Then, the soldier pushed open the door of the classroom with a bang and shouted sternly: "Stand up! Search for banned books!" The soldier's gun butt hit the podium, causing chalk dust to fall.
The female students were frightened by the sudden noise and their faces turned pale as paper, like a group of frightened deer. The girl in the blue skirt froze in place as if she was cast under a spell, and her hands protecting the book trembled uncontrollably.
Xie Yun walked towards her slowly with steady steps, his military boots making a dull and powerful sound on the floor.
She lowered her head and buried her face deeply in the shadows, not daring to look at the menacing officer in front of her.
Xie Yun stopped in front of her and slowly glanced at her fingertips that were tense due to excessive nervousness.
At this moment, he clearly saw her young and tender face. Her fair cheeks were slightly flushed due to nervousness. Her long eyelashes were like frightened butterflies, trembling constantly. A strand of hair behind her ear stuck to her sweaty neck, trembling slightly with her rapid breathing.
"Sir...Sir..." The soldier stared at the bulging hem of the girl's skirt suspiciously.
"Nothing unusual," Xie Yun suddenly spoke, his voice calm and steady, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, "Let's go."
The soldier was stunned, but did not dare to disobey and retreated angrily.
Zheng Wanqing didn't dare to look up until the sound of the army's leather boots disappeared at the end of the corridor. She only had time to catch a glimpse of the last piece of the tall officer's clothes. The hem of his dark green military coat swept across the threshold, shaking off a few crystal snowflakes.
From then on, on the monthly inspection days, Xie Yun's pocket watch would always run faster than usual, and he began to pay attention to the movements of the Yiya Girls' School consciously or unconsciously.
He secretly sent someone to investigate the girl's background. He learned that her name was Zheng Wanqing, the only daughter of the comprador Zheng family, and that she was studying at the Yiya Girls' School. She had very modern ideas and often discussed cutting-edge topics such as the vernacular movement and women's liberation with her classmates.
Xie Yun himself couldn't explain why he cared about her. Perhaps it was the burning light in her eyes when she talked about new ideas, or perhaps it was the clumsy but stubborn look when she hid the banned books. In short, every time he inspected the girls' school, his eyes would subconsciously search for the light blue figure in the crowd.
Once, he saw her reciting vernacular poetry in the brothel. Snowflakes fell on her shoulders, but she was unaware of them. Her voice was as clear as broken jade.
Another time, she and her classmates distributed flyers at the school gate, calling for a boycott of Japanese goods. When the principal learned about it, he came to reprimand her angrily. Facing the principal's rebuke, she was not afraid at all, stiffened her neck, and her eyes revealed a stubbornness that refused to admit defeat. At that moment, her appearance reminded Xie Yun of the scene when he was young, when he also stubbornly contradicted his father, and a special feeling of intimacy surged in his heart.
Gradually, Xie Yun was surprised to find that whenever he thought of her, a smile would appear on his face unconsciously. He, who used to be indifferent to everything, began to iron his military uniform carefully every day. Ye Pingzhou noticed his change and couldn't help but teasing him that he "finally became a bit lively", but he just smiled silently and didn't respond.
He didn't dare admit that this girl, whom he had never met but who seemed to have already walked into his heart, was like a sudden beam of light that inadvertently penetrated his gloomy world and brought warmth and hope to the dark corners of his soul.
Xie Yun wanted to find an opportunity to get to know her formally, but a sudden change disrupted everything.
In the summer of 1919, a student demonstration broke out in front of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. Zheng Wanqing rushed to the front holding a banner that read "Give me back Qingdao".
Xie Yun was ordered to suppress the riot, but he saw her being pushed to the ground in the chaos. Just as a baton was flying towards Zheng Wanqing, he quickly stretched out his palm and blocked it.
From that day on, Xie Yun never saw her again in the Xiya Girls' School. Later, she found out that the Zheng family was worried that she would continue to get into trouble, so they made up their minds and sent her to study in France.
Xie Yun stood alone at the gate of the empty girls' school, looking at the familiar school gate, and for the first time he felt the taste of loss in his heart. That taste, like a cup of bitter strong tea, filled his heart and could not be dissipated for a long time.
A year later, the news that Zheng Wanqing was about to return to China after completing her studies reached Xie Yun's ears as soon as possible.
At this time, he was a rising star in Tianjin's military circles, while the Zheng family was in trouble due to business problems. Xie Yun knew that the opportunity had come.
He personally visited Zheng's father and, using "military cooperation" as a starting point, seemingly casually proposed the idea of marriage.
"The little girl has a naughty personality and I'm afraid she is not worthy of Marshal Xie..." Zheng Shaoqi looked hesitant, his eyes full of confusion and worry.
Xie Yun calmly picked up the teacup and took a sip. His expression was calm, but his tone was firm and unquestionable: "Mr. Zheng, the world is like a rough sea, and the business world is full of dangers and hidden reefs. If we can have a reliable ally to walk side by side, the Zheng family will surely be much more stable. If Mr. Zheng agrees to this marriage, Xie is willing to help with military supply orders to solve the Zheng family's urgent needs."
After listening to Xie Yun's words, Zheng Shaoqi thought about it secretly. The difficulties faced by the family business now were like a heavy boulder, which made him breathless. Now that the family business was indeed facing difficulties, Xie Yun's proposal did not seem to be completely unreasonable.
He looked at Xie Yun, his eyes showing prudence and consideration, and said slowly: "Young Marshal Xie, this is of great importance. Let me consider it carefully."
Xie Yun smiled and nodded, saying, "Please consider it, Mr. Zheng. I will wait for good news."
Outside the window, the snow began to fall again. The snowflakes were like a group of dancing elves, spinning and falling freely in the air. Xie Yun looked at the snow outside the window, and the girl who was hiding books in the classroom three years ago appeared in his mind. The corners of his lips rose slightly, outlining a gentle arc.
This time, he wouldn't let her get away.
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