This is the only Orthodox church in the local area, built in the early days of the Republic of China, hidden among a messy residential area. After the Russian expatriates left one after another, the church was gradually abandoned. A wedding company rented this place, renovated it and transformed it into a Western-style wedding church.

  Lin Leqing set up his tripod and took photos of the exterior with Russian architectural style from various angles. He had a slight regret that this church building was quite distinctive, but after renovation, it became too gaudy and lost much of its old flavor. However, it's probably better than being neglected and declining.

  He folded up the tripod and walked in, only to see that all four walls and the ceiling were installed with glass windows, transparent and bright. Xincheng was sitting in the last row of seats, staring at the cross in front of him in a daze.

  Lin Leqing put down her camera bag and sat beside her, "What are you thinking about, He Huan?"

  "After I returned from Qinling, the first job I found was as an assistant in a photography studio. On my first day of work, I came here to take pictures of a newlywed couple's wedding ceremony. It was also very hot that day, and the priest who was presiding over the ceremony kept talking about Jesus, and the bride's makeup was almost ruined." Xincheng's mouth curled up into a smile as he said, "I don't know how it happened, but sitting here makes me think of that scene from back then."

  At that time, Xin Chen stayed in a hospital in Xi'an for nearly a week, then insisted on being discharged to buy a train ticket back home. She called her uncle to report her safe return, and then lay at home for a whole day, feeling listless and not wanting to eat or move. When the sun began to set, the aroma of food from the neighbor's house wafted over, but it only made her feel more nauseous. She thought that even when she was trapped in the deep mountains, drinking rainwater and eating compressed biscuits, or lying in the hospital eating cafeteria food, she had never reacted like this before. It was really strange.

  She finally commanded herself to get up and lean on the windowsill, looking out. The old residential area's houses didn't have chimneys, everyone's kitchen used the once popular smokeless stoves, which were actually just coal stoves placed on a protruding window sill with an exhaust fan installed on the window blowing out fumes, each fan leaving a long greasy stain below. At mealtime, the residential area was filled with all sorts of smells and the sound of stir-frying echoed back and forth, full of human warmth. Xincheng slightly raised her head, seeing the flock of pigeons fed by Master Lü flying over, they flew in circles, repeatedly crossing her line of sight at almost the same angle.

  In front of her was the ordinary scenery she had been familiar with since childhood, but after returning from a place as majestic and perilous as Qinling, this mundane scene also took on a different meaning. She remembered the promise she made to her uncle over the phone yesterday, so she perked up, changed clothes, and went downstairs to buy something to eat.

  The next day, Xincheng started looking for a job and almost unselectively accepted the first position that hired her, which was also a part-time job she was familiar with in college. She followed the photographer, holding up a reflector without needing guidance on angles, occasionally helping the makeup assistant to quickly touch up the bride's makeup.

  At that time, the church had just been renovated and the colors were even more vibrant than they are now. Fresh roses were arranged everywhere, creating a joyful atmosphere. The couple didn't know if they believed in religion or not, but according to Western customs, the priest presiding over the ceremony was particularly enthusiastic, lecturing at length about the true meaning of marriage, such as not being impulsive in love, striving to become good partners, understanding life's goals, and comprehending God's will. His loud voice resonated throughout the church, having a captivating effect on everyone, but Xincheng only felt tired. She didn't know if it was because her body hadn't fully recovered or if it was the sweltering heat, the dazzling colors everywhere in the church, or the reverberating sound of the sermon that made her feel uncomfortable.

  The priest finally began the dialogue with the bride and groom, letting them exchange rings. She suddenly couldn't hold on any longer, handed the reflector to her colleague, sat in the last row of seats, watching from afar the excited and tearful bride and the applauding guests, thinking that she would have to repeat this scene frequently in the future, and couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine, almost fainting.

  Of course, she was overthinking things. Locals who choose to have a church wedding are not many, and her quick photo editing skills soon earned her a post-production job, no longer having to attend events that made her feel strongly uncomfortable. Looking back now, she just finds the reaction at the time quite absurd and laughable. "I thought I wouldn't come here again if possible, but today sitting in the same spot, I actually feel very calm and peaceful inside, how strange."

  Lin Leqing also smiled, "Do you believe in religion?"

  Xin Chen shook his head and said, "I don't believe it. Sometimes I think that if I had a faith, would I be able to achieve inner peace more easily."

  "You're calm enough, He Huan, calm to the point where you don't seem like a girl of your age." Lin Leqing smiled as he looked at her, "This impression was already made on me when we were hiking on Mount Taibai."

  "I confess, I was pretending, Lai Qing. Actually, I was very afraid, but I was even more afraid that my fear would show and scare you off, or hold you back and make you give up your chance to escape, after all, you were still just a child at the time."

  "Here we go again, I was almost 20 years old at the time, not a kid."

  Xin Chen smiled straight and said, "Alright, kid, you're not a kid."

  Lin Leqing smiled helplessly and turned his head to look at her, "He Huan, there's no need to pretend in front of me, especially now, you don't have to force yourself to appear happy."

