DCFRP Extra 35

TL: Hua

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Regarding what happened that night at Yamada Ichiro’s residence, many different versions later circulated.

Some said that Xun Qian flew into a rage for his beloved because Yamada Ichiro had kidnapped Qi Xiaoyu, so Xun Qian came seeking revenge.

Others said that Xun Qian was fulfilling his promise to avenge the dead students, so he led a charge into Yamada Ichiro’s lair.

Still others claimed that the two countries were about to go to war, and Xun Qian was making a preemptive strike.

There were even vivid descriptions of what transpired that night.

For example, some said Xun Qian, dressed in military uniform and carrying a gun, directly stormed the mansion, killing anyone he saw, be they man or ghost.

He supposedly slaughtered all of Yamada Ichiro’s men and then turned back.

Others recounted how Xun Qian held a gun to Yamada Ichiro’s forehead, warning him, “If you dare touch a single hair on Qi Xiaoyu’s head, I’ll make you pay with your life.”

The whole process was described as exhilarating, with the enemy being utterly defeated, much to everyone’s satisfaction.

Although such things couldn’t be reported in the newspapers, they spread even faster than front-page headlines.

After Xun Qian stormed into Yamada Ichiro’s mansion and killed people that night,

By the next morning, it had already spread throughout Shanghai.

From the streets and alleys to the Paramount and the college, everyone was discussing it.

However, such recklessness came at a significant cost.

On the day the first snow fell in Shanghai, Xun Qian was dismissed from his post and placed under house arrest.

The Nationalist government, in order to appease the Japanese military, even allowed Japanese soldiers to storm the commander’s residence and conduct a thorough search from top to bottom.

It was even rumored that Xun Qian’s family in the north had also been dismissed and placed under house arrest.

****

When Qi Xiaoyu woke up from his deep sleep, the light outside was a bit dazzling.

He squinted his eyes, still unable to adjust to such bright light, so he raised his hand to shield his eyes.

Immediately afterward, he felt something warm and gentle licking his palm a few times.

Just by the warmth and the sensation, he guessed it was Xiaohei’s tongue.

He moved his hand up a little bit, revealing a small gap, and squinted down. What came into view was indeed a wet nose and a pair of dark, round eyes.

Seeing him wake up, Xiao Hei eagerly licked his palm a few times, then raised his head and barked at the sky.

Soon, the sound of a door being pushed open and footsteps came from outside.

Qi Xiaoyu’s hand was still over his eyes. He turned his head slightly to see that it was indeed Xun Qian entering.

Xun Qian sat down by the bed, looked down at him, and said softly, “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? The doctor is outside.”

Qi Xiaoyu shook his head, his voice nasal. “What time is it now? How long have I been asleep?”

His head still ached a bit, his body was sore, and he felt a little weak all over, but it was within his tolerable range.

“You’ve been asleep for two and a half days. It’s six in the morning now.”

“Why is it so bright so early?”

“It snowed.”

“It snowed? No wonder.”

Qi Xiaoyu had already adjusted to the light. He lowered his hand, turned his head to look out the window, and indeed saw the treetops and the opposite rooftops covered in thick snow.

This was the first snow of the year. Winter Solstice hadn’t even arrived yet, but it had already snowed so heavily.

But… he then realized that the scenery outside was a bit unfamiliar.

Outside the window of Xun Qian’s bedroom were parasol trees, and he couldn’t see the rooftops of other houses across the way.

He looked around the room again. Opposite the bed was a dark green leather sofa, and beside it was a brown chest of drawers. The layout of the whole room was a bit small. This wasn’t the Commander’s residence.

“Where is this?”

Xun Qian grabbed his hand, as if afraid he would disappear before his eyes, and after a moment said, “The Viant Hotel on Taifu Road. We’ll be staying here for a while.”

Qi Xiaoyu’s eyes flickered, and he immediately realized something was wrong. “What happened while I was unconscious these past two days? What about Miss Xue? Where is she? She has a letter.”

“Yes. I know. I sent people to look for her before, but they couldn’t find her. Unexpectedly, Yamada Ichiro’s people got to her first.”

