Section 2

Hmm," Wan Feng seemed to be speaking to herself, "I wonder when Third Master will return after visiting his old friend?"

From Christmas to New Year, schools and companies will have holidays. Over the past three years, Wan Feng has been influenced by those Christian families, and her faith has begun to waver. Initially, she accepted invitations out of politeness, drawn by the festive atmosphere. This year, Wan Feng started to tell her that she might really want to embrace the faith. When Wan Feng said this, she still had concerns: "San Ye... should not be angry, right?"

Outside, there is snow, and the soles of his leather shoes leave several footprints on the floor

Apart from these, not a single word was left behind

He understood her unspoken words again: "Because of the false marriage I gave you"

The first time I met Third Master was on the departing ship, where he personally came to see off Gu Yiren and me

Shen Xi thought about the day she left in haste, realizing that even the desire to see him once was a mere delusion

Fu Dongwen seemed to recall this person and no longer held a grudge against him: "Please escort the person out."

Master Fu and the eldest son are politicians, the second son is an academic, and the fourth son practices medicine

Shen Xi was taken aback by the question

Fu Dongwen's footsteps did not falter, and there was hardly any change in his expression as he brushed past Shen Xi

Because Fu Dongwen used the word "please," the middle-aged servant did not resort to violence, but instead pushed Chen Lingguan out onto the street, and that was the end of it

Surrounded by enemies on all sides, although the only adversary is God, she feels that at this moment, the entire world is against her... She is the Western Chu Hegemon who has been forced back to the water's edge

She still remembers that he took three steps to stand in front of her, bent his right knee, adopting a half-squatting posture that seemed to accommodate her, and looked at her face: "Did you get hit?"

Chen Linguan was taken aback by her words, his face flushed, and his eyes shone with urgency and redness. He pulled out a magazine wrapped in newspaper from his pocket and stubbornly threw it to the ground: "I never expected you to be like this!"

Do you have any connections with the Fu family? Shen Xi, you actually have ties with the Fu family!" Chen Lin immediately grasped her arms

"Go to a place where no one will notice you and me," he replied to her

She had no understanding of Fu Dongwen's past at all, except that he had saved her and funded Wan Feng and Gu Yiren. No one had ever mentioned these things to her. Therefore, she had no way to defend him, but she felt angry in her heart: "And remember! Lancet was brought to me by him, and the money you give to people for surgical operations is also his!"

Shen Xi followed his words and looked down, only to find that her clothes had been soiled by the mud from the magazine.

The magazine slipped out of the newspaper and fell into the muddy snowmelt

Shen Xi realized that she could no longer continue the conversation, as every word from Wan Feng was something she did not understand

Fu Dongwen heard her footsteps and turned around

Shen Xi found it difficult to refute, smiled, and wanted to brush off the remark.

Shen Xi examined these thirteen photographs repeatedly for a long time, always hoping to discern some differences among them

It turns out that he had already seen the soiled magazine

What kind of clumsy words are these

She nodded

"We don't have to do homework today, do we?" he asked

Fu Dongwen noticed her unspoken question and first responded: "They haven't mentioned it to you? My fourth brother is studying medicine"

Shen Xi paused for a second with the cloth in hand, then wiped the glass vigorously a couple of times, trying to get a clear look at the man who had entered the store. He looked too much like Doctor Tan, who had always been by Fu Dongwen's side. After a short while, the man pushed the door open and, as expected, it was him

Shen Xi was glared at to the point of losing her temper, anxiously glancing upstairs

She was too lazy to heat it up and pour it in, the water in the basin was chillingly cold, as if it were filled with large chunks of ice. This reminded her of the opium den, that window which was forever unable to let in light, stained black and yellow from the smoke.

Shen Xi believed that being under the same roof would provide ample time for them to spend together, but unexpectedly, he left New York the following day. He did leave behind the medical journal they had agreed upon the night before, along with an envelope containing colorful photographs of the streets of Paris

Upon reaching the stairway to the second floor, Fu Dongwen was standing at the end of the corridor, with his right hand inserted into the pocket of his trousers, gazing out the window

We have celebrated the New Year

Oh? Fu Dongwen smiled and asked softly, "Why is it only half a sentence"

It is well known that Master San is wealthy, but just how much money does he actually have? Who knows

Shen Xi threw the rag into the water, carried the basin to the bathroom, and poured out the dirty water. Without having time to clean the basin, she tossed it under the sink. After tidying up and taking a breath, she resolved not to be as flustered as last time. Only after calming herself down did she change her slippers for high-heeled leather shoes and head to the first floor

She was bound hand and foot, curled up on the filthy floor, right next to the corpse. Behind her was a large communal bed, wooden planks pressed against each other, with those emaciated smokers resembling living dead, squeezed tightly in a row, heating their pipes over the light, one puff ascending to heaven, the next descending to hell. A beggar was picking up a bundle of cigarette butts, hunched over, half crawling and half walking past her, not sparing her a single glance.

