Closing the photo album, Xu Yuan sat on the bed for a long time, sighing and wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes before putting the album back in its original place.

Looking at her watch, before she knew it, it was already past nine o’clock at night.

“Did you send her off?”

Xu Yuan pushed open the door. The room was lit with dim light, and she saw Xu Xingchun standing quietly by the window. Hearing the sound, he turned his head.

Like many families with unspoken words, they sat quietly facing each other.

Xu Yuan gazed at Xu Xingchun. For some reason, her heart felt a bit panicked. “You’re almost ready, aren’t you? Are you leaving tomorrow?”

“Mm.”

Licking her dry lips, Xu Yuan’s voice was strained, halting word by word. “Actually, many things don’t need you to handle them at all. Let the past be the past…”

Her emotions somewhat out of control, Xu Yuan hastily picked up a glass of water and brought it to her lips to cover her loss of composure.

Xu Xingchun glanced at her, maintaining his motionless posture, silently lowering his head with no further reaction. “I know.”

After quite a while, Xu Yuan set down the glass. “Xiao Chun.”

“Mm.” His eyes were deep and profound.

“…Never mind.”

Before leaving, Xu Yuan said, “I’ll take good care of Grandfather. He’s getting old and can’t handle any more shocks. You need to take care of yourself too, try to finish handling the matters at hand, and live a good life in the future.”

Driving the car to the parking garage near the airport, Fu Xueli called Fu Chenglin to tell him the location and have him send someone to drive it away.

Xixi was waiting for her in the boarding lounge, dragging a large suitcase.

When she saw Fu Xueli arriving late, Xixi was almost in tears, hurrying up to meet her. “Sister Xueli, I thought you were going to miss the flight. I called you so many times just now and you didn’t answer.”

Looking even more excited and happy than seeing God.

“Aren’t I here now? I was just driving.” Fu Xueli took off her sunglasses, unconcerned, looking around. “No paparazzi, right?”

“There shouldn’t be any.” Xixi’s smile emerged all at once. “Good that you’re here, good that you’re here.”

They were transferring first to Shen City, then flying to Paris.

Just after arriving in Shen City, it started raining. Sure enough, the broadcast announced flight delays. By midnight, Fu Xueli was utterly exhausted when she finally boarded the plane.

All the night scenery outside the aircraft window blurred into blocks of color.

Staring blankly in a daze, her heart like a heavy quartz clock, Fu Xueli thought:

Was time passing too quickly?

Rather, she should say.

The time spent with Xu Xingchun passed too quickly, so fast it seemed to pass in just the blink of an eye.

Recalling these past few days and remembering their parting when he bent down, pinched her chin, and kissed her mouth single-mindedly.

That dizzy, weak-kneed happiness of that semi-forced kiss formed a stark contrast with the current pain of separation. Now without him by her side, Fu Xueli felt empty, uncomfortably so to an excessive degree.

Longing was all-pervasive, very tormenting.

With nothing to do in her idle time, her mind was full of Xu Xingchun. Shaking her head, Fu Xueli put on headphones and started randomly looking for movies to watch.

An old film from 2004.

At the beginning of the movie, a dialogue perked up her spirits a bit.

“This is the only way to leave—I don’t love you anymore, goodbye.”

“What if you still love him?”

“Then don’t leave.”

“You’ve never left someone you love?”

“No.”

Xixi beside her had already fallen into a deep sleep. Fu Xueli took a bottle of water to drink.

There was a line in “Closer.”

“There’s a moment—people always have that moment. That moment when you feel you can give everything, you can surrender to it, you cannot resist. I don’t know when your moment was, but I bet you have one.”

The image on the screen paused at that second, as if infinitely stretched. Withdrawing her hand, Fu Xueli felt her heart twist a bit.

There are always some wonderful moments in a lifetime that make one suddenly understand many things in an instant.

Her heart overflowed with sweet bitterness and an unfamiliar sense of responsibility.

Belatedly, Fu Xueli was actually a bit afraid that Xu Xingchun was now taking revenge on her. First suppression then praise, lifting her too high, then dropping her mercilessly to the ground.

Just like she had done to him back then.

In the most gentle way, indulging her willfulness and selfishness. Only to discover in the end that it was all just her undying dream.

If only time could stay frozen in that time when Xu Xingchun loved her without reservation—how wonderful that would be.

