I decided to cheer up… but that certainly didn’t include this moment of being dragged onto the plane by Jiang Rui.

“Sis, you’re all grown up now, can you please stop being difficult?”

I was thunderstruck by his use of “being difficult” and said angrily, “I’m not! Can’t I even protest when you’ve tricked me? You clearly said we were going in July, but what’s today’s date? There are still several days until July.”

Jiang Rui chuckled, “I did it for your good. Aren’t you afraid of flying? So I deliberately said it was a few days later. This way, you didn’t have time to worry before getting on the plane. It’s better for your health! Aren’t I brilliant?”

“…”

Brilliant, my foot!

After finding our seats, Jiang Rui consoled me, “I know you’ve been scared of planes ever since that one incident, but once we take off, you won’t need to be afraid anymore.”

“Why?”

“You don’t get airsick. You’re just afraid of dying, right? Once we’re in the air, it’s all up to fate and heaven. What’s the use of worrying more?” Jiang Rui shrugged carelessly.

“…” I silently pulled out a magazine to cover my face and lamented, “Why did I ever agree to Aunt’s suggestion to travel with you?”

“You’re complaining about getting to travel?” He bobbed his head while quoting something from who-knows-where, “Climbing mountains and crossing waters to see a scenic spot is like enduring hardships to pursue love. Sis, summon your courage to see the scenery!”

I couldn’t be bothered to respond to this idiot who treated wounds by poking them, and just gave him a lifeless look.

“Oh, so after you see the scenery, then what? Just leave?”

Jiang Rui replied bewilderedly, “What else? Live in the scenery?”

I immediately scorned him: “So you’d leave after getting love too, you playboy!”

Good, finally it was his turn to be speechless. The world was peaceful…

But the peace didn’t last long. He started rustling around doing who-knows-what, then took the magazine off my face and excitedly leaned over: “Come on, Sis, let’s take a photo together, to commemorate our departure.”

I immediately pushed him away. “No way, what if it becomes our last photo.”

Just then I heard a “click” sound and turned to see an older gentleman in the aisle taking a selfie with a V-sign, looking at me in horror.

After a moment, Jiang Rui stiffly laughed, “Sis, you want to take an ‘aunt’ photo?”

“Haha… yeah…”

The gentleman lowered his head without a word, seemingly… deleting his photo.

Several hours later, when the plane landed at London Heathrow Airport, as we were disembarking, the gentleman finally couldn’t help saying to me, “Young lady, you scared me so much I couldn’t sleep properly the whole flight.”

Jiang Rui and I apologized repeatedly, and seeing his heavy luggage, asked if he needed help carrying it. The gentleman waved us off, walking away from the plane with unsteady steps.

Jiang Rui and I exchanged glances, burst out laughing, and raced out together.

This trip with Jiang Rui was only nominally a study tour; it was just about traveling around and visiting famous universities. Jiang Rui had planned the entire itinerary himself, while I was just mindlessly following along. Jiang Rui was quite distressed about this and asked, “Sis, have you ever played online games?”

I shook my head…

“If you had, you’d understand. You’re exactly like a pet companion! You know, those follower pets?” he mumbled. “At least those pets can help their masters pick up items.”

Me: “…”

Jiang Rui slapped the itinerary into my hands, “Well, if you like this place, we can stay here for a couple more days, but then the later schedule will have to change. You arrange it.”

My brother, though usually appearing casual, was incredibly thoughtful. He was probably trying to give me something to do, to keep me from brooding…

How could I tell him that he didn’t need to worry about me anymore? I waved him over to sit with me on the ridge overlooking vast fields of lavender.

“Jiang Rui, traveling is nice.”

Jiang Rui drew out a long “Oh”: “Who was it that was so reluctant at first?”

“I’m happy.”

“Really?”

I smiled at him. We sat side by side for a while before I turned away from the endless purple vista and tossed the itinerary back to him. “I heard there are lots of sunflowers, but we haven’t seen any. Let’s go, next destination, onward!”

Traveling is really good, at least it makes you understand that no matter how beautiful the scenery along the way, you have to be willing to say goodbye at the right time. Because it doesn’t belong to you.

Joking and playing around, Jiang Rui and I continued our journey. In August, we reached Germany and unexpectedly received a call from Dad.

My phone didn’t have international service, so he called Jiang Rui’s phone, saying he was in Germany for a project inspection and wanted to have dinner with us.

