Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Do Not Look Back (Part 1)

You Hong was discharged from the hospital during the summer plum rain. The leaves of the phoenix trees along the road had all turned green from the continuous downpour. The two of them moved from the dormitory of the translation office to a new apartment—two bedrooms, each with its own balcony.

After You Hong finished tidying up her bed, she came to talk to Yu Manyi:

"If Song Qi comes, just let me know in advance, and I’ll go out to avoid him."

"Why do you need to avoid him?" Yu Manyi didn’t understand.

"To make things easier for you," You Hong was also puzzled.

"Make things easier for what?"

You Hong: ...

She grew up in the fireworks and willow alley, with a river right below her window. When she opened the window, she could see the whole riverbank lit up with red lanterns, and guests arriving by boat. Having been exposed to this environment, she accumulated knowledge at an age when she shouldn’t have, and she thought this kind of knowledge was common to everyone, well-practiced, and even something everyone had experienced.

Thinking back, she wasn’t a particularly good friend. Her interest in Yu Manyi’s emotional issues and the men around her was far less than her obsession with the library’s fourth floor. From beginning to end, her opinion of Song Qi was just a misleading judgment: Cheap Man.

Of course, having been exposed to the men who came from the river since she was a child, she had, in a way, prematurely lost innocence when it came to matters of men and women. She also remained skeptical of Song Qi’s self-restraint and understanding. However, it seemed that Song Qi, in this regard, was truly as consistent and genuine as he appeared—unlike ordinary people.

You Hong looked at the still-confused Yu Manyi for a moment, then made the judgment based on the countless people she had observed as a child, peeking through the window by the river:

As the saying goes, the yin and yang of Tai Chi balance each other; everything in the world is a push and pull of opposites. When floodwaters have been dammed for too long, the dam will eventually collapse. The more normal a person seems on the outside, the more abnormal they tend to be in private. Therefore, if Song Qi appeared this way on the surface, even to this extent, and still behaved this way, once he turned, it would probably be disastrous.

This was You Hong’s logical deduction.

Yu Manyi, still looking puzzled, listened to You Hong’s thoughts, and then, surprisingly, heard her ask a question that the shopkeeper of the fabric store once asked her:"You mean your elders haven't even told you this?"

"What exactly are you talking about?" Yu Manyi was truly confused.

"Manyi," You Hong raised her eyes, speaking in a tone of advice she had never used before, "You and I need to talk, you two... how far have you gone?"

"How far?"

You Hong didn’t even know where to start. This outdated sex education—how was she, as a roommate, supposed to explain this?

She finally asked, in an academic tone, as serious as possible: "Why aren’t you two tired yet?"

Yu Manyi: ………

It was too sudden!

She hadn't been shy in a long time, nor had she ever shrunk away, but at this moment, Yu Manyi was genuinely embarrassed and withdrawn. She hurriedly looked away and said, "I... he... that..."

"No wonder that bold fantasy of yours was so vivid," You Hong suddenly understood. "If you were really tired, you might not have been able to draw it. But then again, maybe not—if he’s especially creative..."

"Stop talking!" Yu Manyi suddenly stood up from the couch, heading back to her bedroom.

"What are you doing?" You Hong complained. "Yu Manyi, sexual liberation is a key step in artistic creation. We have to face our desires to objectively view them. You’re too uninformed. Come back and listen to me..."

"I’m not listening! You're being ridiculous!""Humanity’s reproduction relies on playing the rogue."

"Why did you change like this after being hospitalized?"

"I've always been like this. What do you think I grew up hearing in that place? I've transcended these things, I’m already observing them from the next level."

"These things are too advanced for me!" Yu Manyi felt her deeply ingrained feudal personality suddenly surface.

"What’s so advanced about it? After kissing, isn’t that the next step?"

"......"

"......You two haven't even kissed yet?"

"We..." Yu Manyi stopped in her tracks, trying to explain, "We just touched foreheads..."

You Hong: …

"My time is pretty tight," she said, "There’s no need to spread these dumb things through me."

Yu Manyi never expected that after this day, You Hong would take this matter as a mission. The next day, she went to the library and searched for half the day, eventually finding a paper and borrowing it without caring about the librarian's gaze.

