Chapter 70 I Missed You
While on a layover in Hong Kong, Wen Bairan ran into Xu Lanjun in the lounge.
She still had her bouncy short hair, wearing a baseball cap and a hip-hop inspired fit, with her baggy pants almost spread over the whole seat. It seemed like everyone instinctively steered clear of people dressed like that—no one was sitting next to her.
Wen Bairan noticed her ears when she lowered her head to pick up a book.
Twelve earrings—stars, moons, crosses—all there.
Surprised, she walked over and called out, "Lan Jun?"
Xu Lanjun looked up from her phone, immediately delighted. "Xiao Wen!"
They hadn’t seen each other since Yuehu Villa.
Xu Lanjun had always wanted to find a chance to say goodbye to her but never expected to run into her here by such a coincidence.
They found an empty fast-food joint to sit down. Noticing "Sydney" written on Wen Bairan’s boarding pass, Xu Lanjun asked how she had time to travel—was work not busy at the end of the year?
Wen Bairan replied flatly that she had resigned.
Shocked, Xu Lanjun asked why. Wen Bairan didn’t hold back, telling her that Song Xu was selling the company, and since she felt like a change of environment and some rest, she resigned.
After hearing this, Xu Lanjun scrunched her brow in confusion. "Yanyi? He’s joining Yanyi instead of Yingchuang?"
Yingchuang?
Yingchuang was in the mix too?
Wen Bairan didn’t know any of this, but seeing Xu Lanjun’s reaction was a bit strange, she instinctively asked if she knew something.
Xu Lanjun said it was just some hearsay, then changed the subject. "So, are you two split now?"
Wen Bairan fell silent for a moment.
Xu Lanjun said with meaning, "I see."
She then told Wen Bairan that this wasn’t the first time Song Xu had done something like this. When he graduated, he had started a studio with a friend, also focused on smart healthcare. His partner was top of his class in programming at school, and the system he developed was sold by Song Xu for 20 million USD.
Wen Bairan caught one word: "by?"
Xu Lanjun said, "Kong Mufan wanted to return to China at the time and bring the system back to develop domestically. Smart healthcare in China was just starting back then, practically a blank slate. If they had chosen to come back and develop it themselves, they might have reached the top by now. But for some reason, Song Xu insisted on selling the system. The buzz in the industry was that he was in a hurry to cash out and take the money and run. But I don’t think he’s that despicable. Anyway, not long after that, the two parted ways. Song Xu jumped from job to job until he ended up at Westwood, and Kong Mufan disappeared without a trace. I had to ask around a lot to find out that Kong Mufan died not long after they disbanded."
Wen Bairan was stunned. Died?
"Yeah, seems like it was an illness. I’m not too clear on the details." Xu Lanjun didn’t know much about the matter. On the surface, it seemed like Song Xu had done something heartless, betraying his partner. But when interests were involved, it didn’t seem entirely surprising.
He must have weighed the pros and cons before making such a choice. It’s just that from his partner’s perspective, what he did lacked humanity. Utterly devoid of human feeling.
But this was Song Xu.
What emotions did Song Xu have?
Xu Lanjun had always found him complex and hard to read. Sometimes he seemed quite gentlemanly, other times he did things that were hard to accept.
Seeing Wen Bairan lower her eyes, looking downcast, Xu Lanjun advised her not to overthink it. Actually, the matter wasn’t hard to understand—two poor students back then, having dreams was normal, but wanting to make money was even more normal.
"Song Xu is a pragmatic person. You know that—he’s just too calculating."
Being that cold comes off cruel.
Detachment is an advantage in business, but in relationships, it’s a weapon.
Xu Lanjun had always wanted to tell Wen Bairan that both of her relationships were too extreme, and she seemed like the all-in type. Zhou Lin alone had done a number on her; adding Song Xu to the mix would leave her utterly destroyed.
But thankfully, they had already parted ways.
Xu Lanjun said, "Xiao Wen, you can probably tell that I really like you. You have rational intelligence and gentle sensitivity. It’s just that being too gentle inevitably leads to getting deeply involved. As for Song Xu, just enjoy the ride. If you were really together, you’d probably be running yourself ragged every second. That would be too draining."
There are too many mountains in this world, and he is someone always chasing the next peak.
Wen Bairan was not in his league. She would have to keep breaking her neck just to barely keep up with his pace, and who knows how much further there was to go? Song Xu wouldn’t stop to wait for her. If he did, he wouldn’t be the person she wanted.
