The Rich Spring of the Southern Dynasties, Storms in the Wind and Rain Tower (3)

Yu Hao froze, not taking it.

Instructor Tang pushed the phone toward her again. Seeing Yu Hao's lack of reaction, he shot her an impatient look, urging her repeatedly. Only then did Yu Hao slowly reach out to take the phone.

The canteen was bustling with people, yet it was quiet. The soldiers ate with their heads down, concentrating on their food. Occasionally, Sun Kai could be heard teasing Zhao Dailin. Instructor Tang laughed along too. Zhao Dailin shot a death glare, and Sun Kai patted the shoulder of the soldier next to him, saying there was a reason Zhao Dailin couldn't get married.

Zhao Dailin retorted, "It's not strange, after all, even someone like you managed to find a wife."

The young soldier caught in the middle, chopsticks held to his lips, looked bewildered, glancing from one to the other, not daring to offend anyone. He finally decided to shut up and obediently lowered his head to eat.

Sun Kai and Zhao Dailin, however, were like they'd eaten gunpowder. They traded barbs, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, their war of words unending.

None of this seemed to have changed.

It was as if she could see Lu Huaizheng sitting to the side, watching them bicker while shaking his head and laughing at them speechlessly.

She pressed the phone to her ear.

But her heart was pounding. An inexplicable nervousness made her voice tremble slightly, as if a thorn was stuck in her throat. In a low voice, she said, "Hello."

The signal wasn't very good; the sound was intermittent.

Yu Hao took the phone away from her ear to look at it. The call hadn't dropped. She pressed it back to her ear and said "hello" a few more times. There was still no sound from the other end, only a jumble of noise coming through intermittently, but Lu Huaizheng just didn't speak. Yu Hao grew anxious. Was this really a case of the road to happiness being paved with setbacks? Instructor Tang's call had been fine just now, so why was it a problem for her to even say a word? As she was thinking this, the call disconnected...

Just as it disconnected.

A text message beeped on the phone.

"Just accidentally passed through a no-signal zone. Wait a moment."

Yu Hao waited for half an hour. Instructor Tang had already finished his meal, but Lu Huaizheng still hadn't called back.

Afternoon.

The leaves drooped, and the wind howled, like the cry of wolves in these deep mountains, making the windows rattle and shake. The weather was getting colder and colder.

Yu Hao was in the office, looking through Lu Huaizheng's old medical records and some of his routine psychological monitoring data.

She realized that besides these records and data, she seemed to have nothing else of his.

Sometimes she would stare at this data for half a day.

Lu Huaizheng, Male, 184cm.

Graduate of the Air Force Command College.

All other information is classified.

Further down were his evaluation data from before or after every flight over the years, as well as his treatment records from two years ago.

Next to it was a one-inch ID photo of Lu Huaizheng with a red background. He was wearing the light blue Air Force service uniform and a hat, his tie and buttons done up neatly and meticulously. The contours of his face were clear and clean as he looked at the camera with a very serious and earnest expression.

It must have been taken when he first enlisted; his face was very fair. Looking closely now, Yu Hao noticed a very, very faint mole at the corner of his eye, so faint it was almost non-existent. She had never noticed it before. Compared to back then, she much preferred the way Lu Huaizheng looked now. In high school, he had been a bit too unreliable, full of youthful pride. Whenever he felt wronged, he would act spoiled with her, just like a child.

Now he was mature and magnanimous, and even more handsome than before. The childishness of his youth had faded, and his eyes were deeper than they had been back then, yet they sparked curiosity, drawing people in to their very core. He never said anything, never complained about hardship or fatigue. He understood the greater good, knew the ways of the world, and yet felt compassion for even flowers and trees. It just made people unable to help but feel for him.

And he looked best in his military uniform.

Yu Hao stared at the one-inch photo, unable to resist stroking it lightly with her hand.

"Bang!" The window was suddenly shut.

Yu Hao looked up. Zhao Dailin had closed the window and was walking toward her. Realizing what was happening, Yu Hao frantically started to gather the documents.

Zhao Dailin pressed her hand down.

"Don't worry about it."

"Huh?"

