Love For You - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: The Train Leaves Tengcheng (End)

Miao Jing called Bo Zai and asked him to come over and keep Chen Yi company. He was staying in a single-occupancy hospital room, and for the sake of safety, he required focused care; he couldn't be left alone.

Chen Yi had been moved from the ICU to a regular ward, and Miao Jing had been the one providing personal care until now. With Bo Zai taking over, she gave a few instructions, then neatly and efficiently picked up her bag and left, not even sparing Chen Yi a glance.

Finish sleeping with him and then just up and leave?

Chen Yi lay lazily on the bed, his hospital gown only fastened by a single button. Bo Zai glanced at him, then glanced again, and suddenly became nervous: "Brother Yi, was there an assassin?"

"Assassinate your sister!"

The fruit knife stained with blood lay by the bedside. He had blood-crusted cuts in several places on his body, his hair was disheveled, and his clothes were a mess. He looked quite wretched, yet there was a deep-seated air of satisfaction and lazy indulgence in his brow and eyes.

"Then what’s with the wounds on your body?" Bo Zai had been asked a lot of questions by Zhou Kang’an these past few days and was suffering from a bit of persecution mania.

"It’s nothing." Chen Yi was dismissive. "I cut myself being careless while eating an apple. Just find two bandages and that’ll be fine."

The apple on the bedside table, which had only been half-peeled, was lying there perfectly intact, without a single tooth mark on it. When Bo Zai raised further doubts, Chen Yi gave him a sidelong glance, telling him to shut up and quit talking, and to go sit in the corner and scroll through his phone.

Chen Yi didn't have the heart to think about his own injuries, the burning of the pool hall, or the retaliation Zhou Kang’an had hypothesized. He couldn't quite figure Miao Jing out—she had never known about his affairs, and he hadn't revealed a whisper of them, yet she had produced such a recording, guessing about the matters between him and Zhai Fengmao. Her whole routine… what exactly was she playing at?

Miao Jing walked out of the hospital gate and stood under the greening trees by the roadside for a long time. In the end, she went to the police station to find Zhou Kang’an.

Her body language was very polite and courteous. She called out "Officer Zhou" with her red lips tightly pressed together. Before she could even get through the pleasantries, she replayed that recording in the meeting room right in front of him.

She had come with ill intent.

"Officer Zhou, I remember you helping me out several times in the past. When I couldn't reach Chen Yi and came to you to report it, to this day, I still remember your response. You said you had investigated and followed up, and you advised me that everything was normal and nothing had happened. But listening to this recording, it is clear that you lied to me back then and concealed many things from me."

Her pretty face was serious and earnest, her tone calm and cold, with a sharpness and interrogation barely suppressed.

Faced with such a direct confrontation, Zhou Kang’an hadn't prepared an explanation. His expression shifted from gentle to shocked to stuttering and hesitant. Unable to fathom her intentions, he rubbed his hands together: "Miao Jing… this matter…"

It was a long story, and it was quite sensitive as it concerned a case. In truth, everyone had their own hidden difficulties, but this young woman—she had been courteous when he went to the hospital, and she had looked quite pale and wan, so how did she have the wits to record and eavesdrop? She was no ordinary person.

"This recording of yours…"

"I was just worried about Chen Yi. He wouldn't say anything to me, and he never let me know anything."

Miao Jing didn't dwell on those sensitive issues. The arson case at the pool hall hadn't been solved yet, and she didn't intend to ask too many questions. After a moment of silence, she first bowed to Zhou Kang’an: "First, I want to thank you for your concern for me, and for taking care of my brother all these years."

"You’re too polite, not at all, not at all."

Actually, come to think of it, Zhou Kang’an was the person who best understood the bond between the two siblings. In the past, what Chen Yi worried about most was implicating Miao Jing. When she went off to university, Chen Yi couldn't help but brag to Zhou Kang’an about her in private several times.

Miao Jing didn't waste any more breath. After pondering for a moment, she asked cautiously: "Officer Zhou, I have a few questions. Is it convenient to ask you? If it involves sensitive information, you can just answer me with a simple yes or no."

