The porcelain fragments scattered across the floor like blossoming flowers, creating a mess everywhere.

Lu Huai Zheng was momentarily stunned, his body stiff as she embraced him. He doubted he had heard correctly, but Yu Hao, without hesitation, hooked her arms around his neck, pulled him down, and kissed him without giving him a chance to speak.

In their previous kisses, she had been inexperienced and passive, keeping her lips tightly closed, only opening up bit by bit with his coaxing, until his tongue slipped in. Even then, she had simply allowed him to take the lead, curling her tongue away from his.

Lu Huai Zheng understood her resistance and wasn’t in a hurry, patiently guiding her step by step into the realm of love.

This time, her initiative left him speechless.

She gave him no chance to think, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him chaotically without any technique, licking and pecking, even actively pressing her tongue against his lips to pry them open.

Lu Huai Zheng lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist, pressing her against the kitchen wall, and kissing her fiercely. Finally, with red eyes and the last bit of rationality, he peeled her off his body. Yu Hao refused to let go, clinging to his neck like a koala, her legs wrapped around his slim waist. She eagerly planted numerous kisses on his neck and collarbone.

Fortunately, his years of training hadn’t been in vain.

With Yu Hao hanging on him like a lightweight bag, he resisted the urge to throw her off, allowing her to act wildly while he calmly cleaned up the fragments from the floor, then turned to pour himself a glass of water to cool down.

As he tilted his head back for a drink, Yu Hao’s kiss landed on his chin.

Lu Huai Zheng turned his head and suddenly met her lips. The clear liquid slowly flowed down both their jawlines, following the smooth contours of their necks, and gradually seeped into their collars, penetrating through her thin undershirt.

It created a wet patch, revealing a faint outline. The sight made his heart itch.

This man was truly terrible!

Lu Huai Zheng stared at the soft mound, which seemed like it could be held in one hand. However, he behaved properly; though his mind wandered to indecent thoughts, his hands remained in his pockets as he looked at her with a composed expression.

Yu Hao grew anxious, her trembling hands reaching for his belt, though her entire body was shaking.

Lu Huai Zheng pressed her hand against his waistband. His palm was scorching, burning against the back of her hand. Yu Hao trembled again involuntarily, her shoulders slightly quivering.

He bent down, placed her on the kitchen counter, and nibbled her ear casually, sucking gently on her earlobe. His voice was huskier than she had ever heard: “Do you want to do this?”

She nodded firmly.

He took his hands out of his pockets and caressed her smooth arms to her rounded shoulders.

The man’s large hands were dry and powerful, gripping her thin shoulders as if pinching an ant.

Lu Huai Zheng traced from her flushed earlobes downward, hot and intense, moist and chaotic. Then he asked: “Then why are you trembling? Who are you forcing? Me or yourself?”

He released her, but Yu Hao clutched his belt tightly, refusing to let go. Lu Huai Zheng found this girl stubborn, her eyes reddened, seemingly determined to challenge someone. She stubbornly pried his fingers open one by one. Lu Huai Zheng was afraid of hurting her and didn’t dare use too much force. He remained still, and Yu Hao couldn’t move him an inch. They reached an impasse.

One trying to undress, the other preventing it.

Neither yielding to the other, they remained in a standoff.

The clock in the living room ticked away in the silent night.

With the deadlock continuing, Yu Hao turned to pull up his t-shirt, persistently tugging at the hem. The shirt became distorted in the struggle, revealing inches of firm abs. This nearly perfect body completely disoriented Yu Hao, and the two became tangled like a messy ball of yarn.

Finally, they stopped at Lu Huai Zheng’s shout: “Enough!”

Yu Hao was stunned by the shout, her expression dimming as she clutched at his shirt hem.

Lu Huai Zheng carried her to the bed, fastened his belt, adjusted his clothes, pulled a chair over, and sat down in front of her.

He looked out the window, gathered his thoughts, took a deep breath to calm himself, and then looked back at her with a cold voice.

