Then how could Li Weiwen and Guo Yungang manage to go on dates in this new environment? After all, ever since Li Weiwen had agreed to meet him in private, they had managed only two brief encounters. She wasn't sure how to arrange a date with him or even what they should talk about. In this unfamiliar place she worried even more, not wanting others to discover their relationship while, in contrast, Guo Yungang seemed eager for everyone to know that his girlfriend was Li Weiwen, the girl with the green eyes. Someone might ask whether Li Weiwen had truly begun to love him. The answer was yes. During their two meetings, although Guo Yungang had done most of the talking and she had mostly listened, she could feel his attentiveness. Whenever a subject mad her uneasy, for example, when her mother, Shen Hui, was mentioned, he would immediately change the topic with quiet consideration. Later, when Li Weiwen spoke with Li Weibing about her date with Guo Yungang, Li Weibing suggested that if she didn't enjoy being with Guo Yungang, it might be best to break things off. But Li Weiwen lowered her head shyly and admitted that she wanted to give it more time before making a decision. In that moment, Li Weibing realized that her younger sister didn't dislike Guo Yungang at all. She simply didn't have figured out how to get along with him yet. So she offered her a few words of guidance and advice.
Guo Yungang was secretly delighted that Li Weiwen had been assigned to the same group this time. He hoped it would give him more chances to be with her. That was why he chose to live alone in a room, using the excuse that he needed space for work and keeping an oil lamp burning at night might disturb the others' sleep. In truth, he simply wanted a place where he could spend time with Li Weiwen in private. Although he longed for her to talk more and open up to him, he often found himself at a loss. She was so sensitive that he feared even a casual remark might hurt her. Once, he asked about her hobbies, she told him she liked reading. But when he tried to mention some books or novels, it turned out she had read very few, answering with a blank look that suggested unfamiliarity. It seemed that when it came to reading, her family, especially her mother, had been selective, allowing her only certain titles because of her young age. So Guo Yungang decided the best way forward was simply to spend more time together, hoping that shared moments would help them find common ground. After everything had settled into a routine, he invited Li Weiwen and another girl to his room for the first time, asking them to help sort through some documents and copy a few notes. Li Weiwen was given the task of writing. When the other girl finished organizing the files and left, Li Weiwen was still at the desk, working quietly beside him. As soon as the girl had gone, Guo Yungang reached over, gently took the pen from her hand and said softly:
"Don't write any more. These documents aren't urgent. You have the whole winter to finish them."
Hearing this, Li Weiwen knew it was only an excuse. She let him have his way and watched as he pulled out a small paper package, offering it to her.
"I bought this scarf for you when I was in Lanzhou." he explained. "Actually I wanted to give you at the base but I was afraid you might feel embarrassed if someone asked you about it. That's why I waited until now." he scratched his head awkwardly before continuing, "I'm not good at choosing gift to girls so I don't know whether you will like it, or whether it even suits you. If it doesn't, please forgive me."
She opened the package and found a light-green scarf inside. He added:
"I thought its colour is almost the same as your eyes. I imagined it would look beautiful on you, try it on, will you?"
She wrapped the scarf gently around her neck. At once she saw the delight and admiration shining in his eyes, which brought a flush to her cheeks. Shyly, she murmured:
"Thank you. I like it but it must have cost a lot, I..."
Before she could finish, he pressed a finger lightly on her lips and shook his head, saying:
"This is a gift for the girl I love. This is my choice, my will. Please don't say anything that would make me sad. Just accept it. That's all I ask."
Then he guided her to sit beside the stove and gave her a cup of hot water. Sitting close to her, he studied her face for a moment and then said:
"What are you reading now? Did you have read 'How the Steel Was Tempered'?"
"Yes, I have read it twice."
So he began to talk about its main character, Pavel Korchagin, and how he grew into a brave soldier. At last he said:
"He is the one I admire most. He is my role model and the goal I strive toward."