Zhao Dailin sighed, crossed her arms, and leaned her hip against the edge of the desk. "I just called Professor Han to report Lu Huaizheng's situation. Professor Han said that for now, we can't report this to the leadership."

"Why?"

Zhao Dailin explained, "Professor Han just gave me a very objective analysis. Our understanding of this matter is still incomplete. Maybe Di Yanni didn't use the wrong medication, maybe we're just overcorrecting. Her paper back then did cause a huge stir in the academic world. Do you remember those professors who supported her? There was that famous psychology Ph.D. from abroad, Marcy Eddie, remember? The one who once replied to your email. He also replied to Di Yanni. Di Yanni even posted it on her WeChat Moments. Marcy Eddie expressed strong support for her views and admired her scientific attitude. In the email, he excitedly replied to Di Yanni with two 'perfects'. If we want to oppose this view, it means we have to stand up against half the academic world. Are you prepared for that? Do you want to push Professor Han into the eye of the storm?"

Marcy Eddie really was a professor who loved to reply to emails.

Yu Hao said, as if it were a joke, "If that's the attitude of science, then how many people will become sacrificial lambs for experiments? Senior Sister Zhao, I thought we were the same." At this point, Yu Hao looked away, disappointed.

Zhao Dailin sneered, "Academic issues are inherently controversial. It's just that Di Yanni was too bold and radical in her practice. And among those who supported her, how many were originally targeting Professor Han? Do you know?"

Academic discussions were inherently confrontational, and Han Zhichen was a straightforward person. He had been difficult to deal with in his youth, and his temper had only become more direct with age. His attitude toward science had always been consistent, but in the eyes of some, he was a thorn in their side.

"I can publish a paper in my own name."

Zhao Dailin reminded her, "But you're still in Professor Han's lab."

"Then I can quit Professor Han's lab," Yu Hao said, her neck stiff.

Zhao Dailin was completely stunned. She took a breath to calm herself, leaned against the desk, and stared at her, trying her best to speak in a calm and collected tone. "I'm not saying we won't do it. I just think this matter requires more careful consideration. We can't be impulsive. I read the paper you wrote overnight. Your wording is harsh and critical, which is not your usual style at all. Haven't I warned you? Even if you fall in love with someone, you can't lose yourself."

"I haven't lost myself." Yu Hao smiled bitterly, turning her face away uncomfortably. "And I haven't fallen in love with anyone yet."

"Stop being stubborn. How many times have you looked at your phone this afternoon? Need I remind you?"

Yu Hao said nothing.

Seeing that her attitude had softened, Zhao Dailin's tone also gentled. "I'm not saying we won't fight this battle. Do you think Professor Han is someone who's afraid of trouble? He offended so many people for the antidepressant experiment back then, so why would he be afraid of offending Di Yanni now? If you want to fight, we'll fight with you. What does half the academic circle matter? But Lu Huaizheng can't know about this."

Yu Hao wasn't stupid; she could have figured that out.

If it were her, and two years later she was suddenly told that she might have been treated with illegally large doses of medication, how would she, the person involved, feel?

She wouldn't let him bear that pressure.

She just felt a pang of heartache for him. She nodded almost imperceptibly.

Zhao Dailin added, "As for the leadership, Professor Han said to give him some time. He needs more data to make the case. Besides, Lu Huaizheng is Li Hongwen's favorite. Professor Han is afraid Li Hongwen won't be able to accept it. So, this matter can't be rushed. Both sides need time."

"Understood."

Zhao Dailin ruffled her hair, then went out to call Professor Han.

Yu Hao sat in the office all afternoon. The wind outside seemed to have grown stronger. Beyond the tightly shut window sashes, a fierce wind raged, blowing sand and stones about. The sky gradually darkened. The shadows of the trees in the north wind were reflected on the windowpane, like a trapped beast baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, dancing wildly on the glass.

The phone on the desk rang.

It was Lu Huaizheng.

She took a breath and answered.

The familiar voice on the other end of the line made her want to cry, a feeling she hadn't had in a long time. "Yu Hao."

Her toes fiddled aimlessly on the floor. Yu Hao sniffled very quietly, tilted her head up slightly to force the tears back, and gripped the phone, gently humming in response.

The person on the other end was taken aback.

