Yue Mingyuan couldn’t help but feel a stirring in his heart, a sudden urge to kiss Ye Zhiqiu.
Unfortunately, the time and place weren’t right.
“Cold?” he asked.
Ye Zhiqiu was about to shake her head and say she wasn’t cold anymore, but something in her subconscious made her change her answer: “Still a little bit.”
“Come here, get in,” Yue Mingyuan said, opening his coat wide.
He was wearing casual clothes—the suit and trench coat she’d bought for him, which had absolutely stunned Ye Zhiqiu at the time. When he’d tried them on, she’d been completely floored by how good he looked, but he’d quickly taken them off. She’d tried to coax him into wearing them again after that, but it had been summer then, and he ran so hot—she couldn’t bear to make him suffer. She never expected to get such a treat for her eyes today.
With a happy little bounce, she jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and pressing her whole body against his. Soaking up his warmth, she couldn’t help but sigh in contentment: “So warm.”
She missed the nights when he’d hold her close under the same blanket.
They’d gotten married in autumn, and by the time they saw each other again, it was already winter. She was especially afraid of the cold, and in winter, her hands and feet would always turn icy, no matter how thick the gloves or cotton boots she bought. Especially when her hands hurt so badly from the cold that she felt like crying. But whenever Yue Mingyuan was by her side, he’d warm her hands for her, and her feet too. She’d rest her cold feet against his legs, and before long, they’d be toasty warm.
Outside, the northwest wind would howl and snow would pour down in thick flakes, but he’d hold her tight in his arms, like being nestled next to a warm stove. It always let her sleep soundly through the night.
Sensing Yue Mingyuan lift his hand to check his watch, Ye Zhiqiu knew he had to leave.
She straightened up, gazing at him with reluctant eyes, not wanting him to go.
Of course, Yue Mingyuan was even more reluct
She knew that as soon as she said this, Jiang Miao would take it to heart and start spreading it around to everyone else. As long as a few people were influenced by those words, the best-case scenario for Ye Zhiqiu would be that she could no longer use the electric heater, and the worst-case scenario would be that she’d incite public outrage.
After all, everyone else was freezing, so why should she get an electric heater?
She said Yue Mingyuan gave it to her, but nobody actually saw that. Who knows who really sent it? Maybe she’d latched onto someone else around here.
Wen Shengnan was clever. Every time she spoke, she pretended it was an accidental slip of the tongue, and she never said everything all at once—she’d drop little remarks here and there. And Jiang Miao, well, she happened to take every single one of Wen Shengnan’s words to heart, stitch them together herself, and then blab them everywhere without any filter.
Sure enough, before long, several people went to Tang Xujun to report on Ye Zhiqiu.
Each person had a different angle, but their goal was the same: to stop Ye Zhiqiu from using the heater.
Tang Xujun had lived through that special era. Although she’d been protected at the time and hadn’t suffered any major persecution, she still deeply despised the practice of exposing and denouncing others. If Ye Zhiqiu hadn’t spoken to her in advance, she might have been swayed by what these people were saying. But Ye Zhiqiu had already told her beforehand and even proactively offered to pay for the electricity herself.
From that alone, you could tell she was a sensible and well-mannered girl—and it put her heads and shoulders above the rest.
“It’s been so long now—why hasn’t Professor Tang done anything about Ye Zhiqiu yet?” Jiang Miao had expected that once they reported her, Tang Xujun would give Ye Zhiqiu a hard time. But she waited and waited, and nothing ever came of it.
Instead, because of all this, she’d fallen behind in her training, and her scores had been slipping lately. She was already on the verge of being eliminated.
When she’d first arrived, she’d wanted to quit and had hoped to be eliminated, because the training was just too grueling. But recently, she’d learned that the dance drama would also be performed abroad. She didn’t want to miss such a great opportunity.
Getting to go abroad, and then coming back—it would definitely change things. Maybe she could even get promoted directly. If she got promoted while still so young, wouldn’t she have her pick of all the talented young men out there?
“I don’t know. This is such a serious matter—Professor Tang shouldn’t be putting it off forever.”
“I bet Ye Zhiqiu caught wind of it and went crying to Mingyuan, getting him to pressure Professor Tang.”
Even someone with a brain like a brick—Jiang Miao—could figure that much out, so of course Wen Shengnan had thought of it too, and she’d thought even deeper.
The dance drama only needed a small number of people. Out of the hundred or so of them, only ten or twenty would probably make the cut. That meant that aside from herself, everyone else was competition. Especially the strong ones like Ye Zhiqiu and Han Siyang—she had to find a way to get them eliminated.
That way, she’d be the best among those left.
And Jiang Miao? She was on her list too.
Even though Jiang Miao wasn’t very bright, her professional skills were decent, so she had to go as well.
“Ye Zhiqiu really is a sparrow that turned into a phoenix—getting special treatment everywhere she goes.” Jiang Miao’s tone was dripping with envy. “What’s so special about her anyway?”
