They were led to a bright conference room, where Qing Ye unexpectedly encountered an old acquaintance, Fang Lei.

So Qing Ye sat with Fang Lei on the sofa outside the conference room to catch up, leaving the negotiations to Jiang Bo. Truthfully, she didn’t want to discuss the transfer details with Xing Wu – it felt strange to sit opposite each other discussing such matters.

The Venetian blinds weren’t drawn, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see Xing Wu and Jiang Bo seated facing each other at the conference table, with Quan Ya and Assistant Tian sitting beside them respectively.

Qing Ye asked Fang Lei how she had been. Fang Lei said she was doing well – with her personality, she could handle any new environment. Then she asked Qing Ye about Q University.

Qing Ye turned her head toward the conference room. Perhaps it was her imagination, but seeing Xing Wu this time, she felt he didn’t look well. He seemed thinner, his profile more sharply defined.

Though facing someone like Jiang Bo, Xing Wu maintained his usual calm demeanor, his presence no less commanding as he sat there discussing matters composedly.

Qing Ye answered Fang Lei distractedly: “It’s… intense. Everyone works hard.”

Following Qing Ye’s gaze toward Xing Wu, Fang Lei asked softly: “You and Wu Zi… did you break up?”

Qing Ye suddenly snapped back to reality, momentarily dazed. This was the first time in over half a year that someone had asked her this question so directly, and she found herself unsure how to answer.

Because even she didn’t know the answer, just staring blankly at Fang Lei.

Fang Lei changed the subject: “Let me show you my roommates.”

She took out her phone to show photos, and Qing Ye leaned in to look at Fang Lei’s college life. All the girls studying media were quite pretty, and Fang Lei chatted endlessly about interesting things at their school.

Just as Qing Ye was about to take her phone, her sleeve brushed against a disposable water cup, and scalding water suddenly spilled on her coat. She reflexively stood up, and Fang Lei asked in alarm: “Are you okay?”

Xing Wu, who had been speaking in the conference room, looked outside, his eyes suddenly tensing as his voice cut off. Jiang Bo and the others turned to look as well. Xing Wu glanced at Quan Ya, who immediately grabbed the tissues in front of him and walked out of the conference room.

The discussion paused, and Jiang Bo leaned back in his chair with interest, watching Quan Ya walk to Qing Ye and offer her tissues, asking: “Did you get burned?”

Qing Ye shook her head: “It’s fine, just got on my clothes. It’ll dry soon.”

She quickly glanced into the conference room, where Jiang Bo had narrowed his eyes in an ambiguous smile. Assistant Tian had also come out, while Xing Wu just lowered his head to look at documents, the shadows hiding his clenched jaw.

After this small incident, the negotiations continued for about forty minutes, proceeding smoothly. They could handle the procedures tomorrow morning.

After leaving the conference room, Jiang Bo privately told Qing Ye: “Your relative is quite reasonable. He agreed to all my requests.”

Qing Ye frowned: “What requests did you make?”

Jiang Bo replied: “Details about the equity transfer and risk assumption. Did you know there’s still some debt on this factory? By rights, you should have cleared that debt before the transfer, but he said it wasn’t necessary. Also, I suggested he bear tomorrow’s potential contract tax, stamp duty, and such – he had no objections.”

Qing Ye suddenly stopped walking: “You…”

“Why didn’t you tell me first?”

Jiang Bo responded puzzledly: “Did I need to tell you about this? Isn’t it good that I negotiated these terms for you? Wasn’t it because you felt awkward bringing these up with relatives?”

Qing Ye was quite angry, so when Xing Wu and the others came out of the conference room inviting them to dinner, she felt too embarrassed to face him. It seemed like she had brought a lawyer back to settle accounts, making a clean break.

Just as Jiang Bo said “Alright,” Qing Ye immediately refused: “No need, we’re a bit tired. We’ll head back first.”

Xing Wu glanced at her and asked: “Where are you staying?”

“We booked hotel rooms.”

Xing Wu didn’t say more.

On the way back, Qing Ye felt like she would explode from anger at Jiang Bo’s actions. Yet after getting out of the taxi, he mysteriously muttered: “Is it the one called Quan Ya?”