The paper was placed at Yu Manyi's bedside the next day, with 13 big words on the cover: "Sexual Liberation is Also a Key Step in the Fight Against Feudalism."

Yu Manyi: ... What do you academic types study every day?

However, she still, when caught off guard, stuffed the paper into her newly bought handbag. The handbag was a bit large, enough to hold her sketchbook and brushes. She wrapped the cover in newspaper, and began to study it in some secluded moments.Mystery.

So mysterious.

This matter is truly ancient, vast, profound, subtle, with a long history, a heritage, and breakthroughs. It seems that in recent years, the river has flowed backward; clearly, our ancestors were very enlightened and supportive of this!

Yu Manyi carefully studied the paper, and from the perspective of art, critically analyzed the human figures in the illustrations. Just as she was critiquing, the paper she was holding snapped shut, and the bound, but coverless, paper was suddenly pulled away from her.

Yu Manyi looked up and couldn't help but shout, "Ahhhh!"

Song Qi: "What happened?"

She had never gotten up so quickly before. She moved like a blur, immediately snatching the paper back from Song Qi’s hands. Luckily, the cover had already been wrapped in newspaper, and the newspaper only had an English printed report on it.

She was sitting at an outdoor seat at a café across from the Commercial Press, studying the paper, and who would have thought Song Qi would suddenly pass by and catch her in the act?

What was he doing here?

Yu Manyi clutched the paper tightly, as though holding onto her reputation. For a moment, she couldn’t open her mouth and could only convey her confusion with her eyes.

"I came to deliver an invitation." Song Qi understood her gaze.

Another invitation?

Song Huazhang was too ceremonious when inviting people over, always sending a formal, perfumed invitation.

Oh, this time there were two invitations.Song Qi was clearly impatient about running errands for his aunt, but this invitation had something to do with him as well. Yu Manyi opened her envelope and found that it was from Song Huazhang, saying that she would be going to a horse racing track and shooting practice field in the outskirts of Shanghai over the weekend and invited Yu Manyi to join her.

"Aren't you always asking me when I’ll teach you how to shoot?" Song Qi said. "Perfect timing."

"You're going too?"

"Of course."

"Then this one is..."

Yu Manyi glanced at the envelope, which was addressed to "Jiang Yu, personally delivered," and suddenly realized. "Ah, you two, aunt and nephew, are inviting both of us, teacher and student... Well, I’ll pass it on to you."

"No need to," Song Qi said.

"How can that be? Your aunt gave it to me, and Teacher Jiang really appreciates your aunt. The last time we went to a banquet, she even mentioned it to me..."

"Alright, alright," Song Qi suddenly raised his hand to stop her. "I don’t have time to hear these stupid things being spread around here."

Yu Manyi couldn't help but recall Yu Hong’s disdain for her and Song Qi's forehead touch, and she felt a sudden... huh?

There was a racetrack within the city, but since Song Huazhang also wanted to practice shooting, the group had to go to a mountain villa where they would stay overnight. The Song family really had inherited the secluded retreat from Song Qi’s grandfather. Even though Song Huazhang didn't visit often, she still had people take good care of the place, making sure it was neat and well-managed.

Yu Manyi said to Song Qi, "So when your aunt isn't around, these gardeners and housekeepers just stay here taking care of the flowers, raising horses, and living in the big villa... I'm so envious."

Song Qi was stunned for a moment, then, in surprise, said, "I never thought about it from that perspective. She really makes money without counting it and spends it without counting it.""My father spent his later years here and passed away here," Song Huazhang turned around to explain to her, not sure if she had heard her lowered voice. "Song Qi used to come here every summer when he was little, so this house needs to be well taken care of."

She raised her hand and pointed in the distance. "Shanghai doesn't have mountains, which made my father very uncomfortable when he first came here. After looking around, he finally chose Shanghai because he could see the mountains here. There's also a lake over there; Song Qi once fell into it when he was seven."

Song Qi: "...I don't remember. She's just talking nonsense."

"Song Qi says that Grandfather retired to his hometown. Wasn't it Shanghai?"