In an ordinary small restaurant on a German street, I saw my long-absent father, still as vigorous as ever. He had always been a handsome man, while Mom was quite ordinary-looking. I remember when I was little, Dad would often hold me and tease Mom, “It’s fortunate our daughter doesn’t look like you, otherwise she’d have trouble finding a husband in the future.”

Mom would pretend to be angry, but when taking me to meet friends, she loved to boast: “Our Xiguang, fortunately, doesn’t look like me, she’s the spitting image of her father. Those Nies, everyone in their family, men and women alike, are all beautiful.”

Her voice was always full of happiness and pride.

My parents’ relationship had been very, very good before that woman appeared.

We ordered food and made bland small talk while eating, the conversation as dry as the bread on our plates. After eating, Dad praised Jiang Rui a bit and then looked at me. Jiang Rui had always been good at reading situations and immediately stood up tactfully, saying, “It’s quite lively outside. Sis, I’ll go buy some souvenirs, you two keep eating.”

Left alone with Dad, neither of us spoke for a while. Finally, Dad asked, “How’s your mother doing lately?”

“Very well,” I said casually. “Godmother says she even has suitors coming to her door. She’s more popular than I am. Dad, Mom might remarry before you do.”

“What nonsense are you talking!” Dad immediately put on a stern face. “I’ve said I won’t remarry. An old friend of decades is in poor health, with only a few years left to live. What’s wrong with me taking care of her? Everything between us is completely innocent. Your mother just likes to make mountains out of molehills, can’t tolerate even a speck of dust in her eye.”

Yes, yes, just an old friend, just taking care…

I laughed coldly inside. This “old friend” of Dad’s was his first love, who had rejected him because the Nie family was poor and had rural household registration. She had married someone with an enviable urban household registration instead. But fortunes change – twenty years later, her husband lost his job and died unexpectedly.

When she couldn’t make ends meet, before her husband’s seven-day memorial service was even over, she fainted in front of the now-successful Mr. Nie Chengyuan, playing the weak and sickly damsel. Mr. Nie was naturally moved, showing tender concern for the delicate flower. He bought her a villa, arranged famous doctors, and even accepted her daughter as his goddaughter.

My mom couldn’t stand this situation. Just as she had resolutely married a poor worker who came to the city despite her whole family’s opposition back then, she could now resolutely get divorced.

And my dear father felt wronged.

How ridiculous.

I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him anymore. Everything that needed to be said had been said before their divorce; saying more would only hurt me. I picked up my teacup and took a sip: “Is that all you wanted to ask? If there’s nothing else, I’ll go. Jiang Rui is waiting for me.”

He seemed angered by my attitude but controlled his temper. “I wanted to talk to you about your work. Last time you said you submitted your resume to Shengyuan. Are you going to work there after returning home?”

I shook my head. “I’m not planning to anymore.”

“The Sheng family has been cooperating well with us these past two years. I even joked with Sheng Bokai about exchanging children for education.” His expression showed some regret, and after a pause, he said, “But it’s also good that you’re not going there. Xiguang, come work at Dad’s company. You should start familiarizing yourself with it. After all, my business will eventually be handed over to you.”

I was surprised that he brought this up.

“I know your mother doesn’t like you being close to me. Hmph, your mother’s temper…” He glanced at me but didn’t continue. After some consideration, he said, “Just stay by my side first, observe and learn. You shouldn’t start from those trivial matters; that would just waste your time.”

The words of refusal were on my lips when I heard Dad sigh deeply and say, “Xiguang, Dad is getting old.”

I wanted to protest, to say he was still handsome, but when I looked up, I saw white roots in his temple hair. His expression was somewhat dejected, and at that moment, the previously vigorous Nie Chengyuan suddenly showed his age.

Wasn’t he not even fifty yet? How did he already have white hair?

Although I was still angry with him, I felt particularly distressed. Images of how good he was to me when I was little rolled through my mind. When I was very young, he would carry me on his back across half the city to buy KFC, which was still rare then. Later, as our family became more prosperous, they became busier day by day, but whenever he wasn’t on business trips and I returned from evening self-study, his figure would always be waiting under the light at our doorstep.

But precisely because of this, his betrayal of our small family – Mom and me – hurt even more. I forced myself not to think about those distant warm memories and stubbornly shook my head: “If Mom doesn’t want me to go, I won’t go.”

Dad’s voice carried hints of anger and hurt: “You still don’t believe Dad? How many times have I said, none of what you think happened!”

