Der dritte Gelehrte der Song-Dynastie

Kapitel 13

Lu Ming then took full view of Huang Feihu's every move. Seeing Huang Feihu being led to the dock by another person, Lu Ming asked Xiaodan to find a public phone nearby and contact Long Fei using code words. He then pretended to urinate and ran to the shore to quietly observe Huang Feihu's whereabouts.

After contacting Long Fei, Wan Xiaodan went straight to the shore to find Lu Ming.

"You idiot, what are you doing hiding here!" Wan Xiaodan said coquettishly. It turned out that Lu Ming had already discussed the plan with her beforehand. The two of them held hands, like a couple in love, and sat on the stone steps by the riverbank, pretending to look at the night view of the river, but actually they were both watching where the small boat carrying Huang Feihu was going.

Old Diao, unaware of anything amiss, went alone into a hot pot restaurant and ordered a mini hot pot to whet his appetite. He sipped his wine while enjoying the hot pot, feeling incredibly content. If the plan succeeded, he would be a major contributor, and what secretly pleased him even more was that he would marry Huang Feihu's youngest daughter. While Boss Huang was busy with important matters, Old Diao was preoccupied with his own thoughts; the waiting time was far too pleasant.

Long Fei arrived at Chaotianmen Wharf in a jeep. He already knew that Huang Feihu was protected by Lao Diao, so he asked the driver to let him get out of the car first from the shadows, and he walked to the shore to find Lu Ming.

Chapter Thirteen: Who's Behind It All? (3)

When Long Fei saw Lu Ming and Wan Xiaodan, who were standing side by side pretending to be friendly, he pretended to ask for a light and quietly said a few words to Lu Ming. After understanding the situation, Long Fei returned to the car and used the walkie-talkie to notify the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau to send water police to monitor the passenger ship in the river.

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When Lao Diao escorted Huang Feihu back, he didn't go inside immediately. Thinking about how he had successfully obtained the Snow Moon Drunken Painting, he was quite pleased with himself and felt very proud. In addition, he had drunk a few ounces of wine at the hot pot restaurant earlier, so Lao Diao couldn't help but feel euphoric and hot all over. He thought of a prostitute named Yang Caiping who lived nearby, and his body was ablaze with lust that he could hardly bear.

Yang Caiping was a woman in her early thirties with a large bust and wide hips.

The old statue, like a hungry rat, darted through the streets and alleys, arriving at Yang Caiping's door in no time. Just as he was about to raise his hand to knock, he suddenly changed his mind. He crept to the base of the wall, and seeing no one around, he leaped over and entered. The old statue feared that there might be another man in Yang Caiping's house, and that a collision would cause inconvenience. It was better to secretly observe first to avoid any unforeseen complications. Although he was currently burning with desire, he remained cautious.

A few days ago, Old Eagle bumped into Yang Caiping by the roadside. He felt an instant connection; Yang Caiping always had a flirtatious air about her and often loitered around the Wanlong Inn. As the saying goes, flies don't bite eggs without cracks, and Old Eagle, in his prime and with a strong sex drive, immediately recognized her allure. They exchanged glances and, without much conversation, were already hooking up. Although Old Eagle was busy with his "Snowy Moon Drunken Painting" project these days, he didn't forget to seize every opportunity to sneak into Yang Caiping's bed.

Yang Caiping lived alone, so there was nothing inconvenient about her. Her neighbors all knew that this woman supported herself by her own body. Although they despised her, they were used to it and gradually got used to it, turning a blind eye to Yang Caiping.

Although Lao Diao was incredibly audacious, he tried to keep a low profile these days. He rarely visited Yang Caiping's door during the day, and usually only dared to go there at night to indulge himself.

