Chapter 40

  Dai Yu returned to his dormitory from Xiao Yan's place and slept for half a day, only then did he completely sober up from the drunkenness. When he woke up, it was like a 'lost' dream, he remembered the dispute between him and Wang Xiao Yan, and his mood was extremely regretful. The situation was very complicated, in the past few days, the student movement in Beiping had taken a sharp turn for the worse, this school had established a Student Self-Government Association, that school had established an Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association, many schools had all established new student organizations to participate in ***. Meanwhile, the group of people he led in each school were like trash, kicked aside by the awakened students. Because of this, he had already been scolded and warned by his superior, which was why he got drunk in frustration.

  But just as one wave subsided, another rose. At the very moment when he was in trouble, Wang Xiaoyan discovered his true face again. Things were terrible; originally she had been his most loyal and reliable tool, also a spark of fire in his empty soul. But because of drunkenness, he had been seen through by her. What to do? How to retrieve this awkward situation? How to regain the position he had already lost? He didn't get out of bed, nor did he wash his face; in the dimly lit room with thick curtains, he repeatedly thought and pondered. Smoking one cigarette after another, the whole house was filled with hazy smoke.

  At two o'clock in the afternoon, Dai Yucan finally got out of bed. He opened the curtains and a refreshing cold air, passing through the warm sunlight, blew onto his pale and dull face.

  He scratched his hair and let out several big sneezes in a row, scaring him into quickly closing the window again.

  He hadn't even eaten, but he started to dress up. He took a bath, combed his hair, put on a snow-white shirt and sprayed perfume. Then, over a suit of 'stiff' coffee-colored woolen suit, he wore a blue woolen coat. Finally, a British-made woolen hat was placed on his oily head. How strange, Dai Yu, who had been in a bad mood, was dressed more beautifully and refreshingly than any time he went to see Xiao Yan. It seemed that his mood wasn't bad after all. After dressing up, he went to Wang Xiaoyan's home with a elegant and carefree attitude.

  He estimated his relationship with Xiaoyan like this: She saw those secret things of his, naturally she would be disappointed and hurt. But she had already fallen in love with him, she had already walked the same path as him, "uncooked rice became cooked rice", what could she do about her pain? As long as he wore a smile and used a bit more clever method to "explain" to Xiaoyan, as long as he again used hot tears to water the 'flower' of love, then what change could this honest and simple girl have towards him?

  But Xiaoyan was not at home. She had gone out early in the morning. He quickly went to school again, but she was not in her dormitory or classroom. He found it a bit strange, where could she have gone? He also went to see some of her classmates, but still couldn't find her. He had no choice but to return to Xiaoyan's home again. He thought she would definitely come back home and they must have a good talk.

  Professor Wang and his wife saw him waiting for Xiao Yan, so they started chatting with him. Mrs. Wang kindly offered him tea and snacks, and Professor Wang opened the conversation: "Jun Cai," Professor Wang said excitedly, like a child, "do you know that our Beida's situation has changed greatly recently? Not only are those young men all active, but almost everyone is discussing the issue of national salvation; even we old folks, old professors, can't bear to be left behind, and we're all discussing the country's difficulties together! This is called 'the people's hearts not dying', isn't it?" Professor Wang slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and laughed loudly, startling Dai Yu who was sitting on the small sofa. For some reason, his face suddenly turned pale, as if he had contracted a sudden illness, and he trembled for a moment. But he immediately controlled himself, smiled sympathetically, and said: "Old sir, at your age, you're still so concerned about national affairs, it's truly remarkable. This will inspire us young people to work even harder."

  Professor Wang waved his hand: "Juncai, where are you talking about! What can one person do? From Marx's point of view, only the masses are the real heroes, the creators of the world. Individuals, individuals are so insignificant! Let me tell you, Juncai, in reading books and studying, old professors like us are masters; but when it comes to patriotism, *** , and struggle, it is still you young people! I have seen many of my students rushing around, calling out, and forgetting to sleep and eat for the sake of saving our country in crisis, and it really made this old man shed tears!" At this point, Professor Wang actually took off his glasses, slightly embarrassed, and used a handkerchief to wipe away his tears.

  "Look at this old man, really!……” Mrs. Wang saw her husband's 'excited' appearance and couldn't help but glance at him with a mixture of tears and laughter, quickly changing the subject, "Jun Cai, let's have dinner at home tonight. Xiaoyan went out early in the morning and hasn't come back, did you two have a fight last night?"

