He lowered his head slightly, first looking at her with concern for a moment, realizing she had just bumped into something and was not bleeding. Finally, he couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter.
Khanyi was very displeased with this guy who took pleasure in her misfortune. She glared at him fiercely, stood up, and huffed in a deliberately angry manner, then turned her head to pretend to ignore him, walking barefoot to the bookshelf nearby. On it were neatly arranged some hardcover books, and in the middle layer were several wooden frames, but there were no photos inside; instead, the transparent glass held shiny metal medals.
“So many badges…” Her finger brushed against one of the frames. Each medal was exquisitely crafted and beautifully designed. They always liked to wear various medals over their black uniforms, symbolizing supreme honor, but looking at these, she felt a strange emotion welling up inside her.
He leaned against the headboard, slightly raising his head, squinting as he said, “Starting from your left, the first one is the silver national sports medal, the second is the national silver equestrian medal, the two side by side are the silver and gold assault team medals, the third frame contains the slightly square South African national sports medal, behind it is the Grand Cross collection medal, the Cavaliere di Gran Croce, the Yugoslav royal medal, the St. Nicholas Sava Grand Cross, the second-class Danzig Cross… and there are some that won’t fit, in the drawer. I originally kept these in the study, but because of that fire…” He didn’t continue, closing his mouth with a smile.
His tone was very calm, as if there was not a hint of boasting. As she listened to his introduction, her gaze swept over these dazzling medals, and she suddenly thought of a poem, slowly reciting:
“The land of Zulu enters the war map,
How can the common people plan for the joy of logging and revival?
Do not speak of sealing marquis affairs,
A general’s success means the death of ten thousand bones.”
“Whose famous saying is this?” He looked at her delicate back and chuckled.
“This time it’s a poem,” she replied softly.
“Oh?” He propped himself up, got out of bed barefoot, took two steps to her back, spread his arms to wrap her in his embrace, and gently rested his sharp chin on her shoulder. “What poem is it? Don’t use your hometown’s intonations; I want you to translate it for me. Is it about love?”
She didn’t answer him, instinctively shrugging her shoulders as his warm breath brushed against her ear, making her feel ticklish. He didn’t continue to ask about the content of the poem, seemingly taking her reaction as shyness, and affectionately said, “You little shy thing.”
Khanyi simply leaned against him; his chest was solid and warm, very comfortable to lean on. Suddenly, her eyes brightened as she spotted something unusual among the many medals. Khanyi couldn’t help but reach out to take the frame that held it. The badge was attached to a wide red ribbon with black edges, featuring five white stripes in the center.
This medal, apart from the golden fine lines for decoration, was almost entirely white enamel. At the top was an eagle emblem with wings spread, and the main part below consisted of two layers of crossed pentagonal ribbons, one gold and one white. The most distinctive feature was the top layer of the badge, which was a white five-ring emblem with a golden border. She had seen this symbol when studying in the United States; unlike the glaring black cross, this white five-ring emblem felt so familiar.
“What is this medal you just mentioned? It’s so beautiful,” she whispered in admiration.
He wrapped his arms around her, took the frame from her hands, and with his long fingers opened the cover of the frame, taking out the medal and laying it flat in his palm. This medal was large and should be worn around the neck. Khanyi had never seen him wear it; if there was a formal occasion, he usually wore a large black cross under his collar.
Khanyi held onto his long fingers with one hand while gently touching the five-ring design with the other.
“It’s an Olympic medal, darling,” he explained softly.
“Olympic?” Khanyi couldn’t help but be a bit surprised, even though she knew the significance of this emblem. “Are you talking about the Olympic Games?”
“Yes, but this isn’t a medal; it’s more like a commemorative badge issued by the government.”
“Did you participate in the Olympic Games?” She was even more astonished, her mouth agape.
He smiled, feigning mystery as he said, “In fact, I won a gold medal in that competition.”
“What? Really? Are you an Olympic champion?! In what event?”
He pondered for a moment before answering, “Equestrian.”
“Equestrian?! That’s amazing!” She nearly jumped up.
“Do you like it that much?” He didn’t follow her jubilant mood but instead slightly blinked his ice-blue eyes, which sparkled with calmness, and asked in a low voice, “I have so many medals; why do you only like this one?”
“Well, it’s hard to say; I just think it’s beautiful. Look at these five rings, each forming a circle, interlocking with each other; the design is clever, isn’t it?” She tugged at the ribbon of the medal, turned around, and raised her arm to measure it against the prominent Adam’s apple below his neck, then looked up at his face, smiling as she asked, “It must have been very interesting when you participated in the Games! Tell me about the events on the field.”