Yang Caiping hadn't had any customers for the past two days and was short of money, feeling a bit anxious. At the same time, she felt a physical need; she had a habit of sleeping naked. That night, she went to bed early and was dreaming when she suddenly felt someone touching her breasts. She hurriedly pushed them away, about to scream, when her mouth was covered. Looking closely, she saw it was Lao Diao, already in bed. Yang Caiping then boldly kicked him: "You son of a bitch, you scared the hell out of me! Have you washed yourself down there? Hurry up and wash!" Yang Caiping was very clean, always insisting her partner wash thoroughly before they made love. Usually, Lao Diao, to please Yang Caiping, would cooperate, patiently cleaning her private parts. That night, whether it was the alcohol or the smugness of having succeeded, his lust was aroused. When he pulled back Yang Caiping's blanket and found her naked body, he was overcome with lust. His hungry penis seemed unable to wait a moment longer, no longer caring about Yang Caiping's struggles.

Seeing that things had already come to this, Yang Caiping had no choice but to let him do as he pleased. However, she was still a little unhappy. While humming and whining to the old eagle, she cursed him: "You son of a bitch, watch me kill your rotten brat."

"Hey, you bastard, I'll see how you kill me today. Listen up, if you can serve me well tonight, I'll give you a bonus."

Upon hearing Old Eagle's words, Yang Caiping's face lit up with joy. She knew that she might make a small fortune again tonight. Yang Caiping immediately became extremely obsequious, wrapping her legs around Old Eagle's buttocks like snakes, entwining them intimately.

Just as Old Eagle was riding the wave of ecstasy, he suddenly heard a loud banging on the door. His bliss instantly vanished, and both of them stared at the doorway. Oh no!

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After seeing Liu Jiping off, Yu Minsheng began to ponder. How had Bai Jingzhai managed to obtain the arms plans? Unbelievable! He had also witnessed Bai Jingzhai's shrewdness firsthand. While Yu Minsheng admired Bai Jingzhai, he felt that Bai was somewhat out of touch with the times. No matter how capable he was, having always stayed in Taiwan, how much did he really know about the actual situation on the mainland? In comparison, he was probably far inferior to Huang Feihu, who usually relied on information obtained from across the strait to understand the mainland. His recent trip to Chongqing to learn about the situation firsthand was far less effective than Huang Feihu's experience of lurking under the Communist Party's nose.

Yu Minsheng was very satisfied with Huang Feihu's performance tonight. After weighing his options, he decided to report his views to Chiang Kai-shek and let Huang Feihu take charge of the implementation of the "Sword of Restoration" plan.

Having made up his mind, Yu Minsheng felt a sense of relief, and stepped out of his cabin to the stern to gaze at the shore. The night view of the mountain city was indeed unique; the lights in the distance were faintly visible, unevenly distributed, with the lower ones exuding a sense of human tranquility, while the higher ones resembled stars in the sky. A gentle breeze caressed his face, making it a very pleasant experience. As Yu Minsheng admired the distant night view, a feeling of watching a fire from across the river arose in his heart. He had made a deal with Chiang Kai-shek on this dangerous mission: first, it had to be safe and covert, avoiding direct confrontation with the Communists; second, the mission had to be short, returning to Taiwan after October 1st; and third, he had to be promoted. He was currently a major general, and according to seniority, he would have to wait until next year to be promoted to lieutenant general. He hoped to do it quickly; in the officialdom, a faster step and a quicker promotion would undoubtedly lead to a better future and often give one a greater advantage. Yu Minsheng's willingness to risk coming to the heart of the mainland was a result of careful consideration. The passenger ship was sailing downstream towards a secret location. Yu Minsheng leaned against the gunwale, gazing at the gradually darkening nightscape of the mountain city, and suddenly felt a sense of escaping danger. In the distance, he vaguely spotted a small boat in the river. Based on his past professional experience, Yu Minsheng had a bad feeling. Was someone watching him? Yu Minsheng made the sign of the cross on his chest and silently prayed, hoping for God's protection.

A gentle breeze wafts across the river, carrying the refreshing scent of the river water.

