The sunken plaza.

Lin Yiran sat on the steps listening to the phone call, the voice on the other end gradually fading the polite smile from her face.

Lin Yiran said, “I’m busy.”

The person on the phone said something else, and Lin Yiran responded, “I don’t want to meet.”

She then remained quiet for quite a while, just listening to the other person speaking.

The young girl beside her had moved farther away, wearing earphones and playing with her phone.

Lin Yiran suddenly frowned and asked, “What?”

She interrupted the person and repeated her question: “What do you mean?”

*

The next morning, Lin Yiran had business at her department. Dressed in light clothing, she left the dormitory very early.

By the time she came out of the department building, it was nearly noon. She had arranged to meet the person at eleven-thirty, but she didn’t leave campus until twelve, and the other person hadn’t called to rush her.

Lin Yiran opened the location the person had sent and arrived at a restaurant.

When she arrived, the other person was alone, drinking hot water. Lin Yiran thanked the server, pulled out a chair, and sat across from them.

“Little Boat,” the person called her, with a slight smile and obvious attempt to ingratiate.

Lin Yiran looked at the person calmly. This face had gradually blurred in her memory, and now at such close distance, Lin Yiran suddenly felt a strange unfamiliarity. It seemed familiar yet very different from her memory, like a stranger, but not entirely.

This was her biological father by blood relation, but saying so felt so hollow.

Empty and dry.

“Put your bag down and see what you’d like to eat.” Lin Weizhen looked at her, handing over the menu. “I didn’t dare order without you here, afraid you might not like it.”

Lin Yiran kept her bag on her lap, not placing it aside. She didn’t take the menu and simply said, “I didn’t come here to eat. Say what you want to say.”

“Let’s talk while we eat. We can’t just sit here.” Lin Weizhen laughed dryly, taking the menu back and reading through it himself. “Preserved plum spare ribs? I remember you liked those… How about steamed chicken?”

Lin Yiran had no mood to eat with him. She couldn’t swallow a single bite.

Lin Weizhen called the server over, ordered food, then rinsed a cup for Lin Yiran and poured her some hot water.

Lin Yiran sat unmoved, doing nothing else besides sitting. She wasn’t a particularly hot-tempered person; even in moments like this, she merely appeared very cold, growing more silent the more impatient she became. This temperament came from her mother; they were both calm people, not from her father.

She didn’t speak. No matter what Lin Weizhen asked, Lin Yiran just sat coldly, barely even looking at him.

This made the atmosphere awkward and rigid. No matter how much Lin Weizhen pretended, time became stagnant and slow, silence stretching each second, dragging an ugly tail.

Lin Weizhen sighed, facing Lin Yiran, and said penitently, “Dad was wrong.”

Lin Yiran’s eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly, but she didn’t look at him, only turning her head to the side to gaze out the window.

“Dad knows I shouldn’t have left you alone. I truly had no choice. I thought of hiding for a few days, and once the money came through, it would all be over. They wouldn’t do anything to you…”

As he spoke to this point, Lin Yiran raised her eyes to look at him, her gaze penetrating his hypocritical face, making him unable to continue. His voice faltered, only saying, “…anyway, it was all Dad’s fault.”

Lin Yiran neither told him to stop calling himself “Dad” nor refuted his grandiose words. Lin Yiran felt no anger in her heart, only an absurd sense of comedy and bewilderment.

This matter had no significance in her heart. If it had been that summer three years ago, Lin Yiran’s emotions might have shown some ripples, but now, it could no longer evoke any feeling in Lin Yiran except numbness.

She hadn’t come today to hear his remorse or his excuses for what had been unavoidable.

“Yes, you have your reasons,” Lin Yiran said calmly. “I understand.”

She cut off Lin Weizhen’s forthcoming explanations and apologies, looking at him and saying, “You can tell this to yourself. I don’t need it; it’s not important.”

The server came over one after another with dishes; during this time, they didn’t speak.

When all the dishes were served, Lin Weizhen said, “Dad wants you to know that Dad never intended to abandon you. I…”

Lin Yiran interrupted him, saying, “I said, this isn’t important. That’s enough talk about this. Any more and I won’t be able to sit here.”

Lin Weizhen awkwardly stopped speaking.

