Seeing how straightforward An Yi was, Zhou Qianyu was also decisive and took An Yi directly to the bank to transfer the money.

During the waiting time, An Yi had Zhou Qianyu record a voluntary donation video and had the bank manager act as a witness to avoid any future disputes.

Zhou Qianyu chuckled. “Are you worried I’ll harm you?”

An Yi put away his phone. “Just being cautious.”

Zhou Qianyu raised an eyebrow. “Why are you so calm? Before I approached you, I thought you would negotiate with me many times.”

“Don’t want to waste time,” An Yi said.

Large transactions at the bank usually require advance appointments. Zhou Qianyu’s ability to bring him directly showed that she had planned to meet him early and was confident he would ultimately succumb to the money.

After getting the new bank card, An Yi told Zhou Qianyu again before leaving, “I need a week. By then, I’ll definitely disappear. Please be patient until then and don’t tell him.”

Zhou Qianyu nodded. “No problem.”

After leaving the bank, An Yi went to the apartment.

In the past, to avoid debt collectors, he often moved with An Ya, until he gradually settled down after reuniting with Yan Chen. Therefore, he had lived in this apartment the longest. The lease still had half a month left, and he didn’t plan to renew it. Fortunately, over the years of hardships, he didn’t accumulate much, so there were even fewer things he wanted to take with him.

Picking and choosing, most of what he took were An Ya’s things, and the box wasn’t even full.

As he was going downstairs, An Yi tripped over an electric bike charging cable at the entrance, and the box fell to his feet with a heavy thud, accompanied by a crisp sound.

Opening the box, he saw that the Shan Shui Six-Fold Hat Tube that Yan Chen had bought and given to him was broken.

It seemed that there was a fate beyond one’s control.

An Yi stood in a daze for a long time, but he didn’t force it anymore.

He picked up the box and hailed a taxi, heading to the cemetery.

First, he paid the cemetery management fee for another 50 years, then burned everything in the box that could be burned. He pieced together the hat tube porcelain shards, and along with a bunch of small daisies, placed them in front of his family’s tomb.

He wiped the tombstone clean and sat quietly for a while before getting up and leaving, returning to Yan Chen’s Villa.

“Where did you go? Why do you smell like smoke?” Yan Chen, who rarely waited at home for him, asked.

An Yi took off his coat and said, “Went to see Xiao Ya.”

Yan Chen hugged him and kissed his cold cheek. “Next time, bring me along.”

An Yi didn’t respond, murmuring softly, “I want to go out for a weekend getaway.”

“Okay,” Yan Chen said, surprised that An Yi had taken the initiative to suggest going out.

He didn’t hesitate to agree. “Where do you want to go? Domestic or overseas, I’ll arrange it.”

An Yi thought for a moment and said, “Let’s go to Hong Kong first, then to Europe, somewhere farther.”

Yan Chen immediately had Jiang Hai book flights and hotels, helping An Yi with the passports and visas he needed. He canceled all his work appointments, wanting to take An Yi out for a good time.

However, on the morning of the second day after arriving in Hong Kong, An Yi disappeared.

At the time, Yan Chen was swimming in the hotel pool, hoping An Yi would join him for a few laps. An Yi declined, citing feeling unwell and wanting to go back to the room to rest. Yan Chen didn’t press him further. But when Yan Chen returned to the room, he found the bedding neatly arranged, with no sign of An Yi anywhere.

He called him, but his phone was out of service.

He asked Jiang Hai, but Jiang Hai was just as puzzled.

“Maybe he went out for a walk nearby?” Jiang Hai guessed.

“He’s not familiar with the place. What’s he going to do walking alone?” Yan Chen had a bad feeling about this. He rushed into the bedroom and checked the luggage, only to find that An Yi’s passport, visa, and other documents were all missing!

He didn’t want to wait any longer. He went straight to check the surveillance footage and discovered that An Yi had left the hotel alone hurriedly an hour ago, without even looking back.

Yan Chen refused to give up and called An Yi again, but this time his phone was switched off.

“Damn it!” Yan Chen panicked, pacing back and forth in the surveillance room, then he called Qi Wenxing. “Do you have any connections over here in Hong Kong? Give me the numbers! It’s urgent as hell, don’t give me any crap!”

At that moment, Jiang Hai handed him an iPad. “Mr. An booked a flight to Hawaii which will leave an hour and a half from now!”

“Damn it, An Yi, you son of a bitch, run faster!” Yan Chen cursed fiercely and stormed out. “Get the car ready!”

Jiang Hai thought about driving, but Yan Chen dragged him by the back of his neck, forcing him to the passenger seat. He could only buckle up nervously and grip the handle tightly.

The two of them raced to the airport without even turning off the engine, heading straight for customs.

But it was too late. The plane to Hawaii was already on the runway, soaring into the sky.

Enraged, Yan Chen cursed loudly, then quickly had Jiang Hai, who had chased after him like a dog, book tickets to Hawaii.

He couldn’t believe that even in the information age, An Yi could still slip through his fingers!

