At such a ball, Feng Mingshu's retreat to a corner of the hall was actually a subtle way of rejecting the man.

But to her surprise, Zhai Qingping not only came to her, but also enthusiastically introduced her to his roommate.

Feng Mingshu was somewhat troubled, but her long-standing upbringing prevented her from being impolite. She stood up and smiled at Zhai Qingping's two roommates, saying, "Hello."

Her smile was merely a polite gesture, but it appeared entirely different to the three men opposite her.

Lu Xiangqian's dark face flushed instantly, and his tongue began to tie itself in knots: "Y-hello."

Zhou Jinshan's gaze was sharp and direct as he stared at Feng Mingshu. He stepped forward and extended his hand: "Hello, comrade, my name is Zhou Jinshan."

The man was very tall. He suddenly stepped forward, almost enveloping her in his shadow. Feng Mingshu was a little startled. She wanted to back away, but her legs were already against the crossbar of the bench, leaving her nowhere to retreat. The man's hand was already out in front of her.

In that instant, she felt like a small animal cornered by a ferocious beast, ready to be swallowed whole at any moment, depending on whether the beast was willing.

Therefore, she dared not provoke him in the slightest and obediently extended her right hand: "Hello, Comrade Zhou."

She used honorifics.

The man seemed dissatisfied, frowned slightly, and took her hand, asking, "Can you tell me your name?"

The man stared down at her, making Feng Mingshu's scalp tingle. She answered as quickly as possible, "Feng Mingshu, my name is Feng Mingshu."

She thought that once she told him her name, he should let go.

The man did release his grip, but he didn't move. He lowered his head and asked, "Comrade Feng, can you dance?"

"Huh?" Feng Mingshu was a little confused. She almost bumped into the man's chin when she looked up. She quickly leaned back and braced herself against the back of the chair.

"Hey Lao Zhou, that's not fair of you."

Just then, Zhai Qingping grabbed Zhou Jinshan's shoulder and pulled him back two steps, a smile playing on his lips. "I met Comrade Feng first, so I should ask her to dance the first dance."

Zhou Jinshan raised an eyebrow, reached out and stroked Zhai Qingping's hand, glanced at Feng Mingshu, and said unhurriedly, "Who you dance with is up to Comrade Feng to decide."

"Old Zhou, you're something else!" Zhai Qingping gritted his teeth, then turned to Feng Mingshu with a bright smile. "Comrade Feng, Old Zhou is right. The choice is yours. Go ahead and choose, I guarantee no one can force you."

Zhai Qingping had just noticed that Zhou Jinshan's forceful handshake had frightened the young woman. It was his own fault for not anticipating that Zhou Jinshan, who was usually aloof from women, would act this way; otherwise, he would have separated the two much earlier.

However, it's not too late now.

Zhai Qingping smiled, his eyes filled with determination and confidence.

Zhou Jinshan frowned slightly, but didn't say anything, his gaze remaining fixed on Feng Mingshu's face.

Lu Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and quickly took two steps back, indicating that he would not participate and would only watch the show.

As for Fu Jiarong, who ran away crying, no one cared.

Facing the gazes of the two men, Feng Mingshu took a deep breath and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I can't dance. You should find someone else to dance."

The air fell silent for a second after those words were spoken.

How could a girl who is chosen to participate in a social dance party not know how to dance?

Even if you don't know how to dance before, you can learn it quickly after being selected, since it's just a simple ballroom dance.

Zhai Qingping raised an eyebrow to indicate his disbelief, when Zhou Jinshan said from the side, "I don't know either. Comrade Feng, let's sit over there for a while."

Zhai Qingping cursed the other party's cunning in his heart, but he acted quickly, stopping Zhou Jinshan and saying with a smile, "Old Zhou, your injury hasn't healed yet, you should rest more. Comrade Feng, I'm quite good at dancing, I can teach you how to dance."

His last sentence was spoken while looking at Feng Mingshu, his gaze gentle yet confident.

Feng Mingshu certainly knew how to dance; she had studied not only ballroom dancing but also classical dance and ballet. She claimed she couldn't dance to reject the two officers in front of her, but to her surprise, they still wouldn't give up.

Helpless, Feng Mingshu could only play his last card: "Comrades, there is something I need to explain to you. I come from the Feng family."

"What happened to the Feng family?" Zhai Qingping asked with a smile, seemingly unconcerned.

Comrade Feng was dressed simply, which suggested that his family was not well-off, but he wouldn't care about that.

“The Feng family was once one of the four major families in Bincheng, and I come from a capitalist background,” Feng Mingshu explained frankly.

Zhai Qingping's smile froze instantly. He was from Beijing, but he had also heard his grandfather tell stories about the Feng family in Bincheng.

The Feng family started by running a dye shop, later selling their fabrics overseas and expanding into other industries, where they thrived. Although the Feng family contributed money and effort to support the Communist Party during the war years, they could not erase the mark of capitalists from their family's reputation.

The current situation is delicate. Zhai Qingping's family is in Beijing and has access to a lot of information. He has also been repeatedly warned by his elders not to get involved with capitalists, so as not to affect his future.

With the words of his elders echoing in his ears, Zhai Qingping looked at the girl who had captivated him at first sight and asked with a glimmer of hope, "Comrade Feng, are you kidding me?"

Feng Mingshu said calmly, "It's very simple for you to verify; you can ask Director Wu."

As his last glimmer of hope vanished, Zhai Qingping's eyes dimmed, but he managed a polite smile: "Sorry to bother you."

After saying that, he turned and left.

He was afraid that if he left too slowly, he would be even more reluctant to leave.

Feng Mingshu breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that her background could deter all the officers in the auditorium who were interested in her.

They have bright futures ahead of them; it's not worth ruining them for a woman.

This result was expected, but it was still disheartening. Feng Mingshu didn't want to waste any more time, so he reached for the military green backpack on the bench and prepared to leave.

But before he could take a step, a tall figure appeared in front of him. The man leaned down and asked, "Is Comrade Feng leaving?"

Because they were so close, Feng Mingshu felt that powerful pressure again. She couldn't help but clench her backpack straps and said with barely managing to calm herself, "I'm going back now. Could you please make way for me, comrade?"

"Where do you live? I'll give you a ride," Zhou Jinshan said succinctly.

Feng Mingshu looked up at him in surprise: "You didn't hear me clearly just now. I come from a capitalist family."

“I’m attracted to you as a person, regardless of your background,” Zhou Jinshan replied directly and firmly.

Feng Mingshu was stunned for a moment, then said sarcastically, "How can your background be irrelevant? Marrying me will affect your future. Or are you just looking for a relationship with me and never intending to marry me?"

The man's face darkened instantly, and an imposing aura pressed down once more. This time, Feng Mingshu did not back down, but stubbornly glared back with her head held high.

"Dating without getting married is immoral, and I, Zhou Jinshan, would never stoop to such a low level." The man's gaze was dark as he fixed her eyes on him, speaking each word clearly.

Feng Mingshu felt her mind go blank for a moment, staring blankly at the man.

Lu Xiangqian, standing nearby, grew anxious and shouted at Zhou Jinshan, "Old Zhou, don't be foolish!"