Chapter 34: People can’t fight against fate

Xie Yan’s other hand trembled slightly, his mood visibly low. It seemed that Qingdai was so spoiled at home that the little kindness he showed didn’t count for much in her eyes. A wave of helplessness washed over him, but he still didn’t want to go along with her wish to break off the engagement. His dull life desperately needed someone to light it up.

He gently released the hand covering Xue Qingdai’s mouth and lowered his head to look at her seriously.
“Train tickets are hard to get right now. I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
“Why don’t you stay and watch a movie before you go?”

Xue Qingdai sometimes felt like there was an inexplicable sense of harmony between her and Xie Yan. She had already tried all the local snacks in the capital and experienced city life in this era—aside from not seeing any street barbers, she’d done almost everything, except watching a film.

“You mean that one? What was it called again… a comedy? Auntie booked it.”

Xie Yan walked beside her as they left the park, watching her bounce around while making exaggerated hand gestures. He pulled a wrinkled movie ticket from his pocket.

“Romance on Lushan Mountain?”
“A romance movie?” Xue Qingdai didn’t mind. She’d just treat it like checking off a tourist attraction—movies weren’t easy to come by in this era, and one could be talked about for half a year.

“Then you pick me up tomorrow. First, let’s go to the shop and get a pound of freshly roasted cream sunflower seeds, half a pound of preserved plums, and a bunch of oranges.”
“Xie Yan, don’t forget, okay?”
“You hold onto the tickets. I’m afraid I’ll lose them.”

Xue Yongkang stepped onto a brick by the street, ringing his bicycle bell to get his sister’s attention. Xue Qingdai placed the welcome gifts from her senior brother and sister on the handlebars and sat sideways on the back seat, waving goodbye to Xie Yan. It was a shame bikes from this era didn’t come with baskets.

Xue Yongkang had a cigarette tucked behind his ear and offered Xie Yan a stick of Soft Zhonghua.

Xie Yan declined. “Third Brother, you keep it.”

Xue Yongkang smiled sincerely. “I don’t really smoke either. A client gave me a few cartons. If I don’t use them, they’ll just go to waste—they’re just for show anyway. My mom won’t let the men smoke at home; says the smell’s bad for Qingdai’s health. Take them back and show off to the old man.”

“You’re really planning to leave…” Xie Yan asked again, unwilling to give up.

Xue Yongkang understood what Xie Yan was thinking. But their grandfather had issued strict orders forbidding him from even seeing Qingdai. Xie Yan was lucky to have run into them on the train—completely outside of the old man’s control. Their family had been preparing her dowry for years, but still couldn’t bear to part with their precious girl. Xie Yan would have to be patient.

“Grandpa’s sent three letters. My dad’s office phone rings constantly. My mom calls twice a day.”

Xue Qingdai perked up. “Mom called me?”

Xue Yongkang glanced back at her. “Yeah, our aunt said the government line in Pengyang Village is practically our private line now. We pay for every call, but she’s trying to mooch off Grandpa’s reputation to avoid the fees. Grandpa overheard her passive-aggressive jabs and immediately had her and Zhao Meiqin’s household registrations pulled out.”

When Grandpa got angry quietly, the consequences were serious.

Xue Qingdai suddenly looked forward to going back even more. Zhao Meiqin’s mom was so outrageous—it was no wonder Zhao Meiqin kept coveting other people’s things. Clearly, she inherited it.

Xie Yan felt more like an outsider than ever. The siblings were chatting away, and he couldn’t get a word in edgewise. If only he’d written letters to Qingdai before, maybe things wouldn’t be this awkward now.

“Qingdai, don’t forget to wear something warm tomorrow,” he said at last.

Xue Qingdai casually waved him off.

Xue Yongkang narrowed his eyes. “What’s that about? What’s he doing tomorrow? You really do have a secret with him?”

The next day was the weekend, and most people had time off. Seeing how tired his little sister was from studying, her master had kindly given her two days off. Xue Yongkang planned to sleep in—he hadn’t had a proper day off since starting his business.

“Xie Yan’s taking me to the movies. After that, I’ll go home. I want to see how a city cinema compares to our village’s open-air ones.”

Xue Yongkang didn’t distrust Xie Yan. But as he glanced at the man in a red jacket blending into the crowd behind them, his eyes turned cold and sharp.

“There he is again.”

“Sit tight, Qingdai.”

Xue Yongkang suddenly pedaled faster, making a few detours and taking multiple turns until he was sure they’d lost the tail before heading back to their real place.

