Chapter 72 Part 2

Wen Zenian had always been clear-minded and resolute, always knowing exactly what she wanted.

In the harsh environment of her childhood, when she had nothing, what she craved was simply survival.

As an adult, she carved her way out of a thicket of thorns, amassing everything she could desire. Now, what she sought was a pure, unwavering relationship.

Perhaps that was why she could never fully let go of Meng Ning. Only Meng Ning’s feelings for her had nothing to do with her looks or achievements. Back when she had nothing, at the very beginning of her life, no matter how tangled Meng Ning’s motives might have been upon approaching her, Wen Zenian could sense the pure kindness at the core of it.

Qi Xiao stood rooted to the spot, her body covered in mosquito bites from the whole night, tilting her head back alongside Meng Ning. The helicopter slowly lifted off, its rotors whipping the grass and plants into a frenzy as it ascended into the vast night sky.

Qi Xiao’s neck ached from craning so long. She glanced at Meng Ning beside her.

Meng Ning kept her gaze fixed upward.

Deep down, though, all she could think was a simple, stark truth: The person on that helicopter would never return.

It echoed the night she and Qi Xiao had gone out for stir-fried beans, when the little shopkeeper had smiled and said, “Come back anytime.”

That phrase had carved deep into her heart, an indelible wound.

Qi Xiao had to admit, Wen Zenian was impressive.

Truth be told, as she watched Wen Zenian depart, she’d desperately wanted to shove Meng Ning flat on her ass into the grass and scream, “Meng Ning, go fuck yourself! How can someone be so damn indecisive?”

But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

That realization made her reflect inwardly: Was she still subconsciously treating Meng Ning like some fragile patient?

The helipad lights flickered out, and Meng Ning and Qi Xiao walked away together. Qi Xiao shot her a sidelong glance. “Hey, it’s too late for the speedboat now. Crash at my dorm tonight, and head out first thing in the morning.”

Meng Ning nodded. “Sure.”

Back at the dorm, Qi Xiao winced at the pile of clothes she’d dumped on Meng Ning’s bed. She started gathering them up, but Meng Ning stopped her. “No need to fuss. I don’t take up much space—just shove the clothes aside.”

Qi Xiao shot her a glare. “Are you just showing off how skinny you are?”

Meng Ning’s lips curved into a smile, and Qi Xiao laughed along with her. Sometimes, she thought, it wasn’t about putting on a brave face.

Things had come this far—what else could they do but laugh?

Qi Xiao could somewhat understand Meng Ning’s position.

With a past like hers, could Meng Ning face Wen Zenian without a shred of hesitation, even if she clenched her back teeth until they cracked and finally choked out “Don’t go”? Qi Xiao asked herself: If it were her, asking someone to give up a brilliant life for her sake, could she bear that burden without any guilt?

Everyone knew love shouldn’t involve so much calculation. But theory was one thing; reality was another.

Maybe it was for the best that Wen Zenian left tonight.

Meng Ning hadn’t fully sorted things out. Forcing them together would only lead to more entanglements.

Meng Ning sat at the desk by the window and glanced at the organizer on it. “How’d it get broken?”

“I was running late one morning, grabbed my toner too fast, and knocked it to the floor.”

“Got any super glue? I can try fixing it.”

“I think so. It’s old, though—not sure if it’s expired.”

“Let’s check.”

Qi Xiao rummaged in the drawer and handed it over. Meng Ning inspected it. “Should still work.”

“I’m gonna hop in the shower, then.”

“Go ahead.”

Meng Ning pulled out the chair and sat down at the desk.

When Qi Xiao emerged from the bathroom, she saw Meng Ning still hunched over, meticulously piecing the organizer back together. Under the desk lamp, her long lashes fluttered, her expression serene.

Life had a way of deceiving people, Qi Xiao mused.

It could conjure illusions of calm and peace, making everything seem not so bad. Like the time she’d taken the train south, fighting with her mom and penniless, crammed into a rattling old green car.

Babies crying. People peeling oranges. Loud conversations everywhere.

The din drowned out even her heartache. She’d optimistically thought: Hey, life’s so lively—what’s the big deal?

But once she got off the train and checked into the cheapest youth hostel—no hot water, thirty bucks a bed—she curled up like a shrimp on the narrow, hard bunk.

No matter how tightly she huddled, the pain pierced through.

So now, watching Meng Ning finally glue the organizer back together, shower off, and climb into the single bed—one side piled with clothes, the other empty—Qi Xiao lay down too.

The bed wasn’t big, but for Meng Ning tonight, it felt vast.

Qi Xiao said, “Turning off the light?”

Meng Ning replied, “Okay.”

Their staff dorm wasn’t as fancy as the hotel rooms—no voice activation. Qi Xiao had to prop herself up on one elbow to switch off the desk lamp.

Just before she did, she glanced at Meng Ning’s back.

Meng Ning was right not to clear away the messy pile of clothes. Even with that as a barrier, her silhouette looked too slender, slightly hunched, facing away from Qi Xiao, hiding her face.

But Qi Xiao didn’t need to see her expression.

After lights out, she called softly, “Meng Ning?”

“Mm?”

“If I came over and hugged you from behind right now, it’d be so cheesy it’d kill me, right?”

Meng Ning was silent for a long moment.

Just as Qi Xiao thought she’d touched her and was about to get up, Meng Ning said over her shoulder, “Nah, let’s not. We’re both tops.”

Qi Xiao hurled a pillow at her, and Meng Ning let out a muffled laugh.

Grumbling, Qi Xiao flopped back onto her own bed. “You are impossible!”

A brief silence followed, then Meng Ning said gently, “Let’s sleep. It’ll be okay.”

