Zhao Xiyin naturally took the hand, her excitement barely concealed, and asked nervously, "Can we really ride the Ferris wheel? Aren't night tours not allowed in winter?"
Zhou Qishen smiled and said, "It's not open to others, but it's open to you."
Zhao Xiyin thought he was talking nonsense again, but her heart felt as sweet as if it had been filled with honey.
The two sat down, and as soon as the door closed, they both jumped. Zhou Qishen took off his sheepskin gloves and put them on Zhao Xiyin one by one, saying, "This way, your hands won't get cold when you touch the window."
His movements were gentle, and he was meticulous. When he lowered his head and looked down, you could see that his nose was straight and high. Zhao Xiyin deliberately curled her fingers, and he couldn't get it in. He raised an eyebrow at her, and Zhao Xiyin immediately straightened her hand obediently.
The Ferris wheel turned slowly, and the two sat at opposite ends, looking at each other. Zhou Qishen's gaze was calm and all-encompassing, like the deep sea, enveloping her every second. This gaze was incredibly powerful, yet not oppressive; it was as if he were telling the girl in front of him, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Zhao Xiyin turned her head away, sniffed, and continued looking out the window.
The ground appears farther away, everything appears smaller, and the sky appears closer.
Zhao Xiyin saw the treetops, the flickering lights, and above, her view widened, the cityscape expanding bit by bit. She could see the Forbidden City, the bustling highways. Beijing on a winter night remained a vibrant, prosperous city, its grandeur echoing through the valleys, and her worries and anxieties seemed to dissolve and fade away.
As the Ferris wheel reached its highest point, Zhou Qishen suddenly called out, "Xi'er, come here."
Zhao Xiyin took his hand and was steadily helped to this side, where the two sat side by side.
Zhou Qishen said, "When I was in the army, I was stationed in Tibet for training. At an altitude of over 4,000 meters, I had to hike 50 kilometers a day with heavy gear. I was nineteen years old at the time, and I suffered from altitude sickness. I felt like I was going to die there."
Zhao Xiyin rarely heard him mention his past, especially his time in the army.
"Look at my skin, it's not fair at all, it's all from being in the sun back then."
"You're trying to scam me again." Zhao Xiyin wasn't fooled. "It's clearly you who's naturally dark-skinned."
Zhou Qishen suppressed a laugh and clicked his tongue, "Give me some face, okay?"
Zhao Xiyin poked his cheek, then leaned on his shoulder, "Zhou Qishen, if you could have continued your studies back then, wouldn't you have suffered much less in life?"
“There aren’t so many ‘what ifs’ in life.” Zhou Qishen hugged her, gazing at the night sky. “In a limited environment, do your best to be yourself. Only then will you have more strength and confidence to fight against things you don’t like.”
Zhao Xiyin replied in a hoarse voice, "Yes." Then she asked, "Do you regret joining the army?"
Zhou Qishen thought for a moment, then said, "None."
"Xiao west, I hope you're happy. I also want you to know that even if you're unhappy one day, I'll be your last resort." In the extreme silence, Zhou Qishen's voice was so compassionate, like a deep pool, gently catching you no matter how high you fall.
The sadness and confusion had quietly faded, their power diminished. Zhao Xiyin's eyes burned, but she no longer shed tears of sorrow. She saw the light and shadow outside the Ferris wheel flickering, streaking across Zhou Qishen's face.
Amidst all the changes, the only constant was the sincerity in his eyes.
Zhao Xiyin hugged him even tighter, "Why did you bring me to ride the Ferris wheel?"
"Because I was helping your father practice calligraphy that day, I remembered that sentence."
Zhao Xiyin tilted her head back. "Hmm?"
Zhou Qishen said, "Climbing high allows one to see far, and seeing far leads to deeper thought. My Xi'er had some doubts tonight, so I brought her to climb high. So, are you happy now?"
Zhao Xiyin smiled broadly and replied vigorously, "Yes!"
——
It's mid-January, and Beijing still hasn't seen its first snowfall.
The Zhuang family was bustling with activity tonight. Old Master Zhuang, being of advanced age, was delighted to see such a harmonious gathering. Normally, Zhuang Qiu would be the one who wouldn't receive much attention, but tonight was unusual. During the meal, Old Master Zhuang called him to sit next to him, and his attitude became much more attentive.
Zhuang Qiu was extremely pleased with himself. On one hand, he felt triumphant, but on the other hand, he was disdainful. He was opportunistic; a man still needs money to be respected.
He sat in the side room, leisurely sipping his red wine.
"Cousin Qiu," a clear female voice called out to him.
Zhuang Qiu turned around and immediately burst out laughing, "Oh my, isn't this my beautiful new movie star sister?"
Lin Lang feigned displeasure, "You're just making fun of me."
Zhuang Qiu turned around and said with a smile, "You're too modest. I've seen your Weibo, you're quite influential."
"Oh, you even care about that? I'm flattered." After a few pleasantries, Lin Lang asked, "Cousin, when did you get back? I didn't hear a thing."
"Busy," Zhuang Qiu said succinctly.
Lin Lang admired him, saying, "Men with ambition are the most attractive."
Zhuang Qiu was very pleased with these words. Among all the brothers and sisters in the Zhuang family, Lin Lang was the closest to him.
The two chatted for a while longer when Zhuang Qiu suddenly remembered something. "Aren't you filming a movie right now? What's it called again?"
"Nine Thoughts, a film directed by the great director Pang Ce."
"Wow, this is the level of fame they've reached now?"
"No, it's not a big role, I just acted casually."
"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"
Lin Lang touched his face. "Really? It's that obvious?"
Zhuang Qiu smiled but remained silent.
Lin Lang sat on the sofa with his arms crossed, clearly not in high spirits. "I originally wanted to compete for the lead dancer position and act alongside Su Ying, so we could promote each other together in the future. I had already taken care of all the relationships, but someone snatched it away halfway through."
Zhuang Qiu lit a cigar, extinguished the flame with a flick of his wrist, and took a puff only after letting the smoke swirl around him. With a half-smile, he asked, "Are you just handing it over?"