The bed was too small. When Xie Chi lay alone on it normally, it already felt somewhat cramped, let alone when two people were making passionate love.

The shelf beside them swayed precariously, having already dropped a bottle to the ground earlier, shattering it to pieces.

Outside, the rain had stopped. Xie Chi pillowed her head on He Feng’s arm, her back pressed against his chest, her fingers gently tracing the lines on his palm.

The night wasn’t cool either, and where their bodies touched was soaked with sweat.

His hands weren’t as rough as before, nor did they have the thick calluses left from years of handling guns and wielding knives. Xie Chi was playing with the raised tendons on his forearm, pressing once, releasing once, then pressing again, watching the blood constantly being blocked and flowing through… it was particularly interesting.

He Feng rested his chin on the top of her head, eyes closed, lazily saying, “Is it fun?”

“Mm.” Her fingertips slid upward along the meridians, “I feel like you have so much blood.”

He Feng held her waist, his hand moving upward, carelessly grabbing a handful, “Why don’t you let some out and see just how much there is?”

Xie Chi didn’t respond.

The night was extremely quiet, with only his slightly heavy breathing.

“Koike Ryuji.” Xie Chi poked his palm with her fingernail, “What a ghostly name.”

He Feng softly hummed, “I also think it’s a ghostly name.”

“Who gave it to you?”

“The old devil gave it to me.”

“I heard he’s a very formidable person.”

“Yes, fortunately he’s riddled with illness.”

Xie Chi was about to ask about his mother, but the words stopped at her lips.

He Feng rubbed her smooth shoulder, “Don’t you have anything else you want to ask?”

“No.”

“I’m not a traitor.”

“Mm.”

“Do you believe me?”

“You already said you’re not.”

He Feng kissed her hair, “Aren’t you afraid I’m lying to you?”

“You can lie all you want, I have my own judgment.” Xie Chi turned around to face him, “Those people were killed by you, right?”

“Yes.”

“How did you come to Nanjing?”

“I missed you.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Really.”

“In the current situation, you should be very busy. You traveled all this way, risking danger to come to Nanjing alone, sneaking around, just to see me? To assassinate a few traitors and devils?” Xie Chi sighed softly, “Either you have serious business, or something has happened.”

“I just missed you.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’d really kill you as a traitor?”

“Not afraid.” He smiled and closed his eyes, “You couldn’t bear to. If you were going to act, you would have done it long ago.”

“So what happened? What made you, an undercover agent deep in enemy territory, run to me and expose yourself?”

“You guessed it.”

“Having said this much, I’m not stupid.”

He Feng gently bit her nose, “Yes, my woman is quite clever.”

Xie Chi pushed him away, “Originally I was just guessing. I couldn’t understand it, didn’t dare to think about it. With your personality, carrying such deep blood vengeance, what reason could possibly make you choose to betray the country? I thought perhaps you had some unspeakable difficulties, using the identity of He Zhan as cover to infiltrate the enemy. But I wasn’t sure, until a few days ago when several Japanese and government officials died, all in the same manner, each with a sharpened chopstick thrust horizontally through their neck, which strengthened my suspicion. Maybe it was just coincidence, speculation is just speculation, but I still needed a definitive answer.”

He Feng pressed her face into his embrace, “Your man is a pure Chinese gentleman.”

Warmth flooded Xie Chi’s heart, then immediately turned cold again, “So when are you leaving?”

“Last month, Koike Ryoichi fell seriously ill, and I was forcibly taken to Japan by Koike Taichi. Later when the war officially broke out, I only returned at the end of last month. My superior sacrificed himself, so there’s no need for me to stay in the devils’ nest anymore.”

“You want to join the army?”

“Yes.” He let out a long breath, “But this war, who knows how long it will last. I wanted to come see you before going.”

“Go then.”

“Won’t you keep me?”

“Can’t keep you, and don’t want to keep you.”

He Feng gripped her shoulder, pushing her back slightly to look at her flushed face, “That man this morning, does he come looking for you often?”

“Mm.”

He Feng frowned, “Tell him not to come anymore.”

“Just now who was saying he seemed like a decent person?”

He Feng covered her mouth, “You must be remembering wrong.”

Xie Chi smiled and pried his hand away, “What about you? Your reputation is thoroughly rotten. I heard you’ve had quite a few romantic affairs, and your methods are extremely particular. When did you develop such a fetish?”

He Feng buried his face in the pillow, rubbing it vigorously.

Xie Chi pulled him out, “Don’t hide.”

“I did beat up a few women – two bitches who submitted to the devils, one who did business with the Japanese, and another I’ve forgotten, but anyway she was up to no good.”

“I heard some died at your hands.”

“That one, ah, a female traitor who collaborated with the enemy and sold out the country, causing the deaths of three people.”

“That’s all?”

He Feng raised an eyebrow, “There were two more.”

“Two what?”

He Feng smiled, “Your man is too charming. Inevitably some women throw themselves at me. If I don’t beat them up to make them afraid, how can I handle it when they all come to pester me?”

“What about that Michi?”

