Chapter 22: Missing Home

“…Ji Fanling?”

Cheng Jiali seemed struck by lightning, murmuring in disbelief.

How could it be?

How was it possible?

Could it really be her?

If it really was Ji Fanling, then all her resistance, rejection, and reluctance would have a reasonable explanation.

—She didn’t dare to acknowledge him.

He just knew it.

If the two of them were mere strangers, meeting by chance, and he had done so much for her, how could she not feel even a hint of affection?

“Oh, Ji Fanling? She’ll definitely be working when the time comes; she’s here almost every day.”

Boss Zhao looked around for her, then slapped his forehead. “Just so happens she’s not here today. She took a day off, seems like she said something about moving.”

“Oh, moving…” Cheng Jiali repeated.

Boss Zhao didn’t notice his unusual reaction and continued passionately discussing the venue arrangements for the roadshow, dropping hints here and there about wanting him to promote alongside other bands and organize more events like this.

Cheng Jiali didn’t take in a single word. Swallowing hard, he focused his attention on Ji Fanling’s resume.

…

A University student.

German major.

Born on February 11, 2006.

What was Ji Fanling’s birthday back then again?

Tsk.

How could he possibly remember?

Cheng Jiali felt as if his heart was being scratched by a cat, itching with impatience to go and acknowledge her right now. But he had just returned from the Ice and Snow Music Festival, and Fang Jingyun kept insisting he accompany her for meals and visit her parents’ house, leaving him utterly unable to spare the time.

A flicker of undisguisable irritation and impatience flashed in his eyes. He coughed twice, adjusted his emotions, and casually flipped to the next page of the documents, saying nonchalantly, “Yes, yes, hmm… let’s schedule the roadshow for… the evening of February 11.”

Consider it her birthday surprise.

The discussion came to an end.

Cheng Jiali was about to leave but couldn’t suppress the inexplicable excitement in his heart. He turned back and added, “Boss Zhao, do you believe in fate?”

Boss Zhao: “What’s the point of believing in that?”

“I didn’t believe in it before either. But today, I do.”

Cheng Jiali smiled faintly and pointed upward. “The meeting of people, perhaps it really is destined by the heavens.”

After he left, Boss Zhao was baffled for a long time. Unable to resist, he turned to a nearby employee and muttered, “What’s up with this guy? Acting all mysterious and cryptic.”

*

Late at night.

The fingerprint lock emitted a soft “beep,” and the chill of deep winter seeped through the crack of the opened door.

Fu Yingcheng pushed the door open and entered the house. He changed into slippers, hung up his coat, and turned around, scanning the room.

The house was bright, well-lit, and utterly silent.

When Ji Fanling left, she took all her small belongings with her, leaving no trace behind. She might have even secretly wiped the floor clean, as it was impossible for a recently vacated place to be this spotless.

The giant rabbit on the sofa still drooped its ears. The girl actually liked it but never showed it, as if she were some stoic, unyielding figure who had no interest in a comforting toy meant for children.

Occasionally, when Fu Yingcheng returned home early, he would open the door just in time to catch her springing up from the rabbit. Without any expression, she would greet him indifferently, “Back so early?”

Sometimes, he intentionally came home early just to hear that greeting.

The bedroom was empty too. She hadn’t gone so far as to take the pillows, but the pillowcases and duvet cover she had used were all stripped away.

In the bathroom, the shelf that once held body wash and shampoo was now half-empty, and there was an additional empty spot on the towel rack.

… Everywhere felt far too empty.

Clearly, many things were gone, yet the air felt heavier, more suffocating—like being trapped at the bottom of a pitch-black lake, submerged by water pressing in from all directions, making it… hard to breathe.

Fu Yingcheng sat on the sofa and unlocked his phone.

In the past, whenever Ji Fanling went out, she would leave him a message on WeChat, as he had requested.

Even though it was usually just a short 【I’m heading out】, perhaps she felt that after today, there would be nothing between them except debts. So even those three routine words were gone.

Was the move smooth?

Was the new place suitable?

An entire day.

Not a single message.

It was as if…

They weren’t even friends anymore.

