She had imagined reuniting with Yi Chen countless times. While living abroad, she often dreamed of meeting him again and the two of them finding happiness together. In those long, lonely days, that hope was her only source of comfort and joy. It gave her the strength to hold on. But when she finally came back, and Yi Chen tried to make her fantasy a reality—calmly, rationally—she hesitated and withdrew.

They were no longer the innocent young couple from her memories. The wounds left by their seven-year separation constantly reminded them of past pain. Even if those wounds were small, the pain still ran deep.

Because she cared so much, it was too much to bear.

Perhaps everything between them had already ended seven years ago.

Before she knew it, she had wandered back to the school playground. People were jogging along the rubber track under the evening sky.

She wondered—how long would it take her to run 800 meters now?Mo Sheng slipped through the railing, stepped onto the track, and leaned down to draw an imaginary starting line with her toe. She whispered, “One, two, three,” and sprinted forward like she was taking an 800-meter exam.

With her eyes closed, she ran through the night wind toward the invisible finish line.

“Four minutes and twenty-five seconds! Still too slow.”

A playful tap landed on her head.

“Slower than yesterday.” She muttered in disappointment, then looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

“Yi Chen, how about this—during the test, you run in front and I chase after you. I’ll definitely run faster that way!”

Yi Chen gave her a disapproving glare, and Mo Sheng felt a little deflated that her clever idea wasn’t appreciated.

“Or… I could hang your photo in front of me…”

“Zhao Mosheng, do you have no shame?” Yi Chen finally snapped, though his ears had turned slightly red.

Smiling at the memory, she opened her eyes—the finish line was empty.

A sudden ache gripped her chest. The clearer the memory, the more intense the pain. At first, the tears fell silently, one by one, and then they came faster, unstoppable. Mo Sheng sank to the ground, buried her face in her hands, and wept.

From now on, no finish line would ever have Yi Chen waiting at the end.

The train’s final destination was City Y.

After returning from C University the night before, Mo Sheng had gone to bed early. But she woke around four in the morning and couldn’t fall back asleep. She lay there staring at the ceiling, then finally got up, packed a bag, and headed to the train station.

It was her first time returning to City Y since coming back to China.At 11 a.m., the train pulled into the station. It was raining in City Y, and the temperature was noticeably cooler than in A City. A chilly wind swept through the air, making people shiver.

Standing on the station steps, Mo Sheng pulled her thin jacket tighter around herself and looked up at the city that had raised her.

A strange mix of emotions stirred in her chest—uncertainty, sorrow, and a faint sense of joy. Maybe this was what people called homesickness.

“Miss, are you here for a trip? Looking for a hotel? We’ve got the best prices in the city.”

“Miss, need a tour guide? We’re offering National Day discounts…”