Chapter 7

As Fu Jingyuan led Rongxiang into his home, he suddenly felt a buzzing in his head—he had been so carried away that he had forgotten that a bachelor's home was not for visitors.

Fortunately, the dirty clothes had been taken to the dry cleaners the day before yesterday, and the pile on the sofa was of clean shirts that had been delivered that morning. However, the dirty socks scattered all over the bedroom floor were truly inexplicable. The floor had been mopped a month ago, and the original paint color was now unrecognizable. As for the kitchen—Fu Jingyuan stood in the middle of the room, so embarrassed he was speechless.

Rong Xiang also showed considerable surprise, but he quickly picked up the shirt from the sofa and sat down on it, saying, "Your home makes me feel very comfortable."

Fu Jingyuan pulled up a chair and sat down opposite him, his face burning with embarrassment, and said, "It's all too chaotic."

Rongxiang ignored him, stretched his long legs out under his chair, gave a small yawn, and then settled into the large, soft sofa in that position.

Fu Jingyuan felt awkward for a moment, but seeing that Rong Xiang didn't show any mockery or disgust, he got up and sat down next to Rong Xiang. Rong Xiang leaned his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes.

He knew I was good to him, Fu Jingyuan thought, which is why he wasn't wary of me at all.

Rong Xiang never expected that he would end up sleeping in Fu Jingyuan's apartment.

He had only sat down in that pile of shirts to rest for a while, as the theater chairs were hard and uncomfortable. But as soon as he leaned in, he drifted off to sleep. When he woke up, he looked at Fu Jingyuan beside him, still groggy, and it took him a while to figure out what had happened.

"I……"

Fu Jingyuan reached out and put his arm around his shoulder, letting him lean on his shoulder: "Sleep as much as you want. Are you cold?"

Rongxiang pressed his face against Fu Jingyuan's shoulder, a comfortable and warm position, but his heart suddenly tightened.

He thought of Feng Huizhen.

Feng Huizhen loved leaning on his shoulder like this, and the powder on her face would often get smeared onto his clothes.

She loved me, Rongxiang thought. Although Yi Zhongming had sent people to kill her, he could also be considered to have stood by and watched her die.

When was the last time we went out for a tryst? Oh right, it was when I took her to buy a ring, in an underground jewelry store run by White Russians. Later, we still bought that ring, and it was buried with her.

Rong Xiang slowly turned his head, glancing sideways at Fu Jingyuan. His eyes held a deadly sharpness as he silently asked himself: Do you love me? Will you be loyal to me?

Fortunately, Fu Jingyuan was busy fiddling with Rong Xiang's suit fabric and didn't notice Rong Xiang's expression.

“Your clothes are too thin,” Fu Jingyuan muttered to himself. “You should wear something thicker, like me. Autumn in Manchuria is so cold.”

Rongxiang thought he was in a relationship.

Yi Zhongming's mother had just passed away, and he rushed back to Xi'an for the funeral. So now no one interfered with him, no one bothered him. He finally felt that all his hard work over the years had been worthwhile—wasn't this the kind of life he wanted?

Perhaps when someone has been suppressed for too long, they are very prone to losing control of their behavior once they are able to relax. Rong Xiang now sees Fu Jingyuan every day. He knows this is just a fling, with no future, so he acts exceptionally affectionate and devoted, with a kind of willful decisiveness in his demeanor. It's like an old house on fire, simply out of control.

He was deeply in love, overjoyed at the sight of her. But turning away, he felt an overwhelming sadness. This so-called love was fleeting and unpredictable; it could suddenly be severed at any moment, leaving no chance for a reunion. But… how wonderful it was to be loved! If he never understood this, so be it. Now that he understood and experienced it, how painful would it be to be alone again?

Because of this, he even started thinking about his marriage.

"Having a wife will at least give me some company," he told himself. He was usually a very solitary and taciturn man, but now he found it increasingly difficult to bear the loneliness.

Compared to Rong Xiang, Fu Jingyuan's happiness was much simpler.

After all, their experiences were different. Although Fu Jingyuan had traveled all over the country, he had only seen campuses and cities, mostly places that were thriving and sunny. Therefore, his mind was still simple and straightforward. Although he hadn't expected to fall in love with a man, since he had, he would just let things take their course. Besides, Rong Xiang was truly lovable. That's what he thought.

He had always been a good writer, but now, overwhelmed with emotion and unable to vent it, he began writing poetry. He wrote many, and several were even published in local magazines. Because the language was obscure, no one ever realized that these poems were actually written for a man.

His relationship with Rongxiang remained a secret—they didn't let others know. This gave their love a forbidden and secretive quality, which only made it more exciting and thrilling.

Love is all the more precious in these chaotic times, but life must go on.

Hideo Nakajima reappeared in early winter.

