Xuqiao's Secret
The videotape started blankly, then slowly Xu Qiao's voice came from the machine: "Sir, I can do what you need, but what about what you promised me?"
Then there was a muffled background noise, like two people talking quietly; I couldn't tell if it was a recording error or if they were too far apart. Finally, they finished their discussion, and a dignified voice spoke a long passage in Japanese, followed by another round of whispers, probably a translation.
This was quite awkward. Qingcheng knew several Spanish languages but couldn't understand that babbling Japanese. She could only patiently continue listening. There were many more conversations between Xu Qiao and the Japanese man. Even from Xu Qiao's words, Qingcheng, despite her lack of knowledge, knew what kind of shady deal they had made.
After some haggling, the two finally reached an agreement. Suddenly, an English voice came from the machine congratulating them on completing the deal. To be precise, it was American-accented English. Was the translator on site an American?
Then the American presided over the signing ceremony of the contract. It turned out that the two were secretly trading the right to use a coal mine in Xuzhou, Jiangsu. The recording stopped abruptly, but Qingcheng's limbs grew colder and colder.
Such resource contracts involve many departments, and he must have spent a lot of money bribing officials at all levels. Xu Qiao's cooperation with foreign powers to privatize state-owned assets and legalize illegal gains suggests that it wasn't just about money. It seems that Xu Qiao isn't content to be a lackey for life; he's quite ambitious!
The documents in her hand were full of evidence of bribery. Qingcheng clenched her fists, feeling a pang of sorrow. How could Nanjing appoint such a traitor? Unfortunately, the deed was done, and Qingcheng could not change it. She composed herself, turned around, and went downstairs to take photos and collect evidence.
The bathroom on the first floor has only one small ventilation window near the door. With the shower curtain drawn, you can't see the light flickering inside. Qingcheng flipped through the documents and roughly divided them into four categories: commercial contracts, guarantees, ledgers, and exam papers.
After adjusting the flashlight beam, Qingcheng happily took out her Kara Baby camera and started snapping away. She was right; there were indeed exam papers from this year's radio training course among the pile of documents, including A, B, and C versions. She even found an additional set of entrance exam questions from the Radio Management Bureau. What great luck!
After taking photos of the most important exam papers, the film counter showed that there were still 12 more photos to take. Qingcheng then picked out some commercial contracts for salt fields and mines. Just as she finished setting them up, she heard a man singing with a thick lisp outside. Xu Xi had returned after drinking his fill of wine.
"You're such a hypocrite, such a hypocrite! Your eyes have been sneaking around, constantly glancing back and forth..."
"Second brother, you sing so well! Do you want me to help you release an album?"
"Hahahaha, does it sound good? Come inside... I'll keep singing inside, I'll sing all night long."
Oh my god, it's Xu Xi and Chen Yao! Hearing the two familiar male voices, Qingcheng hurriedly gathered up the documents, accidentally knocking the flashlight to the ground. The sound of it falling was particularly clear in the empty bathroom. Qingcheng resignedly closed her eyes; she couldn't escape the charge of trespassing.
"Hey, Third Brother, did you hear that sound?" Chen Yao asked, puzzled.
"What did you say? Hehehe... Oh dear, why are there three keyholes?" Xu Xi fiddled with the keychain in his hand, making a jingling sound.
“You’ve had too much to drink. Let me see. One, two, three, four… There are clearly six keyholes. Heh heh, you’re quite wary, aren’t you?” Chen Yaoming made it clear that he was also drunk.
She didn't know if she could make it out in time if she rushed out now, but the sound of the door opening shattered Qingcheng's fantasy. It was too late. Luckily, her cousin was upstairs and had a chance to escape earlier. She was the unlucky one. How was she going to get out?
Xu and Chen went inside and turned on the lights to find some wine. They didn't go to the bathroom. Qingcheng quietly opened a crack in the door and saw a scene she would never forget. Chen Yao was using a wine bottle as a microphone. When he sang the harmony, he boldly pulled down his shirt to expose half of his shoulder, imitating the charming movements of a singer.
The performance was so hilarious that Qingcheng quickly pinched her arm to stop laughing. Xu Xi danced beside Chen Yao, and if her exaggerated expressions and movements were photographed, each one could become a best-selling personal photo.
Sure enough, men are boys until they die. Qingcheng closed the door, not daring to look anymore. She was afraid that she would be laughed to death by these two clowns before she was arrested. The photo of the three of them flashed through her mind, and she seemed to understand why they were asked to perform in women's clothing at the graduation party of the first class of Huangpu Military Academy.
Suddenly, a bold plan popped into her mind. Since they were already seven-tenths drunk, why not wait until they were all drunk before sneaking out? After all, it was only a few steps away from the gate.