"Go ahead and ask."

"Chen Yi is not a public servant; he is not a police officer. He holds no official position, right, Officer Zhou?"

"Correct."

"Will he be detained, arrested, prosecuted, or have his personal freedom and right to activity restricted because of some of his actions up to this date?"

"Of course not." Zhou Kang’an made a definitive statement. "In fact, we should be thanking him."

In reality, that pool hall of Chen Yi’s was his reward for being an informant. As long as he didn't go too far with his football betting to make money, Zhou Kang’an was happy to turn a blind eye.

"Then, regarding the matters in Yunnan you mentioned, is there still a need for Chen Yi to get involved? Or will there be a need for him to testify in court in the future?"

"In theory, there is not." Zhou Kang’an pondered. "This is within the scope of our work…"

Miao Jing asked one last question: "Can he live the life he wants to live at will? Can he do whatever he wants to do? Can he leave Tengcheng?"

Zhou Kang’an was stunned: "Of course he can."

"Then will you guarantee his personal safety?" she said in a hollow voice, holding the phone with the recording and pushing it toward Zhou Kang’an. "There is no such thing as a secret that won't be found out. As long as the matter isn't over, he is at risk. If he is truly retaliated against, Officer Zhou, in consideration of all the dangerous things he has done in the past, can you provide police protection? Can you install more surveillance at the hospital? Can you arrange a transfer to a safer ward? Can you provide some self-defense equipment? I want him to be safe—very safe—to live on without danger."

"We are still investigating the arson case. During this time, we will definitely pay close attention to his surroundings, so you can rest assured about that. We will send people to watch the hospital twenty-four hours a day to ensure his safety at all costs…"

Zhou Kang’an comforted Miao Jing for a long time on this point. If the pool hall arson really was something instigated by Zhai Fengmao, they also hoped to follow the vine to find the clues, catch this fish that had escaped the net, and close the case once and for all.

Having received a positive response, Miao Jing let out a small sigh of relief and walked out of the police station.

In this short time, Miao Jing had thought about many, many things—the mundane life in Tengcheng, the beeping of the machines in the ICU. She took out her phone to check some news and information, and finally, she called Cen Ye. The two chatted for over half an hour.

The company she had previously worked for was a well-known multinational conglomerate, and its prestige was quite good. Miao Jing wanted to ask Cen Ye to help with an internal referral to find her a new job within the industry. Cen Ye expressed that her approach was absolutely outrageous.

"The time is so short, and it’s the end of the year; there’s no time to go through the proper procedures."

Miao Jing’s tone was soft, and her posture was very low: "I have already submitted my resignation, and I’ve also contacted a few headhunters, but you have a say among the senior management, and you have extensive social connections and vast information. Please help me one last time."

"Oh?" Cen Ye frowned on the other end of the line. "Why are you suddenly in such a hurry? Why make this decision so suddenly?"

She bit her lip, her words heavy and depressed: "There is a very important reason. If it’s not possible, that’s fine; I can think of other ways."

"I have a regular meeting with headquarters tomorrow. I can ask some acquaintances privately, but even if there is an opening, the base location definitely won't be good. If you are in a hurry… you can prepare a bit first. Come back to the company, and HR will help you re-onboard."

"I am truly grateful to you." She thanked Cen Ye repeatedly. Cen Ye had wanted to chat for a bit longer, but she hung up the phone directly. He was stunned for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating laugh, helplessly shrugging his shoulders.

With Bo Zai guarding him at the hospital every step of the way, Miao Jing still went over to provide care every day, but she didn't stay inside the room to look after Chen Yi. She usually sat on a bench outside the ward, holding her computer with a serious expression, as if busy with work. Occasionally, one could hear her soft and elegant voice on the phone, discussing some vague technical jargon.

Bo Zai and Chen Yi were playing landlord in the room. Hearing the phone calls in the hallway outside, Bo Zai listened for a while and tossed Chen Yi a look.

"She’s speaking English. It seems like a pretty interesting conversation; she’s laughing quite happily. What is she saying? I can't understand a single word."

