Life may be composed of countless choices. At least, that’s how it is for Bai Ying. However, opportunities rarely lie in her hands; she cannot choose her birth, her biological parents, or even her adoptive parents.

Perhaps having everything chosen for her by others for too long, Bai Ying is unlike her friends; she enjoys making choices filled with uncertainty.

Seeing the man in front of her gazing intently at her, she ponders for a moment and nods lightly as if making a significant decision: “Okay.”

With her nod, Jiang Mocheng’s frown also eases. This is, of course, the outcome he most desires.

He wouldn’t feel at ease leaving her in Shen Jin’s territory, even for just a few days. But if she doesn’t want to leave so soon, he can’t force her. Now that she’s willing to go with him, he feels an unprecedented sense of relief and exhilaration, even more so than when he first closed a business deal.

“Okay,” he says, unable to resist kissing the top of her head.

Then, stepping back, he hesitates and asks her, “Your parents, should I go and speak to them?”

Bai Ying is taken aback, remembering her identity in his presence and her parents and brother. Initially feeling somewhat gloomy, seeing him take her past words for granted lightens her mood a bit, and her smile becomes more genuine.

She throws herself into his arms, burying herself in his reassuring chest, and softly says, “No need, they won’t give you a warm welcome if you go.”

“I’ve listened to you, and I think you make a lot of sense,” she pauses, then looks up at him, “So, let’s not tell them for now. Otherwise, the courage I’ve mustered to rebel this time will shrink once I hear their message.”

Although Jiang Mocheng doesn’t particularly like her family, he doesn’t dislike them either. But he agrees with her way of thinking.

“Okay, we’ll always come back eventually, and then I’ll accompany you.”

In a family where sons are favored over daughters, perhaps other men would avoid such a situation, but Jiang Mocheng doesn’t see it as a big deal.

Money is a good thing; it can make some people behave. As long as she’s happy and willing, he’ll naturally make her parents act out the loving parent routine every day.

Bai Ying changes the subject, asking softly, “But how will we leave? You’re fine, but what about me?”

She says, “Mr. Shen hasn’t returned, and Miss Bai won’t let me go easily. The security guards at the door know me; it will be difficult for me to leave with you.”

This is a practical issue she needs to consider. If she wants to leave, the butler will surely send someone to follow her, and those bodyguards are all well-trained.

Slipping away from under their watchful eyes is not an easy task; it requires careful planning. However, there are experts in every field, and the man before her is also skilled. He must know more ways than she does. If it weren’t for this thought, she wouldn’t have agreed so easily.

Seeing her worried expression, Jiang Mocheng chuckles, “Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

Bai Ying looks at him skeptically. It’s one thing to boast about other matters, but at this critical moment, she reminds him sharply, “This is no small matter, don’t be careless.”

“……”

It’s been at least a decade since Jiang Mocheng has heard someone used such a phrase with him.

He snaps back to reality and replies helplessly, “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

“You better really be able to,” Bai Ying elongates her tone, implying that otherwise, he might find himself in a lot of trouble.

“How serious can it be?” Jiang Mocheng found her throaty voice amusing and didn’t take her words to heart.

Bai Ying, trying to scare him with a sinister tone, said, “It will be much worse than you can imagine. If you end up beaten to a pulp, with broken arms and legs, blaming me will be pointless. It would only mean that you’re unlucky, and it was destined to happen.”

Blame it on fate, for it was he who she encountered that night. Jiang Mocheng couldn’t help but laugh.

“So, will you regret it?”

“No.”

Jiang Mocheng, still smiling, looked at her earnestly and replied, “I won’t regret it.”

Bai Ying hummed, “You’d better remember these words.”

If one day you do regret it, I won’t feel sorry, for it’s the arrangement of fate.

…

After returning to her bedroom, Bai Ying was still too excited to sleep.

She got up, put on her robe, and went to the study next door. She sat at the desk, pondering for a while before starting to write.

She couldn’t just leave without saying goodbye; she owed Shen Jin an explanation. She had planned to tell him these things in person, but now she was conveying them in a letter.

She imagined herself as a woman deeply in love with Shen Jin, desperate and broken because her love was unrequited. She quickly immersed herself in this role, her hands trembling slightly as she wrote, her words seemingly conveying her emotions accurately.

She wrote about how she envied her friends for having complete and warm families, and how she spent New Year’s Eve alone, longing to build a happy family with someone she loved. She described her pain during this time, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.

In the end, she realized with a sense of resignation that it was all her own wishful thinking; he had never had romantic feelings for her from the start. She had hesitated, but she couldn’t deceive herself into being his sister. So, she decided to leave, to avoid further trouble and unhappiness for both of them.

