Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

The letter was written by Tian Yu herself. It not only reminisced about the past, but also directly introduced Lin Fan's identity and Lin Yang's background. Finally, it made no attempt to hide her desire to bring the two together.

After reading the letter, Ding Qiunan's cheeks flushed slightly. She looked up at Lin Fan again, her gaze now filled with inquiry.

Is this the older brother that Sister Tian Yu mentioned in her letter, who suffered a lot but still maintained a childlike heart?

"Your brother is Lin Yang? The combat hero who displayed great prowess in the Ping'an Campaign?" Although Ding Qiunan usually only cared about medicine, she had heard of Lin Yang's name when she was in the field hospital.

Lin Fan nodded vigorously, his face beaming with undisguised pride: "Yes! Yangzi is my younger brother. He's now retired from the military and is the Party Secretary of our steel rolling mill."

A hint of surprise flashed in Ding Qiunan's eyes. A nineteen-year-old Party Secretary? That level of power was absolutely top-tier in Beijing.

But what surprised her even more was Lin Fan's attitude.

Those who used to pursue her, even if their family was just a workshop director, would be incredibly arrogant, practically wearing their family's wealth on their sleeves to show off.

Yet Lin Fan, who clearly has such a distinguished younger brother, still speaks with such humility and simplicity, without the slightest air of bullying others.

"Comrade Lin Fan, thank you for making the trip." Ding Qiunan carefully put the frostbite cream into the drawer and poured a cup of hot water for Lin Fan.

"Dr. Ding, you're too kind." Lin Fan took the water glass with both hands. Because of his nervousness, his fingers touched Ding Qiunan's fair fingertips. He pulled back abruptly as if he had been electrocuted, and his face instantly turned red to the roots of his neck.

Seeing his embarrassed look, Ding Qiunan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She had seen too many smooth-talking men, and a man as innocent as Lin Fan, who would blush even if his fingertips were touched, was rarer than a giant panda in this day and age.

"Don't call me Dr. Ding anymore, just call me Qiu Nan." Ding Qiu Nan sat back in her chair, resting her chin on her hands, looking at Lin Fan with interest. "Sister Tian Yu said in her letter that you suffered a lot in the past?"

Lin Fan held the hot water cup, feeling the warmth in his palm, and the tension in his heart miraculously subsided.

Facing this aloof and pure girl, he did not hide anything, nor did he feel ashamed. Instead, he spoke in a calm tone, recounting his experiences over the past ten years and the bullying he suffered at the hands of those beasts in the courtyard.

He didn't embellish or play the victim; he was simply stating a fact.

Ding Qiunan listened quietly. At first, she was only being polite, but as Lin Fan spoke, her eyes gradually reddened.

She was born into a family of doctors, and although she had experienced turmoil, her parents had always protected her well. She couldn't imagine that in the capital, there could be such an honest person who was driven to the brink of despair by a group of neighbors, yet still did not lose hope in life or become a resentful villain.

"They've gone too far!" Ding Qiunan clenched her fists in anger, her usually cold eyes burning with fury. "Those people are a cancer on society! Luckily your brother came back, otherwise how long would they have bullied you?"

Seeing Ding Qiunan standing up for him, Lin Fan felt a surge of warmth he had never felt before.

Yesterday, Bai Ling from the performing arts troupe only cared about her brother's power; but Ding Qiunan in front of me is angry about the suffering he once endured.

This is the difference between people.

"It's all in the past." Lin Fan smiled broadly. "Yangzi is back, and I'm working as a quality inspector in the warehouse now. I have hope for the future. Qiu Nan, Tian Yu must have told you her thoughts in her letter. I, Lin Fan, am a rough man and don't know how to say nice things. But I know you're a good girl. If you don't mind me..."

Lin Fan took a deep breath, mustered the greatest courage he had ever had, and looked directly into Ding Qiunan's eyes.

"The ice rink at Beihai Park opens this Sunday. Would you mind if I invited you to go ice skating?"

Looking into Lin Fan's sincere and pure eyes, Ding Qiunan felt as if the thick layer of ice in her heart was shattering with a crisp sound.

She didn't coldly reject him like she would reject others.

She lowered her head slightly, looking at the hem of her white coat, a gentle smile curving her lips, and nodded softly.

"Okay. Pick me up at the mechanic shop entrance at nine o'clock on Sunday morning."

Lin Fan felt a sudden, overwhelming surge of joy wash over him. He jumped to his feet, bowing repeatedly, "Okay! Okay! I'll definitely be there on time! Well… I'll head back to work now!"

After saying that, Lin Fan walked out of the infirmary like a young boy, forgetting to even put down his water cup.

Watching Lin Fan push his brand-new Flying Pigeon bicycle and flee the repair shop as if he were escaping, Ding Qiunan stood by the window and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Sister Tianyu, you've really introduced me to an incredible idiot this time..." Ding Qiunan muttered to herself, her eyes filled with anticipation for the weekend.

……

Beihai Park on the weekend.

The ice surface was bustling with activity as young people in colorful winter clothes moved about on it.

Lin Fan pushed his bicycle, with Ding Qiunan walking beside him. Today, she had changed out of her white lab coat and was wearing a light blue floral cotton-padded jacket, with a pure white scarf around her neck, making her look even more elegant and refined, like a snow lotus blooming in the cold wind.

Instead of going ice skating, the two strolled slowly along the cobblestone path by the lake.

"Qiu Nan, here, freshly baked, warm your hands." Lin Fan bought a steaming hot roasted sweet potato from a roadside stall, carefully peeled off the charred skin, and handed it to Ding Qiu Nan.

Ding Qiunan took the sweet potato, felt its scalding heat, and took a small bite. It was sweet, soft, and glutinous.

"Lin Fan, do you really not care about my family background?" Ding Qiunan asked suddenly while eating a sweet potato.

Her eyes were somewhat dim. Her father was a Western-trained doctor who had returned from studying abroad and had run a private clinic before the liberation. Although she was now employed by a state hospital, in this era where class background was paramount, her "bourgeois intellectual" family background was like a time bomb, deterring many young men who were initially interested in her.

Lin Fan stopped and turned around, looking at Ding Qiunan with utmost seriousness.

"Qiu Nan, you're being too polite. My brother Yangzi once said that whether someone is a worker or a doctor, as long as they sincerely contribute to the country, they are a good comrade! Your father treats the sick and saves lives, and you also treat workers in the clinic. This is a great act of kindness and good deeds. What's there to worry about?"