A vague, untraceable frustration crashed around in his chest, causing his eardrums to buzz.

Fu Yingcheng stared at the chat window for a while, then leaned forward, pulling a box of medicine from the depths of the coffee table drawer. He popped out two pills and swallowed them with the cold water left in his glass.

The icy water flowed down his throat.

Momentarily suppressing the restless agitation growing within him.

The night stretched on endlessly.

Much like so many before it.

Yet this one was even harder to endure.

Fu Yingcheng leaned back on the sofa, his head tilted upward, and his long lashes lightly closed. From his jawline to his neck, a distinct line stretched taut. After a moment, he exhaled softly.

In his memory, at the dining table just over a month ago, Ji Fanling had been in high spirits that day. She had received numerous interview invitations and felt that making money might not be so difficult after all. Whatever she originally intended to say was lost as she blurted out, “Don’t worry, I’ll be able to support you soon.”

Fu Yingcheng wasn’t the type to take such an offhand joke seriously.

But what he hadn’t expected was that she would rather exhaust herself with relentless early mornings and late nights of hard work, all just to leave him sooner.

At that time, her eyes were bright, so close before him.

Her tone carried a mix of pride and certainty.

It was almost like a promise.

……

Little liar.

*

Once New Year’s Day passed, the festive atmosphere seemed to permeate everything. Supermarkets began stocking up on all sorts of New Year goods.

In the third week after Ji Fanling moved out, her days followed a routine: work and home, back and forth between the two.

She hadn’t said another word to Fu Yingcheng.

She had initially planned to let Fu Yingcheng know she had settled in, but then she reconsidered. If she sent him a message, it was hard to avoid the likelihood of receiving a cold response:

“So?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Do you think I have nothing better to do?”

…

Forget it. If Fu Yingcheng really wanted to know, he would have messaged her himself.

The fact that he didn’t ask meant he didn’t care to know.

Since they hadn’t talked much on moving day, any conversation afterward would feel forced, making it increasingly difficult to break the silence.

When two people’s lives no longer intersect, cutting off contact becomes remarkably easy.

“Fanling, Fanling, come quickly!” someone kept calling out.

Ji Fanling put down the box of tissues she was restocking and looked up. Lu Yan was waving at her. “Wu Qing is sharing pomegranates with everyone.”

Ji Fanling walked over and saw four or five waitstaff chatting and laughing as they divided up pomegranates from several large bamboo baskets.

“This many?”

“My grandpa has a few pomegranate trees.” 

Wu Qing said, scratching her head with a smile. “This year’s harvest was great, and my grandpa told me to bring some for my coworkers to try. Take more, they’re really sweet.”

“Seriously, they’re so sweet! I can’t find pomegranates this sweet anywhere,” someone said, already peeling one on the spot. They broke it into handfuls of pomegranate seeds and shared them with others to taste.

“You definitely can’t buy this kind,” Wu Qing said with a smile. “It’s fresh, and homegrown.”

Ji Fanling took a handful of seeds and tossed them into her mouth. The crisp, sweet juice burst instantly, and she suddenly thought that Fu Yingcheng might have never tasted homegrown pomegranates like these. Without a second thought, she grabbed a plastic bag and started filling it.

“Well, well, even Miss Ji has a thing for pomegranates, huh?” 

That one sentence instantly silenced the once lively room.

“Is it so surprising?”

Ji Fanling didn’t stop what she was doing, adding two more pomegranates to the bag before slowly raising her eyes to look at the speaker. “Surely it’s rarer for people to enjoy listening to dogs bark, isn’t it?”

Huang Lili was so infuriated she choked. “You!”

The tension between Huang Lili and Ji Fanling was nothing new, and the people around them tactfully dispersed.

After all, Huang Lili was Boss Zhao’s grandniece.

Even though she was usually arrogant and overbearing, everyone tolerated it.

“Lili, why don’t you grab a few pomegranates too?” Wu Qing attempted to ease the situation.

