Lu Xiangqian's shout instantly snapped Feng Mingshu out of her daze. She forced a smile and said, "Comrade Zhou, your friend is right. Don't be confused."
After saying that, she walked around Zhou Jinshan and headed out, but as she brushed past him, her slender white wrist was grabbed.
The warm, calloused hand touched the thin, delicate skin of the wrist bone, sending a tingling electric current through Feng Mingshu. This unprecedented sensation startled him so much that he immediately flung his hand away, making a violent movement.
Fortunately, everyone in the auditorium was dancing and didn't notice this corner.
"I'm sorry, I offended you."
Zhou Jinshan immediately apologized and let go, but his gaze remained fixed on her: "I am very clear-headed now. I want to share my thoughts with you. If you don't want to listen here, we can go outside to talk."
"Old Zhou..."
Lu Xiangqian wanted to say something, but Zhou Jinshan's warning look forced him to swallow it back.
Feng Mingshu once again experienced Zhou Jinshan's domineering nature and didn't want to stay here and be the center of attention, so he nodded: "Okay, let's go outside and talk."
This time, she walked out of the auditorium smoothly, with Zhou Jinshan following behind her at a leisurely pace.
Feng Mingshu had the illusion of being stared at by a ferocious beast.
Once they reached the road, Zhou Jinshan moved from behind to stand beside her, walking alongside her and using his tall and imposing figure to shield her from pedestrians and bicycles that occasionally passed by.
They walked for quite a while, with Feng Mingshu keeping her eyes straight ahead and not saying a word. Zhou Jinshan wasn't in a hurry either, and just walked alongside her.
The sky grew increasingly gloomy, and the cold wind became even more biting. Feng Mingshu wished she could bury her face in her cotton-padded hat, but then she remembered the red cashmere scarf in her schoolbag. Before she could take it out—
"Are you cold? Wear my clothes."
Zhou Jinshan snapped off the belt of his military cotton-padded coat, then quickly took off the coat and draped it over her shoulders; the hem of the coat was so long it almost swept the floor.
Feng Mingshu was startled by Zhou Jinshan's actions. Turning her head, she saw that Zhou Jinshan was only wearing a long-sleeved shirt, and the muscle lines under the fabric were vaguely visible. She blushed and pushed the cotton coat back forcefully: "I don't want your clothes. You should put them on quickly. I have a scarf to wear."
She quickly took out a scarf and put it around her neck, while gesturing for the man to get dressed.
"You're willing to talk to me now?"
A smile appeared in Zhou Jinshan's eyes, and his angular face softened considerably because of it. His military cotton coat, along with its belt, was draped over his arm; he wasn't in a hurry to put it on.
The cold wind was howling, and the man still had gauze on his head. Feng Mingshu was furious: "I won't be responsible if you get frostbite!"
Seeing that she was really anxious, Zhou Jinshan coaxed her while putting on the clothes, "Okay, I'll put them on, don't cry."
Unjustly accused, Feng Mingshu glared angrily: "Who cried?"
With her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, reddish at the corners, she glared at him so fiercely that Zhou Jinshan once again felt as if his heart had been scratched by a cat's claw.
He first had this feeling in the hospital when he woke up from a coma and saw her as soon as he opened his eyes.
Earlier in the auditorium, Zhai Qingping was talking proudly about the girl he had just met. He didn't want to get involved, but when he glanced at that corner, he recognized her at a glance.
But she doesn't seem to remember him at all.
It doesn't matter.
Zhou Jinshan bowed his head and coaxed, "Fine, I misjudged. Don't be angry. It's windy here, let's find a sheltered place to talk, okay?"
What does "calculate" mean?
Feng Mingshu was a little annoyed, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the cold wind rushed in and chilled him to the bone.
She didn't resist her body's pressure, nodded in agreement to his suggestion, and went to the back of a red wall not far from the roadside.
The walls were very high, blocking most of the cold wind. Even the last bit of wind that managed to get through was blocked by Zhou Jinshan's tall frame. In this small, windless area, Feng Mingshu's face, which had been almost blown off by the wind, slowly regained sensation and warmth.
For a moment, she couldn't figure out whether Zhou Jinshan was deliberately shielding her from the wind or if he just happened to be standing in that position and at that angle.
Feng Mingshu couldn't help but look up at him, wanting to confirm, just as Zhou Jinshan lowered his head and looked down at her, and she fell into a pair of dark eyes.
His pupils were so black, like a whirlpool, trying to pull her in and lock her up, just like that dark interrogation room in her past life.
Feng Mingshu was somewhat frightened and hurriedly looked away, only to hear the man's deep voice above her: "Are you afraid of me?"
It's not a question, it's a statement.
When her fear was exposed, Feng Mingshu became stubborn and denied it, saying, "I didn't." That precognitive dream told her that the more timid she was, the easier it was for others to exploit her weaknesses, so she had to be tough and pretend.
Looking at the little girl who was clearly terrified but still trying to put on a brave face, Zhou Jinshan felt a pang of tenderness, but at the same time, his mischievous desire to tease her also welled up uncontrollably.
He took a step closer, leaned down and chuckled: "Since you're not afraid of me, then let's be partners."
The man was too close; his hot breath almost sprayed onto her cheek. Feng Mingshu couldn't take it anymore and pushed him away with all her might: "I don't want to date you! Stay away from me!"
Her strength was negligible compared to a man's, but Zhou Jinshan still took a step back in cooperation and opened his mouth to coax her, but Feng Mingshu turned and left. Zhou Jinshan knew that he had made a fool of himself.
Feng Mingshu gritted his teeth and braved the cold wind, striding forward.
At that very moment, snowflakes began to fall from the sky, carried by the wind to her face.
"Comrade Feng Mingshu."
A deep male voice came from behind, and the next second he stood in front of her, blocking most of the wind and snow.
This time he gave her a safe distance, but his gaze remained intense as he looked into her eyes and said, "I apologize for what I just did."
After holding back his anger for a long time, Feng Mingshu blurted out, "Do you apologize with just words?"
Seeing that the little girl's eyes were red, Zhou Jinshan felt annoyed and lowered his head to coax her, "You tell me, I'll do it."
Just as Feng Mingshu was about to speak, Zhou Jinshan quickly added, "Not only will I keep you away from you, but I will also take you out of the auditorium and make sure you get home safely."
Before she could even utter a word, Feng Mingshu was immediately silenced, feeling both angry and annoyed, finding the man utterly detestable.
"What exactly do you like about me? Can I change it?" Feng Mingshu asked irritably.
Zhou Jinshan opened his mouth, but the word "like" was too straightforward for him, and he couldn't quite bring himself to say it.
Seeing that he remained silent, Feng Mingshu said sarcastically, "You like my face, don't you? After all, this is our first meeting, and you can't know much more about me."
She recalled a precognitive dream in which she was targeted by someone who was taking advantage of the chaos and forced to go to a labor camp farm for re-education. Ironically, the person wanted to force her to submit through hard labor, but after six months, when they saw her thin, scarred face, their interest waned, yet they still refused to let her leave the farm.
She had no idea whether the fifteen years of isolation at the farm were a blessing or a curse.
But she had witnessed firsthand the shallowness and wickedness of men.
So now, she has no intention of getting married or having a romantic relationship, so as to protect herself and not burden others because of her class background.
"This isn't the first time we've met."
The man's voice abruptly interrupted her thoughts.
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