“How is she now?”

“She’s fine, don’t worry. I’ve sent people to protect her. As for other things…” Xun Qian briefly recounted what had happened in the past day and night.

Xun Qian’s narration was very calm, from the moment he broke into Yamada Ichiro’s mansion to his dismissal and the thorough search of the commander’s residence.

After listening, Qi Xiaoyu, disregarding the soreness in his body, suddenly sat up in bed, his eyes wide. “A search? What about the engineering blueprint? Is it safe?”

Xun Qian lowered his eyes, a complicated look flashing across them. “I can’t be certain.”

Qi Xiaoyu understood Xun Qian. Xun Qian always acted with great confidence, even breaking into Yamada Ichiro’s mansion. This was the first time he had heard an uncertain answer from him and the first time he had seen such a dark and ambiguous look on Xun Qian’s face.

He stared at Xun Qian.

Xun Qian looked at him, his expression weary. “We’ll know in a few days. It shouldn’t take long.”

Qi Xiaoyu looked at him, then after a long while, nodded.

****

They secretly settled down in the Viant Hotel.

None of the others had followed them. Apart from Xiao Hei, Zhang Han, Butler Cheng… all remained at the Commander’s residence.

The only people who came into contact with them at the hotel were a doctor and a waiter. There was no one else.

To the outside world, Xun Qian was under house arrest, so it was best not to appear in public. With his appearance, he was too easily recognized once he went out.

And Qi Xiaoyu was missing in action to the outside world, so he couldn’t show his face casually either. There were also quite a few people who knew him.

Even the Red Moon Troupe…

Xun Qian… they had to…

They secretly stayed here, not going out and not seeing anyone.

Once, Qi Xiaoyu joked, “Do you think we look more like a pair of young lovers eloping or a pair of adulterous lovers sneaking around?”

He had never lived such a life with Xun Qian before.

They hadn’t even gotten married yet, but they were already “secretly” living together.

They couldn’t go anywhere, so they stayed in the hotel suite.

Xun Qian was mostly quiet. He seemed to have something on his mind. Apart from talking to Qi Xiaoyu, he would quietly sit on the sofa and read.

Qi Xiaoyu didn’t talk much either. He had been too tired these past three years, constantly on the go. It was rare to have such a leisurely time, reading and writing, without having to think about anything.

They kept each other company, comforted each other, and in this chaotic world, they were each other’s most trusted and most reliable support.

Of course, there was also a dog.

Ever since Qi Xiaoyu woke up, Xiao Hei had been constantly circling around him, never leaving his side.

If Qi Xiaoyu was in the living room, Xiao Hei would follow him to the living room. If Qi Xiaoyu went back to sleep, Xiao Hei would lie down by his bed, just like Xun Qian, as if worried that Qi Xiaoyu would disappear again.

That day by the river, Xiao Hei was the first to find him.

Xiao Hei probably smelled his scent, and like an arrow shot from a bow, he rushed towards him, barking madly at the water, attracting other rescuers. Then he jumped into the water, bit his clothes with his teeth, and dragged him out.

If Xiao Hei and Xun Qian had arrived any later, he might have drowned.

Qi Xiaoyu rubbed Xiao Hei’s head and threw a piece of cooked white meat into his bowl.

Qi Xiaoyu stayed in bed for a few days, getting injections and taking medicine, and his body quickly recovered.

Once he could get out of bed and move around, the first thing he did was cook. The food that the waiter somehow managed to get was the same every day.

The food he cooked himself was much better. Xiao Hei was greedy, and so was Xun Qian.

****

And so, they stayed at the Viant Hotel for almost fifteen days.

During these fifteen days, although they couldn’t go out, they could often hear the sounds of student demonstrations outside, demanding that the Nationalist government reinstate Xun Qian’s position.

The Viant Hotel was deep within a grove of plane trees, and their room was even further inside, but the waves of sound still reached them, one after another, continuously.

One night, fifteen days later, a sudden, urgent knock came from outside the hotel door.

Xiao Hei jumped up from the carpet with a whoosh.

