Xin Chen didn't have any plans for tonight, she just thought that Xin Di was leaving for the US tomorrow and David Fan would be sending her home later, so she should give them some time to be alone.

  After leaving her uncle's house, she held her mobile phone and lazily flipped through the address book while walking. Suddenly, she found that it was not easy to find someone to spend time with. When she was in college, she was relatively introverted and didn't have any particularly close friends. After starting work, she became more even-tempered and got along well with people around her no matter what job she did, but she lost interest in having deep relationships with others. There were many online friends who regularly went hiking together on the forum, but their relationship was limited to online and on the road, and they rarely contacted each other in real life.

  She was about to go watch a movie alone, when her phone rang. She picked it up and saw that it was a call from "Bubble", the administrator of an outdoor forum they had both joined this year on a trip to Tibet. They had exchanged numbers but rarely spoke on the phone. She quickly answered: "Hello."

  "Hey, where have you been all this time? Didn't you see the post from A Feng on the forum? He's back from Mount Everest and we're having a gathering at his Forever bar tonight. Everyone wants to send you off as well."

  That day when Xin Chen posted about sending flowers, she casually mentioned that she was preparing to go out of town soon. She knew Lu Fei was also around, so she didn't log in again, plus she was busy working overtime at the advertising company, and really had no time to sign up for the regular hike. "Recently I have a job on hand that needs to be rushed, sorry I haven't seen it, I'll come over right away."

  Forever has always been the gathering place for outdoor enthusiasts. People who enjoy outdoor activities can be divided into several groups, some like extreme sports such as rock climbing, snow mountain hiking, and diving, while others prefer simple self-driving tours or more relaxing activities like hiking and camping. However, most people share a common interest - photography. The owner of Forever Bar, Ah Feng, is considered one of the pioneers of this BBS community. Occasionally, outdoor enthusiasts would gather at his bar to share their experiences and photos from their travels, which includes critiquing and appreciating each other's photography work.

  When Xinchen rushed over, the bar only had downstairs open to the outside, with a few scattered customers sitting under the dim candlelight. She went straight upstairs, where it was almost full of netizens, and the projector was showing photos of Mount Everest taken by A Feng and his friends. The majestic beauty took everyone's breath away.

  Xin Chen found a seat and sat down quietly, nodding greetings to several people around him, and carefully looked at the photos.

  This time, there were two groups of people who went to Tibet. Xin Chen participated in a local netizen's self-driving route, taking the Sichuan-Tibet Highway in and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway out. The journey was also quite arduous, but compared to Ah Feng and several other out-of-town netizens' itinerary, it was relatively mild. They were all amateur mountaineers from different regions and industries within China, determined to climb Mount Everest, and made an appointment to head straight to the 5,200-meter-high Everest Base Camp for nearly a month of acclimatization training. During this time, they also hiked to the 6,300-meter-high Third Col Camp, which was the highest altitude with human presence during the non-climbing season.

  A Feng briefly introduced the shooting location, altitude and technical parameters of the photos, but everyone was more interested in life at Everest Base Camp. No one expected to see a foreign family with children sitting leisurely in front of their tent, sunbathing. After the photos were shown, a series of strange questions began, which A Feng answered one by one. Then, the leader of the self-driving tour to Tibet, Bubble, came up to talk about their itinerary.

  A Feng came over and sat down beside Xin Chen, smiling and asking: "He Huan, you're really showing off now, I posted that thread and you didn't even respond, be careful or you'll have to drink a penalty later."

  "I've been too busy these days and haven't had time to check the forum. I'm not afraid of drinking with you, anyway, I'll just take advantage of your hospitality. Even if I get drunk, you'll have to send me back home. Let me tell Zhen first." Xincheng took out his phone to call Xinzhen, then handed it over to him, "Give her an update, she was asking about you a few days ago wondering why you hadn't returned yet."

  Lu Fei stopped in her tracks at the stairs, and on the projector was a photo of six men and two women, including Xin Chen, all wearing T-shirts and standing in front of two off-road vehicles with smiles.

  He hasn't seen Xin Chen for a while, only heard from Xin Di that she has been working overtime to retouch pictures at the advertising company, and after completing the handover of his work at the venture capital firm, he officially resigned and started investigating and preparing to take over new work, also very busy.

