Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After returning from Wuxi, a wave of student movements swept through Beijing. I heard that Liu Xingzhi had joined them without a second thought.

In the Law School Auditorium, he took the stage wearing a traditional long gown. His impassioned speech inspired the entire faculty and student body.

He led hundreds in a protest march, rising up to save the nation, shouting the slogan: “Better to be a shattered jade than an intact tile.”

The student movement spread across the country, and schools nearly came to a standstill. I, too, graduated during this time.

It wasn’t until three years later that I saw Liu Xingzhi again at a Beijing restaurant.

Former teacher and student-one now worked as a translator for the Japanese, while the other seemed to be serving a warlord.

I was dressed in a fashionable qipao, while Liu Xingzhi wore a crisp, tailored suit.

General Yamada and Mr. Zheng were deep in a pleasant conversation. I focused on my translation work while Liu Xingzhi stood guard at the door.

Once the two men finished their official business, they began to relax.

Liu Xingzhi offered them cigarettes and lit one for himself. I couldn’t help but steal a glance at him; he never used to smoke.

“Miss Yu, have you taken a liking to our Xiao Meng?” Mr. Zheng noticed my gaze.

Xiao Meng? Liu Xingzhi, you even changed your name.

I smiled and waved a hand dismissively as I stood up. “Xiao Meng, can I get a light?”

Liu Xingzhi glanced at me and reluctantly lit my cigarette.

When it was time to leave, a heavy rain began to fall. Mr. Zheng, clearly trying to play matchmaker, told Liu Xingzhi to see me home.

He held the umbrella at a sharp tilt, leaving his outer shoulder almost completely soaked. I reached out to straighten the umbrella.

Liu Xingzhi said tonelessly, “I’m wearing many layers. A little rain won’t hurt.”

I looked at my own outfit. Was he saying I was dressed too thin?

I asked him, “Why did you change your name?”

He lowered his voice. “It makes things more convenient.”

A car sped past, splashing water from the roadside. Liu Xingzhi shifted his body slightly, blocking it all for me.

I looked up into his eyes. “You… be careful.”

He stepped back to my side and bowed his head slightly. “I will be.”

I steadied my nerves, suppressing the urge to ask more questions.

After that meeting, whenever Mr. Zheng and General Yamada met again, the man following them was no longer him.

Seeing my forlorn expression, Mr. Zheng tried to comfort me by saying there were plenty of other fish in the sea. I understood immediately-Liu Xingzhi was intentionally avoiding me.

Another half-year passed. General Yamada told me that Mr. Zheng was dead, killed by a traitor in his inner circle. General Yamada was also preparing to leave Beiping, so my translation services would no longer be required.

A suspicion flickered in my heart. “Who did it?”

“I heard it was one of his own men. A man named Meng, Meng Siyu.”

So, his name was Meng Siyu.