Lying in bed, Qiu Jingwen was completely unprepared for his wife's sudden action.
He had just confronted his son in the rice paddies of the countryside, telling him in person his identity as Qiu Jingwen, a member of the Kuomintang's secret police, and the shocking secret of killing Liu Han.
He could imagine that his son, Qiuyang, must be in great pain and unable to sleep at that moment.
What kind of pain would a son experience when he learns that his father is a spy?
Qiu Jingwen was also aware that his image as a father in his son's eyes must have been completely overturned. He could even imagine that although his son didn't scold him verbally, he must be cursing him in his heart for being such a hypocrite!
He had been faking it at the Hongqi Factory for over twenty years, and he had also been deceiving his entire family for over twenty years.
Thinking about how his son was feeling at that moment, how could Qiu Jingwen be in the mood for anything, even with his wife's enthusiasm and initiative?
He knew in his heart that the real reason his wife suddenly made intimate gestures was simply that she was eager to release and alleviate her inner anxiety and fear.
Outside the window, the moonlight was like a ribbon.
The moonlight, like water, silently seeped into the bedroom, illuminating the room rather than making it too dark.
Qiu Jingwen looked at his wife by the moonlight and found that tears were welling up in Jiang Yuping's eyes.
"Yuping, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I'm sorry to you and to this family."
“Jingwen, why bring this up now? Besides, you were just a boy back then, a child. It’s my fault for being too impulsive and killing Liu Han. Now things have turned out so badly, I really regret it.”
Qiu Jingwen reached out and hugged his wife, still taking the blame upon himself.
“Yu Ping, it’s not your fault. It’s all because of me. Because of me, you killed Liu Han.”
“Jingwen, you’re talking about Liu Han. Why is he trying to extort three thousand yuan from us all at once? What does he need so much money for?”
“He said it was to raise funds for the organization, but I’m sure it was for his own use. He even told me he urgently needed money to save his life.”
"Jingwen, I'm really about to break down. The pressure I'm under during the day is just too much; even I feel exhausted from pretending. Tell me, what will Wei Hong and the others think when they find out I'm the one who killed the barber? Won't their jaws drop?"
"Yu Ping, yes, and me too. When Lao Zhou, Lao Liang, the workshop cadres and workers, and all the factory workers find out that I, Qiu Jingwen, am a spy who has been lying low for many years, I estimate that the whole of Hongqi will be in an uproar and become the talk of the town."
"I'm really scared. Do you think Shao Jian and his group will find out about us soon?"
"Yu Ping, don't worry, what's meant to come will come eventually, but I don't think Shao Jian and his team will solve the case so quickly."
"But that's only a matter of time. I was just thinking today about whether I should turn myself in to Shao Jian."
Upon hearing that his wife wanted to turn herself in to Shao Jian of the investigation team, Qiu Jingwen immediately sat up, then grabbed his wife's arm and said:
"Yu Ping, no, you absolutely mustn't do anything foolish. I definitely won't let anything happen to you. Besides, your plan was so meticulously crafted, how could Shao Jian and the others solve the case so quickly? You can't do this, Yu Ping."
Qiu Jingwen was genuinely worried that his wife might suddenly decide to turn herself in, which would ruin his carefully laid plans.
“But I really can’t bear the inner pressure. I think maybe if I turn myself in, the pressure will be less. I’ve also thought that if I killed Liu Han on the grounds that he was trying to force me, then legally we can hire a lawyer to defend us. Would that be considered self-defense?”
Qiu Jingwen firmly disagreed. He had considered his wife's idea as well. That would be a huge scandal. Regardless of whether Liu Han succeeded in his wife's plan, it would be an insult and damage to her image. How would the children be able to hold their heads high at the Hongqi Factory? How would Qiu Shou and Qiu Chan face their classmates at school?
This was something Qiu Jingwen absolutely would not allow to happen, and it was something that would make him lose face.
“Yuping, don’t have such thoughts. You can’t turn yourself in. Have you thought about it? If you turn yourself in, what will happen to your image? How will the children face you in the future? Besides, you went to the red lining forest and the stream to be with Liu Han early in the morning. What kind of behavior is that? The whole thing doesn’t hold up to scrutiny and doesn’t make any sense. Please, please don’t do such a thing. Otherwise, how will we face the factory’s cadres and employees in the future? I absolutely will not agree. Promise me.”
"Okay, okay, I'll think about it some more."
"Yu Ping, it's not a matter of consideration, it's an absolute no, and I promise you'll be fine."
"But I really can't take the pressure anymore. I'm about to break down. During the day, I have to pretend that nothing's wrong in the infirmary, and when I get home, I have to pretend with the children. I really can't take it anymore."
“Yu Ping, think about me. I’ve been lying low for over twenty years and pretending for over twenty years. When you’ve been pretending for so long, you forget a lot of things and feel that things are not what they seem.”
Jiang Yuping did not respond, but instead sobbed softly, then reached out and hugged her husband's waist.
"Jingwen, I—I want you to always be by my side."
"I'm right here beside you, aren't I?"
"Oh dear, you're so silly?"
"Qiuyang, he should still be awake."
"Did you tell our son all our secrets?"
"Um".
"What was your son's reaction when he heard that I had killed Zhou Han?"
"Of course I can't believe it. He cried. He must be devastated."
“Jingwen, shouldn’t you tell your son everything? Don’t you want him to suffer the blow and pain?”
“Yuping, Qiuyang is the eldest son in the family. I’m worried that if something happens suddenly, the child will be kept in the dark. He’s grown up now, so telling him early will help him process things and prepare him mentally when things happen.”
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