Chapter 44: Cutting Hair.
The next day, Sun He'an returned from outside, looking travel-worn, carrying several meat buns in his hand.
When he returned, Ning Yao was already up, sitting at the table, her expression dazed, her mind racing, her fingernails unconsciously digging into the table. She had thought about it all night, but still couldn't come up with any effective solution.
She definitely couldn't go home; she didn't know much about Ning's social circle over the years. Among the families he knew…
She absolutely couldn't go to the Huo family. The Huo family was wealthy, but she and Huo Li had never successfully cooperated; it was always a trap. Right now, Old Chen at the school might be the only breakthrough, but with the school surrounded, she didn't even know where to find Old Chen.
As for the others, the Fan family… Ning Yao bit her lower lip. Brother Ning did have dealings with the Fan family, but she couldn’t be sure. Going there rashly would be too risky.
Perhaps there's also... Xu Zheng from the patrol police department, Captain Xu.
Seeing him return, Ning Yao quickly got up and walked towards the door, asking hopefully, "How did it go?"
Sun He'an entered the room, closed the door, and then nodded to her. "Sure enough, someone was guarding it. Luckily, you told me there was a steamed bun shop at the end of that alley. I bought some steamed buns and came back the way I came, so I didn't attract any attention."
Hearing this answer, Ning Yao felt relieved and let out a long sigh of relief, saying, "Then Brother Ning should be safe now."
Although the person hasn't been found yet, it's still good news in a time of uncertainty.
"Have your breakfast first, then we can discuss what's next," Sun He'an said, handing her the steamed buns.
Ning Yao glanced at the steamed buns and shook her head. "You eat first, I don't have much of an appetite."
“How can that be?” Sun He’an frowned. “You’ve only had some water since yesterday. If you don’t eat soon, you’ll starve. Or you can tell me what you want to eat? I’m planning to go out and find someone to bring back some of the food you want.”
When Ning Yao heard Sun He'an mention looking for someone, she remembered seeing him at the police station last time, and her eyes lit up. She turned to Sun He'an and asked, "Are you familiar with the people at the police station?"
Sun He'an shook his head, then nodded. "I'm not familiar with them, but I have a friend who has some connections with the police station. I can ask them."
"Brother Sun, is it possible for your friend to strike up a conversation with Xu Zheng?"
"I'm not sure, but I can give it a try."
The two discussed it for a while and made a plan for the next step. Then, there was a long period of waiting.
The waiting time was long, and Ning Yao could only stay in her room, waiting for Sun He'an, who had gone out, to bring her news.
She couldn't gamble on whether she would be recognized if she went out.
Therefore, she completely missed Ning Yiwen's first wave of searching for her.
A few days later, after confirming that Old Chen had been arrested, Ning Yao became even more afraid to go out.
To avoid suspicion, Sun He'an gave her the house and moved to Chen Hao's place.
Ning Yao, who could only stay in her room all day, couldn't stay idle. She asked Sun He'an for a few war photos he had taken and wrote a few articles on the spot.
"Ning Yao, did you write this?"
That day, Sun He'an and Chen Hao came over and brought Ning Yao some food. Ning Yao then showed them the article she had written.
Sun He'an looked at the article in his hand with admiration. "You write so well. The imagery in your words is so vivid, it even evokes the reader's emotions. To be honest," Sun He'an sighed, looking at Ning Yao, "I didn't even know that my photos had such power as your writing."
Chen Hao nodded repeatedly, praising the article highly, "Yes, yes, I think this article is good enough to be submitted to a newspaper."
These words enlightened Ning Yao.
A thought suddenly struck her, and she said, "Sure, I can submit my work using a pen name."
The more Ning Yao thought about it, the more she felt it was a good idea. She clapped her hands and came up with an even more brilliant idea, "Besides, do you think if my article is published in the newspaper, my brother Ning will be able to find me when he sees it?"
As she spoke, Ning Yao's pent-up frustration from the past few days vanished; she simply couldn't bear this passive waiting any longer.
At this sensitive time, it's definitely impossible for them to place a missing person notice in the newspaper. But other means of communication, whether telegram or telephone, are also out of the question.
She naturally didn't have as many connections as Ning Yiwen. Instead of actively seeking out people, she should have taken the initiative to openly publish her writing in the newspaper.
Ning is so smart, once he sees her, he'll definitely be able to find her quickly.
Sun He'an raised an eyebrow, thought about it repeatedly, and then agreed, "It is indeed a good idea."
Ning Yao lowered her head, looked at the article in her hand, and pondered for a moment, "Then let's call him Ding Xunwen."
Ning, who has lost her home, and Ding, who is all alone.
Sun He'an felt a touch in his heart. Looking at her determined eyes beneath her long eyelashes, he couldn't help but promise, "Okay, I'll help you submit the article."
*
The article was excellent, and the Chunqiu Daily accepted it.
Before it was even published, the Chunqiu Newspaper sent Ning Yao an unexpected surprise through Sun He'an.
"What did you say? The newspaper asked me if I would be willing to be their war correspondent?" Ning Yao was stunned.
Lately, her mind has been preoccupied with searching for the person. Writing is merely a way to pass the time, just like reading—it's all about keeping herself busy.
However, she never expected this to happen.
War correspondent.
This… Ning Yao clenched her hands tightly; this was something she had longed for all too long…
"Am I suitable?" Ning Yao murmured to herself, "I'm like this..."