  Xin Chen was surprised, "Lei Qing, I don't have anything to pretend in front of you. Now, I really don't feel unhappy, but since you said so," she leaned her head on his shoulder, "just let me lean for a bit. I don't know how it is, but I'm really tired, even more tired than driving continuously for six hours."

  On Mount Taibai, the two sat inside the tent. Outside, the sudden rain had just stopped, and a thin layer of fog lingered everywhere. When Lin Leqing refused Xincheng's proposal to let him leave alone again, she fell silent for a long time, also leaning her head on his shoulder, but immediately lifted it up and asked if she had hurt his injured place. Thinking of the past, Lin Leqing smiled slightly.

  "Why are you tired, is it because of the road?" he asked her softly.

  Xin Chen frowned and smiled, "Hey, why does everyone assume I should have a relationship with him?"

  "Lu Fei is in love with you, He Huan. A few months ago, he went to the US on a business trip and came back to our dormitory with my younger uncle. After seeing your photo, he just found out that you had an accident while hiking. At that time, he happened to be back in town preparing to look for you, but you two just missed each other."

  "Is this what he told you? But that's not missing out, we've been on different paths for a long time, and meeting again doesn't make sense."

  "So you specifically went hiking just to avoid him?"

  "My god, you actually think that way, I hope he doesn't reason like this. No, Leqing, I'm not so cowardly as to deliberately look for a chance to get myself killed just to avoid someone, it's ridiculous and laughable, let alone almost dragging you down with me. I used to be reckless, but I've never been reckless to the point of disregarding my own life and others'. I was just in a bad state at that time, tired of my work then, and didn't want to see him, so I planned to casually find a place to clear my mind, the only mistake was being unprepared."

  "On Mount Taibai, you were delirious with fever, constantly calling out his name, telling him not to leave, Huanhuan, don't deceive yourself."

  Xin Chen suddenly sat up straight, turned her head to stare at Lin Leqing, "Really?" Seeing Lin Leqing's affirmative expression, she bit her lip and thought for a long time before sighing, "I didn't know I was so miserable when I was sick." She suddenly realized something, raised her hand to cover her mouth, "You won't tell Lu Fei about this too, will you?"

  Lin Leqing smiled and said: "I really said it, he must ask for details, so be it. If he wronged you, then he deserves to feel a little guilty."

  Xincheng's expression changed unpredictably, and after a while, he shrugged his shoulders. "Leiqing, I'm not acting in a soap opera with him, no one has wronged anyone. It's just that he wanted to study abroad, I said break up, and we went our separate ways, very ordinary. This misunderstanding is too ridiculous, no wonder he looked at me with a guilty and remorseful face. I hope he didn't dump his girlfriend because of this reason, I couldn't bear the responsibility."

  "Don't you love him anymore?"

  "Leqing, who did you love at 15?"

  Lin Leqing thought for a moment, "I matured relatively late, and at 15 I was still very innocent. Someone had written me love letters before, and I had some vague good feelings towards a girl, but it didn't seem like love."

  "When I was 15 to 18 years old, I loved someone so much that I couldn't bear to let go of him. All I wanted was to possess him completely, no matter what else happened. Even when I knew I couldn't keep him in the end, I still didn't want to pretend to be magnanimous and leave a beautiful memory for him." She smiled softly, "Now that I think about it, I find my past self strange - I don't understand how I could have so naturally assumed that someone else should change their life plans for me."

  "But in my opinion, changing plans for the one you love is a wise choice, whether it's work or study, nothing is more important than loved ones."

  "Look, I still have to call you a kid, you and me think alike at 17 years old."

  "Does growing up mean learning to weigh and sacrifice love? I think it's really sad to grow up like this."

  "Yes, I did want to continue being so self-righteous, but unfortunately, I grew up and suddenly could forgive everything. Of course, I couldn't have such strong love and hate anymore either. Do you understand what I mean? We can't go back to the past. If you ask me if I still love him, all I can say is that I used to love him, but only in the past."

  "Osmanthus, I hope you're happy and don't get stuck in memories that can't extricate yourself, suffering for nothing."

  "Memories are important to me, without them it's like I've wasted some years of my life. But don't worry, I can clearly distinguish between memories and reality. Maybe for a while I had some ridiculous illusions, but fortunately at least three years ago, I completely figured it out." Xincheng gazed in the direction of the cross, smiling, "Thanks to all-powerful time, for me, time is my religion."

  "It's good that you've decided not to be bound by memories, but why does it sound so desolate?"

  Xin Chen turned around, and saw the transparent light of the church's dome shining down. Lin Leqing's young face was radiant and moving, her eyes bright and clear, full of concern. She smiled, raised one hand to touch his hair which had a subtle black jade-like luster. Lin Leqing dodged, grabbed her hand, and pretended to be angry: "Again taking advantage of being older."

