Shi Guang picked up today’s newspaper and took a sip of tea. “How is the matter with the New Moon Gazette coming along?”

“Following your instructions, we have already had them publish the article about the Military Police Department coercing women into being used as bait. The New Moon Gazette has a wide circulation, so I believe many people have seen it.” Zuo Liang answered respectfully.

“And yet why haven’t I heard anyone talking about it?” Shi Guang opened the newspaper. The front page headline was, surprisingly, a poem. “What is this?”

Zuo Liang glanced at it, equally puzzled.

At that moment, San Yitai of the Shi household, Du Linghua, happened to be passing by the garden. Catching sight of Shi Guang, Du Linghua smiled and stepped forward. “Congratulations, Second Young Master.”

“Congratulations for what?”

“The Sixth Miss of the Yan family is not only beautiful, but her literary talent is absolutely first-rate. Just look — the Times and the New Capital Gazette have both published her latest work, and it made front-page headlines. People all over the streets are competing to buy copies. See for yourself — this poem, ‘You Are the April of This World,’ is truly breathtaking. I am almost becoming one of her devoted poetry admirers.”

Du Linghua held up the newspaper, smiled at Shi Guang, then turned and left.

Shi Guang said in a low voice, “Go and find out what is going on.”

“Yes, sir.”

After Zuo Liang withdrew, Shi Guang quietly read aloud from the poem:

*I say you are the April of this world;*

*Your laughter lights up the four winds;*

*Graceful and luminous, you dance through spring’s radiant glory.*

*You are the clouds and mist of early April skies,*

*At dusk, the gentle breath of wind,*

*……*

*……*

*You are trees upon trees breaking into bloom,*

*Swallows murmuring between the rafters,*

*You are love, you are warmth, you are hope,*

*You are the April of this world!*

“You Are the April of This World” quickly spread throughout all of Shun Cheng. On every street and lane, nearly everyone had a copy of the newspaper in hand.

In this era that revered elegance and refinement, in this era where poetry served as a bridge between hearts, a truly beautiful poem could stir up winds and waves, adding momentum to whatever was already in motion.

The article in the New Moon Gazette that had disparaged the Military Police Department was swiftly forgotten. What everyone was discussing over tea was this poem, “You Are the April of This World.”

“Miss, this is wonderful!” Jing Zhi cried out with delight. “Everyone in the city is talking about this poem now. Nobody is paying attention to Han Xiling’s matter anymore.”

Yan Qing herself had not expected such an effect. She only regretted that she had not memorized more poems from the Republican era. If she had memorized a few more, she could rely on them as a livelihood in desperate times.

When she thought about it, she only knew a handful. The talented Lin Huiyin had composed many poems, but the only one Yan Qing could recite from memory was this most celebrated one, “You Are the April of This World.”

Yan Qing pressed her palms together and murmured silently, “I am sorry, Mr. Xu, Miss Lin.”

“Miss, what are you saying?” Jing Zhi tilted her head in puzzlement.

“It is nothing.” Yan Qing smiled and glanced out the window. “The weather is lovely today.”

“Would Miss like to go for a walk?”

Yan Qing was just about to agree when Murong hurried in. “Miss, there is a letter for you.”

“A letter for me?” Since arriving in this lifetime, Yan Qing had never once received a letter.

Murong handed over the envelope.

It was a white envelope, its edges decorated with a border of blue and red checks. On it were written just four characters: “For Yan Qing’s eyes only.”

Yan Qing found the handwriting familiar. She opened it and saw, just as she had suspected, that it was indeed Shi Ting’s hand.

Seeing Yan Qing’s brow smooth and a smile play at her lips, the two maids exchanged glances and quietly covered their mouths to hide their laughter.

“Miss, it must be Director Shi, right?” Jing Zhi giggled.

Yan Qing shot her a reproachful look and carefully tucked the letter away. “Where is Fairy Bathing Cove on the Bi Liu River?”

“The Bi Liu River is a moat around the city. Fairy Bathing Cove is a stretch of the river, famous for its plump crucian carp.”

“No wonder he said he wants to go fishing there.”

“So Director Shi has invited Miss to go fishing!”

Yan Qing’s face flushed. “You two — always laughing. Stop standing there and go get things ready.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” The two maids giggled and scurried off.

Yan Qing spread out the letter in her hands once more. Gazing at those bold, vigorous strokes, the corners of her mouth lifted without her even realizing it.

This time she went out, neither Murong nor Jing Zhi went along.

When Shi Ting came to pick up Yan Qing, he asked where they were. Yan Qing gave a helpless smile. “Two people getting an upset stomach at the same time — do you believe that?”

Shi Ting inwardly praised Murong and Jing Zhi, but outwardly affected a look of regret. “What a shame — the crucian carp at Fairy Bathing Cove is the finest there is.”

After boarding the car, Yan Qing discovered that Shi Ting himself was at the wheel. He had not brought his driver, Old Zhao. Shi Ting said that, as luck would have it, Old Zhao also had an upset stomach.

\~

Fairy Bathing Cove lay on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by a dense grove of trees. Beside the grove stretched a meadow, and the meadow ran right up to the edge of the river bend.

A small embankment had been built along the curve of the river, and it was here that most fishing enthusiasts tended to gather.

Because there were trees and grassland, the car could not drive in, so Shi Ting pushed Yan Qing’s wheelchair for a long distance before they finally reached the embankment.

The sky was clear and a gentle breeze touched their faces. The embankment, however, was completely deserted.

Shi Ting scanned the traces of water and scattered odds and ends left on the ground. “Someone must have come here today.”

“This is a fine spot for fishing. It would not be strange for people to come.”

