Section 1

A thought crosses my mind that he is bound by his shirt and feels distressed, yet another thought arises wondering if he should endure the chill

She asked again, "Do you want me to check it before going to sleep?"

Fu Dongwen smiled helplessly, while Doctor Tan joked

She echoed, "I can help you too, Mr. Tan"

Fu Dongwen merely thought it was the bad temper of a girl waking up, smiled, pushed aside the quilt, and shuffled to the bathroom in her slippers

You have quite a bit of courage, don't you? Fu Dongwen said with a smile

Dr. Tan has always wanted to return to his home country to publish a book, and he often takes the time to discuss this with Fu Dongwen.

Fu Dongwen's leather shoes passed by, paused slightly, did not enter the bedroom, but walked towards her

She is just making conversation for the sake of it

Dark clouds loomed overhead as a flash of lightning struck through the leaden gray sky

She was flipping through a book when she noticed him in the bathroom, drying his hands with a pure white towel. Her hand was propped against her ear, her little finger unconsciously twirling her hair, urging herself to go to sleep, to go to sleep.

"Can I go?" Shen Xi turned around in surprise

She was taken aback

Coexisting in the same room with a nameless girl for such a long time, sharing the same bed, is both a necessity of the situation and a temporary measure

Fu Dongwen took off his clothes, turning his back to her. The skin on his back was smooth and firm, glistening softly in the morning light

The January issue of the Daily Mail is filled with outdated news. Last Christmas, a portion of the German, British, and French troops on the Western Front temporarily ceased fire in honor of this great holiday and even held a football match in the battlefield

The young lady was completely unaware that while she was occupying his pillow, she had not concealed her body well, with both of her slender calves exposed, sinking into the snow-white quilt. He knew that appreciating her from this angle was quite immoral and not gentlemanly.

I am well," he replied

Shen Xi realized upon hearing this sentence that he was using it to break the subtle ambiguity between the two of them... There must be a logical reason for her to go to bed, otherwise, he feared she might really endure until dawn

Shen Xi gently handed him the teacup with both hands and said softly, "It's hot, take your time."

Before falling asleep that night, Shen Xi made ample preparations

She lingered in the bathroom for over ten minutes, and when she came out, the chandelier had already been turned off

One night, she got out of bed to drink water and saw him lying on his side, asleep. In a daze, she went to unfasten her clothes.

When she reached the fourth button, she was caught and frowned slightly

His collarbone and neck, along with a large portion of his skin exposed before her, made her dare not look any further

After that night, she no longer had the same nightmare.

Fu Dongwen was still bare-chested, holding a shirt in his hand

The battlefield is brutal; in the end, those who play football cannot survive

Shen Xi was extremely annoyed; she should have been more composed and not adopted an attitude of escape. She needed to face the situation calmly, like a doctor... after all, she had seen corpses before. By the time she changed into her velvet long dress and left the restroom, Fu Dongwen was already gone. She walked to the vanity, selected a pair of earrings, and discovered a new set of pearl earrings and a necklace had been added.

"Isn't it that Qingxiang told you, I go to bed at exactly 9 o'clock every night, so you prepared these books?" He turned the page of the book for her and said, "Tell me, what time are you planning to sleep?"

Is the human body conductive? She thought he was joking, but when she truly held on, there was only the heartbeat that passed with the friction of skin, sliding from her fingertips to the palm, every inch of it. Eventually, their hands clasped together.

Third brother, look, it has rained outside again

Indeed, there is no name of a printing house; it is privately printed

So this is why you rushed back. I told you earlier that his current health condition is stable and not as serious as you think. You, my friend, are still an amateur in cardiology. I am just worried that he might end up in this situation. Dr. Tan smiled at him and wrote down an English word, "He is this. In fact, it is a matter of the young master's fate; just accommodate him and go along with him.

Unfortunately, the human heart is beyond control, including one's own.

The sea breeze rises suddenly

Just now... you mentioned that the patients you study are all suffering from infarction. The key point is the word 'death.' As she poured the hot water, she thought about it; most of the information she had seen indicated that once the condition developed, it was mostly unavoidable to escape death

In the eyes of outsiders, Shen Xi has always been a lady of the old era, never leaving Fu Dongwen's side

Shen Xi lowered her head and smiled, playing with a fountain pen

The clock ticks slowly, marking each passing minute, pointing to 9 o'clock

She frustratedly buried her face in the pillow

"I don't understand?" Dr. Tan glanced at her, "When I was studying, I could only speak English. A lot of the materials are in French."