Qing Ye gave him a sidelong glance and mockingly gave him a thumbs-up.

…

That night, Qing Ye tossed and turned in bed. She was here, just twenty minutes away from him. It felt like she could see him just by leaving the hotel and taking a taxi – not like in Beijing, where even when she missed him, he felt so far away.

This feeling made her emotions fluctuate, and she couldn’t sleep at all. After tossing and turning for an hour, she got up frustratedly and put on her coat. Assistant Tian immediately sat up and asked: “Are you going out?”

Qing Ye pulled on her coat, turned to look at this young woman only a few years older than herself, and smiled: “Can’t sleep, going out for some air. Want to come along?”

Though her tone seemed inviting, her eyes held a threatening coldness. Assistant Tian said awkwardly: “It’s so late…”

Qing Ye continued putting on her shoes and said: “Or you can choose to take out your phone right now and report to my father.”

She stood up straight and tied her loose hair: “But I guarantee you’ll lose your job when you return to Beijing. Want to try?”

Assistant Tian looked troubled: “You won’t stay out all night, will you?”

Qing Ye had already picked up her phone and said finally: “I just want some fresh air. What did you think?” She smiled, opened the door, and left.

The night streets here were somewhat desolate, with no bustling nightlife. People had closed their doors and gone to bed early. There wasn’t even a tricycle on the road. Qing Ye put her coat hood on her head. She didn’t know where she was going, just breathing in the long-missed air of this place, feeling a bit more at ease.

The county town wasn’t far from Electronics Street. She had always thought she had a poor sense of direction, but after staying here for nearly a year, she realized upon returning that Xing Wu had taken her around this small place on his motorcycle. Following her memories, she unconsciously walked to Electronics Street.

Electronics Street looked the same as ever, with its uneven storefronts, though all were closed now. At night, the street had only piles of garbage and occasional floating plastic bags, giving it a somewhat desolate feel.

Qing Ye wandered until she found several open food stalls in an alley. Business was quite good at night, with tables set up along the street. Despite the weather, there was even a freezer at the entrance, covered with an old quilt. Qing Ye’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she walked guiltily toward the freezer. Lifting the old quilt to look, sure enough, they were selling ice cream.

Without hesitation, she took a Dongbei ice cream bar and called out: “Boss, how much is this?”

“Three yuan.”

Qing Ye took out her phone to scan the code, and just as she turned around after opening the wrapper, she saw a table of men staring at her.

With just one glance, she saw Xing Wu sitting at the back. The ice cream she was about to put in her mouth suddenly stopped, her whole body seeming to turn to stone. Da Hei immediately laughed: “With that hood on, we almost didn’t recognize you.”

He pulled over a plastic stool: “Sit down.”

There were four or five men at the table. Besides Da Hei, she had seen the others but wasn’t familiar with them.

Da Hei naturally put the stool next to Xing Wu. Qing Ye walked over somewhat awkwardly and sat down. The suddenly close distance made her feel uncertain. He was still wearing that thick motorcycle jacket from earlier, with the zipper pulled up to his chin, half his face hidden in the fur collar, arms crossed, his whole body hunched – she had never seen him dress so heavily in previous winters.

After Qing Ye sat down, Da Hei asked: “Why are you out alone so late?”

“Couldn’t sleep, just walking around.” As she spoke, Qing Ye took a bite of her ice cream, nearly losing her teeth from the cold, her expression scrunching up. Xing Wu turned his head to eye what was in her hand. Though he didn’t speak, his gaze held a trace of displeasure.

Qing Ye deliberately took another bite. Da Hei laughed: “Aren’t you afraid of the cold?”

“It is cold, refreshingly cold.” The whole table of men laughed.

But Xing Wu slowly lowered his arms and said flatly: “You all chat, I’m heading back first.”

Qing Ye’s heart sank. What did this mean? She had just sat down and he was leaving?

Da Hei joked: “It’s really hard to see you these days. Going back to study again?”

