Chapter 40: Is There True Perfection in This World?

  Xī Tù Xīn finished dressing up, but Yáo Qǐyún was still sitting there with her clothes in disarray.

  She stretched out her index finger to scrape off the lip balm on his lips, such an intimate gesture, only because she hated that the lip balm belonging to her still left a mark on him.

  He said: "Ah Wei, actually I have always loved you."

  It wasn't until the very end that Yao Qiyun said something like this.

  But he didn't know that what had supported Situ Xuan through the most desperate days was precisely his hatred for him.

  When she was stuck alone in that hot and humid Southeast Asian country, waiting for three weeks without any news; when she was doing odd jobs in her elderly "husband's" small Chinese shop, worrying about the immigration bureau's temporary inspections every day, thinking that she would spend the rest of her life like this; when she had no identity, no relatives to rely on, language difficulties, dwindling savings, and an uncertain future, and even got sick... She told herself that she couldn't give up, the road was chosen by herself, even if it was a self-inflicted suffering, she had to walk to the end with her eyes closed. She wanted to live a good life, better than Yao Qiyun's, only in this way could she prove that her escape at that time was not a complete mistake.

  Yao Qiyun grasped her hand and held it against his lips. "If you don't want to stay, I can also go with you."

  Situ Xuan burst out laughing as if he had heard a fantastical tale from a far-off land.

  "Don't you believe me that I can go with you?" Yao Qiyun asked anxiously. It's not that she didn't believe him, he knew it was difficult, but if there was only this one chance, he had the determination to see it through.

  Situ Xuan withdrew his hand, "I believe you, you can leave or stay, but you and I will no longer be 'together'."

  He lifted his head, as if he had made a great effort to understand the meaning of her words, and was making a dying effort.

  "What exactly do you want? Give me one sentence. Don't say it's impossible."

  She remembered that she had also asked him like this at first.

  "Seven years ago, I begged you to believe me in tears, but when you walked away with Tan Shaocheng in front of me, did you ever give me a chance? Yao Qiyun, now you ask me what I want, and I'll tell you. Unless time can flow backwards, unless you can go back seven years ago and find that stupid girl Situ Xin, only she would wait for you behind the back of time. The question is, can you go back?"

  He certainly can't go back, if people could really move freely in time and space, he wouldn't still be here now. Five years ago, one day, around dinner time, Xie Yueming, who had lost contact with her family, made the first phone call home, which was answered by her mother. This phone call lasted less than three minutes, and after hanging up, Xie Shaoping sat beside the tea table for a long time. From knowing whose call it was, Yao Qiyun held her breath and didn't dare move, seeing Xie Jiuyi only lowering his head to smoke on the side, she anxiously asked what Xie Yueming said on the phone.

  Xue Shaoping didn't repeat the details of the conversation, she forced a smile and said: "Nothing was said, just wanted to let us know that she's still alive in this world."

  What Yao Qiyun really cared about was whether Situ Ke had mentioned him in those three minutes. But he didn't dare ask, because he knew the answer would definitely be no.

  That night, Mr. and Mrs. Szeto retired to their room early. Yao Qiyun was anxious to find out the location of the phone call, and finally determined which corner of the globe she was in. He had already made up his mind to fly over as quickly as possible, no matter what, to find her and bring her back. He dialed the number again, hoping it wasn't a public phone. Unexpectedly, after the call connected, he immediately heard the voice that had never faded from his mind, and he couldn't believe his luck.

  Situ Xuan hung up the phone quickly after realizing it was him calling. Yao Qiyun kept calling, and finally, one time she didn't hang up again. He mustered up the courage to express his regret and longing, saying that he and Tan Shaocheng had tried before, just like he had tried to forget her, but couldn't, always falling short by a little bit... He stuttered and spoke incessantly, vowing not to lie to himself again, as if wanting to say a lifetime's worth of words before Situ Xuan lost patience. He said a lot, a lot, and from start to finish, Situ Xuan didn't interrupt him once; on the other end of the phone, there was only faint noise and footsteps. Until a young man's voice came through, telling Yao Qiyun that he was Situ Xuan's roommate, and after Situ Xuan answered the phone, he put down the receiver and went out. Afraid that Yao Qiyun wouldn't understand his words in the sudden silence, he repeated himself again in standard Mandarin.

  From then on, Yao Qiyun lost the courage to look for her. She let him speak, but she was no longer interested in every word he said.

  The aunt, who had been silently witnessing the whole process at the kitchen door, was wiping her hands on her apron with a sorrowful look. "If I had known you were going to be so stubborn, I wouldn't have let her leave in the first place."

  Yao Qiyun relaxed his clenched fist. His aunt was a close relative, and he couldn't do anything to her, nor should he vent his despair and anger on others. He pointed at the door and only said one word to his pale-faced Aunt Yao: "Get out!" He didn't mention this phone call to anyone, including Mr. and Mrs. Situ. Not long after, with his persistence, Aunt Yao returned home and reunited with her family. Yao Qiyun also moved out of the Situ's house, although Mr. and Mrs. Situ had said that from now on they would only have one son. Only on Fridays would he return to this house for dinner, every time coinciding with Situ Yue's regular phone call to ask about her parents, but he never exchanged a word with her again.

  Long ago, he should have come to his senses, but the reunion was too provocative, and when she was alive in front of him, he thought there was still a chance to start again. The person standing in front of him was no longer his "Ah Yuan", only he was still obsessed with past events, the real Si Tu Yue had long since died from the day she left home.

