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A bucket of cold water poured down, chilling Liu Zhaoren's fiery heart. So that was it; no wonder Hanno deliberately avoided his advances—she already had someone she liked! After all these years, even if they had mutual feelings in high school, time had eroded them. Moreover, he had been married, so it was only natural for Hanno to seek her own love.
"Um..." Liu Zhaoren swallowed hard and asked bitterly, "How long has Wei Feng been missing? Is there any chance he can come back?"
Shen Chuiyang lowered his gaze and replied, "Almost a year. The organization has already filed a report of sacrifice, but Hanno doesn't believe it. She thinks Wei Feng will definitely return."
Liu Zhaoren forced a bitter smile and asked, "Did you figure it out?"
Shen Chuiyang looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Liu Zhaoren stated firmly, "You noticed I like Hanno, so you said those things to discourage me."
Shen Chuiyang didn't deny it. "I'm sorry, but I thought you should know. Hanno is a stubborn person; she believes that if Wei Feng isn't dead, she will never accept anyone else. I don't want to see you waste your time on her."
Liu Zhaoren said nothing and left Shen Chuiyang with a sense of loss, declining the offer from Shen Chuiyang and Chang Miao to drive him home. As he walked out of the building, he neither called a taxi nor took the bus, wandering aimlessly down the street. The news he had just heard hit him hard; Shen Chuiyang's words completely severed any possibility he had with Hanno, leaving him struggling to accept it. After all, how could more than a decade of love just vanish?
"Liu Zhaoren! Hey, Liu Zhaoren, what are you doing?" A hand slapped Liu Zhaoren's shoulder.
Reacting instinctively, Liu Zhaoren twisted away as if dealing with a bandit or a playful comrade, resulting in a series of pained cries. "Ouch! That hurts! Let go!"
Realizing what had happened, Liu Zhaoren quickly released his grip and asked, "Are you okay?"
Lansiya rubbed her arm. "It almost broke! What about you?"
Liu Zhaoren felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry; I was too rough just now. But you were at fault too for tapping me on the shoulder from behind."
Lansiya pouted, feeling wronged. "I called you, but you didn't respond, so I had no choice but to take action. Who knows what you were thinking, that you couldn't even hear me calling."
Liu Zhaoren realized he was in the wrong and apologized again. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again. Does your arm hurt a lot? Do you want me to help massage it?"
"Yes, of course," Lansiya replied eagerly.
Liu Zhaoren couldn't help but feel a bit awkward as he looked around. "It's not convenient here on the street; let's find a quieter place for the massage."
"Alright!" Lansiya's eyes sparkled with excitement as she scanned the area. Despite the pain in her arm, the thought of getting a massage from Liu Zhaoren made it all worthwhile. "There's a café over there; it doesn't look too crowded, and the environment seems nice. Let's go!"
Liu Zhaoren nodded and followed Lansiya into the café. They chose a corner booth surrounded by plants that blocked most of the outside view, which pleased them both. After ordering their coffees, Liu Zhaoren instructed Lansiya to lift her arm so he could begin.
"It might hurt a little; just bear with it," Liu Zhaoren cautioned.
Lansiya bit her lip and nodded firmly.
As Liu Zhaoren applied pressure, Lansiya gasped in pain but remained silent, which surprised him. He knew how hard he was pressing, yet this delicate girl was enduring it without complaint. He had never seen this side of her before.
Though it felt like an eternity to Lansiya, it was only about five minutes later when Liu Zhaoren finally released his grip. "Alright, I've worked out the bruise; your arm should feel much better now."
Lansiya moved her arm and indeed felt a significant relief.
"Thank you! Your technique is really good."
Liu Zhaoren took a sip of his coffee and replied, "It's nothing special. Injuries are common in the military; everyone learns how to do this to some extent. I would say I'm just average at best. Besides, it's my fault your arm got hurt in the first place."
"You've already done it three times," Lansiya said, "By the way, what were you thinking just now? You look completely lost."
"Nothing," Liu Zhaoren replied, not wanting to share his thoughts with anyone. He quickly changed the subject, "What brings you to the Provincial Capital?"
"I'm here on business," Lansiya said with a bright smile, her face radiating the expression of "We are destined to meet, so why refuse?" In reality, she had learned about Liu Zhaoren's whereabouts from elsewhere and had followed him to the Provincial Capital for this unexpected encounter. Her uncle was one of the suppliers for the N Military District, so she naturally had channels to obtain unimportant news.
Liu Zhaoren's eyelids twitched; he wasn't interested in this fate. However, having just hurt the girl's feelings, he didn't want to say anything that might upset her further. Thus, Lansiya clung to Liu Zhaoren until they finally parted ways that evening when he returned to D City. Because of Lansiya's interruption, Liu Zhaoren had completely forgotten about Hanno, and his sadness had eased considerably.
...