Following her heart's desire, Qingcheng locked the door and rearranged the contracts. This time, she took out the Miss Kara document given to her by her cousin and carefully recorded Xu Qiao's incriminating evidence for her cousin. Although these contracts and ledgers wouldn't bring Xu Qiao down immediately, they would be enough to make him fall out of favor for a while.
But what was the purpose of that tape? As far as she knew, the "CC Club" was a typical extreme anti-Japanese group within the Nationalist government. As a key member of the club, Xu Qiao was courting death by actively seeking cooperation with the Japanese. How could he dare to keep the recording as evidence?
Unless he was sent by someone of a higher rank, this tape was something Xu Qiao prepared to threaten others. Thinking of this, Qingcheng pulled out the coal mine-related contracts, switched to Kara Baby's recording, and wrote them down. She didn't understand the intricacies, but she believed someone in the organization did.
Qingcheng finished shooting the entire set, and the two men outside were still going crazy. They were making a scene now, but they'd have a headache tomorrow. Qingcheng planned to take two more photos of the last two negatives to sign a guarantee.
The sounds of laughter and merriment outside drifted towards the bathroom. The door handle could be heard turning, but the door was already locked. Qingcheng continued taking photos methodically, but then the flash malfunctioned. She shook it a few times but it didn't work, so she gave up and stopped taking pictures.
Chen Yao's helpless voice came from outside the door: "Third brother, why is the bathroom door locked? I need to pee urgently."
"I don't know, go to the second floor of the building," Xu Xi replied, his tongue slurring.
Hearing Chen Yao's footsteps upstairs, Qingcheng turned off her flashlight and sat comfortably in the bathtub, planning to make her escape once they were all upstairs or had drunk themselves into oblivion. Unexpectedly, she heard the sound of a key turning on the door again. Oh no! How could she have forgotten that Xu Xi had a key? This is his house!
Her heart was pounding like a drum. Qingcheng lay down and tried to shrink herself into the bathtub. Listening to Xu Xi washing his hands, she nervously prayed to God that he would not find her. But this time, God played another joke on her. The Kara Baby in her pocket flashed.
Oh no, anyone who isn't blind can definitely see such a bright flash. Sure enough, Xu Xi let out a puzzled "Eh." The slow footsteps repeatedly stimulated Qing Cheng's nerves, which were already stretched to the limit. She could only cover her mouth, trying to cover up her breathing.
Suddenly, a loud crash came from the second floor, startling Qingcheng. Could it be that Chen Yao had tripped and fallen? Xu Xi also stopped in his tracks, as if time had stood still for a second. Suddenly, he clapped his hands and laughed, saying to himself, "Oh, it was thunder, hahaha."
Good heavens, how much soju must one have drunk to mistake a wrestling match for thunder? Qingcheng, who had narrowly escaped death, didn't have long to celebrate. A faint rustling sound came from Xu Xin's place. Oh no, could it be what she was thinking? No, no—
But Xu Xi couldn't hear Qingcheng's thoughts. As soon as she heard the sound of flowing water, Qingcheng immediately covered her ears and silently chanted: "Don't listen to what is improper, don't listen to what is improper..." Good heavens, she really wouldn't be able to look Xu Xi in the eye again.
After Xu Xi left the bathroom whistling, Qingcheng finally came to her senses. She rubbed her burning and stiff face, her whole body drenched in cold sweat. Suddenly, she felt incredibly tired. She couldn't help but ask herself: Was it worth it? The answer was yes. Her cousin's present might be her future, the difference being that she had never considered leaving.
The door opened again, and before Qingcheng could react, the shower curtain was suddenly pulled open. Her cousin's cold and beautiful face appeared beside the bathtub. Qingcheng then clutched her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. So her cousin hadn't left after all. The noise upstairs must have been made by her cousin.
Qingcheng tried to get out of the bathtub using both her hands and feet, but her legs went numb and she couldn't stand up after several attempts. Her cousin calmly reached out and pulled her out. After confirming that Qingcheng had taken the photos, her cousin packed up her camera, took the documents, and went back upstairs, presumably to reassemble the mechanism.
Kiyoshi stepped out of the bathroom, her knees throbbing. She saw Xu Xi sprawled on the floor. It was so cold to leave him on the floor like that, but drunk people are really heavy. It took her a lot of effort to drag Xu Xi to the sofa.
Before Qingcheng could catch her breath, Xu Xi showed signs of waking up, muttering incoherently. Qingcheng was startled and her hand trembled, causing Xu Xi's head to hit the wooden armrest with a loud thud.