Before Shen Xi approached, she tied a knot in the hem of her skirt at the ankle, using this simple method to shorten the long skirt by three or four inches, thus avoiding contact with the puddles. She straightened her back and noticed the sniper in the corner, watching them.

Fu Dongwen was still wearing a shirt, leaning there, reading a book. When she had just boarded the ship and was tidying up her clothes, she noticed that he had brought pajamas, yet tonight he was still in a shirt. However, she too was afraid of misunderstandings and completely dared not change into pajamas, opting instead for the lightest summer dress as a substitute

It seems that she has spent all her money on her studies

Fu Dongwen had his hands casually inserted into the pockets of his trousers, giving a signal to the sniper to keep his distance: "He had a conflict with his employer on the road, and I went to inquire, which is how I got this information. Therefore, the cost is not high, after all, the ship has already left the shore, and he needs to find work at sea."

Shen Xi pressed the ribbon on her head, and Fu Dongwen walked towards the waves: "Let me show you the Atlantic Ocean"

It is not a counterfeit, but a purely natural golden pearl

In the morning, Fu Dongwen would wake her up half an hour earlier than she did, always by drawing back the curtains. During the day, they would chat on the private deck; these two gentlemen, well-versed in many subjects, never allowed her to feel bored. Their conversations ranged from war to commerce, then to medicine, and included the philosophy that Fu Dongwen studied, ultimately touching upon Shakespearean operas and religious issues

He had just put on his long pants, and she had seen through them completely

Fu Dongwen rarely uses the word "beautiful" when referring to girls; he has never mentioned it verbally and generally holds it in disdain internally

Fu Dongwen closed the book for her

If you want to eat, San Ge will have someone make it for you tomorrow He leaned down and tucked her long black hair to the side of the pillow

Shen Xi looked up: "Will I be struck by lightning here?"

The wind tossed the seawater into the air, bursting open like fireworks, resembling fine sand, which fell all over her in a gentle shower

... ...

Dr. Tan laughed and said: "In the past, I was directed by one person, but now it has turned into a pair."

He smiled and said, "Reading professional books is quite dull; I brought a copy of 'The Doctrine of Ren.' Would you like to read it?"

At first, everyone was still mindful of etiquette, but gradually, he also relaxed

Fu Dongwen glanced over and asked: "Who won this match?"

She looked at him from the light towards the darkness: "Have you finished watching?"

Although Shen Xi is a medical student and is familiar with human anatomy, she remains psychologically conservative. She considers herself a conservative.

Wearing a shirt to sleep is a torment, as the body and arms are bound by a layer of stiff, thin fabric, making movement difficult. Others are weary, and the book has been finished, so I lean there idly, observing her. Tonight, she is dressed in a velvet dress, with a slender, white arm exposed, devoid of any adornments, appearing too simple compared to the noble ladies and merchant wives on the ship. However, she has two small pearls dangling from her earlobes, which are imitation but quite beautiful. Tonight, she is dressed in a velvet dress, with a slender, white arm exposed, devoid of any adornments, appearing too simple compared to the noble ladies and merchant wives on the ship. However, she has two small pearls dangling from her earlobes, which are imitation but quite beautiful.

Fu Dongwen neatly folded the newspaper and left it by his side. He then said to others, "I am going to discuss a small business."

From that day on, for more than ten consecutive nights, she was plagued by nightmares.

Fu Dongwen was extremely considerate towards her. She often woke up in the morning, quietly pulled his pillow over, pressed her face against it, and thought that there really was no difference between them and a married couple.

Suddenly having such good hearing is a matter of life and death

She whispered, "Did you spend quite a bit of money to invite him?" Such dedication to duty

After thinking for a while, I silently recited a few lines of neglect and barely managed to calm my mind to read it.

The answer was revealed that afternoon

The open areas are all flooded with water

Two men are holding paper and pens, filling the corner of a newspaper with writing in French and English

Shen Xi quietly crouched in front of him, extending her hands, wanting to help him, but hesitated as she reached for the button. Even though she tried to convince herself that "this is taking care of a patient," it was still difficult to take another step forward

"Hmm." She replied

Both of them laughed again, and Fu Dongwen said, "Alright, lie down"

"Do you want to go to the public deck?" he suddenly suggested, "The view is great there"

After a short while, Shen Xi hurriedly returned with a teapot in hand

Shen Xi heard the sound of clothes being thrown onto the chair, and then heard the sound of clothes being taken out from the wardrobe

She was surprised: "I heard Gu Yiren mention that a Japanese version was released, could there also be a version in Chinese characters?"

