After posting on the forum that one time, Jiang Yan had not gone to bother Jiang Ruoqiao again.

He had been drifting through his days in a daze, just getting by, until today when someone reminded him to check the forum. Only then did he discover that the smear campaign against Ruoqiao had not been a coincidence. His heart seized with alarm, and naturally he also read through the many comments — nearly all of them standing up for Ruoqiao. Among them, someone had written that the unluckiest thing that had ever happened to Ruoqiao was meeting him and dating him for a while. He was suddenly reminded of what she had said that day at the hospital: *Jiang Yan, don’t make me feel that meeting you was the unluckiest thing that ever happened to me.*

He wanted to deny it, but found he had no grounds to.

Yes — what had she ever gotten from being with him?

It seemed like nothing at all.

His mother had harbored calculating intentions. The girl he had once believed to be his sister had feelings for him that he had never understood. Ruoqiao had seen through all of it, and the people around her had warned him again and again, yet he had never listened. Even after he had truly lost her, he had done nothing. And now, because of him, she was still suffering undeserved accusations, and the account she had carefully built up had nearly been destroyed. What had he ever brought her?

He suddenly understood.

Beneath the subtle glances and hushed whispers of some classmates, he walked stiffly out of the academic building and headed toward the school gates. In the flow of traffic, he looked up at the overcast gray sky and finally made up his mind. He raised his hand and hailed a taxi, climbed in, and said to the driver: “Please take me to Mingmen Huafu.”

If everything had started because of him, he hoped it could also end because of him.

From the very beginning until now, he had been drifting in a fog for so long. It was time… to do something that was actually worth doing.

—

Jiang Ruoqiao and Lu Yicheng had not given Jiang Yan much thought.

After the fight that day, Lu Yicheng had felt much lighter inside. He felt that Jiang Yan had become a stranger — Jiang Yan was no longer anything like the friend he had once known — and he really had no reason to keep letting a stranger weigh on him.

As for how things were playing out online, Jiang Ruoqiao no longer cared all that much.

Because there were more important things to take care of in her life.

Such as… buying tickets.

Jiang Ruoqiao sat on the sofa looking at train tickets, Lu Siyan sat beside her watching cartoons, and Lu Yicheng was busy in the kitchen.

The university and the kindergarten were both about to go on winter break, and they had already agreed with her maternal grandparents beforehand to send Siyan back to them.

It was time to start booking tickets.

Just as she was hesitating, Lu Yicheng finished cooking and came out wiping his hands, calling out to them, “Come wash your hands and eat.”

Jiang Ruoqiao put her phone away and took Lu Siyan by the hand to the bathroom, where the two of them — one tall, one small — washed their hands with great care and thoroughness.

Back in the dining area, the rental unit was quite cramped, and the dining area could only fit a small table. On the table sat a simple spread: two meat dishes, one vegetable, and a soup.

After sitting down, Jiang Ruoqiao hesitated and said, “I’m planning to book tickets back to Xi Shi on the thirteenth.”

Lu Yicheng looked up at her. “Alright. I’m free that day — I can take you both to the station.”

“By high-speed rail, it’ll be about five or six hours.” Jiang Ruoqiao glanced at Lu Siyan. “I’m genuinely worried about managing him on my own.”

Lu Siyan found himself caught in the crossfire for no apparent reason and naturally had to argue in his own defense. “Mom was just saying yesterday that I’m the most well-behaved baby. I would never cause a fuss… I would never make noise, I’d sit nicely and quietly. Of course, if you packed a few more snacks, I’d be even better-behaved.”

Lu Yicheng laughed. “Don’t eat too many snacks, but don’t worry — I’ll take care of packing them.”

Jiang Ruoqiao: “…”

She thought for a moment, then said, “Yesterday the algorithm pushed me a story about child traffickers abducting kids. When I used to shop online, store owners would sometimes slip these little cards into the packages — cards with information about missing children. It’s truly terrifying. Child traffickers all deserve to die. I heard there used to be incidents like that on trains too, though I don’t know if it’s true.”

Ever since becoming a mother, she really couldn’t bring herself to read about these things. Every time she did, her heart ached.