“Then why don’t you make her move out of our house!”

“…That’s just an empty house we never lived in. It has no meaning.” Dad seemed weary. “She still has one surgery left. After that’s done, I won’t take care of her anymore.”

His last sentence successfully made me feel a long-absent mixture of anger and pain, but seeing his exhausted appearance, I couldn’t bring myself to say the biting words I wanted to. I could only say stiffly, “Then when you stop taking care of her, I’ll come to work for you.”

Dad looked at me and finally sighed helplessly: “I don’t know who you got this temperament from. You look like you don’t have any temper on the outside, but you’re so stubborn and difficult. You… ah.”

Jiang Rui returned after walking around outside; Dad had already left. As soon as Jiang Rui sat down, he asked, “Sis, everything okay?”

I shook my head: “Dad asked me to work for him. What do you think?”

Jiang Rui thought for a moment and asked, “What exactly did Uncle say?”

I recounted our detailed conversation, and after some consideration, Jiang Rui said, “Sis, you should go. First, Aunt also contributed to Uncle’s company, so it’s perfectly reasonable for you to go there. Second, why do you think that mother and daughter pair are shamelessly clinging to Uncle?”

He showed a contemptuous smile unbefitting his young face: “The things they covet most, you should grab tightly in your hands. It’s quite amusing to let them see but not taste.”

“…” I speechlessly patted his shoulder. “Brother, have I ever told you that you’ll go far in life?”

Jiang Rui nodded and said, “Sis, let me tell you, I’ve been unhappy with my dad for a long time. Aunt is being bullied, yet he’s still so tolerant just because of some business dealings. But I’m younger, so it’s not my place to say anything. However, if you ever get mistreated, I’ll be the first one to storm their door.”

I was immediately moved and threw myself at him in a hug: “Brother, you make me feel so secure. I don’t even want to marry you off…”

Jiang Rui’s serious expression immediately crumbled, and he struggled with a red face: “Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? You can’t just hug me whenever you want…”

We stayed in Germany for a while, then went to Austria before completing our two-month study tour and flew back home. Jiang Rui returned to Nanjing, preparing to attend F University in Shanghai, while I went directly back to Wuxi…

As soon as I got home, Mom scolded me: “So you remember to come home? Tell me, in two months abroad, how many times did you call home?”

I said with a troubled expression: “Ah, I didn’t dare call too often.”

Mom asked curiously: “Why?”

“The foreign food was too terrible. I was afraid you’d hear that I’d gotten thin through the phone and worry about me.”

“…” Mom didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

After eating a hearty meal of braised pork at home, Mom took me to see my godmother. I’ve known my godmother since childhood, and we have a good relationship, though we don’t meet very often since she settled in Beijing long ago and only returns to Wuxi for short stays…

At my godmother’s house, I first gave her the gifts I brought from Europe, then after answering some questions about studies and work, Mom sent me away. I suspected she wanted to discuss Dad’s matters, so I tactfully went to play with the cats in the garden…

On the way home, Mom was lost in thought. Before bed that night, she suddenly asked me, “Xiguang, you said you were looking for a job yourself. How’s that going?”

I felt a bit guilty: “I’ll start submitting resumes tomorrow.”

Mom suddenly fell silent, then after a while, she said, “Your father came to see me while you were in Europe.”

“Ah?”

Mom was quiet again, then suddenly sighed and said, “Go ahead.”

I was surprised: “You’re letting me go work for Dad? Did Dad mislead you somehow? I didn’t agree to it!”

Mom laughed: “Of course, I know you didn’t agree, otherwise why would Mr. Nie have come to me so angrily?”

I suddenly felt a small spark of hope and very carefully probed: “…So, did you two have a good talk?”

Mom was lost in thought for a moment, then said calmly: “Our family and the Sheng family jointly invested in a manufacturing enterprise in Suzhou a few years ago. Go work there first, learn something solid.”

I didn’t know what agreement Dad and Mom had reached, but I suddenly felt that maybe what Dad said was true. Maybe he just pitied that woman, and now there might be some turning point with Mom. Even though I still felt indignant for Mom’s sake, if Dad admitted his mistakes and came back, and they could be together again, I would be extremely, extremely happy…

That small hope in my heart grew a bit larger, and I nodded very vigorously, showing my complete compliance with their arrangements.

So a week later, dragging my suitcase and carrying the beautiful expectation that my parents would soon reconcile, I happily headed to Suzhou to begin my career.