Chapter Seventeen: Where Do You Think You Can Run?

In the dim, old neighborhood, the man's head suddenly rested lightly on the woman's shoulder.

“Don’t move, let me lean on you,” he said.

Just as her hand was about to touch his head, Shen Dan spoke again, his voice tinged with a hint of childlike coaxing. “I only got two hours of sleep last night.”

“Wen Zhi, only I can find you.”

He found it ridiculous to see those people anxiously circling around, desperately searching for her under the pretense of family ties.

“Wen Zhi, we belong to the same world.”

“The Wen family could never find you.”

“Bo Ye could never find you either.”

So, if you don’t like Bo Ye much, come back to me.

Wen Zhi remained silent.

Even if he didn’t say it, she could never have feelings for Bo Ye anymore—unless she was a fool who sought suffering.

Yet, somewhere deep inside, a certain place ached faintly, as if the safe territory she once claimed had been violated.

Those people only ever used her.

What about Shen Dan?

He carried many secrets—about the Shen family, about Wen Tang.

Surprisingly, Shen Dan actually fell asleep. In the dim room, the girl gently moved the boy’s head onto the nearby sofa.

“Don’t leave!”

Like a startled bird, he pulled the girl back and embraced her.

Until—

The girl in his arms trembled continuously.

Shen Dan panicked, “Zhi Zhi?”

“If you keep this up, I won’t go to France,” she said.

Shen Dan gently wiped the tears from her face, his eyes dark and deep, lost in thought but still soft in expression. “Alright.”

Wen Zhi finally released his hold and walked into the room, locking the door behind her.

He only wanted one last, unpredictable moment with her.

From France to Z Country, even with the time zones apart, let alone the distance of the heart…

His Zhi Zhi could only be his.

Separated by a door, inside and outside the room, emotions tangled and varied.

The girl’s tears seemed to dry up in the night of this farewell, while the boy stayed awake through it all.

——

“Have you packed everything?” Shen Dan reminded her.

The girl blinked her swollen eyes and nodded.

“Beep—beep—beep—”

The phone rang through the old apartment building hallway.

“Hello~”

The girl’s sweet voice came from the other end.

“Dan, why aren’t you home yet?”

Her tone sounded like she just woke up, tinged with slight reproach.

Shen Dan’s face paled as he glanced at Wen Zhi, his voice stiff. “Ah~ the feeling of returning home makes one uneasy. I couldn't help but linger a bit longer upon arriving in Z City.”

“Hmm, what a coincidence. Your work came up so suddenly this time. Otherwise, I would have come with you.”

“Get some good rest,” Shen Dan said.

“When will you be back?” Wen Tang asked.

“I’ll be back as soon as you wake up,” Shen Dan replied.

Wen Tang blushed slightly at his words, but Shen Dan’s face turned even paler. With every sentence, he stole glances at Wen Zhi beside him.

Yet she remained expressionless, detached as if it were none of her concern. His heart started to race. No matter what sweet words Wen Tang said afterward, he didn’t hear a thing.

“Zhi Zhi—”

“Shen Dan, I don’t care about your affairs. Let’s just put the luggage in the trunk first,” Wen Zhi said with a smile.

Shen Dan tried to grab her hand but missed.

“Hey, Wen Zhi!”

“Granny Hu.”

“Hey, why are you two back?”

Granny Hu was a tenant living upstairs who had helped them many times before her grandmother’s passing.

She happened to be taking out the trash and saw them returning.

“Came back to see Granny and then go get the certificate, right?” Granny Hu said.

People around them knew a bit about Shen Dan and Wen Zhi’s high school days, but these two missed the memo.

“Just came back to see Granny,” Shen Dan said, holding Wen Zhi’s hand.

“Well, you have someone to look after you here, Zhi Zhi,” Granny Hu smiled.

Wen Zhi said nothing, lightly shaking off his hand and getting into the car first.

“Made your girlfriend angry?”

“Yeah.”

Shen Dan scratched his head awkwardly.

“Girls need coaxing. Maybe if you buy her a bigger diamond ring, she’ll forgive you a little,” Granny Hu whispered in his ear.

“I got it. Thanks for the advice, Granny.”

——

During the drive, the two remained silent. The girl stubbornly looked away, while Shen Dan’s gaze never left her.

At the airport, Wen Zhi collected her luggage.

“Call me once you’ve settled in France.”

“Okay,” she added softly. “Take care.”

They parted simply. Shen Dan got back into the car, watching Wen Zhi leave.

The trumpet of farewell sounded; the plane’s ascent and descent heralded how close the parting truly was.

—

Until—

Shen Dan’s gaze locked onto a group of men dressed in black. A cold gun pressed tightly against Wen Zhi’s back—

“Where do you think you’re running off to?”

A familiar voice, as if he didn’t even want to say her name.

Wen Zhi froze and turned around. A familiar face appeared before her.

Bo Ye’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared at her.

“Trying to run away after making a mistake? Do you know Zhuang Sui is still in the ICU?”

“What?” Shen Dan thought she was supposed to be out of danger and recovering.

Who had lied to her?

“Don’t always pretend to be innocent.”

He threw all the photos—big and small—at Wen Zhi.

“So you’ve been playing this game for so long.”

“She’s always been physically weak, and eating all those allergens overwhelmed her body,” Bo Ye sneered sarcastically.

Wen Zhi picked up the photos and looked through them—pictures of her cooking with the girl, photos of her protecting the girl.

“If you can find so many photos, how could you not know she’s been bullied all along?” Wen Zhi said. She hadn’t forgotten the girl once told her her family never cared about her.

Back then, she truly thought her parents were utterly wicked, but now this grotesque "father" didn’t seem irresponsible at all.

“What did you say?” Bo Ye’s eyes filled with suspicion, as if doubting her lies.

“Do you know she’s been bullied at school?”

“Because she can’t speak.”

Just like them, and like you now, bullying me.

“She never told me,” Bo Ye lowered his head, pondering.

“Don’t change the subject—”

“Come on, take me back then. A life for a life—”

Wen Zhi said, closing her eyes.

Bo Ye snapped, “What’s your life worth? Now the lives of everyone in the Wen family are in my hands!”

The Wen family’s lives?

Wen Zhi suddenly opened her eyes.

“If you cut off the Wen family’s shares, fine. But now you want to hold all our lives hostage?”

He never believed her, no matter how much she protested.

But now, this man wanted to take the entire Wen family down with that girl?

“Exactly. Otherwise, how much is a mute’s life worth?”

“I want everyone in the Wen family to live like ants. If you want to die, it won’t be that easy.”