After the leader's speech, the twenty outstanding young people went up one by one to receive their awards, give speeches, and express their loyalty and confidence. They ended by standing in a row for a photo with the leaders.
By coincidence, it was Minister Zhang who handed him the award. When he handed him the trophy and certificate, he said, "Not bad, not bad. Keep up the good work." He spoke with the tone of a caring elder, forgetting that it was he who had pushed him into a pit before, just to satisfy his daughter's unreasonable demands.
Chen Jin sneered in his heart. A man like him wanted to be his father-in-law? Not even close.
But on the surface, he nodded sincerely and shook his hand firmly.
The award ceremony ended, and the banquet began. It was held upstairs at the Xitu Lanya restaurant, a buffet-style setup that allowed guests to roam freely and mingle. Not even two minutes into the event, a line of elegantly dressed women appeared out of nowhere. Upon closer inspection, their faces were all familiar, most of them being TV personalities seen almost every day.
The women walked through the crowd, graceful and poised. Chen Jin was in the middle of a business conversation with two colleagues when, in the blink of an eye, several flirtatious glances were sent his way. He smiled knowingly. Today seemed to be a good opportunity. The men here were all polished, wearing their diamonds proudly. In today's world, women don't care if you were a "Wang Lao Wu" or a "Wang Lao Liu"—to them, there were only targets and non-targets.
After chatting for a while and having a couple of drinks, Chen Jin's enthusiasm waned. He observed the women in low-cut, backless evening dresses, fluttering around like butterflies, gathering attention from the men. It made him naturally think of that white figure from earlier today—fresh, pure, like a lily blooming in the morning light. The grand banquet hall was filled with the scent of fine clothing, and the air was filled with the crisp laughter of women and the deep murmurs of the men in response. Suddenly, he felt stifled. He set his drink down and decided to step out to the terrace for some fresh air.
Lin Wan was packing her things, holding something that didn't belong to her, lost in thought, when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen—an all-too-familiar number. She didn't pick up, but the calls kept coming, unyielding and persistent. She knew the wisest thing to do was to turn off her phone, yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. What surprised her even more was that, after several rings, she found herself answering the call almost involuntarily.
The voice on the other end was slightly hoarse. "Wanwan."
"Is there something you need?"
"You look beautiful today."
"..."
"I heard you quit your job?"
She froze. There was nothing she could hide from him. Thinking about her sycophantic boss, she quickly understood. Calmly, she replied, "Yes."
"Why? Are you leaving B City?"
Lin Wan hesitated for a moment, then answered truthfully, "Yes."
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a quiet, thoughtful question, "Is it because of me?"
"No."
"Wanwan, you need to know that if I want to find you, I can find you wherever you go. There's no need to leave the place you're used to because of this."
She sat there for a while, stunned, and then calmly replied, "Where I go is my choice."
Chen Jin ended the call and, out of habit, pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Just as he lit one and took a few puffs, he heard the sound of high heels clicking on the floor behind him. Then came a voice, unfamiliar but sharp, "I was wondering where you'd gone, seems like you're here smoking your frustrations away."
He turned around expressionlessly, surprised to see a woman in a red fishtail dress. It was Zhang Yunyi. Perhaps due to the dim lighting on the terrace, she didn't seem as brash and arrogant as she usually did.
"Congratulations," she said.
"Thanks."
"I heard you broke up with Miss Lin?"
Chen Jin snorted, "And how does that concern you?"
Zhang Yunyi walked over to the railing, facing the cool evening breeze, her voice cutting through the night. "Chen Jin, I think I've fallen in love with you."
Chen Jin was taking a drag when the words hit him. He almost choked, coughing a few times before hearing her continue. "You're a real man."
He rolled his eyes. "I know that better than anyone."
Zhang Yunyi slowly turned around, her tone serious. "From now on, I'm going to officially pursue you. No one's help, just me."
Chen Jin didn't react much. He merely smiled and replied, "Funny, I'm also planning to officially pursue someone, starting right now."
Zhang Yunyi froze, her curiosity piqued. "Who is it?" Seeing him smile while casually smoking without answering, a different aura surrounding him, she felt a jolt in her heart. Then she asked, "It's not still Lin Wan, is it?"
Chen Jin leaned against the railing, lazily exhaling a puff of smoke. "Why not?"