  He started working for an American company after graduation. In the US work environment, he was a rare Asian face, but soon won recognition from his superiors with his abilities. The opportunities and pressures in front of him were exactly the same as those of his American colleagues. Over the past year, he has been traveling around the world on business trips, independently handling complex risk investment businesses.

  After returning to China, he coincided with the country's rapid economic growth and the booming venture capital industry. The business of the Beijing office increased rapidly under his leadership. However, dealing with various levels of government and enterprises of all sizes in China was also a brand new experience for him. The imperfect legal environment, subtle interpersonal relationships, vastly different investment policies across regions, complex tax systems, and local regulations were like a maze, forcing him and his colleagues to devote their full energy to in-depth research.

  After deciding to stay in the local area and work, Lu Fei's initial plan was to raise funds and set up his own investment company. He would start by targeting high-tech growth enterprises and try to introduce venture capital concepts. He was confident that his experience in risk control was rich, but the initial stage would inevitably be difficult.

  He met Wang Feng in a chance encounter. Wang Feng came from humble beginnings, had sharp eyesight and was an inland tycoon who made his fortune from scratch without any discount, even his experience of getting into trouble with the law was also typical among private entrepreneurs. However, disaster often brings good fortune, a lawsuit brought his wife Xu Huaying to the forefront where she shone brightly, not only did the company not suffer any losses but it also gained momentum and rose rapidly. Meanwhile, he retreated behind the scenes, began to reflect on himself, kept a low profile, and devoted himself to studying economic trends and national policies. After talking with each other, they found that many of their ideas and understandings were surprisingly similar.

  It was through Wang Feng that Lu Fei came to understand that many of the mainland's private capital investments, known for their large sums and mysterious movements, were operating in a grey area of policy, with profit models that were overly simplistic. Wang Feng was also eager to shed his company's reliance on personal connections, word of mouth, and hearsay to expand its business, and was anxious to bring the company into a standardized mode of operation. When Wang Feng proposed cooperation, Lu Fei was not surprised; although joining a purely private enterprise was something he had never considered before, after their previous communication, the two men quickly came to an agreement, smoothly reaching a cooperative intention.

  Wang Feng introduced his wife Xu Huaying to Lu Fei, and they discussed the details of their cooperation. Today, they finalized the agreement, with Lu Fei becoming the general manager of Wang Feng's investment company and holding 10% of its shares. Both parties reached a full understanding on business expansion and management. After the meeting, Lu Fei went to a suburban villa for dinner with Wang Feng, Xu Huaying, and other high-level executives from the group company.

  Between clinking glasses and crossed chopsticks, everyone was chatting and laughing, but Lu Fei clearly knew what this new job meant for him.

  The pressure and responsibility of his job didn't bother him, but once he accepted the position, his life became closely tied to the local area. However, the girl who had prompted him to decide to stay was now preparing to leave without hesitation, and thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.

  After dinner, Lu Fei drove to Forever. The upstairs was already crowded with guests and laughter. He had seen a post from A Feng on the forum two days ago about gathering for a farewell party for Xin Chen, so he decided to come over and take a look.

  The upstairs was already packed with people, he leaned against the stair railing and listened quietly to Foam's introduction.

  Foam said: "Back to work, recently just organized the photos, I'll post the detailed route strategy on the forum later, here are some photos of our trip to Tibet."

  On the screen, a photo of Ritang surrounded by snow-capped peaks appeared. The host introduced: "This side is 4014 meters above sea level, and several good men who were rushing to drive have started to react. I have to say that He Huan is awesome, this section of road was driven by her, and we men are all impressed."

  Xin Chen smiled and said: "Baomo, don't exaggerate, focus on driving and your headache will be gone. Didn't you confirm it the second day too?"

  "It's a good thing you couldn't hold on until the designated day, or I would have thought you were made of iron." Foam also laughed. "Everyone, on the designated day, several people had headaches at night and couldn't sleep, got up to take a walk, and suddenly found that He Huan was missing. I was so scared that my head swelled instantly. What if we lost someone? When I took another look, it turned out that the big sister had taken a quilt and slept in the off-road vehicle, and even opened a steel bottle of oxygen inside to slowly release it. She slept very soundly. This experience should be remembered by everyone, when you can't withstand the high-altitude reaction, use this trick, it's very effective."