  Dai Yu shook her head and smiled: "No, just some differences in work opinions. Now the situation is so tense, the Japanese are pressing in day by day, Xiaoyan is a steady and slow person, I urged her to hurry up, she got anxious, so I came today to apologize to her."

  "What's that!" Professor Wang's loud voice shouted again, "How did Xiaoyan suddenly become so petty? Don't worry, I'll talk to her when we get back..."

  "What did you say?" Madam Wang interrupted her husband with a smile, "It's none of our business what those two are up to. Alright, you talk, I'll go cook dinner. Xiaoyan should be back soon too."

  After Wang's wife left the house, Professor Wang began to discuss state affairs again. Dai Yu took advantage of the opportunity to ask casually: "Old man, you mentioned earlier that professors also held a symposium, who were they? I'm afraid I know some of them."

  "Ah, not many people." Professor Wang responded vaguely with his mouth, but thought to himself: At the meeting, everyone agreed not to mention names outside, Zheng Juncai is after all his future "daughter"-in-law, but still can't be partial. So this rough yet refined old man suddenly burst out laughing again, and after he finished laughing, it seemed like he had forgotten Dai Yu's previous question. He said: "Juncai, tell me about your recent situation. How's your work? Your grades are still very good, right?"

  "Ordinarily, weak abilities..." Dai Yu glared with her golden fish eyes and replied in a low, stifled tone, "This old slippery head! Old red ghost who won't die!" She secretly cursed him, when suddenly an idea flashed across her mind, "It's also time to put him on the list."

  Xiao Yan didn't come back, and Professor Wang and his wife started to get anxious. They called the school and asked her classmates, but no one had seen her. Dai Yu heard the news and was even more anxious than Professor Wang and his wife. His plan was starting to fall apart. He suspected that something must have happened to Xiao Yan: had she committed suicide? Or had she gone over to the *** Party's side? Both possibilities were bad for him, but the latter was especially frightening. Because she had seen his secret, especially the list of *** Party members and progressive elements in each school.

  It was already past ten o'clock when he finally left. Due to the sudden change in circumstances, he had to take many emergency measures. He walked alone in the dark alley, and a gust of cold wind blew over him, causing him to hug his shoulders tightly as he thought: "I must kill her! Otherwise, I'm done for..." Suddenly, Wang Xiaoyan's gentle and kind eyes flashed before his eyes, and they shocked him like electricity. He stumbled and almost fell, but he quickly regained his composure and continued thinking: "If we capture Wang Hongbin, we can find out the list of professors who attended the seminar. By doing so, I can redeem... my losses." As he thought this, he reached into his pocket to touch the black list that was still hidden there like a treasure, and he felt at ease. A faint, cold smile floated onto his lips.

  The cold wind continued to blow in the quiet alley, he passed through two alleys and was about to walk out of a long and narrow hutong. At this moment, suddenly two big hands clutched his throat. How suffocating, he couldn't shout at all.

  Then, somehow, he was already carried onto a dark car.

  He was even more frightened. "It's all over," he thought to himself. "It's all over. Jiang Hua and the others are going to execute me..." He still had his eyes closed, thinking: "Maybe they'll let me go - I won't do this kind of thing again..."

  "Zheng Juncai, you useless fool!" As soon as this voice shouted, Dai Yu suddenly opened his eyes and smiled. Whose voice was this? It wasn't *** party member Jiang Hua, but rather his *** and superior Wang Fengjuan. She was probably joking with him, punishing him for not visiting her often... So, he started to grope in the darkness, trying to grab Wang Fengjuan's hand. Who knew that at this moment, a thick rope had already been wrapped around his neck, getting tighter and tighter. He could no longer shout out loud, but he could still hear Wang Fengjuan's voice: "You're such a waste! Can't even deal with one Wang Xiaoyan! Can't even lead one Wang Zhong well! Made a mess of the schools in Beiping..." She suddenly raised her voice, "Send him back to his hometown! Give him a proper burial!"

  The car sped out of the city and into the suburbs. In the desolate, dark wilderness, Dai Yu was thrown out of the car once again. The dim stars seemed to mock him, winking at his stiff corpse.

  Professor Wang Hongbin paced back and forth on his friend's narrow balcony with his hands behind his back, looking very annoyed.

  Wang Xiaoyan sat silently at the small table, her face pale and haggard, as if she had suddenly aged ten years.

