The two criminals were not seriously injured, just a bit of bloodshed, and since both had a criminal record, they were already under criminal detention by the local police. Xie Shang was not restricted from leaving the country, and he changed his mind at the last minute and returned home with Wen Changling. He was still driving that SUV, still took that sparsely populated road, and still carried that hunting rifle. He was really bold, never learning his lesson, only teaching others a lesson.
Xie Shang was in first class, Wen Changling was in economy, and Xie Shang said goodbye to Wen Changling when they checked their tickets.
She also replied, "Goodbye."
He waved his hand and went in first, taking the VIP channel.
The flight back to the Empire took thirteen hours, and by the time the plane landed, it was 00:08 Empire time.
Shortly after getting off the plane, Wen Changling received a phone call.
"Where are you?"
It was a very young voice.
"Getting my luggage."
The other person said, "I'm waiting for you at the airport's Exit 1."
After collecting her suitcase, Wen Changling dragged it toward Exit 1. Along the way, three taxi drivers asked her if she needed a ride, but she politely declined and quickened her pace.
In front of Exit 1 was the roadway, and to the left of the pedestrian crossing were four stone bollards meant for blocking vehicles. Yan Cong was sitting on top of a bollard, dozing off, fighting the urge to sleep and occasionally forcing his heavy eyelids to stay open and look towards the exit.
Occasionally, a traveler would pass by, their gaze lingering on his face.
Wen Changling came out.
Yan Cong immediately stood up, waking from his drowsiness and jogging over.
He took her luggage, yawned with a heavy nasal voice, and complained, "Why'd you take such a late flight? I'm about to die of sleepiness."
Just by his voice, he sounded like the most favored young master in a wealthy family, always pampered, hence a bit of a bad temper. But since he was good-looking—in a way that was appealing to both men and women, leaving no room for resistance—those small fits of temper were also forgiven.
He looked young, with a strong youthful air, and his skin was particularly pale, as if never exposed to sunlight. He was tall but very thin, which gave him a somewhat frail and sickly appearance, yet his eyebrows and eyes were flamboyant, carrying the defiant air that only impetuous youth possess.
"I said you didn't have to come pick me up."
Wen Changling tried to take back her suitcase to carry it herself.
Yan Cong flicked his hand and walked around to the other side, his overly long legs taking small, reluctant steps to keep pace with Wen Changling.
"It's not safe for you to take a cab alone this late." He yawned again, truly sleepy, "Did you have a smooth journey?"
"Very smooth."
"You dyed your hair," Yan Cong noticed immediately.
"Hmm."
He lagged a step behind, reached out a finger, and brushed the tips of Wen Changling's hair, tickling her. After touching his fingers, he hurried to catch up with Wen Changling.
There was a car parked on the side of the road in front, a black one, not very ostentatious, except for the license plate.
Wen Changling saw Xie Shang, and he also saw her. He simply nodded without approaching to greet, and then got into that not-so-subtle car.
The journey was over, and they were once again strangers to one another.
The car Yan Cong had called was nearby.
"Why did you return a day late?"
"Stayed an extra day for fun," Wen Changling didn't mention the incident with the robbers.
The driver got out, took the luggage and put it in the trunk, and was about to help the passengers with the door when Yan Cong had already opened it and was waiting for Wen Changling to get in first.
He also sat in the back, alongside Wen Changling.
"Going to work tomorrow?"
"Yes."
He started to feel sleepy again, slumping bonelessly backward, his head tilted towards Wen Changling and his eyelids half-closed in her direction, "Don't go, take a few days off."
"I'm out of annual leave."
"I'll go ask for you." He didn't think much of it and took it for granted, "My face is still something your hospital director will consider."
The Yan Family was in the sports equipment business, and his father was a retired world tennis champion. Although their main business wasn't in the capital, the Yan Family still had some influence there. Additionally, Dihong Hospital and Mingde Medical had a partnership, and the chairman of Mingde Medical was Yan Cong's uncle, so the hospital director indeed had to give some consideration to Yan Cong's influence.
Yan Cong followed in his father's footsteps, initially training in sports, ice hockey specifically. Two years ago, he made it into the national team, but then fell ill and switched to business school. He's a freshman this year.
Wen Changling didn't want to seek special treatment: "Don't bother, it will provoke gossip."
She and Yan Cong were close, and many people in the hospital knew it.
"Let them talk."
She was always like this, always wanting to keep her distance from him.
Yan Cong was a bit angry and turned his head away, no longer paying attention to Wen Changling.
About three minutes passed.
He petulantly tugged at the net bag behind the co-driver's seat, flipped over, sat up, reached over the seat to grab the box from the co-pilot's side, and shoved it into Wen Changling's hands.
"Here."
It was a small cake.
Yan Cong was Wen Changling's friend; they had met in the hospital. Two years ago, Yan Cong was undergoing chemotherapy at Dihong Hospital. At that time, he was only seventeen years old, a temperamental prodigy who would become furious at the smallest provocation. There wasn't a nurse who came to administer injections or deliver medicine, aside from Wen Changling, who hadn't been hit by a pillow he threw.
Because his medication was bitter, only Wen Changling would prepare sugar in advance. He couldn't stand bitterness; he had a sweet tooth.
And only Wen Changling would whisper to him when he was in so much pain that he couldn't stop tossing and turning, choosing a moment when no one else was around: "You're not yet an adult, you're a child, and when a child is in great pain, they can cry."
Of course, he would never cry, not even if it killed him.
He did grab Wen Changling's clothes, a little bit scared: "I'm not going to die, right?"
"Right, you're not going to die."
That time, he didn't die, luckily enough.
Afterwards, he came to really trust Wen Changling; whatever she said, he believed.
*****
Wen Changling didn't feel comfortable letting Yan Cong go back alone, so she had the driver take him first, then headed back to Lotus Pond Street herself. When she got home, it was almost one o'clock.
She pushed open the door, and Huahua came to greet her.
Huahua was the calico cat that was very adept at catching mice, owned by Granny Zhu, the landlady.
"Meow."
Huahua ran to her feet and rubbed against her with its head: "Meow."
"I'm back." Granny Zhu was also in the yard, not yet asleep.
All the lights in the yard were on.
Wen Changling expressed her gratitude to Granny Zhu: "Thank you for leaving the door open for me."
Granny Zhu had an unhappy expression on her face: "Don't come back so late next time; if you're not sleeping, I need to."
Granny Zhu was actually a very kind person, a typical hard-shelled but soft-hearted old lady. Whenever she cooked something delicious, she always kept a portion for Wen Changling.
"I bought you a gift."
Wen Changling opened her suitcase and took out the present she bought from Lileitu.
Despite Granny Zhu reproaching, "You have so much money you don't know where to burn it," her eyes couldn't help but peek.
"I didn't buy anything expensive."
In the courtyard was a disused bamboo bed, wiped clean, on which Huahua was curled up. Wen Changling and Granny Zhu sat on the other end.
Granny Zhu opened the box: "What's this? Tea leaves?"
"It's dried flowers from Beauty Sunflower, it dyes hair when soaked in water." Wen Changling touched her freshly dyed hair, "This is for black, you mentioned you wanted to dye your hair, right? This one is good, it doesn't damage the scalp at all, and only a little is needed to dye it really dark."