Valuable item…

What valuable item?

All of Cheng Wanyue’s belongings were with Cheng Yuzhou. Unless she had lost her identification, the announcer wouldn’t have called her name directly.

She often misplaced things when going out, but Cheng Yuzhou wasn’t like her.

Cheng Yuzhou said, “There’s still time. You can go check.”

After Cheng Wanyue processed this, she guessed who it might be. Her phone had run out of battery and shut down when she went downstairs.

“I’m not going.” she wore sunglasses to hide her swollen eyes. “He started the fight first. The night before last, I hadn’t been drinking, but he smelled alcohol and started lecturing me. Yesterday was even worse—he even said the word ‘break up.’ Just because he’s tired from work, he can take it out on me? I’m not going to listen to him bring up old grievances.”

When Cheng Yuzhou had seen Qing Hang that morning, he was like a tightly drawn rope. He looked exhausted, probably having not rested the entire night.

Both of them were still angry. The meeting would only push them further apart.

“Then don’t go. A’Yu is waiting for us to come home for lunch.”

The announcement played once more, but Cheng Wanyue still didn’t move. “Don’t tell Uncle and Aunt about my fight with Qing Hang. Just say I’m going there for New Year’s.”

Cheng Yuzhou knew what she was thinking. “Mm, they’ll believe whatever you say without asking more questions.”

…

The plane took off on time. Qing Hang hadn’t waited for Cheng Wanyue. She had taken nothing except Meiqiu.

As soon as Qing Hang entered the hall, he asked the staff for help, holding the jade pendant she had given him. The snow on his clothes melted quickly, soaking into the fabric.

The jade pendant had grown warm in his palm.

His body was tired, yet his mind was clearer.

When he returned home from the airport, the rainy and snowy weather made the light dim. Only one cup remained on the table, and the bedroom still maintained its messy state. She didn’t like folding the blanket; after waking up, she would just casually straighten it. Clothes were piled at the foot of the bed, and the half-open wardrobe was in disarray. She had wanted to take everything.

The heating hadn’t started yet, and the cat had pushed the air conditioner remote into the corner of the table. She definitely wouldn’t have found it.

Last night the temperature was very low. How did she sleep? Or did she not sleep at all?

She had never complained about the poor conditions of this rented apartment.

Qing Hang organized all the things she had left behind, packed them into boxes, and then began writing his resignation letter. Early the next morning, he went to find Director Li.

Director Li didn’t agree and tried to persuade Qing Hang. The department had many patients this month and was indeed very busy. Almost all the young doctors were like him, frequently being called to the hospital in the middle of the night. He wasn’t someone who couldn’t endure hardship, but his attitude was firm—he had to leave.

He spent a week signing documents and getting stamps, transferring his patients to other colleagues, explaining to each patient one by one before going to the personnel department to pay compensation.

Li Yu was surprised when she learned about Qing Hang’s resignation from her father. Before she could contact him, Qing Hang found her first.

He organized all the materials and current progress of their collaborative project into files and sent them to her, recommending a colleague who could continue the research.

Li Yu arranged to meet Qing Hang. He left forty minutes early, stopping at a coffee shop before heading to the airport.

Li Yu was direct, “You’re leaving Beijing because of Wanyue, right?”

Qing Hang said softly, “I should have gone to find her six months ago. That resignation letter was just delayed from summer to winter.”

“My father jokes that a resident doctor is a doctor who works at the hospital twenty-four hours a day, must be available whenever called. You’ll have to go through this stage no matter which city or hospital you’re in. First, establish your career, and then you’ll have the confidence to support love. Leaving Beijing means starting over.”

“She never complained about how little time I spent with her. It’s my problem.”

Li Yu smiled, “Aren’t you good enough already?”

Others thought he was perfectly suitable for Cheng Wanyue, but only he felt inadequate.

“Have you thought it through?” Li Yu was an observer and lacked experience. “I know nothing about love and haven’t worried about someone for long periods, so I can’t give you appropriate advice. Qing Hang, I respect your decision and hope you won’t regret it in the future.”

Every day, Qing Hang wondered whether he had been blinded by jealousy or if Chi Yue’s childish tricks had stimulated him to the point of confusion, causing him to say those things to Cheng Wanyue.

Words spoken were like barbs with reverse hooks. She was pierced until her eyes broke with tears, and he also swallowed a mouthful of blood.

Whether he would regret giving up his job opportunity in Beijing was a matter for the future. He only knew that if he didn’t go find Cheng Wanyue, he would regret it.