"Let us return to the previous topic," Fu Dongwen interjected to smooth things over for her

At this moment, the discussed Fu Baitu expressed his desire to drink tea

Fu Dongwen expressed his disapproval and took the newspaper: "This matter cannot be delayed any longer. We must have our own educational textbooks regarding Western learning. Do not procrastinate upon your return home; start working on it as soon as possible."

"Who knows," he extended his right hand to her, "why not give it a try? If we die together, it could be considered a beautiful story."

In the evening, the two reached a consensus on "night reading"; they leaned against the headboard of the bed, each engrossed in their own books, occasionally exchanging a few words, their voices kept very low. Having lived with him for a long time, she noticed that Fu Dongwen was a casual person in private; when he opened the door to go out, he appeared as a dashing young gentleman, but once the door closed, he transformed into a disheveled scholar within the room

"Britain has won," Shen Xi said, "Another newspaper has reported it."

Dr. Tan pulled over the newspaper and flipped through it: "Is there nothing written?"

He went about his dressing routine as if nothing were amiss, in the quietude of the room. Shen Xi slipped out of bed and picked up the long dress prepared by her pillow: "I will go to the bathroom to change, you continue dressing," she said as she ran into the bathroom, still dutifully advising, "Wear more, there is wind and rain."

On the sea, there is a cloud and a rain; the cloud passes, and the rain passes. Each day, it is uncertain how many such occurrences will be enough to conclude.

The "Neijing" mentions heart obstruction... Some traditional Chinese medicine texts also refer to heart pain. Shen Xi suggested, "Let's temporarily translate it as 'cramping pain', as we also have the term 'cramping pain'. 'Angelica and peony for alleviating cramping pain.'

Shen Xi nestled into the quilt

I had someone print it privately," he explained

As soon as she spoke, she felt embarrassed. It was as if she wished she could blow on him a couple of times to cool him down

A door separates two individuals

Every time Shen Xi had a nightmare, her breathing became rapid, and she found it difficult to settle down. Fu Dongwen would always patiently lift her up through the quilt, softly speaking to her about other things in her half-asleep state, pulling her back from the abyss into reality. One night, she heard him in the darkness discussing the "Yipin Pot" with the chef on the ship; the chef was unfamiliar with it but recognized the stir-fried mixed dish, a delicacy brought by Li Hongzhang during his visit to the United States, which had become quite popular there for a while.

In the dream, that man came to claim a life, saying that he had countless wrongs, yet it was not her place to kill him

Outside the room, Fu Dongwen was waiting for her in the corridor

A sniper had been added to their private deck, borrowed from the merchants by Fu Dongwen while on the ship. The man was short in stature and did not engage in conversation with them. Whenever he passed in front of her, she always noticed the shiny black boots he wore, which were police boots. He also enjoyed smoking, but was not particular about it, often crushing the cigarette butts under his boots. Each time, it was the waitstaff or the temporary steward who would collect the butts. Thus, they had gained a temporary companion.

Upon further reflection, it makes no difference who wins

At six o'clock in the morning, Fu Dongwen propped himself up on his arms, lazily leaning against the headboard of the bed. Noticing that she was awake, he turned his head and asked her, "Did you not sleep well?" His voice, which had not been used all night, was hoarse and raspy, grinding against her ears and heart.

Thus, their journey has truly begun

At that moment, she looked at him as he tousled his short hair and laughed self-deprecatingly, saying, "What are you looking at?"

The strands of hair were soft, tangled around his fingers. This time he did not pull hard; he showed patience in understanding the knot, not tearing her hair.

Come, let us discuss this," Dr. Tan pointed to the English text written on the edge of the newspaper, "heart discomfort? Heart cramp pain? Choking pain.