Xing Wu turned his head slightly toward Qing Ye, who awkwardly lowered her head. He said nothing and walked to the roadside. Qing Ye didn’t dare look back but heard the sound of a motorcycle starting, which seemed jarring in the quiet alley. The “put-put” sound matched her heartbeat. She suddenly feared he would leave just like this – not fear of being left alone, but this unfamiliarity suddenly made her want to cry.

But the motorcycle behind her didn’t drive away. Qing Ye heard him call out to her: “Coming or not?”

Da Hei and the others looked at Qing Ye, who turned her head nervously. Xing Wu straddled the motorcycle, his hands resting casually on the handlebars as he gazed at her, those deep dark eyes making Qing Ye’s heart skip a beat.

She found herself uncontrollably standing up and walking toward him, but when she reached him, she muttered: “I haven’t finished my ice cream.”

Xing Wu’s eyes moved to the ice cream in her hand, and the next second he snatched it, put it in his mouth, and said: “Get on.”

Qing Ye regretted it after her first bite. If Xing Wu hadn’t taken it, she probably would have forced herself to finish it. Though her mouth was cold, with him right in front of her, Qing Ye suddenly felt her heart burning like a flame, with many complex emotions bursting forth in an instant.

Xing Wu rode very fast, heading straight for her hotel. Qing Ye just nervously held onto the sides of the motorcycle. She finally understood Xing Wu’s riding skills – he could ride so fast yet steadily, so before, he must have been deliberately weaving around.

But she suddenly missed their previous times together, when they had fewer concerns and their hearts were simply drawn to each other. Not like now – though physically so close, they were separated by the farthest distance. Even wanting to hug him had become so difficult.

In less than ten minutes, Xing Wu had brought her back to the hotel. He had quickly finished the ice cream and now casually watched her with the stick in his mouth.

After getting off the bike, she told him: “I’ll visit your mother tomorrow morning.”

“Don’t bring anything.”

Qing Ye put her hands in her coat pockets and turned her head: “That’s my business.”

Xing Wu also turned his head but didn’t leave immediately.

Until Qing Ye spoke again: “That day, was it you?”

Only then did Xing Wu turn back to look at her steadily. Qing Ye’s clear eyes sparkled with light, showing longing, nervousness, and hope. If Xing Wu had looked away a moment later, she might have burst into tears. But finally, he started the bike and said: “Get some sleep.”

He didn’t pause for even a moment, turning the bike around and disappearing at the end of the road. Qing Ye just stood there watching his figure until she could no longer see him.

That night she barely slept, having many dreams. She dreamed of when she first came to Zha Zha Ting, when Xing Wu made her noodles and they huddled at the mahjong table, him lazily playing with his phone while she picked at her noodles. In the dream, they were unfamiliar yet peaceful, but seeing that scene now felt like it happened long ago.

The next day, Qing Ye left as soon as dawn broke. Assistant Tian was still asleep when she left. Although Xing Wu told her not to bring anything, she couldn’t bear to visit empty-handed after being away for a year.

She went to the county’s supermarket, bought some gift boxes, and took a taxi to Zha Zha Ting. To her surprise, though she came so early, Xing Wu had already left. She wondered if he was deliberately avoiding her since she’d mentioned visiting Li Lan Fang this morning.

Li Lan Fang was very warm when she saw Qing Ye. The house was finished now, and Li Lan Fang took her around to see everything. However, the second floor remained mostly empty, except for Xing Wu’s room – the other two rooms were temporarily vacant.

Li Lan Fang told Qing Ye to look around while she went to buy groceries. Qing Ye opened Xing Wu’s door. The room was spacious and bright, with a double bed in the middle. Looking at this bed, Qing Ye felt a mix of emotions.

During New Year’s last year, when they were staying in that rundown hotel, she had told him that once the house was fixed up, they would get a big double bed. The bed was here, but she had left.

A comfortable hanging chair sat on the balcony, just the kind she liked. She used to always tell Xing Wu that sitting on the balcony reading books in the breeze was life’s most pleasant thing. Words she had said casually, yet he had remembered.

Qing Ye sat in the hanging chair and swayed gently, her gaze falling on Xing Wu’s desk, which was neatly stacked with various review materials, piled high. This familiar scene reminded her of her state before the college entrance exam.