Lu Siyan shoveled a mouthful of rice and said, his words slightly muffled, “I already know all this. Nowadays you need your ID to buy tickets and go through the gates! Mom, I’ll stick right by your side and not move an inch. If a stranger tries to talk to me, I’ll ignore them completely. And if anyone tries to take me away, I’ll make such a racket that everyone will know!”

Jiang Ruoqiao: “…”

She was exasperated. “Fine, fine, fine!”

Lu Yicheng wasn’t really listening to Lu Siyan. Instead, he was genuinely and carefully listening to Jiang Ruoqiao’s concerns.

He had to admit — her concerns were valid.

Five or six hours, and she alone would struggle. Siyan was well-behaved and sensible, yes, but he was still a child. There was no way he would sit quietly for five or six hours straight.

Lu Yicheng ran through his own schedule in his head and spoke up: “If you don’t mind, why don’t I come with you both to Xi Shi?”

Seeming to worry that Jiang Ruoqiao might misread his intentions, he immediately added, “Don’t worry — the moment we arrive in Xi Shi, I’ll buy a ticket and head straight back.”

He only meant to accompany them for those five or six hours of the journey, so she would have an easier time and feel more at ease.

Lu Siyan suddenly had a flash of inspiration and a look of dawning realization. “So Mom actually wanted Dad to come along.”

Jiang Ruoqiao lunged to clap a hand over his mouth. “No more chicken wings for you — I’m eating them all myself.”

She hadn’t meant it like that at all!

She hadn’t said anything about wanting Lu Yicheng to come along. She’d only been worried she couldn’t manage on her own. How had it sounded to this child as though everything she said had been laying the groundwork for asking Lu Yicheng to go with them? Was she really that kind of person?

“Would that be alright?” Lu Yicheng asked gently.

Jiang Ruoqiao looked stiff and uncomfortable. She wanted to say, *No need, I can manage on my own*, but the words reached her lips and she swallowed them back. She muttered instead, “It’s not like I’m chasing you off. You’ve been to my home — my grandparents would never let me hear the end of it if I didn’t at least invite you for a meal.”

Lu Yicheng’s eyes were full of warmth. “Alright then. As long as your grandparents don’t feel bothered.”

After fidgeting about it for a while, Jiang Ruoqiao returned to her usual self, and with great enthusiasm she and Lu Yicheng began discussing which train to book. “Is nine in the morning a bit too early? We’d get home by three or four in the afternoon, which is fine, but I’m worried Siyan won’t be able to get up.”

Lu Yicheng said, “Nine is fine. It’s only one early morning — Siyan won’t sleep in for that, will he?” The last part was directed at Lu Siyan.

Lu Siyan shook his little mop of curls. “I won’t! That day I’ll be up before the roosters!”

This wasn’t going to school, after all. Mom and Dad just didn’t understand kids at all.

If it was school, squeezing out one extra minute in bed was a gain.

But if it was a holiday trip, lying in bed for even one second was a waste.

“Hopefully you’ll be true to your word.” Lu Yicheng looked back at Jiang Ruoqiao. “Let’s book the nine o’clock train. I’ll take care of it.”

Jiang Ruoqiao: “We’re going to *my* home. How could I let you book the tickets?”

In the end, Jiang Ruoqiao booked the tickets herself. When she looked, the three seats happened to be together in the same row — one whole row of seats — and she couldn’t help but breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

But once the tickets were booked, a thought suddenly surfaced in her mind: *Did this count as going home with the whole family in tow?*

No!

What was going on?! Jiang Ruoqiao jolted back to herself. How had things gotten to this point? How had Lu Yicheng ended up accompanying them back to Xi Shi? How had she ended up telling Lu Yicheng she’d treat him to a meal? It felt like they’d suddenly fast-forwarded to taking a boyfriend home to meet the family.

Wait — no, that wasn’t right. Lu Yicheng had already met her grandparents. Her grandfather had even stayed with him for quite a while.

Why did she have this feeling of *I haven’t even started dating him yet, but we’ve already done everything that comes after dating and getting married*?

What on earth, dear heavens!

—

Meanwhile, Jiang Yan had arrived at Mingmen Huafu, and was struck at once by how much things had changed while everything remained the same. He hadn’t been here in a very, very long time. How had he ever thought that the Lin family home was a safe harbor?