  Xin Chen laughed and leaned back in his chair, "The girl who falls in love with you and is loved by you will definitely be very happy, Le Qing, I'm jealous of her good fortune in advance."

  Lin Leqing looked at her and smiled too, still holding her hand. "Is this telling me that you won't fall in love with me?"

  "You are my most trusted friend, Yueqing. I cherish our friendship and won't ruin it with something as fragile and easily corrupted as love."

  "Hey, I haven't even started loving someone properly yet, and you're already making love sound so terrifying."

  "It's a beautiful thing to love someone wholeheartedly, it's worth trying. But to truly love, one needs the ability to do so. I'm afraid I don't have that ability anymore. I can settle for someone with low expectations and just talk about romance and find some small joy. But if I were to ask you for love, it would be more shameful than being trapped on Mount Taibai and holding onto you, not letting you try to escape."

  "What are you talking about?" Lin Leqing was astonished, "You're only 25 years old and you say you've lost the ability to love? Everything is possible, don't rush to define your future life."

  Xin Chen withdrew his hand, stretched out a big yawn, stood up, and smiled: "This sentence should be said to you, little friend. Yes, let's not rush to determine the future, Le Qing, especially you, enjoy life well."

  The two of them went out and took pictures of a few more buildings, the light gradually darkening as they strolled home. Unexpectedly, the residential area in front was even more lively than it had been at noon, with people returning home from work joining in the discussion, some speaking passionately and others whispering to each other, a scene that Xin Chen hadn't seen in over 20 years of living here. Just as they were about to make their way through the crowd and go inside, a plump middle-aged woman called out to Xin Chen: "Hey, you're a resident of the fifth floor of that building, come sign your name on this joint petition, we're demanding higher compensation for relocation."

  Xin Chen glanced over the content, signed his name and room number, then nodded to Lin Leqing to hurry up and go back home.

  "Are you ready to fight with them? I heard that the nail households in the country are very tough now, and their methods are varied. Lin Leqing put down his camera bag, not worried at all that this project was developed by his uncle's company, Huatian Group, but instead found it quite interesting."

  Xin Chen shook her head, she was not prepared to linger here, "I plan to wait until the demolition compensation standard is determined, as long as it's not outrageous I'll accept it immediately."

  "Then you still signed to support them?" Lin Leqing was surprised, he had a bit of a foreigner's temperament and didn't quite understand why Xin Chen took signing so lightly.

  "I won't sign, she'll drag me on and on, besides, I do support them in getting as much compensation as possible, it's just that I don't plan to waste any more time here."

  Lin Leqing looked at her seriously, "He Huan, are you in a hurry to leave this city?"

  "No rush, I won't go anywhere until I get the money. Besides, you're going back to America next week, right? I'll definitely leave after seeing you off."

  "He's still playing dumb with me."

  "Hey, stop showing off your idioms. I just don't get it, every time I give a serious answer, others think I'm being perfunctory. Is my credibility that bad? Leqing, my plan is clear: from now on, I won't take on any long-term projects. I'll make time to apply for a passport. Once the relocation compensation is issued, I'll start dealing with things I don't need - give away what can be given, sell what can be sold. After getting the money, I'll first go live in Kunming for a while, travel around the surrounding areas, and see if there are any job opportunities. If we both have no other plans, let's meet in Czech Republic next year."

  She said so thoroughly, Lin Leqing smiled happily, "Hehuan, then it's settled."

  Xin Chen's phone rang, she picked it up and looked at it before answering: "Hello, Xu Hui." After a pause, she said casually, "No, let's talk another day, I'm tired today."

  Yan Xuhui put away his phone and saw Xin Di's ambiguous smile, couldn't help but laugh, "If you want to say something, just say it directly."

  "Lao Yan, I'm telling you again not to provoke my family's Chenzi, it's all for your own good. You're an old man now, can't afford to get hurt anymore."

  "Hey, I'm just asking her out for dinner, okay? Back then, I really wanted to pursue her, but unfortunately, as soon as I showed some interest, you slapped me down. If it weren't for you, Xincheng would have been my girlfriend long ago, and I've been pining away in vain all these years."

  The waiter was serving the simple meal they had ordered, dish by dish. Xindi poked at the black pepper steak in front of him, sneering, "You can keep dreaming, you'll never catch up to my sister."

  David Fan couldn't help but laugh and patted Yan Xuhui's shoulder, just about to speak when Ah Ken laughed and said: "Sandy is a sis-con, he has infinite confidence in his cousin."

  Yan Xuhui burst out laughing, "Ah Ken, you're too sharp!"

  Xin Di glared at them, but also smiled, acknowledging that she was indeed biased towards Xin Chen to a certain extent. David Fan chuckled and looked at her with a smile, "Don't worry, your Xin Chen is also a sis-con, he told me during the day that even if I'm clean and capable, I still can't catch up to you, you two sisters have the same tone, it's really tacit understanding."

  Three men burst out laughing, Yan Xuhui turned around and slapped David Fan's shoulder heavily, "Old Dai, old Dai, you're done for, actually thinking of pursuing Xin Di, just wait to get a big shock."

