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<figure class="tmblr-full" data-orig-height="261" data-orig-width="500"></figure>Too Late to Say I Love You is composed of three books. The first one is called ‘Encountering Love’ (39 chapters), the second is called 'The Wedding Without a Bride’ (25 chapters) and the third is 'If I Didn’t Have You’ (20 chapters). The titles of each book are quite spoilery. It’s a good think she doesn’t title each individual chapter like Tong Hua does, because those can also get quite spoilery. ^.^
I’m going to tell you right off the bat that Jing Wan and Murong Feng meet in this chapter, even though his name is not mentioned at all. This is no normal meeting, though to be honest, their future relationship is by no means normal either. Want to know what happens? Well, read on!
Encountering Love: Chapter 1
Two Years Earlier, Cheng and Yin Railway
The cool and breezy dusk blew in from open compartment window. A young woman’s long red-colored skirt bundled with exquisite lace was swaying continuously like flowers in the wind, her long hair had already been blown awry yet she still did not want to close the window. Beyond the compartment window, the scenery during dusk was very gloomy, it seemed like everything was behind frosted glass, and the countryside was covered in haze. The houses and the far away mountains swept past and the rumble of the train had already become a familiar sound, so much that it does not even seem bothersome anymore.
A commotion gradually began, Yin Jing Wan turned her head around to look at the compartment door, and Fu Shu, the personal servant who accompanied her on this journey, said to her: “Miss, I’m going to go see what’s happened.” Fu Shu is very prudent when dealing with such matters but this time, he did not return for a long time, causing the other servant, Ming Xiang, to worry: “That Fu Shu, he is always so slow at doing things, it’s been half a day but he still hasn’t come back yet. We are on a train, surely he didn’t go to watch the opera?” Yin Jing Wan laughed and replied: “Even if he did go to watch the opera, he wouldn’t have abandoned us.” After a while, they still didn’t see Fu Shu return, so Yin Jing Wan became worried as this is her first time going on a long journey and Ming Xiang was just a young girl, Fu Shu had taken care of everything. They waited a short while more but still did not see Fu Shu return, Yin Jing Wan was worried that something might have happened and told Ming Xiang: “Let’s go look for Fu Shu.”
They had reserved two compartments of the first class car and the conductor was overly attentive so that when he saw them come out, he immediately approached to greet them: “Miss, soldiers from the Ying army are currently inspecting the train. Why don’t you return to the compartment first?” Ming Xing snobbily said: “They have been inspecting the train since we left the city of Ji Yuan. They have combed through each compartment at least seven or eight times already. Even if they were looking for a louse, it should have been caught by now. What are they looking for?” Yin Jing Wan didn’t want to cause trouble and chided: “Ming Xiang, stop blabbering like that!” The conductor said with a smile: “They are only searching for some kind of criminal. I heard that they had already searched the third-class car over ten times. They inspect each and every person, but they still haven’t found that criminal.” Ming Xiang let out an ‘oh’ sound: “So they looking for a person… and I thought they were searching for treasure or something.”
Since the conductor had already let that slip, he continued with an apologetic smile: “I’m only guessing that they are looking for someone – no one can be sure of this matter.” Yin Jing Wan said to Ming Xiang: “Let’s return to our compartment.” To the conductor, she said: “If you see that fellow Fu Shu, tell him to return quickly.” With a meaningful glance to Ming Xiang, the maid pulled out some money to give to the conductor. Money at hand, the conductor was beside himself with joy and agreed immediately: “I will do that, Miss.”
After they returned to the compartment for a while, Fu Shu also returned. After he closed the compartment door, he gave them a worried look and whispered to Yin Jing Wan: “Miss, this situation doesn’t feel right.” Yin Jing Wan and Ming Xiang exchanged glances, and Ming Xiang got up to stand guard at the door. Fu Shu continued: “The soldiers of the Ying army seem to be searching for some important figure. They have searched each car several times and the only one they haven’t searched yet is the first class car. From what I can see, they won’t stop searching until they find him. I’m afraid we cannot escape from being searched.” Yin Jing Wan replied: “We are still within the boundaries of the Ying army’s territory. We have a special pass so I don’t think there will be any problems as long as nothing comes up unexpectedly.”
Even though she was still young, Fu Shu saw that she was able to keep calm, an ability that he secretly respected. He heard the conductor ringing a bell in the corridor, a signal that the meal has been prepared, and asked: “Does Miss want to go to the dining car to eat, or should I have someone to bring the meal here?” Yin Jing Wan answered: “Let’s go to the dining car. If we continue to be cooped up in this compartment, I’m afraid we will all get sick.” Indeed, she is young and still has the disposition of a child. She has only been sitting on the train for a day but is already tired of being cooped up.
Fu Shu was left behind to watch the luggage while she and Ming Xiang went to the dining car. The dining car was actually just as caging, as all the windows were only opened a crack, but because the train was moving, it was very windy, causing the tablecloth of the dining table to rise up slightly and then fall back down, as if an invisible hand was playing with it. The dishes on the train menu were hardly tasty; since she had come back from studying abroad, she had gotten tired of eating Western-styled dishes. She only ordered beet soup, ate a few crackers, and waited until Ming Xiang was done eating to order a meal for Fu Shu to take back. Ming Xiang had a lively personality, and would walk three steps steadily, then quickly run forward another two steps. As Yin Jing Wan left the dining car, she suddenly saw a few people enter the first class car. The two people at the head guarded the door to the compartment, while another person called the conductor over to the side to talk, and the rest of the men went straight to the compartment and began to search around.
The first class compartment obviously reserved for the wealthy and noble, and while those people were still talking with the conductor, Yin Jing Wan glanced at them but walked towards her own compartment, as the matter did not concern her. Ming Xiang went to Fu Shu’s compartment to give him the meal as Yin Jing Wan sat down and poured herself a cup of tea. She had just reached for her book when she suddenly heard the door open. She glanced up and saw very handsome young man, in his mid-twenties, who gave her an apologetic smile and said: “I’m sorry, I came to the wrong compartment.”
She saw that he had a cheerful countenance and was obvious an easy-going and wealthy young man. Before she had finished that thought, that person suddenly turned around and asked her: “Did you just come back from Russia?” Surprised, she lowered her eyes and saw that there was a line of Russian she had written on the cover of her book. With this, she released her breath and replied: “Mister, the way you attempt to make conversation is not that clever.” He did not seem embarrassed the least, but actually smiled calmly: “Miss, I also just returned from Russia, which is why I wanted to start a conversation with you.”
Unwittingly, she smiled and was about to say something when she heard a commotion coming from outside the compartment. She rose and went towards the door; it turned out to be some soldiers of the Ying army, heading this way, while speaking with the conductor. Two men pushed the conductor to the side, while the others searched each and every compartment. She watched as those soldiers forced all the men traveling by themselves to leave the compartment, performing a body search on each man. She startled when she heard the man by her side, whisper into her ear in Russian: “Помогите мне (help me).”