Yu Minsheng took a deep breath, then clapped his hands. His subordinate, Wu Bingsheng, a trusted confidant he had brought from Taiwan, served as both bodyguard and radio operator. Yu Minsheng quietly instructed Wu Bingsheng to immediately send a telegram to Taiwan, requesting Chiang Kai-shek to give the order as soon as possible. Once Chiang Kai-shek gave the order, the rest would be up to Huang Feihu and his men. Even if he couldn't evacuate the mainland immediately, at least he could hide deeper in the shadows.

As Yu Minsheng was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a commotion nearby. Just as he was about to ask his men what was going on, Wu Bingsheng, who had already sent a telegram, walked up to him in a panic and whispered something in his ear. Yu Minsheng's expression changed. It turned out that two police speedboats were chasing after them, one after the other.

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Lao Diao and Yang Caiping were caught red-handed on the bed by police officers from the local police station.

The old eagle was discovered climbing over the wall. With National Day approaching, neighborhood committees in Chongqing organized elderly night patrol teams to patrol the streets and alleys to maintain public order.

Inside the police station's interrogation room, Yang Caiping insisted that she was dating Lao Diao. She knew that if she confessed that Lao Diao was a client of prostitutes, she would also be implicated. When Lao Diao was asked about his background, he insisted that he was an itinerant doctor from out of town. However, the meticulous and experienced deputy director of the station, Lao Ke, quickly became suspicious of Lao Diao's origins after a few questions. He recalled the internal notice from the municipal bureau about guarding against sabotage by enemy agents, and became increasingly convinced that something was amiss. He returned to his office and reported to the branch bureau leadership via hand-cranked telephone. Upon receiving the report, the branch bureau's duty officer, Hong Wanjun, dared not delay. He reported the situation to the municipal bureau and rushed to the police station to personally investigate.

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Yu Minsheng was quite surprised to see that they were mainland police officers. His henchmen immediately asked, "What should we do? Should we grab our weapons and fight?" Yu Minsheng quickly calmed down and decided to wait and see. He ordered his men to secretly prepare in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

At the bow of the boat was scout Liu Yong, who, following Long Fei's instructions, boarded the ship under the guise of a security check to investigate the identities of the people on board. To avoid making the passengers on the passenger ship too nervous, Liu Yong only brought three police officers with him.

Long Fei, concealed aboard the second speedboat, secretly directed operations. Having learned from the shore that Huang Feihu had returned from the passenger ship, he instructed Lu Ming to follow Huang Feihu and Lao Diao, while he contacted the water police and, along with Liu Yong, boarded the speedboat to rendezvous with another police speedboat that was tailing the passenger ship. Long Fei was a highly adaptable man. Based on the evidence, he deduced that there were suspicious individuals on the passenger ship, likely a big fish, and made a hasty decision: to force them out. His thinking was that if there was indeed a big fish on board, Liu Yong's appearance would surely cause them to become nervous, potentially forcing them to act sooner and expose the various members of the Chongqing Plum Blossom Party organization.

Given Long Fei's personality, he usually takes the lead. His decision to remain behind the scenes this time was certainly deliberate. He had no idea who was on board. If his old rival Bai Jingzhai were also there, a chance encounter would ruin everything. That's why Long Fei sent Liu Yong, who was completely unfamiliar with the high-ranking members of the Plum Blossom Party, to the front lines.

Suddenly, the walkie-talkie crackled to life. It was Lu Ming calling Long Fei: an emergency! The police station had arrested Lao Diao.

Upon hearing the news, Long Fei's mind went blank. He didn't know who had stirred up this hornet's nest, but right now, he couldn't arrest anyone! After listening to Lu Ming's detailed report, Long Fei instructed Lu Ming to notify the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau and have the police station release the person as soon as possible.

Old Ke and Old Hong were confused. They originally thought they were about to make a contribution, but since it was an order from their superiors, they had no choice but to obey and release the man immediately, despite their doubts.

Yang Caiping was overjoyed, believing it was thanks to the Bodhisattva's blessing.

"Oh my god, thank goodness I insisted we were dating." Yang Caiping said to Lao Diao with a hint of smugness on the way home.

