Occasionally during leisure moments, Chen Xi couldn’t help but miss home, miss Grandma.

Miss Yang Shan and Han Susu, Miss Qin Zhan and the others, miss her car repair shop.

But most of the time, Chen Xi had no time for nostalgia—she was busy spinning like a top.

Although she never voiced it, Chen Xi always felt a touch of gratitude toward Leng Ran for recognizing her talent.

So she changed from her usual go-with-the-flow nature and poured almost all her heart and soul into this animation.

In just two short weeks, Chen Xi had visibly lost weight.

This evening, Chen Xi came home late as usual.

She wrapped herself in the blanket, too exhausted to move.

Qin Lie came out after his shower and pulled the lifeless Chen Xi into his arms.

“I’m going back to Dunhuang tomorrow.”

He said softly in her ear.

Half-asleep, Chen Xi heard Qin Lie’s words and jolted awake.

“You’re going back to Dunhuang?”

She looked at Qin Lie with delight.

Qin Lie nodded and explained: “The Digital Mogao project has been handled by Chen Yufan’s team communicating with Dunhuang.”

“Now we’re at the stage of signing cooperation agreements. Chen Yufan and I need to go personally.”

Without thinking, Chen Xi blurted out, “I’ll go back with you.”

Qin Lie smiled and nodded, “Sure.”

Chen Xi sat up quickly and grabbed her phone to share this good news with Yang Shan and the others.

But as soon as she opened WeChat, over a hundred messages from the work group came crashing down.

She stared at her phone in a daze, falling silent.

Qin Lie: “Tell me your ID number. I’ll have Xiao Tang book your ticket.”

After reading through all the work group messages, Chen Xi sighed resignedly.

“This week is too busy. I can’t go back.”

Seeing her disappointment, Qin Lie pulled her into the blankets.

“Don’t be sad. Once you’re done with this busy period, we’ll go back together.”

Chen Xi hummed, suddenly missing home terribly.

“I don’t know how Grandma is doing at Aunt’s. Every time I call her, she says everything’s great.”

Qin Lie stroked Chen Xi’s hair and said softly, “Aunt is thoughtful. Grandma won’t be wronged.”

Chen Xi nodded, was quiet for a while, then said sadly, “I don’t know how Sensen is doing lately. I’ve been too busy to look after him. The little heartless one doesn’t reply much to my messages.”

Qin Lie held Chen Xi, his voice low: “Last week’s math unit test, he got full marks. Chinese grades were a bit off, English is the most troublesome. He’s like me as a child—doesn’t like liberal arts.”

Chen Xi looked up at Qin Lie in surprise, “How do you know this?”

Qin Lie handed Chen Xi his phone, buried his face in her neck to smell her faint fragrance, and his hands became restless.

Chen Xi couldn’t be bothered with Qin Lie’s advances, holding his phone and reading intently.

She hadn’t expected that after Qin Lie came to Beijing, he’d maintained contact with Sensen.

He would occasionally ask how Sensen’s studies were going, if there were any problems he didn’t understand.

He asked about the weather in Lanzhou, then sent Sensen new sneakers and down jackets.

He also sent funny online jokes to Sensen from time to time.

Difficult olympiad problems, he sent to Sensen as challenges.

When the child couldn’t solve them and got frustrated, he’d call him and patiently explain the solution step by step.

And Sensen shared things with Qin Lie through WeChat that he’d never told Chen Xi.

He said Dad and Aunt ran a small dining table service and worked hard every day, barely having time to talk to him.

He said he didn’t want to talk to Aunt because she was a bit fierce.

He said he’d only seen his sister once since coming here, because she was always in the county town living with her grandmother.

He said he’d made new friends in class but still missed his old class, his former teachers, and classmates.

He said he missed Chen Xi and Grandma very much, but knew Chen Xi had been too busy lately and didn’t want to worry her.

As Chen Xi read message after message, tears unknowingly blurred her vision.

On the day of Lanzhou’s first snow, Sensen sent Qin Lie a photo.

In the white snow were three small snowmen.

Sensen had secretly built them early in the morning in the small garden downstairs.

He didn’t name the snowmen, but Chen Xi knew the three little snowmen must represent the three of them.

Qin Lie, Chen Xi, and Sensen.

Chen Xi suddenly turned over, buried her head in Qin Lie’s chest, and cried silently.

