Chapter 34 Her tears streamed down her face...

As soon as school started that day, Ning Yao ran as fast as she could.

With hurried steps, she leaped over one wall of people after another. She couldn't say whether it was because there was little time left before the agreed time, or simply because she didn't want to run into someone.

Following the place agreed upon with Yan Sifan, we left the school gate, walked two more streets, and arrived at a small restaurant called Huzhong Xiaofan Restaurant.

The restaurant is located on a street corner, with a small storefront; it is a truly small restaurant.

But the location is great, at a corner, with doors opening on both the left and right, and there's a lot of foot traffic.

As soon as I entered, a waiter surrounded me. "Miss, do you have a reservation? We're all booked right now."

Ning Yao glanced at him; he looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a dark complexion and a habitually wide smile.

This reminded her of how she used to work as a waiter a few years ago.

She couldn't help but smile at him, and said slowly, "My friend booked room number 2."

The waiter bent down slightly, gesturing to lead the way, "This way, please."

After passing through the bustling lobby, we arrived at the private room.

The door to the private room opened, and everyone inside was already there. All eyes turned to her.

Ning Yao was a little embarrassed. "Sorry I'm late."

Yan Sifan stood up, took her hand, and sat down with her. "No, I came here after school too, it's just that my school is nearby."

Yan Sirui nodded in agreement, "We don't need to go to school, and our time is relatively free."

Chen Hao smiled, while Sun He'an remained quiet and expressionless, only nodding slightly.

In comparison, Sun He'an was the least enthusiastic among them.

However, after what happened at the police station last time, Ning Yao trusted him the most. It was also because of him that Ning Yao went to Wanzhong Girls' School to find Yan Sifan.

"Come on, let's see what you like to eat." Yan Sifan spread the menu in front of Ning Yao. "We've chosen these. See if there's anything you like. You can choose a couple more."

Ning Yao shook her head, "There's nothing else I need to order."

She doesn't care much about food and has no particular dietary restrictions or favorite foods.

The main reason for coming to this little restaurant today wasn't to eat, but rather to chat and get together with them, and incidentally...

Ning Yao put down the menu, turned and held the tea that had been poured before she arrived, and said to Sun He'an, "Brother Sun, I must offer you this first cup of tea. Thank you for last time."

Sun He'an's rugged, slightly dark face immediately became unnatural. He quickly picked up the half-finished teacup on the table, raised his hand in return, and said very modestly, "No, I couldn't help either."

The others present became curious after hearing their conversation.

Yan Sifan: "What? You two met again later?"

Chen Hao looked back and forth between the two with a curious expression, "When was the last time?"

Ning Yao finished her tea in one gulp before briefly recounting what had happened last time.

She transformed a brief brawl and a visit to the police station into a dramatic and inspiring little story.

Throughout the conversation, Sun He'an kept shaking his head. In his eyes, since he considered Ning Yao a friend, he naturally didn't think what he was doing was a problem.

Especially when Ning Yao said that she encountered him and his men coming to rescue her at the entrance of the police station, Sun He'an shook his head and waved his hands.

After hearing Ning Yao's words, Yan Sirui, who was sitting next to Sun He'an, put his arm around Sun He'an's shoulder with one hand: "Old Sun, you're something else, you're a hero saving a damsel in distress."

That's what I meant...

Sun He'an immediately shrugged and flicked the hand off his shoulder, "Don't talk nonsense!"

As she spoke, she glanced at Ning Yao, whose eyes remained fixed on them with a smile.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps because they got off to a good start, the group often gathered together, and they didn't feel uncomfortable with Ning Yao joining them.

They ate, drank tea, and chatted happily.

Naturally, the current situation was also discussed.

Chen Hao said, "I participated in a march last time, but I felt that it didn't have much effect."

When Sun He'an heard him say that, his face immediately darkened, and he gulped down a cup of tea.

“My brother in Beijing has been arrested. He hasn’t been released yet; I only found out this afternoon.”

"Is this also because of the protest?" Yan Sirui asked worriedly.