Old Diao felt a surge of relief at escaping a terrible ordeal. However, before his joy had even subsided, doubts began to creep into his mind. How could things have ended so easily? But he quickly reassured himself: perhaps he was truly lucky. If he had really been detained by the police, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Did the police really think he and that slut were dating? Old Diao pondered this repeatedly, still feeling uneasy. But regardless, he was now out of the police station, at least he had escaped a terrible ordeal. As Old Diao's mind raced with anxiety and wild thoughts, he frequently glanced around to see if anyone was following him. His recent ordeal had left him terrified.

Yang Caiping thought the police might have believed her and assumed her relationship with Lao Diao had gained some legitimacy. She thought that if the two of them were together again, they probably wouldn't be afraid of being arrested again. Just now, she hadn't had enough fun, and now that she was free again, she was especially happy. Yang Caiping had that feeling again, and she couldn't help but pull Lao Diao back to her own bed.

Old Eagle, still shaken, broke free from Yang Caiping's grasp.

Chapter Thirteen: Who's Behind It All? (4)

"What, this little thing scared you so much? You useless thing." Yang Caiping looked at the old eagle with a hint of sentimentality in her words.

Although the old eagle had some reservations, he couldn't resist the woman's provocation and made up his mind: "Damn it, I'm going to kill this woman tonight!" The old eagle had a sadistic desire in his heart.

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Huang Feihu was getting annoyed at not seeing the old eagle when he suddenly heard someone knocking on his door. It was a coded message—a special contact code. According to the rules, other members of the Plum Blossom Gang were not allowed to contact him directly unless there were special circumstances.

Huang Feihu quickly hid the weapons diagram, checked his pistol again, and tucked it into his waistband. Then, he cautiously opened the door. He saw no one outside, but noticed a large envelope on the ground. He immediately understood what was going on, quickly bent down to pick it up, and felt its extreme weight. Huang Feihu guessed that there must be something important inside, so he quickly closed the door, opened the envelope, and pulled out a short sword—the Zhongzheng Sword!

Huang Feihu's heart pounded wildly; he was ecstatic. Back then, this Chiang Kai-shek sword was an award given to high-ranking officers; today, it represented the official authority bestowed upon him. Having this short sword meant that command of the "Sword of Restoration" was officially handed over to him. Who placed this sword here? Huang Feihu wondered. He thought, it couldn't be Special Envoy Yu, so could it be Bai Jingzhai? Even more impossible; that old fox wouldn't entrust him with this authority. Could there be another secret agent of Chiang Kai-shek in Chongqing? Who could it be? Huang Feihu stopped thinking about it. He eagerly drew his short sword, pulling out a slip of paper tucked between the scabbard. Unfolding it, he was secretly delighted. It contained a treasure map; hidden under a roadside trash can near the Liberation Monument was a considerable amount of gold and silver—a huge sum of operating funds. Now that he had the weapons map and the treasure map, it was time for him to raise the "Sword of Restoration" and show the Communists what Huang Feihu was made of. Thinking of this, Huang Feihu couldn't help but smile. He stomped his feet on the floor a few times, and unexpectedly, a flip-top on the floor opened, revealing a head—it was Old Eagle.

When Huang Feihu saw that Lao Diao had finally appeared, he was in a good mood because he had just secretly obtained the Imperial Sword. He did not scold Lao Diao, but only gave him a few light reprimands before getting the conversation back on track. He told Lao Diao to start preparing to mobilize the Plum Blossom Party members to dig out the munitions and explosives according to the locations marked on the munitions map, while he would choose another trusted confidant to search for gold and silver at another location.

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Long Fei had instructed Liu Yong beforehand that when boarding the ship for inspection, he should only observe the people and not do anything else.

Yu Minsheng felt somewhat relieved to see that there were only four people who came.

"Who is the captain?" Liu Yong pressed Yu Minsheng directly.

"I am." Second Officer Sun Haiwang went straight up to greet him, afraid that the captain might not be able to speak properly, because the captain had a stutter.

