CHAPTER 19

Wen Yang held the brand-new phone and said seriously, “Xu Yi, it’s been nice knowing you as a friend.”

Xu Yi smiled ambiguously. “Just a regular friend?”

“A dumb friend.” Wen Yang rolled her eyes. What exactly was going on in his head all day?

She figured he would be leaving in the next few days, so she wanted to take this chance to properly say goodbye. They were friends, after all—it was best to part on good terms. Besides, the chances of them ever meeting again were close to zero.

“You sounded so serious just now, I had to lighten the mood a bit,” Xu Yi said, lowering his head as he typed a long message on his phone before hitting send.

About a minute later, Wen Yang’s phone chimed. She looked at Xu Yi.

“Check it in your room,” he said, gripping his phone tightly, his face flushing.

Seeing his expression—like a bashful, innocent teenager with a head full of wild fantasies—made Wen Yang’s scalp tingle. Without another word, she turned and went upstairs.

She didn’t even bother checking the message, instead burying her face in the blanket like a corpse. What had she done to captivate Xu Yi’s pure little heart? She never should have let him stay in the first place. She should have thrown both him and Xiao Yan over to Qi Chen and washed her hands of it.

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Just then, her phone chimed again.

Lying on her back, she grabbed the phone and saw a little red “2” in the corner of the WeChat icon. She was certain it wasn’t anything she wanted to hear, so she ignored it.

She scrolled through the phone for a while. Most of the major apps were the same as in the real world. Opening Weibo, she took a quick glance at the trending topics. As she scrolled down, a trending post with the tag “black and red” caught her eye.

[#Pei Yansen Relationship#]

Her first thought: this guy must be really famous.

She clicked in, deciding to check the comments first. As expected—fans trusting their idol, promoting his work, and cursing marketing accounts. Nothing interesting.

She opened the attached images. Pei Yansen was indeed good-looking. The first two pictures were high-resolution portraits of him, but the third photo finally showed two blurry figures sitting across from each other. The woman held a cup close to her lips, while the man sat with his hands behind his back, gazing upward.

The fourth picture showed them standing under the heavy night sky, facing each other, their expressions unreadable. The woman’s side profile, though indistinct, suggested she was quite attractive. The fifth image captured her bowing to him, and in the sixth, she was walking away, revealing a hazy glimpse of her features while the man watched her from behind.

Aside from the first two HD images of the male lead, the last four candid shots looked as if someone had slapped a nearsighted filter over them—exactly how Wen Yang saw people without her glasses.

Still, the female lead of this so-called relationship scandal did bear some resemblance to her eyes. Wen Yang considered looking for a clearer image but quickly dismissed the idea. If she really got dragged into this, she’d be torn apart by public opinion. Not worth it.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yuan had gone to the police station to deal with something, leaving only Xu Yi and Wen Yang to sort out lunch.

Wen Yang headed to the backyard to check on the pig. Today, she hadn’t given it any grass—only feed. Ever since Zhang Yuan arrived, the pig had never gone hungry. Now, its belly was round, a chubby, dirty creature.

Watching the pig snort and nudge the feeding trough, its mouth moving rhythmically as drool dripped from its lips, Wen Yang sighed.

“Brother Pig, before I leave, I’ll find you a home where you won’t go hungry.” She lamented, “You’ve had a rough time with me.”

Over by the wooden fence, the chickens—both hens and roosters—grew restless when they saw she hadn’t fed them. Wen Yang turned toward them, lifting her pinky in a delicate gesture as she poured feed into the trough. “Before I leave, I should at least eat a few more of you.”

The chickens, of course, didn’t understand human speech. They pecked away happily, oblivious to their fate.

After washing her hands, Wen Yang wandered into the kitchen, where Xu Yi was struggling to prepare fish. The moment he saw her, the fish he was gripping slipped from his hands and flopped back into the basin. A splash of fishy water landed directly on his open legs.

Wen Yang pretended not to notice and headed straight upstairs.

Xu Yi, seeing her, instinctively tried to close his legs, but the metal basin was in the way. Instead, he awkwardly pressed his knees together, striking an oddly feminine pose. Only after she left did he stand up, glancing down at his wet pants.

“…Why does this look like I peed myself?”

