The world is about to change.
Fengyue's room was different from the other girls' rooms in Huayue Tower. It was much larger in scale, and the decorations and ornaments inside were also much more luxurious.
Most importantly, her room had an entire wall of bookshelves filled with ancient books, classics, and interesting novels.
Zhang Chenglin stood in front of the entire wall of bookshelves, as if he was thinking about something, or as if he was just looking at the books.
"Will those people read these books when they come?"
After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Chenglin suddenly spoke up and asked Fengyue.
“No one has been in this house for a long time,” Feng Yue replied, her eyes lowered.
Zhang Chenglin thought of Aunt Rong's attitude towards Fengyue yesterday and nodded, finding it understandable.
A woman in a brothel can be sold twice in her life: once when she first enters the brothel, and once when she is at the height of her fame.
The first time is everyone's chance, regardless of status or past or present circumstances, as long as the "membrane" that bosses want is still there.
A second chance requires years of accumulation, using beauty, skills, and reputation to build a broken or solid haven, but this opportunity is not available to everyone.
The second time Fengyue was established was in the Flower Moon Pavilion, where she had built her reputation as the "Queen of Flowers" over many years.
Aunt Rong will no longer allow her to entertain guests casually, so that she will have something to offer when "big shots" like Zhang Chenglin come.
Girls who have lived in the Flower Moon Pavilion for many years will think about their future before this second chance comes.
Whether she uses the money she's earned over the years to redeem herself, or she goes to great lengths to have a "big shot" take her away, no one will wait for her in the brothel until she's old, faded, and bedridden.
But Fengyue was different; she genuinely considered making this place her home for the rest of her life.
Before meeting Zhang Chenglin.
The moment Fengyue saw Zhang Chenglin, she saw a sense of belonging in his calm, unwavering eyes, and saw her future for the rest of her life.
Fengyue didn't know if he was really as people said, a frequent visitor to brothels and the son of a disgraced official.
I wonder if he sees her as the person everyone says she is—indulging in sensual pleasures and indulging in debauchery.
But Fengyue knew that she and Zhang Chenglin were originally two parallel lines. He came to Shandong because of national righteousness or because of surviving the chaos of the times, and one day he would leave because of national righteousness or because of surviving the chaos of the times. After briefly intersecting, the parallel lines between the two of them would eventually return to being parallel.
Sooner or later.
That day, Zhang Chenglin did nothing in Fengyue's room except listen to Fengyue playing the zither and take a copy of "Stories to Awaken the World" from Fengyue's bookshelf to read.
Fengyue saw a familiar shadow in him, but couldn't quite put her finger on where she had seen him before.
She had been in the Flower Moon Pavilion for too long and was gradually forgetting the outside world.
*
Sheng Dongsheng left Shandong a week later; only Zhang Chenglin and Ji Yuxing knew that he had left.
Just like his secret trip to Shandong.
On the day he left, Zhang Chenglin received intelligence that Jiang Rusu had also arrived in Shanghai overnight.
"The world is about to change."
Sheng Dongsheng left these words behind, and Zhang Chenglin and Ji Yuxing remained silent without replying.
The situation in Shanghai was turbulent, political factions in Beiping were engaged in open and covert struggles, the southern region appeared peaceful on the surface, but war was already brewing in the northeast.
“That day, Mr. Sheng asked me what my plans were,” Ji Yuxing suddenly said, as if he were talking about something that didn’t concern him: “Go back to the Northeast or go to the South.”
Ji Yuxing remained silent, listening to him finish speaking: "I've thought about it for a long time, but I still don't have an answer."
"And what about you? Going back to Shanghai or going south?"
If war breaks out, the Northeast will be the first to suffer and its people will live in misery, while the South... with the steadfast defense of the North and the sacrifice of patriots, may become the last place of peace.
“Go where the Party and the country need you,” Zhang Chenglin said without hesitation, his voice low but firm: “Go where the people need you.”
"I, Zhang Chenglin, am not a good person, but I will never be a coward."
When Ji Yuxing spoke again, his tone was spirited and uplifting: "Go to where the Party and the people need you."
Ji Yuxing picked up the teapot and filled Zhang Chenglin's teacup with tea. In a fleeting moment, Zhang Chenglin saw a deep sense of loneliness in his eyes.
It flashed by in an instant, or perhaps Zhang Chenglin had misread it.
But Zhang Chenglin knew that he was definitely not mistaken. The war in the north was intense, and the major battle in the Northeast seemed to be about to break out. Ji Yu was in the Northeast, and his family was also in the Northeast. He was more worried about the Northeast than about other places.
But he carried the Party's mission and was responsible for the peace and tranquility of the country and the people. He could only follow the arrangements and stay in Shandong, "where the Party and the people needed him".
Zhang Chenglin ran his fingers along the rim of the glass, a hint of hesitation in his eyes, lost in thought.
"You have to walk your own path."
As they were parting, Zhang Chenglin suddenly said this.
Ji Yuxing, who had already stepped out of the door, stopped abruptly, lowered his eyes, and asked, "And what about you?"
