Chapter 40: The Young Lady Speaks of Love

  Ye Xinyi left her bedroom and came to the living room downstairs, where she saw her father, Commander Ye of the Security Command, wearing riding boots and carrying a holstered pistol, pacing back and forth in the living room. She walked up to him and asked, "Dad, aren't you resting yet?"

  "Sleep? How can I sleep? Just as I was about to fall asleep, something like this happens. Can I sleep? Ah, daughter, why aren't you sleeping in your room? What are you doing running downstairs?"

  "Dad, you're being too loud downstairs and can't sleep, so someone will come down, right?" Ye Xinyi said with a bit of pouting.

  "What? Did I disturb you? Alright, I'll order them to stop searching." Captain Ye said.

  "Are you still looking for a murderer?" Ye Xinyi asked again.

  "What a bunch of idiots from the police station, saying that two murderers escaped to our courtyard. And then, a group of lazy bums who eat off others' labor, searched all night and didn't find anything. Damn it, I really want to whip them hard with a lash." Captain Ye said in indignation.

  "Dad, don't be angry. I think maybe they just made a mistake, the murderer wouldn't dare to come to our house. You shouldn't get angry about this." Ye Xinyi stepped forward and put her arm around Ye Tuanzhang's arm, speaking with concern.

  "It's still good that my daughter is obedient and knows how to care for her father, I haven't wasted my heart on you. Alright, daughter, I'll listen to your words and let the police go away. I also want to sleep." Ye Tuanzhang turned around and shouted towards the door: "Liu Deputy Officer."

  "Arrived." With a report, Deputy Liu pushed open the door and entered.

  "Squad leader, what are your orders?" Liu asked, bowing his head.

  "Has that murderer been found?" Captain Ye asked Lieutenant Liu with a tight face.

  "Report to the captain, in the backyard of that place, there are signs of being trampled by someone. Director Wu of the police station is still analyzing the scene ——." Liu's deputy officer didn't finish speaking and was interrupted by Captain Ye waving his hand.

  "Analyzing it again and again, these good-for-nothings, tell them to get out of my sight immediately." Captain Ye almost commanded Deputy Officer Liu.

  "Captain, is it...?" Deputy Liu hesitated a little, rolling his eyes and looking at Captain Ye's expression, asked.

  "It's not even a fart. I didn't get to rest all night, and tomorrow I still have to go to the headquarters for a meeting. Deputy Liu, you were called, what are you hesitating about? Quickly go tell that Wu Director or whatever, to leave immediately, if he doesn't leave, I'll arrest him." Captain Ye slapped the holster on his waist with his hand, glaring at Deputy Liu with bulging eyes.

  "Yes, yes. Captain, I'll go and say it now." Deputy Liu bowed in response, turned around and left.

  "Tell them to get out of here at once. Get out of here at once." Captain Ye was losing his temper behind Vice-captain Liu.

  After Liu left, Ye Xinyi held her father's arm and said to him: "Dad, don't be angry. Your body is important."

  Liu Team Leader listened to his daughter's words and turned his anger into joy again: "Good, good girl, I like my girl's words. You go to sleep too, I'll order them not to disturb you anymore, haha." Ye Team Leader patted his daughter's hand and smiled happily.

  "Dad, I have one more thing to tell you," Yexinyi said, turning her eyes to her father.

  "Oh, daughter, what's wrong?" Ye Tuanzhang turned his face, looking at his daughter and asked with concern.

  "Dad, is the Garrison Command still recruiting soldiers?" Ye Xinyi asked.

  "Daughter, why did you suddenly think of asking this? What's wrong? Do you want to join the army? Haha, I only have one daughter like you, and I won't let you join the army. I'll send you to Shanghai to study instead, learn more knowledge, it's useful." Captain Ye patted his daughter's hand again, saying lovingly.

  "Really, Dad, you're going to send me to Shanghai for school?" Ye Xinyi's face lit up with delight as she hastily asked.

  "That's still possible. After a while. I'll send you to Shanghai," said Captain Ye.

  "Dad, I don't want to go to Shanghai," said Ye Xinyi.

  "Why?" Ye Tuanzhang's face showed a look of surprise.

  "I don't want to leave Dad," said Ye Xinyi.

  "Good girl, isn't your father doing well here? Haha, don't worry. When the time comes, I will send someone to follow you." Captain Ye said.

  "I still don't want to go," said Ye Xinyi.

  "Go on, go on, go there and read more books. It's a holiday, I'll pick you up when it's over." said Ye Tuanzhang.

  Yexinyi's eyes rolled around, she thought for a moment, then said: "Dad, I have something to ask you."

  "What's up? What's going on?"

  Ye Xinyi stared at her father's face without saying a word.

  "Good heavens, daughter, what's wrong? Just tell me. I'll take charge."

  "Alright, Dad, I've said it. I have two middle school classmates who want to join the army and thought of joining your troops." Ye Xinyi said.

  Ye Tuanzhang's face was shocked, and he hastily asked: "Middle school classmate, want to be a soldier?"

  "Yes, Father, they've entrusted me with their hopes that you'll recruit them into your army." Yexinyi said.

  "Why don't they read books instead of becoming soldiers? Is that just for fun? That's a waste of brain power." said Captain Ye.

