Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Springs evenings in the Imperial Capital were cold to begin with and the weather this year was also experiencing late a lingering chill, so it was piercingly cold at night. Gu Nianzhi could still feel the brisk wind strike down from her collar despite being cloaked in a down coat. Huo Shaoheng glanced at her m as he walked unhurriedly ahead. Seeing that he hadn’t replied for a long time, Gu Nianzhi got worried and pulled the sleeve of his large coat to whisper, “Isn’t it so?”
Huo Shaoheng sighed and stopped to look at her. “What do you think?”
His position and military rank was much higher than Zhao Liangze’s, and if the younger man’s marriage must undergo political background review, then his own wouldn’t be any less thorough. Gu Nianzhi knew that logically this was the case, but people often wanted to be the lucky exception in their lives. She had secretly hoped that Huo Shaoheng could dictate his own marriage. However, Huo Shaoheng’s current response meant that her secret wish was merely a daydream. Biting her lip, Gu Nianzhi squinted as a gust of wind three back her hood. Her eyes stung but she looked up to prevent the tears from falling. This time Huo Shaoheng didn’t console or persuade her, but merely took her hand as they slowly walked to the parking lot. He explained, “This is a procedural issue and is very important. Do you understand?”
Gu Nianzhi agreed quietly. “I understand, but what sort of questions are asked for the background check?”
Huo Shaoheng laughed. “We can talk about it later; it’s still too early to be discussing it now.” The issue of background check would only be resolved once Gu Nianzhi’s background was revealed. Otherwise, the situation wouldn’t change; it was useless to try to think of any other solutions.
Gu Nianzi nodded shyly. “Huo Shao, I was only asking, I-I’m…not trying to rush you.” They had just become a couple so it was much too early to talk about marriage.
“We don’t need to rush into that kind of thing.” Huo Shaoheng squeezed her hand. “Since, I’m already considering it.”
In other words, he is also considering our marriage? Gu Nianzhi suddenly got very excited. Her emotions had gone through a rollercoaster of ups and downs today—one moment she had been at the very top and the next she had fallen into a deep abyss. Such mood swings were hard on her both physically and mentally, so she was quite sleepy by the time they got into the car. She dozed off in the passenger seat.
When they returned to the apartment’s underground parkade, Huo Shaoheng parked the car and leaned over to help Gu Nianzhi undo her seatbelt. She woke up slowly and happened to see Huo Shaoheng’s side profile a mere inch away from her. Without thinking, she moved forward to kiss him once on the cheek. Huo Shaoheng froze and looked up at her groggy eyes, squinting at the light from her little nap. His gaze then fell down to her plump lips. She instinctively puckered her lips to invite him for a kiss. Smiling to himself, he leaned over to kiss her lips again and again, then he moved his whole body over to press her against the seat. Holding her head, he began kissing her heatedly. Gu Nianzhi reached out to wrap Huo Shaoheng’s neck with her arms and drowned herself in the surprise kiss. The two couldn’t separate themselves and the temperature in the car rose sharply. Gu Nianzhi was starting to lose her breath as she snaked her fingers into Huo Shaoheng’s hair at the back of his head. Her hips were stroking against him gently, causing waves of numbness to rise from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Even Huo Shaoheng was starting to lose control despite his laudable self-restraint, so he finally moved back and pulled Gu Nianzhi’s hand away from the back of his neck; he laughed quietly against her lips. “If you move again I’ll do you right here.”
Gu Nianzhi asked him boldly with a small giggle, “Really? You’re not afraid to?”
Huo Shaoheng composed himself and straightened his body up from on top of her. “When we have a chance in the future.” Taking the key out of the ignition, he got out first.
Gu Nianzhi sat in the car lazily for a few seconds before opening the door stepping out. Huo Shaoheng was leaning against the hood of the car and already had a lit cigarette in his hands. He didn’t smoke it but only looked thoughtfully ahead. Gu Nianzhi climbed out of the car and Huo Shaoheng threw the cigarette away before coming over to help her close the door. He locked the car and walked her to the parkade elevator. They rode the elevator back to the apartment and Gu Nianzhi was surrounded by warmth as soon as she walked in. She instantly took off the down coat and hung it in the small closet by the door.
Huo Shaoheng handed the car keys to her. “Tomorrow I’ll have Big Xiong take you for a test drive and the day after you can drive it to school.”
“No, I think that’s ok.” Gu Nianzhi shook her head. “Where would I park on campus? I would also need to get a parking permit; it’s too much work. Campus is not far from here anyway so it’s easy for me to take the subway or call a cab.”
“Ok. Then during longer breaks you can drive to my place.” Huo Shaoheng replied as he also took off his coat to hang besides Gu Nianzhi’s in the closet.
Gu Nianzhi waited for him to go inside then took the opportunity to arrange the closet so the two coats hung close together.
Huo Shaoheng walked directly through the bedroom to the bathroom to wash up, then took a shower. He came out to see that Gu Nianzhi had changed into loungewear and put her hair into a messy ponytail as she curled up on the sofa, watching a video on her iPad Air.
“I’m done, so you can go wash now.” Huo Shaoheng smoothed her hair and took a new black T-shirt and lounge pants from the closet to change into.
