Those Days I Remember

* Set in a fictionalized version of the National Southwestern Associated University era

* First-person memoir

* A 50,000-word novella. Please consider carefully if that's not for you.

In 1937, I met Gu Huaiyan for the first time.

The country was in turmoil, beset by storms and uncertainty. He and I headed south together. We witnessed war flare up and families torn apart. We weathered the storm together and depended on each other, yet the vendettas between our families and the hatred between our countries kept us from confessing our feelings.

Later, Kunming was bombed by the Japanese army. He and I escaped death several times, and only then did we decide to cherish our time together and find the courage to confess our feelings to each other.

But we had only been together for a few days when he decided to head for the front lines.

Of course I wanted him to stay, to be by my side. But I knew that he lived not only for me, but for the future of so many others.

In 1989, reporters came to interview me.

The news that I had forced Huaiyan into marriage soon spread. He and I had never heard anything so absurd in all our lives.

Huaiyan said that instead of clarifying things in the newspapers, I might as well pick up my pen and write down the whole story as it really happened.

I didn't particularly mind either way, but since he suggested it, I was happy to write. First, to set the record straight, and second, to commemorate the experiences and friends we had shared.

Throughout our lives, we spent more time apart than together, but we never regretted loving each other, even in the face of death.

Besides, the eight years of National Southwestern Associated University were an unparalleled miracle in the history of education. For those who lived through it, they were also a chapter of life that led from Beiping to Kunming, from exile to victory, and from desks to the battlefield.

Having written it all down, I have no regrets.

Reading Guide

1. One-on-one romance, happy ending, fictionalized National Southwestern Associated University era

2. First-person memoir. Please consider carefully if that's not for you.

3. The leads are fictional, though some characters are historical figures.

4. This is not fan fiction. Not for readers who expect strict historical accuracy.

Theme: Remember history and cherish peace