"If it were Shandong and Shanghai, which would you choose?"
Shanghai is a prosperous and beautiful city in Greater China, an "ideal country" full of flowers and dazzling neon lights. Zhang Chenglin would have the protection of Jiang Yuanxing and the presence of Communist Party members there. Even if war broke out, it would be the only pure land.
Shandong is close to the Northeast, too close to the place where the great war was about to break out. But Zhang Chenglin's home, his relatives and friends, his brothers and sisters were all there.
Ji Yuxing still wanted to know what Zhang Chenglin would choose when it came to family ties.
“Zhang Chenglin is Zhang Deyue’s son. Zhang Deyue did many wrong things in his life, so Zhang Chenglin is the ‘son of a sinner’ whose name is etched in his heart and can never be erased.” Zhang Chenglin stood there, slightly raised his head, and looked at the bright moon in the sky: “Zhang Chenglin will do many good things in his life, and people will only say, ‘Zhang Deyue was not a good person, but he had a very good son.’”
Ji Yuxing didn't immediately grasp the meaning behind his words, and waited for him to continue.
Zhang Chenglin saw through it and, without hesitation, said again: "The influence of parents is etched into the blood and can never be erased, and no matter what the younger generation does, it cannot affect the older generation. You just need to live your own life."
Ji Yuxing understood. Zhang Chenglin gave him an example using the thing he least wanted to hear: the example of "people should live for themselves," and told Ji Yuxing his answer.
There are many ways to live life, and Zhang Chenglin chose to live for himself, and for the Party and the people.
Ji Yuxing opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but before he could speak, Zhang Chenglin interrupted him: "Didn't you say that Ji Ruqiong would come in winter? Winter is already halfway over, where is she?"
"Look at my brain," Ji Yuxing raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of amusement as he spoke of Ji Ruqiong, "She's coming to Shanghai next Wednesday, and she even asked me to go with you to pick her up."
“Go to Shanghai…” Zhang Chenglin muttered to himself, but Ji Yuxing, preoccupied with missing his sister, didn’t notice.
Shanghai is located in the north, where it snows in winter and is extremely cold.
Winter came late this year, and it got cold later than usual.
Unfortunately, Ji Ruqiong returned during the coldest time of the year.
The world is about to change.
It's not just the weather.
*
Zhang Chenglin appeared at Huayuelou every day as if it were a routine matter.
He would either sit in the hall watching the girls of the Flower Moon Pavilion dance, and he would watch all day long. Some dances were performed five or six times over, but he never got tired of them or found them boring.
Or he would stay in the room of romance, pick out a book from the bookshelf, listen to the sound of the zither, and read for a whole day.
Fengyue, who initially answered only his questions, gradually became more willing to chat with him.
Zhang Chenglin didn't want to say much to her. He had indeed come to Huayue Tower to gather information. With so many people coming and going in Huayue Tower every day, all of them prominent figures, it would be easy for him to find out some gossip.
But he didn't want to drag Feng Yue into this, didn't want an innocent person like her to step into this quagmire.
These people have been struggling in this quagmire for so long, all for the sake of saving those who are living well.
"Are you tired, sir?"
The person next to him suddenly spoke, their voice soft, which startled Zhang Chenglin, who had been feeling drowsy from the warm afternoon sun.
Zhang Chenglin closed his book and prepared to stand up and stretch his limbs.
But then Fengyue got up, walked to the bedside, and gently tidied up the already clean bedding.
Zhang Chenglin understood immediately. He stood still, watching her movements with composure, without moving or saying a word.
Feng Yue tidied the bedding, turned to Zhang Chenglin and said, "If you are tired, sir, you are welcome to rest for a while."
For some reason, Zhang Chenglin had a mischievous thought of teasing her, and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Is it just a rest?"
Zhang Chenglin had long, narrow eyes, and his debonair charm was on full display as he spoke, leaving Feng Yue momentarily stunned.
Zhang Chenglin assumed Fengyue's hesitation stemmed from the explicitness and presumption of his words, and feeling bored, he took off his coat and walked towards the bed.
He had just placed it on the bed, and before he could even cover it with a blanket, Fengyue spoke again: "If you wish to do anything else, sir, I will naturally not refuse."
Zhang Chenglin paused, his hand holding the blanket still, and turned to look at where Feng Yue was.
Today, Fengyue is wearing a red silk jacket and her face is made up with slightly heavy makeup. At this moment, she lowers her eyes and looks like she is "at your mercy," which is really quite lovely.
Zhang Chenglin's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this.
Zhang Chenglin muttered something under his breath, then covered himself with the blanket as if nothing had happened before speaking again: "You can go out first, and wake me up in fifteen minutes."
Fengyue's voice regained its former coolness as she replied, "Yes."
Before leaving the room, Fengyue went to the incense burner, took out the incense she had burned that morning, and replaced it with calming incense, hoping to help Zhang Chenglin sleep more soundly.
Zhang Chenglin lay on the bed with his eyes closed, listening to the soft rustling sounds Feng Yue made as she moved quietly, his consciousness gradually fading away...
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