bookbashuk Chapter 52 When petals leave the flower, a lingering fragrance remains.
Chapter 52 When petals leave the flower, a lingering fragrance remains.
The two chatted casually along the way, from newly released movies to funny stories from school, and the latest happenings in Shanghai. Although Feng Chengcheng was introverted, she tried her best to find topics to talk about in front of the person she liked, her eyes occasionally sneaking glances at Han Zhenhua, who was focused on driving, her heart fluttering.
After watching the movie, Feng Chengcheng was still immersed in the dramatic love story of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind," and her eyes were a little moist.
Han Zhenhua promptly handed her a handkerchief, offering gentle words of comfort, and then invited her to a quiet coffee shop nearby.
The café was dimly lit and filled with soothing music. Feng Chengcheng finally mustered the courage to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind: "Zhenhua... Xiaowen... she went to Shancheng, are you still in contact with her?"
Han Zhenhua paused slightly as he stirred his coffee, feeling as if he had become the kind of person he hated most in his past life—commonly known as a "scumbag"!
He smiled wryly and said, "With war raging, how could we possibly maintain contact?"
However, I read in the newspaper about the memorial service held in the mountain city for his father and brother, and it was truly unprecedented in its grandeur!
Even the Chairman wrote a personal letter of condolence, and that letter was deeply moving. Presumably, with the status of a hero's family member and the care of the entire Military Intelligence Bureau, he should be doing very well over there.
However, I really miss her!
First love is the most unforgettable memory for everyone. Although Han Zhenhua is a time traveler who has lived two lives, he was working hard to get into university during his junior and senior high school years in his previous life, so this was his first time experiencing first love!
Recently, he's been playing the stock market, winning the physics prize, having fun with Susan, drinking and eating with Wayne, and dating Feng Chengcheng. These things have made him temporarily forget the sadness of parting with Lin Xiaowen. But when he hears Feng Chengcheng mention it now, an indescribable sadness washes over him again, and his eyes suddenly become a little wet.
Seeing this, Feng Chengcheng immediately realized she might have said something wrong. She wanted to say something to ease the situation, but didn't know what to say...
But in this state of mind, a song he loved in his past life suddenly flashed through Han Zhenhua's mind. He looked up and saw Feng Chengcheng looking like a child who had done something wrong. He sincerely said, "Chengcheng, I don't want to hide it from you. I really miss Xiaowen. Let me sing you a song. I think you'll understand how I feel after you hear it!"
He took a deep breath and began to hum softly. The melody was distant and tinged with a faint sadness; it was "Dark Fragrance," a classic work by Sha Baoliang from his era:
"When the petals leave the flower, a lingering fragrance remains..."
The fragrance faded after the wind and rain, and no one came to smell it...
If love tells me to keep going, I will fight to the very end...
If the heart dies in splendor, love will be reborn from the ashes...
I can't forget those tender whispers; I offer your smile as a tribute to my unforgettable memories...
Let the heart die in splendor.
Let love be reborn from the ashes...
The fire burned the grass, and look, there it is again...
"A year of spring breeze..."
When Han Zhenhua finished singing the first verse, tears welled up in his eyes. Although he was a "genuine but overpriced" Kuomintang "ace agent" who had made numerous meritorious contributions through practical experience, he was still a hero.
However, they were indeed "Muggles" who had never received even an hour of real spy training, and were completely incapable of "controlling their emotions perfectly and not showing their feelings."
Ultimately, his true psychological identity is still that of a high school graduate about to enter university in his previous life!
She's still the "child" who hasn't grown up in her parents' eyes!
He's still that naive and rebellious youth!
Instead of being a hardened, battle-hardened, top-tier military intelligence agent who internalizes his emotions and outwardly displays them, and who can manipulate all kinds of emotions at will and gain trust through sheer luck!
His voice wasn't exactly professional, and it even trembled slightly in some places due to emotional fluctuations, but the deep longing, helplessness, and sorrow that flowed into his singing were incredibly sincere, quietly echoing in the coffee shop.
When he started singing the second verse, the entire coffee shop fell silent. Even the music in the coffee shop seemed to stop for fear of disturbing him. All the Chinese, foreigners, and even Japanese people drinking coffee were quietly listening to him sing this beautiful melody!
Music knows no borders. After he finished singing, everyone stood up and gave him a warm round of applause!
Feng Chengcheng, standing beside her, was completely stunned. She had never heard such a soul-stirring love song, with lyrics and melody so beautiful it was heartbreaking.
Every word, every note, seemed to strike her heart.
Looking at Han Zhenhua's profile, lost in memories and sadness, she could almost feel the deep pain and reluctance hidden in his heart.
A strong sense of sorrow and overwhelming heartache instantly overwhelmed her.
She no longer felt any jealousy, only a strong desire to smooth the melancholy between his brows and warm his cold heart.
The song gradually faded, leaving a lingering melody.
Han Zhenhua seemed to have just pulled himself out of his emotional turmoil. He wiped away his tears and smiled somewhat awkwardly: "Wasn't it a bit strange that I just sang it randomly?"
"No! It's not surprising at all!" Feng Chengcheng hurriedly shook her head, her eyes already glistening with tears.
"This song is so beautiful, and so heartbreaking... Zhenhua, I..." She mustered her courage, gently took his hand, and said in a soft but firm voice, "The past cannot be changed, but the future is long."
I hope... I hope you can be happy. If I could, I... I'd like to be with you, to help you out of those ashes.
Her palms were slightly cool, yet they carried an undeniable warmth.
Looking at the beautiful and charming girl in front of him, whose eyes were filled with sincerity and heartache, Han Zhenhua was touched in the softest part of his heart.
He gently squeezed her hand in return, without saying a word, but it was a silent acceptance.
At this moment, Feng Chengcheng made up her mind completely. She would use her greatest love to warm this wounded man, even if she met Xiaowen again in the future, she could just... let her be the boss... (I'm not good at writing male-female scenes; even I feel a bit awkward writing this. I'll gloss over male-female scenes in the future!)
On Rue Pétain in the French Concession, at the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai Station, in a secret room on the third floor of the "Rongchang Trading Company".
The conference room at Shanghai Railway Station was filled with smoke, and the atmosphere was as heavy as the sea before a storm.
Wang Tianmu sat in the main seat, a "Lao Dao" brand cigarette between his fingers, took a deep drag, and said, "Mao Baoying, Wu Zhiguo!"
Wang Tianmu's voice was icy, filled with deep-seated hatred as he spoke through gritted teeth.
With the crow's connection severed, it means that Wang Tianmu's hopes of "making great contributions and being promoted to major general" have become nothing but a pipe dream!
"Breaking someone's future is like killing their parents!!!!"
Wang Tianmu's hatred for Mao Baoying and Wu Zhiguo was like "a surging river, endless and unstoppable, like the Yellow River overflowing its banks!"
"The longer these two scoundrels live, the more they defile the heroic spirit of Brother Wuyai of Crow Forest, and the more they mock all the brothers of my Shanghai Station!"
Although the boss didn't say it outright, I knew that none of us would have a peaceful life until these two major threats were eliminated!
Brothers! We may not have the ability to obtain strategic intelligence like the Crow Brothers, but damn it, we brothers are not useless!
All 108 members of our Shanghai station are either top agents from the Fuxing Society or elite students from the Qingpu class; each one is one of the most outstanding talents in our Military Intelligence Bureau!
Intelligence gathering depends on luck, but when it comes to assassination!!!