Sweetie, sleep with me tonight.

On the day Zhao Yuan was buried, after nearly half a month of scorching heat, it suddenly started to drizzle.

The temperature dropped sharply, bringing a touch of coolness to this sweltering heat.

There weren't many people from the Zhao family; only He Zhuo and Lin Qi came to see Zhao Yuan off on his final journey.

He Zhuo knelt before Zhao Yuan's tombstone and silently placed the things Zhao Yuan liked to eat most during his lifetime.

Jiang Youxi held an umbrella and stood guard beside her the whole time.

From day to night, He Zhu knelt for more than seven hours until all the gifts he had sent were burned and the flames went out. Only then did the man move, get up, and leave.

He Zhuo remained silent all day. Jiang Youxi knew he was in a bad mood and silently stayed by his side.

He Zhuo immediately called the police to report Zhao Fei for drug use.

"Zhao Fei has already escaped."

He Zhuo frowned: "What?"

Lin Qi said, "Someone had already called the police before this."

"Who?"

"Zhao Yuan."

"..."

"Zhao Yuan not only provided evidence of Zhao Fei's drug use, but also evidence of being abused by Zhao Fei for six months. The evidence is conclusive, and we are issuing a warrant for his arrest." Lin Qi paused. "Zhao Yuan said this is the last thing he will do for you."

"He hopes to eliminate Zhao Fei, this potential threat, before he dies."

Zhao Yuan understands Zhao Fei, and Zhao Fei also understands Zhao Yuan.

Especially knowing Zhao Yuan's feelings for He Zhuo.

Lin Qi asked, "Has Zhao Fei been threatening and intimidating you, demanding money?"

"I sent a text message."

"Have you made a phone call?"

"No, he wouldn't dare."

Lin Qi thought about it and realized that Zhao Fei, besides being a drug addict, was also a gambler. Most of the money that Chi Kuo had given to Zhao Yuanhui over the years ended up in his own pocket.

The two brothers must have argued about money that day, otherwise Zhao Yuan wouldn't have been beaten so badly by Zhao Fei.

"Okay, I understand the situation. We'll continue the search and let you know if there's any progress."

"Thanks."

"Why are you being so polite with me?" Lin Qi asked earnestly. "Like Zhao Yuan, I also want you to be happy."

"He Zhuo, don't let Zhao Yuan down."

He Zhuo was taken aback for a moment, then nodded: "Understood."

After hanging up the phone, He Zhuo went to the Zhao family home to collect Zhao Yuan's belongings.

Jiang Youxi also went with him to pack.

While tidying up, Jiang Youxi realized how difficult and impoverished Zhao Yuan's life had been all these years.

Even though He Zhuo gave him 20,000 yuan every month, Zhao Yuan's quality of life didn't improve much because of Zhao Fei, that bloodsucker.

Jiang Youxi caught something out of the corner of her eye and paused.

There was a pretty and unique conch shell in the corner.

Jiang Youxi walked over, picked it up and took a look, only to find that it was actually a handcrafted candlestick.

"He Zhuo, come and take a look."

He Zhuo walked over and stared blankly at the candlestick in Jiang Youxi's hand.

He took it and looked at it, gently stroking the spiral pattern on the surface of the conch shell with his fingertips.

The conch shell is filled with wax, and a candle wick sits on top. The opening is surrounded by transparent glass, with a small window in the glass wall to make it easy to light the candle.

The shell looks quite old, but its surface is clean and tidy, without a speck of dust.

It is evident that someone has been taking care of and cleaning it for a long time, which is why the surface of the conch is so new, as if it was just picked up from the sea.

Seeing that he was staring at it quietly, Jiang Youxi asked, "This is... Zhao Yuan's?"

He Zhuo nodded: "Back then, there was often no electricity, and it was inconvenient for me to get up at night to take care of my grandfather, so he said he would make a candlestick for me."

Looking at the candlestick made of a conch shell in his hand, Jiang Youxi vaguely guessed what was going on.

Presumably, this candlestick was never given away, which is why it has remained in the Zhao family for so many years.

This also shows that Zhao Yuan has always cherished this candlestick.

He had been waiting for an opportunity.

Waiting for an opportunity to meet He Zhuo again.

"When we were little, he was the first person to take the initiative to play with me," He Zhuo told her, reminiscing about the many times they spent together. "We went beachcombing together, played ball together, celebrated the New Year together, and took care of Grandpa together."

