Debt repaid.
Contract signed.
Little Bun went back to kindergarten.
Ye Wan's mood was indescribably relaxed, feeling the sky above unusually blue and the sunlight exceptionally bright.
As evening approached, the city center gradually became noisy.
On the food street, shop owners were busy preparing for the upcoming dinner rush.
In the square, loving elderly people, young parents, toddlers taking faltering steps.
Everywhere you looked was infused with a sense of well-being.
If only mom and dad were still here...
Ye Wan looked up at the beautiful sunset, couldn't help but touch the corner of her eye, and then turned and ran towards the food street.
Chen's stinky tofu.
Granny Hu's oyster omelette.
Just-out-of-the-pot osmanthus cake from Minghua Building.
Strolling and snacking along the way, when it got dark, Ye Wan let out a satisfied burp and leisurely headed to the hotel.
...
On the steps of Sicheng Grand Hotel, Rong Qian had just reached out his hand when he received a warning look from Lu Changchuan.
Rong Qian awkwardly retracted his hand, "Ninth Master, your eyes haven't fully recovered yet. Dean Wen said you need to rest and recuperate."
Five meters distance maintained, yet the road beneath could still be seen distinctly clear.
Lu Changchuan strode out, "I'm just going to walk nearby, no need to follow."
When he said no need to follow, it was really just him that didn't need to follow.
A bodyguard was unavoidable.
Rong Qian hesitated, but didn't follow.
It was early summer, with the days gradually lengthening. Even though it was seven o'clock, the sky was still bright.
Without the glaring sunlight, Lu Changchuan felt his eyes were much more comfortable, and his vision seemed to have improved quite a bit as well.
The main thoroughfare was bustling with traffic.
Surrounding him were men and women, their faces relaxed, shedding the fatigue of the day.
The scent of everyday life hit him full in the face.
Glancing up, he saw the pedestrian bridge spanning the main road.
Lu Changchuan walked up onto the bridge.
He could see the twinkling tail lights of cars below, and the changing red and green lights in the distance were a bit blurry, but much better than a few days ago.
In a few days, his eyes should be able to recover to normal.
His agitated mood eased considerably, Lu Changchuan leaned on the railing, trying to make out the license plates on the cars below.
Dong, dong, dong...
When the chime rang from afar, Ye Wan standing under the bridge had just popped the last takoyaki ball into her mouth and casually threw the paper box and bamboo skewer into the trash can.
As the chime rang, Ye Wan instinctively looked back, towards the distant skyline dominated by towering buildings.
Her complexion visibly paled.
One week ago, at this time.
The Ye family went bankrupt, her father accessed the roof, and leapt off.
In that moment, what was father thinking?
Despair, guilt, self-reproach...
There must also have been reluctance and longing for his family, right?
If time could be reversed, Ye Wan truly wanted to go back to that moment, even if just to say one thing to her dad.
Just one thing would have been enough.
Dad, even if our glory and splendor are gone, you still have us... as long as you live, there is hope!
Tears surged forth, and somehow, she sensed that mom and dad were watching over her. Ye Wan raised her hand to wipe away the tears, and walked onto the bridge composed and serene.
Looking up again, she saw a young man with a somber expression, hands on the rail.
Is he... about to end it all?
A "Hey" got stuck in her throat, afraid it would be the catalyst that made him jump faster, Ye Wan lunged forward.
Ye Wan did not expect the man to let go of the rail.
Lu Changchuan did not expect to be ambushed.
The bodyguards hidden in the shadows did not expect that this slender, frail-looking girl would appear out of nowhere, with such strength.
Under the bridge, Rong Qian held his forehead: it's over!