Lin Wan stared at the date, lost in thought. A month—just thirty days—and so much had happened. What was Chen Jin's state of mind when he made all these arrangements a month ago? She then wondered, with how busy he had been, how did he even find the time to organize all of this?
She looked around at the spotless walls and new floor tiles. The table surface had no dust, and the sheets, which she had just touched, felt perfectly dry. Clearly, someone had been looking after the place. Lin Wan sat down at the desk chair, leaning her arms on the table, and closed her eyes. She had to admit it—she was shocked. This person was always capable of doing things far beyond her imagination.
Tears began to fall.
This time, it wasn't all sadness. There was a mixture of emotion and happiness.
Lin Wan's father had to return to work, and Lin Wan's routine continued unchanged: vomiting, walking, walking the dog, drinking porridge, eating oil-free dishes, and having fruit salad mixed with yogurt after meals while watching Korean dramas that made her laugh without any effort. The one thing that made her happy was that she was finally eating more than she was throwing up. Every night, before bed, she read a few pages of What Every New Mom Should Know. She didn't have a mother to share advice with, so she had to learn everything on her own.
During this time, Wang's mother called to tell her that Chen Zui had come to their house to apologize. He had also gone to Wang Xiao's grave and cried there. Finally, she sighed, saying, "Life is a cruel joke." A few days later, Tan Xizhe called to tell her that Chen Zui had been sentenced. The process was difficult—years of evidence from the car accident had been destroyed, and there were so many people involved. The first to be affected was his dear older brother. The family was in an uproar; his mother cried every day. With two sons—one in this situation, the other in that—no one could take it. The entire family opposed it because this was not just his personal matter but also something that would tarnish their reputation. But Chen Zui, as if possessed, caused a scene, shaved his head, went on a hunger strike, and finally managed to get himself sent to prison. He was sentenced to seven years after a series of struggles.
Tan Xizhe sighed, "His older brother did everything to protect him back then, and now he's gone to all this trouble for redemption, taking all the blame onto himself for his brother. But honestly, he has a bit of backbone. No wonder he's his brother's sibling."
Lin Wan said nothing. If this outcome had happened two years ago, she might have felt some sense of comfort amidst the grief, but now, after everything she had been through, she felt nothing. At first, she thought this was numbness, but later, she realized it was the peace that came after understanding. What was lost, was lost forever. For what was lost, there were only two attitudes: remembering or forgetting. Neither could stop the progress of life, because life was short, too short to be filled with too many grievances.
The calmness signaled that she had truly moved on. She thought, perhaps, this was what Wang Xiao would want to see.
A week later, Lin Wan's father sent his secretary to pick her up. They had discussed it before; she would go back to W City with her father. Raising the child alone had too many practical difficulties, and there was no need for her to let the child suffer just to uphold something. At the airport, there were many people seeing her off: Milan, Sisi, as well as Fang Zheng and Tan Xizhe. Sisi and Milan hugged her, unwilling to part, and the three women embraced each other, shedding tears.
Milan said, "Wanwan, you must come back for my son's full moon celebration."
Lin Wan replied, "Mm, whether I make it or not, the red envelope will definitely be there."
Sisi sniffled, "Wanwan, I thought we'd always be together."
Fang Zheng and Tan Xizhe stood aside, speechless. Women were truly incomprehensible. It wasn't like they were parting forever, why all the crying and hugging?
In fact, the three women's hug was just a disguise. Milan, glancing at the two handsome men nearby, raised her eyebrows and asked, "Wanwan, who are these two? When did you start meeting so many fine men?"
Sisi's eyes brightened, and she offered advice, "Wanwan, you should consider them. I think the one in the pink shirt is quite nice. Then you could marry back home."
Milan interrupted, "What kind of look is that? He looks like a guy. They might even be a couple."
Lin Wan: "..."
Once the hugging and crying was over, Tan Xizhe spread his arms out dramatically and said, "Wanwan, I want a hug."
The bustling airport terminal became a stage for them. With their dramatic display, they caught the attention of many. Lin Wan almost felt the flash of cameras directed at them. She smiled helplessly and extended her right hand, to which Tan Xizhe jokingly complained, "This is unfair treatment. I didn't sign up for this."
Lin Wan rolled her eyes and said, "I don't want to end up in the entertainment section."
When their hands clasped, Tan Xizhe suddenly leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "What do you think, if we end up in the entertainment section, will that guy get so mad that he'll jump out of bed?" He looked at Lin Wan, satisfied to see her smile freeze at the edge of her lips.
When she shook hands with Fang Zheng, he smiled and said, "Wanwan, don't make it seem like we'll never meet again. I have a feeling that we'll definitely meet again in the near future."
Tan Xizhe also smiled, and Lin Wan replied, "Let's hope so."
Fang Zheng's smile faded as he added, "But I must say a word of caution. He's currently undergoing stem cell transplant surgery. The success rate isn't high, and he's under a lot of pressure. Don't blame him, because we can't even see him now."
Lin Wan responded calmly, "I understand."
She understood, of course. A man as proud as him couldn't bear others to see his vulnerability.
And especially not from the woman he loved.
Since he chose to fight alone, she didn't need to be a spectator.
Life, this battlefield, where everyone has their own battles to fight.
She was no different.