“Do you think our current situation is suitable for—”

Yu Hao suddenly placed her feet on the bed, hugged her knees, and with drooping eyelids, stared at the floor, interrupting him softly: “After returning from Yunnan, I thought about completely breaking up with you. That day at the military zone, when I asked if we were still together and you said ‘Forget it,’ I felt somewhat relieved because I thought being with you meant facing too many challenges in the future. You said you didn’t want me to suffer the pain of HIV, and I felt the same—I didn’t want you to bear the pain in my heart. When we were coming down the mountain, while you were caring for those refugees at the border, I sat in the car thinking that breaking up might be for the best. I didn’t know how long I could keep pretending to be happy, fearing that everything would be ruined if that person appeared.”

The night was deep, the lights had just come on, and pedestrians on the street were gradually diminishing.

Moonlight filtered through the window like a thin veil, creating an unsettling quietness. Outside, a car horn sounded, long and drawn out, like a siren.

“That person is my younger aunt’s husband. Do you want to hear about him?” Yu Hao asked casually.

Lu Huai Zheng kept his hands in his pockets.

He gritted his teeth and turned his head aside, his cheek twitching slightly. He was restraining himself, forcing himself to listen to everything she had to say. Professor Han had said that if one day Yu Hao willingly opened up about her past, there were only two possibilities.

Either life or death.

His hands clenched into fists in his pockets. He didn’t even dare look at her, fearing he might see in her eyes the determination to break up with him and leave.

He hadn’t even considered that they still hadn’t officially confirmed their relationship.

Lu Huai Zheng nodded slightly.

Yu Hao had already started speaking before he nodded, and neither of them looked at each other.

One stared at the floor, the other turned to look out the window.

Outside, it had begun drizzling without them noticing. The neon lights in the rainy night appeared foggy, with raindrops forming dense curtains in the air like strings of pearls.

The wind carried the rain, and gradually, the rain grew heavier, pounding against the windows. The wind sucked the curtains outward, like a white flag wildly dancing outside.

Everything was being reawakened at this moment.

On this rainy night, earth-shattering changes were taking place.

The shining lights were filled with the myriad states of human life and worldly passions.

In the teahouse, friends gathered, laughing and arguing, recounting the flowing events of the past.

In the mahjong house, winners and losers created a cacophony of sounds—joy for some, sorrow for others.

In the hutongs filled with scrap metal, amidst the misty rain season, intense stories of love unfolded.

Some people came out to close windows and collect clothes, some leaned on windowsills smoking to relieve the day’s fatigue, some indulged in passion…

Some finally began to talk about the past on this prosperous, sobbing rainy night…

Once nightmares are unfolded, people can become angels or demons for love.

“He said he wanted to groom me as a sex slave, and then he exposed himself to me, making me perform oral acts. When I refused, he beat me. He used sewing needles to prick me because they left no wounds that others could see. Fortunately, my aunt came back… They were going through a divorce, and he beat both my aunt and me… Just now, he warned me not to tell you about what happened when I was young. I refused, so he choked me. I was afraid he would strangle me to death… I don’t know what to do.”

As she spoke, her body curled up tightly, her eyes filled with fear, as if those past scenes had returned to torture her again.

Lu Huai Zheng could no longer bear the pain. He closed his eyes.

His voice was as hoarse as if he had lost his breath, barely able to compose himself: “Don’t say anymore…”

Outside, lights flickered, moonlight poured in, and Yu Hao buried her face in her knees, sobbing loudly.

All along, she had felt different from others. Even when other girls spoke of their boyfriends with shyness and bashfulness, she knew she was different. Later, Lu Huai Zheng, like a small sun, walked into her world.

He was like a ray of sunshine from the horizon, a faith for her hiding in dark corners. She was full of longing for him.

But she dared not approach him, dared not love him, dared not express her feelings because she felt different. She envied all the girls who appeared by his side.

Outside, rain dripped along the veins of leaves, and water splashed energetically as cars drove through puddles. The world became blurry.

Someone was playing music in a car, singing loudly:

“My world is filled with unknown and changing journeys, I’m not afraid of wind and rain, I look forward to laughter and pain…”

So, please be a little braver, turn around, and look at the world again.

There are more sceneries and clear skies you haven’t seen yet.

Yes, he had said it before—the world is vast. One cannot let a speck of floating sand in front obscure the sea of stars behind.

…

A sudden downpour had caused traffic to jam.

Rainwater flowed like small rivers on the windshield, blurring the view. The roadside grass was bent by the rain, swaying unsteadily.