However, what Yan Chen didn’t know was that the target he was so determined to catch, even across thousands of meters in the air and across rivers and seas, was currently at the ferry terminal in Victoria Harbour, handing a $200,000 cruise ticket to the customs officer.

“Dear guest, welcome aboard. This is your executive suite. If you need anything, there’s a phone here, and we’re at your service anytime.” The beautiful and courteous attendant personally escorted An Yi to the cabin to store his luggage.

An Yi didn’t bring much, just a few clothes, a bag of cash, and the notebook belonging to An Ya.

“If you’re not tired, I can take you on a tour of the cruise ship,” the attendant stood by the window, overlooking the unbeatable sea view outside. “Our Fate Goddess has 12 floors in total. Your ticket allows unlimited access. There are two adult pools on the top deck, and there will be dance performances at night. Of course, some entertainment options and dining require additional payment, and if there’s no signal during the cruise, only cash payment is supported. Please be aware of this.”

An Yi nodded. “No need for the escort. I’ll explore on my own. Thank you.”

“Very well, I won’t disturb you then,” the attendant bowed slightly with a smile before leaving. “I wish you a pleasant journey around the ocean.”

Once the door was closed, An Yi lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling for a while his heart was pounding wildly.

It wasn’t until the cruise ship’s horn sounded outside, the ship swayed slightly, and the Fate Goddess slowly departed from the shore that he finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

He did it.

He really did it.

The love and resentment of more than five years would remain on the land, no longer entangled in his heart.

An Yi lay for a while, then got up and walked to the window. The executive suite rooms on the cruise ship all had balconies, similar to hotels but slightly smaller in size.

He stood on the balcony, feeling the salty sea breeze blowing on his face, the sea shimmering with waves, making it difficult for him to open his eyes.

So this is the ocean.

He touched the small glass bottle hanging around his neck. An Ya’s handful of ashes quietly accompanied him. Could this be considered bringing her to see the sea?

He closed his eyes and stood leaning on the railing for a long time.

Until a faint laughter came from beside him.

He turned his head in the direction of the sound, and on another balcony a few meters away, a person was leaning on the railing, watching him. Half of their body was leaned out, swaying slightly with the ship’s movement.

Meeting their gaze, the person took off their sunglasses, squinted their eyes, and smiled, waving at him. “Are you okay? You don’t look too good.”

An Yi first looked behind him, realizing he was on a cruise ship and he was alone. Then he nodded slowly to the person, a bit slow to react. “Thank you, I’m fine.”

“If you’re feeling seasick, you can call the front desk, they’ll bring you some medicine.” As the cruise ship began to accelerate, with waves surging on both sides, the person cupped their hands around their mouth and raised their voice.

An Yi smiled gratefully at them and returned to his room.

After lunch, he wandered around several floors of the cruise ship.

This was a month-long transoceanic journey, passing through 17 cities in four countries. Upon arriving at each city, they would briefly stop ashore, spending the rest of the time cruising at sea.

He wasn’t interested in those cities, coming on board on a whim, simply because An Ya wanted to see the sea.

Of course, during the cruise on the high seas, the mobile signal was weak, effectively blocking all messages from Yan Chen, making An Yi feel a bit more relaxed.

The first two days were spent cruising on the sea. Apart from meal times, he mostly stayed in his room. Occasionally, he would go to the balcony to enjoy the sea breeze and soak up some sun.

In the evening, he went out. The top deck swimming pool was indeed the most eye-catching. Beautiful women and handsome men in bikinis and swim trunks were passionately performing at the poolside party. Those who liked excitement could join in, while those who wanted quietness could go to the bar for a cocktail or to the cinema to watch a romantic movie.

An Yi sat in the darkness and quietly watched “Gone with the Wind.”

The waves around him surged, the sky was vast, but he felt no emotional resonance from any of it.

He just felt lonely.

He covered his face and took a few deep breaths.

With no improvement in his mood, his fingertips grew cold and numb. He realized he had probably been out for too long.

He lowered his head and hurried back to his room. By midnight, he still couldn’t fall asleep.

The sea breeze blew in through the window, damp and salty, mixing with the tears on his face.

He couldn’t take it anymore.

He pushed open the door and went to the top deck.

It was late at night, and this level was not as lively as the top deck. At this moment, the pitch-black night enveloped everything, merging with the distant sea surface to form a dense black wall.

An Yi climbed onto the railing.

He stood high up, pulled the small glass bottle from around his neck, and clenched it tightly in his sweaty palm.

The glass bottle felt warm to the touch, as if the person inside were still alive.

He forcefully pulled out the bottle stopper, letting the sea breeze blow the last bit of his sister’s ashes into the vast sea.

An Yi’s face was full of tears.

He tightly gripped the empty bottle, his heart pounding faster again. He slowly raised one foot.

The strong sea breeze immediately blew his lightweight paper slippers into the foaming waves.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

At that moment, he heard a stranger’s magnetic voice behind him, with a faint hint of laughter, saying, “Do you know that if you jump from here, you’re more likely to be crushed by the ship’s propeller than drown?