"No matter what we do, we almost always do it together, inseparable. I didn't like eating seafood before, but in Fish Village, resources are scarce, and we live by the sea, so we can only eat things from the sea."

"Gradually, I got used to it, got used to the fishy smell, and slowly came to like eating those things."

No wonder Aunt Zhang said he likes to eat seafood; it turns out it's a habit he kept from when he was in Fish Village.

In resource-scarce areas, you can eat whatever you like, as long as you can survive and it's not poisonous.

In fact, there are many, many impoverished places like Yuzhong Village. Compared to other places with harsh environments and no food to eat, Yuzhong Village at least has seafood to supplement its nutrition.

He Zhuo was lost in his memories: "Everyone thought I liked seafood, but only Zhao Yuan could tell that I didn't really like seafood. So whenever he had pocket money, he would take me to town to buy Uncle Chen's fried chicken, saying it was to improve our meals."

Back then, in such a backward place, having a chicken leg to eat was already a luxury, let alone such a high-class fried chicken leg.

"Xi Xi," He Zhuo said, his head bowed, the deep sorrow in his heart still vivid, "I regret it so much."

I regret not meeting him sooner.

"I've never told you this, but I've always been worried about being blamed by him." He Zhuo said with deep regret, "Over the years, I've secretly come back to see Grandma every year, without letting anyone see me, especially the people from Yuzhong Village."

"But I know that I'm not actually afraid of those people in Yuzhong Village, but I'm afraid of seeing Zhao Yuan and of him saying those things to my face."

"I always thought he hated me," He Zhuo said, his eyes red-rimmed. "But it wasn't until the day he left that I realized he never blamed me. He felt guilty, just like me, and thought he had dragged me down with him."

"He always wanted to see me, to explain things to me. He held onto this belief for ten whole years. And I..." He Zhuo's voice gradually broke, "Because of fear and cowardice, I didn't dare to face him, which caused us to miss so many years."

Jiang Youxi walked over, hugged him, and gently stroked his head: "He Zhuo, don't blame yourself. If it weren't for you, he would have lost his faith in life and wouldn't have been able to live for so many more years."

"In his heart, you have always been his best friend."

Whether it is the past, the present, or the future.

No matter where you are, whether you are separated by life or death.

The bond of friendship between them has always remained.

It will never break with time.

Jiang Youxi stayed with him at the Zhao family's house for a very long time until he calmed down. Then the two of them held hands and went home under the silvery moonlight.

-

Zhao Yuan's departure dealt a significant blow to He Zhuo, and he has been in a low mood for the past few days, unable to muster the energy to do anything.

Meng Lan needed to go to the hospital in town for dialysis. Just as she was planning to take her grandmother to the hospital with Jiang Xu, He Zhuo suddenly offered to take her grandmother there.

He Zhuo is like a pillar of support and stability in the family. With him around, Jiang Youxi feels that she has direction and motivation in everything she does.

Meng Lan is in poor health and will need to stay in the hospital for a few more days after dialysis until she is sure she is alright before she can be discharged.

These past few days, He Zhuo has been staying at the hospital to take care of Meng Lan, with Jiang Youxi and Jiang Xu taking turns with him.

Meng Lan needed to go home to get something, and Jiang Xu, bored at the hospital, went back with Jiang Youxi.

They hailed a taxi by the roadside and got in: "Driver, Yuzhong Village, thank you."

The car started and drove away, leaving the bustling town behind.

Jiang Xu was so sleepy that he fell fast asleep as soon as he got in the car.

Jiang Youxi shook her head helplessly, looked out the window at the receding road scenery.

But as I looked around, I found the environment becoming increasingly unfamiliar.

"Master, are you taking the wrong road?"

"Yes, this is the road."

Jiang Youxi frowned slightly.

That voice sounds so familiar.

Jiang Youxi looked at the driver who was driving.

He was wearing a face mask, and the brim of his baseball cap was pulled low, obscuring his eyes and making it impossible to see his face.

The feeling of unease grew stronger.

"Never mind, driver, you can stop the car now. We'll get off here."

"Miss Jiang, you're already on the bus, why are you getting off?"

Jiang Youxi asked in surprise, "You know me?"

That voice sounds so familiar.

"Yes, didn't I already say that?" He took off his mask, revealing that familiar face—

"Miss Jiang, we will meet again."

"Is it you?"