Tao Jie listened to her words, her eyes fixed on the phone in Ye Sibei's hand, trying to calm her down. "Sibei, stay calm. I'm not telling you not to call the police, but you can't twist the facts—"
Before she could finish, Tao Jie suddenly lunged at Ye Sibei's phone. But Ye Sibei was already prepared—she grabbed a nearby paper cup and hurled it at Tao Jie! Water splashed onto Tao Jie's face, making her instinctively shut her eyes. Staggering from Ye Sibei's force, she fell to the ground.
Ye Sibei turned and bolted outside. Tao Jie shouted, "Stop her!"
Song Ming and Zhao Shuhui, standing outside the door, immediately rose to their feet. By then, Ye Sibei had already rushed toward them. She knocked over a bookshelf, sending it crashing toward Song Ming. Song Ming barely managed to steady the shelf, but in that moment, Ye Sibei kicked Zhao Shuhui away as she tried to grab her and dashed into the main hall.
People in the hall stood up in shock, watching Ye Sibei sprint toward the exit.
Tao Jie, wiping her still-watery eyes, chased out of the office, yelling, "Stop her! Stop her!"
Chen Xiaoyang, who was closest to Ye Sibei, stood up to block her path. Seeing this, Zhao Chuchu immediately stepped in front of Chen Xiaoyang, shouting, "Don't run!" Then she deliberately slowed her pace, jogging in a way that obstructed Chen Xiaoyang.
Thanks to this obstruction, Chen Xiaoyang could only watch helplessly as Ye Sibei rushed past.
Once outside, Ye Sibei saw security guards running toward her from both sides, with Tao Jie, Song Ming, and others in pursuit. She turned and spotted Qin Nan still standing under the tree where he had parked earlier. As if seeing a lifeline, she sprinted toward him, screaming, "Qin Nan! Help me, Qin Nan!"
Qin Nan sat on his motorcycle, watching Ye Sibei flailing her way toward him. He couldn't help but laugh as he rolled the bike forward, stopping right in front of her. Without hesitation, Ye Sibei scrambled onto the back, grabbing onto Qin Nan. The moment she steadied herself, the bike roared to life, lurching forward so abruptly that she shrieked and instinctively wrapped her arms around Qin Nan's waist.
"Stop!"
"Ye Sibei, stop right there!"
The angry shouts of Tao Jie and Song Ming trailed behind them, but Ye Sibei couldn't hear them anymore. She clung tightly to Qin Nan as the motorcycle sped away.
Cars and pedestrians blurred past her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, too nervous to look.
"What did you do?" Qin Nan shouted over the wind.
Still holding onto him, eyes closed, Ye Sibei yelled back, "I threw water at her!"
"Why?"
"She insulted me!"
Hearing this, Qin Nan burst into laughter.
His laughter scattered in the wind. Gradually getting used to the speed, Ye Sibei opened her eyes and peeked at him from behind. His helmet obscured his face, but just holding onto him and listening to his laughter in the rushing wind made all her earlier fear and tension magically melt away.
Her heartbeat slowly steadied. Only then did she realize Qin Nan wasn’t slowing down—he was taking her through the city and up a mountain road. Sitting behind him, she shouted, "Where are we going?"
"To celebrate!"
"Celebrate what?"
"Celebrating our Ye Sibei," Qin Nan's voice brimmed with amusement, "finally growing up!"
That made Ye Sibei laugh. "I'm 27! I grew up ages ago!"
Qin Nan didn’t reply. Instead, he accelerated, speeding up the mountain.When they reached the viewing platform at the mountain top, Qin Nan stopped the car. He got out and pulled a water bottle from the bag beside the car, then walked to the edge.
Ye Sibei got out of the car and followed him. "You still haven't answered me—why celebrate me becoming an adult?"
"Coming of age and becoming an adult are different," Qin Nan took a sip of water and handed the bottle to her. "Learning to face the world in your own way—that's when a person's life truly begins."
Ye Sibei listened, drinking water as she walked to the edge.
From here, Nan City appeared as a flat expanse, with the setting sun in the distance. She gazed at the sunset while Qin Nan watched her. "So, tell me, what was all that commotion earlier?"