Xu Lanjun said when it comes to love, two-legged frogs are hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere, right?
Wen Bairan snapped back, knowing she was trying to comfort her. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Lan Jun."
It was almost time for her flight.
Wen Bairan noticed she was carrying a large olive-drab pack alone and suddenly remembered to ask, "Where’s Zhou Lin? Isn’t he with you?"
Xu Lanjun paused as she stood up. Under the brim of her hat, her eyes went distant for a moment, but she recovered so quickly that Wen Bairan almost thought she had imagined it.
She pursed her lips into a smile. "He’s not coming with me."
That day by the bonfire, she had asked Zhou Lin to go abroad with her.
The slightly drunk man looked at the sky, then at the fire, and when he looked at her, his dark eyes were still as dead water for the first time.
He said, "I’m not going with you. I won’t go with anyone. I’m staying here."
How determined he looked when he said it—no need to ask, it was clear why.
Xu Lanjun suddenly felt that the breakable rich boy had, in some moment, pulled himself together.
No longer a delicate porcelain vase, his naive hardheadedness had somehow become as hard as diamond.
He had his own roots.
And she wasn’t part of it.
Xu Lanjun still felt a little sorry when she remembered that look on his face, but as she said, men are everywhere. "A stubborn, set in his ways young master like him, aside from being good for a good time, isn’t worth my extra effort. He had it coming."
The boarding announcement played over and over on the broadcast. Xu Lanjun slung her bag over her shoulder effortlessly, winked, and said, "When I’ve settled in over there, I’ll have you out to play."
Wen Bairan laughed. "Safe travels."
"Bye~"
Xu Lanjun left.
There was still an hour until Wen Bairan’s boarding time.
She sat there, wistfully watching the crowd flow in the departure hall, planes taking off and landing on the tarmac. She got a little sentimental, musing about what it’d take for people on the same flight to meet again on another journey.
Life seems to crisscross paths in such constant overlaps, but after most of these intersections, people never meet again.
Ten days ago, Song Xu had given her a call.
He waited for her in the room, but she didn't show up.
Wen Bairan hadn’t planned to answer, but on some impulse, she wanted to give him a chance to explain.
He asked her over the phone where she was.
She asked if he was planning to join Yanyi.
He paused briefly and said he hadn't decided yet.
Then she asked if he intended to transfer his company shares to her before jumping ship.
His voice, calm to the point of cruelty, still sounded so damn sexy. After an almost imperceptible pause, he said yes.
Wen Bairan took a deep breath and said there was nothing left for them to discuss.
She'd known he was up to something, though she hadn’t expected it to be like this—but she wasn’t surprised. Knowing Song Xu as she did, he never did anything that didn't serve a purpose. P&T’s current market valuation exceeded 100 million and was still rising. The most valuable asset was the laboratory at Shenzhen University.
Song Xu was a businessman, and no businessman passes up a profit.
But he never should have dragged their relationship into this.
Yanyi was a good company, but clearly not a good buyer. They wanted him to come to them with nothing, essentially they wanted to buy out his shares in P&T. Their offer of 70 million was far below the company’s valuation—even when converted to an annual salary bonus, it still fell short. Song Xu wouldn’t make such a bad deal, so he needed someone to hold his shares for him.
He didn’t trust others enough, but his wife would get legal protection, along with his shares.
That was why he was in such a hurry to marry her.
He’d even proposed twice.
When Wen Bairan figured it all out, she felt like a complete fool.
She had always known what kind of person he was, yet she’d still let herself hope he actually cared. She had actually believed he loved her.
It was laughable.
She was immensely grateful she hadn't been dumb enough to say yes to his proposal, let alone married him.
She didn’t know whether, if she had married him and then discovered his exploitation, she would have resigned herself to it or run off again.
But clearly, Song Xu didn’t care what she thought.
Wen Bairan silently cursed the inventor of the term "sex/love." They had been right—sex could indeed lead to love. And even after pulling herself out, the heart still ached.
People are too resilient for their own good; it makes them reckless. History repeats itself, and no one is spared.
Fortunately, the past eight years had given her enough hard lessons to keep her calm and composed when she realized that Song Xu’s so-called love was nothing but exploitation, preventing her from completely falling apart.
Amid these racing thoughts, she heard his voice soften, as if in compromise and appeasement. He said, "Wen Bairan, let’s talk."
