Probation period

The smell of rust in the room did not dissipate over time. Qingcheng felt numbness in her hands and feet. What was more terrifying than the fact that the room had been invaded was that the intruder was still inside. She felt like a pantomime actor, afraid to make a sound.

She moved quietly to the kitchen, silently drew a cleaver and held it protectively to her chest, following the scent step by step closer and closer to the source...

"Snap!"

As soon as the lights came on, a faint whimpering sound came from the corner of the bathroom. Yan Yan, pale-faced, leaned against the bathtub, unconscious. Her clothes were scattered on the floor, and her white shirt was soaked in blood, making it impossible to see where the wounds were.

"Sister Yan Yan?" Qingcheng threw down what she was holding and anxiously felt Yan Yan's forehead. It was a little hot, and she had to go to the hospital.

Perhaps Qingcheng's calls had an effect, because Yan Yan barely opened her eyes a crack, mumbled that she couldn't go to the hospital, and then fainted again.

Not going to the hospital? After a moment's thought, Qingcheng understood. She hugged her cousin and found a gunshot wound on her shoulder. What to do? She wasn't a doctor and had never removed a bullet before.

But if the bleeding wasn't stopped, her cousin might not survive. Qingcheng closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths to calm her wildly beating heart, and struggled to drag her cousin to the sofa. She then dialed a number with trembling hands and, after being transferred, found the person she was looking for.

"Hey sis, what's up so late?" A young male voice came from the phone.

"Dahua, is it convenient for you to come to my house now? There's a patient here," Qingcheng asked while pressing on her bleeding wound.

"Are you kidding me? The school's curfew is over at this hour. If it's an emergency, get to the hospital right away." The other end clearly refused.

"Fine then, just tell me how to treat the gunshot wound. Don't ask anything else." Kiyosumi secretly decided to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless.

"Sister, don't scare me. I'm just a medical student, not a doctor." The man's voice was filled with fear.

Looking at her cousin, who was barely breathing, Qingcheng didn't bother with arguing and said forcefully, "Stop talking nonsense, teach me if I tell you to."

Performing surgery sounds complicated, and it's even more difficult in practice. Plus, being a complete novice, Kiyosumi's hands, holding the tweezers, trembled uncontrollably as she looked at the dark red, bloody hole...

Time ticked by, and finally the small metal piece was clamped in place. Just then, the phone rang incessantly, pulling her already tense nerves even tighter. Kiyosumi tried her best to control her hand movements, calmed her mind and continued the surgery, ignoring the phone.

With a crisp "click," the sound of metal hitting the plate accompanied the final ring of the bell, and the room fell silent again. After carefully cleaning and bandaging her wound, Qingcheng took off her blood-stained gloves and collapsed onto the floor, exhausted.

A thin mist instantly formed on the cold floor. Qingcheng wiped the sweat from her forehead with her elbow and was about to wash her hands when the phone rang again. The noise made her head ache as if it were about to split open.

"He Qingcheng, why didn't you answer the phone just now... were you even listening to me?" Emerald's tone was full of anger.

Swaying slightly, the intense headache left Qingcheng unable to refute, so she could only tell the truth: "I'm sorry, I'm too tired... I feel a little dizzy."

"Heh, you won't be tired if you go to fewer dances. Is the wine of capitalism any good?" Emerald mocked sarcastically. "I told you this morning that I would come to see you tonight. Are you brainless or just ignoring what I said? It's a wonder that Sister Cai always praises your enthusiasm. I don't see it at all."

Tonight's events were truly awful. The unfair treatment made Kiyosumi feel her rationality crumbling, and she couldn't help but retort, "I'm not being proactive for your sake. You're not that great."

"Get your attitude straight. Don't throw a tantrum just because I said a few words to you." Emerald began to lecture as always, "How can you do revolutionary work if you can't even endure small hardships?"

These words struck like a thunderbolt. Qingcheng quickly covered the phone receiver and glanced at the sofa. Her cousin was still unconscious next to her. Just to be on the safe side, Qingcheng lowered her voice and said, "Miss Ai, please watch your words. I'm just an editor. I don't have your ideals. I only sign people based on their writing style and their appeal to readers."

Emerald paused for a moment, as if realizing someone was with her, and stopped pressing the matter: "Alright, write down their names and contact information..."

She quickly took out a notebook and pen from her handbag and made some notes. Only then did Qingcheng realize that she was using the one Gao Junxiao had given her. The once clean and clear pen body was now stained with blood.