  It seems that this situation has been going on for a long time, so Professor Wang stopped in his tracks and asked Xiaoyan with impatience. Although he was annoyed, he tried to lower his voice: "Xiaoyan, you shouldn't make your father anxious like this! What's the matter? Just tell me, why are you so tormented? Why did the police suddenly come to our house for a search? Fortunately, neither of us were at home. But we both had to escape in a hurry. It seems that there must be some reason behind all this."

  "Dad, please don't tell mom!" Xiaoyan raised her head, using her deeply sorrowful eyes to weakly stare at her father's anxious face. But before she could open her mouth, she was choked back by tears again. She covered her face with both hands and said intermittently, "Dad, I'm sorry, I've let you down... Mom... my hopes..."

  Professor Wang's face changed color. His deep red face turned grayish white. He didn't know what had happened to his daughter that she was so heartbroken and desperate. He squatted beside her, stroking her disheveled hair with his large hands, panting and saying: "Yan, good child, don't be like this... Is there something wrong between you and Zheng? I've seen you two arguing a lot lately..."

  "Dad," Xiao Yan suddenly stood up, and in her desperate and sorrowful eyes, a fierce and determined light burst out, "He's not human, he's a wolf! He's a traitor! He ruined me! I'm finished!" She fell onto a small bed and began to cry bitterly.

  Professor Wang took off his glasses and put them back on, then took them off again. He was so flustered that he didn't know what to do with his two big hands. Standing beside his daughter, he was stunned for a long time before he gently lifted her head and said softly, "Good child! Good Xiaoyan! What's going on here? Has he lost his conscience and come to capture us? Tell your father in detail. No, no need to say it. I understand...!" Professor Wang suddenly raised his head, waved his hand, and glared as if Dai Yu were standing right in front of him. He spat out a mouthful of saliva and said, "I understand! Traitor, traitor, he's a hypocrite, a shameless running dog! Xiaoyan, am I right? If so, why should we be angry? Let him be his running dog, we'll do our work, and see who wins in the end!"

  "No, no, he's already dead - been made to die." Xiaoyan squeezed out these words from between her teeth, which again shocked Professor Wang. He coughed loudly several times, his eyes wide with surprise. "All this is really strange! Really strange! It's like a legend. Xiaoyan, are you telling the truth?"

  No answer. Xiaoyan fell onto the small bed and stopped crying, also stopped talking. From her pale face, from her tightly pursed lips, it could be seen that at this moment, her heart was fiercely struggling. She wanted to drive this shameless person out of her memory, forever drive him out. Why did she still want to mention this sinful person, still want to shed tears for him? Let all of this disappear like a nightmare — forever disappear without a trace!

  "Yan, don't be negative!" Professor Wang sat in a chair and gradually calmed down. He looked at his daughter with concern and said in a low voice, "The current situation is developing rapidly, and it's precisely the young people like you who need to redouble their efforts and strive for excellence. Forget everything that happened in the past! Start anew. Oh, I haven't asked you yet, doesn't the Party suspect you? Can they still trust you?" The professor furrowed his brow and solemnly asked.

  "Dad, I've made up with Lin Daojing again." Xiaoyan's haggard face revealed a hint of a relieved smile. "Our falling out was all his doing. Do you still believe me? Believe! Completely believe! If it weren't for the party saving me, I would have been finished." Xiaoyan restrained herself, forcing herself not to burst into tears again. But her mother cried as she hugged her tightly.

  Madam Wang had received a notice from Xiaoyan on the same night that Dai Yu left and escaped with her husband to a friend's house to hide. Just now, she had been hiding outside the window listening to Xiaoyan and her father talk for a long time. She felt heartache for her daughter and shame for herself. Thinking about the engagement ceremony between her daughter and Zheng Juncai, she was seized by regret and sorrow.

  She rushed into the room, embracing her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face as she said: "Child! Mom is sorry to you! Poor thing, so young... it's all that damned beast!"

  Xiaoyan calmed down at this time, comforting her mother: "Mom, don't be sad. I'm not sad anymore. With the support of society, those bad guys won't do anything to us. You can go back home now. Xiao Lin is waiting for me and we have a lot of work to do. I heard that Beiping will launch a large-scale movement soon, Dad, did you know?"

  At this time, the resolute and confident expression on Nü's face made her parents feel surprised and comforted. Especially Professor Wang, he looked at Nü wiping her face, standing up and walking away with an attitude that seemed to leave all the dirt, darkness and misfortune far behind her. He let out a long sigh of relief, as if speaking to his wife, yet also to himself, saying: "The storm is rising again! Look, how brave these young eagles are!"