After changing his pants, Xu Yi decided not to bother Wen Yang for a while. He figured he should give her some space to think—to sort out their relationship. Then, when the time was right, he’d make his move. The feelings would be mutual, and things would naturally fall into place. They’d—cough cough—

Wait. She was probably still underage. Best to put those thoughts on hold.

——

Just as Xu Yi finished dealing with the fish, his phone rang. It was his father.

“Son?” Xu Chenglin called again, “Xiao Yi?”

“Get to the point,” Xu Yi said impatiently. He still needed to cook for Wen Yang.

“Your teachers and principal say you’ve been doing well,” his father said, clearing his throat. “Your old man misses you.”

Xu Yi nearly gagged and was tempted to hang up. “What do you want? Just say it already.”

“Your grandfather’s 80th birthday is coming up. Did you forget?”

Xu Yi’s mind clicked. “I remember.”

“Then hurry back. The old man wants to see you too.”

It was December 4th. His grandfather’s birthday was on the 7th. So soon.

“When are you planning to come back?” his father continued. “Aunt Xiao Lin and I can come pick you up.”

“Neither of us wants to go back,” Xu Yi said flatly.

“What do you mean, you don’t want to come back? Are you still holding a grudge? Listen, I only want you to focus on your studies, so you can take over the family business in the future. I—”

“Enough.” Xu Yi cut him off before he could launch into another speech. “I’ll think about when to come back and send you a message when I decide.”

“Alright—”

Before his father could finish, Xu Yi hung up.

He stared at the fish simmering in the pot, trying to recall the seasonings Zhang Yuan had used. Forget it. He’d just do it himself. Cooking it personally would be more sincere anyway.

——

Upstairs, in her room.

Wen Yang: You said Xu Yi and Xiao Yan are leaving soon.

System: Yes.

They were about to leave. And the moment of confrontation between the host and 006 was drawing closer.

Wen Yang glanced around the room she had lived in for over seven months, reaching for the phone beside her pillow.

Wen Yang: Can I take this phone with me when I return to the real world?

System: Yes, but everything inside will be wiped clean. There won’t be a single trace of this world left.

Wen Yang mindlessly tapped through different apps. She had wanted to take pictures of the village, of this small courtyard, to preserve a memory of this extraordinary journey in her otherwise ordinary life—the people she had met, both good and bad.

Even without photos, she still had her memories. Those wouldn’t be erased.

Wen Yang: Will my memories of this place be erased?

System: No, you will retain your memories until death takes your soul away.

“I might be old and senile by then, maybe even develop Alzheimer’s like Granny Qi Chen and need daily care. Hopefully, when I start losing my mind, an accident will take me away. Something dignified, preferably, without my brains splattered everywhere.”

Wen Yang was called downstairs by Xu Yi for dinner. Seeing the well-prepared full-course fish feast, she gave him a rare moment of appreciation.

In front of her was a bowl of milky white fish soup that Xu Yi had scooped out and let cool for her. She took a sip—it was decent, nothing too bad.

Xu Yi closely observed her reaction to each bite, but he forgot that Wen Yang rarely showed any emotion unless she was angry.

“How does it taste?”

“It’s alright. For a first attempt, not being terrible already deserves a compliment.”

Xu Yi took a sip of the soup himself. Even though her words were far from flattering, he couldn’t help but like hearing them.

“I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.”

Wen Yang calmly put a piece of fish in her mouth. “Congratulations, you’re finally escaping from this misery.”

“Here…” Xu Yi hesitated. “Would you consider transferring to my school?”

He had been thinking about this the whole time while cooking. He wanted to keep Wen Yang close to him. He didn’t want to be separated from her.

“Thanks, but I’ve gotten used to being here,” Wen Yang didn’t poke at his obvious intentions. “I’m already in my second year of high school. If I transfer and can’t adapt, and my grades drop, I can’t afford that risk in my life.”

Hearing her talk about life in such a serious way, Xu Yi realized no matter how much he said, it couldn’t outweigh her future plans.

“What kind of future are you picturing for yourself?”

“Freedom, happiness, and enough money to live comfortably,” Wen Yang answered simply.

Xu Yi chuckled. “That sounds like it suits me perfectly.”

“Don’t go fishing for an argument.” Wen Yang wasn’t buying it.

—

On Xu Yi’s last day at school, the muddy roads were still wet. Wen Yang walked at the front, Xu Yi at the very back, with a line of elementary school kids between them.