She carefully wiped herself clean, but Qingcheng forgot that she also had blood on her body, and the more she frantically wiped, the dirtier it became...

What a mess! Her hands fell limply to her sides, and Qingcheng sneered at herself, realizing that she could even care about such a trivial matter. Her vision gradually blurred, and after blinking a few times, tears, heavy with her worries, rolled down her cheeks.

Ring ring—

The tranquil night was broken once again. Her eyes were too heavy to open, and Qingcheng answered the phone instinctively, only to find that she could not hear the other person's words clearly.

As the tinnitus gradually subsided, Gao Junxiao asked with concern on the phone, "Did someone bully you? Tell me."

"No." Hearing the familiar male voice, Qingcheng felt a warmth in her heart. She pursed her lips and said in a wronged tone, "I'm sorry, I dirtied the pen you gave me."

"It's okay, just wipe it first. If it's not clean, I'll buy you another one," Gao Junxiao said nonchalantly.

“Even if I buy another one, it won’t be the same one as before.” Kiyosumi’s suppressed frustration was overturned again. She covered her eyes, trying to control her emotions, but the tears in her eyes could no longer be held back and fell one after another.

"Hey, if you want to cry, cry louder, no one else will hear you." Gao Junxiao looked like he was enjoying the show.

"I didn't cry." Qingcheng sobbed and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She didn't want to show weakness in front of the man.

"Okay, okay, just pretend I'm deaf. Remember to put ice or an egg on your face after you're done crying, otherwise you'll scare people if you go out with swollen eyes tomorrow," Gao Junxiao kindly reminded him.

"I didn't, waah—" Kiyosumi could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

In the small house shrouded in night, Qingcheng burst into tears on the phone, as if trying to vent all the resentment that had been building up in her chest. Gao Junxiao on the other end just listened quietly.

After a while, Qingcheng calmed down and thanked Gao Junxiao.

"It's all finished. Shall I play some accompaniment for you?" Gao Junxiao asked, but he had already turned on the gramophone, and melodious music came from the microphone.

"How can you be so shameless!" Qingcheng scolded in a tearful voice, playing music as if she thought the mall was closing.

From the other end came a man's suppressed laughter, and faintly another man's curses: "What a lunatic, playing music at night instead of sleeping!"

The person I was sharing a room with seemed to be named Chen Yao. Gao Junxiao said irritably, "Get lost, mind your own business. If you can't sleep, just lie down."

Even though she knew it wasn't directed at her, Kiyosumi still pouted and replied, "Hmph! I'm leaving."

"I wasn't talking to you..." Gao Junxiao was hung up on by Qingcheng before he could finish speaking.

The reason Qingcheng dared to act so out was because she knew that no matter how much trouble she caused, everything would return to normal once the sun rose again. The earth would keep turning no matter who was gone, and Gao Junxiao would still be full of energy and swaggering around in front of her even after being scolded.

Perhaps things will be a little different. This is the second time tonight that she has been captivated by him. She truly feels the man's pure love. Compassion is the resonance between the two, and understanding is the tacit agreement between them. Like two streams, they slowly converge and it is only a matter of time before they are drawn into his arms.

Qingcheng took out a neatly folded handkerchief from the bedside table. It was slightly yellowed and had a circular mark on it, indicating that it was quite old. There used to be a silver coin wrapped inside the handkerchief, but it had been returned to its rightful owner.

Holding the old handkerchief, Qingcheng pondered for a long time before dejectedly stuffing it back into the drawer. It was only a moment to ignite the fire in her heart, but she still needed a catalyst to make up her mind. After all, they were on different sides, and the road ahead would be more difficult for them than for others.

The birdsong was especially beautiful in the morning. To take care of her cousin, Qingcheng took half a day off. As soon as she took the day off, the phone at home started ringing off the hook with colleagues inquiring about her health. She had no idea that she was so popular.

My cousin's fever has subsided after a night's rest. We still need to take her to see a doctor as soon as she wakes up. It's already good enough that she, a barefoot doctor, hasn't killed anyone; we can't guarantee that she won't get infected later.

Fortunately, her older cousin was also worried and rushed out of school early in the morning, fearing that something might happen to her.

Hehe, what a coincidence! My younger cousin was recruited by Qingcheng to be a proper doctor for once. Even a medical student could suture better than her, right? Seeing my cousin's questioning look, Qingcheng only told him that Yan Yan was a relative from her father's side. Since they were related, my cousin didn't ask any more questions and focused on his treatment.