Lin Yiran asked him directly, “Yesterday, you mentioned returning my money. What did you mean?”

Lin Weizhen immediately nodded and told her, “That’s right, Little Boat, give me your account number, and I’ll transfer it to you.”

“Don’t call me that. My mom changed my name. I don’t want to hear that name from your mouth.” After saying this, Lin Yiran asked again, “Why are you giving me money?”

Lin Weizhen said sincerely, “Dad doesn’t have that much right now. I’ll give you 100,000 yuan first, and Dad will pay back the rest to you both, absolutely without fail.”

The reason Lin Yiran came today was because of Lin Weizhen’s words “returning your money” on the phone last night. Those words had made Lin Yiran instinctively frown, leading to today’s meeting.

He had already spent so much time on those disgusting preambles, and Lin Yiran really couldn’t wait any longer.

Lin Yiran’s heartbeat gradually intensified. Of all the words she had heard today, none made her as nervous as this moment.

She looked at Lin Weizhen and after a few seconds asked, “Us?… Me and who?”

“Dad has found out everything,” Lin Weizhen said with reddened eyes, speaking softly. “I didn’t know if you took the money or if Qiu Xing did. Dad thanks you both. Are you and Qiu Xing together? Qiu Xing’s father…”

Lin Yiran gripped the edge of the table, interrupting him again: “What does this have to do with Qiu Xing?”

“If it has nothing to do with Qiu Xing, then did you take the money? From what your mother left you?” Lin Weizhen choked up, saying, “Dad owes you, and Dad will make it up to you in the future.”

Lin Yiran sat stunned for a moment, then softly asked, “How much money?”

“What?” Lin Weizhen was also taken aback.

Lin Yiran said, “I’m asking, how much money did you owe?”

Lin Weizhen seemed confused, or perhaps too ashamed to answer. He looked at Lin Yiran without speaking.

“Has it all been repaid?” Lin Yiran asked again.

“No, Dad hasn’t paid you both back yet. How could it be considered settled?” Lin Weizhen said urgently. “This will not be written off. You’ll see in the future.”

Lin Yiran frowned, her voice containing uncontrollable trembling: “So it was Qiu Xing who paid it off, right?”

“That’s what they said.” Lin Weizhen lowered his head and said, “Please thank Qiu Xing for Dad too… You don’t have a good father. I’ve been a burden to you.”

Lin Yiran closed her eyes briefly, her hand resting lightly on the edge of the table, her palm sweating.

The dishes on the table remained untouched. Outside, the sunlight pierced painfully into people’s eyes. Pedestrians hurriedly passed by with sun umbrellas. Lin Yiran felt a hole in her heart.

She suddenly took out her phone and typed a string of numbers.

Lin Weizhen’s phone rang, and simultaneously Lin Yiran stood up, telling him, “Return the money. Construction Bank, Lin Yiran.”

“Dad will pay it back, Dad will pay it back.” He nodded repeatedly.

Lin Yiran looked down at him and said, “Not a penny less.”

“Alright, Dad will pay it all back,” Lin Weizhen promised.

Lin Yiran took her bag and strode away, hailing a car at the entrance and quickly getting in.

In the car, she asked Sister-in-law Lin for Lin Chang’s phone number and called him.

Lin Chang’s voice seemed as if he had just woken up, slow and leisurely: “Hello, who is this?”

“It’s me, Lin Yiran.”

When Lin Chang heard it was her, he let out a surprised “Ah?”

“Why are you looking for me?” Lin Chang was puzzled.

Lin Yiran’s fingers gripping the phone turned white with effort as she said to him, “I want to ask you something. Don’t tell Qiu Xing.”

“What is it?” Lin Chang’s voice became flippant again. “About Brother Qiu? You shouldn’t ask me that. We’re not that close. You should ask my dad.”

“Your dad would tell Qiu Xing, but you won’t,” Lin Yiran said.

“Oh come on, don’t flatter me, beautiful,” Lin Chang laughed exaggeratedly. “Don’t try that with me; it won’t work.”

Lin Yiran pressed her lips together and fell silent.

“Crying?” Lin Chang asked when she didn’t speak.

Before Lin Yiran could respond, Lin Chang quickly said, “Please don’t cry. I’m most afraid of beautiful women crying. Go ahead and ask.”