  Yao Qiyun returned to the real world, stood up indifferently and tidied himself up. "I should go. Your mom's waist hurt badly last night, I promised to buy her some medicine back. There's a meeting at the company early tomorrow morning. Tell Wu Jiang congratulations on his new marriage for me."

  Situ Xue followed Yao Qiyun out, and almost got knocked over at the entrance of the bathroom. The girl was someone Situ Xue knew, both a bridesmaid tonight and someone Lindsay had been wanting to meet for a long time. The girl's steps were light and floating, seemingly having drunk quite a bit, her eyes were red, clearly having cried. But she didn't seem to have time to be sad now, only staring blankly and pointing in the direction Yao Qiyun had just walked out of, asking stupidly: "Am I wrong? Is this not the women's restroom?"

  Situ Xuan helped her up and smiled: "Falling down in the ladies' room is just as embarrassing, when you've had too much to drink, walk a bit slower."

  The banquet was about to end, and more than half of the guests had left. My younger brother rushed back from outside, specially to buy a new pair of shoes for Sutu Yue. Sutu Yue didn't want to disappoint his good intentions, so he graciously accepted them, tried them on, and found that they fit perfectly. He thanked him repeatedly.

  Lin Jing saw Si Tu Xuan, seemingly relieved, picked up her own coat and stood up. "If you didn't come back I thought someone kidnapped you in the restroom. I'll go send someone off first, otherwise you wait here for a bit, I'll come back to send you back to the hotel."

  Situ Xuan smiled with ill intent, a sly look that said "don't think I don't know what you're thinking", "Hurry up and go, do what you need to do, and never come back."

  Lin Jing also stopped being polite and smiled: "The plane is the day after tomorrow, right? I'll go see you off then."

  After Lin Jing walked away, Si Tu Jue and his younger brother ABC returned to their original seats and chatted for a while. As Xiao Gen and San Pi were about to leave, they also said hello to Si Tu Jue and bid farewell. Si Tu Jue looked over at their table, but everyone had already dispersed.

  She turned back, said "goodbye" to them, and just saw San Pi poking Xiao Gen with his hand. Xiao Gen reacted slowly, and let out a cry of pain. Si Tu Jue understood the meaning of San Pi's action, he saw someone.

  Tan Shaocheng also attended the wedding banquet. Tan Shaocheng was getting up from her seat and walking towards the main entrance of the banquet hall, while the bride who had just sent off the bridesmaid was returning alone in that direction. Wu Jiang was still being dragged by a group of colleagues to drink, and Si Tuyue quickly walked over in their direction.

  "Ruan Ruan." She called out to the bride from afar.

  Ruan Ruan turned her head with a smile and walked towards Sito Ke's direction.

  Situ Xuan also stepped forward, pulling Ruan Ruan, and with an unbiased body, she separated Tan Shaocheng who had already approached.

  "Situ, I thought you had something urgent and left early." Ruan Ruan said, holding up the hem of her dress.

  "I'm not in a hurry, I came all the way back for your wedding, how can I leave early?" Situ Xuan pointed towards Wujiang's direction, "I just saw the groom looking for you, go quickly." Ruan Ruan was taken aback, looked behind Situ Xuan and saw Tan Shaocheng standing there with a smile. She also gave him a polite smile, then walked gently towards her new husband.

  "You don't have to be so tense, I just wanted to congratulate the bride in person." Tan Shaocheng saw Ruan Ruan off and said softly to Situ Xue. "Your 'blessings' are enough for Wu Jiang, who can afford such a heavy gift twice?" Situ Xue didn't think so.

  "I showed those things to Wu Jiang, not to ruin anyone's happiness. He has the right to know before marriage."

  "Who do you think you are, when did it become your turn to grant him rights?"

  "Situ Xuan, I don't want to quarrel with you. We've been arguing for so many years, it's enough already. Besides, there's no need for that now." Tan Shaochen turned her head and beckoned with her hand. After a while, a man walked out of the crowd and stood beside her.

  "Just in time for me to introduce you, this is my fiancé Fu Zhi Shi." She took the man's hand, "Zhi Shi, this is my university classmate, Sutu."

  The man was quite tall, with a forty-year-old appearance, slightly chubby, and occasionally wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief in the comfortably warm hall. His looks were not outstanding, even somewhat mediocre, but his demeanor was very proper, after hearing Tan Shaocity's introduction, he nodded slightly to Sutu Xuan, with a kind of arrogance and pride that only comes from being in a high position for many years. Thinking back to the scene where several people surrounded him at the center of conversation earlier, Sutu Xuan had no doubt that Tan Shaocity had finally found her "good man".

  "Mr. Fu really has an eye for it, you two look very compatible." Situ Xuan said with flattery. Tan Shaocheng pretended not to understand the implication in her words and smiled lightly: "We're all colleagues, can't avoid interacting with each other. Situ, have I ever told you that at the time he was..."

  "Is Mr. Fu the descendant of Fu Xuecheng's generation? And who is the CEO?" asked Situ Xin, taking over the conversation.

  Tan Shaocheng raised an eyebrow, with a hint of surprise, "I don't even remember saying that. Or... do you know each other?"

  Fu Zhi looked at Situ Xuan for a while, his eyes still confused. Situ Xuan smiled and explained, "Of course, Mr. Fu doesn't know me. However, the Fu family's reputation is well-known, and Jing Shu also told me about their generation naming convention: Xue, Chong, Jing, Zhi, Yi - I didn't get it wrong, did I?"