“A kid who’s been clinging to me. Don’t worry about her.”

Seeing her silence, He Feng added, “Those women are boring. I only have feelings for you.”

“I know.” Xie Chi repeated his words from before, “In my eyes, among everything that flies in the sky, crawls on the ground, swims underwater, with two legs, three legs, or four legs, only you are female.”

“Hm? I said that?”

“Otherwise?”

“I don’t remember.” He Feng rubbed her head, “That little brain of yours remembers words quite clearly.”

“Of course.”

“That day I went up the mountain and told you to wait for me at the inn, where did you run off to?”

“I went home, then later went to Suzhou and Shanghai, and finally came to Nanjing.”

“You really can run around, made it hard for me to find you.”

“You went to Japan, so you couldn’t have been looking for me long.”

He Feng was silent for a moment, “Before family and country, love can step aside.”

Xie Chi’s heart ached, and she nuzzled his shoulder, “Who else in Nanjing are traitors?”

“Many.”

“Tell me.”

“I won’t tell you.” He Feng’s hand rested on her waist, slowly pinching, “Just embroider your flowers nicely, make your clothes. Killing is men’s business.”

“I’m also very capable.”

He Feng chuckled softly, “Your little skirmishes are far from enough.”

“So shall we cooperate?”

He Feng patted her bottom, “Why is your head full of killing?”

“When bullies come knocking, should we just let ourselves be slaughtered? Defending the homeland isn’t just soldiers’ or men’s business. Even if we can’t go to the battlefield, cleaning up some scum in the rear is also good. The devils have sent many spies, infiltrating all walks of life – you should know this better than I do. They not only secretly gather intelligence but constantly buy off traitors, like that Doihara. Some operate openly, some in shadow, some neither clearly open nor clearly hidden. Now all of China is covered with their intelligence network, everywhere there are Japanese spies and traitors, like a fly laying eggs on a cracked orange. The maggots grow bigger and bigger, stirring things up inside. On the surface, the orange peel is only damaged in one spot, but inside it’s already been drilled full of holes.”

“If my A’Zhi were a man, she’d definitely be a great general.”

Xie Chi punched his back, “Are you mocking me?”

“No.” He Feng smiled and closed his eyes, “You’re right. The little devils’ intelligence reconnaissance is indeed very good. They study our armies, even analyzing each general in detail – their backgrounds, capabilities, strategic habits. They constantly win over military and political personnel, using them to steal core secrets. This has also been one of my most important tasks these past two years – purging traitors.”

Xie Chi pried open his eyes, “Then why didn’t you say so earlier, bullying and humiliating me like that?”

“I couldn’t say.” He Feng lazily closed his eyes again, “You also gave me plenty of grief.”

“But you’re telling me now.”

“No choice, my lifeline is in your hands.”

Xie Chi reached her hand downward, and He Feng laughingly pulled her away, “Don’t fool around, it hurts. That’s my only weak spot.” He then embraced her, “There’s also another one – you.”

“I’ll protect myself well.”

“Then I’ll send you abroad.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Be good.”

“No.”

“Are you trying to worry me to death?” He Feng said with a laugh, “Carrying a gun at the front, but still having to worry about someone attacking from behind.”

“…” Xie Chi moved away a bit, “Stop talking, I’m sleepy.”

“Go to the northwest, it’s vast and sparsely populated there.”

Xie Chi didn’t want to continue this topic, “Fine, fine, fine, I’ll listen to you.”

He Feng rolled over and pressed her beneath him. Xie Chi braced her hands against his chest, “It’s almost dawn.”

He Feng pulled her hands away, “Then we’ll do it until dawn.”

…

He Feng was exhausted.

He had dark circles under his eyes, and had probably not slept well for many days. He slept deeply for the entire day.

Xie Chi watched him for a long time, then got up and dressed. She picked up his wet clothes from the floor, but felt something hard in the inner pocket of his jacket.

She took the object out, and when she saw it clearly, she was stunned for a moment.

It was a photograph.

It was taken casually when they were strolling on the street after attending the Pei family matriarch’s birthday banquet.

In the photo, she wore a white jacket, black pants, short boots, and a red cloak. She sat in a chair with her legs turned toward him, a faint smile on her lips. Beside her, He Feng had his hand on her shoulder, smiling happily at the camera.

She placed her fingers over the photograph, touching this spirited young man. Then she lay back down beside He Feng and watched him for a long time.

Xie Chi leaned closer and gently kissed his cheek. Just as she was about to pull away, He Feng smiled and pulled her into his arms, “Stealing a kiss from me.”

“You weren’t asleep?”

“I felt you kissing me, so I woke up.”

“Do you want to sleep a bit more?”

He Feng half-opened his eyes to look at her, “What kind of sleep?”

“The kind where you dream.”

He pulled her into his arms.

“You still have energy?”

“Nonsense.”

“How about we go eat something?”

He Feng lay on top of her, “Eating isn’t urgent, wait a bit.”

…

It wasn’t until nightfall that the two of them lazily got up.

Earlier, Xie Chi had taken his measurements. Although she hadn’t received a deposit, she had still made him a suit.