Fu Xueli’s eyes felt somewhat hot.

Before, she had been willful. From now on, she would never gamble again.

Originally thinking she wouldn’t be able to sleep, she woke up heavily to find she had arrived in Paris. For several consecutive days, she worked with exceptional energy.

Watched several shows and filmed a music video on the side.

Meanwhile, something not too big or small happened domestically—some gossip news released by some media outlet. A paparazzo had photographed Fu Xueli hugging an unfamiliar man. Although blurry, as someone who was vaguely becoming a first-tier young actress, it had already stirred up some public opinion on social media platforms. Various media outlets were all guessing who this male lead was.

No public relations measures had been taken online for the time being.

Tang Xin called in a fury. “What’s going on with you?”

At that time, Fu Xueli was painting her nails in the hotel. She said carelessly, “Nothing’s wrong.”

Tang Xin was speechless, raging on the other end of the phone. “What do you mean nothing’s wrong?! Your career is in an upward trajectory—didn’t I tell you to be more careful?”

“No matter how much it rises, can it rise to the sky? I’m almost thirty anyway. If I get photographed, I get photographed—I’m not afraid.”

Fu Xueli was too lazy to argue with her. “Let’s just leave it at that. When facing reporters, I don’t know what I’ll say anyway. At worst, I’ll just quit the industry.”

After the new year, the workload was exceptionally heavy.

While discussing matters, Xu Tao pushed the door open. “Announcement—just received a call. Provincial leaders are coming to the bureau today for an inspection.”

He also introduced the woman behind him. “Just transferred here, a beauty named Wenwen. Strong professional abilities. If you need anything, just ask her for help.”

Everyone was applauding and cheering. Xu Xingchun sat alone in the corner, supporting his temple with one hand, flipping through files.

He personally went out on duty in the afternoon.

Accompanying him were Xu Tao, Wenwen, and an intern.

They were all talkative. As soon as the intern got in the car, he refused to sit still, chattering non-stop with Wenwen, looking very familiar. Very self-assured, chatting until they eventually got to the topic of romantic relationships.

Xu Tao teased, “Kid, what kind do you like?”

The intern answered honestly, “Pretty ones.”

Xu Tao smacked his head. “How shallow of you.” Then he turned to ask Xu Xingchun, “What about Team Leader Xu, what kind do you like?”

Xu Xingchun was driving. He answered, “Pretty ones.”

The car was quiet for a moment. This time it was the intern’s turn to laugh.

Xu Tao also shook his head laughing, lit a cigarette, and after laughing suddenly sighed with emotion. “I remember before I had a team leader who, when assigned to train in Yunnan, had a particularly beautiful girlfriend follow him there. In the end, our team leader directly persuaded her to go back. A grown man cried to me while drinking at night.” His tone was somewhat sad.

“Why?” The intern’s eyes widened.

Xu Tao pointed at the police uniform on his body, the shoulder insignia. “Because this is more important than anything.”

The cigarette choked his lungs, making him cough violently without stopping.

People in their line of work didn’t dare marry casually. Once something happened, it meant two families falling apart. And no matter how good someone was at waiting, their patience would be worn away one day.

“Want one?” Xu Tao offered a cigarette.

Xu Xingchun waved his hand, refusing.

“Yo, what’s this?” Xu Tao patted his arm.

He said lightly, “I’ve been quitting smoking recently.”

Under the night sky, Shen City displayed prosperity everywhere. It was just that the roads were a bit congested at this time.

Wenwen hadn’t spoken the whole time. She was a bit curious about Xu Xingchun. Looking too long, she was afraid of offending him.

So young yet already in this position, with a capable personality but still gentle and detached, polite and considerate. Any ordinary task he did was pleasing to watch.

Like driving, like conversing with people.

His appearance wasn’t that of a mild-tempered pushover either. Just right—one point more would be dangerous, one point less would be dull.

“There’s a pretty good movie out recently, want to go watch it together?” The intern turned to chat up Wenwen.

Xu Tao helped from the side. “Young people make friends so quickly. Go ahead, Wenwen, it’s rare to have some leisure and entertainment.”

Wenwen was just about to ask if Xu Xingchun was going when she saw him lower the car window, looking outside thoughtfully.

Following his line of sight.

Under the gorgeous fiery clouds, a giant poster hung on the commercial building. The female celebrity on it was breathtakingly beautiful.