Sichuan? It wasn’t that far.
In the end, she couldn’t bear to leave them. She had been watching from a distance, and had even built her own life?
That was good.
Reunion was like that—happening quietly on an ordinary afternoon, bringing boundless joy and endless tears.
There was another reunion that would have to wait. It would wait until one reached the end of their rope, only for a hidden path to appear, leading to a paradise-like village and the temporary peace and seclusion the reunited needed.
But that was for later. The clock turned back to 1999. November arrived quickly. Aside from working, Su Ye spent every day in a daze. Yue Chengqi stayed by her side, staring into space with her, not even bothering to look for a house anymore.
It lasted until the day that familiar little clinic opened. Everything familiar and strange, real and unreal, returned to where it belonged in Yue Chengqi’s memory.
They stood behind a utility pole at the street corner, watching the shop set off firecrackers. The flames and smoke soared into the sky.
“Are we not going over?” Yue Chengqi asked weakly.
Su Ye coughed twice and shook her head. “No. As long as the money was sent, it’s fine.”
Once the firecrackers finished exploding, before the woman could notice them at the corner, they both turned and walked away side-by-side toward their own shop.
Su Ye suddenly spoke up. “Ah Huan, let’s go travel next year. After the New Year, once things are settled, we’ll go have some fun.”
“Okay,” Yue Chengqi agreed.
Everything was in its place, everything was back to normal. Then, next year would be their final year together.
No more work. No more chasing money. Let them chase the freedom to love each other.
Just this once.
Su Ye: “The house should be finished with renovations next year. I have a place in mind. We can move in after our trip.”
“Okay,” Yue Chengqi replied again.
Su Ye: “When exactly is your mom getting married? Man, how much money should I prepare for the gift?”
Yue Chengqi reached out and ruffled her hair.
Suddenly, Su Ye stepped on a common chunk of ice, crushing it.
She stopped.
Yue Chengqi heard the girl say in a trembling, tearful voice, “Ah Huan, can I cry one last time? After I’m done, I won’t think about her anymore.”
I don’t want to think about her all the time. I don’t want to look up at the moon and think of her, look down and think of her, think of her every two steps I take, or think of her even when I’m standing still.
I don’t want to think of her.
I won’t.
Yue Chengqi turned and pulled her into a gentle hug, letting the girl bury her face in her shoulder as tears flowed freely.
She cried too.
But her throat was so hoarse she couldn’t make a sound.
The breeze swept past, carrying bits of snow as it fled toward the hollows in the south.
In December, near the millennium New Year, Qining’s first payment and the overdue subsidies finally arrived. At the same time, Lin Qining had apparently learned some management tricks; she sent Su Ye a check.
Su Ye asked her coldly what she was doing.
Lin Qining replied, “This is the final step for you to take control of the factory. You be the savior. Take this year’s wages to them.”
After barely half a year apart, Lin Qining’s voice had lost much of its former naivety. Even her Mandarin was much more standard, carrying a faint sense of the weariness that came with being in power. Absurd fate and ruthless time spared no one.
Once business was finished, they stayed on the line, both falling into silence.
After a moment, Lin Qining said, “Forget it,” and was the first to hang up.
Su Ye was speechless for a while.
The next day, the two of them set off for the factory in the provincial capital.
This year, Qining had been in turmoil. Their own goods weren’t selling well, and the new investment couldn’t be easily liquidated, so they hadn’t been doing well themselves.
When Su and Yue arrived, the factory director and deputy director were surrounded by workers demanding their pay.
Some workers on the outskirts recognized Su Ye. Seeing her, they screamed and crowded around. “Boss Su! It’s been a year! Don’t you plan on paying back what’s owed? We can’t even put food on the table!”
The crowd quickly split into two circles, surrounding the four of them.
Su Ye wore a composed smile. She waited until Xie Chunhua had struggled to push her way through before she spoke up leisurely.
“I’m here to bring you money!”
Yue Chengqi smiled warmly, holding up the check with her. They ensured everyone could see it before handing it to Xie Chunhua together, saying in a loud voice, “Wishing you a Happy New Year in advance.”
Yue Chengqi added, “The Group was in turmoil this year, which disrupted everyone’s lives. We are very sorry. The new board has begun to restore normal operations and was very worried about everyone on the front lines, so they asked us to bring the money immediately.”
“We also communicated with the Group as much as possible to avoid paying in installments. All the missing wages from March until now are right here!”
The two of them shouted in unison, “Everyone, Happy New Year!!”
The crowd went silent for a heartbeat, then erupted into an explosion of noise. The wave of sound felt like it was lifting everyone toward the highest mountain peak.
Xie Chunhua gave the two youngsters a powerful hug. No words were spoken, but the silence meant more than a thousand sentences.
After delivering the money, just like the previous year, the two threw themselves back into the busy year-end rush. However, since they had money now, they hired several shop assistants who effectively shared much of the burden, giving them more time to decorate for the New Year and plan for the coming months.
Su Ye planned to flip her “tree diagram” strategy. As she had thought before, she would open a supermarket in every residential cluster, but in a miniature version, thereby consolidating all the shopping needs of An City. Of course, this wasn’t an overnight process, especially since residential areas would shift as development deepened.