What was left to talk about?
He hadn’t even bothered to explain himself. She found it hard to believe he couldn't sense how disappointed she was.
Wen Bairan said, "I won’t forgive you. At least Zhou Lin had genuine feelings for me. You—you’re worse than him. You only used me."
She wouldn’t admit she felt hurt; that would just make him smug. Or perhaps not—because in his eyes, emotions never existed.
Love?
Hah.
In his view, a leaning tower built from grains of sand was far less stable than his kingdom of interests, ready to collapse at any moment.
Suddenly, Wen Bairan completely understood why Zhu Qiwei would rather marry someone inferior in every way. Song Xu truly knew how to push a woman to her limits.
Song Xu fell silent for a long time.
She knew she had wounded his pride and arrogance.
And that was exactly what she intended.
Finally, with pure spite, she told him, "I’ve already sent my resignation letter to Xiang Sun. Hope you make a killing, President Song."
//
Over the years, Wen Bairan had never given herself a real break.
Emotionally, she was always caught up in something.
Emerging from one whirlpool only to plunge into another, at times stretched so thin between two that she felt nearly torn in half—now that she was finally free, she wanted to find a place to completely clear her head.
The flight from Hong Kong to Sydney took nine hours.
During those nine hours, Wen Bairan slept soundly.
Ms. Xie had previously asked why she chose to go abroad at this time.
She said Shenjiang was too cold; she wanted to go somewhere warm.
Ms. Xie then asked if she could return for the New Year.
Wen Bairan said she’d see about that.
In Sydney, she rented a room from a local couple whose two adult children had moved out. The large house felt too big and empty with several rooms unused, so they decided to rent them out to backpackers.
Beyond her ability to learn, Wen Bairan discovered another strength—initiative. If she wanted to do something, nothing could stop her.
Who would have thought that just ten days ago she was pouring her heart and soul into Niliguan? Ten days later, she was standing in front of the Sydney Opera House, watching street performers sing Christmas carols. The lively, foreign atmosphere felt both unfamiliar and inclusive. She immersed herself completely in this wonderful holiday spirit—even the seagulls snatching food from passersby looked cute to her.
As she strolled around, she bought some bread. Passing a fruit stall, the vendor, struck by the radiant Chinese girl, generously gave her a bunch of green grapes, praising her for being as fresh and beautiful as the green grapes.
Delighted, Wen Bairan thanked him and left some extra cash tucked under the basket of grapes when she paid.
Next, she went to a grocery store to pick up some bath salts and milk. While browsing, she came across handmade soap and chocolate. The soap was fragrant—perfect for making clothes in the wardrobe smell nice. She hadn’t tried that chocolate before and worried it might be too sweet, so she picked a small amount.
Before she knew it, her arms were full.
Fortunately, her accommodation wasn’t far. Struggling to carry everything, she encountered another tenant returning from exercise. He kindly took the items from her and said, "Wow, did you buy out the entire grocery store?"
Without the bags blocking her view, Wen Bairan finally looked up at the person opposite. Her first impression was his brilliant white smile. Recognizing him as the other tenant who had moved in just two days earlier, she quickly thanked him.
Shi Yeliang was an American-born Chinese who grew up in the U.S., here on vacation. He loved sports and surfing, with an even tan and bright eyes that just radiated freedom and purity. Unlike some ABCs who struggled with the language, his Chinese was excellent.
He said his mother was a Chinese language teacher and had been very strict with him since childhood, and since his father was a history professor specializing in ancient Chinese history, it meant that although he had never been to China, he had a deep understanding of the country.
The landlord couple were big fans of Chinese culture. They only rented their rooms to Chinese tourists. With a Chinese tenant and a China expert both staying there, they were so pleased they even gave a discount on the rent.
After almost a month there, the four of them had gotten to know each other. In their leisure time, they gathered by the pool in the yard for barbecues and card games. Shi Yeliang butchered English poems by reading them with a heavy Chinese accent, making Wen Bairan laugh heartily.
The landlords asked her what was so funny—they hadn’t understood a word.
Shi Yeliang offhandedly made up a lie, saying it was a mysterious language once used by Taoist masters for chanting spells.
He scared the two foreigners so much that they bowed to him repeatedly.
Wen Bairan commented on his ability to spout nonsense off the cuff: "An innocent face but a twisted heart."
Shi Yeliang grinned and responded with a gentleman’s salute: "Thank you for the compliment."