At this, Ye Sibei perked up. She vividly recounted how she had resisted the temptation of money, how she had turned the tables to threaten Tao Jie, and how she had fought her way out against Fuqiang. Qin Nan leaned against the railing, laughing uncontrollably as he listened.
By the time she finished, the sky had darkened. She calmed down slightly, seeming a little embarrassed. "That's about it."
"Were you scared?"
Qin Nan tilted his head to look at her. Ye Sibei thought for a moment. "I used to think I'd be scared, but when it actually happened, I wasn’t."
"I just don’t understand," she said softly, turning her gaze to the distance. "Why does everyone rush to protect the wrongdoer instead of standing up for the victim?"
"Some do it for self-interest—like the people at your company. It’s far better for their reputation to have a powerless female employee admit to falsely accusing a superior than to acknowledge that a well-connected executive assaulted a subordinate."
Qin Nan followed her gaze as the last light of the sunset bathed the city. "Some do it to comfort themselves. It’s easier to accept that someone is punished for their mistakes than to accept that wrongdoing happens without reason. That way, they can tell themselves they’ll be safe as long as they don’t make mistakes."
"And others do it out of tradition or habit. But no matter the reason, there are all kinds of people in this world—many who support you and believe you’re right." Qin Nan turned to look at Ye Sibei. "It’s just that good people are often overlooked and more likely to stay silent. Focus on them—don’t lose heart."
Ye Sibei listened without responding, her hands in her pockets. After a moment, she looked up at him. "Got a cigarette?"
Qin Nan raised an eyebrow but still took one from his pocket and handed it to her, cautioning, "Just one."
Ye Sibei took it, and Qin Nan lit it for her with his lighter.
She inhaled deeply, exhaling a smoke ring before turning her gaze back to the city below.
The sun had fully set, plunging the city into darkness. Then, one by one, lights flickered on until, at a certain point, the street lamps lit up all at once like an unfurled scroll, casting a warm glow against the night sky.
Ye Sibei held the cigarette, staring at the sea of lights below. The cold wind brushed against her profile, lending her a striking, almost icy beauty.
Qin Nan watched her, unable to look away.
After a long while, she turned to him.
"What about you?" Ye Sibei met his eyes. "If everyone’s actions have reasons, why are you by my side?"
Qin Nan didn’t answer. He simply held her gaze. Ye Sibei flicked the ash from her cigarette and chuckled softly. "Actually, I know. After something like this, whether out of morality or pity, you’d lend a hand regardless.""Thank you for letting me walk this path," Ye Sibei said, looking at the ground. "But as you can see, I can actually go on alone now. I can handle the lawsuit by myself, go to the provincial capital alone, live by myself—no need to trouble you to follow me around. After we get back..." She paused, raising her eyes to meet his. "Let's go to the civil affairs bureau and finalize the paperwork."
Qin Nan didn't respond. Leaning against the railing, he studied her eyes for a long moment before speaking slowly, "What if I refuse?"
Ye Sibei gave an awkward smile, forcing composure as she turned away. "I'm really fine. You don't need to worry. Even though we're married, I don’t want you to burden yourself out of a sense of responsibility—"
"What if it's not just responsibility?"
Qin Nan cut her off. Ye Sibei froze, looking up in confusion to see him holding an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his body lightly leaning against the railing as he watched her calmly.
Moonlight reflected in his eyes, his expression unreadable. "You could have walked this path without me. Without me, you'd still have reported the crime, suffered, struggled for justice, and started resisting. You'd fail again and again, building up resentment with each failure, until one day, you might come across a book, a phrase, or an online friend who tells you you're right—and then you'd walk back into the police station, report the crime again, and keep going alone."
"It was always Ye Sibei who decided everything. Anyone could have been Qin Nan. If it were just about responsibility, you wouldn’t have needed me long ago. Why do you think I'm still here?"
"Why?" The question slipped out before she could stop herself.
Qin Nan choked slightly. He lowered his head, placing the cigarette between his lips, feigning calm as he turned to gaze at the city below, as if deep in thought.
