Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“How handsome!”

“Why is he looking so lovingly at that girl under the streetlights?!”

“Yunxiao, didn’t you say this was the future husband of your cousin? Then who is that woman? She looks fairly old…”

“Yeah right! How is she old? She’s mature! Understand? She’s a goddess!” Miao Yunxiao’s dorm room was crowded with other girls from the building. Everyone was laughing happily amongst each other and excitedly fought to look at her phone. Miao Yunxiao raised her arm high to clearly display a picture on her iPhone—under the warm yellow street lamps, a couple looked at each other lovingly with a smile. The man was tall and mature, his breathlessly handsome side profile the only thing visible about him. The woman was slim and glamorous as she inclined her head to him, her face glowing with a smile. There was a middle-aged man by her side who had his hands in his trouser pockets as he watched the scene joyously. It truly resembled a happy family portrait.

Gu Nianzhi felt her eyes sting and lips dry as she quietly stood by the door, staring at the phone screen Miao Yunxiao held.

Miao Yunxiao turned to her with a snide smile, “Hmm? Classmate Gu, what are you staring so intensely for?”

Gu Nianzhi balled her hands into fists and kept warning herself not to fight with Miao Yunxiao. She had to leave soon, but her legs seemed to have a mind of their own and refused to budge.

Ma Qiqi didn’t know what was happening so she poked her head curiously from behind Gu Nianzhi. “What is it? What are you guys looking at?”

“We’re looking at the photo of my cousin’s future husband!” Miao Yunxiao nodded at Ma Qiqi with a smile before snickering at Gu Nianzhi. “The military would never consider you, so what are you still daydreaming about!” Gu Nianzhi shot Miao Yunxiao a look icy enough to make her shiver. She shrunk back and mumbled, “I didn’t say anything wrong! My cousin told me herself that the military is introducing her to Major General Huo. General Ji is the matchmaker. Did you really think you had a chance?”

Gu Nianzhi was in a daze. She didn’t seem to understand what her former roommate was saying.

It didn’t occur to Gu Nianzhi until Miao Yunxiao continued to say, “Actually, people should be grateful and understand their lot in life. It’s not good to covet things that don’t belong to you. Even if you can have him for a short time, he’s just playing around with you. These men aren’t stupid. They’ll find women with backgrounds worthy of theirs to marry. You should study hard and find a good job after graduating, then find a good husband from the workplace. That’s the best path for you.”

Gu Nianzhi finally realized what she meant and felt her blood surge hotly and mind start to buzz as she lunged towards Miao Yunxiao.

“What are you doing?!” Miao Yunxiao shrieked as she backed away.

Ma Qiqi was also shocked and quickly hugged Gu Nianzhi from behind to calm her down. “Nianzhi! Nianzhi! Ignore her! She has a dirty mouth and dirty hands too!”

Miao Yunxiao was furious from the insult and screamed back at Ma Qiqi as she kept dodging, “Qiqi! Don’t be fooled by her! Why do you think she kicked me out! That’s because I found out about her affair!”

“Shut your mouth!” Gu Nianzhi’s expression darkened and with a flip of her right hand she performed the maneuver Huo Shaoheng taught to escape from Ma Qiqi’s arms. She slid out her feet to grasp onto Miao Yunxiao and used her left hand to secure the acupoint on the other girl’s right shoulder. Miao Yunxiao wailed and her right hand holding opened, the phone falling straight for the ground. Gu Nianzhi quickly kicked with her right food to reach the falling phone then swiped her left hand to secure it in her hands. The students around her were shocked by Gu Nianzhi’s movements and stared at her.

“G-Gu Nianzhi, you know kung fu?” Miao Yunxiao’s roommate stammered. “What a perfect kick!”

Gu Nianzhi glared at her before looking down at the photo on the screen. It was really Huo Shaoheng, and a woman she didn’t immediately recognize. However, she looked very familiar. She frowned as she carefully tried to recall if she had ever met this woman before; otherwise, why would she look so familiar?

As she was trying to remember, Ma Qiqi came over and asked cautiously, “Nianzhi? Nianzhi? Are you ok?”

Gu Nianzhi didn’t reply. She was still staring blankly at the photo on the phone.

Ma Qiqi followed her gaze and saw it too. She peered at it curiously for a while and then said, “Why does this woman look so familiar?” She looked around before resting her gaze on Gu Nianzhi’s face. Her angle of perspective was the same angle that the photo of the woman was taken at. “Ha! Nianzhi! Don’t you think that the woman in the photo looks a bit like you?!” Ma Qiqi cried out.

The other students in the room surged over, their voices clamoring.

“Let me see!

“No, give it to me!”

“They do look alike!”

“Not really though? Nianzhi is more youthful and fresh faced! This woman looks very mature…” The students started analyzing it excitedly. Miao Yunxiao then also realized that the woman in the photo did indeed resemble Gu Nianzhi. Suppressing the jealousy in her heart, she rubbed her shoulder and said, “So what if they look alike. She is just a replacement, otherwise why would the esteemed Major General Huo stoop so low?” She stuck her hand out at Gu Nianzhi. “Give me back my phone!”