  As soon as these words came out, even Fu Zhi's face changed color, the sweat beads on his head became denser, and his eyes looking at Sutu Xuan also added a few more cautious.

  "It turns out that Miss Sito knows my seventh uncle."

  "Just an ordinary friend, but over the years abroad, I have to thank him for taking care of me everywhere. Before returning home, I had dinner with him once, and he mentioned that one of his capable nephews had just taken over, and this conference might be a chance encounter. I was thinking of finding an opportunity to visit him, didn't expect to meet him here, it's really a coincidence."

  "Besides, as a friend of Seventh Uncle, I should treat you well. Miss Situ, how many days have you been back in the country? And you too, Shaosheng, it's rare that you're old classmates, yet neither of you reminded me." Fu Zhi Shi said to the little woman beside him with a hint of dissatisfaction. Tan Shaosheng was still smiling, but his smile had become rather forced.

  Chapter 40: Is There True Perfection in This World? (Part 2)

  Situ Xin secretly sneered in her heart, no wonder Tan Shaocheng wanted to take this dumb loss. She was eager to show off her ideal husband, but she didn't expect this would happen. To say the least, Tan Shaocheng is admirable. With her humble background and young age, she managed to enter and climb to a middle-level position in the company. It's unbelievable that she didn't put in great effort. Moreover, she even gained Fu Zhi's favor, which means she must have something special about her. Once she marries into the Fu family, Tan Shaocheng's life will be completely rewritten. She will no longer be the poor Cinderella who has to work harder than others. Such good fortune is worth showing off and would be forgiven by anyone. However, Tan Shaocheng may not fully understand that the Fu family has a deep foundation and complex relationships, with intense power struggles that ordinary families can't imagine. The one in charge now is none other than Fu Jinglin of the fourth house.

  This made Fu Zhishi even more wary of Si Tu Jue.

  If Tan Shaochen knew how Sito Yan met Fu Jing Shu, he probably wouldn't feel so lost. Before going to the United States, Sito Yan was stranded in a transit country for three weeks and was on the verge of despair when Zou Jin's promised person appeared. However, that person didn't care about Professor Zou's account at all, only knowing that Mr. Fu had made arrangements. After arriving in the United States, Sito Yan followed the previous arrangement and "married" an old man who ran a laundry shop in a local Chinese gathering area in Los Angeles. She lived with the old man, who was introverted and moody, for two years, always on edge, fearing not only that the immigration authorities would discover her secret but also that the old man would suddenly turn against her after taking the money and expose her.

  However, none of these things happened, and no one came to bother her. The old man remained cold, but they lived in peace under the same roof for two years. It was during that time that Situ Xuan met her English tutor Lindsay Wu and became close friends with her. After Lindsay and Lin Jing got together, the old man even accepted Lin Jing as a tenant of their house at Situ Xuan's suggestion, and even after Situ Xuan obtained her green card two years later, she continued to live in that house for a long time until she graduated. Her experience was much smoother than most people who "went black" not because of luck, but because of "Mr. Fu". Even the old man selling dry goods was an old servant of the Fu family and would only buy accounts from Fu Jingxu. Situ Xuan later realized that Mrs. Zou's surname was also Fu, and like Fu Jingxu, she was a descendant of the "Jing" generation of the Fu family.

  No one knows why Mrs. Zou tolerated her husband, who had a notorious reputation in the country, entrusting one of his mistresses to her care. Later, Zou returned to the United States and Ce Tu never saw him again, only hearing that he lived alone and not very well. Ce Tu firmly believed that if it weren't for Mrs. Fu, if the academically-focused Mrs. Fu hadn't let her cousin step in to smooth things over, she wouldn't be where she is today.

  She and Fu Jing Shu's matter is another story, at that time even Lin Jing and Lin Xi thought she would follow Fu Jing Shu, but Si Tu Xuan was very clear in her heart, she was not what Fu Jing Shu wanted, he wouldn't marry a lonely woman who had nothing. He lacked nothing, let alone the company of the opposite sex, helping Si Tu Xuan out was just a gesture of sympathy, at most adding a few more encounters with affection, that's all.

  At this time, someone on the side called out to Fu Zhi, "Director Fu, do you have a moment to spare for a word?"

  Fu Zhi walked away before turning to Si Tu Jue and saying, "Miss Si Tu must grant me the pleasure of having dinner together another day. When you return, please pass on my regards to Seventh Uncle." He then instructed his fiancée, "Take good care of Miss Si Tu, don't be rude again, or people will laugh at us." Fu Zhi walked away, continuing to chat with several colleagues who were looking at him with humble eyes. Si Tu Jue thought to herself that given his status, since he was willing to make the decision to marry Tan Shaocheng and give her the identity of Mrs. Fu, there must be some sincerity in it.

  Tan Shaocheng's face had a hint of despair and coldness, and he smiled bitterly: "Situ Xuan, are you satisfied? No matter how hard I struggle to catch up, as soon as I look up, you're always ahead of me."

  Situ Xuan said: "I'm no longer the flag in front of you, if you think I'm still far ahead of you, it's because I want to go back but can't. Yao Qiyun has nothing to envy now, Qu Xiaowen has become a shadow of her former self, Wu Jiang is only willing to start again with great difficulty, and Zou Jin is now even more discredited. All five are defeated, only you have won. Just let Wu Jiang go and let him live his life in peace."

