Chapter 10: Color · Precept (3)

The little sister has been longing for her beloved until now

He turned to look at An Yuan beside him, the light falling into her eyes, sparkling. Suddenly, he felt a strong desire to kiss her; many times when he looked at her, he would have this absurd longing. Compared to the women he had encountered, she was not the most special one, but she possessed a kind of purity, a cleanliness he had not touched in many years. He wanted to try to reach out to her, so he would tell her in his dreams, let’s do it once. At that moment, he felt that all obsessions were largely due to what one could not obtain.

Pressing her lips together in thought, An Yuan's voice carried a hint of laughter as she offered him an out: "What a coincidence, I can't sleep either. How about you accompany me to watch a movie, and I'll treat you to breakfast, effectively canceling out our wages."

"But he is a traitor to the Han people." An Yuan suddenly found the two of them a bit amusing; the cinema was nearly empty, yet they were still sitting here analyzing the plot. Jing Fuzhou lowered his head in silence for a moment, then stood up and casually took her hand, leading her away from their seats: "An Yuan, you stand from the perspective of an outsider, which allows you to have the most impartial view. However, if given the choice, no one wishes to be a bad person"

At the ends of the earth and the corners of the sea, I seek a kindred spirit. The young girl sings while the young man plays the lute, oh dear, we are of one heart... Oh dear, we are of one heart...

He has no way to deal with her, truly no way at all

The phone was abruptly hung up, and An Yuan was left to hear the busy tone on the other end. The lights in the corridor dimmed again, and the moonlight poured in through the high windows, clean and gentle. She neither coughed nor stamped her feet, allowing herself to sink into this darkness, closing her eyes as if she could merge with something.

The enlarged faces before me remained still, neither advancing nor retreating. They confronted each other in the dim light, where ambiguity instantaneously transformed into a lethal weapon. In this world, men and women will inevitably encounter such moments; the more one desires deep affection, the more likely they are to turn against each other with swords drawn.

At 1:30 AM, Anyuan stood in the corridor of the dormitory, where her roommates had already fallen asleep. She was afraid of disturbing them with a phone call, so she simply put on a coat and stepped outside. The lights in the dormitory building were sound-activated, and occasionally the sensors did not work well. She cleared her throat lightly, and the lights turned on, allowing her to answer the call.

Gazing northward from my home, tears stain my collar. The little sister longs for her beloved until this day, for he is a deep bond forged in adversity... Oh, how deep is the love between us, born from trials and tribulations...

An Yuan suddenly understood that she had taken a significant step closer to the victory that had once seemed unattainable. Yet at this moment, she was unsure whether to continue with the strategy of feigned indifference or to agree directly. People tend to become emotional at night, and their thoughts are often irrational. Would Jing Fuzhou regret this phone call tomorrow, regretting that she had come to know of his loneliness and solitude during the night?

But she also saved him, she ... ... '' An Yuan heard her own pale voice, stopping mid-sentence, fearing that her voice would reveal too much of her emotions. Jing Fuzhou smiled and shook his head: `` Why keep someone you no longer trust by your side? The moment you begin to doubt, love has already lost to interests ''

An Yuan cheerfully ran up and linked her arm with Jing Fuzhou's, turning back to shout at her aunt: "Don't worry, this is my fiancé, I came back this morning"

The person beside me hesitated for a moment, then nodded uncertainly: "Hmm."

With a sense of confusion, Jing Fuzhou slightly lowered his head and leaned closer to An Yuan's ear. She had a pleasant scent about her, unlike any perfume that those women would wear. As he drew near, An Yuan turned her head, and his lips barely brushed against the tip of her nose. Instinctively, she recoiled her head back.

"No, the keys to that car are not with me," Jing Fuzhou said as he opened the car door, gesturing for her to sit in the passenger seat. In fact, only Jing Ran had ever sat in this car, as he rarely drove it out; the few times he did, he only drove it back home.

I will pick you up downstairs in half an hour

An Yuan did not dwell excessively on this issue and followed him towards the school gate. Before they left, the dormitory aunt was reluctant to let her go. She lied, saying she was going to participate in a social activity. At this moment, the aunt looked through the window and saw everything clearly; what social activity, it was simply a date with a man. The window was opened, and the aunt shouted at their backs: "Come back quickly! If you don't return, I will give you a demerit!"

However, he does not intend to tell An Yuan this, as he does not want her to feel that she is in any way different to him

The woman in the movie let out a scream as her qipao was torn. Jing Fuzhou's gaze deepened, his palm resting on An Yuan's nape, firmly anchoring her before his eyes. What if he just wanted to be a jerk today? The tension in his heart was about to snap, as if he could easily crush everything. He longed to capture her lips, wanting to know if her lips were as cold as her demeanor, yet tinged with a hint of sweetness.