  Xin Di's face turned red, a rare sight, as he took his knife and fork to cut his steak, muttering: "I've never seen men who gossip so much."

  Jokes aside, after dinner, the few people returned to work mode, naturally fully engaged, busy until the store closed, and finally determined the overall framework of the photo album, although they were used to staying up late, but also had a bit of fatigue. From April Garden, Ah KEN and Yan Xuhui took a taxi, David Fan walked with Xin Di to where he parked his car, and there were already few pedestrians on the road.

  It was almost the end of August, and the evening breeze finally brought a hint of coolness. David Fan had unknowingly taken Xindi's hand at some point. Walking on the quiet midnight street, with a tall man by her side, her hand wrapped in his large palm, she watched as he controlled his long strides to match hers, keeping pace with her. Xindi thought, I wonder if this peaceful and pleasant state can be considered love? At least it feels pretty good. But then again, even this couldn't be confirmed, and she couldn't help but mock herself - it seemed like all those previous times of falling in love were just empty talk, leaving behind few memories or experiences.

  "What are you thinking about?"

  "Vivian, how long have you loved someone for the longest time?"

  David Fan looked at Xinde with vigilance, feeling that this question was a trap. If he said he had never loved for a long time, it would make him appear heartless and unfaithful, which, combined with his bad record, would be enough to get him kicked out immediately. But if he fabricated an example of deep love, he wouldn't be able to do it, and besides, it would lead to endless trouble. In his opinion, when girls fell deeply in love, they would inevitably bring up past issues, and then Xinde would ask follow-up questions: "If you loved her so much, why did you break up?" "Are you still thinking of her now?" At that point, he might as well go die.

  Before he could finish his thoughts, Xindi had already sighed, "You probably won't love someone for a long time, alas, it's better this way, emotional entanglements are really scary."

  David Fan was confused, "Who says that love must be complicated? It can actually be a very happy thing."

  At this moment, Xindi suddenly remembered the scene in the afternoon. Her good friend Lu Fei had a deep sense of helplessness on her usually calm face; Ji Ruoluo, who was trying to maintain a calm and polite surface, was clearly hiding his anger and anxiety; And then there was Xin Chen, who seemed nonchalant but had obviously gone through something he didn't want others to know about. They probably all loved deeply for a long time, but now none of them could be described as happy.

  She lowered her head, and the streetlights stretched out their shadows behind them for a moment, then cast them forward. The high heels she wore tapped rhythmically on the sidewalk, making small, crisp sounds. Occasionally, a car would hurry past them, adding to the sense of desolation in the stillness of the night.

  David turned his head to look at her, not understanding her sudden silence, but somehow knew that her previous question was not intended to inquire about his past love history. At this moment, she seemed to be lost in thought and had probably forgotten that he was by her side. The two had already walked to where he parked his car, Xindi's mind wandered as she walked to the passenger seat, his arm wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace.

  Xin Di crashed into his sturdy body, and she came to her senses. She looked up at him, and under the streetlight filtering through the leaves, his handsome face was even more captivating, with every line on his face exuding temptation. His face slowly leaned in towards hers, his lips pressing against hers, as his arm around her waist pulled her tightly into his body.

  This was the first time they had kissed since that night in Hong Kong, David skillfully pried open her lips and teeth, entering deeply, Xindi only felt her heart racing wildly, her whole body feeling numb and weak, thinking, her body's reaction had honestly surrendered to this guy, it was really dangerous. The dizziness caused by the brain's lack of oxygen made her want to stop, but also didn't want to, not giving her time to think, his kiss became deeper, rolling and sucking, she responded, losing all other awareness.

  He moved his lips away, kissing her neck all the way, and leaned into her ear, "To my place or yours?"

  Her heart was racing wildly, and for a moment she couldn't figure out what the words meant, so she just murmured a vague "uh-huh". David fumbled for his car keys and pressed the remote to unlock the door, and the loud beeping sound in the quiet night made her suddenly come back to her senses. She realized what David was proposing and quickly shook her head, "No, let's each go our own way, each find our own mom."

  Her face was burning red, still a little out of breath, but she said this, David Fan was amused by her, his arm tightened around her again, narrowing his eyes to look at her, "Are you scared?"

  Through the thin clothes, pressed against his body, he held her tightly and passionately. Her mind was a blur for a long time, until she raised her hand to push against the solid muscles on his chest. "Can't you ever back down for once?"

  David Fan was touched on his sore spot and felt embarrassed, "Forget about that matter, let's start anew."

  "We now have work to complete together, I don't want to mix up public and private matters."

  This reason is so grand, David Fan was a bit speechless. He had always known that Xin De took his work seriously, but cooperating to shoot a photo album, the designer would determine the clothing and shooting concept, he would plan and produce it, although busy with one thing, it wouldn't conflict with personal feelings, it's just an excuse. He let go of her in defeat, but for a moment couldn't bear to release his hands, his arms wrapped around her waist, "The design director and the advertising company people are secretly colluding, you all knew what would happen?"