Rong Xiang greeted him with brisk steps. Nakajima Hideo was wearing a yellow woolen military overcoat, with a thin layer of snowflakes on his shoulders. Upon seeing Rong Xiang, he took off his fur hat and bowed slightly: "General Rong, it's been a long time. How have you been?" In the past six months, his Chinese had improved considerably.

Rongxiang smiled and nodded at him: "Thanks to you, I'm fine. How are you?"

"Thanks to you, I'm doing well too."

A gust of cold wind blew in through the door, carrying a few snowflakes. Rongxiang, who was only wearing a shirt and a woolen vest, shivered in the wind: "Please come in, Mr. Nakajima."

Nakajima bowed again, then strode into the living room.

Just like last time, he directly stated his purpose, clearly expressing the Kwantung Army's high regard and expectations for Rong Xiang. The only difference was that this time he used some formal language, making him seem much more refined. Then, seeing Rong Xiang's lips curl into a slight smile, as if he were about to play games with him again, he disregarded politeness and simply raised his hand to stop Rong Xiang from speaking: "General Rong, I know you are a very pragmatic and promising young general. I don't understand, are you really so loyal to Chiang Kai-shek?"

Rongxiang lowered his head, slowly picked up the teacup, brought it to his lips, and then put it down: "What does this have to do with the Kwantung Army?"

“General Rong, to be frank with you, the era of preserving strength through neutrality is over. You must choose your side. Otherwise, in the wars that will sweep across Asia in the future, you will lose even your foothold.” At this point, Nakajima Hideo leaned forward, seemingly puzzled: “I don’t understand, General Rong, you are a Manchurian, why would you help the Chinese government?”

Rong Xiang looked up at Nakajima Hideo and smiled with apparent interest: "Oh? So Lieutenant Colonel Nakajima thinks it's appropriate for me, as a Manchurian, to stand on the side of the Kwantung Army?"

Seeing that Rong Xiang had finally gotten to the heart of the matter, Nakajima Hideo was delighted, but lowered his voice even further: "General Rong, His Majesty the Emperor of Japan has always been quite sympathetic to the plight of His Majesty the Xuantong Emperor. After His Majesty the Xuantong Emperor arrived in Tianjin, he has always been under the protection of our Great Japanese Empire. Now, His Majesty the Emperor will soon secretly return to Manchuria to rebuild the country. At that time, our Kwantung Army will definitely provide our full support. The Kwantung Army and His Majesty the Emperor of Manchuria are forever of one heart and one mind, so please rest assured, General Rong, our cooperation is not only for the benefit of both of us, but also for the well-being of all the people of Manchuria! Manchuria is the richest place in Asia. It has everything: coal, oil, railways, industry, and more. Every year, millions of poor Chinese flee to Manchuria. With the joint efforts of the people of Japan and Manchuria, Manchuria will surely regain the glory of the Qing Dynasty!"

Rongxiang listened intently, thinking that Nakajima's words were indeed quite inflammatory. The Japan-Manchuria cooperation, the revitalization of the Qing Dynasty—it sounded so inspiring, but beneath that glittering exterior lay nothing but exploitation. He gripped the sofa cushion with his right hand, subtly tightening his grip: "I've worked so hard to get this, the novelty hasn't even worn off, and you're already trying to steal it?"

As Nakajima spoke, he himself became somewhat excited. Seeing that Rongxiang seemed to be listening thoughtfully, he thought that his words had had an effect. So he pressed on, asking, "General Rong, what do you think? The Kwantung Army has no reason to harm you. We all have a common goal: to revitalize Manchuria."

Rong Xiang lowered his eyes, blushing slightly for some reason, as if embarrassed: "Lieutenant Colonel Nakajima, please let me think about it some more. This is a big matter, and our army's chief of staff went back to his hometown for a funeral a few days ago and has not yet returned. I need to discuss it with him before making a decision."

Hideo Nakajima nodded vigorously in agreement: "Yes. I completely understand General Rong's feelings. Please consider it carefully and then give me your answer. The Kwantung Army sincerely welcomes General Rong's joining us."

"Yes, yes. I know." Rongxiang nodded repeatedly, looked up at Nakajima Hideo, and smiled very nicely.

Having finally managed to brush off Nakajima's long-winded speech, Rongxiang stood alone at the door, lost in thought. It seemed the Japanese were coming on strong; the old man's method of avoidance was no longer an option.

We can't follow the Japanese. It's not worth ruining our reputation and being branded a traitor. Besides, the Japanese have never been easy to deal with, and how could we possibly stand against the Kwantung Army?

But the fact that the Japanese sent a lieutenant colonel to repeatedly try to persuade him meant he was already on their list. In this world, those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish. Want to remain unscathed? Impossible!

Rongxiang suddenly missed Yi Zhongming. That old fox would surely have a way, wouldn't he?