Chapter 8 Political Review
Seeing her silence, he turned his head, his gaze falling on her lowered eyelashes, his voice flat: "Don't you want to be with me?"
Nan Zhiyi blurted out, "How could that be? Fifth Brother, you...you're the most beautiful flower in the compound. If I could really pluck you, I don't know how many girls would hate me to death."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized it was inappropriate, immediately pursed her lips, and felt her face flush.
Gu Xiao's eyes flickered slightly as he watched her expression, which instantly became lively yet was forced back down.
He stopped and turned to her: "So, are you willing to get a marriage certificate with me?"
A night breeze blew by, ruffling the stray hairs on Nan Zhiyi's forehead.
After a moment, she raised her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, but her eyes were clear: "Fifth Brother, I'm willing..."
A cool night breeze blew by.
"Are you cold?" Gu Xiao noticed her slight shiver. "Let's go back."
His tall figure cast an even deeper shadow in the darkness, enveloping her within it.
"I'll come pick you up when we get our marriage certificate."
"Um."
Nan Zhiyi nodded, said nothing more, and obediently turned around. The two of them walked back along the same route, one after the other.
Nan Zhiyi walked quickly back to the courtyard and only then did she realize that her tense breathing had eased a little.
"How did it go? What did Commander Gu say?" Feng Xuemei came up to her, her face full of anxiety.
Nan Zhiyi: "He said... he'll file the marriage report tomorrow morning, and when we get the marriage certificate... he'll come pick me up."
"Amitabha!" Feng Xuemei breathed a long sigh of relief and put her hands together. "That's good! That's settled! You don't know, if it were anyone else, with your background, the political review would have been so difficult, you'd have to beg and plead until it was too late! It's Gu Xiao who's the only one! He's responsible! That's what a son-in-law of a high-ranking family should be like!"
She couldn't help but praise him repeatedly, and her anxiety finally subsided.
After the initial excitement subsided, Feng Xuemei nudged Nan Zhiyi, saying, "Go wash up, you've had a long day."
Nan Zhiyi nodded and went back to Zhang Yueran's room to get her change of clothes.
After taking off the jacket, the black cloth armbands on the sleeves of the plain shirt underneath were revealed.
Zhang Yueran, who had been silently watching her, froze instantly, her face turning pale.
Nan Zhiyi was unaware, as she was looking down and unbuttoning her clothes.
Zhang Yueran rushed out suddenly, her voice trembling with tears: "Mom! My sister is wearing...wearing a black armband! Godfather and Godmother...have...have something happened to them?!"
The air in the living room seemed to freeze.
The joy on Feng Xuemei's face vanished completely, leaving only deep sorrow.
She grabbed her daughter's hand, her voice hoarse: "...Yes. Your godparents were criticized and...passed away. It happened these past two days."
"How could this be... how could this happen!"
Zhang Yueran felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and tears welled up instantly.
She turned and rushed towards Nan Zhiyi, who was walking out of the room, hugging her tightly and crying out, "Sister! Sister! Were they killed by those bastards from the Revolutionary Committee?! I'll fight them! I'll kill them!"
"Shut up!" Feng Xuemei's face turned deathly pale. She rushed forward and covered her daughter's mouth, her voice filled with fear, "What nonsense are you spouting! Are you out of your mind?!"
She pulled Zhang Yueran into her arms tightly, tears streaming down her face. "What can we do? Fight like an egg against a rock? Do you even want this family anymore?"
Zhang Yueran struggled and cried in her mother's arms, filled with grief and indignation.
Nan Zhiyi stood there, tears silently streaming down her face.
The sudden suicide of her parents backstage at the public denunciation rally was definitely suspicious, but she couldn't uncover the truth, nor did she have the power to kill them...
But now things are different. She has a chance to survive and a possibility to find the truth.
She choked up and hugged her younger sister, with whom she had grown up.
"Yueyue...don't cry, things will get better."
Zhang Yueran cried even harder, but nodded vigorously: "Okay, from now on... my parents... will be my sister's parents... this... will be my sister's home..."
"Yes, this is my home, and it always will be..."
Feng Xuemei opened her arms and hugged the two girls, who were crying together, tightly.
Her suppressed grief, the sorrow over her friend's passing, and her worries about Nan Zhiyi's future—all these emotions finally overwhelmed her, and her tears flowed freely…
The three women embraced each other, and their cries filled the air.
Zhang Jianguo stood at the doorway, an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his face ashen and grim.
He had a decades-long friendship with Nan's father, and Feng Xuemei and Nan's mother were like sisters.
This sudden calamity weighed heavily on everyone's heart.
He sighed deeply, and in the end just silently patted Feng Xuemei on the shoulder.
Gu Xiao's marriage application was submitted just two days ago when the anticipated storm arrived quickly and fiercely.
He was summoned back to the family's small building.
In the study.
"Nonsense!" Commander Gu slammed a document heavily onto the mahogany table.
"Gu Xiao! The daughter of the Nan family! A capitalist! Her parents just 'committed suicide out of guilt'! Do you even know what time it is? You're just throwing mud at yourself! You're setting your whole family on fire!"
Gu Xiao stood firm: "The material's characterization is incorrect. The Nan family are patriotic industrialists, which is verifiable. The local revolutionary committee's characterization was hasty, and I have requested a re-examination of the conclusion."
"Verification?"
Commander Gu's eyes were bloodshot, her finger almost poking his nose. "You used your connections to pressure the local revolutionary committee, do you think I'm dead?! The Zhou family! Even though Zhou Zhengping was engaged to her, they knew to immediately sever ties! And you? You, the fifth son of the Gu family, do you think your position is too secure?!"
He was heartbroken: "All these years, what connection have you had with Nan Zhiyi? Huh? Your three older brothers and eldest sister all married women who were well-matched and from respectable families! Gu Yan, he used to hang out with Zhou Zhengping and Nan Zhiyi all the time!"
"You're not the type to play the hero and save the damsel in distress! Even if you were, it should be Gu Yan begging me! Where is he? I haven't even seen a shadow of him! And you, without saying a word, have taken on this enormous risk! What are you after?!"
Gu Xiao said coldly, "It doesn't matter who she belonged to before. Now, she's mine. The political review results must be changed. Her file must be transferred to the military district. I will bear all the consequences."
"You'll take responsibility? What will you use to take responsibility?!" Commander Gu trembled with rage. "Your future? Your life?!"
"yes."
Gu Xiao's answer was only one word.
The study fell into a deathly silence.
Only Commander Gu's heavy breathing could be heard.
Looking at his son, who was most like himself and yet the one he could not control, the resolute and desperate look in his eyes made him realize that any attempt to dissuade him was futile.
When Gu Xiao said "take responsibility," he meant he was truly prepared to risk everything.
Commander Gu's emotions surged, and he slumped into the large leather chair.
Finally, he waved his hand, his voice weary: "Get out. Do as you please. Gu Xiao, you remember this: from today onwards, any stain on Nan Zhiyi's record, any mess she makes, will be yours alone. The Gu family will not clean up your mess a second time!"
Gu Xiao gave a neat military salute and strode away.
Within two days, a revised political background check document was placed on Gu Xiao's desk.
The word "patriot" was added before "capitalist," and "suicide out of fear of punishment" was replaced with "died of illness."
The official seal of the local revolutionary committee was affixed to it, but the ink was somewhat blurred.
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