  "Five defeats, only I have won?" Tan Shaochen repeated Situ Xuan's words, turning her head to look at the newlywed couple's backs, Wu Jiang embracing Ruan Ruan's waist and laughing loudly under the colleagues' kind teasing. On the other side was her fiancé, who finally agreed to leave his ex-wife and give her a name, but she still had to be careful, as there were too many envious eyes under Mrs. Fu's halo. Among those competitors, there were always capable and ambitious ones, some even younger and more beautiful than her. If things didn't go well, everything would be in vain. Her life was one battle after another, not that she didn't know the taste of "love", but "love" was an illusion that couldn't be grasped. So let these hands grasp victory, which was more secure than love.

  She raised her head and said to Situ Xin: "If I win, it's also what I deserve!"

  Xīng suddenly felt that she was also pitiful, busy and bustling, like a fly in the ointment, actually spending her whole life trapped in the shadow of that poor girl who bought vinegar. She had protected the bottle, and the vinegar hadn't spilled, but did the exhaustion from running and the pain from the broken skin really not leave any feeling?

  Situ Xuan accompanied Wu Jiang and Ruan Ruan to see off the last batch of guests, Ruan Ruan's family also returned to the hotel to rest, Wu Jiang's parents were waiting for the driver to come and pick them up.

  Wu Jiang walked to the side to talk to his father, while Ruan Ruan was not around. Si Tu Xue greeted a pair of elders he hadn't seen in years, and there was even a bit of awkwardness. Wu Jiang's dad still didn't say much, and Chen Auntie was as kind as ever. "Your dad has something on, your mom's waist problem is acting up again, they can't come, I told you earlier, didn't expect you'd be back." Chen Auntie patted Si Tu Xue's head, "Little Si Tu has grown up."

  Situ Xuan felt the pair of hands that belonged to "Mom", just hanging down. "Getting more and more beautiful, found a good family yet?" Suddenly her throat choked with sobs, unable to say anything.

  Aunt Chen sighed and said, "When Wu Jiang went to America that time, I thought you two would be together."

  She was talking about the time three years ago when Wu Jiang was sent to study in the United States, and he was in Philadelphia. On the day he arrived, Si Tu Jue rushed overnight on the last flight from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. She thought that if she hadn't caught the last flight, she wouldn't have returned either, but would have stayed at the airport, waiting for the earliest flight the next day. She was so eager to see Wu Jiang, even if it was just to say a few words to him.

  Situ Xuan is a floating duckweed that has lost its roots, and Wu Jiang is the only existence in all her memories that still carries warmth.

  That year in Philadelphia, Si Tu Jie was very close to Wu Jiang. As long as time and money allowed, they would find ways to see each other. Those days together were indeed filled with a simple joy. To use Wu Jiang's analogy, the best of friends are like toilets - people only truly relax on them. You don't have to be with them all the time, but when you're in urgent need, that's the first thing you think of.

  Situ Xuan would never tell anyone that on the eve of Wu Jiang's return to China, he had said to her, "Situ, if we must get married, why not us?"

  "But do you love me, Wu Jiang?" asked Situ Xin stupidly.

  "Love is not a necessary condition for marriage. Even if two people who love each other are together, it doesn't mean they're more suitable for each other than we are." Wu Jiang said solemnly, "In fact, not loving too deeply makes it easier to be happy."

  Situ Xuan thought for a long time, and in the end still refused. Wu Jiang asked her the reason, she said: "Marrying you is easy, but now I don't have anyone else by my side, it's hard to bear that from now on even a friend like you will be gone."

  Wu Jiang nodded with a smile, but gradually, his eyes also became moist. On the eve of bidding farewell to his old friend in a foreign land, he allowed himself to cover his face and cry. Si Tu Xuan didn't know if Wu Jiang had ever wailed alone, but if she still had tears, she would have cried at this moment, taking advantage of having someone who understood her. That summer they had lost something, at least besides themselves, there was another living person who understood everything.

  Now, Situ Xuan feels lucky for Wu Jiang. If he had married her back then, he would have missed Ruan Ruan. Ruan Ruan is a good woman, and maybe she and Wu Jiang will have another kind of happy possibility in their new life.

  "Auntie, you're really joking. How could Wu Jiang be with someone like me?" Si Tu Jue self-deprecatingly replied to Chen Auntie, past events the Wu family couldn't have not heard about.

  Aunt Chen smiled and her daughter-in-law Ruan was busy checking the bill with the hotel staff.

  "At this point, as long as Wu Jiang is willing, we no longer care who he marries." After Wu Jiang's parents were also taken away, the hotel lobby with its lights gradually dimming one by one was left with only Situ Xuan and the newlyweds.

  "I'd better make myself scarce." Situ Xuan stretched and yawned, "I'll take a taxi back by myself. Every moment is precious to me, you two enjoy yourselves slowly. On the day of your departure, don't bother seeing me off either. Newlyweds are nauseating, I won't be able to bear it if I see you two."

  "No rush for now." Ruan Ruan played a magic trick and pulled out several bottles of beer, "The leftover from the wedding banquet, the whole box was returned, just in time there are still three bottles left, if we don't finish them, it would be a waste."

  The waiter reluctantly came over and reminded them, "Sorry, we're already closed."

  "Shall we go somewhere else?" Wu Jiang suggested.

  Ruan Ruan smiled and said: "I know a good place."

  She led Wu Jiang and Situ Ke to the side of the open-air parking lot, where it was dark and there was a flower bed. Ruan Ruan sat on the edge of the flower bed in her formal attire and went to greet the other two people. At the wedding banquet, she didn't even touch a drop of wine, but in front of Wu Jiang and Situ Ke, she skillfully and neatly knocked off the beer bottle cap on the cement railing, one by one handing them the drinks.

