Breaking New Orange
In late autumn and early winter, fresh oranges are available in the market.
Looking at it from afar, one can picture "the knife as smooth as water, the Wu salt whiter than snow, and delicate hands peeling a fresh orange."
I see it and think about it; it lingers in my mind.
Today's story begins with Miss Xici—
Since returning from Li Xiangyan's side that day, there has been no news for three whole days. He couldn't help but suspect that he had grasped some clue, but when his eyes flashed in that direction, he believed it was unlikely.
With Yun and Muchun keeping watch in secret, they would find a way to inform others as soon as possible if there was any disturbance.
Even after saying this, I'm still feeling uneasy.
These past few days, I've felt like a drowning child.
My mind is full of guesses, but I have no evidence to support them.
If he were to find fault with her and bring her to this point, she truly had nothing to fear.
However, the current exposure will cause chaos in the entire Minkou underground network, and countless lives that should not have ended here will also be lost.
One small move can affect the whole situation; one wrong step can lead to complete failure.
Therefore, she wanted to survive, hoping that her life could save countless others.
The day after tomorrow is the day that train will arrive at the station. If he really has to leave, he may have some unspeakable longing for his sister.
That would be ideal, as it would save some trouble.
But what if that's not the case...?
All sorts of things, small details, and numerous considerations.
She was lost in thought, her eyes narrowed, seemingly oblivious to the subtle swaying by the window.
When a dark shadow drew near, she turned to the side, still with a thoughtful expression.
Suddenly, my arm was grabbed.
Even when she was tied up and "invited" into the car, she didn't show much resistance.
"Miss Qiu, Commander Li requests your presence."
She glanced at the man and said, "In the middle of the night, your commandant is truly carefree."
But how will you know if you don't look?
The person who tied her up was Feng Yi, the deputy of Li Xiangyan, a prominent figure in Minkou at the time.
To hire a prostitute, she had to get him to make the trip himself. She glanced at the scenery rushing past the car window, and her heart calmed down a little, but not completely.
He sent her to Li Xiangyan's small mansion in the east of the city.
Most of the prominent figures in Minkou live here, and recently, quite a few Japanese people have also moved in.
As he got out of the car, he untied the rope binding him, bowed slightly, and said, "Miss Qiu, I apologize for tonight."
"I dare not presume to offend you, but you won't even let me wear an outer coat. You're practically trying to freeze me to death."
Feng Yi paused for a moment, then realized she was only wearing one or two undergarments, and was slightly clenching her arms as if trembling. He quickly took off his coat and handed it to her.
She chuckled as she looked at the clothes, her eyes crinkling into full, round smiles. A few wisps of hair slightly parted her brows, making her look pretty and delicate.
She lightly brushed his hand away and said, "Just kidding, Lieutenant Feng, you don't need to be so polite."
After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves and looked up to see a pearly white light tinged with smoky yellow coming from the depths of the second floor.
The light fell on the platform, refracting into petals that gently spread across the gaps in the railings.
Under Feng Yi's gaze, she pushed open the door and walked in, her figure like a vibrant late autumn leaf...
She kicked off her shoes at the door.
I walked barefoot on the cold marble and waxed wooden steps, one step at a time.
The higher it extends, the coldness begins to seep from the skin into the bones, making the heart itch. What had just subsided rises again, becoming increasingly arrogant and demanding.
I went upstairs and heard him cough once from inside the room.
The door was open, and Lee Sang-yeon sat at the table with his back to the door.
She stood by the door and knocked, but received no response.
So she stopped knocking, but refused to go in either, just standing there awkwardly, as if she were an inseparable part of the door.
He remained silent for a long time, then turned around and glanced at her.
Why don't you come in?
"If you don't answer, how can I come in?" Xi Ci said, smiling and playfully scolding.
He looked at her again and noticed her thin attire. Seeing her appearance, he could only give a resigned laugh.
"Tonight was my fault."
She wore only a mint green silk nightgown, with a beige wool shawl draped over her shoulders. Her feet were bare, arched beautifully, and slightly tinged with pale pink.
"Does the commander think of me as some kind of trinket?"
If you get tired of it, just throw it away.
"If you want it, you just pick it up without hesitation." She lowered her head slightly to look at him. His face was unmade-up, and his cheeks were round, giving him a somewhat childlike appearance. But upon closer inspection, he was exquisitely handsome, captivating and enchanting.
"Oh? It is something, isn't it?" he said, standing up.
He was much taller than her, naturally covering her shadow.
He lifted his fingers and gently touched her cheek with the back of his fingers.
Her fingertips were rough, covered with calluses from handling firearms. When she touched her thin skin like that, it looked as if she could cut a bloody gash at any moment.
He therefore became even lighter, as if he didn't want to see her bleed.
"Come closer to me, okay?"
After hearing this, she walked to the table where he had been sitting, leaned against it, and rested her body on it.