Sun He'an nodded. "The situation in Beijing is much more tense than here. It's already April, three months have passed, and the higher-ups still haven't really revealed their intentions. This matter looks... uncertain. And then there's the North-South negotiations... sigh."

The atmosphere in the private room immediately became heavy.

Sun He'an looked at the silent crowd and said, "Don't be so downcast. There are still many people doing things."

As he spoke, he pulled a newspaper out of his pocket.

Four large black characters on the newspaper caught the eye: Jianghe Daily.

This daily newspaper is well-known to many people and has been established for many years.

What's amazing is that no one knows where this daily newspaper was printed, let alone its founder.

At first, the newspaper published short stories or trivial articles, but the articles were so captivating that they were eagerly read by many readers, and that's when the newspaper gained its reputation.

But gradually, people began to discern many other flavors in the Jianghe Daily and started discussing it privately.

The daily newspaper contained more and more content about democracy and science, until it caught the attention of those in power.

Only then did everyone realize why they couldn't find the newspaper office or how to submit their articles at the beginning.

Of everyone present, only Ning Yao knew that this daily newspaper was co-founded by Ning Yiwen and others.

"These are newspapers that my brothers in Beijing brought me along with some information. Take a look."

As he spoke, he first handed it to Yan Sirui, who then passed it on to Chen Hao after reading it.

His face showed admiration. "It's so well written! This Yan Xu is really good."

Sun He'an nodded. "It's said that the Jianghe Daily in Nanjing and Beijing published it simultaneously, and it had a wide impact. It's a pity..."

Changing the subject, Sun He'an sighed, his voice tinged with worry: "I've heard that many people are looking for the founder of the Jianghe Daily, and also for this Yan Xu..."

Hearing this, Ning Yao couldn't help but feel a little worried, but this wasn't the time to show it. She could only wait until she got back that night to ask Ning Ge about his condition.

Ning Yao saw it together with Yan Sibai.

The newspaper headline read: "The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen."

Ning Yao didn't feel anything when she looked up, but when her gaze fell on the photo, she was stunned.

The surrounded building and the police officers rushing from afar...

It was the photo Ning Yiwen had once given her.

Ning Yao looked at it more closely and, sure enough, it was her article, only it had been revised.

It turns out that Brother Ning published it in the newspaper!

They even sent them directly to Nanjing and Beijing... Brother Ning's methods are truly ingenious.

The others had already finished reading the article in the newspaper and all thought it was elegant and well-written.

Ning Yao listened, and the more she heard it, the more embarrassed she became.

She herself felt it wasn't as good as they said.

"Ning Yao, what do you think?" Yan Sifan noticed Ning Yao's somewhat unnatural expression and kindly steered the conversation in that direction.

Ning Yao: "...It's great, it's really great."

She chuckled inwardly, feeling so embarrassed by the self-praise that she wanted to bang her head on the ground.

Seeing her reluctant expression, Chen Hao chuckled and said, "Ning Yao, if you don't like this kind of article, you can just say so. We don't mind other opinions. Besides, to be honest, I've read quite a few of Yan Xu's articles, and this one is very different from her usual style. Of course, I think they're all very good."

Because it wasn't written by one person.

Ning Yao remained silent for a while before deciding to change the subject, "How could that be? But I still think this photo is extremely well taken, even better than the article."

She feels uncomfortable praising herself, but she is much more natural when praising others.

Sun He'an nodded in agreement, "It's really excellent. Actually, I received quite a few photos this time, and I can show them to you next time I have the chance."

Yan Sirui was in high spirits, and his patriotism was completely aroused by this article.

Upon hearing this, he patted Sun He'an on the back and said, "Come on, let's go see now. Isn't your house behind this little restaurant? It's just a few steps away!"

Chen Hao agreed, "Great!"

By this time, all the dishes had been served, and everyone had almost finished eating.

It was indeed time to pay the bill and leave.

Sun He'an had no objection, but... he looked at Ning Yao, "Do you want to come along?"

