That winter, the snow had already been falling for months, and it had been half a year since Sophia had gone missing. Joey, somehow, had come into contact with a feng shui master who claimed to be able to predict fate and destiny. The master said that if they didn't find a good resting place for Sophia's soul, it would never find peace. So, without consulting Capone, Joey took matters into his own hands and arranged for Sophia to be buried on the northern part of Mesha Island, even selecting the tombstone. He tried to convince Capone to let go of his obsession with searching and to accept that she was gone.
Capone had nearly shot the master in the head with his gun. Furious, he warned that anyone who dared to interfere again would lose their friendship with him. He destroyed the so-called grave, especially the small mound meant for their unborn child. It was almost as though blood was welling up in his eyes from the sheer pain.
Sitting on the ground, Capone pulled out the Rope of Love bracelet he always carried with him, imagining what it would have been like if Sophia's delicate hands had worn the emerald-like diamond, or how their child, once reaching a hundred days, would have grabbed it and tried to slip it onto their chubby arm.
He didn't know how long he sat there, buried in the heavy snow, the thick white flakes almost completely covering him. No one dared to approach him. Had it not been for Marvin slapping him awake, perhaps his head and the Rope of Love would have been crushed against the stone markers.
With his heart and soul torn apart, he was determined to follow her, even in death.
"You don't get to destroy what your mother left behind!" Marvin's words were unclear—whether he referred to Capone's life or the diamond bracelet that had guided him toward happiness.
Marvin took the Rope of Love back, telling him to think things through before coming to take it back again. Despite his frailty, leaning on a cane, Marvin struggled with each step in the snow, but his resolve was firm.
Capone hadn't realized how old Marvin had grown. He remembered the days when Marvin would sneakily apply medicine to his wounds and buy him candy during the New Year celebrations.
When his mother remarried and passed away from depression, how did Marvin get through it?
"You're not happy? Why not go talk to Marvin? You're going on a business trip to Nan Shui City tomorrow, right?"
The hallucination hadn't completely faded, and that petite, considerate figure tugged at his arm and smiled up at him.
"I'm not unhappy! I'll go find Marvin… How about I bring you the Rope of Love?"
"You've said that so many times, but never once kept your word. You have no sincerity!" She pouted.
"This time I'm serious. We'll go together!"
He hastily threw on his coat and headed outside. The moment Lucy saw him muttering to himself, she knew it was another hallucination. Concerned, she called out to him.
"It's so early, the snow hasn't stopped yet. Don't go out. If anything's important, wait until the snow melts!"
Capone shook his head. He couldn't wait. He had been waiting all this time, thinking that Sophia would also wait for him, believing that they had a whole lifetime ahead of them. It didn't matter when he gave her the Rope of Love or when he showed her his heart; there would always be time.
But sometimes, a lifetime is very short—short enough that it can't withstand a glance backward.
One thought blossoms, and another fades.
Outside, the snow was still falling, and the snow from the night before had started to melt, turning into a thin layer of ice—wet and slippery. Capone was still wearing a thick outdoor jacket and khaki hiking boots. It was a bit cold, so he rubbed his hands together and asked Sophia, who appeared to be walking alongside him, "Are you cold? Let me hold your hands!"
She, as usual, dodged his touch. "Silly, I'm not cold!"
Capone didn't push it. Over the past four years, no matter how many times he saw her, she would only allow him to hold her close and share their warmth. She never let him touch her skin.
He chuckled, "Even if you're a cold, ghostly figure, I'm not afraid!"
She stuck out her tongue and made a face, "You're the ghost!"
Before they knew it, they had reached the alley. The first time they came here, they had been holding hands, and she was afraid of getting lost.
Capone knocked on the door, and when the wooden door creaked open, Marvin, wearing reading glasses and an old military coat, came running to answer it.
"What's the rush this early?" He was a little annoyed when he saw who was at the door but quickly opened it wide and let Capone inside.
Capone sat in a chair, silent, until Rainie pushed the door open and, with a sympathetic tone, said, "Look at you, looking so worn out—another sleepless night, right? Did you dream about that girl, Sophia, again?"
She didn't understand the hallucinations caused by the belladonna leaves, thinking it was just a dream. To her, everything Capone saw, heard, and spoke of was just a dream born from deep sorrow and longing.
Capone remained silent, which she took as an affirmation.
Marvin asked, "Have you figured it out? Ready to face it? What made you decide to come for it now?"
Capone looked out at the vast whiteness beyond the window. "There's no particular reason. I just want to take it. Four years ago, it was snowing like this, and now it's snowing again... The port has never had this much snow in such a short time."
"So what? Do you think this is some kind of sign from the heavens?" Marvin sighed. "You're just as stubborn as your mother!"
"Did you hear that? Stubborn ox!" The petite figure beside him popped up and wrinkled her nose at him.
Capone smiled at her.
Rainie tugged on Marvin's sleeve and whispered, "Just give it to him. Maybe it's fate? Who can say what's meant to be? Let him have something to hold onto, it's not a bad thing."
Even if he could never find Sophia again, if he happened to find another girl he liked, it would be perfect to give it to her.
Besides, Capone was no longer the same person he had been four years ago, when everything first happened. He had learned to control himself.
Marvin thought for a moment, then went to grab the rosewood box. He took out the bracelet, wrapped in red velvet cloth, and handed it to Capone. "Take care of it. If you ever think of destroying it again, I'll make sure you never see it again! And when my old bones finally enter the ground, I'll tell your mother everything—she won't forgive you either!"
Capone nodded, solemnly cradling the bracelet and placing it in his chest as if returning his heart to its rightful place.
But for every day he couldn't find Sophia, his heart would remain still—lifeless and silent.
"It's rare that you're here, so stay for some pasta before you go! You haven't had my cook in a long time, have you? Eat some before you head back!"
Capone stood up. The morning light reflected off the white snow on the outside wall, blinding him for a moment. He looked around, but there was no sign of Sophia, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
She liked good food, so if she were here, he would stay. Rainie's cook were one of a kind.
But with her not by his side, nothing seemed to matter.
"No, I'll head back first. I need to go to the airport in the afternoon!"
His back remained straight and youthful, but the arrogant energy of a few years ago was missing, making him seem a little lonely amidst the heavy snow.
Rainie sighed, and Marvin closed the rosewood box with a weary expression. "His soul is lost, he has no taste anymore—nothing matters to him, whether he eats or not. Let him be!"
That little boy who needed to eat a piece of golden candy to feel that the year had passed, that young man who was afraid of spicy food and blushed at the touch of chili, now couldn't even distinguish between sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy…
There was probably nothing left in this world that could make him smile happily or cry recklessly.
Capone walked away, the snow swirling around him, his footsteps heavy in the cold silence. His mind was blank, yet haunted by the absence of Sophia. He didn't know where he was going, only that he couldn't stop moving. The world seemed to spin, but he remained stuck in place.
Only he knew how deeply he was hurting, the weight of it pressing down on him with every step. The emptiness in his chest felt like a void that nothing could fill. No one could understand the depth of his pain; it was his burden to bear alone.