Chapter 5: The Final Farewell

After days of isolating herself from the world, Sheng Han finally decided—it was time to pick herself up and move forward.

That evening, Sheng Han, Xin Yao, and Jing Qi—three childhood friends who had grown up together—sat once again on the school field’s grassy lawn. But this time, their hearts were full of different emotions.

They had never truly been apart before. From childhood to adolescence, they had always been together. That night, they stayed up chatting late into the night, hugging one another tightly and saying reluctant goodbyes. Too much of their youth, their laughter, their tears, their memories were tied to this small town. And this, sadly, would be their final gathering before parting ways.
Xin Yao was headed to study in Huanpu. Jing Qi was pursuing her long-cherished dream of studying abroad.

The night before leaving Qiongmo for Migu Valley, Sheng Han met Xiu Jie in the town’s park. They talked for a long time.
Xiu Jie had successfully been admitted to his desired university in Yongshu and would begin his term the following month.

“When are you leaving?”
His voice was calm, and the lake beside them shimmered with the reflection of the cold moonlight, casting a soft glow on the sharp angles of his face. The light in his eyes seemed even more melancholic under the moon’s gaze.

“Tomorrow.”
Sheng Han’s voice was barely above a whisper, full of resignation and reluctant parting. After that—silence.

Eventually, Xiu Jie broke the stillness, turning toward Sheng Han with a bright smile, doing his best to appear cheerful.

“Save my number, okay? Make sure to contact me every day. It’s fine, really—May Day, National Day, Mid-Autumn Festival… Whenever I get a chance, I’ll find a way to visit you.”

His voice was noticeably more upbeat, as if trying to use that brightness to hide the sadness in his heart.

“Okay. I promise,” Sheng Han said with conviction, looking him in the eye.

She blinked back the tears threatening to fall. She didn’t want him to see her cry, didn’t want him to witness her sorrow. But still—he saw everything.

To be able to sit side by side one last time—to talk, to look at the stars, to listen to music, to feel the breeze together… This was their final night.
And Xiu Jie wanted it to be a happy one.

Suddenly, he changed the subject:
“Silly girl. You’re really going all the way to Migu Valley? That place is so close to the China–Myanmar border. You better take care of yourself. Don’t get kidnapped and end up counting someone else’s money in some remote jungle! And hey, be careful of the drug dealers down there too! Hahaha!”

Sheng Han was stunned for a second, then burst into laughter.
“Ha! You’re ridiculous! Scaring me like that. Honestly, I’m just going to school—why does it sound like I’m headed into some danger zone when you talk about it?” She laughed so hard she had to cover her mouth.

Seeing her laugh, Xiu Jie’s expression softened—then turned serious.

“You know, seeing you every day gave me peace of mind. This will be the first time we’re apart, and we’re going so far… I’m worried about you. Silly girl, promise me—you’ll take good care of yourself.”

“I will,” Sheng Han nodded firmly.

Xiu Jie didn’t know that Sheng Han had applied to Yongshu as her first choice just to be in the same city as him.
But because she missed the score by a single point, they had missed their chance to be together.

From the pavilion across the lake, a song drifted out from a speaker—“I Miss You” by the girl group Youthful Angels, a popular tune at the time. Somehow, on this night, it felt especially fitting.

They had been together for three years, but this was the first time they embraced like this.
Xiu Jie smelled like freshly washed clothes, like sunlight.
The night was cool. Resting against his chest, Sheng Han felt a warmth she had never known before.

That night, Xiu Jie played the hulusi and clarinet for her. Every second, every frame of that moment, was so beautiful. Sheng Han tried her hardest to imprint it all into her memory, never wanting to forget.

The innocent joys of first love during youthful school days—so pure, so sweet—are something each person holds dear for a lifetime.

—

The next day, Sheng Han and her parents set off.
Having never left Qiongmo before, she was now heading to an entirely unfamiliar place to start a brand-new journey.
In this way, her long-distance relationship with Xiu Jie began even before the school term started.

They were separated—one in the north, one in the south. Their only connection was their phones.
In a time when WeChat didn’t exist, and video calls weren’t common, Sheng Han and Xiu Jie could only rely on SMS and voice calls to share their thoughts, daily lives, and longing for each other.

They had believed that their strong faith and deep bond would be enough to overcome time and distance.

But fate, as always, loved to toy with people.

Maybe each of us already has a script written out for our lives.
It’s only later that we learn: most goodbyes in life happen without warning.
That one meeting—unexpectedly—was the last.

“In youth, proud and free, galloping with no fear of parting.
Only when looking back, do we understand—
The autumn moon stretches endlessly,
The world, so vast and uncertain.
Just like life itself—neither stormy nor sunny, only fleeting and unreal.”