“Have you ever fished before?” Shi Ting crouched to one side, arranging the fishing rod and bait.

“No.” Yan Qing said with a touch of regret. “Fishing isn’t allowed in the Huangpu River.”

“What river?”

Yan Qing laughed. “A nameless little river near my uncle’s home.”

Tai Shan County was under the jurisdiction of Shun Cheng, and Shi Ting could recite every river in Tai Shan County from memory, large or small — but he could not recall any river called the Huangpu River.

“Is this the bait? It looks rather revolting.”

What Shi Ting was handling were long, flat worm-like creatures, their bodies coated in fine sand, writhing ceaselessly inside the container.

“These are sandworms — they live beneath the mud of the seabed and are a favorite food of fish.” He threaded a piece of bait onto the hook and handed the rod to Yan Qing. “Give it a try.”

“Do I just throw it in like this?”

“There are no fish close to shore, so you need to cast the line as far out as you can.”

He wrapped his hand around her wrist and guided her to fling the line out into the water. “Fishing requires patience. You must not be impatient.”

“And now?”

“Wait.” As he spoke, Shi Ting had already baited his own hook and, with practiced ease, cast his own line into the river.

The two sat not far apart, each holding a rod. The river surface was calm, and in the distance, mountains rose in layered ridges. Occasionally a bird skimmed low across the water.

“Yan Qing.” Shi Ting suddenly spoke. “Thank you.”

“Thank you? For what?” Yan Qing kept her eyes fixed unblinkingly on her fishing rod, gripping it tightly.

“The poem in the newspaper — you published it on purpose, didn’t you?”

Yan Qing finally looked over at him.

“Someone used the New Moon Gazette to spread words damaging to the Military Police Department. Once you discovered this, you wrote a poem and sent it to every major newspaper office. Those offices had long been eager to publish your work but had been unable to obtain any, so of course they would print it prominently and give it wide coverage. Shun Cheng has been peaceful and prosperous these past few years, and many residents have cultivated a love of the arts. People have taken to composing poems, and famous verses can be recited even by old women on the street corners. So the moment your poem appeared in the papers, it sparked city-wide discussion, and the damaging words against the Military Police Department were naturally buried.” His voice was very gentle, his gaze fixed on the river’s surface as he spoke.

Yan Qing smiled with a hint of embarrassment. “I just thought that article was utterly outrageous — complete nonsense — and besides, I had no idea that one poem of mine could create such a far-reaching effect.”

“You have a bite.”

“What?”

“You have a fish on the line.”

Only then did Yan Qing feel the rod trembling in her hands. She was so startled she cried out. “Shi Ting, what do I do?”

Shi Ting set down his own rod and came over. His slender hand closed over hers. “Don’t panic. Fishing is a contest of wits between you and the fish. The more you panic, the faster it will get away.”

He held her hand with one hand and used the other to reel in the line. “You cannot move too slowly — the fish will escape — but you cannot move too quickly either, or it will also escape.”

Yan Qing was so frightened she dared not move a muscle. She had not been this nervous even during her first autopsy.

Fortunately, Shi Ting was here. Whenever he was at her side, it seemed as though any difficulty could be resolved.

Once that sense of trust takes root, it grows like bamboo shoots after rain — vigorous, reaching to the sky.

“Got it.” Shi Ting gripped Yan Qing’s hand and gave a swift pull backward. As the line broke the surface, a great fish, gleaming silver, leaped from the water.

Yan Qing cried out in excitement. “We caught it! We caught it!”

The fish arced a beautiful silver streak through the air and landed with a thud behind the two of them.

In her delight, Yan Qing caught a glimpse of the hand holding hers. His knuckles were even and his fingers long and elegant. There is a saying that a handsome man always has a pair of perfect hands, and many women are devoted admirers of fine hands.

Her own hand was small, enclosed within his along with the rod. His chest pressed lightly against her side, and as he reeled in the line, the edge of his jacket brushed softly across her cheek.

She had never drunk wine, yet now she felt an intoxicated, dizzy warmth.

“A big one.” Shi Ting released her hand. His palm still held the lingering warmth of hers.

Her hand was so small and soft. If he could, he truly wished to go on holding it and never let go.

Shi Ting lifted the fish from the hook and weighed it in his hand. “About six hundred grams.”

Wild crucian carp were usually small, so one that had grown to over half a kilogram was already considered a large specimen.

“Your rod looks like it moved too.” Yan Qing pointed excitedly.

Shi Ting picked up his rod and reeled it in with practiced skill. Another large fish broke the surface, flashing silver-white in the sunlight.

Yan Qing experienced the joy of fishing for the first time. With the earlier experience to draw on, she was soon able to reel in a few smaller fish on her own.

“Who do you think is behind the New Moon Gazette matter?” Yan Qing gazed at the river surface and asked, as though in passing.

Shi Ting did not hesitate. “Shi Guang.”

Yan Qing was startled. So he had already traced the person behind it.

When it comes to the struggle for power, even brothers are no different from anyone else.

Shi Guang was shrewd and jealous by nature. He had surely seen through Shi Ting’s purposes in building up the Military Police Department long ago.

In terms of closeness, it was Shi Guang who was betrothed to Yan Qing — yet because of this affair, she felt nothing but greater contempt for him. Perhaps this was what people called having a protective bias.

As for what passed between the two brothers, Yan Qing did not feel it was her place to comment.

She glanced at the sky in the distance. The pressure was dropping, and dark clouds were gathering.

As the saying goes, the weather in June can change in an instant. A moment ago it had been brilliant sunshine; now the sky was overcast and heavy. By all appearances, it was about to rain.

—