Dandan smiled to herself, quite pleased with herself.
"It's my own path, of course I know how to walk it."
After Dandan had walked away and disappeared without a trace, Huaiyu slowly emerged from the Red Church, pondering how to face Duan Pingting's affection. She felt deeply saddened—love comes and goes so strangely, so quickly.
As I was walking, it seemed as if some people were following behind me. When I turned around, I saw that they were just the devout men and women from Holy Trinity Church, all of whom were the Lambs of God. They had just been praying under the same roof, each with their own confession.
Huaiyu walked slowly with her head down, unconcerned, until she reached a secluded alleyway around a corner. Suddenly, several people rushed up to her! It was the same group of people, but Huaiyu knew something was amiss. Just then, she heard the seemingly kind and unassuming man with swollen eyelids shout an order:
"Tang Huaiyu, stop right there!"
Huaiyu didn't turn his head, but silently focused his attention, listening intently to his surroundings. What was this person's background? Was it the unveiling of his secret pact? Normally, no one in this sacred place should know anything about it.
What do you want to do?
"No, it's just a small favor someone asked me to do. I wanted to borrow something from you—"
Before he could finish speaking, Huaiyu saw that he was surrounded by enemies and the situation was not good. He was probably not a good person. "Borrow something?"
So he struck first, and without a word, they took their stance and began to fight. He was always surrounded and attacked, his agile body once again tumbling and leaping through the air—but this was no play, all the moves were without reason, everyone was coming to kill, not letting up for a moment, and at this point, he couldn't care less about anything else. Who were these thugs working for?
But for the sake of her rebirth three days later, he was determined to fight for her. In his most lucid moment, which was also his most desperate moment, he had to live.
Shanghai is a place fraught with danger—but he must survive!
Suddenly, his opponents stopped and retreated. Huaiyu, covered in blood, was throwing wild punches without being able to stop, and was somewhat surprised. He turned around abruptly, and the world seemed to change color.
Huaiyu let out a shrill scream.
A terrifying, agonizing scream pierced the darkness. A woman carrying a small dog, passing by under the bare branches of the sycamore tree, was stunned.
In Shanghai, a city rife with promiscuity and rampant exploitation, lonely women sometimes trust a dog more than a man. Mistresses often affectionately kiss their pets in the fields, enjoying their nimble and clever tongues at night.
The woman holding her puppy, upon seeing a stumbling man, wondered who had suffered this day. Thankfully, she only loved "it," not "him," and quickly left with her unusual lover. When she needed comfort, there was absolutely no risk.
The crowd then turned and left, leaving only a cold laugh to contrast with the groans.
"I'll return what I borrowed from you when I have the chance!"
The streetlights in Shanghai are on.
At the same time, the lights in the Paradise World went out one by one. The red and green lights suddenly went out, and the night sky turned a monotonous and dull sapphire blue, leaving only a trace in people's illusions.
Jin Xiaofeng, silently and steadily, walked out of the kingdom he had painstakingly built, step by step. His national policy was "pacify the internal situation first, then defend against external threats." He went home.
It wasn't a return to the mansion on Juliusda Road, but rather the Song residence on Xiafei Road. Even if he had nothing left, he would do everything in his power to preserve this little haven, so that his little woman could live there, live there, and stay with him. He recalled the final task he had assigned to Shi Zhongming; though times had changed, it was rare that Shi Zhongming readily agreed: "Alright! Leave everything to me!" (The last sentence, "not a hinged door latch," appears to be a separate, unrelated thought and is left untranslated.)
But Jue Zhongming was still loyal, and his years of looking after him were not in vain.
He said to Dandan:
"Xiao Dan, I'm a little tired, I need to lie down for a while."
Dandan remained silent, preoccupied with other matters, and felt guilty upon hearing this. In his moment of distress, she had even planned her meticulously crafted affair. Her heart softened, and with a pang of sorrow, she silently nestled against this hero in his twilight years, motionless, until he peacefully fell asleep.
Even when he was sound asleep, he still held her tightly. As long as she was a little restless, he could still easily capture her in his dreams.
I caught a pupa, unaware of the strange transformation inside, determined to become a butterfly and soar into the sky.
It was Christmas Day.
To get things done early, Dandan hadn't slept well, and couldn't sleep any longer after dawn. She found it strange; the stories of "elopement" she'd heard were utterly heinous, and those involved were always operating in the shadows, hesitant and fearful. Yet hers had gone too smoothly, like she'd just left the house, her mind preoccupied, but her body free. These past two days, Mr. Jin hadn't come at all. This man who had single-handedly nurtured her—he didn't know she'd betrayed him.
I have no idea what the future holds; the world is vast, and so is this life. I've been waiting for a while at the West Station of Brahma Tower Road.
The train to Hangzhou was the early one, and by seven o'clock, the station was already packed with people—some going on vacation, others on their weddings. Two couples were seen; the brides looked very alike, probably sisters. Both were dressed smartly, each with a red silk flower pinned to their lapel. Beside them were men who resembled the grooms, whispering sweet nothings—a sight that evoked envy in onlookers. The four of them, each carrying a full leather bag, were helping each other onto the train. They had only bought third-class hard seats, but their joy overshadowed everything. Even if they couldn't find comfortable seats and had to stand all the way to Hangzhou, it was still the most memorable day of their lives. No wonder the bride didn't seem to care. She looked into his eyes, straight to his heart.
Suddenly, a long whistle was heard. At 7:15, the train started moving. Huaiyu hadn't arrived yet.
Dandan remembered that Huaiyu had managed the ticket, so she waited again. The next train? It wouldn't be until 9:45. She wasn't afraid he would break his promise; he wasn't that kind of person. She was afraid he wouldn't be able to escape.
She understood this trust all too well: he had avoided her, yet the more he avoided her, the more he longed to be with her. Now it was clear—bold and bewildering, committing this crime, she felt a surge of energy, greater than their combined strength, urging them to plunge into the abyss, oblivious to everyone else. But then it was 9:30. She was tired, starting to feel restless, only loosening her fur collar as she pulled it tighter. The other travelers had already changed; were any of them newlyweds heading to Hangzhou for their honeymoon? She no longer cared.
Frustrated, she slumped heavily back onto the wooden chair. A long cry shattered her hopes once more.
The next train? It's a late train. Until a figure in a long black coat and a woolen hat approached, she pretended not to notice, waiting for him to apologize. The first thing he said was Shi Zhongming: "Miss Song, I have something to tell you—Tang Huaiyu isn't coming!"
Dandan felt a sudden darkness descend upon her, and her spirits plummeted.
It hurts terribly.
It hurts terribly.
This pain strikes suddenly, like a sharp drill, piercing the eyes, drilling into the nasal cavity, prying open the throat, and stabbing straight into the internal organs...
His eyes burned fiercely, dry and scalding. Huaiyu felt a strange, desperate scream escape from his teeth. Completely unintentional, he was at a loss.
What happened?
He frantically covered his eyes, stumbling and falling heavily—so heavily, to prove he was still alive. His face was contorted with pain, his skin taut. He trembled uncontrollably, his whole body shaking and chilled.
What happened?
I bit my lower lip tightly, but the pain wouldn't stop, and blood seeped from my lips.
All I could hear was the pounding of a stringed instrument in my head, one beat after another, sharp and rough, making my head feel like it was about to explode and gush blood.
"...I'll return the things I borrowed when I have the chance!"