Lin Yiran emphasized once more: “You won’t tell Qiu Xing, will you?”

“Fine. Not because you’re flattering me, but because you’re beautiful,” Lin Chang said with a laugh. “You’re too beautiful.”

Lin Yiran didn’t care about his frivolous words. Her other hand’s thumb pressed hard on her knuckle as she asked softly, “How much money did Qiu Xing pay back for me?”

“Huh? Just that? I was wondering what you were going to ask,” Lin Chang said.

He asked in surprise, “You don’t know? Then why have you been with him for so many years?”

“How much?” Lin Yiran asked.

“I’ve forgotten. Around 360,000 or 370,000 yuan, less than 400,000,” Lin Chang said carelessly. “My dad fronted it. They even reduced a lot of interest. Otherwise, with compound interest, it would have lasted until who knows when. Later, he paid my dad back. That’s why Qiu Xing and my dad opened a factory elsewhere. He owed a favor, you know.”

Lin Yiran felt her temples throbbing violently, as if someone was hammering them. Each throb was so painful it left her breathless.

“Thank you,” Lin Yiran said softly.

On the high-speed train, Lin Yiran sat upright the entire time, not leaning against the backrest, her gaze fixed out the window.

The scenery outside rushed past, the speed dizzying.

In her mind, certain scenes kept flashing by, cycling over and over. Each cycle made Lin Yiran’s heart ache more, yet she didn’t want to stop for a moment.

Before her eyes was Qiu Xing’s cold face as he drove his truck. After driving for more than ten hours straight, when he jumped down from the truck, he would raise his hand to squeeze the back of his neck, slightly frowning, his expression unable to hide his exhaustion.

Qiu Xing showed no expression, completely numb when in the truck, but once he got out, he would smile cheekily while bargaining with clients, biting an unlit cigarette, saying to people, “Give me a bit more, don’t cheat me out of money. I’m in a hurry to pay off debts.”

Qiu Xing had been drinking when he told Brother Lin at the dinner table, “Brother, paying back these debts is making me sick. I only feel hopeful when I think about nearly having them paid off.”

Walking on the street with her, the streetlights stretched and shortened their shadows. Qiu Xing coldly said, “Don’t let anyone use your money. I don’t want to owe anyone money either.”

In the hotel room, Qiu Xing looked at her deeply. His eyes held many emotions, and amid those emotions was Lin Yiran, wrapped in his gaze. Qiu Xing was so close to her, yet he didn’t touch her, only asking in a deep voice, “What do you want?”

Qiu Xing came to see her at school, hurriedly ate a meal with her, and then had to leave quickly. Before leaving, he told her, “Brother Lin found people to go after whoever owed the debt. Just focus on your studies and don’t worry about those things anymore. No one will come after you again.”

Lin Yiran asked in surprise, “They just listened?”

Qiu Xing rubbed the back of her head and said, “Brother Lin has a big reputation. Don’t worry about useless things. Go back to school. I’m leaving.”

…

In Lin Yiran’s mind, scene after scene flashed of Qiu Xing. When speaking, Qiu Xing always seemed impatient, sometimes raising an eyebrow slightly, appearing difficult to approach. He wouldn’t answer when asked once, but would get annoyed if asked too many times.

Lin Yiran used to be afraid of provoking him; later, she simply didn’t want to provoke him. But even if she did, it wouldn’t matter—Qiu Xing never truly got angry. Beneath that cold expression, he didn’t lose his temper.

But she had become accustomed to listening to Qiu Xing, wanting to go along with his wishes, not wanting to put him in a difficult position.

Lin Yiran stared blankly out the window, feeling a hollowness in her chest.

The closer she got to Qiu Xing’s city, the heavier the rain fell. Raindrops crashed against the train window, then were flung sideways by the high-speed train. The streaks of water on the glass made the view outside increasingly blurry.

Lin Yiran closed her eyes and slowly leaned her head against the backrest.

She no longer wanted to go along with Qiu Xing’s wishes, regardless of the method. She only wanted to keep him.

*

Qiu Xing looked at Lin Yiran, crying and begging before him. His brows were knotted into what appeared to be a fierce frown as he asked her, “What’s wrong with you?”

Lin Yiran immediately replied, “Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t want to be abandoned by you.”