  Xin Di has now calmed down, and smiled: "It's not to the point of smashing my rice bowl, but if from now on I'm called to stop reviewing company promotional materials, then I'd be happy."

  David Fan burst out laughing, "Alright then, starting tomorrow I'll pick you up from work every day, and sooner or later you'll be relieved of this miserable duty."

  David Fan sent Xindi home, she walked into the corridor, turned her head to see his car backing out of the yard, lazily going upstairs and opening the door. There was a dressing mirror at her entrance, where she changed her shoes and stood up straight, catching sight of the person inside with a face as lovely as a peach blossom and an expression that seemed to be harboring romantic thoughts, she couldn't help but laugh and feel a little surprised.

  Xin Di was not considered timid, and that night in Hong Kong, she was just using her slight intoxication to cover her face, not to boost her courage. At that time, they were in a foreign land, and David Fan was just an acquaintance she had never taken seriously, someone she only met briefly at press conferences or exhibitions once a year. That one night, on a whim, she thought it wouldn't hurt to indulge herself once before turning 28, and after all, they would go their separate ways the next morning, and if they ran into each other occasionally in the future, they could just pretend not to know each other. But now that they were dating more frequently, she was actually feeling a little nervous.

  Xin Di leaned back on the sofa, thinking carefully. Flirting with a playboy who lived in the same city might not be a big deal, but when it came to making it seem like they were really in love, it seemed like it would bring unnecessary trouble for herself. She decided it was better to be cautious and not let his good looks confuse her head. Thinking of his good looks, she suddenly remembered the firm hug from earlier and the feeling of stroking his chest muscles, and she couldn't help but feel a flush rise to her ears again. She was determined that being an older woman with spring fever was definitely not a good phenomenon.

  David said and did, and indeed started picking up Xindi from work the next day. Xindi didn't object to his enthusiasm, her commute time coincided with the local taxi shift change, and every time she called a cab, she had to wait for half a day. She had thought about taking driving lessons and buying a car before, but when she mentioned it to her mother, her mother was shocked and said: "You're already careless when walking and don't watch the road, which is frightening enough. If you go drive, won't that give me a heart attack?" So Xindi gave up on the idea.

  Xin Di never had any issues with herself, nor did she care about what her colleagues thought. When someone came to pick her up, she opened the car door and got in calmly. As the car stopped in the courtyard, she unfastened her seatbelt while saying, "Hey, come on up with me." Before David Fan could process this invitation and express his surprise, she continued, "I've collected a lot of accessories at my place. Take them to Old Yan, I think the stylist can use them when shooting the album cover, and it'll save us from having to go out and buy more last minute."

  David Fan couldn't help but mock himself, only to follow her upstairs, not expecting that as soon as the door opened, Xin Di let out a loud scream - her mother Li Xiang was sitting on the sofa watching TV. Li Xiang had a key to this place and indeed loved to sneak in for inspections. She had thought more than once that she owed it to her mother's persistence that she had remained chaste until now.

  Li Xiang looked at David Fan with a puzzled expression, he was very enthusiastic about calling Auntie good, Li Xiang nodded, Xin Di quickly ran into her own room and took out the storage box containing accessories to hand it over to him, "Tell Old Yan that I asked you to take care of it well and don't lose it, goodbye."

  Dai Wei smiled and understood that she wanted to get rid of him quickly, just as he was about to leave, Li Xiang said: "Little Dai, since you're here, let's have a bowl of soup together, I just cooked it."

  She went into the kitchen, and Xindi said helplessly: "Alright then, let's sit down and have a drink."

  Li Xiang brought out two bowls of borscht, and David Fan drank them down in big gulps, praising: "Auntie, this borscht is really authentic, not too thick or too thin, the flavor is rich and intense. You can tell it was cooked over low heat for a long time, not like those lazy people's borscht."

  Li Xiang was very pleased to hear this compliment. In the past few years, she had relatively more free time at work and was quite devoted to studying cooking techniques. However, Xin Di was completely uninterested in this, and at most would only praise it with a sentence or two, saying "It's delicious." "Little Dai, I didn't know you also researched cooking, this dish is indeed not difficult to make, it just takes effort. I braised the beef for three hours."

  David said seriously: "I'm very interested in cooking, another day I'll have time to make a few dishes and ask Auntie to taste and guide me."

  Li Xiang naturally nodded happily, Xin Di could only secretly glance at him with her eyes, hinting that he should hurry up and finish the soup and leave. Dai Weifan didn't want to provoke her into a fit of anger, so he drank the soup clean and then bid farewell and left.

  Xin De let out a sigh of relief, "Mom, just make a phone call, I'll go over and have a drink, why bother sending it over?"

  "Your dad is away on a business trip, and I'll be staying at your place for these two days. Does that mean your mom isn't welcome?"

  Xin Di smiled and said: "You've come, I'm in luck now. How could I not welcome you?"

