{Jingle bells 1}

The next day, a deafening knock came from outside the apartment.

Qian Xu raised her eyes—it was already nine in the morning. She quickly got up, her mind still occupied with the days spent caring for Shen Qiyue and Shen Qinian. Her first reaction was that she had overslept, and the siblings would have no breakfast.

She had to remind herself, word by word, that they were gone, and that they would never return in this lifetime.

Qian Xu let out a self-deprecating smile, feeling a sense of relief at having shaken off her fate.

Yan Li had already started shouting insults from outside the door, her voice unceasing, with no sentence repeated.

“I knew that dog Shen Qi was leaving!”

“But honestly, he should’ve left. How could an old man with two illegitimate children possibly be worthy of you?”

“If you ask me, this family is nothing but ingrates. They deserve to be poisoned to death by the nuclear leak in Ohio—”

Qian Xu casually tidied her hair before hurriedly opening the door.

Yan Li, who had been raging furiously outside, stumbled forward due to the sudden opening but quickly regained her balance, her scolding uninterrupted. Even after steadying herself, she kept grumbling.

But if Yan Li had to be honest, Qian Xu, with her effortlessly undone appearance and her hair lazily draped over her shoulders, though not as composed as usual, still couldn’t hide her beauty.

There was even a certain frail elegance to her.

Perhaps it was the fleeting vulnerability in her eyes that pricked the heart of her dear friend. Even Yan Li, usually so cold, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy, and her tone softened in an unprecedented way:

“Xuxu, this isn’t your fault.”

“Remember, there are many people who love you and care about you, just like I do.”

But Qian Xu remained unfazed, pouring herself a glass of water as she calmly replied, “I’m fine.”

Yan Li was puzzled. Throughout the whole ordeal, Qian Xu seemed more composed than her, as if she was facing all this pain with a serene calmness. Yet the sorrow in her eyes betrayed her.

“I don’t care. Believe me, if I see Shen Qi again, I’ll punch him every single time!”

“I believe you,” Qian Xu said with a faint smile. Noticing the arrival of guests at home, she immediately began tidying the extra cushions on the sofa, making room for them. “But honestly, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Qian Xu moved so quickly, it was as if she herself believed in the facade she put on. She just didn’t want anyone to bring up Shen Qi or his children anymore, as their departure was already the best possible ending she could choose for herself.

“How about this,” Yan Li, understanding Qian Xu’s strength and aching for her unspoken burdens, suggested, “I’ll contact Saline, and we’ll fly to New York later and have some fun.”

Yan Li wanted to take Qian Xu on a trip to clear her mind.

More than a complete emotional breakdown with tears and snot, Yan Li was worried about Qian Xu’s silence. If it were the former, at least Qian Xu would have found a way to release her emotions. But Qian Xu’s extreme composure and rationality—or perhaps her habit of never burdening others—meant she shouldered everything alone, maintaining a facade of indifference.

Qian Xu didn’t hesitate and agreed.

Rather than staying here, trapped in memories, it was better to leave.

She desperately wanted to escape, to flee the cage that had confined her for three whole years. That’s why she thanked Yan Li.

Yan Li didn’t ask any more about Shen Qi or his family. Despite not being good at cooking, she was still willing to make Qian Xu some frozen dumplings. Unfortunately, as soon as the dumplings hit the boiling water, the skins broke apart.

Qian Xu had been feeling down, but in this moment of bittersweet humor, she couldn’t help but genuinely “praise” Yan Li’s cooking skills.

“I don’t know how you made it through these past three years.”

“You don’t understand. There are way too many women in North America who know how to cook. With all the greasy, high-calorie food here, I simply gave up trying,” Yan Li said, her voice full of conviction. “I have no talent for this, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t catch up, so I just stopped bothering.”

In the end, it was Qian Xu—the one who was supposed to be heartbroken—who ended up cooking dumplings for her friend.

“So, did you just come to tell me we’re going to New York?”

“Not just that.”

Yan Li burst out laughing like a pig, “I also didn’t have lunch plans and thought I might grab a bite here…”

Isn’t this a rather unique way for your best friend to comfort you? But Qian Xu soon realized that she was no longer stuck in bitter memories. Only when thinking about sauces suitable for children’s tastes while cooking did her heart ache slightly once again.

It was almost 8 p.m. by the time they flew into New York.

Qian Xu stepped off the small airport’s grassy area and got into the car Yan Li had arranged. Along the way, the stars twinkled in the sky. New York hadn’t seen any snow, and the city streets were free from the icy, difficult-to-navigate roads.

There were no traces of them anymore.