quickly returned a gesture."Come to the hospital tomorrow to sign the contract."Shu Tinglan replied the same, "See you tomorrow." Then he tossed his phone back into his bag.Today, she arrived at kind...After the distraction passed, things slowly got better, and by the afternoon I was able to focus fully on my work.

When it was time to get off work, I suddenly received a message from Song Jingye: "Have you left"

Her brain short-circuited for a moment before she remembered, it was Friday. She had booked the tickets and planned to meet him after work.

But she completely forgot about it all day and suddenly felt guilty. She wanted to cry, so she replied to him with tears in her eyes: "Uncle, I'm sorry, my unit has to work overtime this weekend and I can't go."

"It's okay, I'll come back and see you next weekend then."

"Okay, okay."

She frequently receives messages from the airline on her phone, reminding her of her boarding time.

She missed him terribly, but she didn't want to go. She didn't want him to see her so nervous and pathetic. She felt so helpless and useless.

That night, she didn't sleep well. She was awakened several times by nightmares, her whole body drenched in sweat. Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, she thought to herself, strangely enough, how could this be

Whether she participated in charitable foundations before or after work, she had encountered countless dangerous moments and never been afraid. Now, she shouldn't be afraid even more.

I hardly slept all night, but my mind is much clearer now.

In the morning, she went back to that breakfast shop but didn't show up. Instead, she found a place and watched from afar.

From a little past 6 am until around 10 am, I didn't see that person from yesterday again.

On Sunday, she went there again early in the morning, still observing from afar. She stayed there from morning till noon, leaving only after the breakfast shop closed, but she still hadn't seen him.

Could it be that I'm seeing things

But once a doubt was planted, without a definite answer, she found it hard to rest easy. So for the next few days, every time she went to work, she would first glance at the breakfast shop from afar, searching for any clues.

That year's events were left unsolved after the man died. The woman who was taken by him was never found, as if she had vanished into thin air.

She only just realized how strong she appeared on the outside, but this incident was like a needle, piercing her heart. It was unnoticed during normal times, but once it moved even slightly, it caused excruciating pain. That's why these past few days, in her spare time, she went to a charity foundation.

The president saw her delight: "I read the news from a while back, Xiao Ning. I knew you wouldn't be able to escape it no matter where you went."

After a few pleasantries, the president asked, "Are you really not planning to come back and help out"

"I'm too busy with work right now, I don't have time," she explained.

"So, what brings you here today" the president asked.

I'd like to ask, have you two been to the village in the past couple of years

"No, the people in that village are few now, almost every household has gone out to work, they're too poor. Staying in the village, even basic needs like food and shelter are a problem."

"Is there no one left in the village"

"Except for some elderly people who can't move, all the young and strong go out to work. And in the past two or three years, with the state cracking down severely, there have been very few cases of abduction."

Chen Ning nodded in response.

"Why suddenly ask this"

The other day, I saw a man who looked a lot like the head of that family back then. It suddenly reminded me of those things and made me wonder if they were still in the village. If they had gone out to work, I wanted to know where they went.

"Well, I'll ask around for you. But what if he is He should be afraid of you and run away from you."

"Yes, I just know where they've gone. I have a general idea of what to expect." Chen Ning replied, knowing the president was right. The other party should be afraid of her hiding from them, but that day, whether it was seeing things or actually happening, the man's disgusting gaze lingered in her mind.

After that, she never saw the man again. With ample psychological preparation, the fear gradually subsided, but she was more cautious than before when traveling.

Her work has also been a lot busier than before. She used to be in charge of releasing some warning information, but these days, with frequent news about unrest in Xili domestically, the entire department is focusing on that country's news. They have also issued 24-hour reminder messages, reminding Chinese citizens not to travel to Xili unless necessary in the near future.

The leader issued an order: "You all have to work hard recently, taking turns on duty and keeping a close eye on the situation in Xili. Make sure our colleagues over there can contact us at any time."

"Okay."

Xili country has not yet experienced war, but because of anti-government armed groups who hold daily street protests and occasionally engage in arson, robbery, and provocations against the local government, the situation is on the verge of eruption.

Local colleagues have received many pleas for help from their compatriots because some armed groups are specifically targeting Chinese-owned businesses for robbery. In just two days, 8 Chinese businesses have been robbed, clearly a planned and organized operation. Local colleagues are actively negotiating with the Siri government.

Domestic colleagues are also waiting for follow-up arrangements from the other side.

Chen Ning's shift was always at night. When she got busy, she would put that man out of her mind. She was adaptable and quickly adjusted to the night shift schedule.

Just, Song Jingye came back especially to accompany her on Friday night. He originally wanted to give her a surprise, but he found out she was going to work the night shift.

Working the night shift isn't all bad, you can slack off a bit and chat with Song Jingye on WeChat here and there.

This week, whether in life or work, she was on edge. Hearing that he was back, she couldn't wait to run into his arms.

But he could only send a crying emoji and then asked, "Do you have to pass by our company on your way home"

"It will be done." Song Jingye replied.

"Then when you get here, let me know. I'll come down and see you for a moment."

"You just focus on work, and I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning." Song Jingye was afraid of affecting her work.

I want to see you now. There's a colleague on duty here, so it's okay if I go down in a few minutes.

"Okay, I'm here to talk to you."

After about half an hour, Song Jingye sent a message: “Come down.”

Chen Ning greeted her colleagues and rushed downstairs. From afar, she saw Song Jingye's Jeep parked on the side of the road with its hazard lights flashing. He stood outside the car, like a pine tree by a neon street, proud and upright.

She ran over, saying nothing, and threw herself into his arms, holding on tight. In that embrace, all her fear and weariness vanished.

Song Jingye only thought she was a little girl being coquettish, he hugged her tightly, gently stroking her back, and softly asked, "Tired from work"

She nodded. "A little."

"Well done."

After a brief hug, the two settled into his car. He handed her a plastic bag. "Here, I bought some snacks. Have something if you're hungry."

Chen Ning opened it to see a bottle of coffee, bread, and chips inside.to wrap things up today. Talk to my lawyer." He leaned against the bed, his plaster-covered leg resting beside them, looking especially swollen.Even the renovation company people don't want to waste t...