To better keep quiet, Qingcheng agreed to take her younger brother to the Xinya Restaurant, which he had been longing to visit. Looking at her brother's smug smile, Qingcheng felt that the boy had come to her just to extort money from her.

"Sis, don't tell me you didn't bring enough money later," my older cousin reminded me, rubbing his hands together as he came downstairs.

"I can still afford to treat you to a meal, but don't gossip about it when we get back, or we'll both be in trouble, understand?" Qingcheng tapped her older cousin's head.

"I understand. Giving me food will shut me up. It's such a good deal." My older cousin nodded like a rattle-drum, his eyes full of anticipation for the delicious food.

Cost-effective my foot! A single meal at Xinya's costs half a month's salary. Luckily, she doesn't live off that meager salary. Humph, once her younger brother gets a job, she'll definitely try to get it back. She'll book a table at Yipinxiang first; who knows, maybe some new upscale restaurant will open up in the future.

"Button up your coat, you're not young anymore." Qingcheng saw that her cousin's coat was open and habitually buttoned it up for him.

"Sister, sister, did you offend someone? There's someone glaring at us fiercely," her older cousin asked, patting her arm and pointing across the street.

Following her cousin's gaze, Qingcheng saw Gao Junxiao, dressed in casual clothes, standing across the street with his hands behind his back and a slight smile playing on his lips. She knew that as long as she turned around, Gao Junxiao would be there, giving her a gentle smile.

Across the deserted street, the two nodded silently as a greeting. Qingcheng hesitated whether to take the initiative, when her cousin teased her, "Stop being infatuated. Just say hello. They may not be here to see you."

These words were too provocative. Qingcheng turned around and glared at his younger brother, as if to say that he had come to see him. He then boldly waved at the man and called out, "Ah Xiao."

Upon hearing her call, Gao Junxiao lowered his head and chuckled before striding over to them. He extended his hand and politely asked, "Miss He, how are you feeling?"

"You stinky man, so hypocritical!" Qingcheng pouted as she shook hands with Gao Junxiao, pretending not to know him: "Thanks to you, it's been great. Why aren't you wearing your military uniform on your day off? I almost didn't recognize you in civilian clothes."

"Last time you said I was too conspicuous in the crowd wearing a military uniform and told me to keep a low profile. Why have you changed your mind now?" Gao Junxiao's words were loaded with meaning, and she shouldn't think she couldn't understand them.

“You just overthink things. I’ve always liked uniforms, haven’t I, Da Hua?” Qingcheng turned to her cousin, her eyes filled with threat.

Perhaps under pressure from his older sister, the younger cousin awkwardly nodded and agreed, "Yes, yes, she's liked her since she was little."

"And who is this?" Gao Junxiao asked, glancing sideways.

"Want to know?" Kiyosumi stepped behind her younger brother, put her arm around his shoulder, and asked provocatively.

Sure enough, Gao Junxiao's smile froze for a moment, and he turned his head away, feeling sorry for himself, and said, "Don't explain to me, I don't even have the right to be jealous."

"Idiot! If you don't want to hear it, then she'll say it anyway: 'This is my younger brother, my older cousin.'"

The eldest cousin, caught in the vortex, finally couldn't withstand the pressure from both sides and stammered, "Uh... Sis, maybe I should go back first. I... I think I'm full."

"No, we have to eat." Qingcheng kept her eyes on Gao Junxiao as she spoke. "I almost forgot to introduce you. This is Gao Junxiao, the Commander-in-Chief of the Songhu Command. Commander-in-Chief Gao, have you eaten yet? Shall we eat together?"

“Fine, you decide.” Gao Junxiao looked at Qingcheng as if no one else existed.

"Then let's go with the host's choice, let's go to Xinya Hotel." Qingcheng was about to go to the roadside to hail a rickshaw when Gao Junxiao pulled her back.

“I happen to have a car, I can take you there. Please.” Gao Junxiao made way for the two of them.

After his younger cousin nervously sat down in the back seat, Gao Junxiao slammed the car door shut and whispered in Qingcheng's ear, "I'm not your driver."

The man then smugly opened the passenger door, gesturing for Qingcheng to get in. His little scheme was practically written all over his face, which was kind of cute. Qingcheng suppressed a laugh and sat in the passenger seat, finally giving in to his wishes.