The foreigners, thinking he had finally finished chanting, quickly stood up and applauded.
Afterward, Wen Bairan stayed behind to help Shi Yeliang clear the tableware.
As evening fell, the sky gradually darkened, with vast swathes of orange-pink clouds drifting across it.
Even after being here for so long, the sunset here still made Wen Bairan marvel at how dreamlike the colors were—even more beautiful than anything she had seen in her dreams. Unconsciously, she stopped what she was doing and looked up at the sky, spacing out.
Shi Yeliang decided she was slacking and squirted her on the neck with a small water gun. Startled, Wen Bairan woke from her daze, and he said with a laugh, "Lazy people must be punished."
She insisted she was just zoning out! Not to be outdone, she grabbed a cup to splash him back, but he dodged out of the way. The two chased each other around the pool until Wen Bairan seized the moment and pushed him into the water. Watching Shi Yeliang soaked through, she stood triumphantly on the edge, hands on her hips, laughing.
Shi Yeliang emerged from the water, wiped his face, and seeing her laugh so freely, bared his teeth in a grin and yanked her into the pool when she wasn’t expecting it.
Wen Bairan couldn’t swim and kept her eyes tightly closed even as she was pulled out. Shi Yeliang flicked water at her face to get her to open them.
Sunset, swimming pool.
Drenched young man and woman.
Shi Yeliang had never seen a girl like her. Beautiful, translucent, occasionally brooding, with eyes that gazed into the distance as sorrowful as a stream.
He said, "Vivi, I like you."
Wen Bairan wasn’t very surprised.
Women’s intuition is usually spot-on, and a man’s look isn’t that hard to decipher.
She joked that she had known since the day on the street when she saw the way he looked at her.
Shi Yeliang’s throat moved, and as he leaned in, his eyes were sincere.
But Wen Bairan suddenly turned her face away and walked toward the edge of the pool.
The man in the water watched her climb out, her soaked dress hugging her curves like a mermaid’s tail, water rolling off her like pearls.
With her back to him, she said, "Thank you, but I’m on vacation right now. I’m not looking to get involved."
After saying that, she returned to her room.
After showering, Wen Bairan sat at the desk by the window, opened her long-neglected Moments on her phone, and mindlessly scrolled. There wasn’t much to see.
Just as she was about to put it down, she saw a clip posted by Ms. Xie of her and Lao Wen stocking up for the New Year at the supermarket. The cheerful background music paired with Lao Wen holding up spring couplets and asking if they looked good radiated holiday cheer.
She casually hit ‘like’.
Not long after, Ms. Xie called, asking when she was coming home.
She stammered, saying she’d see, then quickly blamed the bad reception and hung up.
She didn’t want to go back.
Home was lively.
But here was warmer.
She didn’t want to freeze.
After lying in bed reading for a while, she picked up her phone again. She didn’t know what she was looking for—she just felt like aimless scrolling. Ever since Qiao Yi had contacted her a few days ago, she had developed this habit of aimless scrolling.
She regretted not recording that sunset scene earlier.
Such beautiful peachy-orange hues were rare even for her.
Life should leave some traces behind, after all.
Early the next morning, Shi Yeliang was waiting at the door for her to go for a run.
He was a sports buff, who’s into all sorts of sports. Wen Bairan had seen him return from his morning runs soaked with sweat, looking like he was loving it, so she joined him.
At first, she had to walk half of the three kilometers, but gradually she could run the whole way. Now, even five kilometers was no problem.
After yesterday’s failed kiss in the pool, Wen Bairan had second thoughts about going for a run with him this morning. But seeing Shi Yeliang warming up at the door like it was no big deal, and the way he glanced over at her with the same upbeat energy, telling her to hurry up and stretch, she decided to play it cool.
As usual, the two ran from the park behind the house to the center of the neighborhood and then back along a road canopied with blooming jacarandas.
Learning from yesterday’s missed sunset, even though her phone was already filled with photos of the dreamlike sea of blue-purple blossoms, she still asked Shi Yeliang to take a picture of her under the trees.
The jacaranda flowers were so stunningly beautiful that they made her black and gray sportswear look particularly dull in the photo.
Shi Yeliang laughed and said she should change clothes before taking pictures, mentioning that he had seen many Chinese girls in pretty dresses posing here the past few days.
