, her chest heaving violently. Her tears had long since dried on her cheeks, and her rapid breathing was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
After a long while, she suddenly looked up when she realized she was holding something in her palm and felt a warm, real touch against her skin.
Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, she saw a tall, imposing figure sitting by the bed in the dim light.
Lin Yuqiu froze, the unfamiliar warmth on her hand making her feel as if she were being burned. She blushed and released the man’s hand.
She suddenly sat up, glanced down at her exposed arm in the dim moonlight, and hurriedly reached for the blanket, pulling it up to wrap herself up tightly.
She dared not look up into the man’s eyes. Suddenly, the indistinct call from her dream arose unexpectedly, causing her to plummet as if drowning.
A cold sweat suddenly broke out all over my body, as if I had been drenched in the cold rain of a harsh winter, and a chill permeated my entire being.
Guilt, remorse, and fear surged up instantly, overwhelming her reason.
Her heart pounded like a drum, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand, so tightly that she dared not even breathe.
Did he hear that?
The thought swirled in his mind, but he didn’t dare utter a single word about it.
Lin Yuqiu paused for a moment, feeling as if the air had frozen. She mustered her courage and, with the faint moonlight filtering in from the window, managed to make out the outline of the man in the darkness.
She recognized the man at first glance.
Even with his eyes closed, that cool and aloof aura seemed to have been etched into his heart from the very first glance.
She spoke first, breaking the silence: “How did you get in?”