Sheng Ning shook her head, "No thanks." She was just feeling irritated and had a strong desire to see him, so she came impulsively.
Now, left standing at the door, though a bit dizzy, her heart had calmed down.
The calmer she felt, the more miserable she became. It seemed as if her newly set goals were about to be shattered before they even had a chance to come to fruition.
She wanted to give up, wanted to turn around and leave, but the thought of Xu Qigang's warm embrace before his death made it hard for her to let go.
Sheng Ning gritted her teeth, squatted by the door, and hugged her knees tightly.
"Miss, our captain is in a meeting, you'd better go back." Liu Chun said, scratching his head apologetically.
Sheng Ning stood up, forced back her tears, nodded, and said, "I understand." Xu Qigang didn't want to see her, she knew that.
Of course! How could a cold man like him meet with just any woman? If he came out to see every woman who looked for him, wouldn't she cry even more?
Understanding this, Sheng Ning's sense of grievance disappeared. She smiled at Liu Chun instead, no longer looking pitiful as before.
"Heh heh heh... I'm glad you're not angry." Liu Chun said awkwardly, scratching his head.
"I'm not angry, I came too abruptly. Don't worry, even though I look so pitiful now, one day, I will make Xu Qigang beg me to come back." Sheng Ning spoke with great ambition.
Liu Chun gave her a thumbs up, "Miss, if you can really make our captain beg you, you will be the person I admire the most."
"That's called an idol."
"Fine! Idol it is. So how are you going back? There's no transportation at this hour."
"No problem! I can walk back."
Liu Chun had taken leave to come out and tell her the news, so he couldn't stay long. After saying a few words, he hurried back inside.
Sheng Ning saw that the sun was about to set, she didn't want to waste any more time, so she walked towards the city. In the 1980s, the countryside was still desolate. It took her two hours to reach the city.
Her feet were covered in blisters by the time she reached the train station, and it was already dark. Exhausted, she skipped dinner, bought a ticket, and caught the last train home, falling asleep on the train.
In the middle of the night, Sheng Ning woke up from a nightmare.
In the cramped carriage, many people were resting. She lay on the table, her arms numb.
She found a piece of clothing to wrap around herself, got up to pour a cup of hot water, and felt much better after drinking it slowly.
She dreamt of her past life again, scenes like nightmares haunting her.
Shen Jianguo's hurt voice, Meng Ping's sinister gaze... all of it made her shudder.
Holding the cup, she broke out in a cold sweat despite the hot weather.
In the second half of the night, Sheng Ning couldn't fall asleep. The green train sped through the wilderness, and by dawn, it reached Tong'an County.
Sheng Ning's hometown was here.
A small, inconspicuous town in northeast China. She got off the train, counted the money in her pocket, and had a cup of soy milk. She spent one yuan on a bus ticket to the town.
In her previous life, it was this time when her stepsister married the town mayor's foolish son. This time, she would reclaim the lost time.
The bus was a rickety, old vehicle commonly seen in rural villages. There weren't enough seats, so many villagers placed their market purchases on the floor as makeshift benches.