"My ancestors moved here from Ningbo. When he was still in office, we lived in East Gate, Guangzhou," Song Huazhang said.

"Are there many mountains in Ningbo?"

"The mountains in Ningbo are the most beautiful, and the lakes are even more stunning. Actually, we prefer Ningbo, but my late sister-in-law's widower and I came to Shanghai to study and ended up staying. That's why my father had no choice but to move here," Song Huazhang explained.

"It sounds like a story from the previous dynasty," Jiang Yu, who was listening from the side, said with a sense of nostalgia.

"Yes, my family figured it out long ago," Song Huazhang smiled. "Wealth and power are like whirlpools—the more prosperous they are, the more desolate they become when they fall. As for the descendants, as long as they live with a clear conscience, the elders rarely interfere."

"This sounds like something a civil official would say, not like a military official," Jiang Yu commented.

"Civil officials are the ones who see the least clearly," Song Huazhang shook his head and didn’t elaborate further.

The four of them were all dressed in equestrian outfits that day—dark-colored collars, light-colored tops, and equestrian pants tucked into their riding boots. This was the first time Yu Manyi wore such pants. The pockets were huge, so deep that she could put things in them and never reach the bottom.

Both Song Qi and Song Huazhang had their own horses, tall and muscular, one black and one white, looking quite imposing. They snorted and stomped their hooves when they saw Yu Manyi and Jiang Yu, warning them with a show of force."Whip," Song Huazhang said.

The groom hurriedly handed over the whip, and with a sharp crack in the air, without even touching the horses, both horses immediately quieted down.

"Beasts," Song Huazhang added, shaking his head.

Next, two slightly shorter and more docile horses were brought out—these were for Yu Manyi and Jiang Yu to ride. The two of them mounted with the groom's assistance, but before Yu Manyi could even sit steady, the horse beneath her started to back up.

To urge the horse forward, one must flick the reins. But how does one stop a horse from backing up? Yu Manyi was momentarily at a loss. Song Qi immediately spurred his horse forward, pulling the reins in her hand to his side. The horse turned halfway and stopped, its hooves making a sharp clatter.

"Truly picks on the weak and fears the strong," Song Qi laughed. "Usually, it's the most obedient."

"Yes, so you must never let the horse sense your fear," Song Huazhang's voice came over, speaking to Jiang Yu while also continuing from Song Qi's words.

"Many people in this world lack humanity and instead have the nature of beasts. The nature of a beast is just like this—if you let it sense your fear or weakness, even if others have trained it to be obedient, it won't listen to you."

"So how will it listen to me?" Yu Manyi asked.

But Song Huazhang had already spurred his horse away with Jiang Yu, leaving only Song Qi to turn back and speak to her.

"I've already told you the techniques you need to use. Just apply them to the horse. The only thing to remember is not to be afraid. These horses have been trained, and once they see that you're not scared of them, they'll soon lower their heads and obey."

Once he finished speaking, he loosened the reins and handed them back to Yu Manyi. The horse, perhaps sensing that Song Qi was no longer holding its reins, immediately trotted energetically out of the stables. Whether it was intentional or just the nature of horse riding, Yu Manyi felt like she was going to be jolted out of her seat after running just ten meters.

Song Qi's horse followed behind. These horses were used to running in packs, and seeing the higher horse speeding up, they naturally followed suit. Amidst the jolting, Yu Manyi felt as though she might be thrown off, and then she heard Song Qi’s voice beside her, reminding her:

"This time, I'm not bullying you. We're only running at a small pace. Keep your waist flexible."— What do you mean by keeping my waist flexible?

She was jolted again on the horse's back, and just before her spine felt like it was going to shatter, she suddenly found the rhythm to move in sync with the horse. Song Qi was also surprised. He raised his head and called out to Song Huazhang: "Aunt, she’s learning faster than I did!"

"Be more careful, don't let her take the horse!" Song Huazhang turned his head, visibly worried, "How can these two young people be so reckless?"

But these two reckless young people had already quickly passed Song Huazhang and Jiang Yu, and were galloping faster in the horse arena. At first, they were still moving at a small pace, but with each stride, the horses lifted their legs higher, and after just three laps, they were already urging the horses into full gallop.