  Situ Xuan didn't want to drink at first, but at this moment, he also felt that wine should be a good thing.

  Wu Jiang said, "Just drink like this, without saying anything?"

  "Of course I wish you happiness."

  "By the way, how about you?"

  "I wish we could all be perfect." The wine bottles clinked together, and Situ Xuan had just taken a sip when Ruan Ruan's bottle was already half empty. Ruan Ruan put down the wine, propped her hands on the flower stand, and looked up at the starless sky with a puzzled expression.

  "Situ, you're smarter than me, so tell me, will there ever be true perfection in this world?"

  On such days, Situ Xuan naturally says pleasant things.

  "I think so, you guys are quite perfect, aren't you?"

  Ruan Ruan said softly, "Yes, I'm very fulfilled. But sometimes I feel that one person's fulfillment may be another person's deficiency." Everything is relative, just like how I now also feel suspicious, whether so-called purity is simply determined by the magnification of the lens used to look at it."

  "That's right, so I always say that the most difficult thing in life is to be confused. Let's drink, how can we be confused if we don't drink?" Wu Jiang said, raising his wine bottle. Ruan Ruan and Si Tu Jue also followed with a smile. At this time, Wu Jiang's phone suddenly rang. "Who's ruining the atmosphere again?" Wu Jiang muttered while answering the phone, but after saying a few words, he quickly revealed an extremely shocked expression. He involuntarily glanced at Si Tu Jue, continuing to listen, his face heavy with concern.

  "Who is it?" Wu Jiang hung up the phone, and Situ Jin asked tentatively. Wu Jiang did not answer immediately. In fact, as soon as he looked at her, Situ Jin already knew that something was wrong, and she couldn't get rid of her own involvement. She just couldn't figure out what else could happen, so she held onto a glimmer of hope, wondering if it might just be an old friend asking Wu Jiang to pass on his regards.

  "Speak up." She urged Wu Jiang, still smiling, but stood up herself.

  "It was your parents who called." Wu Jiang said with difficulty, "Yao Qiyun has had an accident."

  "Oh, it's him..." Situ Xuan sat back down beside Ruan Ruan in a daze. Ruan Ruan was unclear about the situation and reached out to steady her by the shoulder. The glass bottle containing beer was still clutched in her hand, and Situ Xuan found that her grip was on the slender neck of the bottle, as if it were a person being choked, unable to cry out, its face twisted in agony, on the verge of death. She jerkily released her hand, tilting her head back to ask: "What's wrong with him?"

  Chapter 41: Reunion with Memories (Final Chapter Part 1)

  Yao Qiyun was critically injured several times in the ambulance on the way to hospital. A domestically-made off-road vehicle, which exceeded the speed limit by more than twice, broke through the isolation belt and directly hit him who was driving normally on the road after leaving Wujiang wedding banquet.

  After the incident, the traffic police department confirmed that the perpetrator was driving under the influence of alcohol. The car did not stop immediately after hitting Yao Qiyun and continued to collide with several small cars behind it. Several people in the cars, including the perpetrator himself, were injured to varying degrees, but Yao Qiyun was the most seriously injured because his car had borne the impact of the perpetrator's vehicle from the side at the first moment, and the collision location happened to be near the driver's seat.

  Yao Qiyun drove according to the rules, except for that one day when Situ Jin left home. He never, ever went against traffic flow, never ran a red light, and always used his turn signals correctly. His seatbelt was always securely fastened. Yet, his faith in the rules couldn't prevent someone who disdained them from bringing down a terrible accident upon him.

  Situ Xuan rushed to the hospital, and Yao Qiyun was still in critical condition. She heard her high heels echoing loudly in the corridor, the red light outside the emergency room door flashing, and there were still bloodstains on the floor that hadn't been cleaned up yet. She suspected she had stepped on them and retreated a few steps, but the fresh smell of blood only grew stronger, this blood's temperature was once also a part of her life.

  The door of the emergency room opened, and a doctor walked towards Situ Ji'an and his wife who were sitting near the entrance, supporting each other. It seemed that they had just received a critical illness notice. Situ Yu stood in a daze, as if there was a shadowless lamp above her head, shining down on her with cold light, but everything below was empty.

  Xue Shaoping saw her, broke free from her husband's support and rushed over, crying and shouting, "He was supposed to go on a business trip today, but he insisted on attending Wu Jiang's wedding. Who did he go for? We were living well as a family, what are you doing back here?"

  She wanted to push and pull Sze-to Yuen, but before her hands even touched him, she lost her balance and fell forward. Sze-to Yuen quickly reached out to support her, standing there and letting her hit him, afraid that if he let go, she would fall to the ground again. Her mother was getting older, her body weaker by the day, and her strength had also waned, so even though she hated him with all her might, hitting him didn't hurt at all, it only made Sze-to Yuen's body sway slightly.

  "Why did you come back? We thought you were dead. Why did you come back..." Xue Shaoping couldn't say anything else.

  "You're going to ruin your health like this." Si Tu Jiu An took his wife from his daughter and persuaded her in a melancholy tone, "Qiyun will definitely be able to get through this, we'll spare no expense to bring him back."

  He looked at his daughter after finishing speaking. Sutu Jin was used to his violent temper and instinctively shrunk back. However, Sutu Jiuan did not raise his hand, "Qiyun is the only hope for me and your mom."

  Situ Xuan closed his eyes and tears fell down.