Gu Nianzhi was secretly looking up what the military “background check” entailed, so she hadn’t noticed that Huo Shaoheng had come out. She quickly locked the iPad before throwing it on the bed and going for her a shower.
Huo Shaoheng had just finished changing when he received a call from Yin Shixiong. “Mr. Huo, things aren’t good. The are starting attacks once again.”
“They’re not celebrating Valentine’s Day?” Huo Shaoheng wasn’t stressed out and even made a casual joke.
Yin Shixiong laughed. “Mr. Huo, it’s Valentine’s evening in America right now. They are probably earning overtime.”
Huo Shaoheng looked down at the remote control for the Central Control System on his phone and saw that the enemy had indeed increased their attack frequency from every five minutes to every five seconds, then grew so fast that even the instrument couldn’t calculate the speed. They were more relentless than before he had left the office. “Have Fan Jian come pick me up.” Huo Shaoheng immediately decided. “There’s something going on. Also, contact Little Ze and if there’s no special reason, he must show up on time tomorrow.” He could control the situation until about 9am tomorrow, he figured, but if the attacks grew any stronger he wouldn’t be able to hold things off alone. He needed Little Ze to come back and counterattack together.
“Roger, Chief!” Yin Shixiong grew serious. “I’ll go have Fan Jian pick you up right away.” He paused, then laughed, “But Chief, what’s the address you’re at?”
Huo Shaheng changed into his standard General’s uniform and told him the address for Gu Nianzhi’s high-rise apartment.
“Have Fan Jian wait for me at the underground parkade and call me when he’s here.”
Yin Shixiong quickly sent the address to Fan Jian.
“Mr. Huo asked you to take him back to the base.”
With no complaint, Fan Jian immediately drove to Gu Nianzhi’s apartment.
The water stopped running in the bathroom and Gu Nianzhi poked her head out while cloaked in a bath towel.
“You’re leaving right now?”
“Yeah, something happened and I have to go back to take care of it.” Huo Shaoheng looked at Gu Nianzhi’s glossy eyes and delicate face, as well as the milky shoulders exposed above the bath towel. She was like a newly bloomed lotus flower dotted with fresh dew. Swallowing hard, he reluctantly looked away.
“I’m going now. Can you stay here alone?”
Gu Nianzhi was sad to see him go, but Huo Shaoheng’s role meant he was always on call for emergency situations. After all, the enemy wouldn’t be kind enough to wait until the holiday ended before attacking.
“Yeah, I’ll be ok staying a night alone.” Gu Nianzhi nodded. I’ll go back to campus tomorrow, ok?”
“Whatever is the easiest for you.” Huo Shaohng stroked her damp hair. “Send me a text if you’re going back to school.”
Gu Nianzhi agreed but didn’t have a chance to kiss him goodbye before he received Fan Jian’s called and rushed out the door. Soon after she heard the door lock, she knew Huo Shaoheng had left. She dried her hair and walked out of the bathroom, wearing a white bathrobe as she surveyed the spacious bedroom with a sigh. Recalling what happened in the bathroom earlier, she couldn’t help smiling blissfully. When she sat at her vanity to brush her hair and apply a face mask, her iPad starting ringing with a FaceTime request. Gu Nianzhi picked it up; it was He Zhichu. She debated answering. After she’d gone to change into loungewear and saw that He Zhichu was still calling she accepted the request. He Zhichu’s handsome and indifferent expression filled the screen. “Professor He! Good evening. What’s the matter?”
He Zhichu glanced at his watch; it was 11pm. He observed Gu Nianzhi’s surroundings. It didn’t look like there was a man there. He secretly sighed in relief and relaxed.
“Nianzhi, where are you?”
“I’m in my room.” Gu Nianzhi replied vaguely. “Professor He, today is the weekend and I’ve already sent my thesis to your inbox.”
He Zhichu face broke into a small smile. “I just finished reading them. It was quite well written. However, I’m not calling you to talk about that.”
“Professor He, I don’t think we have anything to discuss apart from my studies.” Gu Nianzhi was worried that she needed to make her stance and the boundaries of their relationship clear in order to prevent He Zhichu from breaking the tension between them.
He grimaced. “Can you not act so defensive everytime you see me? I’m calling you because of something else.”
Gu Nianzhi giggled. “Then you can tell me, I’m listening.”
He Zhichu tapped his fingers on the desk; the rhythm was somehow familiar to Gu Nianzhi. After a moment, he finally said, “Someone was asking me about you and I don’t understand her relationship to you. Do you still want to hear what she said?”
“Who was this?” Gu Nianzhi relaxed; she could handle anything as long as it didn’t involve her and He Zhichu personally.
“Someone named Gu Yanran.” He Zhichu looked down at the phone number Gu Yanran had left him. “She wants to see you if you have some time.”
“Gu Yanran?” Gu Nianzhi instantly recalled the woman she had met earlier at the restaurant. Of course, she also remembered the negative memory of her previous interaction with Huo Shaoheng.
Gu Nianzhi frowned. “Why is she looking for me? I don’t know her.”
“I think, maybe, you should go meet her.” He Zhichu sighed quietly. “She said she once had a sister also named Gu Nianzhi, and that she would be the same age as you. She felt a connection with you as soon as you two met, so she wants to get to know you.”