Such a rare treasure is certainly worth seeing

There is no need to finish watching everything today

Due to safety considerations, her range of activities is very limited

A moment of silence

The wind scattered his words

She thought that among international students in New York, there could also be two factions. One faction is habitually conservative, yet they express their emotions passionately through words. The other faction is much more straightforward; in order to shed the labels of being backward, rigid, and conservative Easterners, they boldly express their feelings through both body language and speech. Not having any sexual or romantic experiences by the time they reach university can be quite frustrating for Western girls, especially those from France and Germany, as they may feel they lack charm and thus have not enjoyed pleasurable sexual experiences. Many also recount various encounters at home with servants, drivers, or with men they are not engaged to. This has also influenced the more open-minded international students.

"I became accustomed to reading when I was studying," Shen Xi looked up at him, her sincerity evident, "Sometimes, just lifting my gaze, it feels like dawn has arrived."

His calmness makes her seem like a libertine instead

"Alright, just angina. I will translate the book, use it," he patted Fu Dongwen's arm, "Remember, you are angina."

Fu Dongwen slowly and methodically circled behind her and said, "I will change my clothes"

In the bathroom, there is a small window; she propped her hands on it, gazing at the sea, her mind filled with thoughts of him

She is afraid that he will catch a chill, so she raises the corners of the quilt for him, covering up the beautiful scenery outside

A visible large wave has risen on the distant horizon, signaling the approach of a storm.

Fu Dongwen pondered

Fu Dongwen found that book in the lower layer of the wardrobe and tossed it onto the bed: "Come to bed and take a look."

Fu Dongwen, Master Fu San, San Ye, San Ge... Dongwen. Dongwen.

Shen Xi glanced at it, resembling a heart ailment

Dr. Tan mentioned that Fu Dongwen has a very regular routine, so she decided to go to bed only after he had fallen into a deep sleep. To avoid raising any suspicions, she also moved all of Dr. Tan's books into the suite.

A month has passed

The works of Tan Sitong are banned books

Shen Xi tidied up the items on the dressing table, still wearing inexpensive trinkets, only the headband had been replaced with a new style

It is still a satin headband, with different colors, and the diagonally fastened pearls are also imitations

Also

She made a nasal sound of "mm," covered half of her face with the quilt, and closed her eyes, refusing to look at him

The sailors were busily moving around the deck, making complete preparations, while the sniper was peering around the corner. Dr. Tan leaned in a sheltered spot, smoking a cigarette. Everyone was engaged in their own tasks, except for those standing idly at the end of the deck

Fu Dongwen had just finished looking at the last page and closed the book

What kind of business can be discussed on this cruise ship? Shen Xi pondered for an entire morning

Without hesitation, the manuscript was discarded into the trash bin, showing no reluctance whatsoever

The book is a good book

Fu Dongwen seemed not to have heard, placing the teacup down. He held the newspaper in one hand and began to read the printed text

Shen Xi also got into bed, covered himself with a quilt, and held the book "The Benevolent Learning" in his hands

Fu Dongwen put on his long pants and was also looking at her

He came out again and saw Shen Xi lying on the quilt, propping their pillows under her arms, gazing at the sky outside

That night, she slept very restlessly

Shen Xi elaborated unnecessarily, saying: "I am being serious."

Fu Dongwen shook his head with a smile and got out of bed. He shuffled in his slippers around the foot of the bed and walked to her side, turning off the light. In the darkness, she saw that he had changed into long pajamas and was barefoot.

When the two individuals reached the public deck, the wind was strong

The shadows of him fill the corners of my vision

It is not solely because of this gift that has come from the heavens; there are many other things, all related to him, that are seeping into her blood and flowing deep into her heart. She is left with only one thought: if she were his childhood sweetheart and fiancée, not to mention settling in France, even if she were to be crowned empress in Germany, she would never be tempted to leave China.

Two wall lamps, one on the left and one on the right, are suspended above the head of the bed

He would go two or three days without shaving, having someone bring food to his room, not going out to see anyone, and neglecting his appearance. One time when she returned to the room, she saw him wearing a shirt and long pants, barefoot, propping himself up with one hand on the table, leaning against it, looking at a stack of papers, on top of which were things he had written just a few days prior.

Yet her thoughts drifted far away. At this moment, Fu Dongwen was enveloped in a languid state, reminiscent of a gathering that had come to an end. She wondered if he had displayed a similar demeanor and attitude while studying in London, casually leaning against the parasol tree.

Fu Dongwen placed the book on the bedside table, turned off the wall lamp, and announced the conclusion of the night reading session

When she came out, he did not ask her about the pearls, nor did she bring it up