  "Was I wrong to come back?"

  She sat outside the ICU for most of the night, while Sutu Jiu'an and Xue Shaoping were still negotiating with the doctor in charge. Many people walked back and forth around her, she didn't know why she was staying here, like an irrelevant person.

  When it was almost daylight, Wu Jiang and Ruan Ruan also rushed to the hospital. Ruan Ruan had changed out of her cumbersome formal attire, and hadn't even had time to undo her coiled hair.

  "How is he?" They asked around Situ Xuan about Yao Qiyun's situation.

  Situ Xuan shook his head and pushed them outwards.

  "What brings you people to a place like this on your special day?"

  Wu Jiang said: "I went back and thought about it, but I still wasn't at ease. Since he was sent to our hospital, I came over to take a look."

  "He is him, you are you. We're all tired after a day's work, Wu Jiang, how can you still bear to drag her over? Go back, you're on vacation now, this has nothing to do with you guys."

  Ruan Ruan said: "We are worried about you."

  "Me?" Situ Xuan smiled wryly, "Actually, it doesn't have much to do with me either."

  She drove the Wujiang couple out of the hospital and got into a taxi in front of them. Outside, there were scattered small rains, which had been gloomy all day, this rain should have come long ago.

  Situ Xuan had originally planned to return to the hotel, but the taxi drove for a very long distance, and she felt dizzy and sensed that something was off.

  "Master, where are you going? Is this direction wrong?"

  "Don't worry, I won't take you on a detour!" The driver said with a smile. As he spoke, the driver had already stopped the car by the side of a main road, "Didn't you say you wanted to go to Zhongshan North Road?"

  "What?" Situ Jin was taken aback for a moment and refused to get out of the car, staring blankly at the window. When she left, there wasn't even this road, and the surrounding buildings were all completely unfamiliar. How could the name "Zhongshan North Road" possibly come from her mouth?

  It was mentioned by someone who had a overnight whitening of their parents or appeared at the hospital traffic police?

  The driver, with a puzzled expression, drove forward. Before long, she saw the skewed and broken guardrail, scattered shards of glass, and possibly even bloodstains, which had been washed away by the rain. If it weren't for these things, it would have been hard to tell that anything had happened here just a few hours ago, as everything had already returned to normal.

  "See that? A chain car accident! It almost cost lives, I heard the guy who drank and drove was in a hurry, originally stepped on the brake but accidentally pressed the accelerator instead. The ones who got hit were also badly hurt, if they weren't driving a good car, they probably would have died on the spot... don't know how many years the one who caused the accident will be sentenced to..."

  It was as if Situ Xuan saw the out-of-control off-road vehicle rushing towards him in a frenzy, and in the flash of lightning, the approaching headlights made it impossible for anyone to see anything. What was he thinking at that moment? Why did he come here? Even though the ever-changing city had blurred Situ Xuan's sense of direction, she could still judge that this road was not the route Yao Qiyun should have taken when returning from Wujiang after attending a wedding banquet at the hotel to Situ's home. His own residence was said to be near the company, and Jiu'an Hall's office location was even more divergent from this route.

  Did he come all this way just to buy medicine for her mother?

  The taxi continued to move forward, and the sky had already brightened up completely. Although the sky was still gray due to the dark clouds and rain, the veil of night was gradually lifted. As they passed by a construction site for a high-rise building, Sutu suddenly saw a steep alleyway with stairs, and memories came flooding back, pouncing on him like a car that had accidentally stepped on the accelerator, enough to swallow him whole in an instant.

  "I'm holding your hand and walking... Don't sneak a peek..."

  "Slow down, don't make trouble."

  "Why did you give this to me?"

  "Why don't we start all over again..."

  Someone is giggling, she can hear them, they are holding hands and running quickly in this small alley, some with their eyes closed, some with their eyes open, seeing the colors of being in love.

  Situ Xuan leaned his head against the back of the driver's seat and asked, "Master, is there a square ahead?"

  "Right, we call it Bell Tower Square, because there is a big bell on that square..."

  Behind the big clock is a small shop called "The Back of Time".

  There were people waiting for each other in the small shop.

  "Stop, stop! Don't go any further." Situ Jin slapped the front seat, flustered, and told the driver to turn around immediately and head in the direction of her hotel.

  Where is he going?

  Why did he go?

  She was afraid to go further forward, and the answer would float to the surface.

  Xīnguān locked the hotel room door, rummaging through her medicine like a trapped beast, not even sparing the trash can. She regretted not bringing the medicine with her luggage, now without a prescription, and couldn't go to Wu Jiang again, as he had reluctantly helped her once before and wouldn't do it a second time.

  Certain that he couldn't get any help from the medicine, Situ Xing had no choice but to let the waiter bring him a bottle of wine. Thankful for his usual tolerance for liquor, he drank less than a third and threw up once, then slept very well.

  When she woke up, she didn't know how long the doorbell had been ringing. Xīu Yuè went to open the door with a heavy head and light feet. On the other end, a servant hurried over with a key in hand, and only left after seeing that she was safe and sound. At the doorway, Xue Shaoping's unease and worry dissipated the moment she saw Xiu Yue, replaced by her familiar disappointment and disapproval, but she was much calmer and more restrained than when she had heard about Yao Qiyun's accident yesterday.

  The smell of wine on Situ Xin's body should not have completely dissipated yet, but she felt that at this time neither she nor the other person would care.

  "Mom, do you want to come in and sit down?" Si Tu Jue asked hesitantly.

