I'll wait for you amidst the romance of nature.

I opened the trunk of the car under the bright sunlight, took the suitcase from Yang Sisi, and put it in the car. At this moment, the others also came out of the inn, their faces showing a hint of reluctance.

Bai Lu first hugged Yang Sisi, then said in her ear with a choked voice, "Sisi, we won't take you to the airport later. When you go back to Shanghai, you should get along well with your parents. Although they have wronged you in some ways, they are the people who love you the most in their hearts. Try to understand them more... Also, don't forget about us. Come to Dali again when you have the chance."

"Yes, I won't forget."

Yang Sisi left Bai Lu's embrace, then looked at the other silent people before opening the car door and sitting in the back seat.

After gesturing to the others, I got into the car.

To prevent this sadness from lingering, I didn't even glance in the rearview mirror, stepped on the gas, and drove away from the inn. But the next instant, my mood subtly shifted. I had come with Yang Sisi, and now I was the only one seeing her off—it felt like a script with a beginning and an end echoing each other; like the end of a destiny.

I believe that once Yang Sisi returns to Shanghai, Lao Huang will no longer worry about our relationship. And time, being such a powerful force, might just allow Yang Sisi to fall in love with Xiao Bao one day.

The car had already driven from Longkan to Dali Road. Only then did I look at Yang Sisi sitting in the back through the rearview mirror. She was staring blankly out the window, with tear stains on her face, but she had stopped crying now.

I find it hard to put myself in her shoes and understand how she feels right now, because I always feel that going back to Shanghai or studying abroad would be her best choice.

……

While waiting at the traffic light, Yang Sisi finally spoke up, asking me, "What are your plans for the future?"

Subconsciously, it seemed like many people had asked me this question before, but when Yang Sisi asked it, my heart suddenly tightened, and then I felt a sudden urge to smoke.

While waiting at a red light, I lit a cigarette, took a drag, and replied, "I'm fine anywhere except Shanghai."

"You really dislike Shanghai that much?"

"It's not that I dislike the city, it's just that I don't like some things that happen there." After a slight pause, I continued, "You didn't want to stay in Shanghai before because you didn't like the living environment there, right? You should understand what I'm thinking."

"I don't understand... I don't understand what you're thinking... Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so foolish as to think you'd be the last one to stay and guard the inn; but unexpectedly, you were the first to give up... Heh, are hundreds of thousands really that important to you?"

"Of course it's important. If I had 40 yuan in savings six months ago, many things wouldn't have turned out this way... 40 yuan might only be worth a few handbags to you, but it could change the fate of people like us."

"I don't want to hear it, don't complain to me... we're not going to be on the same page anymore anyway!"

I nodded, then took another deep drag of my cigarette. Just then, the traffic light finally turned green, and I slammed on the gas, following closely behind the Teana in front of me, heading towards Airport Road.

……

At one o'clock, we arrived at the airport. I took the suitcase out of the trunk of the car and handed it to her, while I carried the woven bag and walked towards the terminal ahead of her.

I helped her check in her luggage, and she got her boarding pass. It felt like just a moment had passed before the moment of parting arrived. I couldn't help but think of what Ye Zhi had said to me last night. She said, "If I go back to my small mountain town, I'm afraid I'll never have another chance to see you again."

At this moment, Yang Sisi and I are in the same boat... I believe that soon after she returns to Shanghai, her family will send her abroad to reunite with Xiaobao; even if she returns to China, I will already be a 30-year-old man, and not only will our feelings have become distant, but I myself will no longer have the desire to see her, because after this parting, we will no longer be on the same path.

After calming my complicated emotions, I looked at the people queuing to go through security before saying to her, "Go ahead, and remember to send us a message when you get to Shanghai."

Yang Sisi cried.

This caught me off guard. I just stared at her blankly, not knowing how to comfort her.

She glared at me hatefully again...

I was even more at a loss.

She finally wiped away her tears, then turned around and followed the crowd to the place where people lined up to go through security.

My heart felt like it had been pierced by something sharp. I've been through so much, so I know that this parting might be forever. Just like that rainy night when Lu Jia and I parted.

I don't know what kind of emotion was driving me, but I just stood there, silently watching her back, and then my mind started to wander back to all those times we used to bicker together.

Time passed slowly, and Yang Sisi finally arrived at the security checkpoint. She handed her ID card and boarding pass to the security personnel, who then asked her to remove her hat.

I finally couldn't stand it anymore. I decided to leave; I didn't want to watch her leave like this. The next moment, I walked out of the terminal.

……

"Michael...you can't go...wait a minute."

The next second, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around me from behind. I turned around to look...

It was Yang Sisi, crying. The wind in Xiaguan had blown off her baseball cap, and her tears soaked my shoulder. I couldn't break free, nor could I.

After she calmed down, I finally asked her, "Why are you back again?"

She sobbed, "I'm afraid...afraid I'll never see you again...please let me stay, let me stay by your side, okay?"

My mind went blank, and in my daze, I didn't even know what she meant by saying all this to me.

She choked up again and said to me, "Why don't you come back to Shanghai with me... I'll have my dad arrange a job for you at his company. My family owns many properties in Shanghai, so you won't have to worry about housing anymore."

I finally snapped out of my daze. I stared at her for a long time before replying, "I don't know... what you mean by all this?"

Yang Sisi seemed to have calmed down, and then, as if gathering her courage, my heart started racing again...

"Let's be together. Come back to Shanghai with me, and I'll introduce you to my parents... I won't pressure you to buy a house in Shanghai like your ex-girlfriend did. As long as we can be together every day, that's enough... I don't care about your background; I just love your spirit... Before, I wasn't sure how I felt about you, but in that moment before leaving, I understood everything... The thought of never seeing you again, of marrying someone else, makes me incredibly sad... I didn't understand love before, but now I know what it feels like to like someone!... Come back to Shanghai with me! You'll have a brighter future there, because my parents will definitely help you... I don't want to see you worrying about making a living all the time... You're the person I most want to take from Dali!"