In order to be able to return "smoothly" to the ship again, we discussed and each went back to our rooms to sleep. However, I lay in bed for a long time and still couldn't fall asleep. I got up, pushed open the door, and went into the courtyard.

  There were probably only two of us staying in this hostel tonight.

  Her room was dark, perhaps she had fallen asleep? Also, she thought that with a big heart and a big sky, one could sleep soundly. Thinking of this, I smiled slightly, lit a cigarette, sat in the armchair, and slowly smoked.

  After a while, her door also opened. She came out wearing an overcoat and slippers. I didn't move, she sat down beside me and said: "Can't you sleep either?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "What's going on? If we can't sleep, won't we miss that boat? Last time was like this too."

  I said: "Then just go with the flow and see what happens next."

  She said: "You're not flustered at all."

  "What's the use of panicking? Do you think we have any room for resistance in front of that mysterious power?"

  Perhaps these words were too ruthless, Tan Jie was silent for a while and said: "Some things, if you don't try, how do you know they won't work?"

  My heart was as if it had been lightly slapped by the night, I looked at her, and there was a faint light in her eyes that made me unable to grasp the woman's gaze. I took a puff of smoke, didn't say a word, and stared ahead.

  "Go to bed early." I said.

  She retorted: "Why don't you go?"

  "After I finish drawing water, I'll go in."

  We fell silent for a while, and suddenly her hand reached out and took my cigarette. I turned to look at her, she pinched the cigarette and hid it behind her back, saying: "You've been smoking a lot these past few days, aren't you supposed to save your mother and protect me? Is this okay?"

  My heart ached slightly and I said, "Give me a cigarette."

  She said: "No way."

  I reached out to grab it, her expression was firm, with a stiff neck, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. My hand touched the back of hers, my face close to hers, holding down her hand, I felt the cigarette. She lifted her face, gazing at me with entwined eyes.

  Just the two of us.

  In this courtyard, in this darkness, on this long bench, there are only two of us.

  She didn't move, but I could feel the fine tremble that ran through her whole body. She seemed to have made some difficult decision, and slowly closed her eyes.

  I snatched the cigarette and turned my head away, releasing her at the same time.

  The courtyard was quiet. I said in my heart, Wu Yu, you are a damn bastard.

  She opened her eyes, her face icy cold.

  "Tan Jiao..."

  "No need to say more." She interrupted me in a calm tone, "If you want to smoke, go ahead. I'm just concerned about you as a friend. Next time...I won't bother you anymore."

  "Uh-huh." I said slowly, "Whatever... forget it then."

  She got up and went into the house, "bang" a loud noise slammed on the door. I sat alone for a while longer.

  When I was about to get up and return to my room, I suddenly noticed that a lamp in the Chen family's rental house over a thousand meters away had suddenly lit up. Subconsciously, I raised my head to look over, it was the second floor balcony of that building.

  One person walked out.

  It is Chen Ruying.

  I saw her clearly, she was wearing a white nightgown, with long hair scattered, but the whole person was extremely thin. Her face had almost become pointed, without any flesh, her cheekbones protruding, and her complexion was pale with a hint of green. She pursed her lips tightly, her eyes were empty, standing in the dark mountains, on the balcony of that solitary house, lost in thought. Then, a faint, eerie smile slowly appeared at the corner of her mouth.

  I was stunned.

  She wasn't like this before.

  She was nothing like this before boarding the ship.