“Miao Miao, didn’t you say that Ye Zhiqiu was the one who sent her own father to prison, and that he was sentenced to death?”
“Is that information reliable?”
Wen Shengnan had another idea brewing.
Jiang Miao nodded. “It’s reliable. I have a relative working at the court, and she told me.”
“My mom said anyone who ends up with a daughter like Ye Zhiqiu is cursed—they raised her with so much hardship, and she turned out to be a venomous snake.”
“How could she not even spare her own father? That’s terrifying.”
“Oh, and I also heard she did that to her father because after marrying into the Yue family, she thought he was an embarrassment and was afraid it would affect her.”
Wen Shengnan covered her mouth in exaggerated shock. “Oh my god!”
“I was actually thinking that since we’re all training together now, we should try to get along with her, and maybe some of what happened in the past was just us misunderstanding her.”
“But after hearing this, I don’t dare get anywhere near her. I’m afraid that if she takes a disliking to me one day, she’ll send me to prison and get me sentenced to death.”
As she spoke, Wen Shengnan’s body trembled. She grabbed Jiang Miao’s arm and, pretending to be well-meaning, advised her: “Miao Miao, you should stay away from her too. Don’t go telling Professor Tang about the heater anymore.”
“What if Ye Zhiqiu finds out you reported her and comes after you?”
“I’m scared of her!”
Jiang Miao puffed out her chest, looking utterly righteous. “She’s exactly the kind of person I hate the most. I will fight her to the end.”
“Shengnan, you actually reminded me—I should make sure everyone and Professor Tang know about all the things she’s done.”
“This time, I’m not going to quietly go to Professor Tang. I’m going to say it right before training.”
Wen Shengnan wanted exactly that, but she still put on a show of stopping her: “Miao Miao, you really shouldn’t do that.”
“Shengnan, don’t try to talk me out of it.” Jiang Miao pulled her arm free. “This time, I’m going to make sure Ye Zhiqiu is completely disgraced.”
Wen Shengnan pretended to be anxious and worried, but inside, she was overjoyed.
Tang Xujun hated nothing more than people who disrupted training. Jiang Miao would definitely leave a bad impression with her over this. When the next round of eliminations came, she’d almost certainly be cut.
As for Ye Zhiqiu, she wasn’t actually confident she could take her down—her scores were just too high. And as for the things Jiang Miao was saying about Ye Zhiqiu, she knew exactly what the real story was.
Ever since Ye Zhiqiu married Yue Mingyuan, she’d kept a close eye on her. When everything with Ye Zhiqiu’s family happened, it even made the newspapers—she’d publicly severed ties with her father and changed her surname. Wen Shengnan knew the whole story inside and out, including what Shen Liya and Kang Zhixin had done.
Time and again, Ye Zhiqiu had come out of everything unscathed. She knew it wasn’t entirely thanks to Yue Mingyuan—the girl definitely had some skills of her own.
She just had to see if Jiang Miao could pull this off.
In the cafeteria.
Fan Xue, Han Siyang, and Ye Zhiqiu had gotten their food and were looking for a place to sit. Looking up, they noticed that Jiang Miao wasn’t sitting with Wen Shengnan today. Instead, she was with a few other girls from the dance troupe.
Jiang Miao was talking animatedly about something, her face full of excitement, while the other girls listened with gasps and exclamations.
Han Siyang noticed it too. She saw their eyes occasionally darting toward the three of them and knew Jiang Miao was talking about them.
“Jiang Miao is saying—” Han Siyang started.
Fan Xue finished her sentence: “—bad things about Zhiqiu.”
Jiang Miao had a big mouth and no filter, but she still knew enough to be careful in unfamiliar places—she wouldn’t just say anything and risk offending the wrong people. Ye Zhiqiu, however, was the exception.
“Why does Jiang Miao always talk bad about Zhiqiu?”
Even Fan Xue had heard it—Han Siyang had overheard Jiang Miao badmouthing Ye Zhiqiu multiple times just walking past the next room.
“Han Shengnan likes Yue Mingyuan, and Jiang Miao is always with Han Shengnan, so she’s caught the same feelings for him.”
ant. He hadn’t actually had any time to visit her on this trip. But he’d pushed himself to finish his work ahead of schedule, just so he could have these few minutes with her. Even if just for a moment, he wanted to see her face.
“Is the food here not to your taste?” Yue Mingyuan gently pinched her cheek. “You’ve lost weight.”
“No, I haven’t. You know I’m not a picky eater.”
Ye Zhiqiu grabbed his hand and placed it on her waist. “Feel carefully—I haven’t lost weight. It’s just that my muscles are firmer now. We’ve been training pretty hard every day.”
“I’m telling you, I eat the most out of everyone here. They all eat so little, but me? I can put away two bowls of rice.”
Her appetite came from her mother, Ye Yunshuang—as her uncle Ye Yunlin liked to say, the two of them had no conscience when it came to food.
