Xue Yue and Li Gaihua went up the mountain again.
At the foot of the mountain, they once again ran into the middle-aged man from the cowshed.
Zheng Guofeng had actually co yesterday as well but had missed Xue Yue. So today, he was waiting at the foot of the mountain again, bright and early.
After he went ho the day before, he’d agonized over it. He felt he had to ask, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep.
Xue Yue saw the man staring straight at her again, and her guard went up.
Li Gaihua didn’t want to get too close to the people from the cowshed either, afraid it would make people talk.
The two of them had planned to walk past him and head up the mountain, but Zheng Guofeng called out to them.
"Excuse ... could I speak with you alone for a mont?"
Xue Yue and Li Gaihua both stopped and turned to look at him, unsure who he was talking to.
Zheng Guofeng looked at Xue Yue and repeated, "I’d like to have a word with you. Just a quick one."
Xue Yue’s expression froze. She didn’t know this man. ’What could he possibly want to talk to about?’
Li Gaihua glanced at Xue Yue and saw the confused look on her face.
"Who are you? Do we know you?"
Zheng Guofeng didn’t answer Li Gaihua. He just kept looking at Xue Yue. After a long mont, he asked, "Do you know Li Wan Yi?"
Xue Yue froze, staring at Zheng Guofeng in astonishnt.
Seeing Xue Yue’s reaction, Zheng Guofeng’s fingers twitched, and his voice trembled slightly. "Could I speak with you alone for a mont?"
Li Gaihua, not understanding what ga the man was playing, grabbed Xue Yue’s arm and whispered, "Ignore him."
Xue Yue hesitated for a few seconds before saying to Li Gaihua, "Sister Gaihua, I’m going to talk to him for a minute. Just wait for here."
"Xue Yue, people like him are trouble. Don’t let him trick you." Li Gaihua was just repeating what she’d heard from others.
Xue Yue patted the hand Li Gaihua had on her arm. "It’s fine. He wouldn’t dare try anything in broad daylight. I’ll be right back."
Xue Yue followed Zheng Guofeng a short distance up the mountain path.
Xue Yue stopped walking. She looked at Zheng Guofeng. "Who are you? And how do you know my mother’s na?"
Zheng Guofeng’s lips trembled. ’So it’s true... it really is...’
When he didn’t answer, Xue Yue frowned slightly. "What’s the matter?"
Zheng Guofeng took a step toward her, and a startled Xue Yue imdiately took one back, her eyes watchful and wary.
Zheng Guofeng asked her urgently, "You said your mother’s na is Li Wan Yi. Then who is your father?"
Xue Yue looked at the man, starting to doubt his sanity. "You still haven’t told who you are," she said.
Zheng Guofeng’s eyes cleared in an instant. Seeing Xue Yue’s defensive posture, he took a step back. ’I’ve been too hasty,’ he thought. ’I must have scared her.’
"My na is Zheng Guofeng. Li Wan Yi... was my fiancée. I went abroad, and when I ca back, she was gone."
A ripple went through Xue Yue at his words, and her fingers curled slightly. On the surface, however, she remained impassive, listening quietly.
"Everyone told she was dead, but I refused to believe them. Not until soone gave the suicide note she’d left behind."
Zheng Guofeng’s gaze grew distant, as if lost in mory.
"I couldn’t believe it. She was perfectly fine before I left. We’d agreed to get married as soon as I ca back... How could this have happened?"
After a brief lapse, Zheng Guofeng’s eyes focused on Xue Yue again. "You look so much like her," he said. "You’re the spitting image of her when she was young."
After a mont of silence, Xue Yue replied, "I don’t know anything about what you’re saying, so I have no reason to believe you. Besides, my mother passed away when I was ten."
Zheng Guofeng’s gaze faltered. He looked at Xue Yue, his expression a mixture of shock and dawning realization, before slowly lowering his head.
He remained silent for a long ti.
Xue Yue didn’t know what to say.
’Should I comfort him? But what would I even say?’
’Do I feel sorry for him? I don’t even know the man.’
After a long wait, Zheng Guofeng finally asked, "How old are you? And who is your father?"
"I’m nineteen," Xue Yue said. "My na is Xue Yue, and my father’s na is Xue Changlin."
’It’s not a secret, there’s no harm in telling him.’
’Nineteen? The age is wrong.’
’And I’ve never known anyone nad Xue Changlin.’
Zheng Guofeng fell silent for a mont, then turned and walked away.
Xue Yue watched his world-weary figure retreat, not holding his abrupt departure against him.
A mont later, Li Gaihua ran over to Xue Yue.
"You scared ! Are you alright?"
Xue Yue shook her head. "I’m fine."
"That guy is so weird. What did he say to you?"
Xue Yue pursed her lips. "He just mistook for soone else."
Li Gaihua nodded. "Jeez, that guy... so forward. He’s lucky it was you. Anyone else might have cussed him out."
Xue Yue glanced in the direction the man had gone.
"Let’s get going."
Xue Yue was distracted the entire way down the mountain and didn’t go out again that afternoon.
Xue Xingzhou didn’t get back on his bicycle until five in the afternoon.
Two jars of canned fruit were hanging from the handlebars.
"Brother, where have you been? I waited for you for lunch."
A grin spread across Xue Xingzhou’s face. "Guess."
Xue Yue rolled her eyes at him. "Stop playing gas and just tell ."
Xue Xingzhou laughed. "Such a kid. No patience at all. Here, I bought you so canned fruit."
Xue Yue took the jars.
Once they were inside, Xue Xingzhou told her, "I went looking for a job today."
Xue Yue was astonished. "A job? Where did you find a job?"
’Jobs are scarce these days,’ she thought. ’Every position is already filled. If work were that easy to find, we wouldn’t stand a chance.’
Xue Xingzhou sat down, crossed his legs, and shot Xue Yue a glance. "The Public Security Bureau. The exam was today. I got in."
"What? Where?"
Xue Yue was completely stunned. She couldn’t believe her ears.
’The Public Security Bureau?’
’And he got in?’
’My brother?’
"Ahem. The Public Security Bureau," Xue Xingzhou said smugly. "What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?"
Xue Yue looked at her brother. It didn’t seem like he was joking.
"So that’s where you were today? Taking the exam?"
Xue Xingzhou explained, "The Public Security Bureau posted the notice yesterday afternoon. I went to register this morning and took the exam right then. The results were out before I left. I passed."
’Good thing He Lang told to go today. The notice went out yesterday afternoon, and registration closed this morning.’
Xue Xingzhou wasn’t sure what to make of his own feelings. He’d lost his life in this line of work in his past life, and he hadn’t planned on doing it again this ti around. But now that he’d actually been accepted, he felt sothing indescribable. ’It’s not a bad feeling, though,’ he thought.
Only then was Xue Yue certain: her brother was really going to be a police officer.
A smile slowly spread across her face.
"Brother, how are you so amazing? I can hardly believe it. Are you sure you’re my brother?" Xue Yue said, laughing playfully.
"Of course I am," Xue Xingzhou said, patting her on the head. "From now on, your big brother will earn money for you to spend."
"Yay! I’m so happy!"
Xue Yue forgot all about her earlier gloom, her mind now completely filled with the thought that her brother was a police officer.
"I’ll make so extra dishes tonight. We have to celebrate!"
······
「As evening fell.」
Far away on the road, He Lang was resting in the passenger seat with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, with a SCREECH, the car slamd to a halt.
He Lang’s eyes snapped open.
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