As soon as they sat down at the restaurant, the younger cousin skillfully opened the menu, only to have it snatched away by Qingcheng and thrown in front of Gao Junxiao, who then taught his brother that one must be well-mannered and let the customers order first.

"I'd like a bowl of beef offal noodles." Gao Junxiao glanced at the menu and closed it.

"Are you sure you don't need to save me money?" Qingcheng pressed down on the menu, looking at Gao Junxiao with great interest.

"Don't be so surprised. Do you think eating this is too low-class?" Gao Junxiao asked with a smile.

Kiyosumi shook her head and asked, "Would you like some cilantro?"

"Cilantro is the soul," Gao Junxiao replied matter-of-factly.

"It has to be full," the two said in unison, then looked at each other and smiled.

"You know your stuff. I didn't expect you to have such strong tastes," Gao Junxiao praised.

"Hehe, even a lady sometimes likes to eat strong-flavored food. It would be even better if there were lamb offal." Qingcheng revealed one of her little hobbies.

"I'll take you to eat lamb offal next time. It's fine if it's heavily seasoned, but your dark circles are so bad they're almost impossible to cover. You're not allowed to stay up late anymore." Gao Junxiao said caringly as he washed the dishes and repositioned them for Qingcheng.

"I'm busy, and I'm not wearing makeup right now, I'm all natural." Qingcheng cupped her face and winked playfully.

Gao Junxiao wanted to reach out and pinch her cheek again, but perhaps mindful of the people around, he drew a circle with one hand, picked up the teapot, and poured tea for everyone. He stared at Qingcheng and hinted, "Your skin is naturally good. After applying powder, it looks like a pink pearl. Now your face is rosy like a crystal shrimp dumpling."

Qingcheng blushed as she understood the man's implication, pretending not to understand: "You just want to eat shrimp dumplings, everything looks like shrimp dumplings to you. I'll order one for you later."

Suddenly, the younger cousin next to him started coughing violently, as if he was going to knock his lungs out. Under the puzzled gazes of the two, he silently pulled the menu out from under Qingcheng's elbow, stood it up, and humbly buried his head in the menu, looking like a fool who was blinded by a leaf in the idiom.

Qingcheng rolled her eyes helplessly. "Silly little brother, if you want to order, just ask the waiter for another menu." Gao Junxiao, standing beside her, covered his mouth, but his trembling shoulders betrayed him. "Ugh, just laugh if you want to, stop pretending."

After finishing the meal, my older cousin slipped away as fast as he could. Qingcheng even packed a bowl of beef porridge to take back to her older cousin, just in case she woke up.

"I won't waste your time, I'll call a car myself." Qingcheng accompanied Gao Junxiao to the parking lot and said goodbye to him.

"It's okay, they'd love for me to be out having fun," Gao Junxiao said with a self-deprecating laugh.

Qingcheng had long heard about the infighting within the Nationalist government. Officers like Gao Junxiao, who had been parachuted in from Nanjing, were likely to be ostracized by their local superiors. But Commander Xiong shouldn't be ostracizing him; he still needed Gao Junxiao to make his mark.

But if he were to be ostracized by his peers, Gao Junxiao, with his personality, would have already turned the tables and killed anyone in his way. A seasoned veteran like him wouldn't just sit there and wait to die. Unless…

"You're not playing the emperor's trick of neglecting court affairs, are you? You appear to be living a dissolute life while secretly controlling the government." Qingcheng actually meant that he was using a feint to his advantage, and was probably planning something big.

"Haha, my beloved consort understands my heart very well. But it's true that I'm obsessed with women." Gao Junxiao embraced Qingcheng affectionately, making no attempt to deny it.

Even in broad daylight, people would still pass by in the alleyway where he was acting crazy. Qingcheng hurriedly pushed him away and scolded, "Who is your beloved concubine? Da Ba Qing Ba is dead. Don't give me that nonsense, do you think I'm performing a civilized opera?"

"Just think of it as me performing in a play. Once you marry into the family, you'll be the Empress, my only beloved concubine. Why don't you consider it?" Gao Junxiao continued to extend an olive branch.

"Actually... it's not that I'm completely uninterested in you. You're talented, have a high status, are humorous, responsible, and not bad-looking." Qingcheng praised Gao Junxiao for a while, then suddenly changed the subject, "It's just that your personality is a bit disappointing, I can't stand it."

