Sister Flower"s eyes were moist, and as she recalled all of her years of struggle, she felt pangs in her heart. In this filthy environment, it had been difficult to retain the purity of her heart and body. She thought of the young hooligans who always came in and out of the bar, and the trouble they had caused. When they were offended, they affected business. When they were satisfied, they often tried to take advantage. Even the leaders of the official family—Zhao Jun, the brothers and the others around them—all wanted to take advantage of her. They knew they could get whatever kind of women they wanted, and they were certainly not short of women, but they often sought a certain kind of feeling. Sister Flower, a member of the night-field circle, was regarded as a different type of woman, and over time she became famous. Everyone discussed who would be the first to conquer Sister Flower, in part because of her delicate body, in part because of the men"s need to possess and conquer.
But after all these years, no one had ever won Sister Flower"s heart; however, recently Qin Feng had captured it. Zhao Jun had tried, but in order to make him give her up, Qin Feng had boldly admitted to him that he loved Sister Flower.
However, after leaving the hospital, Sister Flower had seemed lifeless, preoccupied with her inner struggles. Therefore, Qin Feng had put his own feelings aside.
Qin Feng could understand Sister Flower"s mood right now. Everyone had their own world and way of life, and Qin Feng had just ripped her out of hers. He felt rude, not at all like the gentleman he wanted to be to her. He hoped that the kindness he showed Sister Flower would make up for his actions.
Besides, he thought, if I had not forced her to leave in this way, Sister Flower would never have left with me.
Sister Flower"s career was booming; her reputation had helped her build a name for herself in Tianhe. No matter which bar she applied to, she could easily get a job with a high salary and management power, and live far more comfortably than she did here with Zhao Jun. But Sister Flower was a sentimental person. If no one made her leave, she certainly would never do so on her own.
Qin Feng thought back to his interaction with Zhao Jun. He had instantly felt a distaste for the man. He had made Li Faxian kneel, then he had cut off Zhao Jun"s three fingers. Both pieces of news had quickly spread throughout the Tianhe.
Qin Feng knew that if he wanted to be based in the Tianhe, looking for others" help would be in vain. Even the others with some amount of power, Ji Jiangshan and Meng Zhaolin, were no better than Zhao Jun. There was only one person they all feared—Jia Quan, the director of public security.
Qin Feng decided he would leave the Tianhe tomorrow. There was the matter he had to handle in the Middle East, and he had no right to avoid it.
However, Sister Flower was alone now. In order to avoid the collapse of Free Men, she had promised Ru Ru and Pei Xiang that she would not take any of the other women with her. Even if someone wanted to follow her, Sister Flower could not bring anyone with her for at least one year.
Therefore, during the ten days that he had left in the Tianhe, Qin Feng had to arrange for Sister Flower"s safety.
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Inside the car, Qin Feng turned to Sister Flower and asked, "Where to?"
"I don"t know…But I know that this choice is the right one. You helping me with this was a good thing. I would have left Zhao Jun sooner or later. Still, now that the time has arrived, I"m shaking. How can I give up that kind of environment? It"s all I"m used to. The deafening sounds from the DJ booth, the sweet and pungent Jack Daniels…I can"t do without them. But I"m not young anymore. I...I really don"t know what to do."
Sister Flower drove slowly along a section of the road by the river. After a short time, she drifted over the bike path on the side of the road and parked in the gra.s.s. Sighing, she lit a cigarette and said, "If only Xiao had been there. I"m sure he"d have given me some advice."
Xiao. There"s that name again. Although Qin Feng had adjusted to hearing his name, when he saw Sister Flower"s painful expression, he felt troubled. He began thinking, Am I overreacting, or am I too subjective? Am I being disrespectful to Sister Flower? Even if I am right…
He sighed as Sister Flower continued to smoke quietly beside him. People are so complicated. The reason we"re more advanced than animals is because we have these strong feelings.
Qin Feng knew that he had made the right decision, but that didn"t help Sister Flower get through her negative emotions any more easily. She was so like Xiao; her affection, sincerity and enthusiasm were all so deep, and she felt any loss just as deeply.
After a time, Qin Feng and Sister Flower got out of the car and began walking down the quiet path nearby, watching the waves in the river and the old men fishing on its bank. The sun shone on the pair, and Qin Feng felt a moment of calmness and peace.
He suddenly picked up a stone and threw it into the water, where it scattered water droplets and waves in all directions. The fishermen nearby shot Qin Feng angry looks, and he bashfully raised his hand to them as a silent apology.
He enjoyed these moments that demonstrated the vitality of life—this serene give-and-take between water and sky that made him feel like a man rather than a machine.
How nice, he thought, would it be to continue like this. To listen to the birds sing and watch the reeds float in the river. To hold Sister Flower"s hand and walk along, carefree, as though we were just a pair of white-collar workers. They might have trouble or sadness, but they would have happiness and peace as well. They could go to the movies and eat big meals together when they were happy. When they weren"t happy, they could drink alcohol, and shout and smash things until they felt better. They could have children and watch them grow old, and live the rest of their lives together.
But Qin Feng knew he could not expect any of this. It was an extravagant hope, and it seemed almost inappropriate to think these things while Sister Flower walked by his side in so much pain. Qin Feng knew he couldn"t speak of his own pain, so he swallowed it down and stayed silent.
His silence was his most sacred team member. He was a man as well as a soldier, and no matter how much responsibility or sorrow he needed to shoulder, he could not back down from the challenge.
As they came to a wooden viewing platform, Qin Feng forced a smile, then began to speak with Sister Flower about her next plans.
"Since you cannot bring the other women with you, have you thought of opening a bar? What about a music bar? Your customers could be the urban youth who avoid those other establishments. I think that would suit you nicely."
When he finished speaking, Sister Flower gasped and said, "How did you know that that"s what I"ve always wanted?"
Qin Feng smiled and said, "Your soul is full of pa.s.sion and fantasy. You have the same kind of lawless spirit as Ru Ru and Pei Xiang, but you are a very pure person at heart. You seem to have a dual personality, so opening a bar with pure intentions should be the best fit."
Qin Feng smiled, "I have even thought of a name. How about Hua"er Hutong?"
Sister Flower laughed. "Hua"er Hutong. It"s a good name for literature and art, like a place you might find near Erhai Lake in Dali."
Qin Feng smiled, then said seriously, "But you can"t run it alone. That would be unacceptable. I"ve found you a partner."
"Who? You?" Sister Flower smiled.
"Well you and I are a team, of course. The other member is Jia Quan. What do you think?"