Xue Qingdai didn’t say a word—her third brother was smarter than her. She trusted him completely. She held onto his waist tightly, an uneasy feeling creeping into her heart. Could it be… her brother had already been targeted?

When they got home, Xue Yongkang didn’t turn on the lights. He quietly counted the stack of order forms by the window’s dim light. There were supposed to be twenty-five forms—but two, the highest-value ones, were missing.

He’d suspected something was off the moment he got them back—they felt too thin.

Using a fountain pen, he scribbled a note to his sister on a blank sheet of paper:

“I might be under surveillance. Don’t worry.”
“The policies are shifting all the time. Some people are bound to get falsely accused. Even though I’m stingy, I’ve never evaded taxes.”
“Whoever’s following me is clumsy. They don’t seem like government agents.”
“We’ll have to delay our return home. If I go back now, I’ll only cause trouble for our parents.”
“If you understand, just nod. Someone might be listening.”

Xue Qingdai clenched her jaw and nodded hard. She had let her guard down—and someone had taken advantage of it.

Xue Yongkang took a deep breath, running through several escape plans in his mind. His top priority was to get his sister to safety—then he’d hide himself.

“Don’t be scared, Qingdai. Real men are forged through trials. Besides, whoever’s tailing me is pathetic. You really don’t believe in your third brother?”

Xue Qingdai bit her lip and nodded earnestly. Her third brother was smarter than her. Their mom had really been unfair—she gave all the brains to him.

Xue Yongkang let out a silent laugh in the fading dusk. His refined and handsome features didn’t quite align with the traditional aesthetics of the era—he looked more like a movie star from the screen. He continued writing on the paper:

“I once did a business deal with a wealthy tycoon from Hong Kong. I can push these orders onto him, but I’ll need some time.”
“I’ll secretly send you to stay at the Xie family’s house for a while.”
“Daidai, Third Brother will come get you very soon—and I’ll bring back lots of pretty little dresses too.”

Although Xue Qingdai was reluctant and had so many things she wanted to say to her brother, there just wasn’t enough time. Taking advantage of the night, Xue Yongkang packed up all their valuables and brought her to the Xie residence—the safest place in the capital where his little sister could be protected.

Xie Yan had just stepped outside, having received a discreet message from his good friend Li Xinren. The two parties met right at the door.

“Someone’s coming for you by name, using loopholes in the old policies.”
“Run.”

Xie Yan kept it brief and handed Xue Yongkang a thick wad of cash. But Yongkang didn’t take it. He’d made nearly ten thousand yuan in half a month through business and had already given half to his sister for living expenses. He knew he’d made too much too fast in the electronics market—it was enough to stir envy. But now, it was time to find a new place to make money.

Xue Yongkang didn’t leave in despair. On the contrary, he felt fired up. A true man knows when to bend and when to rise—he would one day carve out a space of his own.

He patted Xie Yan’s shoulder.
“I’m leaving her in your hands. Don’t let me down, Xie Yan.”

He didn’t care how powerful Xie Yan’s background was. If Xie Yan wanted to marry his sister, he had a lot more trials coming his way.

He left a letter for Xie Yan’s mother and gave one last glance at the sister nestled in Xie Yan’s arms before he finally walked away. In the dark of night, he rushed into the distance, still wearing Qingdai’s red hair tie around his slender wrist.

Xie Yan held the sleeping Xue Qingdai in his arms. The girl in his embrace looked peaceful, her warm cheeks slightly flushed. Not the slightest hint of unease remained on her face—she was well protected.

He was ready to carry the baton and protect her properly.

Xie Yan couldn’t help but feel regret for Xue Yongkang, whose ambitions were currently stifled by the country’s economic limitations. But reform had only just begun—things would get better. Sometimes stepping back was a way to move forward. The pain of reform and the recovery of the economy would affect everyone involved in the market.

This incident had made Xie Yan admire Yongkang even more. Despite being younger than he expected, the man was remarkably resilient and capable. Qingdai’s second brother, Xue Fengrong, had already earned several military merits at a young age. Her eldest brother, Xue Shiyou, was said to have helped boost village incomes and had recently been recognized as an outstanding Party member.

The Xue family’s younger generation was full of talent.

In contrast, the Xie family had become thin in descendants. There was practically no clear successor for the future. Xie Yan had little hope for Xie Wei’s child. The Xie family was in decline.

Xie Yan felt a deep sense of loss—but there was nothing he could do. No one can fight fate.

He glanced up at Qingdai’s window.

He just hoped that tomorrow, she wouldn’t cry.