"Go change your clothes," he said

"Yes, indeed," she retorted urgently, "What does it have to do with you? What right do you have to scold him in my house?"

Fu Dongwen did not reveal the slightest hint of abnormality, yet he had already seen through her unease. Noticing that she could not respond, he immediately added: "I have a few copies of The Lancet in my suitcase; I will have someone bring them to you tomorrow"

Visit an old friend

The servant at the door blocked his way, absolutely refusing to grant him another step inside

She placed the card in her hand on the table: "I lost again. Alright, you all continue, I will go read a book"

One of the images depicts the streets of Paris, where houses are closely packed together without any gaps, resembling a neatly arranged box of matches, sharing the same narrow roof. Each house, however, is painted in different colors: white, light brown, dark brown, and crimson.

The person in that car must be Fu Dongwen

Chen Linguan?" Shen Xi was taken aback

Upon hearing "the 30th year of Guangxu," Shen Xi felt a tug at her heart

Shen Xi immediately returned to her senses and asked, "Are you still accustomed to sleeping on that bed in the evening?"

In order to understand more, even Shen Xi, who never played cards, has fallen into depravity

Shen Xi inexplicably recalled the scene when he appeared at the smokehouse that night

Shen Xi heard a buzzing in her ears and pushed him hard, saying, "You should leave."

Fu Dongwen raised his left hand and pointed outside the door: "Let's go, we will go upstairs"

Later, those few copies of "The Lancet" were discovered by Chen Lingguan, who insisted on borrowing them. Shen Xi was initially reluctant, but upon considering that Chen Lingguan was also doing it for academic purposes, he agreed

Where to go? Is there anything I need to pay special attention to? Shen Xi looked at him, feeling increasingly anxious as she wanted to make up for what had just happened. But I don't have any nice clothes, what should I do? Is the place we are going to or the person we are going to meet very important to you?

In such places, the boss would not want them to clean the windows

"Chen Linguan, you went too far just now," Shen Xi reprimanded.

The official was called out for a while, and then Fu Dongwen walked in and saw her

Through the window, one can see the storefront across the street, where a male clerk with short golden hair is inside the glass door, taking down decorations from the palm tree. Today is the 31st, and tomorrow marks the beginning of a new year

You may think that you can catch their attention, but perhaps you are merely a character in a play for them to critique and admire

No, she candidly confessed, "There is nothing."

"You forgot, Third Master has always reminded us not to let you get too close to the Christian family?" Wan Feng reminded her

If it were not for her, Chen Linguan would not have recognized this apartment, nor would there have been today's unexpected conflict. Shen Xi, holding a magazine, was still feeling distressed, not daring to let Fu Dongwen see the soiled cover. This magazine had been carefully stored in his suitcase and transported across the ocean to this place. The tumultuous sea and long journey had not caused it any damage. Yet, right outside the door of her apartment, it had been so easily ruined like this. This magazine had been carefully stored in his suitcase and transported across the ocean to this place. The tumultuous sea and long journey had not caused it any damage. Yet, right outside the door of her apartment, it had been so easily ruined like this.

How could he collect medical journals? Could it be that he studied medicine in the past? But he doesn't seem like it

Shen Xifei ran down and saw Fu Dongwen, dressed in a black woolen suit, standing in the hall, turning to look at the doorway. The dispute was between his servant and a young student. The young man, with his fist clenched, wanted to confront Fu Dongwen, but was blocked by a boy in front of him, while two middle-aged servants behind also obstructed him, effectively trapping him in the porch.

He held himself with the demeanor of a young master, and like his friends from that day, appeared cordial to everyone. However, their "cordiality" was condescending, imbued with the pity and indifference of a spectator.

Just as the talent reached the halfway point, a dispute was heard at the entrance

Shen Xi looked around helplessly; the blonde shop assistant across the street was staring at them.

What else does it affect? "Wan Feng was at a loss for words, she rarely accompanied us for a game of cards, and she was also remorseful, saying, 'What a sin, what a sin.'

"What did Third Master say to you last night?" Wan Feng seized the opportunity to ask

A car drove up to the store entrance, and a man with black hair got out.

Shen Xi sat at the breakfast table, shoulder to shoulder with Wan Feng, carefully examining each of the photographs.

Indeed, it is written in uppercase letters as "HOTEL".

Fu Dongwen removed his black hat with one hand and looked at Shen Xi: "Do you know him?"

