Chapter 164 Performing a Play
She tried to explain, her voice lowered, tinged with a hint of grievance.
“I won’t act impulsively, nor will I give him any chance to get close to me. I just want him to know that he should stop trying to get close to Zishu.”
"You don't understand Lin Zhiming at all."
Fu Li'an interrupted her directly.
"You think he's just a charming gentleman? He's not able to establish himself in a complex place like Hong Kong because of his gentle demeanor. He's ruthless and vicious. You think his seemingly casual concern for you is genuine? It's all a scheme, a test, waiting for you to let your guard down."
"Qingqing, listen to me."
His voice suddenly lowered, but became even more urgent.
“I’ve already had the intelligence department keep an eye on him. We’re monitoring his every move. The investigation should be complete in three to five days at the latest. Then the organization will officially take action and legally bring him under control. That’s much safer and more effective than you going to him alone and trying to warn him with words.”
Qiao Wanyin could sense the unease in his tone.
Looking at his slightly trembling eyelashes, she suddenly realized that he wasn't ordering her around, but pleading with her.
Are you that afraid of me seeing him?
She asked in a low voice.
Fu Lian closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice trembled slightly.
"Yes, I'm scared."
He opened his eyes and stared straight at her.
“I’m afraid that once you leave, you’ll never come back. I’m afraid he’ll set a trap for you, I’m afraid he’ll take advantage of your kindness, I’m afraid he’ll use the shadow of the past to evoke your memories. I’m afraid… I’m afraid I’ll never see you again.”
She had never seen him so weak and helpless.
Fu Li'an has always been her support.
But at this moment, he stood before her, revealing his deepest fear like an ordinary person.
Qiao Wanyin raised her hand and gently stroked his face.
Her heart was gripped tightly.
“Li An,” she said softly, “I will not leave you, and I will never be deceived by that kind of person again. I am not the same as before. I have my own judgment and my own bottom line. Lin Zhiming may be able to deceive others, but he can no longer sway me in the slightest.”
She understood what he was afraid of.
During this time, the girls in the military compound were all talking about that "gentleman" from the port city.
He was described as well-dressed, elegant in speech, and exuding the demeanor of high society in every gesture.
He was described as humble and polite, and even took the initiative to fix the broken radio for an elderly comrade.
Who wouldn't be tempted after hearing that?
But Qiao Wanyin knew that it was all a pretense.
Fu Lian held her hand tightly, his palm burning hot.
"You don't understand men's minds. Especially men like Lin Zhiming, they never let go easily. He still has resentment towards you, and that resentment is not just simple lingering affection, but obsession. And obsession will turn into danger sooner or later. He will wait, he will endure, he will get closer little by little, until you have nowhere to retreat."
"Unwilling to accept it?"
Qiao Wanyin frowned slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
"No, all he felt for me was scheming and hatred. That deep-seated hatred never faded. He hated me for ruining his plans, for exposing his true colors, and for making his years of pretense go to waste."
“I exposed his disguise and ruined his plan. He couldn’t be happier for me to disappear from this world completely.”
Her voice lowered a few decibels.
"That's precisely why we absolutely cannot go."
"Qingqing, promise me you won't go. Please."
Finally, she nodded gently.
"Okay, I won't go."
In that instant, she saw his tense shoulders relax slightly.
Fu Li'an breathed a sigh of relief, his chest heaving violently.
He then suddenly pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
His arm gripped her so tightly that she could barely breathe.
He seemed to be confirming her presence, or perhaps afraid that she would disappear in the next second.
Qiao Wanyin leaned against his strong chest, her ear pressed against his chest.
Listen to that abnormally fast beating sound.
She knew it wasn't excitement, but fear.
The fear of losing her.
She couldn't bear to see Zishu in danger, but she also didn't want Fu Lian to suffer any more.
In the dead of night, all around was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.
The sycamore trees outside the window swayed gently in the night breeze.
Moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
The room was dark, with only a cold, silvery white light.
Fu Lian was already asleep.
Even in his dreams, his brows were not completely relaxed.
Qiao Wanyin quietly turned over and, using the moonlight streaming in from the window, gazed at his sharply defined profile.
His eyelashes were long, casting a small shadow under his eyes.
Yet this seemingly indestructible man is so worried about her.
She lowered her head and gently kissed his forehead.
Then, she closed her eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry."
The next morning.
Qiao Wanyin behaved no differently than usual.
She got up, washed up, changed into clean home clothes, and went into the kitchen to turn on the stove.
The water in the pot gradually boiled.
She skillfully cooks porridge and stir-fries dishes, her movements fluid and natural.
She made a hearty breakfast for Fu Lian.
Steaming hot millet porridge, pickled radish strips, stir-fried bean sprouts, and he even specially fried his favorite sunny-side-up egg.
Why is it so grand today?
Looking at the food on the table, Fu Li'an couldn't help but smile and ask.
But there was a hint of caution in his eyes.
"It's to reward my hardworking Commander Fu."
Qiao Wanyin pretended to be relaxed, a bright smile appearing on her lips, as she served him porridge and spoke.
"By the way, are you going to a meeting at the military region today?"
Fu Lian nodded: "Yes, we'll have a meeting this morning to assign tasks for the near future, and this afternoon we'll be observing a tactical exercise."
He paused for a moment, picked up the fried egg with his chopsticks, and looked up at her.
What about you? What are your plans for today?
"I went to the factory to take care of some things, and then..."
Qiao Wanyin avoided his gaze and lowered her head to stir the porridge in her bowl.
The rising steam blurred the struggle in her eyes.
"Maybe I should stop by and see Zishu. Even though she's ignoring me now, I want to try again."
Fu Lian put down his chopsticks, his fingertips lightly brushing his lips. He paused for a moment, then looked up at her intently.
"Okay, don't push yourself too hard. You've lost a lot of weight lately, and you don't look too good."
"knew."
She managed a weak smile.
"Eat quickly, the porridge is getting cold. If you don't eat now, you'll get condensation."
After seeing Fu Li'an off, Qiao Wanyin did not return to her room.
Instead, she stood quietly at the gate for a moment, watching his departing figure.
Only after that figure completely disappeared into the night did he slowly turn around.
They walked straight to the other end of the alley.
Lin Zhiming lived in a small Western-style house outside the city.
The red brick walls are covered with ivy, and the pointed-roofed attic casts a desolate shadow under the moonlight.
The house stood alone in the suburbs.
She stood at the iron gate, which was mottled and heavy.
She raised her hand, then slowly lowered it, and took a deep breath in the wind.
A few minutes later, footsteps came from inside the door, approaching from a distance.
A young maid opened the door, dressed in a plain black and white uniform, her head slightly lowered, her face showing a hint of wariness.
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