Liu Yong asked for the ship's work log, glanced at it briefly, and then pretended to lead the other police officers to check the safety equipment.

Although Yu Minsheng secretly instructed his men not to act rashly and to remain calm, many were still very nervous because they couldn't figure out the police's true intentions. The atmosphere on the ship became very tense. Although the crew members' eyes were all fixed on Liu Yong and his group, their ears were perked up, waiting for any order from Special Envoy Yu or Sun Haiwang.

Liu Yong felt like he was venturing into a tiger's den. Although he was well-trained and had experience dealing with bandits, he was still nervous in the face of so many agents.

But the Plum Blossom Party members were even more nervous.

With a loud bang, a member of the Plum Blossom Gang accidentally dropped his pistol onto the deck, making an unavoidable noise. The pistol was now right in front of Liu Yong and his men, truly in full view of everyone. Seeing that the truth could no longer be concealed, Sun Haiwang, without waiting for the special envoy's order, raised his hand to give the signal. The gang members drew their guns from different directions and opened fire on Liu Yong and his group. Two public security officers immediately fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

Liu Yong reacted quickly, immediately raising his gun to return fire. He and another police officer fought and retreated, then both leaped into the water.

The bandits rushed to the ship's side and opened fire on targets in the water and the motorboat. Gunfire erupted across the Yangtze River. Upon hearing the gunfire, Long Fei knew something was wrong. He hadn't expected the ship's firepower to be so intense and assumed they had encountered a strong enemy. He quickly directed the crew on the boat to cover Liu Yong and his men who had jumped into the water, while returning fire at the passenger ship. At the same time, he promptly used the radio to request reinforcements from the city police.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Yu Minsheng ordered Sun Haiwang not to linger in the fight. He ordered the boat to speed away while he gathered the bandits to raise their guns and stop the police from pursuing them.

Liu Yong quickly swam to the side of the motorboat, where his comrades swiftly came to his aid. The other soldier, however, was nowhere to be found, his fate unknown.

Long Fei quickly analyzed the situation and, knowing he couldn't afford to engage in a prolonged chase, ordered the driver to increase the distance and continue the pursuit.

The sudden change in circumstances disrupted Long Fei's plans.

The passenger ship increased its speed and soon disappeared from sight. It turned out that the ship's propulsion system had been upgraded and modified.

Long Fei had no choice but to use a walkie-talkie to request the municipal bureau to notify forces along the Yangtze River to conduct surveillance.

Long Fei initially didn't want to act immediately, but the enemy forced him to take action. The matter had come to light, and now he had no choice but to go with the flow and intercept the passenger ship!

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That day, Mei Fang fell and twisted her ankle, but it was actually nothing serious, just a minor injury to her muscles and bones. Seeing this, Long Fei had a sudden idea and sent Ling Yuqi to Mei Fang's house under the pretext of visiting her, taking the opportunity to explain the current situation to Mei Fang.

When Mei Fang heard about the dangerous situation, she was very worried. Ling Yuqi comforted her, saying that everything was under control by the police and that she just needed to cooperate. She didn't need to worry about her safety.

Seeing that Ling Yuqi was openly protecting her with a gun, and that Teacher Tian and Teacher Lu were secretly setting up defenses around her, Mei Fang felt a sense of security. However, she still had concerns, fearing that something might happen in the attic, as she was really worried about Han Qing.

Now that the "Snow Moon and Drunkenness" painting has been sold and Han Qing is no longer in danger, apart from Mei Fang's care for him, no one will be interested in him anymore.

Hanqing felt as if he had suddenly been liberated, his mind and body greatly relieved. He thought, it's time. After hiding in the shadows like a mouse for so many days, he should come out and move around freely. He should visit other relatives and old friends, and openly enjoy the new look of his hometown. While Acai was at school, Hanqing went downstairs to Meifang's room. He had been in a state of tension these past few days, and even his emotions had been suppressed. Now that the storm had passed, the passion locked deep within Hanqing's heart suddenly overflowed like spring water.