“I’ve submitted my resume. It might not be worse than Beijing.”

“Then I wish you get what you want.”

Li Yu watched Qing Hang’s receding figure and felt touched deep inside. Breaking free from constraints without regard for consequences, all for love—it was rash, but quite cool.

…

However long Cheng Wanyue had been in Nanjing was how long she had stayed at home. No one could get her to go out.

Nuomi had clawed her pajamas until the threads came loose. If this had happened normally, she would have chased Nuomi up and down the stairs to settle the score. But these days, she rarely even leaves her room, mostly just sleeping.

Zhou Yu knocked on the door, and Cheng Wanyue responded weakly.

Cheng Yuzhou had moved the projector to her room. She was watching a movie—the same one she’d been watching yesterday. She was still watching it today, though it wasn’t clear if she was too lazy to change it or simply not watching.

“Wanyue, don’t be unhappy anymore. Eat something,” Zhou Yu had asked the housekeeper, who said she had eaten very little at lunch. “Mom made you some rib soup. Smell it, isn’t it especially fragrant?”

“I’m not unhappy,” Cheng Wanyue pulled out a cushion from under her for Zhou Yu to sit on.

“Then why don’t you go out and play? Call some friends, go dancing, clubbing, or racing. Even shopping would be fine. Yan Ci left for a trip at the beginning of the month. He’s going to Europe too. You could join him. Doing anything would be more interesting than being cooped up at home.”

She casually deflected, “The weather is too cold. Going out feels like being blown away by the wind.”

“Oh, is that so?” Zhou Yu feigned surprise. “I thought you were still angry at someone.”

“Who’s angry all the time? I’m not a balloon,” Cheng Wanyue was about to explain that she wasn’t constantly thinking about Qing Hang when she turned her head and found Zhou Yu trying to hold back laughter. “Well! You’re teasing me!”

“Wanyue, Wanyue, don’t press on me,” Zhou Yu quickly waved a white flag in surrender. “I have something to tell you.”

Cheng Wanyue was half-skeptical. “What?”

Zhou Yu took out the examination report hidden in her clothes and showed it to her. “I’m pregnant.”

“Really?” Cheng Wanyue practically jumped up. The test results clearly stated the pregnancy date. “Did I hurt you just now? I’m sorry. I’ll be careful starting today. Ah, I’m going to be an aunt! A’Yu, I’m so happy!”

She anxiously helped Zhou Yu up. “Don’t sit on the floor. It’s not good if you catch a cold.”

“The room is warm. It’s fine.”

“A’Yu, am I the first to know?”

“The first one.”

“Cheng Yuzhou ranks after me, too?”

“I haven’t told him yet. I don’t feel much different. I felt a bit uncomfortable this morning, so I went to the hospital.”

“When he finds out, he’ll be happier than I,” Cheng Wanyue said, looking at the report several times, still excited. “Now, Cheng Yanqing will be anxious. His status was already low, and now Cheng Yuzhou will leave him streets behind.”

Seeing her mood improve, Zhou Yu coaxed her into drinking a bowl of soup. She was focused on how to surprise Cheng Yuzhou when he returned from work. This animated expression was the Cheng Wanyue that Zhou Yu was familiar with.

In the past, they used to share a room at night and talk about everything when they couldn’t sleep. Cheng Wanyue rarely mentioned Qing Hang, and that hadn’t changed these past few days.

Qing Hang always held a special place in her heart.

“Wanyue, if you don’t like Beijing, or if you’re not happy there, just stay in Nanjing with us. Your father often comes for meetings, so it’s convenient to see you. You can open your studio. Cheng Yuzhou will have time to find an office after the New Year. I’ll help you decorate and set it up then.”

“Sure, I don’t want to go back to Beijing anyway.”

Zhou Yu had just heard Cheng Yuzhou’s voice when Cheng Wanyue had already run to the door. Before opening it, she remembered Zhou Yu’s pregnancy and ran back to help her up, though at just one month, such assistance was hardly necessary.

Of course, Cheng Wanyue understood tact. It would be better for Zhou Yu to tell Cheng Yuzhou herself, but since she was the first to know, she had to subtly show off a bit.

She had just run downstairs but hadn’t opened her mouth when Cheng Yuzhou called out, “Is Wanyue home?”

He could see her.

Cheng Wanyue lazily dragged out her tone, “No.”

Cheng Yuzhou opened the half-open door wider and said to the person outside, “She’s here. Come in.”

The person who walked in was Qing Hang.

Their eyes met, and Cheng Wanyue’s lively footsteps came to an abrupt halt.