"What's so special about her? What makes her worth this?"
Chen Jin thought for a moment before answering seriously, "She's not perfect."
Her qualities aren't many, and her flaws are plenty, but they added up to the right conditions for me to love her. But he didn't say that part out loud.
Zhang Yunyi couldn't help but scoff at the softness on his face, a cold laugh escaping her. "Don't forget the gap between you two. That might not be a big deal for you, but don't forget, Lin Wan isn't like you. Chen Jin, you and I are cut from the same cloth, we're both the type to take what we want. You've done so much for her, but you've gotten nothing in return. Can you really keep balance in your heart?"
Chen Jin narrowed his eyes, tossing the nearly finished cigarette into a nearby flowerpot. "So, you still don't get it."
You don't understand love, nor how to play a long game. Damn it, I don't have time to argue with you.
Lin Wan couldn't sleep.
She had sent Ni Ni to Xiao Xie's place to help take care of things. The sudden quietness was a bit unsettling. There was a suitcase by the bed, and as she packed her things, her heart ached. She came to this city at nineteen—starting from being a stranger to becoming familiar with everything, from having nothing to gaining friendship, love, and something almost like family. She had come to consider this place her home. Leaving it behind was truly difficult.
But then she placed her hand on her abdomen. Sometimes, to gain something, you must let go.
She needed to find a place where no one knew her, to start a brand-new life—one without guilt or compromise, where she could breathe freely and live the life she wanted. She had to learn to be strong and not allow herself to fall ill, because she was now a mother. Pregnancy truly was a miracle. Just days ago, she had been full of doubts, not knowing what to do. In the blink of an eye, she had fallen deeply in love with this little life, with the feeling of becoming a mother. She couldn't find a single moment of sleep.
Caught between feelings of loss and hope, Lin Wan tossed and turned. She reached over to the nightstand, picked up a lighter, and flicked it on. The flame illuminated her face for a moment. The silver Zippo was unmistakably Chen Jin's. She realized he must have left it the last time he came to rummage through her things. The thought of him made her sigh. Bitter, sweet, sour, salty... it was a mixed bag of emotions, too complicated to untangle.
The banquet hall was still as lively as ever, but Chen Jin couldn't stay for a moment longer. After exchanging a few pleasantries with some acquaintances, he decided to leave. On the way out, while waiting for the red light, he received a call from home. Mrs. Yuan said, "Your dad is back. You should come home and rest. You've been working so hard lately. I'll make you something nice to eat."
Chen Jin smiled and replied, "It's too late today. I'll come tomorrow."
"Sigh, you haven't been home for two months. You still haven't married. Have you forgotten about your parents?"
"Well, I'll come home every day to accompany you from now on."
"That would be nice," Mrs. Yuan hesitated, then asked, "I heard you broke up with that girl?"
"Yeah, we did."
There was a brief silence on the other end, then a concerned question, "Are you sad?"
Chen Jin exaggerated, sniffing dramatically. "Yeah, my son just had his first heartbreak. I'm devastated."
"Why don't I go talk to her..."
Chen Jin immediately laughed, thinking to himself: If Lin Wan could be so easily persuaded, I wouldn't have so much trouble. Rubbing his temples, he said, "Mom, please don't. This is my business, and I'll handle it myself."
"How will you handle it? She's gone."
"I'll pursue her," he said with a smile. "As long as she's on this Earth, no matter where she goes..."
Suddenly, a loud crash interrupted his words. He looked in the rearview mirror and his pupils shrank. A large truck came charging toward him like a mad bull, flipping the car behind him in an instant before it barreled toward him. He didn't have time to check if the traffic light had turned green; relying on instinct, he slammed on the gas and jerked the steering wheel. But before he could put his plan into action, he felt a violent jolt.
It was just the beginning. The car tilted, and he felt as though he was rising, like when a little fat kid suddenly plops down on a seesaw, but this was far worse.
The car flipped, and so did he, gripping the steering wheel with all his might—the only thing he could control in that helpless moment. His vision flickered, and his ears were ringing. He couldn't tell if it was the sound of the crash or the onset of tinnitus. His brain sent a sharp pain, but he couldn't tell from where. Amid the noise, he could hear a high-pitched voice calling out, but before he could identify it, everything went dark, and he fell into complete blackness.