Returning to City C, Lai Hui felt no sense of belonging. Her house was rented out to someone else, and her uncle lived in the countryside, so she had no choice but to check into a hotel. Such a homecoming was truly desolate, but she couldn’t afford to indulge in sadness. Years ago, when her mother was ill, her aunt had cared for her tirelessly, selling the house and pawning family heirlooms to sustain her mother’s life. Such kindness could not be repaid with money alone. At the city hospital, her uncle, whom she hadn’t seen in years, appeared increasingly frail, his temples frosted with gray, his body emaciated to the point of being unrecognizable. Tears welled up in Lai Hui’s eyes as she looked at her uncle’s hands, calloused and worn, and she couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. “Are you still working at the construction site, uncle?” she asked. Her uncle’s eyes flickered for a moment, noticing her stubborn insistence, and he smiled, “This body can still do some work, I just thought—” “Is the money I’ve given you all unused?” Lai Hui interrupted, raising her voice, “I’ve said long ago, if you don’t use it, I won’t take it back.” “We’ve kept the money you gave us, just in case you or your mother might need it someday. Besides, we can manage our lives,” her aunt, lying on the bed, said weakly. Lai Hui was moved yet frustrated; she wiped her tears and exclaimed, “You say you can manage, but isn’t it because of the hard work that aunt got sick? — Is the money enough for medical expenses?” “It’s enough; we don’t need that much. I just called to let you know, I didn’t expect you to rush back from so far away!” her uncle replied. “That money was meant for you, why tell me about it? — If it weren’t for the medical expenses, you probably wouldn’t have told me about aunt’s illness, would you? I only have one uncle and one aunt, wouldn’t you let me come back to fulfill my filial duties?” Lai Hui paused, then added to her uncle, “I’ve booked an extra room at the hotel; at your age, you shouldn’t be squeezing in with relatives’ children!” Her uncle was about to protest, but knowing his niece’s determination, he didn’t refuse further. Over the next few days, Lai Hui stayed by the bedside, taking turns with her uncle to care for her aunt, running errands in the hospital, paying bills, and picking up lab results, doing her utmost to help her elders.
That afternoon, after her uncle took over from her at the hospital, Lai Hui returned to the hotel. With her head down, searching through her handbag for the key card, she didn’t notice the person in front of her and bumped into him. Covering her painful nose, she stepped back to apologize but froze when she saw who it was — she knew it was deliberate; the hotel corridor was wide enough, how could she bump into someone so easily? “What are you doing here?” Xie Jiayi smiled warmly, “Why can’t I be here?” Why he couldn’t be there, Lai Hui didn’t know; she just wanted to know if he was there because of her. The corridor lighting was dim but soft, and she could still see his familiar, handsome face, smiling genuinely, which was rare. She had to admit, it was a surprise; her desolate return to her hometown still allowed her to encounter a familiar face, a feeling of warmth she couldn’t describe. Even if it were just an old classmate, the encounter felt particularly comforting, let alone if he had intentionally arranged it for her. She was immensely grateful for this sense of familiarity he provided. Her hometown wasn’t entirely unfamiliar, it still held her memories, didn’t it? Her face broke into a smile, warmly saying, “Of course you can, no one can stop you from being here — come in and sit!” She went to the door first, swiped the key card, turned back to smile at him, and then opened the door to enter. She was in a single room with a double bed, covered with white cotton sheets, and the curtains were open. Looking out the window, the Yangtze River flowed swiftly, and in the distance, the forest park was lush with red maples like clouds. “You’ve picked a nice room!” Jiayi sat by the floor-to-ceiling window and laughed. Lai Hui poured him a glass of water and sat beside him, “It’s nothing special; when I arrived, it was pitch black, and I haven’t had time to enjoy the view during the day.” She laughed generously. “If you’re jealous, I can swap with you!” “No need for that, if you like it, my family has plenty of rooms for you!” His family? Lai Hui remembered then, she was the only one without a home to return to; Jiayi’s parents were still alive, naturally providing him with a warm, loving home. She lowered her head, her thumb tracing the white porcelain cup, softly asking, “How are your parents doing?” “They’re fine; come to my place for dinner this afternoon, they haven’t seen you in years, they even asked about you last time I was back!” Lai Hui’s hand trembled holding the cup; on what grounds could she go to his house? A few years ago, she often stayed at his place because she was his friend, and Jiayi had even insisted she call his parents mom and dad. Now, if she went there, how awkward would that be? She tactfully said, “I need to take care of my aunt in the hospital, I might not have time!” Jiayi didn’t insist, glanced at his watch, and said, “You probably haven’t eaten yet, let’s go eat first, then I’ll go to the hospital with you this afternoon.” Lai Hui thought for a moment, then asked directly, “What are you back for?” “To have dinner with you!” he said with a straight face as if it were indeed the case. In fact, the day after Lai Hui left, Jiayi visited Lai Ruoyun and learned about her aunt’s severe illness, prompting him to expedite his work and rush back to City C. It wasn’t just about seizing a good opportunity to show his care; he thought of her old house being rented out, knowing she’d have nowhere to go upon returning, and having a familiar face would warm her heart. Lai Hui didn’t think much of it, and Jiayi didn’t explain, letting her guess or consider it a jest; he just wanted to be with her in a place they both knew well. The restaurant they chose for dinner was the renowned Wang Ji Restaurant in City C, famous for its local dishes. In the late 1980s, it was just a small hall with a through breeze, accommodating only three or four tables. It began to flourish in the mid-1990s, and over the past decade, it has remained popular. Lai Hui and Jiayi had grown up alongside Wang Ji. A few years later, when they returned in glory, Wang Ji had just opened its new four-story building last month. The restaurant was decorated in an ancient style, incorporating ethnic elements, with hand-woven Kalpak hung on ebony walls, said to be love tokens from eligible young men to their beloveds. The familiar local customs stirred an inexplicable excitement in both Lai Hui and Jiayi’s hearts. “Has Wang Ji built such a large restaurant with so many people coming to eat?” Lai Hui was puzzled; the city’s population was less than a million. “It’s not always full, but the city’s residents always choose here for gatherings, and tourists passing through City C also come for its reputation. On holidays, the restaurant is bustling.”
