I took a very long green train ride back to the company to report on my work.

When I came, the scenery outside the window was endless fresh greenery. When I returned, the autumn wind howled and everything looked desolate.

Also, when I came there were three people, but when I returned only I remained.

Hai Lan resigned to take the civil service exam. Bao Long saved his life, but his lower leg was amputated—he would be disabled forever.

And this trip back to the company, I had to work hard to fight for the maximum compensation for him.

The transport convoy collapsing the bridge made the news and was a major public opinion incident. The client was very dissatisfied and even proposed terminating the contract.

The company was still trying to mediate, but the worst outcome would be contract termination, and we wouldn’t even get paid for the previous phase of work.

Even at this point, Zhao Yu still held his ground at the construction site, refusing to stop work. Only I came alone to bear the company’s towering fury.

“Forcibly rushing the schedule, withholding wages, substandard quality… I’m asking you, Director Ren! How did you create so many problems!”

“It’s just that the local situation is rather complicated…”

“Also, why did this cause such massive personnel loss! If this project continues, who will do it? Will you, Ren Dongxue, personally do it yourself?”

“Recruitment has been ongoing…”

Several executives asked questions while suppressing their anger, all slapping the table. I stood there, meek and submissive, like a dog ready to take a kick in the gut at any moment.

Only Old Feng sat there, silently looking at the materials without saying a word.

After two hours of raging storm, I was already exhausted. After forcing a smile to see everyone out of the conference room, I sat woodenly in my seat.

One person didn’t leave—Old Feng.

I didn’t raise my head, only saying, “I’m sorry, Master, for disappointing you.”

When I was in Africa I would jokingly call him Master, but after returning to the country I called him that less and less.

Old Feng stood for a while, then said, “What’s really going on?”

I said in a low voice, “Just what was said earlier.”

“Raise your head!”

Old Feng looked into my eyes and asked, enunciating each word: “I’m asking you, what is really going on.”

——

Actually, the main responsibility for this matter lay with Weisheng Transportation.

It was them who overloaded and took shortcuts, collapsing that bridge and indirectly causing Qinglong’s death.

Yet everyone’s hatred was directed only at us.

The reason was simple—on the night the accident occurred, Weisheng’s useless manager disappeared.

The insurance for damaged vehicles, Qinglong’s compensation, the convoy’s aftermath work… a whole mess of things all came rushing toward us.

“If it’s this coincidental, then it’s not a coincidence.” I murmured.

That young master from Beicang Transportation’s smile, like mental pollution, played repeatedly in my mind.

If it wasn’t a coincidence, then it was too terrifying.

Beicang Transportation colluded with Weisheng’s manager to deliberately overload, three vehicles going up together, collapsing that bridge…

All for a small matter, a trivial bit of anger.

They killed people, more than one.

It was one human life, three people severely injured.

A living person, a big twenty-year-old guy who could ride horses, drive cars, smiled smugly, saved money to marry the girl he liked.

In an instant he became pale bones at the bottom of the river.

As I spoke, I trembled uncontrollably.

Old Feng frowned. He wasn’t affected by my emotional breakdown.

He only said calmly, “It seems that even if we save the Jiaolong Village contract, Zhao Yu is no longer suitable to stay there.”

I raised my head trembling, looking at him in disbelief.

“Jiaolong Village’s situation is complex, Zhao Yu is too reckless, this is for his own good.” Old Feng looked down at me, his eyes showing what I couldn’t tell was pity or mockery: “What you should be thinking about now is whether you want to continue staying.”

——

When I left, Zhao Yu also asked me, “Dongxue, will you come back?”

When he asked this, he didn’t raise his head, only his signing hand trembled slightly.

He was generous, upright, and capable—once the “wise lord” in my mind, even at one point replacing Old Feng as my life mentor.

But now, no matter how righteous we acted toward outsiders, both he and I knew in our hearts.

If he hadn’t stubbornly clashed with the Beicang transport team, the transport team wouldn’t have had an accident.

If not for his high-pressure policies and unrestrained schedule rushing, there wouldn’t have been a massive resignation event.

Actually he was gambling—if he could force everyone to complete the project before collapse, he would create another miracle, adding a thick and colorful stroke to his record of achievements.

But he lost the gamble, and the price was even a human life.

“Mr. Zhao, I’ll follow the company’s arrangements.” That’s what I told him.

In fact, I really didn’t want to come back.

I didn’t want to face the hateful gazes of the villagers, especially Ha Rina’s.

I also didn’t want to face these overly complex situations—this wasn’t something that “effort” or “emotional intelligence” could solve.

Before Weisheng’s manager was caught, no one knew whether this was an accident or intentional.

If it really was done by Beicang Transportation, who would be the next victim? Some coworker, Zhao Yu… or me?

After coming back, I could pick up that school renovation project.

I could do many, many more projects.

Someday I would wait for a new opportunity.

But if life was gone, it was truly gone.

——

I looked at Old Feng, ultimately not opening my mouth.

Even with ten thousand reasons to give up.

