The deafness lasted for several minutes.

As the phone call time passed second by second, Lin Shilan’s ears recovered a bit of hearing, but she could no longer keep up with what Tan Ziheng was saying.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

Tan Ziheng was as patient as ever.

He repeated what he had said from the beginning.

He told Lin Shilan: four years ago, he had left Yan County early to study abroad as an exchange student. When the disaster occurred, he was overseas. Upon learning the tragic news, he was overwhelmed with grief and returned to handle his family’s funeral arrangements. Not long after, he went abroad again. For many years, he was unwilling to return to this place of sorrow.

His words contained much explanation and apology directed at her.

Actually, what did her suffering have to do with him? Why should he blame himself? Lin Shilan thought this, yet didn’t know what to say.

“Xiao Lan. All these years, I’ve often thought about meeting you once, often dreamed about you, yet could never bring myself to face you.”

He let out a long sigh. Even through the phone, she could feel his heartache and exhaustion.

“Unable to face me?”

Lin Shilan didn’t understand why that would be.

“I miss my family, I miss Xiao Jin.”

Tan Ziheng’s voice gradually grew quieter as he fell into painful memories.

“The search and rescue team found Xiao Jin’s clothes. They were tied to the stairway of the petrochemical plant’s equipment platform, covered in blood. I couldn’t control myself—over and over, I imagined the pain of his final moments before death.”

“Xiao Lan, actually, I came to the hospital to visit you while you were in a coma. You were clutching your wrist with your hand, protecting the bracelet Xiao Jin gave you. He had bought that bracelet so long ago, hiding it at home, not daring to give it to you, but eventually he gave it to you anyway. If he knew you were protecting his bracelet, he would definitely be so proud, but Xiao Jin is gone.”

“You needed someone by your side, I knew that, but I didn’t have the courage to be that person. I’m Xiao Jin’s older brother, and before… he most disapproved of me being with you…”

Lin Shilan couldn’t believe it.

With difficulty finding the ability to speak again, her voice trembling, she repeated his words.

“The bracelet that Tan Jin gave me?”

“The equipment platform at the petrochemical plant?”

The location where Lin Shilan was rescued was precisely on an equipment platform at the petrochemical plant.

She had stayed there for ten days.

Tan Ziheng had spoken euphemistically, but she understood his meaning perfectly clearly.

He didn’t have the courage to be the person who would accompany her going forward, didn’t have the courage to see her, because…

His younger brother had liked her.

And his younger brother had died because of her.

The bracelet that had accompanied her for four years was given by Tan Jin.

After all this time, Lin Shilan had known nothing about this.

The enormous grief made it impossible for her to maintain normal standing with her legs.

Lin Shilan collapsed softly to the floor, trying many times to stand up, without strength.

She sat on the floor, whimpering sounds coming from her throat.

She touched her wrist, asking herself: Where’s the bracelet?

She felt her pockets, asking herself: Where’s the bracelet?

She searched everywhere.

Searching and searching, she slowly remembered.

When the rainy season began this year, the bracelet had broken.

The entire string of beads scattered on the road, and she only picked up one small bead.

That one small bead, Lin Shilan hadn’t kept safe either.

She had thrown it in a corner of her bag.

When moving out of the rental apartment, the bag was too dirty, so she hadn’t taken it with her.

“Xiao Lan? Xiao Lan?” From the phone that had been dropped on the ground came Tan Ziheng’s hoarse shouts: “What’s wrong? What happened? Did you faint?”

Lin Shilan picked up the phone.

Her voice sounded flat and soft as she said.

“I’m fine. Don’t send money to Cao A’yi and her prayer ceremony anymore, Brother Ziheng. They’re not good people.”

She paused, her tone becoming solemn, as if saying farewell.

“All these years, thank you.”

The phone call ended from her hand.

In a rush, Lin Shilan returned to her previous rental apartment.

The landlady didn’t answer the phone, and no one responded at the door.

She stood guard dryly at the entrance.

Every now and then, she would knock on the door.

Not knowing how long she had knocked like this, Lin Shilan grew a bit tired.

There was no response whatsoever from inside the door. Her mind went blank, and looking at that deep brown door, she remembered the main door of her home.

Four years ago.

The date she received the bracelet, Lin Shilan remembered clearly, was July first.

That day was her birthday.

On a rainy day, she stayed at home while someone outside kept knocking on the door incessantly.

The knocking wasn’t particularly loud, just that it came at intervals, making it impossible for her to rest.

Lin Shilan climbed out of bed and opened the door irritably.

Standing outside was Tan Jin.

He was dressed like an insurance salesman—black pants, white shirt, with the shirt buttons fastened all the way to the top.

His hand maintained the door-knocking posture as he came face to face with her sudden appearance.

Lin Shilan, leaning against the door, wore a guarded expression, not knowing what he wanted from her.

Tan Jin produced from behind him a small, beautifully wrapped gift box.

Eyes downcast, he handed it to her with both hands.

“This, a birthday present, for you.”

Completely tongue-tied, this was all he managed to squeeze out after a long while.

Lin Shilan didn’t accept it.

She didn’t remember what date her birthday was.

She didn’t know why he would give her a birthday present.

So she looked at him strangely.

“What are you looking at! It’s from my older brother…” Tan Jin avoided her gaze, putting on that usual cocky, punchable expression of his.

Impatiently, he stuffed the gift into her arms, saying in a harsh tone: “Take it quickly so I can report back.”

When Lin Shilan heard him say “my older brother,” her eyes lit up. Just as she was about to ask more questions about Tan Ziheng, Tan Jin ran off in a flash.

At her doorway, she unwrapped this birthday present he had delivered.

A cute crystal bead bracelet.

A blue with a slight gray tone—exactly her favorite color. The beads were exquisite, translucent, emitting a soft, lustrous glow.

Lin Shilan really liked it.

She immediately put it on her hand, looking left and right, a smile hanging on her face.

Detecting an unusual gaze, she turned her head and glanced toward the stairway entrance.

A Tan Jin who was peeking out with a face full of smiles was caught red-handed by her.

He had never left.

He had been secretly watching her from the side.

What a dutiful delivery person. Lin Shilan was in a good mood and shouted to him: “Help me thank Brother Ziheng.”

Shrinking his head back, Tan Jin ran off again.

She didn’t know if he had heard.

…

Her hand dropped powerlessly from knocking on the door, and Lin Shilan remembered him running away that year.

She scratched her neck, finding it amusing.

Tan Jin was a very bad person.

He lied to her, saying the bracelet was from his older brother, so that she would always wear it.

Looking at her happy face upon receiving the bracelet, did that Tan Jin at the stairway entrance feel a kind of joy from a successful prank?

Across so many spacetimes.

The bracelet, Lin Shilan had received only once.

This gift came from the Tan Jin of the original spacetime.

That was also the most foolish Tan Jin.

Clearly knowing that the person she admired was Tan Ziheng, he still came to give her a birthday present. Even if it wasn’t given in his own name, as long as she liked the bracelet he chose, he was happy.

This Tan Jin loved her the most.

Scratching her empty wrist, Lin Shilan blinked.

Tears blurred her vision. She clutched her wrist, desperately suppressing the crying sounds in her throat.

She had thoughts of death.

Because of a person who had died four years ago.