Ning Yao hesitated for a moment, then subconsciously looked at Yan Sifan.

Yan Sifan noticed her hesitation with a quick glance and said with a smile, "It's okay, Brother Sun lives alone."

Since Yan Sifan was so open, Ning Yao finally nodded, "Then let's go together."

As the group emerged from the small restaurant, they saw numerous lanterns hanging on both sides of the street.

The lanterns illuminated the entire street brightly, and the group walked towards Sun He'an's house, laughing and chatting.

This wasn't the first time Ning Yao had strolled the streets with friends at night, but this time it felt particularly different.

The streets were bustling with activity, a cacophony of shouts, buying and selling sounds, and laughter, all accompanied by the unique aroma of food in the air.

The group chatted and laughed as they walked with the flow of people, their shadows growing shorter and then longer again.

A cool summer breeze, still carrying a hint of spring, swept through, washing away much of the anxiety about the situation in the restaurant.

Although it may only be superficially prosperous, we should enjoy life to the fullest.

The small restaurant was indeed not far from Sun He'an's house, and the group soon arrived in front of the small house.

Compared to Ning Yao's house, which has several small houses with a yard, Sun He'an's house is particularly small, consisting of only one small house, though it is quite large.

Upon entering the room, one could see that apart from a screen in front of the bed, the rest of the room was completely exposed.

Though small, the sparrow has all the vital organs.

It has a kitchen and a desk.

Even though everything was crammed together, Ning Yao still felt it was a bit messy.

Sun He'an brought out the benches from the corner and said, "The room is small, so you can sit on these two benches."

After saying that, he went to his desk, took out a few photos, and handed them over.

There are photos of the parade, and also photos of the streets so deserted that there is not a soul in sight.

Sun He'an demonstrated and explained to them.

Until the very last picture, a photo of many people lying on the empty loess soil.

It's not accurate to call it a person; perhaps "corpse" would be a more appropriate term.

Ning Yao felt as if her heart had been struck at first glance. "What is this?"

Sun He'an glanced at it and was stunned. "You've got the wrong one. This isn't the photo my friend asked me to bring today."

Unexpectedly, Ning Yao reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him from taking the photo back.

She recalled the first time she met them; they said Sun He'an was a war correspondent, "Is it because of war photos?"

Sun He'an nodded, handed her the photo, and asked incredulously, "You like looking at this?"

Ning Yao held the photo in both hands, her eyes fixed on every detail of it.

To be fair, this photo is completely unremarkable.

The ground was covered in yellow dust, the background was desolate, and there were broken limbs and remains lying on the ground. It was not a sight that most people would enjoy.

But Ning Yao was still shocked, her heart pounding wildly.

She looked at every corner of the photo, and then asked Sun He'an, "Brother Sun, do you have any more photos like this?"

Yan Sifan swallowed hard, then carefully tugged at Ning Yao's clothes. "Ning Yao... don't you think it's too bloody?"

Ning Yao shook her head. "I don't know how to say it." Then she looked at Sun He'an with expectant eyes.

Helpless, Sun He'an led her to the desk, took out an iron box, and handed it to her, "Here, it's all here, but... it's very bloody, so don't look if you can't handle it."

This was the first time he had ever seen a woman so interested in a post-war photograph.

Ning Yao started looking at the photos from the metal box.

There are even bloodier and more terrifying scenes than before.

Ning Yao could feel uncomfortable, but it was only out of sympathy and sadness for the person in the photo, not because of the photo itself.

War is so cruel.

Ning Yao murmured.

This is something that someone who has never been on a battlefield cannot possibly imagine.

Among them, she also saw a photo of an old man, covering his severed right hand, staring into the distance with empty eyes.

Her tears fell down in an instant.

This startled Sun He'an greatly. He frantically asked, "What's wrong... why are you crying..."

Ning Yao shook her head, raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, and shook her head, "I'm fine."

After saying that, he didn't forget to compliment, "Brother Sun, your photos are really good."

Sun He'an: "..."

This girl is really carefree.