Chapter 025

After setting the sealed letter aside, Shi Huaiming resumed giving Zhenzhen her lessons.
Zhenzhen was now quick to adjust her emotions and focus—she soon concentrated on studying and didn’t dwell on anything else.

When they finished the new material, Shi Huaiming checked the time and left.

Zhenzhen stayed home alone, working through the study tasks he had assigned her.

The assignments included memorizing and reciting new characters, forming phrases and sentences, and sometimes reciting poems or essays.

The difficulty of the content was gradually increasing as well.

After finishing her assignments, Zhenzhen picked up Youth Song again and continued reading.

She read intently until dusk, then got up to cook dinner in the kitchen.

With no one disturbing her, she went about her usual evening routine.

She studied until the set time, and after a busy day, took a bath and lay down in bed. Her thoughts wandered freely, drifting to topics she had never thought about before, until she slowly fell asleep.

Shi Huaiming usually went to bed later than Zhenzhen.

After she left for the night, he picked up the book Zhenzhen had been reading, preparing to make some more notes for her with a pencil.

He casually flipped through the pages, and his eyes landed on something—Zhenzhen had left her own writing in the book.

He turned a few more pages and discovered that on every page she had read, she had written six large characters:

“Damn the old society!”

He kept flipping through, reading the same six characters on each page she had touched.

Then he turned to a page he hadn’t yet annotated and continued making his notes and explanations.

–

Two months later.

Zhenzhen had finished reading Lin Daojing’s story, and she felt as if she had gained a new version of herself.

Her thoughts on love, revolution, and freedom had changed.

By now, Xicheng had entered the hottest season of the year.

The sun blazed during the day, cicadas screeched from the trees, and at night the sky glittered with stars, the Milky Way stretching across the horizon.

Zhenzhen had made great progress in her studies. Her thinking and the way she spoke had both transformed significantly. But her daily life remained much the same—most of her time was still spent reading and studying.

In the little time left over, she sometimes met up with Li Shuang and Awen.

Her conversations with Wu Dafeng had become increasingly rare, as they no longer had much to talk about.

As for her marriage, Zhenzhen wasn’t sure whether Shi Huaiming had started to feel anything different toward her.

Even though they spent each day together, sharing three meals and living side by side, most of their communication still revolved around study. Shi Huaiming remained as strict and serious as ever when it came to her learning, never letting her slack off in the slightest.

When it came to emotions, he had never given her any clear expression.

To avoid awkwardness, she never asked either.

–

One hot Sunday afternoon, Zhenzhen met up with Li Shuang and Awen to listen to music and eat watermelon.

Awen announced sweetly, “We’ve decided—we’re getting married on Army Day, August 1st.”

It was a joyful occasion. Zhenzhen and Li Shuang both smiled and congratulated her.

After sharing her news, Awen turned to Zhenzhen, asking, “What about you, Mianhua? Have you two made any progress?”

Zhenzhen thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I really don’t know.”

Sometimes she felt like Shi Huaiming was treating her differently, like something tender had begun to grow between them. But just as quickly, his cold demeanor would make her doubt herself, and she’d think maybe it was all in her head.

By now, Li Shuang’s belly had clearly grown.

She gently placed her hand on it and looked at Zhenzhen. “If you ask me, that probably means there’s a spark. If not, why don’t you take the initiative? Just be bold and seduce him. I don’t believe he could resist you.”

That made both Awen and Zhenzhen feel embarrassed.

But Zhenzhen still asked, “How… would I seduce him?”

Li Shuang thought for a moment. “Pretend to trip and fall into him, or hug him accidentally. Or when he’s getting dressed, help straighten his collar or something. Just find chances to increase physical contact. I don’t believe Shi Huaiming is made of stone and can stay completely unmoved.”

Awen and Zhenzhen were even more embarrassed now.

Awen looked at Zhenzhen and spoke in a syrupy tone, “Why don’t… you give it a try?”

Zhenzhen glanced at her and replied, even stickier, “I… I’m too shy…”

Just imagining it made her ears burn, let alone actually doing it.

Li Shuang spoke bluntly and clearly, “You’re husband and wife—what’s there to be shy about?”

Awen cleared her throat and chimed in again, “Just try it.”

Zhenzhen was silent for a moment, then picked up a piece of watermelon and took a bite.

That night, Zhenzhen didn’t do anything else. She stayed in Shi Huaiming’s room to read with him.

But she was distracted the whole time, her mind replaying the ideas and words Li Shuang had told her.

Each time those thoughts popped up, she would glance at Shi Huaiming instinctively.

Then, against her will, she imagined what would happen if she really tried those things—her face flushed.

With Zhenzhen sitting nearby, Shi Huaiming also found it harder to concentrate like he used to.

He noticed every time she turned to look at him.

The next time she looked his way, he turned too.

Their eyes met. Zhenzhen didn’t look away. Shi Huaiming asked, “Is something on your mind?”

Embarrassment flickered in Zhenzhen’s eyes. She quickly smiled to cover it up. “No, nothing.”