Wen Bairan didn’t believe it could be that bad, but when she took a look, it was indeed so bad it was painful. She commented that Shi Yeliang’s photography skills would never earn him a living or impress any girl.
Shi Yeliang shrugged indifferently and said, "I already have enough ways to make money."
They joked and laughed all the way back to the house. From a distance, Wen Bairan spotted a familiar tall silhouette standing at the door.
Shi Yeliang saw it too and wondered if the landlady had found another tenant. As he spoke, he realized Wen Bairan was no longer beside him. Turning back, he saw she hadn’t followed.
She stood still, her expression strange—both startled and wary, anticipation and resistance canceling each other out, leaving her face blank.
Confused, he called out, "Vivi?"
The sound caught the attention of the man nearby.
The slightly open collar of his white shirt revealed an Adam’s apple that was just the right amount of prominent and sexy. He had clearly traveled a long way, yet he showed no signs of fatigue. Aside from a few stray strands of hair on his forehead, he stood there as the unmistakable image of a high-class guy.
He turned around, facing their direction.
About fifty meters separated them. Wen Bairan, with her nearsighted eyes, couldn’t clearly see his face, but somehow, she saw Song Xu curl the corner of his lips.
He had found her.
At a roadside café.
//
Wen Bairan hadn’t even changed her clothes.
Damn Song Xu must have fed her some line to the landlady. She had just stepped out with the phone, saw them return, and waved enthusiastically, shouting, "Vivi, your fiancé is here!"
"......"
In an instant, the way Shi Yeliang looked at her completely changed.
The open-air rest area had deep wicker chairs; you’d practically sink right into them.
Wen Bairan straightened her back uncomfortably, lifting her coffee cup to block his view.
It had been over a month since they last met, and Song Xu’s scrutinizing gaze had returned to what it was before—slow and intense, as if assessing how she had changed during this time. After a long pause, he narrowed his eyes and said, "You haven’t changed much, have you?"
Wen Bairan replied flatly, "Thanks, you haven’t either. Still just as harsh."
Song Xu raised an eyebrow. "You’re still mad?"
"Angry? What’s there to be angry about?" Wen Bairan set down her cup and said calmly, "Can’t you see I have a new boyfriend now?"
As she said this, she silently apologized to Shi Yeliang in her heart. Since he wasn’t here right now, she’d just use him for a bit.
Even though the landlady had already made it clear about her relationship with that tenant before she returned, hearing her say "new boyfriend" still made Song Xu’s expression turn cold. He demanded that she break it off.
Wen Bairan: "Says who?"
Song Xu: "Because I’m here now."
The same bossy tone as before, arrogant and self-centered. Wen Bairan was at a loss for words by his uncompromising attitude, almost forgetting why she had come here in the first place.
"What does it matter that you’re here? We’ve already broken up, Mr. Song. Oh wait, no—we were never together to begin with. You were just my hookup. I never asked you for emotional commitment, and you have no right to demand that I stay single." Though she tried to maintain composure while saying this, she couldn’t fully hide her anger and frustration.
Just the thought that she had almost agreed to his practical proposal, while he could sit here as if nothing had happened, made it impossible for her to stay rational.
She had to give him credit.
Calling him a "bed partner" seemed to hit a nerve.
Although he had expected this kind of attitude from her, actually sitting here and hearing those words made Song Xu frown.
He asked if she had to be so harsh.
Wen Bairan let out a cold laugh. Compared to sharpness, no one could outdo him. She was just being honest—which was something he taught her.
Song Xu said, "But you also taught me that people aren’t robots. They have feelings and perceptions."
He stared intently at her, then after a long moment sighed helplessly, saying quietly, "I came to patch things up."
Wen Bairan was taken aback.
It was the start of the workday, and the various small shops around were preparing to open.
The gradually bustling street gave Song Xu a sense of fulfillment he’d been missing over the past month.
This fulfillment wasn’t grand or complex.
It didn’t require precise charts or programs, nor was it about achievements or praise.
It was about one person.
One person filling his eyes, filling the void he felt at night.
He never drew energy from women, nor did he think emotions could fuel him. But he had to admit that in the month Wen Bairan had been gone, it was like she took that all with her.
Work continued as usual, his life was still orderly.
Everything unfolded exactly as he had anticipated.
Perhaps because it was all too similar, without any change or surprise, without excitement or joy, this carefully planned routine had somehow become pointless and boring.
Song Xu had once asked Xiang Sun, "Does love make people feel empty?"