In the morning, just as A-Cai left home for school, Mei-Fang couldn't wait to go up to the attic. She hastily tidied up her bedroom bedding and was changing her underwear when suddenly someone covered her eyes from behind. By feeling and sensing the scent coming from behind, Mei-Fang knew it was Han-Qing.

"I missed you so much!" Mei Fang felt weak all over, like a long-distance runner nearing the finish line, finally reaching the end. Excitement and exhaustion mixed together. Han Qing breathed heavily, repeatedly rubbing his lips around Mei Fang's neck. They had been entwined in bed all morning, and Mei Fang almost forgot to make lunch.

Chapter Fourteen: Death Visits

Upon closer inspection, Ah Cai's mother saw the face contorted in pain, and a sudden, ominous premonition arose within her... 93

Ah Cai found it strange that when the flag-raising training entered a critical period, Teacher Tian and Teacher Lu suddenly disappeared, which even Teacher Yu found puzzling.

Teacher Yu seems preoccupied lately, often daydreaming during class. However, she seems to care more about the flag-raising team than anyone else. Whenever Teacher Tian and the others are absent, she volunteers to take over the role of supervising the training.

The flag-raising activities for National Day have been arranged. The flag-raising ceremony at Jiefangbei will definitely be performed by the flag-raising team from Heping Primary School. Heping Primary School has also received another important task: to present flowers to the leaders after the flag-raising ceremony—an even more honorable task. According to the school's arrangements, this task will be undertaken by outstanding counselors leading outstanding students. Based on the school's preliminary research, the counselor to present the flowers has been tentatively selected as the young music teacher, Pei Fang. Pei Fang and Teacher Yu share a dormitory and are inseparable, like sisters. Because they are both very beautiful and somewhat similar, they are called the "Sister Flowers." Teacher Pei, a graduate of a music academy, can play the piano and sing well. However, in A Cai's mind, Teacher Yu is in no way inferior to Teacher Pei. Teacher Yu not only sings well but also dances quite well. In A Cai's opinion, Teacher Yu is truly comparable to Teacher Pei. Ah Cai thought about how he would be attending the flag-raising ceremony at the Liberation Monument on National Day, and he secretly hoped that Teacher Yu would come along too. But Teacher Yu couldn't participate in the flag-raising, so could she go and lay flowers? Ah Cai suddenly had an idea, hoping that Teacher Yu could replace Teacher Pei. He had a special fondness for his Chinese teacher, and if someone asked him which of the two beautiful teachers was prettier, he would answer without hesitation: "Teacher Yu is the prettiest."

I heard that the school had discussed this matter repeatedly before choosing Teacher Pei to lead the Young Pioneers in presenting flowers to the leaders. A-Cai felt indignant for Teacher Yu. He couldn't understand why the school didn't choose her; wasn't she excellent? If it weren't for the flower-presenting incident, A-Cai might never have compared these two equally beautiful teachers so closely. The more he compared them, the more he felt Teacher Yu was several times better than Teacher Pei. He even developed a strange aversion to Teacher Pei, to the point that during the last music class in the afternoon, A-Cai felt that Teacher Pei's playing and singing were extremely affected. This aversion accompanied him from the very beginning of class; A-Cai seemed listless and unwilling to concentrate. These subtle changes were noticed by the sharp-eyed Teacher Pei, who mercilessly made him stand up. A-Cai felt Teacher Pei was being unreasonable. He wondered if Teacher Pei had seen through his thoughts. A-Cai stubbornly raised his head, biting his lip, almost defiantly facing Teacher Pei's criticism, which angered Teacher Pei.

"What on earth is going on? This is inexplicable! You!" Teacher Pei usually thought Ah Cai was a good student, but the current situation really puzzled and troubled her. When Teacher Pei was angry, she would throw out her famous catchphrase: "Inexplicable!" She was indeed very angry. After class, she did not continue to pay attention to Ah Cai, but went to complain to Teacher Yu. She knew that when it came to educating students, Teacher Yu had a better way.

