Gao Wu: I'll enjoy the benefits, but you'll bear the side effects.

After this incident, Gao Jie seemed to fall into a long and chaotic nightmare, and it took him a month to finally recover.

During that period, he often felt as if he had been severely defeated by life, an invisible opponent, and his heart was filled with frustration and loss, and all his former energy and spirit had been drained away.

However, after getting through this most difficult period, he unexpectedly entered a more calm and serene state in his subsequent studies.

Every day, I went to class, took notes, and spent time in the library, without experiencing those dramatic emotional ups and downs.

Time seemed to have been sped up by someone, and in the blink of an eye, they faced their final graduation exam.

For Gao Jie, this assessment was not only an academic test, but also a form of self-redemption.

In the end, Gao Jie won the grand prize with the outstanding achievement of ranking first in the entire school.

But when everyone thought he would naturally stay in Nanjing and embark on a more exciting life journey, he made a completely different decision—he didn't want to stay in this city full of memories and regrets.

With the generous scholarship of 100 million yuan awarded by the school, he was full of plans to take his parents back to their hometown, a quiet and simple place that held the warmth of his childhood.

Huang Xu, with his outstanding skills, has been recruited as a special expert, thus stepping into a brand new field full of challenges and opportunities.

As for what happened to the others, Gao Jie had no interest in finding out or thinking about it anymore. It was as if those noisy and lively days of the past had been sealed away with the arrival of graduation.

But life is unpredictable. Lu Mingwan, who was once riding high, had her company suddenly caught in a storm. Due to some complicated issues, it was shut down overnight.

Lu Mingwan herself was not spared from this calamity and was directly dragged into the storm.

When Gao Jie heard the news, he was stunned for a long time. He felt that everything had happened too fast, like a sharp lightning bolt that instantly shattered his gradually calming life. He was somewhat incredulous, and more than that, he never expected that someone he used to know would leave his sight in such a way.

But what can be done now? The wheels of life wait for no one, and we can only move forward helplessly. It must be said that for some people, their fate seems to be a winding path, predetermined by fate.

That morning, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window, casting a warm glow into the corners of the room. Gao Jie had already gotten up early and efficiently tidied everything up.

As he pulled his suitcase to the door, he called out to the kitchen, "Mom and Dad, are you ready? We're about to leave! Dad will drive his brand new car; we'll go sightseeing along the way. I've heard there are lots of fun places near Nanjing."

In the kitchen, Wang Fang and Gao Zhanlin were busy early in the morning, making dumplings, filling the house with the aroma of flour. Hearing her son's words, Wang Fang smiled and replied, "Almost there, almost there. Once we finish these, we'll pack the things in the car after we finish eating. It'll be time to say goodbye to this place where we've lived for almost three years."

Huang Xu was unable to attend the farewell ceremony due to his participation in an important conference, but David Lay showed up on time.

As soon as she entered the door, the aroma of dumplings made her mouth water.

"It smells so good! Auntie made dumplings again today. I'm so lucky to have some!"

Without any hesitation, Davidla walked to the dining table, grabbed a bowl, and started scooping up dumplings.

Seeing David's unpretentious manner and eager way of scooping up dumplings, Wang Fang's smile deepened. The crow's feet etched at the corners of her eyes seemed to be filled with joy, radiating a warm and friendly aura.

As she placed the dumpling wrapper she was still clutching onto the cutting board, she said:

"I knew you would come. Ever since we were making dumplings yesterday, I've made sure to save some raw dumplings for you. Freshly cooked dumplings are fragrant, but the warmth of freshly cooked ones really warms you right up to your heart, and that's what makes them taste so good."

As she spoke, she deftly untied the ties on her apron, folded it neatly, and placed it on the stool beside her. Then she lifted her leg and prepared to walk towards the kitchen.

Before leaving, she turned back and said with a smile, "Just sit here and wait a while. I'll go cook some dumplings for you right away. I'll boil some water on the stove, and it'll be ready in no time."

Davidra's mouth was stuffed full, his cheeks bulging like a little hamster's, and he was chewing diligently. Hearing this, he could only wave his hand vaguely and give a mumbled reply:

"No need to be so polite, Auntie. You should keep these raw dumplings for yourself and enjoy them slowly. These ready-made cooked dumplings are already so satisfying to eat right now. I've been craving them for so long."

As she spoke, she popped another dumpling into her mouth and squinted her eyes contentedly.

At this moment, Gao Jie walked over from the living room, steadily holding a glass of slightly chilled beverage in his hand. He gently pushed it in front of David, a faint smile on his lips: "Principal Dai, please have some beverage to cleanse your palate."

"Well, you're quite the gentleman. Aren't you busy today? How come you have time to come over? I thought you'd be busy for a while," Gao Jie joked, his eyes showing a hint of curiosity and surprise.

David swallowed the food in his mouth, gently patted his chest to catch his breath, and then revealed a gentle smile:

"To be honest, there wasn't anything particularly urgent to do today. I did have a meeting scheduled, but I handed it over to someone else. As soon as I heard you were leaving, I thought I should at least see you off."