She never turned around, her back to Qi Xiao the whole time.

“Mm, night,” Qi Xiao replied.

The dorm fell quiet once more.

Qi Xiao turned over very carefully, hand tucked under her pillow, eyes open in the darkness, gazing at Meng Ning’s silhouette.

Like a spring mountain stripped of its bloom.

For some reason, that overly poetic image sprang to mind.

She gave Meng Ning’s shoulder a mental pat, then her back.

Yeah, it was a bit sappy—especially since they were both tops.

But Qi Xiao was comforting Meng Ning, and the version of herself who’d run away five years ago.

Sleep. Tomorrow was a new day.

No one knew if things would get better, but tomorrow would come regardless.

The next morning, Qi Xiao stirred groggily in her sleep to someone calling, “Qi Xiao, up for morning training.”

“Ning,” she mumbled, clutching her pillow and rolling over. “I’m wiped today. Pull me along during endurance runs later?”

A soft laugh sounded.

Qi Xiao bolted upright. She must’ve been half-asleep—Meng Ning had quit ages ago. Who’d drag her through training?

Meng Ning said mildly, “Your alarm’s going off and you’re still out. Don’t you ever show up late for drills?”

Qi Xiao rubbed her eyes. “Ju Mengya yells for me when she leaves. I brush my teeth, splash water on my face, and bolt.”

“Mm, no rush today. Go wash up—I’ll wait at the dock for the speedboat.”

Qi Xiao blinked. “Oh… yeah.”

Meng Ning hesitated. “Actually, forget it. I’ll wait till you’re up and ready, in case you crash again.”

“Hey! What kind of slacker do you think I am?”

After Qi Xiao finished washing up, Meng Ning said goodbye and headed to the dock alone for the speedboat.

Qi Xiao thought, fair enough. Even if she was feeling all emotional this morning, she wouldn’t know what to say to Meng Ning anyway.

Meng Ning stopped by the management office first to return her temporary pass, then stood at the dock, staring into the morning mist over the sea.

The speedboat wouldn’t be there for a while. She recalled her dream from last night.

She knew she’d dream of Wen Zenian, but she hadn’t expected such an intense… wet dream.

So lustful, Meng Ning chided herself.

Subconsciously, she knew that even building the Tower of Babel wouldn’t make human languages truly connect. Or rather, language had become a tool to adorn the soul.

Sometimes “goodbye” meant “never again.” Sometimes “forget” meant “cherish forever.”

Only in the throes of lovemaking—seeing her flushed eyes, rippling gaze, furrowed brow as she faced her—did those unguarded expressions of ecstasy reveal the soul’s raw truth.

The speedboat pulled up. It wasn’t Xiao Zhang at the helm today, but someone Meng Ning knew. He eyed the slender young woman with her hands in her pockets, head tilted to the grayish morning sky. Curious, he looked up too—but saw nothing.

“What’re you looking at?” he asked.

“Nothing.” Meng Ning smiled and shook her head, boarding the boat.

In the days that followed, it might’ve been easiest to mark time by her rabies shots.

After the stray cat scratch, Meng Ning got her second shot without issue, then the third. Summer peaked in blistering heat, and when things reached their zenith, it always felt like the end wasn’t far off.

But in this climate, what did it matter if summer passed?

It would still be summer. Over and over, endless.

Seasons lost meaning, as if time itself had stalled.

One day off, Qi Xiao returned from a shift complaining that morning drills were getting brutal. She floated an idea to Meng Ning. “Once you pass your evaluation, forget the pool patrol gig. Come back to the C Hotel Lifesaving Team with me.”

The suggestion carried a double layer of testing.

First, Meng Ning would soon face another psychological assessment. Second, after Wen Zenian had been gone for so long, was Meng Ning still dodging everything related to her?

Meng Ning smiled. “Once I pass the assessment, I might have some other ideas.”

Qi Xiao felt a bit relieved, since Meng Ning had responded directly to the matter of the psychological assessment. But she wasn’t completely reassured, because Meng Ning had breezed past the topic involving Wen Zenian.

Qi Xiao asked casually, “What ideas?”

“I’ll tell you when the time comes.”

“That’s not very sisterly of you.”

Time slipped by amid their laughter and banter.

A few cicada calls had sounded. A few heavy downpours had fallen. Watermelon had cooled the summer heat. Then the rising smoke and clamor of fireworks had stirred it up again.

Meng Ning arrived for her latest psychological assessment.

Doctor Han came out to greet her. Just like last time, Meng Ning sat quietly in the waiting chair, reading an English original edition of Harry Potter. Sunlight streamed through the window, making her skin seem almost translucent.

As Doctor Han drew near, she noticed it. “You’ve gotten your ears pierced.”

“Yes.” Meng Ning’s lips curved up. “Doctor Han, you have sharp eyes.”

“Why aren’t you wearing earrings?”

“It’s still too new. Needs time to heal. I wear pure silver studs at night, but nothing during the day.”

“What made you decide to get them pierced all of a sudden?”

Meng Ning paused for a moment. “Just adding some jewelry, that’s all.”

Doctor Han’s lips curved in a smile. “Young girls always love to look pretty. Come on in.”

To a therapist, a willingness to adorn oneself was a good sign. It meant a more positive outlook on life.

In truth, Meng Ning hadn’t thought that deeply about it.

It was just that the piercing gun had delivered a tiny sting of heat and pain, suddenly making her earlobe impossible to ignore. Unaccustomed to the discomfort, her body kept prompting her to raise a hand now and then, lightly brushing the area around the new hole.

Much like someone who loved wearing diamond earrings, habitually lifting a hand every so often to gently stroke her earlobe and give the earring a little twist.