After hanging up the call with Jiang Zhida, Jiang Zhiyi sat quietly for a long time, lost in a tangle of thoughts.

Could she really let go of Qian Ran?

She asked herself, but the answer was unclear.

Just thinking about it made her chest ache, so much so that she could hardly breathe.

And what about her parents?

Could she truly sever ties with them?

She knew that was impossible.

Despite their insistence on her following the path they’d set for her, they’d always treated her well otherwise.

She couldn’t imagine a life where she never returned home or spoke to her family again.

As Jiang Zhida had pointed out, her parents were getting old, and so was her grandfather.

She realized she’d been selfish, hiding from the truth she didn’t want to face.

That evening, Jiang Zhiyi sat in the embassy office, covering her face as silent tears streamed down.

The issues she’d been avoiding had been laid bare by Jiang Zhida, and now she could no longer deceive herself.

She had been a coward.

Unable to stand up to her parents, she had run away.

And after offending people in Yang City, she had fled abroad.

She knew that Qian Ran loved her, yet even knowing how unhealthy their current situation was, she couldn’t bring herself to let him go.

She did love her dreams, but deep down, she understood that she could pursue those same dreams back home.

However, she was scared.

Scared of causing trouble again, scared that her actions might bring harm to her family.

When she first left for abroad, she thought she could sacrifice everything for her dreams.

But now, faced with the question, she realized the answer was no.

She couldn’t abandon everything.

And yet, could she really let go of all she had fought so hard to establish abroad? She was torn.

In this foreign country, she had worked hard, integrating herself into the local community, seeking stories worth reporting, and finally earning recognition from news outlets back home.

She had made a name for herself, and leaving now would mean losing all of it.

As dusk settled in, Jiang Zhiyi sat in the darkening office, engulfed by the shadows creeping in from the window.

She didn’t move, her head down, completely immersed in the night.

After a long while, there was a knock at the door.

Jiang Zhiyi jolted slightly, as though waking from a dream, and asked in a hoarse, weary voice, “Who is it?”

“It’s dinner time, Miss Jiang,” came the familiar voice of Heida, who had followed her here and never returned home since.

Following Qian Ran’s orders, he was diligent in his duty to protect her, even reminding her to eat on time.

Jiang Zhiyi didn’t move but replied, “Heida, come in. I want to ask you something.”

Heida stepped into the dim room, noticing the lack of light.

He didn’t turn it on, instead standing by the door. “What would you like to ask, Miss Jiang?” he inquired.

Still facing away from him, Jiang Zhiyi asked softly, “Do you miss home?”

“Yes, I do,” Heida replied without hesitation.

“Then why haven’t you ever mentioned wanting to go back?” she asked.

“Boss pays me to protect you, and he also sends money to my family. They’re doing well because of it,” Heida replied simply, his priorities clear.

He cared most about his family’s welfare, even if it meant staying abroad.

“Alright, I understand. You can go now; I’ll join you for dinner in a moment,” Jiang Zhiyi replied.

“Boss said you should eat on time because of your weak stomach,” he added, sticking to Qian Ran’s orders with rigid adherence.

He was straightforward and didn’t think much beyond what he was told to do.

Jiang Zhiyi knew Heida’s personality well. If she didn’t go, he would remain standing there, reminding her every few minutes to eat.

She thought of Qian Ran, who used to do the same when she was back home, finding ways to ensure she ate regularly, even though her work often disrupted her schedule.

With that thought, she slowly stood up.

Her legs were numb from sitting too long, but she steadied herself, finally ready to leave the office with Heida.

Outside, the sky was fully dark. This small country near the equator was hot year-round, never experiencing the change of seasons.

Right now, back in the capital, it was the coldest time of the year and almost New Year’s.

If she were home, she would be preparing for the New Year with her family.

When she was a child, she eagerly awaited the New Year every year.

It meant delicious food and lucky money, though her parents often took it away until she was old enough to understand the importance of money.

After that, she fought hard to keep some of it for herself.

As they walked to the cafeteria, Jiang Zhiyi suddenly asked Heida, “With the New Year coming up, have you ever thought about spending it with your family?”

