Han Ling is a coastal city. In ancient times, it was called Hai Ling, but in the local dialect, the character “Hai” was pronounced “Han,” and somehow it eventually became Han Ling. From Han Ling to Yongchuan, it takes about one hour and forty-five minutes by car, a distance Lin Wanxing had once rushed to cover. But traveling from Hongjing would take even longer. It had been two weeks since Lin Wanxing’s return. After the initial impulse, they now lived a life of commuting between two places. This wasn’t because Teacher Lin had signed a binding contract with the cinema that prevented her from resigning, but because her psychologist was in Han Ling. Wang Fa only learned about these matters later. The reasons Lin Wanxing had to leave back then included not only those he had guessed but also some more practical ones. She had indeed developed serious psychological problems due to Shu Yong’s death, and seeing photographs of Shu Yong’s death scene again triggered a relapse, requiring her to seek treatment. So now, they lived a life where they had to travel from Hongjing to Han Ling once a week.

That day, after he confessed to the paper frog, Lin Wanxing wiped away her tears while folding the frog and tucking it into her pocket. She told him to focus on watching the competition first and to discuss their feelings later. This was very much like Lin Wanxing. Wang Fa had prepared himself for this “later” to last a long time. But he hadn’t expected that Lin Wanxing would respond to him that same night, saying she wanted to try being together with him. There was no lengthy narration or buildup, no heart-to-heart talk that would take forever to open up as he had imagined. She simply listed her problems and then said, “If you can accept my issues, let’s try being together.” Though plain and unadorned, it was honest and sincere. This, too, was very much like Lin Wanxing.

Among the problems Lin Wanxing listed, besides her relapsed psychological condition, there was also the fact that she had broken ties with her parents. Wang Fa already knew about the latter, but he was surprised that Lin Wanxing brought up this issue before confirming their relationship. Teacher Lin was quite straightforward: “My family relationships aren’t good. If someday we need to split the down payment for a house between our families, I can’t provide my share, and I can’t deceive you about this.”

For some reason, Wang Fa felt that this might be the most romantic thing he had ever heard. After a long while, he finally suggested to Lin Wanxing: “Then we could rent a place to live.”

“Are you trying to mooch off me?”

“You caught me.”

Simple banter, as if everything was back to normal. But they both knew clearly that they could never return to how things were before. For Lin Wanxing, she was simply moved by seeing her students’ determination, so she wanted to try regardless of the consequences. But she was still Lin Wanxing—she would consider many things. She would wonder if Shu Yong’s existence would be unfair to him if her psychological issues could give him beautiful love if his parents would accept her… She was the Lin Wanxing who would even think about the future house down payment.

Wang Fa looked toward the passenger seat where Teacher Lin was munching on a plum cake bought at the previous rest stop. He loved this Lin Wanxing too.

On the way to Han Ling, there were long stretches of coastal highway. Among them was a scenic platform where one could view the sea without leaving the highway. Wang Fa first came here on the night after the competition ended when he drove Lin Wanxing back to Han Ling. Following Teacher Lin’s instructions, he drove the car to below this scenic platform. Lin Wanxing, familiar with the area, showed him where to park and how to take a shortcut up. Finally, they climbed nearly a hundred iron stairs to reach the top of this magnificent structure.

It was a steel framework standing in the sea, with the world vast and desolate around them. Waves crashed against the base pillars, creating creaking sounds of metal compression. But the entire space was quiet, with the night sky pressing infinitely low, seemingly within reach. The salty smell in the wind was thick, indicating that all invisible dark areas were the sea surface.

It was in such an environment that Lin Wanxing said she wanted to try being with him. The sky was high, the sea was vast, and individuals were insignificant. Behind her seemed to be a cliff-like dark sea surface and a sky full of stars. The sea breeze blew her hair. Lin Wanxing’s voice was very soft, and her words were simple. But Wang Fa understood how much effort it took her to have the courage to make such a decision.

Later, he and Lin Wanxing found a windproof seat on the scenic platform, ate snacks and watched the sea for a while. The car was borrowed. When they left Yongchuan, they took some drinks and energy bars from the changing room. The reason they had to return was also because Lin Wanxing had a cat in Han Ling. The cat was said to look like the stray black cat she liked in Wutong New Village, named Qiu Qiu.

Now, they filled their stomachs, chatted for a while, and continued the next leg of their journey. Wang Fa had already told Lin Wanxing about the matter of Zhen Zhen and Professor He Youting during the first half of the trip. In a corner of this enormous structure, he also told Lin Wanxing about Old Chen, Coach Jiang, Jiang Xun, and the matters concerning her grandparents.