She immediately turned back to her book on the writing desk and didn’t look at him again.

But after a while, still unable to focus, she made an excuse to leave Shi Huaiming’s room.

Back in her own room, she let out a deep breath, covered her face with her hands, and lightly patted her burning cheeks.

Shi Huaiming watched her leave, then sat in his chair, pausing for a moment.

He looked back at his book and tried to resume reading, but after two lines, he still couldn’t focus.

Shi Huaiming hesitated for a moment, then set down his book and stood up.

He walked out to the door of Zhenzhen’s room and knocked lightly twice.

Hearing the knock, Zhenzhen sprang up from the bed.

She smoothed out her clothes, adjusted her expression, and went to open the door.

Before she could say anything, Shi Huaiming asked first, “What’s going on?”

Naturally, there was nothing she could explain. Zhenzhen curved her lips and said, “Really, it’s nothing.”

Shi Huaiming didn’t believe her. “Just tell me.”

So, was she not going to get away without saying something?

Zhenzhen blinked at him, lips pressed together slightly.

Her heart was beating faster and faster. She tried to think of something to say or do. Her gaze dropped from Shi Huaiming’s face, slid past his nose, chin, and down to his chest.

Her fingers clenched more tightly together.

Shi Huaiming lowered his eyes to look at her again and repeated, “What’s going on?”

Zhenzhen took a deep breath, then suddenly lifted her head, stood on her toes, and gave him a quick kiss on the Adam’s apple.

She kissed him so fast that she didn’t even give him half a second to react before retreating into her room and shutting the door behind her.

Shi Huaiming stood there frozen for a long moment, trying to process what just happened.

He raised his hand to his throat, where he could still feel the lingering warmth and softness of her kiss.

His heart pounded like a drum.

He raised his hand again to knock—but paused in mid-air, hesitating, and didn’t follow through.

Inside the room, Zhenzhen was still leaning against the door, her face and ears burning.

Her heartbeat pounded so loudly it felt like it was thudding in her ears. She buried her face against the door, barely able to believe what she had just done.

It was probably the boldest thing she had ever done in her life.

Her heart thudded uncontrollably.

Only when she heard Shi Huaiming’s footsteps walk away did she finally exhale slightly in relief.

Her nerves felt like they were stretched to the breaking point. She turned and threw herself onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow.

–

After washing up, Shi Huaiming lay on his bed—but his heart still hadn’t calmed down.

He couldn’t tell whether his reaction was purely physical or emotional.

Uncertain and restless, he got back up, turned on the desk lamp, and picked up a book to read.

He forced himself to read until late into the night, finally settling his mind enough to sleep.

Missing a bit of sleep didn’t bother him much. The next morning, he got up as usual.

After returning from his morning drills, just like always, Zhenzhen had breakfast ready on the table.

Because of what happened the night before, the atmosphere was undeniably unusual.

Not wanting things to become awkward, Zhenzhen pretended nothing had happened. She greeted him as she normally would, waited for him to wash up, and then sat down with him for breakfast like usual.

During the meal, neither of them spoke. The only sound was chopsticks tapping against ceramic bowls.

Zhenzhen stole glances at Shi Huaiming from the corner of her eye, silently wondering what he was thinking.

He hadn’t mentioned what happened last night—did that mean he didn’t mind what she did?

Lost in thought, she finished her meal.

As Shi Huaiming was about to leave for class, Zhenzhen snapped out of her daze.

Her courage had grown inexplicably. Just as he was about to open the door, she called out to him. Steeling herself, she approached him with a calm expression, raised her hand, and adjusted his collar.

While straightening it, she said in a steady tone, “It was a bit messy.”

Shi Huaiming stood still, looking down at her.

Her skin was pale as snow, her cheeks tinged red, and her lowered eyelashes trembled slightly.

Though she acted composed, he could see how nervous she was.

She could force a calm expression, but she couldn’t hide the blush spreading across her face.

Her arms circled his neck slightly as she smoothed his collar from back to front.

Her fingers brushed his skin by accident, lightly grazing his Adam’s apple.

The same place she had kissed the night before.

His throat moved involuntarily.

Shi Huaiming’s gaze darkened as he looked at her.

Zhenzhen retracted her hands after tidying his collar, took a step back, and smiled. “I’ll wait for you to come back for lunch.”

Shi Huaiming paused for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

With that, he turned and opened the door to leave.

Stepping over the threshold, he closed the door and took a deep breath.

He walked a few steps forward when someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder.

He turned to see it was He Shuo.

The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder, chatting on the way to the classroom building.

After a few steps, He Shuo looked at his ear and asked, “Why are your ears so red?”

Shi Huaiming responded calmly, “It’s too hot.”

He Shuo chuckled but didn’t press the issue.

They made it to class just in time.

Shi Huaiming spent the first two periods distracted, his thoughts drifting again and again.

He Shuo noticed and found it quite amusing. During the break, he drawled dramatically, “One of the world’s top ten rare events—Comrade Shi Huaiming daydreaming in class.”

Shi Huaiming: “…”

Shut up, will you?