She remembered her childhood of depending on Grandma. Though warm, there had been loneliness and grievances.

Her little Sensen must feel so wronged.

Qin Lie stroked the soft, messy hair on the back of Chen Xi’s head and said gently, “Once this busy period is over, we’ll go to Lanzhou to see Sensen.”

Chen Xi nodded, then suddenly threw herself onto Qin Lie.

The people she cared about, he cared for even more thoughtfully than she did.

The things she failed to do, he quietly did for her.

He filled her heart, bit by bit, full.

When Qin Lie went to Dunhuang, Chen Xi threw herself into the studio, working so late that she simply didn’t go home.

Friday afternoon, after Leng Ran reviewed the final character designs that Chen Xi and the entire design team had battled over day and night for three straight weeks, she decisively approved them.

“Come on, tonight’s my treat. We’re not going home until we’re drunk.”

Leng Ran said to everyone in a good mood.

Chen Xi hesitated for a moment but still nodded.

Qin Lie was returning to Beijing today, and they’d planned to have dinner together tonight.

Chen Xi checked the time—twenty minutes until Qin Lie’s plane landed.

She sent Qin Lie a WeChat message saying the animation character designs were finally approved, Leng Ran was treating everyone to dinner tonight, and she felt bad about spoiling everyone’s fun.

Soon she received Qin Lie’s reply: “Have fun, I’ll wait for you at home.”

Chen Xi sent him a hug emoji back.

She put away her phone and looked at the hurried pedestrians outside the car window, just like herself at this moment.

No matter what she did, there was always an urgent feeling like a second hand hanging over her head.

Chen Xi suddenly couldn’t remember when she and Qin Lie had last held hands and wandered by the roadside.

It seemed like those first few days when she’d just arrived in Beijing. Those times were so good.

Beijing’s small alleys after rain had the tone of settled time, with unfamiliar yet warm smells in the air.

They held hands, chatting about everything and nothing, watching the sunset at the end of the long street being swallowed inch by inch by twilight.

Later, they both started getting busy with their things.

Leng Ran had booked a large private room for twenty people at a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant.

Outside the window was the brilliant night view of Guomao—this city’s lights seemed to cost nothing.

Chen Xi heard Leng Ran call her name. She withdrew her gaze from the window and looked at Leng Ran beside her.

She was already half-drunk, raising a cup of sake toward Chen Xi amid the noisy laughter.

“Chen Xi—”

She paused, then suddenly said, “Excellent.”

Chen Xi clinked glasses with Leng Ran and smiled, “Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

Leng Ran shook her head, “You fought for the opportunity yourself. In the workplace, I only help people who are useful to me.”

Chen Xi smiled. She liked Leng Ran’s straightforward personality.

Just like the impression her appearance gave—vivid, fiery, passionate.

Leng Ran remembered something and suddenly said to Chen Xi, “My employees usually have a three-month probation period, but you don’t need that. Sign the contract directly tomorrow.”

Chen Xi was stunned, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

Leng Ran propped her chin and smiled as she looked at Chen Xi.

“What? Looking down on this place?”

Chen Xi quickly shook her head and explained, “I’m not sure if I’ll stay in Beijing long-term.”

Leng Ran was slightly surprised and, rarely gossiping, asked, “Qin Lie is your boyfriend, right?”

Chen Xi nodded.

Leng Ran: “You expect him to go back to Dunhuang with you?”

Chen Xi froze, an unconscious bitter smile tugging at her lips.

Before she came to Beijing, Qin Lie had traveled between both cities, looking so at ease.

Chen Xi couldn’t see how busy he was in Beijing or how much his company needed him.

Only after coming to Beijing and seeing firsthand how busy Qin Lie was did she realize how hard those times of traveling between Beijing and Dunhuang had been for him, how much he’d quietly sacrificed for their relationship.

Chen Xi shook her head and smiled, “I don’t know.”

Leng Ran looked at Chen Xi, her gaze gradually becoming meaningful.

Chen Xi downed a cup of sake and asked with a smile, “Do you also think I should stay in Beijing?”

Leng Ran’s sharp eyes fixed on Chen Xi.

After a long while, she smiled and said casually, “My words have no reference value, because—”

She took a sip of wine and raised an eyebrow at Chen Xi.