  "Xiao Dai looks pretty good, polite and has a sense of style, seems to treat you well too, but this guy is just too handsome, can't help but make people feel a bit uneasy."

  Xin Di forced a smile and followed her words, saying: "Yes, yes, I think so too, so I plan to take a closer look before making a decision." She wanted to pre-emptively put the blame on David Fan, so that even if they broke up later, she could shift the responsibility to him. As for whether he was innocent or not, it was no longer within her consideration.

  "Yesterday, Auntie Xie called me and said that Lu Fei suddenly broke off the engagement. Do you know what's going on?" Li Xiang was referring to Lu Fei's mother, who had a good relationship with her. Since Lu Fei was currently staying in the local area, his mother immediately called Li Xiang to ask for information after hearing about the broken engagement.

  Xin De swallowed the last mouthful of soup and said seriously, "I don't know, isn't this very normal? There's divorce after marriage, right? If it doesn't feel right before getting married, it's better to call it off for everyone's sake."

  "What's going on? Marriage is a big deal, not a child's play. Today they get engaged and tomorrow they break up, what kind of situation is this? I only heard that Lu Fei had broken up with his girlfriend, but didn't expect that he was already engaged and now regretting it. Lu Fei has always been very steady, does this have something to do with Xiao Chen?"

  "Mom, you're really going out of your way to get involved in this. Why drag Xiao Chen into it? She hasn't seen Lu Fei for so many years, what makes you think she should have a relationship with him now? Besides, Lu Fei is an adult too, he knows what he's doing."

  "You've always been careless about this kind of thing, didn't you notice that time when we were eating and Lu Fei was looking at Xiao Chen's expression? I felt something was off back then, but your dad didn't believe me. Look what happened now. You told Auntie Xie she might come over, oh dear, if she finds out it was Xiao Chen who did it, your dad and I will be too ashamed to face her."

  "Mom, I still have to go out for a bit and take care of some small things. I won't be back too late."

  She grabbed her bag and rushed out to hail a taxi while calling Lu Fei: "Where are you now? I'll be right there."

  Lu Fei was living in a high-rise duplex apartment in the city center, borrowed from his sister Lu Xixi. He opened the door to let Xin Di in and took her up to the rooftop, where there was a small table with a bottle of whiskey and an ice bucket on it, apparently he had been drinking alone to relieve boredom.

  "Is the road my sister?"

  "She's going back to Shenzhen for a meeting and will come over tomorrow." Lu Fei went to get her a bottle of fruit wine and poured half a cup for her.

  "What the hell are you doing, Lu Fei? Your ex-girlfriend coming to find me is one thing, but now I hear your mom is also on her way. Let me tell you something, if Ji Ruochen goes to talk to Chenzi and Auntie Xie comes to blame her, with her personality, I think the two of you are basically doomed."

  Lu Fei leaned back in his chair, silent for a long time. Xin Di saw that under the lamp light, his face looked tired, with faint dark circles under his eyes and a depressed expression. She couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic towards him. "Lu Fei, I always thought you could handle everything."

  "I was also very arrogant before, but now it seems that I have failed." He twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Xiao Di, I've already made it clear to Ruo Ke that the reason for our breakup is entirely my own fault. Three months ago, as soon as I returned from the US, I brought it up with her. At that time, I didn't even know if Xiao Chen had a boyfriend or not. I just felt that continuing on would be unfair to Ruo Ke, and it has nothing to do with Xiao Chen. I won't let her go find Xiao Chen's trouble. As for my mom, I'll persuade her not to come over."

  Xin De Song took a deep breath, picked up his wine glass and gestured to him, "Alright, let's drink together to dispel your worries. It also saves me from being wrongly accused of having a secret crush on you."

  Lu Fei smiled wryly and clinked glasses with her, downing his drink in one gulp, completely unlike his usual slow drinking style.

  "Lu Fei, I just don't get it. If you like Chen Zi so much, why didn't you come back to the country earlier to find her? Are you waiting for her to take the initiative to call you back?"

  Lu Fei shook his head with a hint of melancholy, "I've never been arrogant to that extent, so how could Xiao Chen possibly take the initiative to speak up?"

  "So the two of you just went your separate ways and dragged it out until today." Xīn Dí could only confirm again, the gloomy man was indeed a disaster. "Alright, wasn't it my emails that kept you from coming back? Isn't it normal for Zhēnzi to have someone pursuing her? You should've contacted her directly, if I had known about your thoughts earlier, things wouldn't have been said."

  "If she would look at the email I wrote to her," Ruo Fei paused, slightly dazed, then shook his head, "No, it's better if she doesn't see it, I have no right to make her wait for me."

  Xin Chen looked into his eyes and said clearly: "I don't want to see you again."

  Is it just the fear of her rejection? Lu Fei had also asked himself. He could only honestly admit that he actually couldn't bear to go back and face Xin Chen in another man's arms.

