The tip of the fountain pen made a rustling sound on the manuscript paper. Zheng Wanqing bent over the desk, deleting and correcting those dangerous words stroke by stroke. The ink slowly spread between the paper fibers.
She caught a glimpse of Zhu Yinlin rushing out of the door. Seeing this, she stood up suddenly, and as she moved, the hem of her camel-colored skirt lightly swept across the corner of the table, creating a small whirlwind, and the stack of manuscripts on the desk trembled slightly, about to fall off.
Ji Chen was quick-witted and quick-handed. He quickly reached out and held down the manuscript steadily. His cuffs were already stained with ink without him knowing when.
His eyes behind the glasses followed Zheng Wanqing's movements as she took her coat. "Now you're only adding fuel to the fire." His voice was filled with rare anxiety, and his brows furrowed into shallow furrows. "Now you're only adding fuel to the fire."
Zheng Wanqing paused as she tugged at her belt. The dusk outside the window was swallowing up the last rays of daylight, casting a shadow over her profile.
"This is a matter of life and death for the newspaper." She fastened the last pearl button, her voice an octave lower than usual, "If those words appear in the newspaper, confiscation would be the least of the problems."
The autumn rain had started again. When Zheng Wanqing was walking through the alley behind the printing factory with an umbrella, Zhu Yinlin was kicking stones against the mottled brick wall. Her newly bought patent leather high heels were covered with mud and looked miserable. When she heard footsteps behind her, she turned around suddenly, and the raindrops on her curly hair splashed.
"Come to laugh at my joke?" Her voice was a little sharp, and it sounded particularly harsh in the rain.
"Let me tell you the truth." Zheng Wanqing took a step forward. The rain curtain hanging from the umbrella's brim cast a shadow over the two of them. The rainwater accumulated on the umbrella slid down, splashing small drops of water.
"That writer is under the close surveillance of the police department. If the article is published today..." Her eyes were filled with seriousness and worry, "Your cousin will be the first one to be summoned."
Zhu Yinlin's nail-painted fingers suddenly dug into the cracks in the wall, and the rough bricks and stones rubbed her carefully maintained nails.
The rain gradually got heavier, with bean-sized raindrops hitting the ground, splashing high. Zheng Wanqing's skirt was already mostly wet, sticking to her legs, and the coldness seeped into her.
She suddenly took out a brown paper bag from her handbag and handed it to Zhu Yinlin. "The part you modified is actually very good."
Inside the paper package were clippings carefully made by Zhu Yinlin, "especially the analysis of the works, which is more unique than my perspective..."
"Who wants your pity!" Zhu Yinlin waved her hand excitedly and knocked over the newspaper clippings. The pages were scattered in the rain, and the comments written by Zheng Wanqing in red pen gradually blurred under the rain.
In the distance, the newsboy's voice pierced the rain curtain: "Latest news! Guanghua Bookstore was closed down! The editor was arrested!"
The two women turned their heads at the same time, saw the eye-catching bold font on the evening paper's headline, and fell silent at the same time. The air was filled with heaviness and depression.
When Zheng Wanqing returned to her mansion, the brass wall clock had already struck ten. She dragged her tired body, took off her pearl earrings, and casually placed them on the dressing table. The crisp sound of metal and glass touching was particularly harsh in the silent room. Outside the window, the autumn rain gradually fell, staining the neon lights of the French Concession into blurred blocks of color.
"Ding——" the doorbell rang suddenly.
Zheng Wanqing came to her senses from her deep thoughts, stood up and walked to the door.
The moment the bolt was pulled, a gust of wind with the chill of rain blew in my face. I saw Xie Yun standing at the door, his military coat completely soaked by the rain, water drops dripping down the corners of his clothes, leaving dark marks on the floor. He raised his hand to take off his military cap, his hair was wet and stuck to his forehead, with crystal clear water drops hanging on the ends of his hair.
"Uncle Zhou found it in the car." He slightly raised the proofs wrapped in kraft paper in his hand. The unique aroma of ink, mixed with the faint fishy smell of rain, penetrated into Zheng Wanqing's nostrils.
With a faint smile on his face, he said jokingly, "Our editor from Zhengda University even forgot to bring this lifeblood."
Zheng Wanqing looked at the familiar and warm person in front of her, and suddenly felt her eyes warm up, and the grievances in her heart surged like a flood. She couldn't help but lean against Xie Yun, burying her head in his solid chest, greedily sniffing the familiar cedar scent on him. The scent was steady and fresh, as if it could dispel all the haze in her heart.
"Have you been wronged?" Xie Yun's deep and mellow voice came out from his chest, with a slight vibration that made her eardrums numb. His left hand was still holding the dripping military cap.
Zheng Wanqing did not respond, but buried her head deeper into his arms.
Seeing this, Xie Yun said softly, "Wait a minute."
After saying this, he put the things in his hands on the table, turned around, untied the heavy cloak on his body, and hung it on the hanger beside him: "The clothes are wet. If you want to cry, you have to pick a dry piece of clothing to cry."
Zheng Wanqing looked at his back, unable to control her tears any longer. She quickly stepped forward and hugged him tightly from behind, her tears soaking his shirt on the back, leaving a dark mark.
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