change

After Zhao Xiaofeng's public apology, the Red Flag Commune superficially returned to normal. Lin Xueyin's teaching work became increasingly smooth, and the villagers became more polite to her. Even Li Hongmei no longer dared to be sarcastic to her face. But Lin Xueyin's heart could not truly calm down.

She wasn't stupid. Zhao Jianguo's surly, then subservient attitude, and Zhao Xiaofeng's eyes, filled with humiliation and resentment, clearly told her that all this change was due to Song Zhiyuan's unimaginable "power." He could instill such fear in the captain, a figure who had held sway for years in the area. His background was far deeper than she could imagine.

Lin Xueyin lay in bed, staring at the roof covered in old newspapers, a chill in her heart. She thought of her father, Lin Guodong, the head of the city post office, a well-known figure in the eyes of ordinary people. But if he had faced a local tyrant like Zhao Jianguo, he would have struggled to deal with him. Yet, Song Zhiyuan was able to turn the tide so easily.

Who was he, exactly? Hailing from Beijing, raised in a military compound, yet relocated to this remote countryside as a "professor tending the cowshed"... that was unusual in itself. His composure, beyond his years, and his occasional coldness, now seemed to her like a complex and dangerous aura.

At heart, Lin Xueyin was a pampered girl. Her greatest wish was to live peacefully until her parents brought her back to the city, find a stable job, marry a well-matched husband, and return to the peaceful life she knew. Song Zhiyuan's world was clearly too distant and too complex for her. His ability to stir up trouble without making a sound made her feel uneasy, even a little afraid.

She began to avoid Song Zhiyuan intentionally or unintentionally.

In the morning, she deliberately left home a quarter of an hour earlier to go to school to avoid the time when he might appear "on the way".

After school, she would either stay in the classroom for a while longer under the pretext of correcting homework, or go back home with Liu Xiaoling and the others.

When he looked at her, she would subconsciously look away or speak in a more polite and distant tone.

Even when he silently helped her carry heavy objects, or offered help when she couldn't reach something high, as he usually did, she would quickly avoid him like a frightened rabbit, whispering, "No need, Comrade Song, I can do it myself."

Song Zhiyuan noticed her change almost immediately.

At first, he was confused. He didn't understand why after resolving Zhao Xiaofeng's troubles, she distanced herself even further from him. But soon, from her flickering eyes and the distance she kept deliberately, he understood her cautious alienation and...fear.

An indescribable irritability and depression grew in his heart. He helped her, protected her, but she was afraid of him?

He stood under the old locust tree outside the educated youth site, watching Lin Xueyin and Liu Xiaoling walking back talking and laughing. But the moment they saw him, their smiles froze on their faces, and then they quickly lowered their heads, quickened their pace and passed by him, leaving only a faint scent of snow cream.

Song Zhiyuan's gaze sank, like a bottomless, cold pond. His hands, hanging by his side, clenched slightly.

Backing off? That wasn't his style. Raised in a military compound, he'd been taught to be goal-oriented and proactive. If he set his sights on something, he had to get it. Lin Xueyin's evasion, far from deterring him, only intensified his deep-seated desire for control and possession.

Since the gentle approach frightened her, there was no need to hide it.

He no longer just waited for her "on the way", but appeared directly on her path and took the things in her hand without giving her a chance to refuse.

When she politely said "I can do it myself" again, he would raise his deep eyes, look straight at her, and say in a low voice with unquestionable strength: "It's heavy, I'll take it."

He would even appear silently nearby when she was talking to other male educated youth, and his strong presence would often end the conversation quickly.

His actions were still measured, without any inappropriate words or deeds, but his silent dominance and increasingly obvious possessiveness were like a fine and dense net, slowly enveloping Lin Xueyin.

After school that day, a gentle autumn rain began to fall. Lin Xueyin, without an umbrella, stood under the eaves of the classroom, watching the increasingly dense rain with a worried look on her face.

A large dark blue umbrella was silently held above her head, shielding her from the cold rain.

Lin Xueyin knew who it was without even turning around. Her body stiffened slightly, and she whispered, "Thank you, Comrade Song. I'll wait until the rain subsides before leaving."

"The rain won't stop for a while, let's go." Song Zhiyuan's voice sounded above her head, with a hint of refutation.

He was so close that Lin Xueyin could even feel his warm breath and his usual cool and clean scent. She tried to move away, but the umbrella moved with her movements, keeping it firmly above her.

"I..." Lin Xueyin wanted to refuse.

"Or, I'll carry you back?" Song Zhiyuan lowered his head, looking at her eyes that widened instantly and her cheeks that flushed red. His tone was calm, but his eyes held a hint of something very subtle, almost provocative. "Choose one."

Lin Xueyin bit her lower lip, knowing he wasn't joking. This man, once he got tough, wouldn't give her any room to escape. She had no choice but to compromise, lowering her head and walking silently under his umbrella.

The rain pattered, and they were alone on the dirt road. The space under the umbrella was so cramped that she could almost hear her own heartbeat beating like a drum. He deliberately slowed his pace, accommodating hers.

"Are you afraid of me?" he suddenly asked, his voice sounding particularly low in the sound of rain.

Lin Xueyin's heart tightened, and she flatly denied it: "No."

"That's good." Song Zhiyuan didn't seem to care about her duplicity. He looked at the hazy rain curtain in front of him. "What I did was just to protect you. You don't have to think too much."

His tone remained calm, yet it carried a declarative certainty, as if to say that protecting her was his natural right and responsibility, requiring neither her consent nor her gratitude, and certainly not her refusal.

Lin Xueyin's heart was in turmoil. She secretly raised her eyes and looked at his stern profile. The rain soaked one of his shoulders, but he didn't care, still holding the umbrella steadily towards her.

This kind of strong protection made her feel an unprecedented contradiction. On the one hand, she instinctively wanted to escape this feeling of being controlled; on the other hand, in this strange foreign land, this absolute sense of security made her irresistibly greedy.

What she didn't know was that, from an angle she couldn't see, Song Zhiyuan's lips curled up in an almost imperceptible arc. He knew she was afraid, hesitant. It didn't matter; he had plenty of patience. He would gradually move closer, letting her get used to his presence, his protection, until she could no longer escape his domain.

The rain continued to fall. Two people, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, walked towards the educated youth station. One was trying to build up his defenses, while the other was determined to completely break them down. This silent tug-of-war had just begun. Hidden behind her window, Zhao Xiaofeng stared through the rain at the two figures sharing an umbrella, her eyes filled with resentment, her nails digging deep into the window frame.