"Crying?"

"..."

Did he have to be so perceptive?

Yu Hao didn't speak.

"Speak," he urged, his tone anxious.

"Why are you being so fierce," Yu Hao whimpered softly.

She thought he would tease her again, but unexpectedly, he let out a soft, low chuckle and then sincerely apologized to her, "Sorry, I've gotten used to shouting at people these past few years."

Yu Hao lowered her head and said, "You don't have to apologize to me."

A moment of silence.

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because I miss you," she said, half-joking, half-serious.

Lu Huaizheng hadn't expected Yu Hao to be so direct and was momentarily at a loss for words. He smiled, pursing his lips, and after a long moment, managed to squeeze out, "I don't believe you."

"It's true. You said you would call me, so I waited all afternoon. See? Didn't I pick up before the phone even finished its first ring?"

In fact, she had answered before the ring had even finished.

After the signal dropped, he had been dragged away by Li Hongwen to a nearby village to check on the locals. The villagers were enthusiastic and insisted on having them stay for a full meal before letting them go. Li Hongwen wasn't pretentious at all; he liked to take off his jacket and sit at people's doorways, ready to chat about anything from this year's harvest to livestock farming, with Lu Huaizheng accompanying him at his side. They went from one house to the next, talking about everything. The villagers were hospitable and insisted on slaughtering a chicken to make a dish to go with Li Hongwen's drink. Li Hongwen said there was no need to go to the trouble and happily ate some pickles and radishes. When an old grandmother saw Lu Huaizheng in his training uniform, a strong young man, she insisted her husband chop up the chicken, saying that pickles and radishes weren't nearly enough for this child. Lu Huaizheng had to persuade her for a long time before she would spare the chicken.

By the time they left the village, it was nearly six o'clock.

Only then did he immediately grab his phone to call her.

"I was unexpectedly dragged away by my superior to visit some homes."

"Oh."

Lu Huaizheng stood outside the building, one hand holding the phone, one foot propped on a step, and lowered his head to coax her, "Are you angry?"

"When did you finish making that sand?" Yu Hao asked instead.

Lu Huaizheng put his other hand in his pocket, looked up at the sky, and squinted, trying hard to remember.

On the day of her competition, Lu Huaizheng indeed hadn't finished it yet. At first, he didn't know that coloring the sand would be so difficult. After using ordinary paint markers, he found the coloring was a bit uneven, and worse, it faded after two washes.

He later specifically sought out a master of polishing and glazing to learn, only to find out how difficult the process was.

The sand had to be soaked through, then colored with a brush, repeatedly rinsed with clean water several times, and after a clear coat was applied and it had dried, it had to be repeatedly moistened with clean water again. The whole process was very complicated. By the time he was done, Yu Hao's competition was already over. He felt quite embarrassed at the time, so he never gave it to her.

But later, over so many years, he could always remember the feeling he had when he was making that sand for her.

At that time, he truly felt that whatever was unique in the world, he had to give it to her, and no one else. No one.

But there was no need for her to know these feelings now.

"After your competition ended."

Yu Hao let out another long "oh."

Neither of them spoke again.

Yu Hao tentatively asked, "Should I hang up then?"

She heard a low laugh from the other end, his voice inexplicably alluring. "Do you really miss me, Yu Hao?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"No, you haven't." He let out a breath. It seemed like he was smoking; she could imagine the look in his eyes when he smoked.

Lu Huaizheng stubbed out the cigarette. He brought the foot that was propped on the step back down and ground out the cigarette butt on the ground.

Yu Hao heard his voice.

Carried on the howling wind, it was exceptionally clear, as if it would pierce the clouds and moon, flowing with the currents of past years to drill straight into her ears.

"I miss you too. Very, very much."

"I'm not talking about today, but every single day for the past twelve years."

He added.

The author has something to say:

A quick note:

From the very beginning, I never tagged this novel as a "sweet" novel, because their relationship has indeed been very angsty. A twelve-year separation is more angsty than anything, so I don't dare to use the "sweet" tag. It will naturally get sweet later on, but there will still be ups and downs. If it were sweet all the way to the end, the story would be too bland.

However, this story was always meant to be on the calmer side. There will be a climax later on.