  Everyone burst out laughing, and Foam continued to talk about the itinerary. Compared to Ah Feng's arduous and dull experience at the Lonely Peak Campsite, theirs was obviously much more interesting. One by one, unfamiliar and distant place names came out of Foam's mouth, and pictures were displayed on the projector:

  In the Dongda Mountains, they encountered a blizzard and could only drive slowly; on the 99 bends of the Nujiang River, everyone was a bit crazy, chasing down steep slopes, shouting with excitement. On the way to Gu Xue Glacier, they took a wrong turn and almost ended up in Zayul, driving between snow-capped peaks, with everyone agreeing that it was worth getting lost. When another car got stuck in the riverbed, the metal part of the nylon tow rope broke due to insufficient strength, so they had to borrow a steel cable from a passing vehicle; near Lhasa, as the sun set, the sky's cloud layers changed colors, leaving everyone mesmerized. At the 4888m marker on Highway 318, several people took photos together on top of their cars; at the 5020m-high Yakou Pass, they watched the sunrise, with four peaks above 8000m, including Mount Everest, lined up in a row in the sea of clouds, majestic and breathtaking.

  A photo of Xin Chen appeared on the screen, Lu Fei's gaze fell firmly on her face, she was wearing a deep brown windbreaker, wearing sunglasses, and the outdoor scarf with camouflage pattern that had been used in Beijing three years ago covered her face.

  Foam continued to explain: "Walking here, the water tank of a car behind us leaked, and there was no place to repair it. We had to go to the river to fetch water to supplement it. The sand and dust on the mountain road were deadly, but the scenery of the river beach below was really good."

  The sky in this photo is an unbelievable blue, with a thick layer of white clouds hanging extremely low behind Xin Chen, as if within reach. The sunlight pierces through the gaps in the clouds, casting strong and dappled shadows on the riverbank, which is half bright and half dark. The clear water winds its way through the riverbed. She stands on the vast expanse of pebbles on the empty riverbank, holding a camera to take pictures, her hair blown back by the wind, although her face can't be seen clearly, but the photo's tone is bright and she stands out independently, with a tall and refreshing figure.

  Xin Chen, sitting not far from the stairs, was talking in a low voice with someone next to him and didn't notice Lu Fei's arrival. The projector showed new photos, and Foam said: "We also took a horse-drawn carriage to the Everest base camp, met with A Feng and others, thanked them for their hospitality, and treated us to instant noodles that were finally cooked."

  Ah Feng smiled and said: "I only brought out the precious supplies to entertain you because I saw that you brought two beautiful women with you, yet you still want to complain."

  Everyone burst out laughing again.

  Standing alone in the flying sand and dust, also with a headscarf on, Xincheng's projection on the screen looks spirited and energetic, without any hint of loneliness or desolation.

  The road is not what you think, at least Xincheng was right in some way, his understanding of her has indeed stayed at a certain stage, even if he carefully reviewed her journey over the years by looking at posts, he still can't touch her heart.

  She grew up beyond his sight, her life was just as wonderful without his participation. She went to distant places he had never been to, she saw the magnificent mountains and rivers that he had never seen before. She experienced things in bustling cities that he had never experienced before.

  Unconsciously, she has grown from a carefree and open flower to a tall and proud tree. She is no longer the lonely little girl who had never seen the sea and lived in a shabby room in a chaotic residential area. Her calm demeanor now is not a pretence or defense against him, but her attitude towards life.

  But he still clings to the Xincheng who once recklessly coquettish in front of him, and is no longer seen, he can't help but feel ashamed.

  The foam has been spoken to the last paragraph of the return journey, "Sorry, my brother and I got off the highland and had an accident. As soon as we got on the Lianhuo Expressway, we didn't feel well, our whole body was numb, and we were rushed to the hospital. Before we set out, we had a physical examination and were considered very healthy. However, when we arrived at the hospital, the doctor scared us to death, gave us oxygen and hung an IV drip, and even issued a critical illness notice. Fortunately, Peter the Great was born as a medical student, although he changed careers to sell medicine after graduation, he is still a professional, and his wife has experienced this situation before. She had received a critical illness notice when she was alone in a foreign country. Everyone searched for information online, consulted with doctors they knew, and after a detailed examination, the diagnosis was first-degree atrioventricular block. As long as we don't drive tiredly and pay attention to rest, there won't be any major problems. After finishing the infusion, I left the hospital and was deprived of my driving rights. They took turns driving and returned smoothly to our hometown, ending this unforgettable journey. Thank you all."