"How would I know?" Chen Yi had bandages stuck all over his cheeks and neck, and he put on a sour face. "You go say something—tell her to go back to the office, not to be at the hospital, it’s noisy and keeps me from resting."

"Alright, Brother."

Miao Jing truly did leave the hospital to handle the resignation procedures she had previously delayed at her company, and to go back to the dorm to pack her luggage. Lu Zhengsi came over to help, and Miao Jing took the opportunity to hand over the work she had on hand to him.

With Chen Yi in a coma from the fire and Miao Jing resigning to leave, Lu Zhengsi really felt quite regretful. In the short span of half a year, for things to have developed to this point—everything was just too sudden, too rapid, and too miraculous, leaving people so stunned they didn't know how to react.

"A small gift, I hope you don't mind. I am really grateful for your care and help." Miao Jing didn't forget to give him the headphones from her drawer, handing him a stack of documents. "These are all project files; you’ve been following them the whole time, so taking them over shouldn't be too difficult."

"Is Brother Yi doing okay at the hospital these days? Engineer Miao… actually, you really don't need to resign…"

"He’s much better." She managed a forced smile. "Resigning now is just right. Once the matters here are handled, I’ll be leaving Tengcheng. I’m already in the process of negotiating for a new position."

"Ah? You’re leaving? Where to?"

"I think I’ll be going abroad—an expatriate assignment. The specific position hasn't been decided yet." Miao Jing smiled faintly. "So, really, don't be formal with me. Who knows when we’ll meet again."

Lu Zhengsi felt utterly astonished.

Miao Jing packed her luggage and temporarily moved back home. She was busy for several days and didn't go to the hospital for a week. Ever since waking from his coma, Chen Yi’s body had been slowly recovering, and he was fully capable of getting out of bed and moving around, though he was still undergoing brain rehabilitation. In truth, he was about ready to be discharged, but he was held down by Zhou Kang’an and not allowed to budge, so he just stared blankly in the ward out of sheer boredom.

Before, it had always been Miao Jing accompanying him for check-ups, changing dressings, and doing rehabilitation. He had also heard that during the time he was in a coma in the ICU, she had guarded him without leaving his side for a second. Now, there wasn't even a shadow of her to be seen. Chen Yi spent every day staring at Bo Zai. He felt something wasn't quite right in his heart, and looking at the bandages on his face in the mirror, he felt a bit lost.

Bo Zai would receive a call from Miao Jing every day, asking about Chen Yi’s condition that day. Chen Yi would sit on the bed with furrowed brows, listening to Bo Zai chat with Miao Jing so happily and hearing the constant laughter, his expression growing ever gloomier and more ill-tempered.

After the call ended, he puffed on a cigarette and said coldly, "You’re a man with a wife, too. Chatting so much with other women—your wife doesn't have an opinion?"

Bo Zai: …

Brother, everything we talk about is you.

Chen Yi gave a cold sneer.

Bo Zai touched the tip of his nose and stuffed his phone back into his pocket: "Miao Jing says she’s going to leave Tengcheng for a few days to go handle some things. She’s afraid you’ll be lonely, so she asked me to look after you well. I told her the ward is actually quite lively—every day, Daomao, Dayong, and Weiwei all come by, enough to get a mahjong table going. She was happy and said she’d buy you a mahjong table to put in the ward."

Chen Yi listened for the important point: "What kind of business could she have?"

"Oh, oh, she said something about finding a new job and going over to meet the boss to show her face and build some presence." Bo Zai was a bit moved. "Brother Yi, is Miao Jing planning on leaving? How long has it been since she came back? I remember it’s only been half a year, and she’s leaving again."

Chen Yi’s expression darkened suddenly. He flicked the cigarette ash and exhaled a long breath. His deep eyes were blocked by his eyelids, and his tone was nonchalant: "She only came back for a vacation anyway. How could she possibly stay in Tengcheng for long?"