“Make sure to give Miss Ji a little extra—she’s looking so pale and haggard lately…”

Huang Lili eyed Ji Fanling up and down, as if suddenly enlightened. “Oh, I almost forgot. Someone’s high perch broke, huh? No more Rolls-Royce, and now you’ve ended up living with someone like Lu Yan. Probably can’t even sleep at night, right?”

Next to her, Lu Yan lifted her head briefly before lowering it again without saying a word.

Ji Fanling’s fingers twitched, and the plastic bag in her hand rustled softly.

“What’s wrong…”

Huang Lili leaned in with a smirk. “Didn’t manage to keep someone satisfied?”

“Ah! Fanling, are you done grabbing yours?” someone interjected abruptly.

Lu Yan suddenly interrupted loudly, running over to grab Ji Fanling’s hand. “You’re done? Let’s go. Thanks, Wu Qing!”

“It’s nothing, no need to thank me. Lili, come on, take some more. I’ll help you pick, I’m great at choosing pomegranates,” Wu Qing chimed in, trying to smooth things over.

Ji Fanling kept a cold expression as Lu Yan dragged her away. She struggled a few times but couldn’t break free.

Lu Yan dragged her all the way outside. Ji Fanling, annoyed, said, “Let go of me.”

“Are you really going to fight with her? In the end, you’re the one who’ll suffer again. Don’t you know how many extra tasks she’s already made Boss Zhao secretly pile on you?”

Lu Yan was frantic. “Look at those dark circles under your eyes!”

“If you stop me from hitting her today, she’ll be stepping all over me tomorrow.”

“That won’t happen.”

Ji Fanling stared at her for a moment, then let out a subdued sigh. “You’re still young. You don’t understand.”

“…I’ve told you, I’m older than you.”

That evening, after work, Ji Fanling and Lu Yan walked home together along the dark roads.

During the day, Ji Fanling had hung her quilt out on the balcony to air. So the first thing she did upon returning home was to retrieve it.

She reached out and touched it, her brow furrowing.

The quilt was damp, with a large patch in the middle completely wet.

“It didn’t rain today, did it?” Ji Fanling spread her palm over the fabric, feeling around, her brows knitting tighter.

“You left your quilt outside?”

Lu Yan ran over and smacked her forehead. “Oh no, I forgot to tell you. Someone upstairs has a habit of throwing water out their window… so you can’t hang things outside.”

“Which apartment?” Ji Fanling asked coldly.

“I’m not sure which floor, but it’s pretty high up,” Lu Yan said softly.

For a moment, Ji Fanling instinctively thought, It’s fine, I’ll just toss it in the dryer.

…

Then her frustration grew.

There was nothing she could do about it so late at night. Ji Fanling picked up the damp quilt and carried it back to her room, resigned to making do for the night.

Lu Yan asked from behind her, “Going to the bathhouse?”

Ji Fanling: “Yes.”

She walked into her room, threw the quilt onto the bed, spread out the damp part, then quickly packed shampoo and pajamas into a plastic bag. That’s when she realized one of her underwear was missing. She searched the drying rack on the balcony but couldn’t find it.

Lu Yan, holding a basin and waiting for her, froze for a moment when she heard that her underwear was missing. “Did you miscount?”

“I only have three pairs,” Ji Fanling said darkly.

“…”

Since it was drying indoors, it was unlikely to have been blown away by the wind. It was probably mistakenly taken by the tall, thin woman from the couple next door. However, the couple hadn’t returned yet. If she could get it back, great. If not, she’d have to buy a new one.

Another unexpected expense.

Ji Fanling suppressed her irritation and went with Lu Yan to the public bathhouse outside the neighborhood. But as misfortune would have it, barely two minutes into her shower, while she was lathering shampoo into her hair, the water suddenly stopped.

And it wasn’t just her showerhead, but every showerhead had stopped.

“Auntie, why is there no water?” Ji Fanling called out loudly.

“No more water!”

The auntie outside shouted, “Come out!”

Lu Yan asked, “What’s going on, Auntie? When will the water come back?” Normally, it didn’t stop until 11 p.m.

“There won’t be any more water! Come back tomorrow!”

Ji Fanling frowned, quickly wiped off the water on her body, threw on her clothes, and walked out. “What do you mean?”

~