  "Oh dear, Dad. They're just like soldiers, not wanting to study. You help them out, okay? Oh, my good dad." Ye Xinyi stretched out her hand and shook Ye Tuanzhang's arm, speaking in a spoiled tone.

  Ye Tuanzhang looked at his daughter and thought for a moment before saying: "What are they called?"

  "One was named Ma Fei and the other was named Li Guoting, both were my middle school classmates," said Ye Xinyi.

  "Ma Fei, Li Guoting. Did their parents know they were going to be soldiers?" Captain Ye asked worriedly again.

  "Do you know, do you know, don't you know, can they still come from Chongqing to Hankou?" Yexinyi said this, and suddenly covered her mouth. She felt that she had misspoken.

  "What? They have arrived in Hankou from Chongqing?" asked Captain Ye.

  "Oh no... It is... it is..." Ye Xinyi hastily covered up her slip of the tongue.

  "Where are they? Where are the two of them now?" Captain Ye asked again.

  "They live in an inn just ahead." Yexinyi lied to her father.

  "Alright, bring them tomorrow and let me take a look. See if they're suitable for being soldiers or not."

  "So you're agreeing, Dad?" Ye Xinyi couldn't hide the joy on her face and asked.

  "It's not possible for now, bring them here tomorrow and we'll talk," said Captain Ye.

  "Alright, Daddy, you have to keep your promise, no taking it back. If you do, I won't speak to you," Ye Xinyi said with a pout.

  "Alright, alright, good girl, go upstairs and sleep. It's already midnight. I won't regret it. No regrets. Go to sleep. Sleep." Captain Ye pushed Ye Xinyi towards the stairs leading up.

  Ye Xinyi left her father Ye Tuanzhang and stepped lightly upstairs, returning to her own bedroom.

  Ma Fei and Li Guoting were anxiously waiting for Ye Xinyi's news in her room. The two saw Ye Xinyi return, immediately surrounded her, and asked in a low voice: "How was it?"

  Ye Xinyi smiled and said: "I've already told Father. He wants to meet you all in person tomorrow before deciding whether or not he'll let you join the army."

  "Really, your father is going to meet us tomorrow?" Ma Fei became excited and asked hastily.

  "But that's fake. However..." Ye Xinyi looked at Ma Fei and Li Guoting standing in front of her, their clothes stained with blood, and furrowed her brow.

  Li Guoting saw that Ye Xinyi was hesitant and asked: "Miss Ye, is there anything else bothering you?"

  "Yes, Heart Desire, what's on your mind?" Ma Fei also noticed that Ye Xin Yi seemed to have something on her mind and asked along.

  Yexinyi pointed at the clothes they were wearing and said, "You're going to see my father dressed like that? He'll take you for murderers and have you arrested on sight."

  Li Guoting and Ma Fei only then noticed that their clothes were stained with blood. Both of them looked embarrassed.

  "Yes. We got into a fight with someone last night and ended up like this. How can we see your father now? What are we going to do?" Li Guoting and Ma Fei both became embarrassed.

  Seeing Ma Fei and Li Guoting's embarrassed expressions, Ye Xinyi couldn't help but laugh again: "Hehe, you two don't need to worry, I used to love wearing boys' clothes when I was in middle school, and even bought several sets on purpose. Many of my classmates called me a fake boy behind my back."

  "Oh, haha, Xinyi you're really something. I, Ma Fei, admire you so much. I just like girls who dress like boys, having courage and ambition, admirable. Admirable." Ma Fei hurriedly stretched out his thumb to Xinyi.

  Yexinyi smiled happily: "Wait. I'll go get clothes for you."

  As she spoke, Ye Xinyi walked towards the inner room suite to retrieve the two sets of boys' school uniforms she had left behind. Soon, Ye Xinyi came out from the inner room with the two gray stand-up collar student uniforms in her hands.

  "You two change your clothes quickly. Throw the changed clothes into my wardrobe. See you tomorrow morning. Goodbye." He ended with a sentence in English, said goodbye to Ma Fei and Li Guoting, then went into the inner room, closed the door, and rested.

  "Bye-bye." Ma Fei imitated Ye Xinyi and said goodbye to her in English.

  Li Guoting hastily asked: "Second brother, what does 'bai bai' mean?"

  "See you later then. This is English, what foreigners speak, it's just what we Chinese say as goodbye." Ma Fei said.

  "Damn it, so long-winded, goodbye is just goodbye, what's with all this 'bai bai' nonsense." Li Guoting said.

  "Come on, big brother, you don't understand, so just don't say anything, hurry up and change your clothes." Ma Fei said.

  Ma Fei and Li Guoting quickly changed into the two sets of student uniforms that Ye Xinyi had handed over to them. They stuffed their dirty clothes into the wardrobe against the wall. The two of them looked at each other, unable to stop smiling in satisfaction.

  Li Guoting said to Ma Fei: "Miss Ye is really a good person. Thanks to her help, otherwise we would be in trouble."

  Ma Fei said with some pride: "How's that, big brother? Little brother still has some skills, right? Let me tell you, in the gang there's an unwritten rule, which is that having one more friend means having one more path to life, but having one more enemy means cutting off one path to life."

  "Ah, second brother, you're absolutely right! I'm impressed. Today, I, Li Guoting, have gained a new perspective." Li Guoting gave Ma Fei a thumbs up.