Xiang Sun replied, "Love doesn’t. Loss does."
He hadn’t experienced loss many times because he always held everything in his hands—whether to grasp tightly or let go was always his choice.
Why hadn’t he held on this time?
After thinking it over and over, he reached only one conclusion—
If Wen Bairan could already bring him such a sense of emptiness, then he must keep her by his side. No matter what.
The haze in Song Xu’s eyes cleared, revealing a deep, dark intensity.
Those sailing the seas might need some luck to make it ashore, but if the sea decides to keep someone, there’s no choice in the matter.
/
A week earlier, Qiao Yi had called Wen Bairan. During her time in Sydney, Qiao Yi always kept her informed at the first hint of news back home.
Song Xu ultimately did not join Yanyi, nor did he sell the company.
He joined Yingchuang.
The news shocked everyone.
Wen Bairan remembered the rumor Xu Lanjun had mentioned at the airport, that Song Xu and Yingchuang were close to finalizing terms, with only one last thing standing in the way—Yanyi.
Yingchuang had started out making medical consumables. With rapid technological advances in recent years, they had expanded into cloud services. Their qualifications were solid, and though they were moving slowly, it was steady.
He had pretended to engage with Yanyi, even bringing Fabiana to inspect the company. As the collaboration project with Xilin looked like it was going to someone else, Yingchuang grew anxious. They ultimately offered Song Xu the equivalent of Yanyi’s acquisition price for P&T plus double the annual salary.
In other words, not only had he not sold the company, but he had also effortlessly increased his worth to 1.5 times the previously negotiated value.
Wen Bairan couldn’t imagine how furious the people at Yanyi must be—perhaps even stomping their feet in the office, cursing this sneaky bastard to an early grave.
But business is a battlefield: whoever employs the most cunning tactics seizes the high ground.
Qiao Yi said, "We were all wrong about him."
Hearing this, Wen Bairan felt somewhat relieved. Although she didn’t care much whether the company was sold or not, it was comforting to know Song Xu wasn’t completely heartless.
Yingchuang’s terms were the same as Yanyi’s: he couldn’t hold any position at another company, and there was a one-year non-disclosure period after leaving. Meaning, he would still leave P&T.
Song Xu said, "I never accepted your resignation. I need you to return to the company. I will transfer all the shares under my name to you."
Wen Bairan asked, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll take the shares and run?"
Song Xu smiled faintly. "If you can get away with it."
His expression now was exactly the same as when he had asked her to join P&T before.
Sure of himself, as if certain she would return with him.
But if I remember correctly, didn't he just say he came to make up?
Who seeks reconciliation by acting all high and mighty like he’s giving orders?
Wen Bairan took a moment to steady her emotions, keeping her voice even. "Song Xu, since we’ve gotten everything out in the open, I might as well tell you straight—I won’t be working for you anymore."
He gently corrected her, "Not working for me. The shares will be yours; the company will be yours from then on. You can run things."
"And then?"
"Then?"
Wen Bairan looked at him seriously. "Enough with the business talk. Is there anything you want to say to me?"
None of the shares mattered. What she cared about was his lying and using her.
Didn’t he know that?
Song Xu fell silent, for a long time.
So long that Wen Bairan thought he might never understand why she left. But if he didn’t understand, why had he come? Finding a woman to marry and drafting a share transfer agreement—wasn’t that a piece of cake for him? Why her?
The long silence made the street noise grating. Wen Bairan was getting fed up. She didn’t want to wait any longer, but she couldn’t just get up and leave immediately.
She squirmed under his silent gaze.
After what seemed like forever, long enough for Shi Yeliang to text and ask why she wasn’t back yet and if she needed help—"That man doesn’t seem very nice"—she remembered she’d only told him yesterday that she’d broken up, and now suddenly some fiancé shows up. After a brief shock, he’d chosen to believe her.
Wen Bairan was a little relieved. At least there were still normal men out there.
She said, "Since you have nothing to say, never mind. I’m leaving."
"Wait."
Song Xu pulled out a document from nowhere and pushed it across the table to her.
"Take a look at this first."
He was so stubborn you couldn’t get a word out of him with a crowbar.
Wen Bairan felt so disappointed in him once again. She didn’t even want to glance at what was inside. Sick of it, she got up and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her wrist.
Song Xu didn’t look up, though the perfect side profile of his face was tenser than she’d ever seen it. "I’ve missed you."