Qi Xiaoyu and Xun Qian were both startled awake from their light sleep.

Qi Xiaoyu lifted the quilt and was about to get up.

Xun Qian pressed his hand down. “It’s nothing; you continue sleeping.”

Xun Qian, wearing a thin nightgown and without time to put on a coat, went to open the door. Soon, voices came from outside.

Once the voices stopped, Xun Qian returned.

Qi Xiaoyu sat up in bed, watching Xun Qian walk in. Xun Qian’s expression was a bit… strange. It was unclear whether it was relief or deeper sorrow.

Qi Xiaoyu asked, “Did Zhang Han come? Why would he come looking for us so late… Did something happen?”

Xun Qian sat down opposite him but only looked at him quietly, his dark eyes filled with unclear and unspeakable emotions.

Qi Xiaoyu didn’t ask anymore, just held Xun Qian’s hand tightly.

After a while, Xun Qian finally spoke, his voice deep and calm, “The coal mine in Jiangbei exploded.”

There were no coal mines in Shanghai itself. The one in Jiangbei, in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, was the very coal mine that the Japanese had forcibly seized.

It had rich coal reserves and was close to the port, which solved the Japanese’ current resource shortage, so they had hurriedly sent many military officers to mine it.

This explosion would inevitably result in heavy losses for them.

But accidents in coal mines were common, so who could they blame?

Qi Xiaoyu murmured in response, “The coal mine exploded?”

Xun Qian nodded.

Time stood still, and suddenly the sound of heavy snow breaking dead branches outside could be heard.

Qi Xiaoyu asked again, “How did the coal mine explode?”

Xun Qian looked at him without speaking, but his eyes revealed a mixture of relief and deep sorrow.

“You…” Qi Xiaoyu was quick-witted. His mind raced, and he almost understood half of it. He was stunned for a moment, then said somewhat hastily, “You and Jiang Sicheng… you… that engineering blueprint… was it taken away by Yamada Ichiro during the search?”

Xun Qian nodded again. “I didn’t know Jiang Sicheng and their plan beforehand.”

“Then…”

“When I got that engineering blueprint, I saw the problem. I had seen the map of that coal mine before. With a comparison, I could see that there was a fatal flaw in the engineering blueprint.”

Qi Xiaoyu’s heart tightened. “Did Yamada Ichiro see it?”

Xun Qian’s voice was deeper than ever before. “He saw it. So from the beginning, he didn’t plan to mine the Jiangbei coal mine according to this engineering blueprint. That’s why the students from the Communist Association thought of a way to steal the real blueprint.”

Qi Xiaoyu gasped. This matter was much more cruel than knowing that Jiang Sicheng and the others had been caught and killed by Yamada Ichiro. The former was a failed plan and unfortunate capture, while the latter was a willing sacrifice, making their deaths a part of the plan.

“To dispel Yamada Ichiro’s doubts and make him completely believe that this blueprint was real, they deliberately sacrificed themselves.”

No wonder Xun Qian has been so unusual these past few days. Even he felt a prick in his heart.

“So… you also played along and let them steal the engineering blueprint again?”

Xun Qian didn’t speak.

The two of them fell into silence.

The successful plan should have been a cause for celebration, but they both felt even heavier than before.

Qi Xiaoyu recalled the scene when he first met Jiang Sicheng at the entrance of the Laurel Stage, remembered his nonchalant manner at the banquet, remembered those smiling and dancing students, and the music gently drifting in the evening breeze that night… An indescribable sorrow suddenly surged in his heart.

The cold wind blew through the ice-covered treetops, the coldest moment before dawn.

Xun Qian and Qi Xiaoyu couldn’t sleep. They simply stood by the window, waiting for the dawn to arrive.

They stood silently side by side, without a word.

Although Xun Qian had long known the history of this great era, knowing it was one thing, and being in the midst of it was another. He found it to be completely different.

In history, in written records, there were a few battles and cold numbers of deaths, but experiencing it firsthand, he knew that every day, every moment, was so vivid and bloody.

This era had overwhelming storms, but it also had a power that no other era had ever possessed.