Perhaps it was for this reason that Qiu Xing had supported Lin Yiran all along, leading her out of one predicament after another, allowing her to still sit comfortably in his truck today, and shortly, to go to school and begin her new life.

Qiu Xing had already fallen from his track and could never go back.

Lin Yiran had met him when she was most helpless. He would continue to send Lin Yiran back to her life, and until then, he would keep supporting her.

*

Qiu Xing’s words had imperceptibly widened the distance between him and Lin Yiran again. Lin Yiran heard the implication in his words—Qiu Xing was rejecting her closeness. They were both people suspended on a rope, but Qiu Xing wanted Lin Yiran to live a different life, not like him, living suspended on a rope.

Qiu Xing seemed cold; he had pushed away the subtle intimacy between him and Lin Yiran, yet he was also gentle.

His hardness and his softness, Lin Yiran received them all.

In the time that followed, they maintained distance from each other, and Lin Yiran became polite toward him again. She would say “thank you” to Qiu Xing, and no longer showed her dependence on him.

If things continued this way, after these final days, when Lin Yiran went to school, they would no longer be entangled together and would grow increasingly distant.

This summer would eventually become a memory, one that would always make Lin Yiran feel tender and grateful when recalled.

But not everything could be controlled; emotions and feelings were the hardest to control.

For Lin Yiran, this entire summer of pain, fear, and turmoil was profound and indelible for a nineteen-year-old girl. And throughout these unforgettable days, Qiu Xing had been steadily there, just like his truck, allowing Lin Yiran to hide inside and steal a bit of peace.

Qiu Xing was the landing point for all her positive emotions. Because of Qiu Xing, Lin Yiran even believed that in the future, when recalling this period, what would come to mind first wouldn’t be her nightmarish circumstances, but freedom and vastness—everything that Qiu Xing had brought her.

And Qiu Xing, no matter how rational and calm, how numbed by life’s hardships—he was, after all, still young.

*

Lin Yiran folded Qiu Xing’s hanging clothes and placed them aside. It had been raining continuously during this period, and clothes didn’t dry as quickly.

Qiu Xing had been driving for several consecutive hours. Lin Yiran rolled up a set of Qiu Xing’s unwashed clothes into a medium-sized bundle and handed it to him.

Qiu Xing glanced at it, then took it and placed it behind his lower back.

Sitting and driving for so long inevitably caused Qiu Xing’s back and waist to ache. Lin Yiran had used Qiu Xing’s phone to buy a back-supporting cushion, which had been delivered to Brother Lin’s factory, but they hadn’t picked it up yet.

Lin Yiran sat back in the passenger seat and said, “Remember to pick it up and bring it next time.”

Qiu Xing responded with a simple “Mmm.”

Lin Yiran would be able to go back with him one more time to see Auntie Fang. After that, Qiu Xing would drop her off in a city near her school, and this time Lin Yiran would truly get off the truck.

Lin Yiran’s holiday was coming to an end, and her escape journey was also approaching its conclusion.

Qiu Xing cleared his throat and spoke: “Your tuition card.”

Lin Yiran immediately said, “No, no, no need.”

Qiu Xing was amused by her reaction and smiled, saying, “What are you saying ‘no’ to? What did I say?”

Lin Yiran said, “No need to give me money, Qiu Xing.”

The smile hadn’t yet left Qiu Xing’s face as he told her, “I deposited money into your tuition card. The tuition should have been deducted already; you can keep what’s left.”

Lin Yiran’s brows immediately knotted into a small knot as she asked, “When?”

“A few days ago,” Qiu Xing said.

The tuition card was hidden in the truck along with other items, stored with Qiu Xing’s cash.

Lin Yiran asked again, “How much did you deposit?”

Qiu Xing said ten thousand.

Lin Yiran shook her head and said, “I don’t want your money.”

“Don’t use your ID card and bank card before you start school,” Qiu Xing told her. “After buying the ticket and getting off the bus, go directly to school. Try not to go out, and don’t be alone—stay with your roommates or classmates.”

Usually when Qiu Xing spoke to her, Lin Yiran would nod and say “okay,” but this time she remained silent.

Qiu Xing turned his head to look at her and asked, “Understood?”

Only then did Lin Yiran press her lips together and say, “Understood.”

Lin Yiran had always listened to Qiu Xing, but this time she showed stubbornness.

A couple of days later, during the time Qiu Xing stopped at the factory to load the truck, Lin Yiran went out for a while. That evening, Qiu Xing discovered a stack of cash in the truck.