  A Feng stood up and beckoned the waiter to pour wine, "He Huan is going to leave this place for a while, today can be considered as seeing her off, let's have fun and not return until we're drunk."

  Lu quietly went downstairs, found a seat and sat down, and the waiter brought up a glass of red wine. Downstairs, only soft jazz music was flowing quietly, candlelight flickering in the candle holder, dimming and brightening, he sat silently alone, occasionally picking up his glass to take a sip.

  Fewer guests downstairs, while laughter from upstairs is transmitted through a space that doesn't feel far away, accompanied by music, but with a slight sense of dizziness.

  Thinking of Xin Chen being in the midst of such revelry, chatting and laughing with others, rather than being alone in solitude, Lu Fei felt a sense of relief. He was willing for her to indulge in unrestrained joy, even if her smile wasn't directed at him.

  The night was getting deeper, the hands of his watch pointed to midnight, and the red wine beside him had already been the third cup. People began to come down from the stairs one after another, saying goodbye to each other and leaving. Ah Feng accompanied Xin Chen walking at the end, and the two chatted while going downstairs.

  "I'll send you back, otherwise Xiao Di will blame me again."

  Xin Chen's voice was quick, "No need, I didn't get drunk, ah yo." But she almost stepped on an empty staircase, Ah Feng hurriedly supported her.

  "You still dare say you're not drunk? Wait a minute, I'll call them to close up and then send you home."

  Lu Fei walked up and took over Xin Chen's hand, "Thank you, I'll take her from here."

  A Feng was surprised, just about to speak, Xin Chen laughed and said, "Ah, Lu Fei, you're also here to see me off? Why don't you go up and have a drink together?"

  She was obviously drunk, her cheeks flushed red, her eyes shining brightly, struggling to stand still, and then took a step forward, but fell into Luofei's arms. Ah Feng saw that they knew each other, felt relieved, "Someone is taking care of her, I won't send her home anymore."

  Xin Chen leaned softly against Lu Fei, randomly grabbing his shirt and trying to regain her balance. Lu Fei half-supported and half-hugged her, nodding at Ah Feng, "Thanks, goodbye."

  There was no parking space in front of the door, Lu Fei's car was parked on another street. He put his arm around Xin Chen and walked slowly, while she was not calm, still in a state of excitement after drinking, smiling and talking: "You came too late, it was so lively just now. In the past, I always sent others off, sent off my dad, you, and also Li Yang..." She frowned, as if trying to recall more names, then smiled, "Oh, right, and Le Qing too. Actually, I'm really afraid of sending people away, watching them leave one by one, leaving only me alone."

  "I won't leave you alone again," he said softly.

  And she didn't notice listening, but continued to say to herself: "With so many people sending me off, I can go anywhere by myself now."

  "Do we have to go?"

  She smiled with a slight tremble in his arms, "You said goodbye to everyone, but didn't leave, that's what's really annoying."

  "What if I asked you to stay?" His heart beats faster, waiting for her response. She seemed not to have heard it, giggling and changing the subject.

  "I'm really happy today, it's been a long time since I drank so much. The last time was in Tashkurgan, Xinjiang, and I forgot who all the people were, we only got to know each other after arriving in Xinjiang, can't even recall their names. But have you noticed, sometimes talking to strangers about what's on your mind is more relieving."

  Lu Fei had always been self-controlled, and when drinking, he would stop as soon as he felt a slight intoxication, let alone pour his heart out to strangers. Yet now, he actually hoped that Xin Chen would maintain this state, treating himself like an unfamiliar passerby, speaking freely without restraint or pause.

  Xin Chen leaned on his arm, her footsteps slightly staggering. "We sat around the bonfire, drinking and talking about our first loves, the most unforgettable person. Everyone had a lot to drink, which was good in a way, as people dared to say cheesy things, and it turned out that everyone seemed to have a past."

  Lu Fei had already walked to the side of the car, but he didn't want to interrupt her, so he leaned against the station and held her tightly. She was obviously immersed in the pleasure brought by alcohol, for the first time in a long while, she relaxed without guard and nestled in his arms, forgetting their separation, as if returning to the past, hugging his arm and chattering about all the interesting things she could remember.