Four such rare words.
Wen Bairan pushed his hand away. "Thanks, but no thanks."
She left without looking back.
Song Xu got a hotel room.
//
The document eventually made its way to Wen Bairan through the landlady’s mailbox.
She didn’t read it. Instead, she called Xiang Sun.
Xiang Sun was pleasantly surprised to hear her voice and asked if Song Xu had managed to win her back. Before leaving, he’d imparted many tips on how to sweet-talk women, the first being to bring flowers when meeting.
Wen Bairan recalled him standing empty-handed at the door and sneered. Even if he had brought flowers, they would’ve died from his coldness.
After some small talk, she cut to the chase.
"I want to know about Kong Mufan."
Xiang Sun: "Kong Mufan?"
Kong Mufan was one of the few close friends Song Xu had in school. Many couldn’t stand his aloof personality, but Kong Mufan’s passion for technology offset his sternness. After graduation, the two teamed up and founded KS—K first, S second. The name alone showed how much Song Xu respected his partner.
Back then, Kong Mufan focused on technical development while Song Xu handled business operations. The system they developed, though only a prototype, had great potential. Song Xu negotiated with several institutions, and the offers kept rising. Cloud technology wasn’t big domestically then, with high costs. Song Xu believed that if they could be the first in this field, the significance and value would be entirely different.
Wen Bairan asked, "Are you saying it was Song Xu who proposed returning to China?"
But in Xu Lanjun’s version, he was the one who opposed it.
Xiang Sun said, "It’s kind of a long story. Song Xu did suggest returning to China first, but Kong Mufan fell ill around that time. Medical expenses abroad were high, and their basic insurance couldn’t cover it. Song Xu knew Kong Mufan was the soul of the system; even if he brought it back alone, he might not succeed. So he changed his mind, deciding to cash out overseas first to prioritize Kong Mufan’s treatment. Don’t be fooled by Song Xu’s cold exterior—he can be quite idealistic and persuasive. Kong Mufan, inspired by Song Xu’s earlier vision of returning to China to develop, refused to give up. That’s why people kept saying the two disagreed."
Later, Kong Mufan became critically ill. His mother flew abroad and was so upset she broke down crying a bunch of times. Their family was not well-off; sending him abroad as a student had nearly emptied their savings. Song Xu helped in big ways and small, but dragging it out couldn’t go on forever. Left with no choice, he made the call himself and signed a contract with the highest bidder. After deducting costs, he gave almost all the money to Kong Mufan and his family.
Few knew the details, and Song Xu rarely spoke of it. No matter how much outsiders doubted or misunderstood, he never said a word.
Xiang Sun still felt indignant on his behalf, recalling how some had accused him of pushing Kong Mufan over the edge. "He’s not as cold as people think."
Hearing this, Wen Bairan wasn’t sure how to feel.
Song Xu was the type to act, not speak.
If something could be done, he never boasted about it.
While defending yourself isn’t always smart, without it, gossip and rumors kept popping up like seasonal allergies, occasionally bothering anyone who was sensitive to it.
Yet these negative emotions, enough to break someone, never seemed to touch him.
After all, he was still a flesh-and-blood person.
And humans couldn’t be without emotions, nor could they remain unhurt.
It was just that his core was too steady, so steady it felt unbelievable, and somewhat... heartbreaking.
After hanging up, Wen Bairan finally opened the document.
The words "Prenuptial Agreement" at the beginning stunned her at the table for a full half-hour, unable to move.
Her phone vibrated faintly on the table, the buzz making her palm tingle.
She picked it up.
It was from Song Xu.
He was by the sea, saying the sunset was beautiful and telling her to come see.
Suddenly, she thought of something and asked him what illness Kong Mufan had.
A long time passed.
Song Xu called.
He didn’t ask how she knew, nor did he beat around the bush.
Two very plain words.
"Brain tumor. Bone metastasis; after the lymph node dissection, the cancer had spread to nearly his entire body."
It made sense now.
That explained why he was so familiar with Li Yuan's symptoms, even telling her to prepare herself before the doctors did.
That explained why he took a position early on when she used Ye Zi's case for the Backlight proposal.
That explained why he was so focused on proton therapy. Only this kind of most advanced, precise technology could perfectly avoid all normal tissues, nerves, and blood vessels, accurately targeting the tumor within the complex neural network of the brain.