"Friend, I'm so sorry." Qingcheng glanced at Xu Xi with self-reproach, and was about to lean closer to check his injuries when Xu Xi suddenly sat up. Qingcheng reflexively grabbed a hard object and knocked him unconscious again.
She quickly hid behind the sofa. Only then did Qingcheng realize that she had used a gun butt. She regretted her impulsiveness and hoped that Xu Xiren would be alright. He made a living by his looks, and she hoped he wouldn't be disfigured.
Once Xu Xi had completely stopped moving, Qingcheng mustered up the courage to peek out and check. Thankfully, Xu Xi wasn't disfigured, but he'd probably have a huge bump on his head tomorrow. Ugh, that's terrible!
"Don't do anything unnecessary, I'm leaving." Song Li came down the stairs, his eyes filled with reproach. Before leaving, Qingcheng covered Xu Xi with her clothes, as if she was doing one last thing for him. As for Brother Chen, good luck to you.
The rain outside wasn't heavy enough to warrant an umbrella; winter rain is like that, a light drizzle. The two parted ways after leaving Xu Xi's mansion. Qingcheng eventually arrived at the five-way intersection where they had met earlier, but after looking around, she didn't see the man.
Just then, someone put their arm around his shoulder, and he heard a deep voice from a senior colleague: "Young comrade, were you looking for me?"
"Yeah, senior, you're really elusive." Kiyosumi made a face noncommittally, while taking out Carabao from her pocket, intending to remove the film and return the camera to him.
"Don't give it back yet. Taking the film out like this can easily cause overexposure, and I'm not your direct supervisor. I'm just here to help temporarily," the senior colleague refused directly.
Qingcheng nodded, understanding the significance of one-way communication. She rephrased it as, "Then I'll hand over all the photos to Wu's Auto Shop after I develop them. Remember to pick up the camera. Oh, and I'll return the Continental scooter to you too. I don't usually need it and it would arouse suspicion."
The senior officer took the gun, tucked it back into his waistband, and asked with concern, "Hmm, are you alright?"
"My body wasn't injured, but my mind suffered tons of damage. Infiltrating is too difficult. I feel like my heart is becoming less and less pure," Kiyosumi joked helplessly.
"That's good, it means you've broadened your horizons. Even Sun Wukong had to go through eighty-one tribulations to obtain the true scriptures, and a Party member's heart should be tempered a thousand times." The senior replied with a smile, "Don't get wet in the rain, I'll take you home, you have to go to work tomorrow."
"Thank you, senpai," Kiyosumi said sincerely. "Did you drive here?"
Unexpectedly, the senior pushed out a three-wheeled rickshaw with a rain canopy from the alley. He dusted the seat with a towel and gestured for Qingcheng to get on. Qingcheng couldn't help but laugh as she sat down. He really acted like a convincing actor, but it didn't quite match the delicate silk cloth shoes on his feet. I don't think he wore these shoes before.
The rickshaws, braving the damp, cool air, wound their way through the narrow lanes. At the end of the road lay a hazy scene, and they gradually disappeared around the misty bend...
When they arrived at Fuxing Park, the senior went back. There were no lights around, and Qingcheng was the only person on the road. The few streetlights emitted a dim orange glow, and her shadow stretched very long under the light, so long that it disappeared into the darkness.
The rain stopped, but the ground was still damp and difficult to walk on. It must be early morning now. She hadn't felt anything when she was on edge, but now she didn't even have the strength to lift her hand to check her watch. She let the cold wind blow away her fatigue and let herself be alone in peace.
The cold wind blowing through the alley was chilly and damp. Qingcheng lowered her head, hunched her back, and wrapped her coat tighter around herself, fighting off sleep and dragging her numb steps home.
"Ouch."
In a daze, Qingcheng bumped into something. She rubbed her sore forehead, the impact making her already confused mind buzz. When did a pillar appear in the middle of the alley? And did someone just laugh?
Lifting her dazed head, Qingcheng barely managed to open it a crack, and saw the gentle smile of her beloved. Gao Junxiao's eyes shone with pure kindness and concern.
Qingcheng was instantly wide awake. She rubbed her dry eyes in disbelief, then touched the handsome face and firm chest of the man in front of her, and asked nervously, "What are you doing here? No, how long have you been waiting?"
"Not long after, I noticed your upstairs light wasn't on, and I was about to leave, but then it started raining heavily, so I had no choice but to wait a little longer," Gao Junxiao said casually.
Touching her boyfriend's cold palm, she felt a lump in her throat, but words failed her. She could only lower her eyes and stare at her toes. She was afraid Gao Junxiao would ask her why she was home so late.
"There might be some problems between us." Gao Junxiao tried to break the deadlock, but his words only made Qingcheng's already low mood even heavier. He still couldn't accept the busyness of a career woman, was he about to break up with her?