She came back to pay a debt, stirred up a storm of trouble that left him unable to breathe, gave him two hundred thousand, stabbed him a few times, took the initiative to sleep with him, and then clarified things about the years they were apart—she didn't seem to have any reaction at all… and now she looked like she was about to take off.

Chen Yi bit his back molars in hatred, a sour feeling rising in his heart. Let her go, let her go. Once she was gone, who would stand in the way of his good life? But for her to really leave… his throat couldn't help but swallow, his stomach churning with acidity. Who asked her to come back? Wasn't it fine to just live her own life? Did he care about that two hundred thousand of hers?

Miao Jing had asked Zhou Kang’an for one more favor. After hearing her explain everything, Zhou Kang’an was somewhat astonished. He was lost in thought for a long time, then nodded blankly. Miao Jing then left Tengcheng to handle some matters, transferred to a new company through Cen Ye’s recommendation, met with the head of the new project, and successfully negotiated her employment.

Once things were handled, she returned to Tengcheng as efficiently as she could and went straight to the hospital to find Chen Yi.

Not seeing each other for a few days, he looked much more depressed. Seeing her appear at the ward door, travel-worn and wearing a well-tailored professional suit, his deep, burning gaze flickered. He assumed a nonchalant, indifferent posture by the window and bowed his head to light a cigarette.

Miao Jing noticed the surveillance camera installed at the door of the ward. She softly asked about his situation over the past few days, showing concern and care—she was extraordinarily gentle and attentive. Chen Yi smoked his cigarette in silence, not speaking. She didn't mind, talking to herself and telling him to smoke less, saying that because he had inhaled too much toxic gas during the fire, smoking was bad for his health. Seeing Chen Yi hanging his head and ignoring her entirely, Miao Jing stopped talking. She sat on the chair and peeled an apple for him, looking up and noticing his arm—the bandages on his arm had already been removed, and a few burn marks were slowly scabbing over, red and looking quite striking. The doctor had said before that these kinds of skin wounds would leave scars.

"If the scars can't be removed, go get a tattoo," she said softly. "It’ll be just as cool and handsome."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Chen Yi curled his lip in disdain. "Even if I were covered in scars, I’d still be handsome."

She smiled gently, her eyes filled with tenderness: "Yes, you are the most handsome person in the whole world."

The words were spoken with such softness and ambiguity. Chen Yi shot her a bewildered look, clicking the lighter in his hand against the windowsill, and asked nonchalantly: "Just got back?"

"Yeah." The apple peel spiraled down from the knife—she was still using that silver blade. Miao Jing’s tone was cheerful: "I’ve already decided that I’ll be leaving Tengcheng in a few days. The job here is already resigned from. I’ve also broken up with Lu Zhengsi. I’ll stay at home for the next few days, get my luggage shipped off, and reorganize the house. It looks a mess to me."

"Suit yourself." He lowered his eyes, asking nonchalantly: "Back to the old company?"

"More or less. But the position is a little different. Cen Ye helped recommend a new job for me. It’s a subsidiary of a different business line in the group, doing new energy passenger vehicles. But it’s a newly developed market, and the future trend of the market isn't certain. If I go, the start might be a little difficult."

She detailed quite a bit about the challenges and difficulties of the new job. Chen Yi was unmoved and nodded: "That’s good."

Zhou Kang’an’s side had made no progress in the investigation, and the border police had not detected any movement from Zhai Fengmao. Perhaps the fire really was just an accident; perhaps it was a meticulously planned, long-premeditated scheme. Regardless, Chen Yi planned to be discharged after a full round of check-ups. During those final few days in the hospital, he enjoyed Miao Jing’s careful care. The two got along with exceptional harmony and tacit understanding. Miao Jing was gentle and attentive to an unbelievable degree, waiting on him hand and foot. He had never seen her exhibit such perfect meticulousness and patience.

There was a folding cot in the ward for accompanying family members, with only one blanket. Although the ward wasn't cold, her slender, fragile body sank into the folding cot, appearing so thin she seemed to have no presence at all. At midnight, Miao Jing would quietly walk to the hospital bed and slip into his covers. Chen Yi would suddenly open his bright, glowing eyes, feeling the cool, soft skin pressed tightly against his body.