Shen Xi abruptly pushed Chen Lingguan aside, picked up the magazines, and ran back to the apartment without looking back

In the 30th year of the Guangxu era, the only person in all of Beijing who could borrow such a large amount of silver from the official silver bank was San Ye. Gu Yiren greatly admired Fu Dongwen's courage and skill, and his admiration was evident in his words

"It's alright." He set down the bowl, resting his left hand on the edge of the ceramic sink, his fingers naturally draped over it, with his index and middle fingers gently tapping a rhythm. Shen Xi noticed this. In the Fu family's hall, he did the same with his feet, tapping a rhythm... It seems... he is becoming impatient

This is the first sentence he has ever said to her in his life. Three words, an interrogative sentence

Fu Dongwen shouted, "You don't know me, but I know you. The stocks of my father's coal mining company have all been sent to your home. You and your father, no, it was you! It was you who used underhanded means to force my father to submit his resignation! You took away all the stocks of my father's company!"

It was mentioned in passing. She recalled it

She lowered her head, feeling a weight of a thousand pounds pressing down on her neck, remaining silent

"The Lancet"? She was surprised

Shen Xi ran upstairs from the living room, holding a magazine

From playing cards to Chinese cards, as long as there was a game, she would go to observe and chat. Gradually, Gu Yiren and she began to discuss many matters during their conversations, many of which were new to her.

A carriage passed by, and both the driver and the young lady on the carriage were looking at the two people who were arguing

At a distance, she could not discern his emotions: "Just now, I am sorry"

"How could it be," Wan Feng said, resting her chin on Shen Xi's small arm, "You have been talking in the kitchen for quite a while. I wanted to go down, but I didn't dare, fearing you were discussing family matters."

Did he deliver it personally

Hmm. She heard a response from herself

She had been thinking about the window at the end of the corridor that had not been cleaned for a long time and wanted to make it tidy. After all, that window faced Fu Dongwen's room and should not look too unsightly. So, after Wan Feng and Gu Yiren left, she carried a basin of clean water and went to the second floor to get to work

Shen Xi did not understand her meaning

Wanfeng, who has never been to France, is excited to see these photos

Third Master originally engaged in scholarly pursuits, but due to some individuals seeking to associate with the Fu family, he was gifted numerous shares in factories and companies. The young masters showed no interest in industry, so Third Master used money to acquire all the shares from his brothers and borrowed one million taels of silver and several hundred thousand silver dollars from the government silver bank to establish his own factory. However, these endeavors were not personally initiated by Fu Dongwen; there were managers in charge. Thus, these were merely businesses known to outsiders, and it was not appropriate for outsiders to be aware of them, which naturally Gu Yiren could not disclose.

Because Shen Xi said she knew him, the young man passed by Shen Xi and cast her a cold glance.

The appointment at nine o'clock this evening comes to an end here

The young man saw Fu Dongwen go upstairs, pushed open the door to Chen Lingguan, and almost poked him in the face with his finger: "If you still want to return to your country, be a bit more courteous to Third Master!" After saying this, he followed in Fu Dongwen's footsteps

Shen Xi was amused: "You all go ahead, I will tidy up the house."

Fu Dongwen was neither angry nor annoyed about this; he has always been indifferent to external matters, let alone just a few magazines

He turned his head and went upstairs

Just pack the backpack properly before giving it to him, and repeatedly remind him: be sure not to dirty, damage, or lose it

How?" Fu Dongwen asked her again upon seeing her like this

Shen Xi!" Chen Lingguan called out to her.

You see, there is English on their shop sign

It was not until two middle-aged men pulled Chen Lingguan out of the porch, one on each side, that she came to her senses and ran out

What is your relationship to him? Chen Linguan has identified the crux of the matter

This person and this scene represent the afterglow of the setting sun, a sky ablaze with fire

"He is a Chinese international student, also studying medicine," Shen Xi's voice lowered, "Chen Lin Guan, I mentioned you in my letter."

Fu Dongwen seemed ungrateful: "Why apologize for someone else?"

"I won't talk to you for now, Shen Xi," Chen Linguan struggled and pointed at Fu Dongwen, "I want to speak with him."

The Fu family is either treacherous or malevolent, and they are part of the Beiyang Army faction! Do you know how many company shares Fu Dongwen forcibly acquired, relying on his family's influence? Do you know how many entrepreneurs he has driven to ruin?

I think what he means by saying this is that he is afraid their overly enthusiastic invitations to international students might affect Shen Xi's studies, right? Gu Yiren speculated

Or perhaps Yu Ji ... ... is not that beautiful either

The room at the end of the corridor on the second floor remains empty

The days are dragging on, and the new year is approaching

Because, she recalled the scene from those years, explaining in a low voice, "Because they were afraid I would be sad, because..."

Where there are household chores, one can count on their fingers and clearly tally how many words have been spoken