In the guesthouse, Lin Yuqiu was bending over, tidying her luggage. She had received her identity certificate tomorrow she would go to get her official papers.
Her heart was filled with nervousness, confusion, and a subtle, indescribable flutter of anxiety.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.
It wasn’t loud, but it struck her as if someone had tapped directly on her heart.
She walked to the door, her fingers gripping the latch, and gently opened it.
Outside wasn’t the figure in the crisp military uniform with a cold, stern expression.
It was Xiao Liu, the security guard, wearing a simple, earnest smile. He carried two bulging bags, with a shoebox tucked between them.
Lin Yuqiu was momentarily taken aback, then stepped aside with a light laugh: “Xiao Liu, you’re here.”
Xiao Liu nodded with a smile, stepping inside to place the items on the table. His voice was loud and considerate: “Comrade Lin, these are the clothes and shoes Commander Zhou asked me to deliver to you.”
He added specifically, “The commander personally went to the department store to pick these out for you.”
A smile lingered at the corner of Lin Yuqiu’s lips, but inexplicably, a faint tinge of disappointment crept into her heart.
She looked up and, as if casually, softly asked: “Your commander… why didn’t he come up himself?”
Xiao Liu scratched his head, still smiling plainly: “The commander said he had something to attend to and went back to the compound first.”
“He specifically told me to bring these up to you.”
“And he asked me to tell you to rest well tonight. No need to rush tomorrow when you get your papers he’ll come for you.”
Lin Yuqiu nodded and smiled: “Thank you, Xiao Liu.”
Xiao Liu chuckled, adding: “Oh, by the way, the shoes were bought according to your estimated size, and the clothes were chosen to fit your figure. If anything doesn’t fit, you can tell him he’ll take you to exchange it.”
After speaking, Xiao Liu turned and went downstairs to the jeep.
The car door opened. Zhou Runqing sat in the back seat, expressionless, eyes deep and fixed on the night outside, silent.
Xiao Liu got in and glanced at the commander, speaking softly: “Commander, the items have been delivered.”
Zhou Runqing slightly nodded, still staring out the window, revealing nothing of his thoughts.
Xiao Liu chuckled and teased: “Comrade Lin thought it was you when she opened the door her smile was so lovely.”
Inside the room, Lin Yuqiu closed the door and walked to the table.
She opened the shoebox inside was a pair of off-white sheepskin shoes.
She gently stroked the surface; it was soft and real sheepskin.
She opened the bag, revealing two dresses: one apricot-pink, one maroon, both brand new and stylish.
Sitting on a chair, she removed her coarse cloth shoes and tried on the new shoes they fit perfectly.
She got up to fetch water, washed the two dresses, hung them on hangers, and borrowed a hairdryer from the guardhouse to dry them.
Tomorrow, when she collected her papers, she had to look proper and neat.
Having finished, she lay on the bed, gazing at the moonlight outside, yet sleep wouldn’t come.
This next step she was about to take would decide the rest of her life.
That night, she dreamt after a long time of Xie Qingwei.
Early summer morning, by the park riverbank, willows swayed, the water murmured, and a gentle breeze brushed the branches.
In her dream, she could almost feel it the sunlight warming the grass and dew, releasing a faint, sweet fragrance.
Everything had not yet happened, and everything was so happy and serene.
She wore a green blouse and skirt, freshly made by her mother.
Her mother prepared new clothes for her each month, and her vanity table always had the rouge and powder a young girl loved.
Before meeting Xie Qingwei, she would always pick the most beautiful outfit the night before.
At five a.m., she would rise, wash and dress, clutching the Lenin selections her father insisted she finish reading, and head to the park riverside for morning study.
By the time she arrived, breathless, she could always spot the slender figure in a navy Zhongshan suit, leaning under the willow, brows slightly furrowed, absorbed in a difficult physics problem.
Xie Qingwei was recognized as a genius in physics at school smarter than anyone she knew her age.
Whenever he looked up, he would catch her figure in the crowd and meet her gaze with a pure, gentle smile.
She, in turn, would smile, feeling a long-missed sweetness, sitting quietly without disturbing him.
She would find a nearby stone bench, open the tedious Lenin selection, pretending to read seriously.
But this time, she became truly engrossed, until a low, amused hum from across the way made her look up.
The youth’s clear features, bright eyes, and spring-like smile were all directed at her, pen still moving over his notebook.
Her heart leapt, and she couldn’t help but rise and walk toward him.
Yet it felt as if something blocked her, her legs heavy, unable to lift freely.
Frustrated and close to tears, she struggled forward until she reached the youth.
She looked up, satisfied, at his pale profile. His Zhongshan suit shoulders, touched by morning sun and dew, carried a refreshing scent that made her heartbeat flutter.
She leaned close to his notebook, only to see the page filled with physics formulas and solutions, and a sketch of her holding the book just moments ago.
Her cheeks flushed, and she reached to snatch the notebook, teasing: “I thought you were focused on the problem, but you were sketching me! No more drawing!”
In the dream, the youth didn’t move away, indulging her, his arm lightly wrapping around her side.
They played and chased under the willow, their laughter ringing clear, sunlight streaming through leaves, warming their faces and even eyelashes, yet making their eyes glisten.
Suddenly, a sharp broadcast cut through the clear sky, cold and loud, like a heavy tolling bell.
“Down with the bourgeoisie! Down with the Lin family!”
In an instant, the sunlight seemed drained from the world, replaced by endless darkness, dragging her toward an abyss.
Swallowed by the darkness, she opened her eyes in terror, trying to find him, but he was nowhere.
“Xie Qingwei!”
Tears streamed as she cried helplessly, reaching blindly and in that void, she grasped something, instantly pulling her from the dream.
She awoke with a start, chest heaving, tears already dried on her cheeks, her rapid breathing loud in the quiet room.
After a while, feeling warmth and real skin in her palm, she looked up sharply.
In the dim light, she saw a tall, upright figure sitting at the bedside.
Lin Yuqiu froze. The unexpected warmth in her hand made her blush as she quickly withdrew it.
She sat up, glimpsing her exposed arm in the faint moonlight, nervously tugging the blanket around herself.
She didn’t dare meet the man’s eyes. Suddenly, the vague call from her dream surged up, and she felt as if she were drowning.
A cold sweat broke out, as if soaked by winter rain, chilling her from the inside out.
Guilt, fear, and panic surged, battering her rational mind.
Her heart pounded like a drum, gripped by an invisible hand so tightly she dared not breathe.
Had he heard it?
The thought repeated in her mind, but she didn’t dare speak a word.
After a while, sensing the still air, she gathered courage and, using the faint moonlight filtering through the window, barely made out the man’s outline in the darkness.
From the very first glance, she had recognized him.
Even with eyes closed, his cold, clear aura had been etched in her heart from that first meeting.
She spoke first, breaking the tense silence: “How did you get in here?”