“I only live for myself.”

Chen Xi looked at Leng Ran and suddenly smiled softly.

Her smile carried mixed emotions.

Before meeting Qin Lie, she was like Leng Ran—able to down a drink and say casually, “I only live for myself.”

But after meeting Qin Lie, being carefree seemed to become less easy.

Probably because she learned to cherish, and learned how precious this person was.

Not because he was wealthy, not because his career was brilliant.

But because of the rare compatibility between them.

Being with him, she never felt the slightest constraint.

Her soul was unrestrained, yet only with him had she never encountered the dilemma between love and freedom.

This wasn’t something simple love could achieve.

This was character, breadth of mind, an inherent gentleness, and respect for women.

Thinking of this, Chen Xi’s heart suddenly ached slightly.

She’d never thought she could meet such a good person.

So good that she was ultimately torn.

She couldn’t bear to give up family and homeland, yet couldn’t imagine what life would be like without him.

The sake wasn’t strong, but Chen Xi drank cup after cup, unknowingly getting a bit tipsy.

Coming out of the restaurant, Chen Xi immediately spotted a familiar figure—tall and sturdy, leaning against the car, smoking.

Ignoring her colleagues’ gazes, she ran toward him.

Qin Lie instinctively raised the hand holding the cigarette, careful not to burn her.

He opened his other arm and caught Chen Xi as she threw herself into his embrace.

“Finished eating?”

He asked with a smile, light smoke scent on his breath.

This smell went straight from Chen Xi’s nose to her lungs, making her whole body go wild for a moment.

As soon as they got home, Qin Lie silently got down to business. Chen Xi was like a cat that had been starved for a long time, which simply delighted Qin Lie.

The thick curtains weren’t completely closed, letting in the flowing, beautiful night scene from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Those seas of lights, layer upon layer, seemed endless.

Chen Xi often felt this city was too big, so big she couldn’t feel its warmth.

Fortunately, she had one corner of unchanging warmth.

After finishing, they both showered.

Chen Xi, wrapped in a soft bathrobe, crouched by the suitcase, looking through what Qin Lie had brought her from Dunhuang.

A large bag of cheese Chen Mei had made herself, a large bag of raisins, and a large jar of chili oil Fan Mingsu had made.

A scarf that Yang Shan had crocheted for Chen Xi.

A flying apsara drawing by Ruirui.

Chen Xi picked up a pair of bright red socks and asked Qin Lie with mixed laughter and tears, “Who gave these?”

Qin Lie, his hair half-dry, walked to the suitcase and said with a smile, “Han Susu. You mentioned in WeChat that your new colleagues weren’t very friendly, so she wants you to wear red socks to step on petty people.”

Chen Xi was about to die laughing.

She put on the red socks Han Susu had given her, sat cross-legged on the sofa, and ate a small handful of raisins.

Before bed, they chatted under the covers.

Qin Lie told Chen Xi about what he’d been busy with during his days in Dunhuang.

Chen Xi told Qin Lie how demanding Leng Ran’s requirements were—to keep up with her pace required fighting for your life.

Qin Lie said Qin Zhan had organized a barbecue last night, and Chen Xi immediately perked up.

Where did they eat, who went, what did they eat, how much did they drink, and what time did they play until?

Qin Lie told her everything with a smile, down to the smallest detail.

Chen Xi listened eagerly, like a disappointed outsider.

Qin Lie suddenly remembered something and said to Chen Xi, “I went to Yangkuan Town to see Grandma. She’s doing well, playing mahjong every day. San Huang seems a bit listless.”

Chen Xi’s heart felt gently tugged, and she said sadly, “San Huang is getting old.”

Qin Lie suddenly held Chen Xi in his arms, stroking her warm back.

He said, “Thank you.”

Thank you for leaving everything you love and coming to this strange city to be with me.

Chen Xi smiled. As drowsiness hit, she closed her eyes.

She wanted to say, I’m trying to cherish the person in front of me, just like you do.

In this world, people love mountains and rivers, love beauty, love wealth, love status.

After all the loving, it’s ultimately empty.

So they say life isn’t worth it.

Chen Xi wanted to love something wholeheartedly, so that when looking back on this lifetime before death, she’d feel it was worth it.

She burrowed into Qin Lie’s embrace, pressing against his warm body.

She seemed to have already found it.