The moonlight outside the window was so cold and lonely, faintly illuminating the pristine ward filled with the smell of disinfectant. The two did not speak; there was no conversation in the quiet ward, only chaotic sounds rising up as she wrapped around him like a snake, carefully avoiding the wounds on his body, her graceful figure tracing out a gorgeous arc.

The day Chen Yi was discharged from the hospital was exactly the day Miao Jing was to leave Tengcheng.

His mood seemed not quite right, yet he restrained himself and didn't let it erupt. His complexion was bad, and he seemed to have something to say but stopped himself, but in the end, he didn't say anything. He mentioned letting Miao Jing take that bank card—the one he had thrown in the drawer at home—but Miao Jing changed the subject. She had sworn to pay that money back, and she would never take it back.

On the last day, Bo Zai was in the ward with Chen Yi, and Miao Jing went home to pack her things. It was probably past eleven at night when Miao Jing called Bo Zai, saying she wouldn't go to the hospital today and asked Bo Zai to stay there and accompany Chen Yi for his discharge tomorrow.

Miao Jing said goodbye to Bo Zai in a soft voice, giving him many instructions, and finally said goodbye, wishing him a happy life and smooth sailing.

The call was very strange and very long—so long that even Chen Yi grew restless. After the call ended, Bo Zai scratched his head, seeming unable to digest the information in the call, and faced Chen Yi: "Miao Jing says she has a train at one in the morning, and she’ll go directly to the train station later. She put the house keys in the mailbox downstairs and told me to let you know."

Chen Yi’s body stiffened. He gave a hoarse response, his eyes lowered, his gaze dark and parched.

Knowing Miao Jing was going to leave, he had spent these past few days in the hospital muddled and in agony, feeling too timid and fearful to move. How was he supposed to move? He was used to drifting and messing around; he was a lone man with no education and no background—just a slouch and a wreck. What did he have to say, what did he have to do? And then what? What was he supposed to do then?

"Why go abroad so suddenly? I never heard her mention it. Having to take a thirty-something-hour flight… Brother Yi, isn't Colombia in America? Why does a flight to America have to take a detour through France?" Bo Zai was also a bit blank, still processing the information from Miao Jing’s last sentence. "Being educated really is different. Going abroad is just like going out; they just go whenever they want."

"What thirty-something-hour flight? What going abroad?"

"Miao Jing. She told me she was going abroad for work."

"Going abroad for work? What country?" His thick brows tightened. Suddenly coming to his senses—a two-in-the-morning train, where was she going in such a rush? His tone was astonished: "Who said that? She said she was going abroad?"

"Yeah."

His mind turned to chaos. Chen Yi’s expression changed abruptly. He hurriedly fished out his phone to call Miao Jing. The phone rang and rang, but no one answered. He dialed again and again, his thick brows furrowed, his face set, exuding an icy aura. Finally, Chen Yi smoked a cigarette, unable to stop himself from rising to change his clothes, intending to leave the hospital to see what was going on.

Just as he stepped out the door, his phone vibrated—Miao Jing had initiated the call.

The man’s voice in the receiver was urgent and bewildered: "Where are you going?"

"I was just on my way out and didn't hear your call. I’m still in a taxi now." She cut to the chase. "I’ll be at the train station soon. I won't say any more; you get some rest."

"Miao Jing." He hurriedly cut her off: "Where are you going to work, and why are you going abroad?"

"Yes, expatriate assignment abroad. Going to Colombia."

"Colombia? What Colombia?"

The name sounded familiar, but Chen Yi had no concept of it in his mind.

"South America." Miao Jing was thinly dressed and couldn't withstand the chill of the midnight hour. She hauled her suitcase out of the taxi and walked toward the train station. "My international flight is at eight in the morning. I’ll fly to Paris first to transfer, and finally arrive in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia."

Chen Yi was stunned for two seconds, then his voice suddenly exploded over the phone, deafening and making his eardrums buzz: "COLOMBIA!!! Miao Jing, you’re running off to South America all by yourself? Are you crazy?!"