She replied:
"Yes, he truly is great, a figure we should all learn from. But I think what made him so remarkable, apart from his own passion and strong character, was the guidance and influence of Zhukhray. That laid the foundation for his future convictions and his simple, genuine revolutionary zeal."
"You're right. It is also what I think. What do you think of Tonia and her feelings for Pavel?"
"I think she is a lovely girl. Given the environment she grew up in, she didn't initially carry deep class prejudice. When Pavel saved her, she saw in him a boy different from those in her own world. She developed a naive, budding affection for him and even tried to help him. But, after all, they came from such different backgrounds, with different educations and life experiences. It was difficult for the two of them to truly come together." As she spoke, Li Weiwen suddenly thought of herself and Guo Yungang. A shadow passed over her heart. She went on quietly, "Yes... maybe it will be the same with us. Perhaps there will be no result. Maybe Sister Weibing is right. We shouldn't keep our relationship. A love without a future is..."
She trailed off, unable to finish the thought. Hearing this, he smiled and said:
"I don't agree with you. How can you compare yourself to Tonia? You didn't grow up in a privileged family or in a carefree living environment. You were raised in the New China, educated by our Great Chairman Mao and the Party. Now you're devoting your youth to building our country, just like Pavel Korchagin. So you and Tonia aren't the same at all." Then he cast a sly glance at Li Weiwen and added, "And you said 'our relationship', doesn't that mean you like me? Well, I am happy to hear this. You've finally admitted it."
Her face flushed crimson at this and she rushed to protest:
"No...no...it's not like that. The reason that I am with you is...."
But she actually couldn't find the words to finish. He reached out and gently lifted her chin, gazing into her green eyes.
"The reason doesn't matter to me." he said softly, "What matters is that you've already taken a step forward, trying to change your life and daring to take the first step forward. I promise you that first step will bring you happiness. Trust me, will you?"
Li Weiwen looked at him bravely but her voice trembled as she murmured:
"I'm scared. I fear all this will vanish like smoke. I'm afraid of bringing you trouble or holding back your future."
"Don't be afraid. You won't bring any trouble to me. My future doesn't belong to me alone. It belongs to both of us. Whatever comes, whether fortune or hardship, I will protect you well. Trust me."
Hearing this, she was deeply moved. At last, it seemed there was someone with the strength to help her escape the anxious, unsettled life she had always known. She had never doubted that her mother, Shen Hui, loved her, but in order to give her daughter a better chance, Shen Hui had to force heartlessly Li Weiwen to sever their bond as mother and child. Sister Liu'er loved her too but now she had her own family to consider. Even Li Weiwen herself couldn't allow Liu'er to be burdened by her entirely, though Liu'er had already done everything possible to care for her. For that, Li Weiwen carried a heart full of gratitude. Grandma You had watched her grow up and had always cared for her with all her heart, but she was getting older, her strength no longer what it once had been. If it were possible, Li Weiwen would have liked to take good care of her in the future, but for now she was powerless and she also feared that her own troubles might drag Grandma You down with her. Now this man before her was saying that he would protect her well. It seemed he might truly be someone she could rely on. Although to her it felt like a fragile, almost extravagant hope, she carefully hid it in the deepest corner of her heart, quiet savoring it and lingering on the sweetness it brought.
Suddenly she felt her lips brushed lightly, as if by a dragonfly's touch. Though startled, she made no attempt to resist. Guo Yungang noticed her reaction and felt a surge of delight. He pressed his lips to hers again ---- soft, cherry-like, tinted with a hint of rose ---- and gently parted her teeth with his tongue, seeking the tongue that tried to evade him, urging it into a delicate, tangled dance with his own. Li Weiwen's body went weak under the intensity of his deep kiss, and she melted into his arms. He whispered words of affection as his lips roamed over her cheeks, neck, lips and those captivating emerald eyes. Slowly, she began to respond, clumsily at first, to his deep, comsuming kiss.