An Yuan was taken aback, and her subordinate forgot to break free, being led out of the cinema by him. It was still not dawn, and this night felt particularly long for them. As she sat in the passenger seat, his words still lingered in her mind—if possible, no one wants to be a bad person

This is ridiculous, the pride of men

When Jing Fuzhou arrived, he was driving a Rolls-Royce. In the early hours of the morning, the streets were empty and quiet. The car stopped at the school gate, and he walked in to find her. Before he got close, he saw the silhouette of a girl in a beige trench coat under the white building.

Nightfall, morning light, neon lights, zebra crossing

The car drove along the quiet street, and Anyuan gazed at the sky gradually turning pale at the roadside. A strange impulse surged within her, prompting Anyuan to lower the car window, loosen the silk scarf around her neck, and hold it in her hand as she extended it out of the window. As the car moved forward, the light pink scarf fluttered in the air, making her eyes feel sore.

Hello? This is A-Yang's number. She doesn't know why the call is coming in at this time. After the other party heard her voice, they coughed lightly and calmly asked: "The pay is doubled for working in the early morning, will you come?"

An Yuan tugged at the corner of her mouth and nodded slightly: "So if you were Tony Leung, would you also choose to kill her?"

She did not speak, and because of this moment of silence, the lights in the corridor dimmed. In the darkness, An Yuan stamped her foot, and when the lights came back on, she replied, "What work?"

She turned her head at the sound

Her gaze lingered for a moment on those silk scarves, among the vibrant colors there was a light pink one that looked quite nice. Jing Fuzhou walked over from behind, seemingly to prove to the old man that he was indeed her boyfriend. His hand naturally wrapped around An Yuan's waist, the body beneath his palm was slightly stiff, not obvious, but it had already conveyed the displeasure of its owner

That can hardly be considered intimacy, as it is more about vigilance; she fears that he might suddenly lean in again, and she does not even have the strength to evade.

Upon hearing this, he indeed lowered his head to sniff, yet he could not distinguish whether it was the scent of the pear blossoms or that of the woman in the corridor. Licking his dry lips, Jing Fuzhou did not intend to explain any of this: "Let's go, I know a place that has midnight screenings."

Tonight's midnight screening features the film "Lust, Caution." In front of him sits a couple, who, shortly after the film begins, lean their heads together. As the light and shadows on the big screen continuously shift, Jing Fuzhou sees the profile of the two people whispering sweet nothings to each other, presumably having just fallen in love, their intimacy palpable even in the early hours of the morning

What happened? The light flickered, and the man and woman on the screen were entangled and tearing at each other, while the couple in the front row beneath the screen were also tightly embraced. An Yuan knew very well what Jing Fuzhou was thinking, yet she still asked him lightly, as if inquiring of a virtuous gentleman

We are of one mind, my friend

"Do you know what scene left the deepest impression on me?" An Yuan stretched out her hand, the silk scarf fluttering. Jing Fuzhou said nothing, and she didn't mind, continuing to speak to herself: "It was when Tang Wei was lying in Tony Leung's arms singing; at that moment, I knew she must have fallen in love with him."

Returning to the house, she changed her clothes, washed her face, and applied light makeup. An Yuan glanced at herself in the mirror, but after just a moment, she turned and walked out the door

The tone is too casual, akin to a classmate saying in everyday conversation, "An Yuan, shall we go to the cafeteria for a meal together? Will you come?"

Her intimacy, even the subtle boastfulness in her words, was performed vividly. Jing Fuzhou turned his head to look at her, and in that moment, he realized that she was a girl with great acting talent. As they walked further away, she released his hand, but her smile did not fade completely; it merely diminished slightly: "Have you changed your car?"

She stood with her back to him, gazing up at the plaque hanging at the entrance of the dormitory. The characters on it were nothing remarkable, merely the number of the apartment building. Yet, she studied it intently, completely unaware of his presence behind her. Jing Fuzhou had long since outgrown the age of tapping girls on the shoulder from behind; he stopped at a close distance, waiting for her to turn around.

Did you take a liking to this one? Jing Fuzhou reached out and took out the light pink silk scarf, examining it in the palm of his hand. The old man smiled, his wrinkles deepening, praising An Yuan for having good taste

An Yuan smiled sweetly, preoccupied with putting the silk scarf around her neck, without offering any explanation. After paying, Jing Fuzhou turned around but was met with her stepping back, causing his hand, which was originally resting on her waist, to fall empty. Wearing the scarf, An Yuan tilted her head slightly in front of him, and the gentle smile that rarely appeared on her face instantly filled the emptiness in his heart.