But there was always a voice in my ear saying: Ren Dongxue, you cannot be a deserter!

If I ran away this time, what about next time?

Should I pray that every construction site I work on has smooth sailing?

Old Feng said, “Zhao Yu isn’t a hothead. Do you know why he’s rushing so urgently?”

I hesitated.

“Because he knows this area is remote with complicated personnel—the longer you stay, the more dangerous it gets.” He said, “But it still wasn’t fast enough.”

After speaking, he got up to leave, leaving behind one sentence: “Give up this project, I’ll help you transfer positions.”

I sat alone in the conference room for a long time in a daze.

Outside the window, heavy rain poured down.

——

I went home.

I knew that in my current state, I wasn’t fit to think, much less make decisions.

I should take a hot bath, then sleep soundly, forgetting all the exhaustion, pain, and daze.

Grandma didn’t know I was coming back. I used my key to open the door.

I saw a family.

My younger brother was lying on my sofa watching TV, my stepmother was wearing my clothes, bustling about serving dishes, and my dad was sitting in my magnolia-patterned chair picking his feet while talking on the phone. When he saw me, he froze there.

Grandma hurriedly came out from the inner room: “Dongxue, you’re back… hey, why didn’t you give us advance notice?”

“Why give notice to come to my own home!” Stepmother chided exaggeratedly, “Come eat, come eat! I just bought a braised fish.”

Seeing me staring at her, she uncomfortably tugged at the hem of her clothes and said, “I didn’t bring enough clothes to change into, so I’m borrowing yours for now.”

Grandma grabbed my hand, at a loss to explain: “I couldn’t get along with that caregiver… Xiao Wei came looking for work, and I thought since I’m living alone anyway and idle, well, well… might as well have family…”

Xiao Wei—speaking of Xiao Wei, since I entered the door, he’d been lying on my sofa as if it were his right, not even glancing at me once.

I pulled her hand away and said in a low voice, “So I work myself to death earning money to support their family… is that it?”

“They won’t stay, they’ll leave when you come back!” Grandma anxiously spoke incoherently: “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry!”

My dad couldn’t sit still anymore. He slapped the table and stood up: “How are you talking to your grandma! I’m your father! I raised you this big! What’s wrong with staying in your house for two days! Even if I wanted you to sell the house, it would be proper!”

I laughed lightly and said, “You’re still the same—guilty conscience so you curse people, as if having a loud voice makes you right.”

“I was raised by Grandma, Mom gave the living expenses… When you were dating this woman, she insisted I stole her things, and you kicked me from upstairs to downstairs. For that…” I kicked the table over onto the ground, soup and dishes crashing everywhere in a mess, and stepmother screamed.

Even the young master on the sofa finally shifted his gaze from the TV program, staring at me in shock.

I remained calm, saying methodically, “For that, not one of you has the right to eat in my home.”

I looked at my dad. He tried to look furious, but perhaps my current appearance was too frightening, too much like those “high officials and nobles” he’d feared all his life.

He shrank back a bit, awkwardly avoiding my gaze.

“I thought we had a tacit understanding, so I always left you your dignity. If you don’t want face when given face, there’s no helping it.” I looked into each of their eyes, saying word by word: “Before I return tomorrow, leave my house, and I’ll act like nothing happened. Otherwise, I won’t give you another cent.”

My brother went from shock to anger. He said defiantly, “What are you doing! We just won’t leave, let’s see what you can do to us!”

“Baby, you don’t want to experience my methods.” I even smiled: “I work on construction sites.”

Grandma was already crying and pulling at me. I slowly pulled her hand down and said, “I’m not giving them a chance, I’m giving you a chance, old lady. If they’re still here tomorrow, I’ll have someone throw you out together with them.”

After speaking, I left.

Actually I could call the police and clear this group of people out tonight.

But I was too tired. I was so tired I had no energy left to argue, and no energy to continue living in this place.

How absurd—they had turned this into their home. The entire room was filled with their family’s smell, reminding me of every time I asked for money as a child, that kind of awkward and agonizing feeling of sitting on pins and needles.

I didn’t blame Grandma. She was just a stingy, shallow, vain old lady.

I was just sad that in this world, there actually wasn’t a single person I could truly entrust and trust with my whole heart.

————

I walked in the autumn rain for a long time, until my bangs were soaked through, water slowly dripping down.

I walked to Cheng Xia’s door.

I hadn’t told him I’d come back. Without his pathological persistence, our daily chats were lackluster—good morning, good night, have you eaten?

But now, I especially, especially wanted to see him. Like walking too long in darkness, I was desperate to see the moon, to find my direction.

I pressed the doorbell and held it for a long time before I heard footsteps.

It was Cheng Xia. He opened the door, and warm light like water slanted down, illuminating a corner of the dark building.

“Dongxue?” He looked at me in surprise and said, “How did you come?”

I noticed he was wearing a crisp blue shirt, not loungewear, and he’d said, “How did you come?”

So I smiled. I found all of this too ridiculous.

I said, “Is there someone inside? If there is, I won’t disturb you.”