"Yingying, sit on this bench for a bit and wait for me. I think I saw someone I know. I'll go say hello and then come right back."
Zhou Qiqi said to Zhu Yingying.
Zhu Yingying nodded: "Okay, go ahead."
Zhou Qiqi quickly followed.
After a while, she returned with light steps, a happy smile on her face as if she had found a treasure.
Busy days always fly by.
Zhou Qiqi was busy with the design work at the clothing factory, the production of Zhuo Guangming's little dresses, and occasionally helping out at Deng Cuixiang's newly rented stall.
Zhu Yingying regularly took care of her health, and her face became rosy again;
The days were peaceful and fulfilling, filled with beautiful expectations for the future, and everything seemed to be rushing towards a bright and warm direction.
However, whirlpools often lurk beneath the calm surface.
It was Thursday. Zhou Qiqi had arranged to deliver the little dress to Zhuo's mother, and she changed her clothes early in the morning, ready to go out.
There was a knock on the courtyard gate, the sound steady and powerful, with an unquestionable rhythm.
Zhou Qiqi thought it was Yingying who had come over, so she casually replied, "Coming," and opened the courtyard gate.
Standing outside the door were two unfamiliar soldiers, dressed in crisp military uniforms and with upright postures like pine trees.
Their eyes were sharp, their expressions serious, and their shoulder insignia indicated that they were not ordinary messengers. They exuded a cold and hard aura of "business as business".
"Comrade Zhou Qiqi?"
The lead soldier confirmed in a flat voice.
"It's me. May I ask who you are?"
A slight alarm bell rang in Zhou Qiqi's mind, but she maintained a calm demeanor.
"By order of the commander, please come with us."
Soldiers are concise and to the point, their tone leaving no room for negotiation.
Commander?
Zhou Qiqi's heart sank.
She quickly filtered through possible candidates and reasons in her mind, but remained calm on the surface and asked tentatively.
"May I ask which leader this is? What do you need me for? I'm a woman alone, and it's not convenient for me to travel with you. Could you please let me contact my husband, Shen Huaichuan, first?"
The leading soldier stared directly at her, showing no emotional fluctuation.
"Other comrades have already gone to invite Commander Shen, and you will have a chance to meet later."
He paused, then his tone became even more forceful.
"Now, please come with us immediately, and don't ask any more questions."
Did they go to invite Shen Huaichuan?
The other party clearly used the word "please," but their attitude was so forceful!
Zhou Qiqi's heart sank completely.
This is no small matter, and the other party came prepared, even arranging to take her away separately, blocking her path to seek protection from Shen Huaichuan.
She took a deep breath, knowing that resistance or delay would be futile at this moment and might only put her in a more passive position.
She nodded, her voice calming down: "Okay, I'll go with you. Please allow me to use the restroom, otherwise I'm afraid I won't have a chance later."
The leading soldier hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded, though he gestured to the soldiers beside him to follow Zhou Qiqi.
After she finished using the restroom, she locked the gate. Two soldiers were already standing on either side of her, forming an invisible escort posture.
"Let's go."
The soldier gestured.
Zhou Qiqi straightened her back and stepped down the stairs.
She got into the back seat, closed the car door, and shut herself out of the familiar world outside.
The car started and drove smoothly yet quickly away from the residential compound, heading towards an unknown destination.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com