Lin Wanxing listened slowly and carefully, mostly just listening. She occasionally asked some scattered questions to connect the key points. Finally, when it came to her grandparents’ dying wish, she couldn’t help but cry.

Spring nights were a bit chilly on the viewing platform. She wore a blanket taken from the car, with her sleeves sticking out a bit. After a long time, she slowly began to speak.

“You must find it strange, why my parents reject me so much,” her voice seemed to dissolve in the wind.

“Every family is different,” Wang Fa simply said.

“Although families are different, actually, within a family, generation after generation, perhaps they’re just repeating the paths they’ve walked,” she paused, then said: “Because my grandfather treated my father the same way.”

Lin Wanxing told a simple story, but one that seemed to happen in many families. Her grandparents had experienced that era, been hurt, loved poetry and rural life, and extremely disliked politics. After her father graduated from a normal university, her grandparents arranged a school job for him.

But her father was different. According to what her grandparents later said, her father had always been a class cadre since childhood, competing for all student union positions, and showing an interest in politics beyond ordinary people.

The more adults oppose something, the more children want to do it.

Later, the man who became weary of teaching in school passed the civil service exam in Yongchuan behind his parents’ backs and directly left his hometown with his wife and daughter. The faster the son’s promotion, the more the elderly couple couldn’t accept their son’s rebellion. The son also resented his parents for arranging and delaying his life. The stubborn parties almost completely broke ties. Even the elderly’s final inheritance was passed to their granddaughter of the next generation.

“What about you?” Wang Fa looked at Lin Wanxing. “What position did your father arrange for you?”

“When I finished the college entrance exam, my scores weren’t bad. He wanted me to study law or philosophy at Sanwei University to facilitate a future political career.”

“And what about you?”

“I said ‘okay, okay,’ then on the day of filling out the application, I changed my first choice. I like children, I wanted to study psychology.” Lin Wanxing laughed lightly, but her eyes were still red, glittering in the night.

Wang Fa could almost imagine what kind of determination Lin Wanxing carried to decide to take a different path, to study the subject she loved, to pursue the career she wanted.

Only that, towards the end of her university studies, she encountered the most unfortunate event.

He imitated Lin Wanxing’s posture, crossing his legs on the long bench. Lin Wanxing naturally shared half of her blanket with him.

They leaned against each other gently, allowing the bitter sea breeze to blow over them.

“Later, after the incident, he believed it was an issue with my major, that psychology had messed up my mind.” Lin Wanxing paused, trying to remain calm. “But I understand clearly that it was because of his position, so he had to cleanly deal with my ‘scandal.’ My issue absolutely couldn’t become a big deal. I couldn’t sue Xiang Zi. He even had people delete the clarifications I posted online.”

Her voice finally trembled uncontrollably: “Can you understand, Wang Fa? I know too well that his stance determined his perception. His parents were ordinary high school teachers. He had no family background. At the most critical moment of his promotion, pressing down on the matter was best. My problem had conclusive evidence, so it didn’t need to be known or discussed by others. That’s how he decided. He said it was for my good. But he is my father, how could he treat me like this? And my mother knelt and begged me not to make any more trouble. She didn’t know why she gave birth to such a shameless daughter. If I didn’t repent, she would kill herself.”

Wang Fa’s heart was broken.

Even though he had thought about the reasons, the reality was always colder. Any verbal comfort wouldn’t work. He couldn’t even say “It’s all in the past.”

The ideal self was constantly suppressed by cruel reality. She could only be forced to give up, internalize everything, and doubt everything.

Besides doubting everything, there was no better way.

Wang Fa finally understood why Lin Wanxing had to mention her family before establishing their relationship because she would never reconcile with her parents.

“But I also found that the more I don’t want to be like them, the more I walk the same path as them,” Lin Wanxing finally said, gazing at him in the night.

“You’re not like them,” Wang Fa said with certainty.

The bright moon hung high in the night sky, and the sea breeze scattered.

But Lin Wanxing shook her head.

That day, they didn’t see the sunrise.

And Lin Wanxing, from beginning to end, never mentioned Shu Yong.

For Wang Fa, he knew clearly that from Han Ling to Yongchuan was a 145-kilometer drive, while from Hongjing to Han Ling required traveling over 245 kilometers.

This would be a long journey, but it didn’t matter. They would come many times.