“Call me if anything comes up.”
Yue Mingyuan held her tightly, pressing his cheek against hers. He turned his head and gave her a quick kiss on the face, whispering softly, “I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too.”
Ye Zhiqiu had so much more she wanted to say to him, but she knew he truly had to go now.
“Go on back. I’ll watch you leave.”
Ye Zhiqiu picked up the electric heater and started walking back. Every few steps, she’d turn around to look at him—and he was still standing there, watching her.
Once she rounded the corner, she hid there, waiting for two or three minutes before peeking her head out again. He was still there, as if he knew she’d do exactly that. He smiled and waved at her.
Since she’d been caught, Ye Zhiqiu stopped hiding. She stepped out fully and waved back at him with all her might, motioning for him to go. This time, she’d watch him leave.
He was far more decisive than she was. He turned around and strode away in big steps, crossing the street to get into a car.
Watching the car drive off, Ye Zhiqiu picked up the heater and continued on her way back.
What she didn’t know was that the car soon circled back. Yue Mingyuan rolled down the window, and only after confirming that she was out of sight did he truly leave.
“Zhiqiu, what exactly did you bring back?”
After reading the words on the box, Han Siyang let out a shocked cry: “Oh my god, it’s an electric heater!”
Fan Xue circled around it, studying it curiously. “A heater that runs on electricity? Won’t that use up a ton of power?”
“The power usage is one thing, but do you know how much this costs?” Han Siyang held up one finger. “This much.”
“A hundred yuan?” Fan Xue guessed.
“A thousand!”
Ye Zhiqiu and Fan Xue said in unison: “That expensive?!”
A thousand yuan could buy a brand-new color TV.
“And you’d still need connections to even get one—these are specially supplied goods, not easy to come by.”
Han Siyang couldn’t help asking Ye Zhiqiu, “Zhiqiu, where did you get this heater?”
Fan Xue, on the other hand, was curious about something else: “Zhiqiu, who came to see you?”
“My husband,” Ye Zhiqiu said, pointing at the heater. “He gave it to me.”
“Your husband?!”
Both Han Siyang and Fan Xue’s eyes went wide. Han Siyang spoke first: “Isn’t your husband stationed up in the capital with his unit? He came all the way to Jiangning?”
“He came here on official business and stopped by to see me. His schedule’s really tight—he’s already left.”
“Zhiqiu, Yue Mingyuan’s got some skills after all—who knew he actually knows how to care for someone?” Fan Xue gave Ye Zhiqiu a light pat. “I thought that ice cube of a man didn’t have a clue about this stuff.”
Ye Zhiqiu came to his defense: “Mingyuan is a good man.”
“Well, that’s good then.”
Ye Zhiqiu turned to Han Siyang: “Siyang, do you know if we’re allowed to use an electric heater here?”
Han Siyang shook her head. “I’m not sure either. Let’s ask Professor Tang during this afternoon’s training.”
After training that afternoon, Ye Zhiqiu asked Tang Xujun about it. Tang smiled and said, “You can use it, but make sure to be careful with safety.”
Ye Zhiqiu took the initiative: “Professor Tang, this heater uses quite a bit of electricity. I’m willing to pay part of the electric bill myself.”
“We’ll discuss that later,” Tang Xujun said, not giving a definitive answer.
She figured it wasn’t a big deal, but with so many people around, there were always those who’d find something to nitpick. If anyone caused trouble, she’d have Ye Zhiqiu go through the motions to keep the peace.
With the electric heater, life for Ye Zhiqiu and Han Siyang became much more bearable.
After experiencing its warmth, Han Siyang kept saying that when she got back home, she’d find a way to get one no matter what. Even if it used a lot of power, it was still better than suffering through the cold.
And the most convenient thing of all was that the heater could dry their clothes.
If it were just the cold, it might still be manageable—but the cold in Jiangning came with dampness too, and the worst part was that clothes simply wouldn’t dry. Even when they seemed dry, they’d still feel damp, and in this weather, they wouldn’t dry at all.
Ye Zhiqiu could put up with most things, but she changed her underwear every day, and having them stay wet afterward was really uncomfortable. Han Siyang had the same habit. Before, they’d both used a hairdryer to force their clothes dry. But now, with this heater, they could just set their clothes next to it and they’d dry in no time.
Word spread within two days that Ye Zhiqiu’s husband had given her an electric heater. Some were envious, some jealous, and one person was so bitter she nearly ground her molars to dust in resentment.
And that person gnashing her teeth in fury was, of course, Han Shengnan. She’d been so pleased the other day when she saw Ye Zhiqiu crying, thinking she’d had a fight with Yue Mingyuan. But before she could even get his phone number and try to cultivate some feelings with him, she was hit with this massive blow.
“I heard that heater uses a ton of electricity. Just how much power must Ye Zhiqiu be burning through with that thing every day?” Han Shengnan said, pretending it was just a casual remark.