Yue Chengqi sat beside her with a cup of tea, watching her draw on the map. She studied it carefully, occasionally pointing at the paper to offer insights from the future. But she was only a management major and a novice one at that; when it came to future planning, she was no match for Su Ye.
After watching for a while, she couldn’t help but ask, “Are we starting the implementation next year?”
Su Ye looked up at her, confusion in her eyes.
Yue Chengqi looked a bit aggrieved. “We’re supposed to go travel next year.”
She still remembered. Su Ye had discussed it with her—once they bought the house and booked the renovation team next year, they would go travel, returning just in time to move in.
Su Ye rubbed her temples, her expression flattening as she said, “Ah Huan, next year is already 2001.”
It was already February. The “next year” they had spoken of for their trip was this year, not the one after.
By next year, Yue Huan wouldn’t be by her side anymore.
Thinking of this, Su Ye lowered her head and continued drawing on the map.
After a long time, much later and slower than usual, a single tear fell. Only one, dripping from Su Ye’s left eye, which always cried faster.
Yue Chengqi slowly leaned in, helping her sit upright. She wanted to wipe the tears, but there was only a single streak. She gently brushed it away, looking at Su Ye with heartache. “It’s okay. Maybe I won’t leave.”
What Yue Chengqi didn’t say was that her head had indeed been a bit slow lately. It was likely because too many things had happened recently; once she finally relaxed, her mind had blanked out, causing her to lose track of the time.
She looked at Su Ye with pity—at this girl who was clearly younger than her but far more mature. She leaned in, gently kissing those soft, red lips, trying to use the warmth of her breath to calm her down and make her happy.
Just a little bit.
She was afraid Su Ye would stay immersed in extreme sorrow. Even if that seemed unlikely, if Su Ye was sad, she would be sad and reluctant to go.
As the saying went, she wouldn’t even be able to die in peace.
They put away the map and added another shovel of coal to the stove before changing into pajamas and returning to the bed. Su Ye rested her head on Yue Chengqi’s lap, clutching her clothes and slowly scooting upward.
“Why hasn’t your mom sent the invitations yet? It’s already February, and your birthday is in November. It’s really coming soon, isn’t it?”
Yue Chengqi played with a strand of Su Ye’s hair, smiling at the comment. “You’re more anxious than my grandmother, CEO Su! Though I never met my grandmother; she passed away when I was two.”
Su Ye pinched the soft flesh near her sternum. “I’m just looking forward to your other name.”
“It’s not particularly beautiful, but it’s alright. It’s not one of those generic names you hear everywhere.”
“Generic names?”
Yue Chengqi bent one leg, pulling Su Ye up with her. She pressed her forehead against Su Ye’s, whispering, “You’ll know in the future. Don’t be in a rush.”
It was a lonely New Year. In the large courtyard, there were only the two of them, watching the fireworks climb higher and higher outside the window. At the moment the largest firework bloomed, they both set off a firework of their own in their minds to welcome the year.
Yue Chengqi felt it was a bit absurd. Like a terminal patient, she was counting down the time, waiting for a “death” that could arrive at any moment. She had gone from being terrified every day to eventually finding a sense of peace.
At least she hadn’t seen Su Ye cry for a long time.
After entering her twenty-second year, the girl seemed to have leaped several age milestones at once. Privately, she could still be petulant, throwing tantrums or acting spoiled, but in business, she had become incredibly steady and poised. In negotiations, she could even suppress the other party’s momentum.
Too much had happened in the past year. Everyone had been forced to grow into the kind of adults they didn’t like.
In April, the wedding Su Ye had been obsessing over finally took place.
Yue Wenfeng didn’t make it a grand affair. She just invited a few tables of acquaintances to gather at a restaurant, so there weren’t many people.
Yue Chengqi never expected to one day attend her own mother’s wedding. She stood before the mirror trying on clothes—from suits to dresses, then casual wear. She tried on every type of clothing she could think of. By the time she reached the last outfit, her palms were soaked with sweat.
She was sweating from sheer nerves.
Su Ye propped her chin in her hand, acting as the judge. Finally, she chose a casual suit that wasn’t particularly flashy. Her Ah Huan was beautiful enough; if she dressed too formally, people might misunderstand her intentions.
Though her intentions truly were a bit “special.”
Su Ye walked over to help Yue Chengqi straighten her collar, a smile tugging at her lips as she whispered, “Ah Huan, it’s April.”
Yue Chengqi instantly understood what the girl was teasing her about. She shot her a glare. “I know! It’s April!”
Su Ye patted her shoulder and stepped back. The casual suit added a touch of dashing handsomeness to the already spirited woman, especially her bright, energetic eyes.
After watching for a moment, the girl lunged into Yue Chengqi’s arms, hugging her tightly. With the relief of a survivor, she said, “Thank goodness it’s April.”
Thank goodness they could coexist, and that she didn’t have to vanish the moment her “other self” became a zygote.
The gratitude in her voice was so obvious that Yue Chengqi couldn’t help but pat her head, wanting her to relax.
What if? What if I don’t disappear?
Su Ye hugged her a while longer, reluctantly letting go. With her ears flushed red, she whispered, “This outfit… will you basically only wear it once?”
“After you’re done wearing it today, can it… have some other uses?”
![Us Outside of Time [Rebirth]](https://i1.wp.com/dobytranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/rebirth.jpeg?resize=151,215 "Us Outside of Time [Rebirth]")