Ye Sibei realized she’d asked something too awkward and didn’t know how to ease the tension. After a while, Qin Nan turned back and motioned for her to come closer.
Bewildered, she stepped forward. Qin Nan gently took her hand, leaning in as he guided her cigarette to his lips. Holding his own cigarette, he lowered his head, pressing the tips together.
The embers caught, spreading from one to the other. His face was so close she could count every eyelash. The sudden intimacy made her heart race wildly. She didn’t dare move, staring at him in stunned silence.
The smoke curled upward, weaving between them like breath, like the two of them had tangled together.
When he lifted his gaze, she fell into his steady eyes, unable to look away. She could hear her own heartbeat—frantic as drumbeats, heavy as thunder in the night wind.
The embers flickered in the breeze. Once her cigarette was lit, he straightened up with ease.
Ye Sibei stood rooted to the spot, flustered, like a child awaiting punishment, her eyes fixed on the ground.
Qin Nan exhaled a slow stream of smoke, watching her. "Do I really have to spell it out?" His voice was soft, but she heard every word.
Ye Sibei shook her head quickly. Qin Nan studied her for a long moment before chuckling quietly. "Never mind," he said, turning toward the motorcycle. "Let’s go back."
Snapping out of her daze, she followed him. When they reached the bike, Qin Nan reached out and fastened her helmet for her.
Standing in front of him, she didn’t know why, but her face burned fiercely.Qin Nan swung his leg over the motorcycle and saw her still standing there, raising an eyebrow in puzzlement. "What are you standing around for?"
"Oh."
Ye Sibei quickly climbed onto the back seat. At first, she instinctively reached for the metal railings, but soon caught herself.
As the motorcycle started, she tentatively, cautiously wrapped her arms around Qin Nan's waist.
She felt like a thief, somehow guilty about it, when Qin Nan, seemingly impatient, grabbed her hand and firmly placed it around his waist. "Hold on tight."
Ye Sibei froze for a moment, then, for some reason, suddenly felt inexplicably happy. Like a child, she loudly responded, "Holding on tight!"
This time, Qin Nan didn't speed. He drove slowly down the mountain, the night breeze gently brushing past them. Above was the bright moon in the sky, and around them, the twinkling lights of the city.
Holding onto him, Ye Sibei felt countless questions bubbling up but didn't know how to voice them. After holding back repeatedly, she finally asked, "Why did you sleep on the floor? Did you want to start over with me and thought sharing a bed was moving too fast?"
"Weren't you going to divorce me? Why the change of heart?"
"Ye Sibei," Qin Nan chuckled at her questions, "why do you have so many questions?"
"Then just answer me one," Ye Sibei leaned forward, one arm around him, the other holding up a finger, looking at him earnestly and cautiously. "What's so good about someone like me?"
Qin Nan kept riding, listening to the girl's question from behind.
He wasn't one to answer such things directly. In the past, he always believed actions spoke louder than words. But hearing Ye Sibei's question, he knew that in her life, she had rarely received such affirmation—and she needed it.
We're often told to be strong, to work hard, to be disciplined—these seem like the standard answers to life's problems. So when we fail, we blame ourselves for not being strong enough, not trying hard enough, not disciplined enough. As if that's the sole reason for all failures.
But rarely does anyone ask why someone can be smart, resilient, generous, and hardworking.
Every person's heart is like a flower, needing the world's positive feedback to bloom.
They need recognition, peace, someone to give them hope.
She needed to understand and accept that she was just an ordinary person.
And that ordinary self—not strong enough, not hardworking enough, not disciplined enough, not brave enough—still had many virtues. Could still, on this struggling path, persist, step by slow step, toward the light.
Thinking back to how he felt the moment he saw Ye Sibei's suffering, Qin Nan no longer held back his praise.
Softly, he said, "You're good."
"You're resilient, stubborn, rebellious, and you never give up."
"You'd make a paper flower even when broke, buy a hairpin, match your plates at meals, iron your clothes carefully every weekend." "You have so many good qualities."
"Ye Sibei, you're good."
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