Colombia! How could he not know? Anyone who had stayed in the Golden Triangle knew that of the world’s three major drug regions, how rampant was drug crime in Colombia? How chaotic was the law and order in that place? Was that a place one could go to?!!

Miao Jing pulled her coat together. Her voice over the phone was hollow and calm: "I’m going to work."

"MIAO JING!!!"

"It’s just an expatriate job. The salary there is relatively high. There’s a newly established subsidiary in Bogotá, and the project needs assistance from the domestic branch. It just so happens to be the end of the year, and someone is returning to China. I’m taking over his work and going there to be a project coordinator."

Many thanks to Cen Ye’s help. Things had come so suddenly. As for positions that could be expatriated abroad, the locations were relatively remote, and Miao Jing had specifically picked the furthest one.

"Miao Jing! Is China not enough? Are there not enough cities for you to live in?" Chen Yi’s voice roared. He understood that he was angry, yet he couldn't stop this fury: "Are you fucking brain-damaged?? What exactly are you thinking, running so far away."

"I don't want to stay in China." She covered her fist with her mouth and blew a puff of hot air: "Chen Yi, where I live doesn't make any difference to me."

"Didn't you always tell me to get lost? I came back, and you still want me to leave… then I can only leave—far, far away from you. I’ll never come back in this lifetime; I’ll never appear in front of you again. Do you know? China, the soil beneath our feet—if you go through the center of the Earth, it’s South America. We’re probably standing on a diameter of the Earth, yet we’re separated by half a world. This is the shortest and longest distance on Earth."

"Miao Jing…" His eyes were splitting: "You…"

The girl’s voice was soft, stained with the silence and gloom of midnight, murmuring low: "Domestic, domestic… what difference does it make if it’s far or near… anyway, I’m just one person. Even if I meet with an accident and die, get cheated by a man, or run into something, no one will care. Anyway, I’m the one who gets abandoned…"

He heard the stifled, soft voice on the phone, his chest a whirlwind of emotions: "Miao Jing."

"Chen Yi, you don't need to explain. I understand. I know the past of the matter and its truth. I know everyone has their hidden difficulties and reasons. I can't blame anyone, including you. Chen Yi, I understand and am grateful for everything you’ve done. I’d love to get on my knees and thank you for your contributions to me, but you don't need my repayment, nor can you change the facts… Chen Yi, I’m always one person; I’m always being abandoned time and time again…"

Miao Jing hung up the phone.

Chen Yi seemed to hear the wind of a train roaring past. He dialed again, but Miao Jing had already turned her phone off.

His mind was filled with profanity, his expression cold and cruel. He bit his teeth heavily, his face taut. He clenched his fist and struck the wall in hatred, paced back and forth a few steps, rubbed his short hair, and finally looked up with closed eyes, exhaling a long breath. With a livid face, he strode out.

"Brother Yi, Brother Yi."

"I’m going to find her!" He threw a sentence at Bo Zai in his haste.

If she wasn't crazy, then she knew what kind of situation a girl would be in running half the world away. She was all alone, thin as a rail, in a distant, strange, and unsafe country. If she met with any danger, the men there could beat her to death with a casual swing of their fists…

If he was completely and utterly worlds apart from her, and if she encountered anything in a place beyond his reach…

Chen Yi rushed to the train station in a frenzy.

The Tengcheng station in the middle of the night was lonely and cold. In fact, she had come here many times—from eight to eighteen, visiting time and time again for various reasons. He had also sent her here many times, left her here, and said goodbye to her. There were only a few people in the waiting room. He searched anxiously and hurriedly, but couldn't find her figure at all. Because he was panicked and frantic, he was covered in pain and soaked in sweat. He shouted Miao Jing’s name, his handsome brows twisted into a scorched expression, and he rushed directly to the platforms, running back and forth on the empty midnight platform searching.

Behind the cover of an advertisement, on the other side of the tracks, a few tired, silent passengers stood under the escalator. They walked out of the elevator and stood dispersed outside the yellow line waiting for the train in silence—among them was a graceful figure.