  "That night, the moon on the plateau was beautiful, the air was transparent, without a speck of dust, and everywhere were blooming colorful Pamir flowers. Everyone was pouring their emotions, whether they had something to pour out or not, regardless of whether there was anything worth pouring out in life." Xincheng's voice was low and clear, "Hey, are you laughing at me?"

  Lu Fei shook her head, not delving deeper into the matter. Her eyes were slightly unfocused as she tilted her head to think, unsure of what she had just said. The words that had been pent up for so long suddenly surged up with the help of the wine, finding an outlet to vent and pouring out uncontrollably.

  "Yes, everyone has their own secrets. Some people are luckier and end up with the one they first loved, but he still regrets not having a deeper experience, thinking that life is just so-so, showing how unsatisfied human hearts can be." She chuckled softly, "Some old stories, when told, really sound quite sad; some say his beloved girl married his best friend; some say they loved someone for many years but never had the chance to tell them, guess what I'm talking about?"

  Lu Fei's eyes were fixed on her lips as they lightly opened and closed, her snow-white teeth flashing with a faint glow in the thick night color, the dimple on her left cheek appeared and disappeared, "I couldn't guess."

  "I said, I loved a person, and I want to thank the person who appeared in my life for what happened between us. Where he is now, who he's with, whether he's forgotten me - none of that matters. I had his first kiss, I was his first love. Maybe one day, after having a few drinks, he'll remember me and feel sweet about it, and that would be great."

  He felt a sharp pain in his throat, unable to make a sound. His hand involuntarily tightened around her as she continued speaking with a smile: "I wonder if he'll remember me, after all, standing on the opposite side, he won't be able to recognize me either." She sighed softly and leaned her head against his chest. He stood still, afraid of breaking the tranquility of this moment, afraid that she would suddenly recall everything and pull away from his embrace. If he had a choice, he hoped time would freeze at this instant, never advancing to the next moment.

  She suddenly lifted her head, staring at him steadily. "Of course, I was a bit too high-pitched, not only moving others but also myself. In fact, I'm not that tolerant and grateful. Many times, I hate it. If he had never appeared, if I hadn't been loved by him in that way, I wouldn't have to put him down in my later life, wouldn't make unfair comparisons with others, and wouldn't disappoint the people who love me."

  She was clearly talking to him, but it was as if she were recalling something with a person who had nothing to do with him. Lu Fei gritted his teeth tightly, her voice was smooth and light, but it pierced his heart more and more heavily.

  Xin Chen woke up, feeling only dry mouth and throat, with a burning sensation in her throat. She dazedly got out of bed, her feet searching for her slippers on the bedside, but instead stepped on the soft carpet, and couldn't help but pause, suddenly realizing that she wasn't lying on the bed in Xin Di's study. She often traveled and didn't care where she slept, but waking up from a dream to find herself in an unfamiliar place, she was startled and her eyes widened with fear, the remaining dizziness disappearing without a trace.

  In front of her was a very large bedroom, the door open with a sliver of light shining in. The floor-to-ceiling windows had their curtains hanging low and swaying gently in the breeze. A large sheepskin rug lay beside the bed. She stood up, put on the shoes that were placed at the foot of the bed, and walked towards the door. Only then did she discover that outside was a study, with a wide desk lit by a table lamp. The computer had gone into sleep mode. Lu Fei sat with his back to her, leaning against the back of the chair.

  She walked over and found that Lu Fei was asleep, he had taken a bath, his hair was slightly damp, his face was turned to one side, his eyebrows were furrowed, there was a frown between them, and his lips were pursed tightly. Even in sleep, this handsome face looked gloomy, not relaxed at all.

  She involuntarily raised her hand and gently pressed it on the texture. Her fingertips touched his warm skin, and he suddenly woke up, raising his hand to hold hers, "Xiao Chen, are you uncomfortable? Why wake up so early?"

  She suddenly realized that this unconscious action was too ambiguous and quickly withdrew her hand, "I'm thirsty, I want to drink water."

  Lu Fei stood up and pushed her into the chair in front of the desk, "Wait a minute."