After a moment of silence, Heida replied, “Yes, I have.”

However, it was clearly impossible to achieve this, as neither of them had plans to return to China.

Jiang Zhiyi didn’t say anything further, just responded with a soft “Mm,” as her gaze drifted into the distance.

The image of celebrating the New Year at home lingered in her mind, no matter how hard she tried to shake it off.

---

On New Year’s Eve, the entire family gathered at Jiang’s grandfather’s house, including Cen Zhengshi’s family, who had also returned.

Cen Huaize had been in college for two years, and the next year Cen Huaixin would take her college entrance exams.

This year, Jiang Shengnan didn’t expect their whole family to come back.

However, since Xiwang’s return, nothing unusual had happened, and Jiang Shengnan was willing to believe that she and Cen Zhengshi had come back simply because they missed her and Father Cen.

All the children sat together on New Year’s Eve.

Jiang Weixi, who had just started elementary school, loved to cling to Cen Huaian and play with him.

“Brother, I just learned how to play the piano. When you come to my house, I’ll play for you, okay?”

Cen Huaian, who was helping Jiang Weixi with a puzzle brought back from abroad, nodded and said, “Sure.”

“Then let’s make a pinky promise. You were so busy before, I couldn’t even see you.”

Jiang Weixi had a talent show at school during New Year’s, where parents were invited to watch.

She had a piano performance and really wanted Cen Huaian to come and watch, but she couldn’t find him.

At that time, Cen Huaian was busy helping his professor organize materials for a research project and had no time to go home, let alone know about Jiang Weixi’s little wish.

Cen Huaian put down the puzzle in his hands and reached out, “Let’s make a pinky promise.”

Jiang Weixi immediately beamed, extending her tiny pinky to hook onto his, chanting, “Pinky promise, a hundred years, no change!”

“No change,” Cen Huaian said, smiling down at her.

“Brother, I also learned a new dance. Let me show you!”

Cen Huaize, who was lounging lazily on the sofa, noticed how Jiang Weixi only clung to Cen Huaian.

He couldn’t help but tease, “Weixi, are you only performing for Huaian? What about the rest of us?”

Jiang Weixi clung to Cen Huaian’s arm and nodded, “I learned it especially for Brother Huaian.”

After a moment of hesitation, she added, “But you can watch too, just make sure to clap for me.”

Cen Huaize laughed, “You’re already asking for applause before you’ve even performed. How do we know if it’ll be good or not?”

Cen Huaian glanced at Cen Huaize, recognizing he meant no harm and was just teasing, so he stayed quiet.

Jiang Weixi puffed out her chest and said confidently, “I’ll perform really well! Besides, my mom said that no matter how I perform, as long as I try my best, I deserve encouragement. Kids need lots of encouragement to build confidence!”

Her words made everyone laugh kindly, and Cen Huaize nodded in agreement, “You’re absolutely right! Your mom’s got it spot on!”

Cen Huaian ruffled her hair, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Seeing Weixi’s confident little face, he felt that it was the best thing for her.

Weixi got ready to perform and asked, “Brother, I need music—‘Sleeve Dance.’ Do you know the song?”

Cen Huaian didn’t know the song, nor could he play any instruments, but Jiang’s grandfather had a tape recorder with some children’s music tapes for Weixi to practice dancing.

He searched through the tapes and found the one for the dance Weixi wanted to perform.

As the music played, all the adults preparing dumplings for the New Year’s feast turned to watch.

“Oh! Weixi’s about to perform! Everyone, pay attention and watch closely!” Jiang Zhiguan called out with a big, cheerful smile, his voice booming as he rallied everyone’s attention.

Luo Peng smiled gently at Weixi, her tone soft, “She just learned this new dance at home. I’m sure she wants to show it to Huaian. She’s been talking about performing for him for days.”

Chu Xia, sitting with them, smiled too, “Weixi loves Huaian, and Huaian loves watching Weixi’s performances.”

Weixi began dancing in the middle of the living room, singing along to the music.

Her childish voice was innocent yet sweet, and she didn’t miss a single note.

When the song ended, Weixi finished her performance.

Both the adults and children applauded enthusiastically.