Just then, a sudden downpour began in the clear sky. Gao Junxiao reached out and pulled Qingcheng into his arms. The two hurriedly ran back to the eaves of the apartment. Gao Junxiao shook off the water droplets and complained about the humid weather in the south.
The two were so close that Qingcheng casually took out a handkerchief to wipe the water droplets off his clothes, and said that she would go upstairs to get him an umbrella later. Her eyes were filled with undisguised turmoil. She hoped that going upstairs would allow her to calm herself down so that she would not break down later.
Suddenly, Gao Junxiao grabbed her hand, his intense gaze making Qingcheng unable to look him in the eye. But he suddenly apologized: "I'm sorry, I'm really not good at romantic things. I can't create a romantic atmosphere, and I can't be there for you like other people. We don't like the same things either. You might think I'm old-fashioned and boring."
His earnest self-criticism made Qingcheng pause for a moment. Looking at her boyfriend through the dim moonlight, Gao Junxiao's Adam's apple bobbing and his flickering eyes revealed his awkwardness. How could such a proud person admit to having things he couldn't do? How insecure he was! Qingcheng patiently waited for him to continue.
“In this world, I know it’s not easy for a young woman like you to pursue independence. You have to be more diligent and work harder than others, and you have to endure more gossip. Even whether you have a boyfriend or husband doesn’t have a big impact on your life, because your inner world is so rich that it’s enviable.”
“I can’t selfishly ask you to allocate your time to me, or stop making progress and stop speaking out for the people at the bottom of society. That wouldn’t be the kind of person I like.” Gao Junxiao hugged her with both hands and said in a very gentle voice, “But I don’t want to be someone who is dispensable either. I have a request for you. When you are tired, you have to lean on me for a while or chat with me. You are not allowed to talk to anyone else, and you are not allowed to keep to yourself.”
"What if you happen to be away?" Kiyosumi pressed.
After a moment of contemplation, Gao Junxiao said seriously, "Then draw a little figure and prick me with it. The pain will be on me."
Under the night sky, Qingcheng abandoned her reserve and wrapped her arms tightly around her boyfriend's waist, resting her head on the crook of his neck and letting out muffled laughter. The dimples on her cheeks bloomed like fireworks in the night, dazzling and eye-catching.
She demonstrated her answer through her actions; he wasn't dispensable, but rather a source of peace of mind and stability. Gao Junxiao seemed to understand her response and smiled as well.
A moment later, Qingcheng brought an umbrella from upstairs, cleared her throat, and said to Gao Junxiao, "I think mutual appreciation and respect is an extremely rare thing, even rarer than two people meeting by chance. After all, we all grew up in different environments, and everyone is an independent and equal being. However, I am still willing to spend time with you to get through the adjustment period."
"I will definitely cooperate fully, no, I mean participate. I believe we can stay together as always." Gao Junxiao couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Seeing his unserious behavior, Qingcheng's blush faded and her ears grew even redder. Annoyed and embarrassed, she punched him lightly: "You're so annoying, remember to return the umbrella to me!"
"I'm returning it to you. I definitely chose an auspicious day and time to do so. I'm leaving now, go to sleep." Gao Junxiao hadn't even opened his umbrella when Qingcheng grabbed his arm and asked suspiciously, "Is there anything else?"
"If you make an appointment to return it at noon, there will be a surprise." After saying that, Qingcheng's eyes immediately shifted to the slanting wind and drizzle outside, her face slightly flushed.
"Oh~ I won't return the umbrella to you yet. I'll keep it until after the military exercise so I can see your so-called 'surprise' and treat myself," Gao Junxiao said expectantly.
"Military exercise, how long will you be gone?" Kiyosumi asked with her hands behind her back, her chest churning with a sense of turmoil.
"It's hard to say, he could be back before the fifteenth of the first lunar month at the earliest," Gao Junxiao replied.
"Okay, be careful and don't rush back. National affairs come first." Qingcheng thought for a moment and then smiled, extending an olive branch. "Hmm~ if you can complete your work as planned and happen to enjoy visiting temple fairs and seeing lanterns..."
Gao Junxiao quickly answered, "I like looking at lanterns, especially those for the Lantern Festival."
"I want a bunny lamp." Kiyosumi said this and ran upstairs, leaving behind her retreating figure.
Gao Junxiao shook his head helplessly, opened his umbrella and walked into the alley. Through the misty rain, he looked back upstairs and saw Qingcheng leaning on the windowsill looking at him. When their eyes met, Qingcheng suddenly pulled the curtains shut. Only the shadow of the beauty was projected on the curtains, indicating that she was still there.
Haha, it's just a little rabbit lantern, I've received your Lantern Festival wish.
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