Hanno yawned as she walked into the kitchen, where congee was cooking in the rice cooker. She glanced at it and grimaced; this must have been made by Han Dad. Only he would put extra rice every time he cooked. Although it was supposed to be congee, it looked more like plain rice. According to Mom Han, Han Dad was "big-eyed with a big belly," always prioritizing quantity over quality in his cooking. Faced with such a large pot of thick congee, Hanno felt almost no appetite. There was no way she could finish all that!
She thought for a moment and took out a large bowl from the cupboard, filling it to the brim. Then she added water to the remaining half pot of thick congee and let it simmer slowly. While her parents were still out for their morning exercise, Hanno carried the full bowl back to her rental apartment and stored it in a Porcelain Jar before returning home.
By the time Hanno got back, Han Dad and Mom Han had not yet returned. She washed her hands and prepared to cook. She shredded some potatoes and blanched them in boiling water to make spicy shredded potatoes; stir-fried pickled mustard greens with shredded meat; sliced steamed buns and fried them with eggs; finally, she cut up some pickled radish and mixed it with chili oil and Sichuan pepper chicken essence. Four dishes made for a rich breakfast.
When all four dishes were ready, Han Dad and Mom Han came home, and the family enjoyed a hearty breakfast together.
"Daughter, do you have anything going on today?" Mom Han asked.
"Why?" Hanno replied cautiously, fearing that Mom Han would set her up with another blind date.
Mom Han rolled her eyes at Hanno. "Don't worry; I'm not sending you on a blind date. I haven't found any suitable men for you yet."
Hanno secretly wiped her brow in relief; thankfully, Mom Han had been influenced by Zhou Donghang's standards and set the bar too high for potential suitors.
"Mom Han said, 'If you have time today, go to your uncle's house and bring Binbin back home.'
Hanno asked, 'What happened? Did Han Bin get into trouble again?'
Han Bin was the grandson of Hanno's uncle, known for his love of instant noodles. He was the child who had been doted on by Han Dad and Mom Han, having been raised by his grandparents. Whenever he got into trouble, he would run to the Hanno family.
Han Dad snorted, 'This child has caused quite a mess. He broke the oil lamp that your great-grandfather left behind. It's time for your uncle to give him a good talking-to.'
Mom Han was displeased. 'Binbin is still just a child. He didn't mean to break the oil lamp.'
Han Dad retorted, 'He's already six years old and will be starting school next year. He should know better. An oil lamp is not something he can just play with. It holds great sentimental value as it belonged to my father.'
Hanno remained silent, allowing Han Dad to vent his frustration. Han Dad was genuinely angry, much like his uncle. The oil lamp indeed held significant meaning; it was a relic from Hanno's great-grandfather. Hanno often listened to stories from his grandfather about their great-grandfather's early life and held him in high regard. Hanno's great-grandfather was a true Wudang Disciple who learned his craft on Wudang Mountain. After mastering his skills, he returned home and joined the military, eventually becoming an officer. His remarkable abilities caught the attention of the then Sichuan Governor, Zhao Erfeng. Although Zhao Erfeng faced criticism for his brutal methods during the suppression of the railway protection movement, he was still well-regarded in the Sichuan-Yunnan-Tibet region for caring about the people's livelihoods and alleviating their burdens.
Unfortunately, after the Xinhai Revolution, this Manchu official received poor evaluations.
Hanno's great-grandfather served under Zhao Erfeng for two years before being recommended to the Yunnan Military Academy. At that time, the academy had just been established by the Qing Dynasty to train a new type of military force and strengthen border defenses. It was initially known as one of the three major military schools alongside Jinjiang Military Academy and Fengjiang Military Academy, later gaining fame comparable to Whampoa Military Academy and Baoding Military Officer School. Hanno's great-grandfather served as an instructor at Yunnan Military Academy, where he met future figures like Marshal Zhu and Ye Marshal.
His senior brother, Tang Zhengfu, also worked as an instructor at Yunnan Military Academy. Tang was a renowned swordsman from Wudang and a pioneer of democratic revolution who had known Sun Yat-sen for many years. In 1905, he joined Tongmenghui in Japan to support Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People. Later, he participated in battles against Yuan Shikai in Yunnan at Cai E's invitation and served as a martial arts instructor at Yunnan Military Academy. Under Mr. Tang's influence, Hanno's great-grandfather also joined Tongmenghui and became his assistant. Before the Northern Expedition, Hanno's great-grandfather accompanied Mr. Tang overseas to raise military funds, facing numerous dangers along the way with remarkable martial skills and courage.
In late April 1919, they met with provincial military committee representative Li Mingke but were betrayed by a traitor and ambushed by enemies. They narrowly escaped thanks to their exceptional martial prowess... When young figures like Taizong were preparing to study abroad, it was Mr. Tang and Hanno's great-grandfather who helped them secure their travel documents so they could smoothly head to France.
The oil lamp represented a shared experience between Mr. Tang and Hanno's great-grandfather."
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