  Xin Di mentioned in his email that someone was pursuing Xin Chen, especially the year he received his degree. Xin Di said that Xin Chen had a very good boyfriend, a Northwesterner, with a bright personality, who treated her well. Even Xin Kai Ming occasionally saw him and liked the boy, saying he had ambition, talent and was considerate.

  After reading the email, Lu Fei told himself that since she was happy, he had no right to go back and disturb her. After getting the offer from the venture capital company, he moved to New York, renting a small apartment, commuting in the most prosperous metropolitan area in the world, with an expressionless face like every man and woman around him, coming and going hastily. Then it was business trips, shuttling between one city and another, looking at the different yet similar scenes of neon lights and nightlife through hotel windows.

  When he returned to his New York apartment from Europe one late night, and saw Ji Ruoxi waiting for him in the lobby downstairs, Lu Fei felt a slight sense of guilt. He knew that this girl had feelings for him, but he had been avoiding her hints all along; when she confessed directly, he politely declined. Now she had come alone from San Francisco to wait for him, and such kindness made him feel overwhelmed with emotion.

  Lu Fei could only apologize and explain that he was very tired from the trip, so he sent her to the hotel first and then went home. He didn't turn on the lights, poured himself a glass of wine, and sat alone in the darkness, exhausted, until he fell asleep on the couch.

  His dreams were always as real as a live-action movie replaying in his mind, the half-wilted honeysuckle flowers fell down in clusters, the pale pink cherry blossom petals were blown away by the gentle breeze, and the warm wind gently caressed his face like a soft hand. A string of laughter echoed past his ears, each word was clear, but he couldn't make out any specific meaning. Sometimes a slender body seemed to be nestled in his arms, but he dared not hold on tight, fearing that if he closed his hands, all he would grasp would be empty air...

  He woke up from his dream, staring blankly at the dark ceiling, and said to himself for the first time, "I'd better go back home. Since I couldn't escape my thoughts even across the ocean."

  Ji Ruoluo told him that she had already applied to enter Columbia University and would be staying in New York to continue her studies. He could only apologize, saying that he had applied to his boss to transfer to the domestic office and was waiting for the transfer order. Not noticing Ji Ruoluo's suddenly dimming eyes, he smiled and said: "Columbia University is also a good major, ranking very high."

  Three years ago, at the end of February, Lu Fei received an order to return home and took over the work of the Beijing office. What he didn't expect was that Ji Ruoluo had flown back to Beijing ahead of him, rented a house and moved in. She went to the airport to pick him up and said with a smile: "Now that the US economy is not doing well, I'm also following the trend and returning home to try my luck."

  Lu was well aware that she came from a good family, her whole family had settled in San Francisco early on, and she majored in Art History, a subject with little practical value domestically. She didn't have to worry about the economic downturn or struggle to make ends meet like others did. Her intentions were clear. With a bitter smile, he said, "You intimidate me, Lu. I have to ask myself, what makes me worthy?"

  "I am willing to persist and wait for a goal that I think is worth it." Ji Ruochen replied.

  Lu Fei was speechless, but he clearly knew that the one he missed was the girl who had explicitly told him at the time of their breakup that she neither wanted to persist nor wait.

  That day, Lu Fei stood at the corner of the intersection waiting for Xin Chen. The April weather was warm, and he had just attended his sister's wedding in the south. Under the night sky, he stood straight, only to hear a loud and piercing motorcycle roar from afar. In those years, a group of young men with pomaded hair suddenly appeared in the local area, driving various types of motorcycles, intentionally speeding through the city, showing off their coolness. Some even made appointments for midnight racing, with a fashionably dressed girl often sitting on the back seat. The general public was very disgusted by their behavior and the noise they made.

  A Honda road bike came over at a nearly dangerous speed and stopped abruptly not far from the roadside, and a girl with a backpack on her back jumped off the back seat. It was Xin Chen. She took off her helmet and handed it to the boy who rode the motorcycle, and smoothed her hair with one hand.

  "Isn't it better if I take you in?"

  Xin Chen's voice was annoyed, "Forget it, your car is making such a big noise, my aunt will hear it and say she'll have a heart attack again, and I'll be scolded."

  The boy laughed and said, "I'll pick you up at this time tomorrow."

  "Don't come over here, if our classmates see us and tell the teacher, I'll be in trouble too. Let's go, let's go."

  The boy hung his helmet on the car head, stepped on the accelerator and drove away quickly. Xin Chen turned around and saw Lu Fei standing in front of him, she turned her head to one side and walked forward by herself, Lu Fei had no choice but to go up and stop her. This was the first time they met after parting ways at his school gate, Xin Chen didn't have any intention of talking to him.

  "Xiao Chen." He called out to her, she raised her eyes and looked at him, the pointed chin face with tightly pursed lips was her standard expression when being stubborn. Lu Fei sighed, "Don't ride this kind of motorcycle in the future, speeding is too dangerous, it's easy to have an accident."

  This was obviously not what Xin Chen wanted to hear, she turned around and walked away without a word. Lu Fei caught up with her, "Xiao Chen, how can I make you understand? Going abroad doesn't mean I'm giving up on you or that I don't like you anymore. After I graduate..."