And his closest friend, his most important partner—they once shared the dream of shining in the field of cloud-based medicine. Yet, because of this illness, that dream was cut short in his youth.
Song Xu was not a saint.
He had no lofty ideals, nor could he control life and death.
He was simply doing what he could.
The cloud platform had been Kong Mufan's dream.
He was determined to see it through.
Proton technology abroad was advanced, but it was hoarded selfishly, refusing to share.
Once the technological barriers were broken domestically, given time, this treatment would eventually become affordable and accessible to everyone.
P&t was the accelerator.
And the key to this accelerator, he would place in the hands of someone he trusted.
The sea breeze over the phone filled the silence between them with a thousand unspoken words.
Song Xu still spoke in that supremely calm tone, as if he already held all the cards, making it impossible not to believe that everything he said would come true.
He said to Wen Bairan, "So, are you coming?"
/
Shi Yeliang knocked on the door, calling her downstairs for dinner—they were having hot pot, her favorite today.
No sound came from inside for a long time.
He cautiously said, "Sorry to bother you," and gently pushed the door open. The empty room faintly carried the scent of handmade soap.
Wen Bairan was not in the room.
Puzzled, he went downstairs and said, "Wen Bairan isn't upstairs."
The landlord was adding his homegrown chili peppers to the pot, warning about their spiciness, then added, "Oh, she borrowed my car, said she was going to the seaside."
Shi Yeliang: "The seaside?"
/
The sunset by the sea was even more beautiful than the one seen from the yard.
The sky was a mix of tangerine, pink, and magenta, brilliant and enchanting. The setting sun looked like an eye, hidden behind the clouds, silently watching the white waves wash up like salt on the shore before vanishing moments later.
Wen Bairan walked across the sand and found Song Xu standing on a reef, gazing into the distance.
She was wearing a dress and struggled to climb onto the rock, nearly scraping her hands. He made no move to help her.
Furious, she threw the documents at him. "Song Xu! What is this supposed to mean? You don’t actually think this is some grand romantic gesture, do you? What’s your angle this time?"
He turned around. The man who was always so meticulous, the sea breeze now whipped his open collar and shirt tails.
His eyes were as deep as ever; the fading sunset couldn’t illuminate his half-smiling, half-mocking gaze.
"No angle. I told you, I’ve fallen in love with you."
Wen Bairan’s eyes burned fiercely. The sea breeze tore her words to shreds. "Why? Why should I believe you? What if this is just another one of your manipulations—"
"The documents are very clear. You should have a lawyer look them over," Song Xu said.
She knew they were clear—too clear, making her head spin.
The properties, the cars, the company shares.
He had transferred almost everything under his name to her.
No conditions attached.
It seemed like an impulsive, dramatic move straight out of a TV show—nothing like something he would do.
"Why are you doing this..." Her voice trailed off, the wind scraping her throat raw.
Song Xu stepped down from the top of the reef, gently holding her waist. She didn’t pull away. Her long hair streamed toward him in the wind.
The salty sea air mixed with the faint, familiar scent of orange blossom, a scent that filled their lungs. The endless sea stretched far behind them.
Since she had wished him massive success before leaving, then with all that stripped away, standing before her with just himself, maybe then she could feel his love.
He kissed her forehead gently and whispered an apology. "This time, it’s my fault. I’m not used to being with someone I love. Give me some time, teach me. I’m a fast learner—I’ll do well."
Wen Bairan wanted to cry but found she couldn’t.
She didn't know if she could trust his words. She only knew that coming here meant she had truly hated him.
But now... now it seemed she didn’t hate him anymore.
From the beginning, Song Xu had been like a custom-made AI for her. She poured out her desires and emotions to him without reservation, only to suddenly discover that this AI had developed its own thoughts, claiming it was actually human all along and had fallen in love with her.
It felt too disorienting, too surreal to be real.
She couldn’t help wondering if this was all a dream.
Her face was wet nonetheless—perhaps just a reflex.
No one could remain unmoved at the sight of a diamond.
Song Xu took out the deep purple velvet square box that had been sitting in his car all along. Inside was G’s iconic teardrop-shaped diamond.
The last dreamlike glow of the sunset seemed condensed within that ring.
Trembling, speechless, she watched as he slid the ring onto her finger. The man above her said with a half-smile, "Wen Bairan, your breakup vacation is over."
/
When the mist dissolves into the sky.
When the lake merges with the sea.
When the moon becomes the sun.
We will marry in spring.