She asked for his forgiveness for not saying goodbye in person, as she lacked the resolve to stay clear-headed in his presence. She also asked him not to waste resources looking for her. Once she had come to terms with her feelings and let go, she would contact him to let him know she was safe.

Bai Ying was satisfied with the letter. She had considered adding a few teardrops to the paper but decided against it. It was better to be subtle; overdoing it would spoil the effect.

She left the study and tiptoed into Shen Jin’s bedroom. Without turning on the light, she used the moonlight coming through the window to find her way to the bed—there had been one time, just once, when Shen Jin had lost his composure in front of her.

His grandmother had passed away in her sleep, discovered hours later by the maid who came to wake her for breakfast. Shen Jin had lost the last of his close kin in this world. In the days following, he occasionally seemed dazed, but most of the time, he composedly received friends who came to offer condolences.

The funeral was not grand, even simple, which was what they had agreed upon while she was alive. She didn’t want strangers she didn’t know to send her off; she wanted to go quietly.

The day after the burial, Shen Jin fell ill. Seeing him in bed with tears in his eyes, she hurried to wipe them away. He grabbed her hand, and upon seeing her, he felt reassured. That day, he never let go of her hand, as if clinging to a lifeline.

In the dark, Bai Ying opened the drawer of the bedside table and placed the letter inside. She truly wished for a good parting with Shen Jin.

Additionally, she left a note for the butler, simply stating that she wanted to clear her mind and there was no need for a fuss. Shen Jin would understand when he returned.

…

A day later.

Bai Ying hadn’t expected Jiang Mocheng to actually manage to sneak her out of the Shen residence unnoticed. He really was quite capable.

It was still dark, and most of the city was asleep. Jiang Mocheng hailed a taxi, looking around cautiously before getting in with her, heading straight for Ning City. Once in the taxi, he relaxed his tense shoulders.

Ning City wasn’t far, just under fifty kilometers away. The taxi driver was friendly and wanted to chat, but upon seeing the sweet couple through the rearview mirror, he held back his words.

Bai Ying snuggled into Jiang Mocheng’s arms. He whispered, “It’s still early. Lean on me and sleep for a while. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

“I’m not sleepy,” she said, shaking her head. She took his hand and traced words in his palm, whispering, “Don’t you think we’re like…”

A runaway couple.

She had just finished writing when he took over, enveloping her hand effortlessly. He wanted to scold her for talking nonsense but couldn’t help laughing instead. Both laughed together, their affection so evident that even the driver sighed with envy.

Ning City was indeed a nice place, not too crowded, with a homely atmosphere everywhere. When they arrived, the weak sunlight glittered on the river, and the streets were bustling with vendors shouting, full of life.

Jiang Mocheng’s mother was a true Ning City local, and he was very familiar with the place. He led Bai Ying through alleys to a small breakfast shop, ordering two baskets of buns, a bowl of wontons, and steaming tofu pudding.

It had been a long time since he had enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Now, slowing down, he occasionally looked up to see her sipping the tofu pudding and began to feel that attempting to steal Shen Jin’s documents wasn’t so bad after all. If not for that incident, he might never have met her and had moments like this.

After breakfast, Jiang Mocheng took Bai Ying to the hotel where they would stay.

“My family has a house here, but it’s been mostly empty since my grandparents passed away. If we want to stay there, I can have someone clean it up today. What do you think?”

“Let’s not. You have other things to do, and I’d be scared alone in that house,” Bai Ying replied.

She hadn’t planned on living with him; they were still together only because the honeymoon phase hadn’t ended. She wanted a short-term relationship based solely on feelings, and when the time was right, she would leave.

“That’s fine,” he said, leading her to the lobby sofa. “I’ll get the room card. Rest for a bit; it won’t take long.”

Then he went to the front desk and reported the room number. He had occasionally visited Ning City over the past couple of years and had rented a suite in the hotel for convenience.

Bai Ying followed him into the room, a suite with an excellent view and all the amenities. She had grown accustomed to his spending habits.

Being a bodyguard at the Shen residence required rigorous selection, and once employed, the salary was higher than many office workers. He had also admitted to earning some money abroad in the past few years. While his financial level might make it difficult to live this way long-term, he could afford to live comfortably for a while.

That was fine with her. Even if she expected nothing from the relationship, enjoying a comfortable and pleasant time during courtship was certainly better.

She looked around, her fingers lightly dusting the TV screen to ensure it was spotless, then went to the balcony, leaning on the railing to overlook the cityscape.

Jiang Mocheng hugged her from behind, his chin resting on her head. For a long time, they could only meet in secret at night. Now, being able to embrace her during the day, with her in his arms, he whispered contentedly, “I’m very happy.”