A black Maybach was stuck at the Xu Third Road intersection, with low pressure inside the car.

Huo Ting’s expression was cold, his eyebrows seemingly clouded with anger, his face particularly unpleasant. After a while, he asked Jia Mian in front: “Are you sure?”

Jia Mian also looked worried: “It’s an HIV initial screening.”

Huo Ting: “I don’t know why I raised him to adulthood. Such a big thing happens, and he doesn’t even tell us?! I could at least help him find someone to check!”

Jia Mian turned back to console him: “Uncle, don’t you understand him? He didn’t even tell us. If I hadn’t overheard it, who knows how long he would have kept it from us? He’s never liked people worrying about him, from childhood to adulthood…”

Outside, the rain began to weaken, showing signs of stopping.

Inside the apartment, Yu Hao’s crying subsided. In the darkness, she was like an injured kitten, finally shivering as she sobbed.

Lu Huai Zheng went over and held her in his arms, lifting his head to look outside, softly apologizing to her over and over.

I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…

I’m sorry I didn’t meet you earlier.

I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.

I’m sorry for making you remember these past events.

Yu Hao didn’t look up, crying until her eyes and ears were hot, unable to hear clearly what he was saying. She kept her head covered and asked in a muffled voice: “Lu Huai Zheng, if I asked you to leave me now, would you agree?”

Lu Huai Zheng was startled. He lowered his head to kiss her—the top of her head, the side of her face…

“No, never in this lifetime.”

“Then do you want to be with me?”

He held her tightly, finally unable to bear it. Nuzzling her head, he said hoarsely: “Yes.”

Yu Hao was reassured. She clutched the fabric of his shirt at his chest, found a comfortable position in his arms, closed her eyes, and nuzzled her fluffy head against him.

“Good, then let’s be together forever, through sickness and health, life and death.” She tightened her grip on the fabric at his chest, looking up at him. He lowered his head in response, and their clear eyes gazed at each other in the dim room—

“I won’t force you to transfer to a civilian job. When you’re on missions, I’ll wait for you at home. Similarly, if the country needs you, I hope you won’t consider me. Go boldly and do what you want to do. Even if I’m alone, I’ll live well. Don’t change yourself because of me. I love Lu Huai Zheng who stays true to his heart and chases his dreams.”

If such a confession wasn’t moving, then Lu Huai Zheng didn’t know the meaning of the word.

He lowered his head to nuzzle against her, holding her tighter, pressing against the side of her face, gently kissing her, one kiss after another.

Kiss once, look at her earnestly. In those eyes like deep pools, how many unspoken emotions had been hidden, all collapsing in this moment? Like seeing an old city wall tower collapse, like a silkworm breaking out of its cocoon, gaining new life.

“Then let’s be together forever, through sickness and health, life and death. In this lifetime, I am yours.”

Yu Hao raised her head to kiss him.

At the same time, “Bang, bang, bang—”

Someone was knocking on the door.

Lu Huai Zheng patted her head, got up from the bed, and went to open the door. Huo Ting and Jia Mian stood at the entrance. The three looked at each other, no one speaking, none with good expressions. Lu Huai Zheng sighed,

“Come in.”

Huo Ting had a grim face and said nothing. Jia Mian playfully peered inside, “We didn’t interrupt anything, did we?”

Lu Huai Zheng ignored him.

Yu Hao had just come out. Lu Huai Zheng took her hand and led her to sit on the sofa.

Huo Ting took out a cigarette, wanting to smoke, and asked the only lady present, “May I?”

Yu Hao indicated she didn’t mind.

Huo Ting politely said thank you.

The four-person meeting remained silent for half an hour, with no one speaking. Huo Ting smoked one cigarette after another, looking very irritated.

The remaining three, or more accurately, the remaining two, glanced at each other. Lu Huai Zheng remained calm, leaning on the sofa, and playing with Yu Hao’s hand. Yu Hao finally understood where Lu Huai Zheng’s youthful demeanor came from—he and Huo Ting had very similar temperaments.

Huo Ting stubbed out his last cigarette, leaned back on the single sofa, and looked at Lu Huai Zheng, his voice cold: “Why didn’t you tell me about such a big matter? Do you still consider me an elder?”