She paused, her eyes becoming more serious as she looked directly at Gao Jie. "Are you really going to leave?"

"Actually, if you had stayed, I think your career would have been much better, at least much better than it is now."

David leaned forward slightly, trying to persuade her, "Nanjing is a place with many opportunities and extensive connections. With your abilities, your future is sure to be bright."

Gao Jie smiled and slowly shook his head, his eyes revealing an unwavering determination:

"It's impossible for me to stay here now. You can all see that right now, I'm much more inclined to leave than stay. Too much has happened here, and I'm thinking it's time for a change of scenery, to find a fresh start, and to leave all the past troubles behind."

Hearing these words, David was momentarily incredulous. She clicked her tongue, feeling regretful but mostly helpless. She knew that once Gao Jie made a decision, nothing could change it.

Gao Jie rubbed his hands together, as if trying to wash away any lingering hesitation.

Before long, he stood up, looked around the familiar house, and shouted, "Mom and Dad, it's about time we left!" In his words, he was already preparing to leave the place where he had lived for several years.

Seeing this, Davidra also got up and silently helped carry the luggage to the car, escorting it all the way to the door.

As she watched the car slowly start moving, she stood there and waved until the car disappeared at the end of the road. Only then did she turn around, feeling a little lonely, and slowly return to school.

Meanwhile, Gao Jie and his family of three sat in the car, enjoying the scenery along the way.

The car drove slowly towards home, the scenery outside the window changing like a slideshow, fields, mountains, and towns flashing by one by one.

Gao Zhanlin gripped the steering wheel steadily, glancing at his wife and children through the rearview mirror from time to time, feeling completely at ease.

This family car cost Gao Jie 40 yuan. It has a stylish exterior and a comfortable interior, embodying the family's aspirations for a new life.

It was as if their time in Jinling was just a long dream, and their lives had never truly lingered there. Everything had returned to its starting point, appearing so peaceful, and life had returned to its usual routine.

Just like many wanderers who have been away from home for many years, after going through many ups and downs, they still have to return to the place where they were born and raised, to the warmest and most incredible hometown in their memories.

As for what happened next, it was far beyond what anyone could imagine; it was a kind of undisturbed fear.

After returning home, Gao Zhanlin continued doing his old job, and Wang Fang continued living her own life.

Gao Jie continued to develop his relationship with the new mayor, and they got along well and worked together.

Time seemed to pass by slowly like this, and a few years later...

Gao Jie finally met a girl he liked, and they walked down the aisle together. A year later, they had twins.

It seems that the story becomes perfect here.

But then again, you know what will happen next...

Later I heard that Huang Xu actually became a senior manager in Jinling, but he had many unbelievable little flaws, and in the end he didn't last long in his position before being taken down.

Later, it seems that Devilla also left and went abroad, presumably due to marital problems. In short, it all seems to have come to an end.

One morning, Gao Jie was chatting and laughing with his family, preparing to go out and play, when suddenly someone knocked on the door, leaving Gao Jie looking puzzled.

He opened the door and found that it was the deliveryman holding something in his hand. Just as he was wondering about it, he realized that it was sent from overseas. He thought it was someone's package, but it turned out to be a package that had been sent to the wrong address.

"Goodness, I thought it was sent to me."

"Hurry up and leave. Since it's not your package, why are you staying?"

His wife urged him to prepare to go back and see Gao Zhanlin and the others.

Time flies like a fleeting cloud.

Gao Jie gradually grew old. Before he knew it, he had walked through decades. His children had all grown up, started their own families, and were no longer the same as they used to be.

Gao Jie still likes to daydream at the coffee shop near his home, as if this has become a daily routine.

However, the time spent in a daze did not seem to last long, and then we received the latest information.

Gao Jie immediately looked out the window, but the person who walked in was smiling broadly at him.

"Why are you standing here alone, lost in thought? Did your wife yell at you?"

Gao Jie shook his head.

"My wife left three years ago. How are you doing?"

"I never imagined that anyone would remember the vow we made back then, that someone would actually come here. It's truly unbelievable. Do you think we were really destined for this?"

And the person who came here was indeed Huang Muran.

"What do you mean by destiny? It's all something we orchestrated ourselves. It's our desire to conquer and what we want to see. It has nothing to do with the issues we've considered. Don't overthink it. After all, some issues are beyond our control."

"By the way, I heard you've been doing quite well lately. What have you been up to all this time?"

"I've heard that you've been just standing here in a daze. People say you're a very strange old man, aren't you?"

"By the way, where's Huang Xu? He was the most mischievous guy when he was young."

Upon hearing this, before he could ask any further questions, Gao Jie suddenly spoke.

"Who said he didn't come? He's been here for ages, okay?"

"It's obvious you two don't have good chemistry, that old man."

As he spoke, Gao Jie took out Huang Xu's black and white photo from behind his back and placed it on the table.

Then the two of them raised their glasses and clinked them together with Huang Xu's!

"Cheers!"

end.