Qiu Xing stopped what he was doing, raised an eyebrow, and looked back at Lin Yiran.

Lin Yiran was looking out the window sideways; Qiu Xing could only see her profile and jawline.

“What does this mean?” Qiu Xing asked.

Lin Yiran said softly, “I don’t want your money.”

Qiu Xing looked at her with a very serious expression: “Didn’t I tell you not to use your ID card and bank card yet?”

He was a bit fierce at this moment. Lin Yiran didn’t make eye contact with him, but she didn’t talk back either.

Qiu Xing was angry, his profile tense into a hard, cold line. The truck sank into a depressing low-pressure zone. Qiu Xing drove away without asking her any more questions.

Both remained silent. After a while, Lin Yiran explained to him softly: “I only withdrew the money because we were about to leave that place.”

Qiu Xing didn’t respond or look at her; it wasn’t clear if he had heard.

Lin Yiran continued, “My mother left me some money, enough for my schooling. I can’t use this money to pay off my father’s debts. I don’t know how much he owes, and I’m afraid that if I pay this time, there will be a next time. He knew my mother had left money, otherwise he wouldn’t have left like that.”

Despite Qiu Xing’s lack of response, Lin Yiran continued to explain softly and persistently: “He didn’t even ask me; he just handed me over to the debt collectors. The more he acts like this, the more I can’t pay for him.”

Before Lin Yiran’s mother passed away, she had carefully instructed Lin Yiran about many things. It was a mother who couldn’t stop worrying about her daughter, yet had no options left. At the end of her life, each additional day was a struggle. This money was the only hope and comfort a dying mother had—at least she had left something for her daughter, allowing her to grow up a little more with dignity.

Her mother had held her hand then, telling her to use this money for school, and if she wanted to study abroad, it might not be enough, so she should ask her father for more at that time.

Lin Yiran couldn’t speak then, burying her face in her mother’s chest, crying until her eyes hurt.

“I don’t intend to use my mother’s money either. I plan to earn money in the future, add to it, and use it to buy a small house. That’s the most lasting way I can think of to preserve this money. I’ll live there, and it will be my mother protecting me.” Lin Yiran spoke with her head down, her tone calm and gentle, her right hand unconsciously rubbing the web between her thumb and index finger on her left hand.

Qiu Xing said, “Mmm.” He glanced at Lin Yiran, finally speaking perhaps because he was afraid she might cry.

But Lin Yiran didn’t cry; she just looked very dejected and lonely.

“So I do have money, and I don’t need yours,” Lin Yiran looked up at Qiu Xing and said. “I’ve already troubled you so much. I’ve been with you for these two months, and I’ve been spending your money.”

Qiu Xing interrupted her, saying, “You don’t need to tell me all this.”

“If I take your money again, I’ll become…” Lin Yiran paused, then continued, “I’ll be shamelessly imposing on you.”

When Qiu Xing heard “shamelessly,” he immediately frowned.

“That’s not…” Lin Yiran earnestly said to Qiu Xing, “You’ve helped me more than enough. Besides my mother, I most…”

Most what? She didn’t continue. She looked at Qiu Xing for a few seconds, her gaze carrying a gentle warmth, then turned away to look out the window.

*

That stack of money remained in the truck; Qiu Xing didn’t touch it, nor did he mention it to Lin Yiran again.

Qiu Xing still seemed a bit angry, though Lin Yiran wasn’t sure. Qiu Xing normally didn’t smile much, making it difficult to tell if he was unhappy.

They still didn’t talk much, existing in a somewhat oppressive atmosphere where things between them were awkward and distant.

If their relationship were to end in this state, it would indeed be regrettable.

But this holiday that combined a chaotic escape with the freedom of chasing clouds and moon, this summer of alternating high temperatures and heavy rain, was destined not to end this way.

The truck’s cabin could be considered spacious, but compared to the vast fields and endless horizon, it was indeed cramped.

It rumbled through fields, plains, mountain tunnels, and seasides. During the day, it carried a full load of cargo toward distant places, and at night, it wrapped around the dreams of two people.

It was worn but safe, rugged yet romantic.

The highways were like veins of the earth, like the world’s arteries. The truck galloped on the road, carrying the pulse of the earth, stimulating one’s nerves, breaking through chains and shackles.

Heaven and earth permitted impulse, embracing all original hearts, desires, and aspirations.