Sun He'an sensed Ning Yao's hesitation and added, "I also felt it wasn't suitable and declined, but the editor-in-chief told me it couldn't be more perfect. Someone who can write such articles can naturally take even more captivating photos."
Hearing this, Ning Yao clenched her fists even tighter.
Her knuckles were white, and her fingernails left several crescent-shaped marks of varying depths on her palms, but she felt no pain whatsoever.
She pressed herself down.
She knew it was wrong of her to be like this, but she still shamefully fell for it.
“I… Brother Sun,” Ning Yao looked up at Sun He’an, “Don’t refuse the newspaper yet, let me think about it.”
Upon hearing this, Sun He'an's eyes showed obvious surprise. "No, you really want to go?"
He thought her hesitation stemmed from how to refuse.
"Hmm." Ning Yao's lips curved into a smile, the only genuine smile she had shown in recent days. "Let me think about it."
“No, Ning Yao,” Sun He’an said anxiously, “Martial law is still in effect outside, and Brother Ning is still wanted by the police. How can you go out at this time…”
"At this point, who would have thought that a wanted person would run to the battlefield just to take a few photos?" Ning Yao interrupted.
Sun He'an: "..." He found himself actually convinced by these remarks.
Indeed, no one could have predicted it.
"But you, Brother Ning, aren't you going to look for him anymore?"
Ning Yao shook her head, "Of course I'll look for it, how could I not? But how should I look?"
She recalled the bits and pieces of their time together over the years, "He never told me what he did outside, who he met, or even... how to find each other if we got separated."
At this point, Ning Yao looked up and saw Sun He'an's puzzled expression. She shook her head with a wry smile, "I don't resent him. I just feel that he is very capable, but in his eyes, I will always be that little girl who never grows up."
She only learned the details of her decision to go abroad after she arrived in Beijing.
Sun He'an raised his hand and touched his nose, "After all, you're his sister..."
Ning Yao tilted her head slightly. "Didn't I say that? I was his childhood sweetheart. Now, we're practically engaged, right?"
Sun He'an's eyes widened, and somehow the chair he was sitting in suddenly tipped over, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Ning Yao smiled, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at his surprised expression without saying a word.
She looked away and gazed at the corner.
Sun He'an's rooms were connected, and apart from a skylight, there were no windows on any of the sides. It was also the first time she had ever lived in a room like this.
During the day, light would filter in through the skylight, but very little. She had to light a candle to supplement her reading. This always made her feel like a small animal, a cat, in the darkness.
She didn't know how much longer she would have to endure this. But this time, it seemed like an opportunity? Ning Yao thought uncertainly.
This thought took several days to process.
For several days in a row, Sun He'an, along with Chen Hao and Yan Sifan, visited her to talk to her and advise her not to be too impulsive.
After all, that's a battlefield, not a game.
However, before she could finish thinking, a news item was published in the newspaper.
All relevant personnel from Jianghe Daily have been dealt with.
The day Ning Yao received the newspaper from Sun He'an, it was pouring rain outside the window, with thunder rumbling intermittently, as if it could knock a hole in the sky.
"What does this mean?" Ning Yao's face turned deathly pale. Holding the newspaper, she asked in a trembling voice, "Are you saying my brother Ning is gone?"
The newspaper included a small picture of several kneeling men in long robes, their faces covered.
The small image is labeled with names, and Ning Yiwen's name is prominently listed among them.
Sun He'an also looked grief-stricken. "I heard he was executed in Beijing."
"Impossible!" Ning Yao shook her head. "I don't believe it!"
How could that be...
But apart from saying those words, she didn't know what else she could do or say.
Her mind was blank, and her eyes were blank as she looked at Sun He'an. "Do you think it's possible that they didn't actually catch the person and are just making things up?"
Sun He'an silently shook his head.
After all, the name has already been published, so how could it be fake?
Ning Yao could only lower her head and continue reading the report.
But the more I looked, the blurrier it became. "The light seems a bit dim..."
The moment I raised my head, tears streamed down my face, dripping onto the newspaper. The more they dripped, the more they fell, until I could no longer see the words in front of me.
Finally, Ning Yao buried her head, her heart-wrenching sobs echoing throughout the room.
...
Night. The lights are dim.
Ning Yao sat blankly in front of the mirror, her eyes devoid of any light, her hair disheveled behind her.
She was looking at herself.
His eyes were red and swollen, and his nose and mouth were also very red.
It's really ugly.
A pair of smiling eyes flashed through her mind... Ning Yao's nose tingled, and tears fell like beads suddenly breaking.
Whether he was good-looking or ugly, that person is no longer here.
Ning Yao bit her lower lip, brushed her long, smooth black hair to her chest, and a trace of reluctance flashed in her sorrowful eyes.
She picked up a comb and combed her hair, from beginning to end, over and over again.
Then, she put down the comb, picked up the scissors on the table, and started slicing them through her hair.
After a long silence, she closed her eyes and cut her hair short, just above her ears.
Long hair fell to the ground.
She looked up again, gazing at the unfamiliar reflection in the mirror.
Her short, ear-length hair curled slightly at the ends, her delicate chin was stubbornly raised, and the candlelight cast dappled shadows on her pale face. Yet, a resolute light shone in her sorrowful eyes.
She bent down, picked up the broken hair that had fallen to the ground, and carefully wrapped it in a cloth bag, as if wrapping up a past that could never be returned to.
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