Chapter 35 Watching a Movie

Xue Qingdai slowly opened her eyes, still a bit dazed. Wasn’t she crying herself to sleep while her third brother patted her back to comfort her? He had promised to run away with her. But the room in front of her now was completely unfamiliar.

The furniture was all made of redwood. Two rattan chairs leaned against the wall, a wooden table held a radio, and several ladies’ handbags hung on the wall. In the corner of the room, a metal kettle sat on a boiler, bubbling with steam rising from its spout. A pair of brand-new cotton shoes sat by the bed, the white fleece inside speckled with dark spots.

Xue Qingdai had been awakened by the heat. A fine layer of sweat clung to her skin and made her neck uncomfortable.

Zhang Shuying knocked at the door. “Daidai, are you awake?”

“Huh?” Xue Qingdai still hadn’t gathered her thoughts. Where was her third brother?

Zhang Shuying stepped in and was met by a wave of heat, stretching out her neck that had been hunched against the cold. She wore a black trench coat with a white collar turned out, a few curls falling across her forehead.

“Your brother said for you to stay with Auntie for a few days. Daidai, stay with me. I promise to take good care of you.”

Xue Qingdai gave a stiff smile and nodded obediently. She missed her third brother terribly.

“Daidai, your brother is doing just fine, don’t worry too much,” Zhang Shuying said as she pulled her into a warm hug, trying to comfort her. “Xie Yan found someone last night to get him out safely. Don’t worry—my son gets things done.”

“Mm…” Xue Qingdai murmured, still unable to cheer up. What was supposed to happen three years later had come early. Thankfully, her third brother had anticipated it.

She had always hoped her brother would give up business and stick to his official job peacefully. But everyone had their own personality and fate. Xue Yongkang had been sharp and clever since childhood, never one to follow rules. Even though the whole family opposed his daring reselling activities, he still believed in the open economy he read about in the newspapers.

He had his own path. No one had the right to dictate it.

As the only one who supported him, she should firmly believe in her third brother. He would come back for her.

Still, being in someone else’s house made her feel out of place. She sat properly at the table, slowly sipping her eight-treasure porridge. Freshly steamed meat buns sat beside her—soft white dough glistening with oil. The sunlight bouncing through the window made her eyes squint.

Xie Yan had said he’d take her to see a movie, and now—well—it was convenient, she was already staying at his house.

“She’s been sitting there for an hour, still looking downcast. She’s not crying, which is somehow even more heartbreaking. It’s your turn now,” Zhang Shuying said to Xie Yan as they stood outside the room, watching.

Seeing her sitting so still made Xie Yan’s heart ache like a needle prick.
“Daidai?” he called gently.

He hadn’t slept all night after everything that had happened. Now, seeing her like this, a mix of sourness and heartache swelled inside him. In her heart, her third brother meant so much—when would he ever have a place there?

Xue Qingdai turned around. Xie Yan had already walked up behind her.

She lifted her arms and hugged his waist tightly. Her bottled-up emotions finally burst free.
“Xie Yan… Third Brother lied to me. He said he’d take me with him.”

Xie Yan held one of her hands.
“Be good. The road’s too dangerous, and your body is too weak. What if something happened and he couldn’t take care of you anymore?”

Xue Qingdai stopped crying, the sound of her sobs slowly fading. When she opened her eyes again, she saw that Xie Yan’s shirt was dotted with tears. His clothes were always clean and carried the scent of pine—but now, she’d dirtied them with her crying.

She poked her lips with her finger, conflicted, then finally forced it out:
“Xie Yan, I’m not washing your shirt.”

Xie Yan raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile appearing.
“All right.”

Xue Qingdai felt that since Xie Yan was being so understanding, and she was now staying at his house, she should ease off the talk of canceling their engagement for a while. She was such a good person.

That afternoon, Xie Yan napped in his room, catching up on sleep. Xue Qingdai sat around the stove with Zhang Shuying, chatting about the neighbors.

Zhang Shuying had prepared a faux-leather schoolbag, stuffing it with peeled walnuts, red dates, and sunflower seeds—just like the two of them had talked about before. This time, Xie Yan would accompany her.