Yu Manyi's horse was of medium size, but with high spirits. Seeing Song Qi's large black horse galloping ahead, it gathered all its strength to chase after it. Yu Manyi’s body moved up and down with the horse, and soon beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. But under the sun, it was a happiness she had never experienced before.

She really loved riding horses!

The two horses tore up the horse arena, raising dust, so much so that Jiang Yu and Song Huazhang had to retreat to the outer straight path and practice slowly, in order to prevent their own horses from getting too excited.

"I'm getting old!" Song Huazhang sighed.

"Yes," Jiang Yu responded with a wistful look, "It's still... better to be young."

"Brat," Song Huazhang stood still for a moment, then suddenly voiced his dissatisfaction, "I can't stand seeing him so proud. When we go shooting, I'll make sure he regrets it."

Jiang Yu, standing beside him, was helpless, unable to figure out why this aunt and nephew always seemed to compete with each other.

But she quickly understood. The reason was probably that both of them shared the same last name, Song. Perhaps in the Song family, the children, no matter the generation, carried the bloodline of those who enjoyed being in the spotlight. And the one who didn’t achieve that would feel a little upset.

When riding, Song Huazhang was unhappy, and when shooting, Song Qi would be the one unhappy.

"Your gun must be faulty," Song Qi said after narrowly losing a round."There's no fun in making excuses," Song Huazhang retorted.

"One more round, give me some face."

"I need face too."

Song Qi put down his gun, glanced at the two teachers in the distance who were watching from under the canopy, and then turned his gaze back to Song Huazhang. Being his nephew, Song Huazhang immediately sensed something scheming in the air as their eyes met.

Her well-behaved nephew put down his gun, walked up to her, and made a request that Song Huazhang could not refuse—one she not only couldn’t refuse but also had to raise the stakes for.

Three minutes later.

Riding a horse is only enjoyable when you're on it; once you're off, it's back to aches and pains, with every step forward feeling shaky. Yu Manyi had been so caught up in the joy of riding earlier, but now she was rubbing her calves, feeling like she was falling apart.

However, just as she was about to fall apart, Song Qi dragged her into the shooting range’s shade, placed the gun into her hand, and had her fingers wrap around the cold metal.

She used her peripheral vision and saw that Teacher Jiang was also being reluctantly forced to shoot from the other side.

"Help me out," Song Qi stood behind her, guiding her hands, lifting the gun, and aligning her sight. "I made a bet with my aunt."

"What are you betting on?"

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he began explaining in great detail how to use the gun. The information came suddenly and in an overwhelming amount. Yu Manyi only felt Song Qi’s body and the raised arm enveloping her, his hand on the back of hers gradually spreading out, supporting her wrist.

The sudden sound of a gunshot from Jiang Yu startled Yu Manyi, causing her to instinctively close her eyes and pull the trigger.

Of course, the first shot missed. Not only did it miss, but the recoil also pushed her backward. Song Qi bent slightly, stepping in to catch her. She suddenly felt herself crash into his chest."Try a shot first, is it ready?"

It was too sudden, too sudden!

"What exactly is the bet?"

Song Qi held the back of her hand and raised the gun again, then guided her arm back, his fingers gently correcting her wrong posture one by one.

"Don't think about the bet, think about the target."

Think about the target... Naturally, the target was the bullseye, twenty meters away. No, not just the target, but the bullseye, surrounded by a thick black outline, the bright red center.

Yu Manyi's breathing slowly steadied.

Song Qi's voice came from behind her, gradually lowering from a clear tone to a deeper one, and then becoming faint and indistinct:

"All you see is the bullseye, all that’s in your mind is the bullseye. Don’t think about anything else, don’t look at anything else, just pretend I don’t exist..."

The surrounding scenery slowly faded away, becoming a blurry and monotonous white. All sounds disappeared, leaving only the sky, the earth, Yu Manyi, and the target. Then, even the sky and earth disappeared, and in this world, there was only her and that bright red...

"Bang!"