Being so tall, Xu Yi was separated from her by a row of little kids, making it impossible to walk side by side on their last day. A bit regretful, but not too bad—he could always come back.

Xu Yi had already decided before telling Wen Yang he was leaving. He would stay here with her until she finished high school. They would attend the same university one day. Eventually, he would win her over.

At lunch, Xiao Yan seized the chance to talk while Qi Chen wasn’t around. She poked Xu Yi’s back with a pen and started speaking before he even turned around.

“Xu Yi, when are you planning to leave?”

She didn’t dare bring this up with Qi Chen. They had only just made up, and now she was leaving—what would happen to them? She was anxious.

“Tomorrow.” Xu Yi leaned back against her desk.

“That soon?!” Xiao Yan realized her outburst and lowered her voice. “You’re giving up on chasing her?”

“I can always come back.”

“You!” Xiao Yan thought for a moment. In that case, she could also return.

If she could come back, then she wouldn’t have to worry about Lin Minjing. Ha! Didn’t see that coming, did you?

Xu Yi suddenly remembered he hadn’t settled one last thing. He tapped a nearby elementary student’s desk, moving his hand toward the storage compartment.

“Hey, kid. Here’s the money for the egg.”

Liu Qunsheng looked up from his bowl and shook his head. “I don’t want money.”

Xu Yi stuffed the cash into his desk anyway. “I made you cry that day. Sorry.” Seeing the kid’s hands fidgeting to return the money, Xu Yi put on a stern face. “If you don’t take it, I’ll get mad.”

Liu Qunsheng lowered his head and silently kept the money.

Xu Yi was still curious. “Why did you cry that day?”

“Hm?” The kid scratched his head, shyly admitting, “My parents are always working and never taught me not to accept food from strangers.”

Xu Yi patted his head. “Well, now you know. Never take food from strangers again.”

“Got it!” Liu Qunsheng grinned, revealing a gap where his front teeth should be.

The day passed quickly, and Zhang Yuan had already prepared dinner, waiting for them to return from school.

“Uncle Zhang, aren’t you heading back?”

“No, the young master told me to stay and take care of you. He’ll be back soon anyway.”

Wen Yang: 006, what do I do?

Xu Yi coming back? That wasn’t in the original novel. He shouldn’t be making foolish decisions for a woman who doesn’t even exist in his world. He should just go back to being his rich young master.

System: This is a personal matter, 006 cannot interfere.

No emotions. She had no emotions for anyone.

Wen Yang made up her mind. The moment Xu Yi left, she would fast-forward through everything. No one was stopping her from going home.

—

Early the next morning, Wen Yang calmly ate breakfast in the hall. Facing Xu Yi, who had been staring at her the whole time, she finally spoke.

“Can I get a ride to the city?”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No need. I met a woman in the hospital before, the one who cut my hair. I want to visit her and get her WeChat.”

“You really don’t need me to go?” Xu Yi still felt uneasy.

“No, I’m not a clueless kid.”

The van swayed along the bumpy road, but Wen Yang was filled with an uncontrollable excitement—everything was finally coming to an end.

The van stopped in front of Yangkou City Airport. Xu Yi and Xiao Yan had packed nothing. There were still people here they cared about. They believed they would return.

Wen Yang watched them disappear into the airport. She gazed at Xu Yi’s tall, youthful silhouette. “Goodbye” wasn’t just a casual farewell—it meant they would never meet again.

Xu Yi suddenly ran back, panting as he stood before her. He hesitated, despite having said bolder things before—though those had been through text.

“Can we… can we go to the same university in the future?”

“Sure.” Wen Yang clenched her fists, forcing herself to lie without guilt.

“You promised. Don’t go back on it.” He raised his phone. “I recorded it. If you forget, I’ll play it on loop for you every day.”

“I won’t forget.”

Wen Yang looked at him seriously. “Xu Yi, I wish you a bright future and an even better life ahead.”

Thank you for spending these last two months with me.

“I’ll come back.” Xu Yi felt something was off—her words sounded too much like a farewell.

“I know. Don’t miss your flight. Go.” Wen Yang gave him a dazzling smile. Honestly, it was the most genuine smile she had ever shown here. A farewell for both of them.

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Xu Yi kept looking back. No matter how crowded it was, he could spot Wen Yang at a glance. His eyes would always search for her.