“The movie is showing at the Cultural Palace. It’s clearer at night. It used to be a royal residence—it was the prince’s mansion. We transformed it into a cultural palace for the working people. It’s lively at night.”

“Later, make sure Xie Yan buys you a hot corn on the cob outside. Don’t eat too much cold food—it’ll upset your stomach.”

Zhang Shuying grew more satisfied the more she looked at her future daughter-in-law. She had always wanted a daughter when she was pregnant—now that dream felt fulfilled. Pinching her cheeks and holding her hands, she looked like a doll in a shop window. No wonder she was the Xue family’s precious gem.

If only Xie Yan would work harder and win her heart—she’d be theirs for sure.

Xue Qingdai sat lazily on a small round stool. She was adjusting well. Despite Zhang Shuying’s elegant and cool appearance, she had been nothing but kind to her.

“All right~” she responded sweetly.

But even with the food Zhang Shuying had prepared, she was already too full to eat more.

When Xie Yan woke up, he smoothed his messy hair with cool water, washed his face, and put on the black cotton coat his mother had prepared. He was a tall man, and once bundled up, he filled the room.

“Daidai, you’ll need to wear another army coat outside, and a hat too.”

And so, Xue Qingdai was bundled up like a little bear, unable to even move her legs.

The Workers’ Cultural Palace was very close to the Xie family’s house. At the entrance, two stone lions stood tall, still flashing their former glory. The traditional architecture had lotus-bud-shaped street lamps on either side, and gray-black walls bore slogans honoring the nation’s great leaders.

On one side of the gate, a blackboard displayed propaganda posters drawn in chalk. Behind the blackboard was a small flower bed from the old palace. A few mischievous children were peeing against the wall nearby.

Xue Qingdai saw it by accident—and quickly looked away, pretending nothing happened.

Next to the corn vendor stood a newsstand. Xie Yan bought a newspaper, holding a steaming corn on the cob in his other hand. The vendor had conveniently stuck a chopstick into the cob to make it easier to eat.

“Xie Yan, let’s hurry in—I’m afraid we won’t get good seats,” Xue Qingdai urged.

They passed a group of kids playing hopscotch and found a spot relatively close to the screen. Since Xie Yan was tall and didn’t want to block the view for others, he sat on the outer edge.

The projectionist shouted from the side, “Comrades, quiet! Quiet! It’s about to start!”

A dense crowd of people instantly fell silent, all eyes fixed on the shiny black screen. A few children peeked curiously at the black projector beside the operator.

Xue Qingdai was excited. She fumbled around on Xie Yan’s cotton coat until she finally found his hand. Leaning toward his ear, she whispered,
“My hands are cold. You’re the best, Xie Yan~”

Xie Yan was already used to her half-hearted compliments. That mouth of hers—always full of tricks.

In the darkness, with only the movie screen lit, Xue Qingdai’s cold hands warmed in his. Then she placed an icy orange in his palm.

“Xie Yan, you’re amazing—so strong and warm~”

The warm breath brushing his ear made Xie Yan’s cheeks flush and his head spin. How does she even know I’m… strong?

While watching the film, Xue Qingdai also took notice of the interesting reactions of the people around her. “Romance on Lushan Mountain” was one of the rare love stories of its time, challenging traditional values—especially the gentle kiss shared by the male and female leads onscreen.

Though it wasn’t the movie’s first screening, when that moment came, some audience members watched intently, savoring it again. First-timers blushed and looked away, too shy to watch. Some young couples exchanged glances, then bowed their heads and shyly clasped hands in the dark.

Someone whispered in surprise, “Oh my goodness! That’s so scandalous!”

Xue Qingdai was spacing out but snapped back to attention when she heard the exclamation. Her eyes widened in panic—she thought a scary scene was coming up. Just as the female lead leaned in for the kiss—

Xie Yan quickly covered her eyes.

“Daidai, don’t look!” he said, abandoning the sunflower seeds he was peeling, a dark line forming on his forehead.