In the instant the shot rang out, everything came back in a flash. This time, Yu Manyi was prepared. She wasn’t knocked back by the recoil, but her arm still felt numb from the vibration. In the distance, someone shouted, "Ten-ring!" She froze for a moment, hearing another loud gunshot beside her, followed by the call of "Eight-ring!"

It seemed... like she won?Although Yu Manyi didn’t know what the bet between Song Qi and Song Huazhang was, she felt very happy. Winning made her feel good. She suddenly turned around, wanting to share the good news with Song Qi, but he wasn’t where he had been a moment ago.

This wasn’t the first time he had disappeared when she turned around. Yu Manyi quickly scanned the area and finally spotted him standing next to Song Huazhang by a round table.

"Ten plus eight, versus nine plus ten," Song Qi said confidently. "Clearly, I won."

"You relied on a girl to help you win, and you're still so proud of yourself?" Song Huazhang snapped.

"Don't be like that, Aunt," Song Qi said. "You're stronger than me, my student is stronger than yours, but your student is better at art than mine. We're all strong!"

"I shouldn’t have made a deal with you. You're just like your father, a scheming businessman!" Song Huazhang retorted angrily.

"Alright, alright," Song Qi replied. "Then the new purebred horse arriving next month is mine."

"..." Song Huazhang couldn’t catch her breath and almost choked, finally only able to angrily spit out—"Tch!"

That horse was probably worth quite a lot, and it made Song Huazhang so angry that she didn’t even want to have dinner with Song Qi. Song Qi, understanding the situation, didn’t linger in front of her and only asked Yu Manyi to help bring some snacks upstairs, just like he had asked her to bring food when he was hiding in the cellar those days.

However, Song Huazhang didn’t let Song Qi off easily. After dinner, she didn’t let Yu Manyi go upstairs but instead took her to the study, where she showed her many of Song Qi’s childhood paintings, calligraphy, and photos.

After such a day of intense activities, Yu Manyi was worried that Song Qi might be uncomfortable from hunger. She couldn’t sit still while flipping through the photo album. When the sky turned dark, she finally heard Song Huazhang ask with a smile:

"Are you so concerned about my scheming nephew? He really inherited his father's talent for deceiving people. Fortunately, he didn't go down the wrong path."

Yu Manyi didn’t expect Song Huazhang to notice her impatience. Her face flushed, and she tried to cover it up, saying, "He only lies for fun; he doesn’t have bad intentions."

"Indeed, you two are both good kids." Song Huazhang suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair.“Did you have fun today?”

“Yes, it was fun. Horseback riding and shooting were both very interesting.”

“That’s good. Our family’s kids love these things. I was worried you might not be used to it. If you like it, the next time I come here, I’ll invite you too. Song Qi is busy with work now, so he rarely accompanies me here.”

“Okay, thank you, Aunt.”

“Thank you for what? Alright, I’ve had someone put some food in a thermal container on the dining table. Take it upstairs to him.”

Yu Manyi nodded, putting the photo album beside her, then stood up to fetch the food box. After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back, stretched out her hands, and gave Song Huazhang, who was sitting, a brief hug.

She didn’t say anything; she just hugged her for a moment and then left. Song Huazhang sat on the sofa in the study, watching her run off, softly laughing and sighing, “Good child.”

The bet between Song Huazhang and Song Qi was just a momentary thing; the food was still carefully prepared for him. Only then did Yu Manyi relax. She was still thinking about how the snacks would fill her up, after a long day of activities, her stomach would ache if she ate too much.

She carried the food box upstairs, paused for a moment in front of the door, and then remembered which one was Song Qi’s. After the horse ride, they had taken a shower when they returned. It was a little chilly in the mountains at night, so Yu Manyi changed into an ankle-length silk skirt and put on a thin top. She approached Song Qi’s door and found it slightly ajar.

She hesitated and knocked gently.

Soon, Song Qi’s voice came from inside.

“Uncle Fang, stop asking, someone will bring me food soon. Don’t…”

The door was opened.

Yu Manyi stood there, stood still, and waited for a moment.When she couldn't control herself any longer, she whistled in her mind—

Oh, now that she thought about it, even whistling was something Song Qi taught her the night they escaped the Yu family, when they called the little mailman.