Lu Huai Zheng didn’t immediately react. He instinctively looked at Jia Mian, who mouthed something to him. Understanding, he turned back and replied neither submissively nor arrogantly:

“Whenever I’m on a mission, I face various emergencies. I can’t report to you about every single one. I thought you would understand.”

Huo Ting was furious: “Is this just an ordinary situation? And you’ve been on leave for so many days without even coming home?!”

Yu Hao couldn’t help interject: “Mr. Huo, it’s because of me…”

Lu Huai Zheng squeezed her hand, indicating that she shouldn’t speak.

From a young age, even Jia Mian understood Huo Ting very well. He was typically someone who recognized no one when angry—normally a smiling tiger, but when truly angered, no one dared provoke him. Lu Huai Zheng feared Huo Ting would redirect his anger toward Yu Hao. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Huo Ting’s expression suddenly soften, his voice becoming gentle: “It has nothing to do with you. No need to speak for him.”

Never had they seen Huo Ting speak to someone so kindly.

Both Jia Mian and Lu Huai Zheng were stunned.

Yu Hao, unaware, continued: “I’ve been having some issues recently and have been hospitalized. Lu Huai Zheng has been accompanying me.”

Huo Ting responded with an “Oh,” and smiled: “I see. Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, better.”

Huo Ting nodded with a smile, then turned to look at Lu Huai Zheng: “Tomorrow, I’ve arranged an appointment with Dr. Wu for you. He’s one of the top HIV experts in the country. You can explain your situation to him in detail. Not that I don’t trust your military doctors, but Dr. Wu has been in Hong Kong for years and isn’t easy to meet. You’re lucky, kid; he happens to be in Beijing these days.”

Lu Huai Zheng didn’t refuse.

The other three exchanged glances, understanding each other. Lu Huai Zheng asked Yu Hao to lie down in the bedroom.

The ensuing discussion would be between the men.

After the bedroom door closed.

The three men leaned forward, lowering their voices.

Huo Ting spoke first, forming a tower with his hands, looking at Lu Huai Zheng and asking: “Did Hu Jian Ming do something bad to Yu Hao?”

Lu Huai Zheng was momentarily surprised, suddenly looking over. He could read Huo Ting’s expression and understood what “bad things” meant, but didn’t answer.

Huo Ting showed understanding. If Yu Hao didn’t say it, Lu Huai Zheng wouldn’t either, though he knew his nephew looked like he was about to explode with anger.

“Don’t ask how I found out,” said Huo Ting, then pointed at Jia Mian, indicating that he should speak.

Jia Mian took out his phone and handed it to him: “Your uncle saw that Yu Hao’s reaction wasn’t right and had someone investigate Hu Jian Ming. On our way here, someone sent me a Weibo account that Hu Jian Ming uses. This account follows many pedophile accounts, and the photo album is full of pictures of children… He’s simply a beast. Look at how young these children are, and he’s doing this to them. This inhuman creature!”

Lu Huai Zheng looked at the horrifying photos.

Each one made him imagine how helpless Yu Hao must have been at that time!

He hunched over, his hands crossed and supporting his legs, his head buried as he said in a muffled voice: “Can we make him die?”

Huo Ting said: “We can, but Jia Mian and I have discussed this. You can’t be involved. If anything goes wrong, Jia Mian and I will be fine, but it could affect your future. We’ll start through legal channels. Only if necessary will we use special methods—”

Jia Mian said: “Yes, we won’t implicate you and Yu Hao. We’ll try approaching through other people.”

Halfway through his words, the door behind them suddenly opened.

A firm voice sounded from behind.

Like seeing a rainbow on the horizon.

“Since you’re doing this for me, how can I not be involved?”

Huo Ting was startled, “You—”

Yu Hao smiled slightly. She wasn’t wearing makeup, her face bare, yet radiating a strange resilience. “No need to find other people to approach this. Let’s start with me.”

Huo Ting and Jia Mian both looked at Lu Huai Zheng, seemingly waiting for his decision.

But Yu Hao smiled, lowering her head, her hands tightly clasped in front of her.

Only Lu Huai Zheng knew how much courage this took for her at this moment.

“I’m willing to stand up and join you.”

Darkness may be hateful.

But the power of light remains. She was willing to stand up.

Perhaps she couldn’t change everything, but at least she had tried to clear a path for children who would come after, hoping to spread flowers along the way.