Jing Fuzhou turned his head and could see her somewhat indistinct profile. Suddenly, he felt something in his heart soften, perhaps after she said "she had fallen in love with him," followed immediately by her singing this song to him. He did not see that, facing the vast morning light outside the car window, Anyuan's eyes were red, and tears had unknowingly streamed down her face. She gently released her fingers, and the silk scarf fluttered and fell behind the car, not knowing where the wind would carry it. He did not see that, facing the vast morning light outside the car window, Anyuan's eyes were red, and tears had unknowingly streamed down her face. She gently released her fingers, and the silk scarf fluttered and fell behind the car, not knowing where the wind would carry it.

But there was none. He stood there for half a minute, while she stubbornly stared at the sign, as if it were inscribed with celestial writings. Clearing his throat, Jing Fuzhou called her name: "Anyuan"

Is there a soul after death? On such nights, does the soul return to see the loved ones it cherished in life due to longing?

This woman always negotiates terms with him. One moment she says, "If you let me sing Anita Mui, you must treat me to street food," and the next moment she says, "If you accompany me to the movies, I will treat you to breakfast." It seems that everything must be an equal exchange in her eyes; she cannot owe anyone anything, nor can she suffer a loss herself. Although he clearly does not like it, Jing Fuzhou still curved the corners of his mouth. The night in Gulou is very quiet, and he sees the moon in the sky.

It was still that same face, indistinguishable from the one seen in broad daylight. He walked towards her, eager to take her hand, but before their bodies could make contact, the scent of his perfume made An Yuan wrinkle her nose, and the light smile on her face turned slightly mocking: "Which gentle place did Boss Jing crawl out from?"

Jing Fuzhou, "An Yuan's voice was very cold, even though her hand was already clenched into a fist beneath her sleeve: 'Just watch the movie properly.'

This is his defense

She still wants to be that clean and virtuous girl

He turned his head to look at her, his gaze profound. However, An Yuan did not respond to his look; neither tenderness nor intimacy was what she desired. Leaning against the car window, the wind blew in recklessly, her hair brushing against the outside, as her voice floated out in song on this quiet, deserted morning

I cannot sleep, so could you come out and keep me company for a while

Seeing her lost in thought, Jing Fuzhou moved his slightly sore wrist that she had grabbed and said casually: "You see, what men can least tolerate is deception. I dare say that Tony Leung has feelings for her, but he cannot tolerate her deceiving him."

"How much is it?" Jing Fuzhou handed the scarf to An Yuan and bent down to take out his wallet. The old man chuckled as he quoted the price, and did not forget to say to An Yuan, "Little girl, you are fortunate; your boyfriend is not only handsome but also treats you well"

In the final outcome of the film, the female agent's identity is exposed, and she is executed by gunfire. An Yuan's gaze is very somber; she sees Tang Wei's expression just before death, an expression that fills her with dread—she has fallen in love with him and is willing to betray her own beliefs for him

Jing Fuzhou wanted to say "stay with me," but he felt that as a thirty-year-old man, such a statement was indeed pretentious. Therefore, he changed his wording and said in a very formal tone: "I cannot sleep"

Midnight screenings typically feature older films, as they attract fewer viewers, most of whom are couples, making romantic films from the past particularly favored. Before entering, An Yuan noticed someone at the entrance selling something, and upon approaching, saw it was an old man selling tickets, adding a side business for himself.

She reached out and grasped his wrist, then slowly moved his hand away from the back of her neck. The tension in that nerve relaxed, and her willing hand did not let go, maintaining this somewhat awkward position as she held his wrist and watched the second half.

But now he is confused again. If he really obtains it, will he find it uninteresting? What if she is poison? If it is addictive, what should he do?

If at this moment God could open His merciful eyes to look at the couple in the car, He would see the man pressing his lips together, with a vibrant warmth on his usually hardened face; while beside him, the girl turned her face to the side, her eyes filled with sorrow, tears streaming down her cheeks

Jing Fuzhou tilted his head, unsure whether what he saw was the night or the dawn, or perhaps neither; they were merely the backdrop of his quiet wishes. For the first time, he earnestly gazed at her at sunrise, separated by many insurmountable secrets

A row of gaudy silk scarves was haphazardly displayed on the shelf. Upon seeing An Yuan approach, the old man smiled, and the wrinkles on his face appeared particularly weathered under the streetlight: "Little girl, if you like it, have your boyfriend buy it for you"