She stood up and walked to the pile of materials, flipping through them casually before pulling out the chair to sit down, imagining how he studied here, seeing his wild handwriting. Qing Ye smiled silently and took out a calligraphy copybook from her bag to place on top of his study materials. She noticed the notebook on top was almost worn out, showing heavy use.

So Qing Ye took down that notebook and discovered it was an error collection book, densely filled with records of problems to be solved and those already solved.

The dates were updated to yesterday – Xing Wu had been consistently recording his review progress almost daily, showing frightening self-discipline.

Qing Ye stared at the densely packed writing filling the entire notebook, her nose tingling. She couldn’t help but pick up a pen and carefully make annotations beside his problems. Time passed without her noticing.

Until Jiang Bo called her, saying he and Assistant Tian had already met up with Xing Wu and was about to go to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau – they were already at Xing Wu’s door.

Only then did Qing Ye snap out of her focus on the notebook. She quickly closed it, put it back, and hurriedly picked up her pen. Just as she was about to turn around, she saw a photo frame wedged among the books on the shelf, looking somewhat out of place among all the books.

Qing Ye was drawn to pull it out and was struck to see the photo that Huang Mao had taken of her and Xing Wu at last year’s winter marathon.

In the photo, they both wore school uniforms. When Huang Mao pressed the shutter, Xing Wu had his hand on her shoulder, and she was smiling brilliantly. Looking at this photo suddenly brought tears to Qing Ye’s eyes.

Footsteps appeared on the stairs, and soon Xing Wu’s voice came from the doorway: “Ready to go?”

Qing Ye’s body stiffened, and she hurriedly stuffed the photo frame back among the books before turning to look at him. Xing Wu’s eyes swept almost imperceptibly behind her, and Qing Ye quickly walked out, rushing past him and down the stairs.

Li Lan Fang was making tea for Jiang Bo and Assistant Tian. When Qing Ye came down, Li Lan Fang said to her: “No rush, have some water first. There’s no need to queue at our Industrial and Commercial Bureau – we’ll have time.”

Qing Ye took the water cup and stood by the back door looking outside. It was completely different from when she first came – the backyard had been completely redone, with a wall built to separate it from the other households.

Xing Wu also came down from upstairs, and Li Lan Fang handed him a thermos while nagging: “Take the water with you. You’ve barely recovered – heard you coughing last night. Want to end up in the hospital again?”

Qing Ye’s hand holding the cup suddenly trembled. Assistant Tian quickly asked: “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Bo also turned to look. Qing Ye hastily put down the disposable cup and looked anxiously at Xing Wu, who just kept his eyes lowered without saying a word.

Shortly after, they prepared to leave for the bureau. Xing Wu had driven over – Qing Ye didn’t even know when he’d gotten his license.

Just as they reached the car, Qing Ye suddenly said she’d left something at the house and ran back. The three of them got in the car to wait for her.

As soon as she entered the house, she rushed to the backyard to ask Li Lan Fang why Xing Wu had been sick.

Li Lan Fang exclaimed: “That boy disappeared before New Year’s, didn’t even come home. When he came back something was wrong. Got sick but wouldn’t say anything, just tried to tough it out. Spent the whole New Year in the hospital. Who knows where he gets that stubborn personality from!”

As Li Lan Fang picked vegetables while talking about Xing Wu, Qing Ye walked out the door in a daze.

She looked up at Xing Wu sitting in the driver’s seat. He lowered the window and turned to look at her. She had noticed yesterday that he looked thinner and unwell – it wasn’t her imagination but the weakness from his recent recovery. Last night she had even bought an ice cream that he’d seen – he must have taken it from her despite his condition, worried she’d get a stomach ache. If she had known his state, she would have thrown it away rather than let him touch it.

Qing Ye stood at the doorway looking at him, her eyes misting over, the street becoming increasingly blurry in her vision. Xing Wu slightly furrowed his brows. Jiang Bo lowered the back window and called out: “Get in the car, what are you spacing out for?”

Qing Ye quickly lowered her head and ran to the car. Jiang Bo and Assistant Tian were already in the back seat as she hurriedly opened the front passenger door.