He pressed the doorbell. The housekeeper, upon seeing who it was, did not open the door immediately, but went to report to Mr. Lin first. Only after Mr. Lin nodded did the housekeeper go open the gate.

The Lin household today was livelier than the Lunar New Year. Mrs. Lin’s desperate attempts to conceal everything had finally reached their limit, and the truth could be hidden no longer. Mr. Lin had only now learned what had been happening all along, in places he couldn’t see and moments he hadn’t been present for — things like their daughter’s feelings for Jiang Yan, the calculated scheming of Jiang Yan’s mother, and then Mrs. Lin’s repeated concealment and her determination to keep everything quiet and smooth things over.

After Jiang Yan arrived, he did not see Mrs. Lin or Lin Kexing. The housekeeper led him to Mr. Lin’s study.

No one knew what passed between the two of them. More than half an hour later, when Jiang Yan emerged, he bore unmistakable marks of injury on his face — he had been struck.

Jiang Yan accepted all of it.

He made one request: he wanted to see Lin Kexing.

Mr. Lin knew his daughter had become obsessed, had lost all sense. Though fury roared inside him, he consented. Lin Kexing had been teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown these past few days. Fortunately, Mrs. Lin had earlier arranged for a therapist, and the Lin family had cut off all her communication with the outside world. But even so, whenever Lin Kexing thought about how she would be talked about online, she was so frightened she couldn’t sleep alone at night.

In the garden of Mingmen Huafu, Mrs. Lin escorted Lin Kexing to meet Jiang Yan.

Mrs. Lin’s heart was tangled — full of regret and remorse. She forced herself not to dwell on what had happened, her eyes reddening as she finally took her leave of the garden, leaving that space to Jiang Yan and her daughter. She believed that this time, her daughter would truly give up — truly let go of any feelings for Jiang Yan.

When Lin Kexing saw Jiang Yan, when she saw the wounds on his face, how could she not understand? She let out a sob and kept saying sorry, over and over again.

Jiang Yan’s expression was numb.

“Those things weren’t done by me.” Lin Kexing choked out the words. “I truly didn’t do them. Even you don’t believe me anymore? Jiang Yan-gege.”

Jiang Yan neither nodded nor shook his head. He only looked at Lin Kexing.

The years of closeness between them had been real. The affection had been genuine. But in the end, everything had been distorted beyond recognition.

He asked in a level voice: “Then answer me this — why would he go and smear Ruoqiao’s name? He didn’t even know Ruoqiao. Why would he do that?”

Lin Kexing stared at him blankly, tears sliding down her face. She lowered her head and said softly, “I… don’t know.”

“You know.” Jiang Yan said. “You know why he went to smear Ruoqiao’s name. You know why he went to kidnap that classmate of yours. Kexing, we were never the same kind of people — I hope you can remember that. Whether it’s me, or that classmate of yours — we are ordinary people, so the things we say carry very little weight. You’re different. One word from you, one complaint from you, could very well destroy someone else’s life. Going forward — please, don’t do this anymore.”

“Of course, I’m also terrible,” Jiang Yan said. “If I had seen through things sooner, you wouldn’t have ended up like this. Ruoqiao wouldn’t have run into so much trouble because of me. None of this would have happened. Everything started because of my blindness. Now let me be the one to end it. Please, in the future, don’t hurt other people because of me. It would make me feel like I truly am what people say I am — a curse on everyone around me, bringing nothing but disaster and trouble, utterly useless.”

All of this was his fault.

If not for him, none of it would have happened.

Lin Kexing shook her head frantically. “No, it wasn’t — it wasn’t!”

“I think it was.” Jiang Yan tilted his head back and looked up at the night sky. “Kexing, let’s never meet again in this lifetime. Even if we pass each other on the street one day, let’s treat each other as strangers.”

With that, he turned and walked away, his retreating figure solitary.

Lin Kexing felt as though her heart had been scooped hollow.

She wanted to say she had been wrong. She truly had been wrong.

With a voice torn ragged, she cried out: “Jiang Yan!”

Jiang Yan’s steps faltered — but he did not turn around. He kept walking forward, without hesitation.

For the first time — the very first time — Lin Kexing cried freely and without restraint.

The secret feelings she had hidden for so many years had finally, finally been released from hiding. But this was how they ended.

Through the Lin family garden, all that could be heard was the sound of her weeping.

—