  "No, I came because I thought there were some things that should be brought over for you." Xue Shaoping handed a bag to Sutu Xin.

  Situ Xuan took it over and shook it hard. The first thing that fell out of the bag was a bunch of keys.

  "The key is to his place, to be honest, your father and I have never been to the house he bought later, he didn't mention it, we respect his private space. This morning I went to get some daily necessities for him, only to find out that he had a reason for not wanting us to go... You'd better take a look when you have time."

  Situ Xuan put the key back and returned the entire bag to her mother.

  "I'm not going, I have a seminar to attend tomorrow and there's still a lot of preparation to do tonight. My ticket is already booked and I'll be back the day after tomorrow. In the future...I may not come back again, you can rest assured." She said with her head down, but every word was spoken clearly.

  "You're leaving at this time? Xi Yun is still in the hospital and hasn't even passed the critical period!" Xue Shaoping was incredulous, and she, who had always been well-behaved, couldn't help but raise her voice.

  Situ Xuan took a deep breath, at this moment she didn't want to cry, crying was pointless, so she had to speak very slowly.

  "Mom, I can only say that it's very regrettable, yes, regrettable. I didn't want this to happen either, but if you insist on me taking responsibility for his accident, I won't agree."

  "How dare you say he wasn't waiting for you all along? If it weren't for you, would he be lying in the hospital?"

  "I've also waited for him, you don't understand what's going on between us. If I couldn't wait for him and something unexpected happened to me, would you let him be buried with me just because he didn't want to be with me?"

  "I didn't let you bury him with me."

  "I know, at this moment I should be in the hospital crying for him, that's what people do, past things are no longer important, he's dead and I'll mourn for him, if he were disabled I'd take care of him for the rest of his life, it's touching, great, but why do I have to be so great? I don't want others to be moved by me, now I have my own life. Every day there are so many people lying in hospitals because of car accidents, what can I do? Yao Qiyun and I completely ended things seven years ago, I don't want to discuss who was right or wrong anymore, but for me he's no different from a stranger. You can say I owe you, owe Dad, because I'm unfilial, but I don't owe Yao Qiyun anything!"

  Xue Shaoping tightly grasped the shoulder strap of her backpack, took a deep breath and said, "Who did you learn to be so ruthless from?"

  Situ Xin did not speak, perhaps she had simply learned self-preservation.

  The seminar ended smoothly. Sito Man Yee, on behalf of her employer, presented a brief industry report, which was highly praised by most participating companies under the leadership of Fu Zhi Shi. After the meeting, Fu Zhi Shi and Tam Siu Shing came forward to persuade her to stay for a few more days, but Sito Man Yee finally decided to return the next day according to the original plan.

  That day, she went to the hospital again to visit Yao Qiyun. Although the hospital did everything possible to rescue him at the request of the Situ family, he still showed no signs of improvement. Xue Shaoping also stopped talking to Situ Yue, and when Situ Yue sat down, she even politely poured a cup of tea for him.

  Situ Xuan took a sip and said that it's not bitter or sour, but what's even more unbearable is the feeling of powerlessness. They say blood is thicker than water, yet they always push each other to a dead end.

  Xue Shaoping's waist couldn't stand for long, and sitting down could only be slightly hunched over to feel better. She was the same as Situ Jiuan, from now on she would only get older and older.

  This feeling of sadness made Situ Xin no longer able to pretend not to see, she tried to put aside all the unpleasantness, she said she had to go back and deal with things on that side, but if they were willing, she could come back, take over the burden that should have belonged to her from Yao Qiyun's body, accompany them, take care of them, and even they could go abroad together, whatever it was, as long as the two elders were willing to forget the past, say a word "You are still our daughter". Instead of "Marrying Yao Qiyun is already your best choice".

  Xue Shaoping said calmly: "I have only one son. You have your own life."

  Chapter 41: Reunion with Memories (Final Chapter Part 2)

  Before rushing to the airport, Si Tu Jue still went to Yao Qi Yun's residence and let her make this decision. The wallet that Yao Qi Yun carried with him when he was in trouble was what made her do it. Xue Shao Ping insisted on not taking back the things she had given to Si Tu Jue, and the wallet was among a pile of scattered objects, with the cash and cards neatly arranged inside, just like Yao Qi Yun's usual style.

  There was nothing unusual about it. Even Situ Xuan thought that there might be one or two old photos inside, but in fact, there were none. When Situ Xuan was puzzled by the intention of the money clip for her mother, she found a few long hairs on the inner layer of the money clip, and several hairs were neatly tied together into a small bundle, obviously they appeared there not by chance. Later, Situ Xuan picked them up and compared them with the silk she had pulled from her own head at that time, and found that they were identical in both length and curl.

  That was the only thing left on him after she slipped out of the bathroom.

  If saying that this was just shocking to Si Tu Xing, then when she used the key to open Yao Qi Yun's residence, she had already completely lost her ability to think.

  She now understood why, seven years later, when she returned to her old home, every arrangement and decoration in the house was no longer what she remembered. Yao Qiyun had almost moved all of the original furnishings from the Situ family's old home to their "new" residence, especially the bedroom on the second floor that belonged to Situ Xuan, and the room on the first floor where she used to live, which later belonged to Yao Qiyun. It was as if they had been perfectly transplanted here. Even if she had carefully recalled them in her memory, it was impossible for them to match up so seamlessly with what was in front of her. Situ Xuan almost didn't dare believe her eyes, as if space had turned upside down and returned to the past. Some small objects, the photo frame on her desk, the alarm clock on her bed, the old faded teddy bear, she had almost forgotten that she had these things, but now they jumped out one by one from the tomb of memories, quietly squatting in their original positions, staring at the person who had returned from another space.