  He hastily walked out of the room, and soon came back with two bottles of mineral water. He opened one and handed it to her. She took a big gulp, feeling the coolness of the water as it went down her throat, which slightly alleviated the discomfort in her throat. She put the bottle on the table, unintentionally touching the mouse, and the computer screen lit up again. The webpage that appeared before her eyes was the local outdoor forum she had been familiar with for a long time.

  She turned around, Lu Fei looked at her calmly, reached out to stroke her hair, "Go back to sleep for a while, it's just past four o'clock now, I'll send you back when the sky brightens up."

  "Why didn't you just take me home directly?"

  "It's too late, I'm afraid of waking up Xiao Di."

  "I become a chatterbox every time I drink too much. Last night, I didn't say anything... did I? If I did, don't take it seriously." Xincheng felt a bit regretful, the atmosphere was too lively last night, all familiar and unfamiliar online friends clinked glasses with her, unknowingly, she got drunk. Lu Fei sent her home, she knew that, after all, Ah Feng is Xin Di's friend, they didn't have direct relations, it's good that she didn't trouble him. She vaguely remembered being very excited at the time, unable to control her non-stop talking, but had no memory of what she said.

  "You said a lot of things, some of which I will remember forever." Xincheng was shocked and just about to speak up when he continued, "Some of which I didn't mean seriously, like telling me not to bother you again."

  Xin Chen didn't expect Lu Fei to still have the mood to joke around, so he could only force a smile and say, "This is my narcissistic self talking after having too much to drink, just ignore it."

  Lu Fei smiled, and that smile carried a sense of helplessness and pampering. "I'll ignore it because I plan to entangle you forever."

  He was wearing a black pajama with an open collar, and there were obvious kiss marks on his long neck near the clavicle.

  Xin Chen's gaze fell there, his head buzzing, his fingers instinctively pressed to his own neck, the skin under his fingertips had a slight stinging sensation, without looking he knew it was leaving the same mark.

  She vaguely remembered the dream from last night, as if there was a tight and suffocating embrace, passionate and greedy kissing and biting... Those scenes were fleeting, but the feeling was real, she couldn't pretend it was just a spring dream that occasionally occurred on a lonely night, her heart was in turmoil.

  Lu Fei gently took down her hand, "Don't be nervous, nothing's wrong."

  On such a quiet night, his voice was low and gentle. Xin Chen suddenly leaned back against the chair, stared at him for a while, then smiled, "Sorry, no matter what I said or did, I don't plan on taking responsibility, I'm going to sleep."

  She got up, went back to the bedroom, kicked off her shoes and fell asleep. Lu Fei followed, pulled the thin quilt over her and covered her well, "I put a bottle of water on the bedside table, sleep well."

  Lu Fei walked out, and after a while, the lights in the study outside were also turned off. It was almost five o'clock, and the room was dimly lit and quiet. Xin Chen couldn't sleep anymore, and the hangover inevitably brought some headache. What made her even more uncomfortable was that she was now sleeping on Lu Fei's bed, with his refreshing masculine scent on the pillow, which had been surrounding her since last night.

  She didn't remember what had happened, but she clearly remembered that she was leaning in someone's arms, his arms wrapped around her, stable and warm, breathing in his breath, combined with the double effect of alcohol, making her just want to let go and sink down, no longer caring about anything else.

  The last time I got drunk was in Xinjiang, the high-proof baijiu was spicy and stimulating, but regardless of whether they were men or women, everyone drank with a bold attitude, without any reserve.

  The next day, a fellow camper from the Northeast told her that she had talked non-stop for nearly two hours before falling asleep, "and still made sense, didn't sound like drunken talk."

  She burst out laughing and hurriedly said sorry, the girl also laughed, "Nothing, I'm also drunk, my behavior isn't good either, still hugging you and crying, after all it's better than hugging a strange man and crying, felt much more relieved after crying."

  Xin Chen didn't bother to ask himself what he had said after drinking, and the girl wouldn't mention why she was crying in his arms. It's good that they met by chance, all secrets seemed to have entered a tree hole, and when the journey ended, everyone went their separate ways, tacitly not mentioning it again.

  From then on, Xin Chen began to control himself and try not to drink excessively.

  But even the best self-control will have gaps, she still got drunk last night; and even the deepest intoxication has moments of sobriety, waking up to remember that kind of drifting and drowning can only make people more lonely.

  She pressed her temples which were aching slightly and buried her head deep into the pillow.