“Didn’t we agree?” Qiu Xing stared at her perplexedly.

Lin Yiran shook her head and said, “I’ve changed my mind.”

Qiu Xing retorted, “Am I playing games with you?”

Lin Yiran stood in the rain, wrapped in Qiu Xing’s dirty work uniform, the thin material of her clothes nearly soaked through. Qiu Xing darkened his face and said, “Come inside with me first.”

Lin Yiran didn’t move, standing in place holding Qiu Xing’s hand, shaking her head at him.

“We won’t separate, okay?” Lin Yiran asked, trembling.

“Don’t be foolish,” Qiu Xing said. “Grow up.”

Qiu Xing had made up his mind, and if he didn’t want to change it, no one could make him.

Lin Yiran lowered her eyes, raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and when she looked up again, she said to Qiu Xing, “I need money.”

Qiu Xing’s eyebrows rose even higher as he asked, “What happened to your money?”

“It’s gone,” Lin Yiran said.

“Where did it go?” Qiu Xing asked her.

“I gave it to Aunt Fang. All the money you gave me, I gave to her,” Lin Yiran said while wiping her tears. “But I regret it now. I need money for school. Give me money.”

Qiu Xing was silenced by her few sentences, momentarily unsure what expression to put on. Lin Yiran was so righteously asking him for money that Qiu Xing couldn’t muster any anger. Looking at Lin Yiran’s small, pale face, he was too choked to speak.

“You,” Qiu Xing pointed to the courtyard, “come inside and we’ll talk.”

“Promise me,” Lin Yiran sniffled, looking up at him. “Give me money like you used to.”

“Are you playing tricks on me?” Qiu Xing asked.

Lin Yiran clenched her jaw and didn’t speak, standing stubbornly.

Qiu Xing had no patience to argue with her. He bent down, tucked his arm around her, and picked her up. Lin Yiran pushed at his shoulder, but when she couldn’t move him, she stopped struggling and let him carry her.

To reach his room, they had to pass through the workshop. Xiao Zhang and Mao Jun were stunned to see Qiu Xing carrying Lin Yiran.

Xiao Zhang shouted, “Hello, Sister-in-law!”

Qiu Xing walked quickly past, opened the door, and put Lin Yiran down. The room was pitch black—with the power out, there were no lights or air conditioning.

After putting her down, Qiu Xing left her alone, opening the wardrobe to pull out one of his short-sleeved shirts and a pair of track pants, tossing them to her: “There’s no electricity, so you can’t shower. Change your clothes.”

Lin Yiran caught them and held them in her hands, still stubbornly standing in place.

Qiu Xing was already very angry and called to her in a deep voice: “Lin Yiran.”

Lin Yiran said, “I don’t have money for school.”

“You gave it to her, so ask her for it,” Qiu Xing questioned. “What does that have to do with me?”

Lin Yiran again fell silent, just standing there.

The room was cold, and it was almost completely dark. Lin Yiran stood by the door, while Qiu Xing leaned against a table on the other side.

In this northern city where the temperature had dropped and rain was falling, even wearing a thick coat would feel cold, let alone Lin Yiran being completely soaked.

Yet she seemed not to feel the cold, standing there all alone.

Qiu Xing remained in a standoff with her for a while. Later, he glanced at the date on his phone screen and frowned.

“Lin Yiran,” he called to her again.

Lin Yiran still didn’t move.

Qiu Xing’s voice seemed to carry ice as he warned, “You should keep track of the dates yourself. Be sensible.”

Lin Yiran took a moment to understand what he meant, and looked at him, saying, “I’ve already arrived.”

Qiu Xing’s gaze fell on her, dark and heavy.

After a while, Qiu Xing raised his voice: “And then you get soaked in the rain and freeze?”

Lin Yiran was startled by his suddenly raised voice, her shoulders visibly trembling.

“Your pain is still light.”

Qiu Xing said this with a dark face, then walked past Lin Yiran and slammed the door as he left.

The sound of the door closing made Lin Yiran’s heart tremble. Only she remained in the pitch-black room. Lin Yiran closed her eyes, her heart a chaotic mess.

She stood there almost helplessly. At this moment, she no longer cared about dignity; there was only one thought in her mind—to keep Qiu Xing, whose heart and words didn’t match.