He Feng didn’t wear it – the suit was somewhat ostentatious and not quite suitable for the current situation.

So Xie Chi found a long robe of roughly the right size, made some minor alterations, and had him put it on.

They went to a small shop that Xie Chi frequented. The place was remote, located in a small alley. The owner was a young, beautiful widow with excellent cooking skills. The shop had few customers and the environment was simple, but clean and tidy.

Hot dishes took time, so they first served some pastries and steamed buns – all Nanjing specialty snacks.

He Feng picked up a piece and brought it to Xie Chi’s mouth. She pushed his hand away, “No, there are outsiders here.”

He Feng withdrew his hand, “Then you feed me.”

“Are you a child?”

“Yes.”

Xie Chi smiled and picked up a bun, stuffing it into his mouth, “Hope you choke on it.”

He Feng chewed twice and swallowed it whole. The owner brought over two bowls of noodles. He Feng took them, saying “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The owner looked He Feng over and said to Xie Chi, “First time I’ve seen you bring someone. Who is this?”

He Feng answered first: “Husband.”

Xie Chi didn’t deny it.

The owner was slightly surprised, “You’re married? I thought you were single.”

Xie Chi said flatly, “He went on a long trip and just returned.”

“How wonderful, you make a perfect match.” The owner smiled and went to the kitchen, “I’ll go stir-fry the dishes. Take your time eating.”

“Alright.”

“This owner has good eyes.” With that, He Feng rolled up a large portion of noodles and finished the entire bowl in four or five bites.

Xie Chi was amazed at his ravenous eating, “How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

“Almost two days.” He Feng put down the bowl, having drunk even the noodle soup clean.

“Why didn’t you say so last night?”

He Feng picked up a bun and stuffed it in his mouth in one bite, smiling at her, “I was busy eating you.”

Xie Chi helplessly called out, “Sister Chen, could we trouble you for another bowl of noodles?”

“Coming right up.”

…

Xie Chi had underestimated He Feng’s appetite, but thinking about it again, he was a tall, robust man who had exerted himself vigorously all night – it was normal.

When they left the restaurant, it was already very late. There were few people on the roads, and they walked hand in hand, leisurely strolling home through the main streets.

In all these years, He Feng had never walked so leisurely like this. Even when accompanying others for a few rounds, his heart was filled with schemes and disgust. He silently gazed at the road ahead, gripping his beloved woman’s hand tightly, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

He was thinking: if there were no war, perhaps they would already have children at their knees.

He Feng let out a brief laugh.

Xie Chi asked him, “What are you laughing about?”

He Feng looked down at her flat abdomen, “We’ve slept together so many times, how is there still no movement in your belly?”

“How would I know? It’s because you’re not up to the task.”

“I’m not up to the task?” He Feng bent down and touched her small belly, saying, “Sorry, I’ll be more capable in the future.”

“Do you want children?”

“Not now.” He straightened up and took her hand again, “We can have them later. Will you bear them for me?”

“If I won’t, will you find someone else to bear them?”

“If they don’t crawl out of your belly, then I don’t want them.” He Feng tilted his face up slightly, looking at the night sky, “I’ve even thought of names, back when I was in the mountain stronghold. A boy would be called He Shan, a girl would be called He Chuan.”

“…” Xie Chi frowned and looked at him with disgust, “So ugly.”

“Even if they’re ugly, you’ll have to accept them. I’m the father, this is my decision.”

“Fine, I’ll listen to you.”

The empty street was so quiet it chilled the heart.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Mm.”

He Feng glanced at her, “Aren’t you going to ask where I’m going?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“If I know, I’ll overthink things – both good news and bad news. Better not to know.” She looked up to meet his gaze, “No matter where you go, I just need to know where you’ll return to.”

“What if I die?”

“Then I won’t have news of your death either. I’ll just assume you’re still alive, fighting bravely against the enemy.” She looked away, “When the war is won, if you still haven’t returned, then I won’t wait for you anymore.”

“Won’t wait for me?” He Feng stopped and pulled her to face him, “Won’t wait for me – will you marry someone else?”

“I could marry someone, or I could live alone for the rest of my life.”

He Feng smiled and pulled her to continue walking, “You really put my mind at ease.” He patted her hand, “Even if I really don’t make it back alive, I’ll become a ghost and find you, stay with you.”

“You believe in that now?”

“I didn’t before, but I do now.”

“Why?”

“No particular reason, I just suddenly believe it.” He raised his right hand, “It’s just that this hand has been stained with too much blood. After death, I’ll most likely go to hell. I don’t know if we’ll be able to be together.”

“Then I will too, we’ll go to hell together.”

“You’re different. Those you killed weren’t really human, while I’m stained with much innocent blood.”

“So you often have nightmares?”

“How do you know?”

“I was woken up by you at noon. I saw you covered in sweat, frowning, looking very pained, and you’d make sounds.”

He Feng was stunned for a long moment, then smiled to lighten the mood, “What kind of sounds? Like the ones you make?”

Xie Chi helplessly pushed him, “You’re really annoying.”

…