Yang Jun said, “Yao Yao, I’m really happy for Jiang Zhonglin that you’re back.”

Yu Yao raised an eyebrow. “…He doesn’t seem very happy.”

Yang Jun was taken aback. “What are you talking about? He should be the happiest to see you.”

Just as Yang Jun couldn’t understand Yu Yao’s reaction, Yu Yao couldn’t understand Yang Jun’s statement either. If Jiang Zhonglin was really happy to see her, she couldn’t tell. Over the past few days, he hadn’t shown any signs of excitement or happiness.

Yu Yao rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit flustered. “I was with him for a year of dating and one year of marriage, at most we spent two years together. But we’ve been apart for forty years. I think he must have forgotten me long ago. My sudden appearance is probably more of a shock than a delight. If it were someone else, they’d definitely think I’m a nuisance. But Jiang Zhonglin was always responsible even when he was young, and he hasn’t changed, so he came to pick me up when he got the news. In the end, it’s just his nature.”

Yang Jun said, “What are you talking about? Don’t you know how much he still likes you?”

Yu Yao leaned back in her chair, unsure. “He probably liked me back then, but after so many years, even if he remembers me, how could he still have feelings?”

Yang Jun looked at her and suddenly asked, “Has Jiang Zhonglin never told you anything?”

Yu Yao’s heart skipped a beat. “Told me what?”

Yang Jun sighed, pulled out her terminal, tapped a few times, and handed it to Yu Yao. “Look at this. This is the largest missing persons website. It was created by the police when they established the big data network years ago. The information about missing persons is updated every year. Since this site was established, your information has been up there and hasn’t been removed for many years. Because maintaining the information on this site requires a yearly fee, many families with no hope of finding their loved ones remove the information after a year or two. But Jiang Zhonglin has kept your information up and continues to pay the fee every year. Do you know what that means?”

It means that even after forty years, Jiang Zhonglin has always been waiting for her return. Even though everyone else believes she is dead, he still holds out hope.

Yu Yao stared at the photo of herself on the website, completely stunned.

“He… Jiang Zhonglin, has been looking for me all these years?” Yu Yao asked in disbelief.

Seeing her reaction, Yang Jun felt a pang of sadness for this long-separated couple.

“Of course. When you waited at the service center and the staff contacted Jiang Zhonglin, it was because your information was still on this website that they could quickly find your identity.”

Yang Jun continued, “When you suddenly disappeared, there were no leads. Jiang Zhonglin contacted everyone who knew you, reported it to the police, asked his family and all his friends to keep an eye out for you. He practically did everything he could. You don’t know, but he walked countless streets and alleys around your neighborhood, searching endlessly. During that time, he seemed to be preparing for exams with his mentor, but after you vanished, he stopped going to school.”

Yang Jun recalled how thin and frail Jiang Zhonglin had become. She and her then-boyfriend were worried and often checked on him, asking if there was any news of Yu Yao. Once, they found Jiang Zhonglin collapsed in front of his door, the key still in the lock, but he hadn’t opened the door and had fainted right there.