  Soon, Situ Xin found the telegraphic transfer slips she had sent to her parents over the years in the drawer of her desk, the deposit slips she had mailed later, the mysterious pills Wu Jiang had given her after returning home that had gone missing, and even the business card of a sex worker that she had playfully slipped into Yao Qiyun's pocket... Everything he could get related to her was quietly collected and preserved in this memory-filled house.

  "I'm afraid my memories are like sand in an hourglass, getting less and less, until one day they'll be blurry. Ah Yue, it's been seven years, I really can't remember what you look like when you smile, the sound of your voice... Because I was too weak, afraid of pain, didn't dare to think about it all the time, but I also don't want to forget. So you left, and I'm still living in memories."

  This was a text message he had edited but not sent, stored in the draft box of his phone, dated the day before she returned to her country. She rummaged through his phone and couldn't find her phone number anywhere. Maybe this was like those notes in the black boxes in "The Time Traveler's Wife", just a dream at that moment, packed up but destined to have nowhere to send.

  Situ Xuan sat at his desk, looking around the room. Yao Qiyun's room was actually a single-person room, and he had originally locked himself in it tightly. Suddenly, someone squeezed in, and he dodged, avoided, and slowly got used to it. Finally, while complaining about the cramped space, he busied himself adding furniture. One day, this person could no longer bear it and returned the space to him. The cozy nest for two people had become empty and desolate. He tried to find a new roommate, only to realize that every piece of furniture in the house was tailored to that person's size, and he had lost the heart to replace them again.

  Situ Xuan harbored resentment towards Yao Qiyun, and how could one easily say "forget". The word "forget" is originally a combination of "die" and "heart", which means that one has to kill a part of their heart. She couldn't forget because the past pain was still piercing her heart. Situ Xuan repeatedly fantasized about Yao Qiyun's regretful appearance, imagining him trapped in memories and unable to extricate himself. However, precisely because she had rehearsed this scene too many times in her mind, when reality finally arrived, after the initial pleasure passed, she felt that she hadn't gained as much satisfaction as she thought, his pain didn't make her feel better. In her fantasies, Yao Qiyun's remorse had long been comforted by the passage of time, which was enough for Situ Xuan, and the real Yao Qiyun became less important. She would rather he lived well, slowly growing old in a space completely disconnected from hers.

  Situ Xuan arrived at the airport, with a long time to go before her flight took off. Lin Jing had an unexpected meeting but promised to rush over and see her off. They agreed to meet at the airport restaurant and have dinner together along the way.

  Situ Xuan waited, and in the process of waiting, he repeatedly looked at his watch. The light in the restaurant was not very bright, with black decorative lines and dim blue lights.

  Time passed minute by minute, and her hope gradually faded. Just on the eve of despair, the person she was waiting for suddenly appeared with a black umbrella in the rain.

  He stood opposite, dusty and disheveled, as if he had traveled a long distance.

  "Am I too late? Ah Yue."

  Situ Xuan happily stretched out his hand, and Mrs. Yao's bracelet was still spinning around her wrist.

  The distant bell rang out, and this day had announced its end. The time that belonged to them had just begun.

  Lin Jing said that when she woke up Situ Xuan, there were tears on her cheeks.

  "Had a nightmare?"

  Situ Xuan shook his head.

  Two people simply finished their meal, Wu Jiang still came. Ran too quickly, one breath almost couldn't catch up.

  "Just made it..."

  "Didn't I tell you not to send it, how did you come again? Looking at your sweaty face, those who don't know would think something's happened." Si Tu Jue's tone was very relaxed, but she stood up involuntarily. Wu Jiang's brief silence froze her smile on her face, making her look a bit helpless. Perhaps from the moment Wu Jiang appeared, she had already had some kind of premonition, hoping for his denial to dispel the unease in her heart.

  Wu Jiang put his hand on Sutu's shoulder, "The situation over there isn't too good, the injury is too severe, especially the head trauma. My colleagues have done their best, we thought there would be a turning point, this afternoon for a moment everyone thought he showed signs of waking up, but... just like your mom said, it seems like he's willing to let himself drift away. When she found me and asked if there was still hope, I couldn't bear to suggest that she prepare for the worst, but in reality we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate..."

  Xīng Tuò was stunned, muttered a "thank you", and didn't react anymore.

  Wu Jiang was somewhat worried and turned to stroke her arm, "Listen to me, Sutu Xue, if you're sad, just cry it out, don't hold back."

  "It's nothing." Situ Xin turned around and hastily went to look for her luggage, "I have to go."

  "Are you really going to leave?"

  "Uh, I have to go now. You hear, the broadcast is already urging us." She hastily picked up the coat hanging on the back of the chair, and when she relaxed her hand, the coat fell to the ground. She bent down to pick it up, but after crouching down for a while, she didn't get up for a long time.

  Lin Jing sighed and picked up Si Tu Jue's suitcase for her.

  Situ Xuan looked at Lin Jing, tilting his head back like a child, gazing up at him with wide eyes. "I forgot to tell you, actually before you came, I had a really good dream, it felt so real, even more real than now."

  Lin Jing and Wu Jiang exchanged a glance, following her words, asked: "Is it about yourself?"

  "Wait, it's about someone else," Si Tu Jue thought for a moment. "But I'm happy for the people in my dreams, at least they're happy..."