Gu Nianzhi slowly reached out to set Miao Yunxiao’s phone back into her hand. The phone felt leaden, as though it could break her arm.

“Do you finally understand now? It’s not too late to fix your mistakes.” Miao Yunxiao took her phone back and smirked at Gu Nianzhi. “I won’t say anything harsh since you’re so sad. We’re all adults studying law here, so of course we understand what is right and what is wrong.”

Gu Nianzhi tried her best to keep her eyes open so that the bitter tears wouldn’t fall.

“Miao Yunxiao, why can’t you say things properly? Why do you need to imply nasty things all the time?” Gu Nianzhi replied in a hardened tone. “You’ve already said that we’re all adults studying law here, but how can you forgo the logic and reasoning we all must maintain as student at this academic level, and be such a sensationalist? This is just some stupid drama that you’ve cooked up after seeing one photo. It’s a shame that you’re not studying to be a TV screenwriter. You have all this wasted talent.”

Miao Yunxiao flared up at Gu Nianzhi. To have the energy to bicker with her after seeing her lover with someone else! “Stop putting up a front. We can all see that you’re in the verge of tears. Cry if you want, we’re all classmates here so who’ll laugh at you?” Miao Yunxiao said airily before turning back to her room. “Ok now, I’m not going to argue with you people anymore. I have plans tomorrow so I need to sleep early.” She shut her door with a bang.

Everyone looked at each other. Miao Yunxiao’s roommate said sheepishly, “Ok, ok, there’s nothing going on in here. Everyone go back and rest well, get some beauty sleep—we all have dates tomorrow!”

Ma Qiqi held Gu Nianzhi’s hand as they left Miao Yunxiao’s room. She felt that her palm was slick with cold sweat. “Nianzhi, are you ok?” Ma Qiqi asked worriedly. “How about we go back? I’ll get you a cup of hot milk.”

Gu Nianzhi’s mind was filled with the photo from earlier. Why had Huo Shaoheng looked at that woman that way? Why did she look like her? They appeared so harmonious and loving when they stood together. A giant rock seemed to lodge in Gu Nianzhi’s chest; it prevented her from catching her breath. “No…Qiqi…I can’t stay with you tonight.” Gu Nianzhi squeezed her hand before murmuring, “I-I have to go home. I won’t go back to the room tonight.” She quickly walked back to her room to pack. She would return to the Special Operations Forces headquarters base and ask Huo Shaoheng what was going on. She wanted to question him about the photo, as well as how Miao Yunxiao had said that the military was introducing Huo Shaoheng to her cousin. She’d already had suspicions in her mind before. Their time together had been very sweet ever since she confessed to him, but the growing shadow loomed over her head—why wouldn’t Huo Shaoheng publically announce their relationship? Was there some insurmountable obstacle for them? If that was the case, she’d rather he had let her go earlier, instead of dragging out their relationship this way. Gu Nianzhi grit her teeth and tried not weep or fuss as she packed her bag. She only wanted to reason with him. Wiping the stray tears with the back of her hand, she hurriedly put her laptop and personal items into a backpack before putting on a knee-length down coat and leaving the room.

Ma Qiqi followed her into the elevator going downstairs. “Nianzhi, are you ok?”

Gu Nianzhi held her friend’s hand. “I’m fine, but I need to get clear answers about a few things. I’d rather know I have to give up if it’s really impossible.” She hugged Ma Qiqi and then walked into the darkness outside.

Ma Qiqi hadn’t thought that Gu Nianzhi had truly any romantic involvement with that “Major General Huo” in the photo. She crossed her arms in front of the building, face etched with worry.

…

Gu Nianzhi briskly walked through the woods that loomed over the walkway. The early spring nights in the Imperial Capital were still very chilly, with snaking winds that blew at her face. Gu Nianzhi wrapped her entire face up with a scarf, revealing only her eyes to the cold. Her entire body was warm and her eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky. When she arrived at the campus entrance, she called a taxi company to ask them to take her to the Special Operations Forces headquarters base. However, when the company heard the requested destination, they refused to send a vehicle out. Gu Nianzhi nearly threatened to sue if they denied to drive her. After arguing for a while, Gu Nianzhi got another call. She looked and saw that it was Huo Shaoheng.

“Nianzhi? Have you gone to bed yet?” Huo Shaoheng’s voice was especially soothing, tonight. Gu Nianzhi could feel her heart break.

The tears she had been holding in all evening finally spilled out as she huddled in her coat against the bitter wind. She sobbed into the phone, “No.”

“Classmate, please don’t talk on your phone at the campus entrance.” A security guard had been watching her for awhile and decided to ask her to leave. “Either go in or leave. Why are you blocking the door?”

Huo Shaoheng was momentarily surprised when heard the guard’s loud and abrasive voice. “Nianzhi? Where are you right now?”

Gu Nianzhi was forced away from the campus entrance and stood by the wall. She grit her teeth without answering and instead said, “Huo Shao, I…I have something to ask you.”