  "But that would mean I've given up on you, Lu Fei." Xin Chen's eyes welled up with tears, but he forced a smile and said clearly, "I won't wait for anyone, I don't want to see you again."

  She pushed his hand away and walked off. The resolute departure left Lu Fei staring after her, watching as she disappeared from view. He thought to himself, is it really going to end like this? She refused to bid farewell properly, refused to drag things out or make any promises about the future, and instead reacted with childish anger and petulance, leaving him completely at a loss.

  It was a weekend, more than half a month later, when Lu Fei suddenly received a call from Xin Di. She said in a hurried tone: "Lu Fei, hurry to the Traffic Brigade in the suburbs and get Chen Zi out."

  "What's going on?" he asked as he hastily ran out of the dormitory.

  "She just called me, seems like she went street racing with someone, there was an accident ahead and the traffic police rushed over to detain everyone, many underage kids are waiting for their parents to pick them up. I'm on the train right now heading to Nanjing to receive an award, can you please go pick her up? Please don't tell my parents or they'll scold her again, she's been in a weird mood lately, probably because of the upcoming college entrance exam and too much pressure."

  Lu Fei asked for the location and hailed a taxi to rush over. Sure enough, there were more than ten highway motorcycles of different colors and models parked in the courtyard of the traffic police brigade. A group of about twenty young men and women stood along the wall of a large office building, with Xin Chen standing on one side, expressionless, looking ahead. A team leader was scolding several people who looked like parents, "This is too irresponsible, having money doesn't mean letting kids behave recklessly, buying tens of thousands of yuan worth of motorcycles to race with others, I think it's best to take all of you to the hospital and see how those two kids are injured before you know what fear is."

  Those parents naturally nodded repeatedly, saying they would strictly discipline their children when they got home and signed to take their children away.

  Lu Fei went to pick up Xin Chen with a traffic police officer, but the other party said bluntly that only parents could come to pick him up. The officer also said rudely: "These girls are all clever and cunning. Just now, two boys pretended to be their brothers or cousins to pick them up, and we chased them away. We won't do anything to them, the key is to let their parents come and take responsibility for them."

  Lu Fei had no choice but to come out and make a phone call to his father's last secretary when he was working here, the person naturally rushed over immediately, found the squadron leader, and Xincheng was smoothly taken out.

  Lu Fei bid farewell to his secretary and refused his offer to send him off, instead bringing Xin Chen out. As soon as Xin Chen turned around to leave, he pulled her in front of the propaganda board at the traffic police station, "Take a good look at these photos before you say anything."

  On the propaganda board were posted all sorts of gruesome photos of traffic accidents. Xin Chen stopped struggling, standing straight there, looking at them with a pale face and biting his lip without making a sound.

  "What are you doing, Xiao Chen? There should be school today, but you skipped class again and hung out with these people. I've told you before that it's very dangerous..."

  "What's it got to do with you?"

  Lu was thoroughly enraged and said loudly: "Fine, it has nothing to do with me. Your life is your own business, not my responsibility. But look at what you're doing, can you even take responsibility for yourself?"

  Xin Chen turned her head, her pale face making her eyes seem even more profound and bright, as if there were two small flames flickering in her pupils. After a long time, she opened her mouth, saying clearly: "I won't be a burden to anyone."

  Xin Chen turned and walked away, the afternoon sun shining down on her as she walked straight ahead, a small figure trailing behind. Lu Fei watched her back, relaxing his tightly clenched fists, the anger that had filled him just moments before suddenly dissipating.

  He wasn't angry at her for ignoring him, his anger was more directed at his own helplessness. He was filled with doubts about his decision, and she was still a psychologically fragile child, but he was becoming increasingly intolerant of her, unsure whether it was her tough attitude that stimulated him or the pain of separation slowly occupying his heart in another way, making him lose his former patience and gentleness.

  Next, Lu Fei had to prepare his passport and visa, frequently traveling between his hometown, his parents' place in the south, and Beijing. He called Xin Di, who told him that Xin Chen had been very quiet lately and hadn't gone out to play with motorcycles again, which made him slightly relieved. By the time he got back from Beijing with his visa, Xin Chen had already finished her college entrance exams and left for Kunming to visit her father.

  The last time Lu Fei saw Xin Chen before going abroad was still a quarrel, and Xin Chen tore up the email he left behind, clearly telling him that she was not prepared to wait for anyone, nor did she want to receive emails. He could see the pain in her eyes, but she refused to let others comfort her in any way, and would rather indulge herself to deepen that pain.

  Maybe his sister was right, they really needed their own space to grow up, maybe time would help her accept reality. He could only gloomily board the northbound plane, looking out of the window at the city below gradually getting smaller and disappearing under the flowing clouds, he thought, I wonder what kind of scene it will be when we meet again three years later.

  He never thought that this farewell would last for seven years, and the passage of time took away as much as it left behind, leaving people with a lingering regret, and time almost changed everything.