“Everyone’s upbringing is different. It’s more interesting to explore the other person slowly. If you put all the good and bad in front of you at once, you’ll just find it boring.” This man seemed to have figured out her temperament. Qingcheng smoothed her bangs and smiled in agreement.

"I guarantee it's great value for money, with many benefits." Gao Junxiao nudged Qingcheng's shoulder lightly, making a pointed remark.

“I think you should reconsider. I don’t know how to do laundry, make beds, cook, or make soup. I also don’t have any desire to have children right now. I rejected you before because you were too good to me, and I didn’t want to hold you back.” Qingcheng lowered her head, not daring to look at Gao Junxiao.

"Hey, what do you mean by delaying things? There are so many people in China, there's no shortage of women who can't do housework, and besides, I would have been married late anyway. I'm a pretty picky person when it comes to my partner, I've delayed myself. It's none of your business." Gao Junxiao stated a fact bluntly.

"The Three Obediences and Four Virtues don't exist in my dictionary. I won't stay at home. On the contrary, I'll be the first to rush out when I encounter social injustice. Don't take any chances. Someone like me could easily end up in jail, which wouldn't be good for your promotion." Qingcheng spoke of his ideals tactfully.

"Are you going to make arrangements for your funeral?" Gao Junxiao's expression also turned serious. "If you break out, I'll protect you. If you're thrown into prison, I'll bail you out. If you die, I'll bury you in my family's ancestral graveyard. I'll never let you become a wandering ghost. A gentleman's word is his bond."

Now that things have come to this point, it would be a lie to myself not to be tempted. Countless ideas flashed through Qingcheng's mind. The most perfect ending would be for the two of them to never touch each other's secrets, so that they could grow old together.

"We can establish a romantic relationship first. When you feel that I am worthy of your lifelong commitment, be sure to tell me first. If there are any other questions, let's talk about them together. Hurry up." Gao Junxiao's patience seemed to be running out, and he kept urging Qingcheng.

"Um... I have some things... I might not be able to tell you while I'm doing them. I'm afraid you'll worry." Kiyosumi mustered up her courage and revealed the nature of her work.

"That's it?" Gao Junxiao stared at Qingcheng in disbelief, then took her hand and said, "Don't steal my lines! Let's start over, let me say it. If I suddenly disappear one day, it's definitely because I'm on a mission. I'll be back in a while, don't worry."

Kiyosumi chuckled at his serious expression: "You're too domineering. I need to think about it some more."

Gao Junxiao looked up and took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm his frantic emotions. His tone even carried a hint of pleading: "Don't hesitate, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Can I try it out first?" Kiyosumi asked cautiously.

"Hmm? Miss He, that's a bit ambiguous. But I'm only twenty-nine years old, in good health, and don't have any strange infectious diseases. If you want to try, I'm perfectly fine with that, I guarantee you'll be satisfied," Gao Junxiao said confidently.

She gave him a light tap, then said sullenly, "What are you thinking? I meant to give you a trial period before we start dating, and I'll make you a permanent partner if I'm satisfied."

"A one-month trial period is the most I can offer," Gao Junxiao began to bargain.

"The company still gives you a three-month trial period," Kiyosumi retorted with a smile.

"Why don't you mention that the company allows for early promotion?" Gao Junxiao argued.

It's so funny to tease him. Qingcheng covered her mouth and tried hard to control her expression. What man would agree to such an absurd thing? He even bargained.

"Are you laughing? Don't try to fool me. I'm a person of status. You're not trying to freeload, are you?" Gao Junxiao's eyes gleamed with suspicion.

"I just treated you to a meal, why are you eating for free? Hahaha." Kiyosumi didn't care about the etiquette of not showing her teeth when she smiled, and laughed so hard that she was shaking.

Gao Junxiao pinched Qingcheng's little face and said solemnly, "Stop laughing. I respect you. If you give your heart away, you either keep it or break it. You can't give it back. I don't offer that option."

"That sounds so cruel, it makes me feel so guilty." Kiyosumi rubbed her cheek, which had been pinched so hard.

"It's good that you feel burdened, that way you'll value me." Gao Junxiao poked her dimple, but Qingcheng angrily slapped it away. Damn it, does he treat her like a toy?

"Big brother, you don't need to reveal your ulterior motives." Qingcheng suddenly regretted it; this man was too ruthless.

"Just pretend you didn't hear me, let's go back." Gao Junxiao pushed Qingcheng into the car as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Okay." With her seatbelt fastened, Kiyosumi reluctantly gave in, knowing she was in for a rough time.