Every afternoon after school, Ah Cai would stay at school for about an hour to participate in flag-raising training. When Teacher Tian was not there, Teacher Yu would temporarily take his place.

When Ah-Cai was preparing for training, he saw Teacher Yu walking straight towards him without her usual smile. Ah-Cai thought to himself, "I'm going to get a scolding today."

“Tell the teacher, is something wrong at home?” Teacher Yu suddenly became gentle again, which made Ah Cai, who was prepared to be scolded, feel excited. He thought of the care Teacher Yu had shown him these days, and felt more and more that he should stand on Teacher Yu’s side. He finally couldn’t help but say, “I think you are better than Teacher Pei, you should…” Before he could finish speaking, he choked up, but he held back his tears. Ah Cai felt deeply wronged for Teacher Yu.

"Oh, how could you be so silly?" Teacher Yu was probably moved by A-Cai's actions. She quickly took out a flowered handkerchief, squatted down in front of A-Cai, and wiped away his tears. "Alright, you're a Young Pioneer, don't—" Teacher Yu patted his cheek and stroked his head. A-Cai felt immense relief. He thought that Teacher Yu was indeed prettier than Teacher Pei!

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After seeing Ah-Cai off during the afternoon school hours, Mei-Fang didn't dare to meet Han-Qing immediately. She was afraid that Ah-Cai might suddenly return for some reason, catching her off guard. These days, Mei Fang often felt chest tightness and shortness of breath. She was particularly afraid of sudden knocks on the door. The moment she heard any unusual noise outside, her heart would pound. She understood why; relationships were so exhausting! Mei Fang had fully experienced another kind of pleasure between men and women. The taste of infidelity was truly torturous, both sweet and bitter. This kind of pleasure was meant to be tasted only once; too often, it became a burden. Infidelity was sometimes like opium; once you tasted the thrill, it was hard to control yourself, and you could become completely addicted. Mei Fang was terrified of being discovered by her children. Every day after her trysts with Han Qing, she would adjust her emotions before A Cai returned home, trying not to let her children notice anything unusual. If her children found out, she would feel utterly ashamed. When she was calm, she would often tell herself: "Stop playing around, stop playing around. The children are old enough to understand. If something happens, who can bear the responsibility? No one can!"

At times like these, Hanqing understands best the meaning of how agonizing time is. His lover is so close, yet he cannot freely approach her. In the morning, he had already discussed with Meifang that they would begin making public appearances the next day, visiting relatives and friends. Of course, he would also openly "visit" Meifang's house through the front door. Now that the danger had passed, it wouldn't hurt to stay at her house for a few more days.

Mei Fang had also thought it through. As long as they made their cousin relationship public, she figured others wouldn't gossip. Even if there were rumors, it would be enough for the child to know Han Qing's identity. Even if her future husband, Jin Pengju, found out that Han Qing had come to visit, he shouldn't have any suspicions. The relationship between cousins was enough to cover up all the hidden secrets.

Sometimes, things in this world seem to deliberately work against us. Mei Fang felt it was almost time for class and was about to close the door when she suddenly saw a familiar figure hurrying towards her from across the street. Mei Fang was instantly terrified. She thought she was seeing things or dreaming, so she rubbed her eyelids hard and looked again. It was indeed her husband. Why had he suddenly come home? Mei Fang secretly groaned. "God, are you playing tricks on me?" She subconsciously glanced back at the door of the side room. Although it was locked from the inside, she was afraid that Han Qing would appear rashly without knowing the situation. What should she do? Mei Fang was extremely anxious. She stared blankly as her husband walked towards her step by step... There was no joy of reunion, only the fear of being exposed.

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Ah-Cai rushed into the house excitedly, but suddenly sensed that something was wrong. His mother was sitting at the table, lost in thought, her face full of worry. The obedient Ah-Cai guessed that his mother must have encountered something unpleasant, so he tried to walk past Mei-Fang to the kitchen to check if dinner was ready, because he was really hungry.

"Child, your father is back," Mei Fang said calmly.