Chen Yi stopped in his tracks.

She was looking at him quietly, her pretty face and deep, silent eyes like a meticulously carved work of art.

He stood with his hands on his hips, panting, and wiped the hot sweat from his forehead. His cold gaze stared heavily at her, like a cold, furious lion.

A whistle blew and the station announcement sounded. The arriving train pulled slowly into the Tengcheng station. Passengers saw the train pulling in, moved their feet, exchanged a few words, and prepared to board. Miao Jing didn't look at him, picked up the suitcase by her side, found the position of her corresponding carriage, and waited for the train to slide in front of her.

He called out her name with a tremor. Blood suddenly surged to his brain—he was once again the arrogant, unrestrained teenager who practiced parkour and climbed buildings. With the fastest speed of his life, he ran, leaped, slid, stepped, and sprinted toward the direction of that slender figure.

Chen Yi dashed into the carriage the very last moment before the train doors closed.

The train jolted and started slowly.

He didn't have time to catch his breath, urgently weaving through the tired travelers in the carriages to find her. Finally, in the corner connecting two carriages, he saw Miao Jing.

His tall figure slowly approached. She was leaning against the wall of the carriage, staring at the sporadic lights and the vague city silhouette flying past in the pitch-black night outside the window. Then, seeing the shadow behind her from the train window, she turned around and collided with his cold, cruel, and angry gaze.

Chen Yi stood with hands on hips in front of her, his chest heaving. His shadow enveloped her; he was as cold as an iceberg, his eyes flashing with fury.

Her eyes suddenly lit up like stars, as if a meteor had streaked past, slowly returning to calm. She gently pressed her lips together, her long lashes blinking, water glistening dimly in her eyes as she looked at him hollowly.

The two stood stiffly, neither speaking for a long time.

"What exactly do you want? Miao Jing, what exactly are you thinking?" His face was livid, his face taut, his breath like a volcano that had just subsided. "Do you have any idea what you’re doing?"

"I know." She seemed to be in a daze, and it was a long time before she made a move, pulling a folder out of her bag and calmly handing it to him. "This is your ID card, your passport, the train ticket, the air ticket to Colombia, the important documents from the house, and all your bank cards."

Chen Yi stared at the things in her hand in astonishment and surprise.

"Chen Yi, you can either choose to be separated by ten thousand miles from me for the rest of your life, or you can choose to come with me." Miao Jing took a deep breath. "Abroad. There is no Chen Yi of Tengcheng who is known; there is no Chen Yi who is forced to go to vocational high school; there is no petty hoodlum Chen Yi who makes a living to support his family; there is no informant Chen Yi who endures humiliation. There is only a Chen Yi who is cool, handsome, cocky, and smart—who can play ball, can race, is loyal, and can live well no matter where you throw him."

She had a stubborn little face and a look of extreme seriousness: "I will work hard and make money. It will be my turn to teach you, protect you, take care of you, and live the life you want."

He went from shock to stupor to wide-eyed silence, until he was finally angered into a laugh, unable to even utter a complete sentence.

"Miao Jing… you… you fucking…"

He struggled to run a hand through his hair: "What the fuck are you doing?!!!!!"

"I came back to Tengcheng just because of you, just because I wanted to be with you. Chen Yi, I love you…" Miao Jing’s eyes turned red. "I also want you to love me—love me very, very much. I want you to take the initiative to keep me, and I want you to never push me away again."

He stared blankly at the person in front of him.

Miao Jing took a step forward, standing in front of him with her head held high. Tears streamed down her face, pathetic and whimpering, begging in a tiny voice: "Brother, I really don't want to be alone anymore…"

Chen Yi felt as if he had been shattered into dust by this sentence, the acid pain in his heart reaching its peak. He suddenly embraced her, pulling her tightly into his arms.

Just like the silent midnights of the past, the rapidly moving train left Tengcheng, leaving the thousands of lights far behind it, heading toward a distant and unknown future.

A tiny train window, and lonely travelers tightly embraced together.

——End——