"With supplies so scarce right now, this is probably the only place you can find something like this."
He followed her gaze—
She was just talking about a plate of fresh oranges that had been arranged.
Although Minkou is in the south, oranges are not suitable for production here. In the past, relying on exchanges with other places, there was no shortage of oranges. But now, with the wartime situation tense, the supply of everything from outside is very tight, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find even a few of any kind.
Now, however, each one is washed until it shines, and they are clustered together on a flat plate with emerald green rims.
This vibrant and lively color seems to betray the gray and drab season.
As she spoke, she picked up a white porcelain knife from the side. The blade was no longer than a hand's length. She held the handle against her palm, tilted her wrist slightly, and carefully sliced it into several pieces. Then, smiling at him, she said, "It's probably very sweet. Would you like to try some?"
Looking at the scene from a few steps away, a line of poetry came to mind—
With a knife as smooth as water, and Wu salt as white as snow, delicate hands peel open a fresh orange.
...
"I asked in a low voice where I could stay for the night, but it was already past midnight. The frost was thick and slippery on the horse, so I decided to rest, since few people travel there."
The day was long, the night was crowded. As dawn was breaking, I heard him getting dressed.
"There's a car waiting for you downstairs, you can take it back."
In the morning, she propped her head up and watched him put on his coat.
"How can I let Third Master find out? I'd better go back by myself."
He hadn't even applied any hair wax yet; his hair was a little long, and his thin face was expressionless.
A fleeting glance reveals the unique sensuality of male animals.
Hearing her words, he smiled and said, "Since you're so meticulous, why don't I tell him? From now on, you'll only be with me, okay?"
She listened without saying anything, but smiled, supporting herself with her hand.
Just as he was about to get up, she turned over and lay back down on the bed, muttering, "It doesn't matter who I'm with, I'll just be a withered, lifeless tree. Who can save me?"
He must have heard it, but he didn't turn around.
The sky was hazy, and the half-moon still hung in a corner of the sky, already a scene of utter desolation and sorrow.
That's true. Everyone is destined to die, and when it's time to die, that's when they will die. Who can escape death?
After Li Xiangyan left, she sat up and saw a set of clothes prepared for her. The fabric was neatly ironed and draped over the back of the chair he had been sitting in the night before.
She stood up and put them on one by one.
Fang buttoned up his shirt, then suddenly swayed and fell backward to the ground.
At the same time, a loud "bang" was heard nearby, as a low mirror that was standing upright had been knocked over. Shards spilled out and pierced her wrist, causing blood to gush out.
Just then, there was a few urgent knocks on the closed door, followed by Feng Yi's voice: "Miss Qiu."
He called out to her, but she didn't respond, so he pushed the door open.
The scattered debris, like silver fish, swam among a few streaks of red blood, a truly startling sight.
She sat up from the rubble, pressing one hand against her wound, and asked, "Is there a first-aid kit?" Her voice was surprisingly calm, as if the injury wasn't her own. If it weren't for the slight tremor in her voice at the end, there would be no trace of the wound.
He glanced at it, then turned to get the first-aid kit.
Hearing him come downstairs, she slowly lowered her hand, deftly wiping the bloodstains onto the inside of her clothes. Then, she pulled a hard black object from her sleeve, placed it on the ground, and gently pushed it under the bed with her fingers, letting it slide in with a dull, hoarse sound.
He bent down slightly to look at it, then stained the bleeding area with some of the red from his first hand and covered the wound again.
After a while, Feng Yi came in carrying a medicine box and squatted down in front of her.
He cleared the fragments away a bit and handed her a hand.
She loosely grasped his hand and used the leverage to slowly stand up.
Fang straightened his back, but his body swayed a few times, so he took a step back, only to be cut open with another wound.
Feng Yi frowned as he looked at the opening and said, "Excuse me."
After saying that, he picked the person up and placed them by the bedside.
He took out disinfectant from the medicine box and used tweezers to apply it to the wound with cotton.
I endured the medication, but the pain made my entire arm feel numb.
As he held her hand, she looked down at him and said, "It's such a hassle to have you make such a fool of yourself so early in the morning."
After carefully treating her wounds, he stood up and said, "I've only done a simple treatment for now. The wounds are not shallow, so you should probably go to the hospital to have them checked."
Before she could react, he added, "If you find it inconvenient, I can call a car to take you there."
Unfortunately, I didn't expect him to be so meticulous, so I said, "My anemia is a problem I've had since birth. My adjutant has many official duties to attend to, so I can't afford to be bored."
After hearing this, he said nothing more, only nodded, which was taken as agreement.
She stood up, walked to the door, smiled at him, and took it as a farewell.
So many emotions are contained within that smile, but once they land, they all vanish without a trace.
...
Seven long streets and eight winding alleys—the road back to late spring from here was so familiar to her, even before she had ever been there.
After the carriage had traveled a short distance, she stood up and said to the driver, "Please stop here."
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