Flanked by continuous green mountains, Cen Jin gripped the steering wheel, a wave of regret inexplicably surfacing in her heart. She had left too impulsively, alone and unprepared, without any detailed plan.
But the car was already on the highway, and turning back was no longer an easy option. She had no choice but to press on with determination.
When the navigation announced the words "Shengzhou," Cen Jin's unease was washed away by the scenery outside the window. She saw a long-missed view—lush mountain peaks rushing into sight, the sky as blue as the sea, as if she were immersed in a painting.
Her destination was a place called Yunfeng Village in Shengzhou. The last time she had been here was over a year ago, and Wu Fu had been the one driving, so Cen Jin had little memory of the route. Fortunately, with the guidance of the navigation, she managed to make her way smoothly.
After exiting the highway, she passed through the town and carefully navigated a few narrow mountain paths before reaching her destination.
A pristine white coupe suddenly parked at the village entrance, like a noble swan taking a rest, drawing curious glances from passing villagers.
A dark, skinny child ran up to the car, stood on tiptoe, and craned his neck to peer inside through the front window. Before he could get a clear look at the person inside, his parent scolded him loudly and dragged him away by the collar.
Cen Jin smiled faintly, opened the door, and stepped out, stopping an elderly man carrying a bucket. "Uncle, could you tell me where the village committee office is?"
She couldn’t remember the exact location of the child’s home and could only seek help from the former director.
The old man halted abruptly, momentarily dazzled by her fair complexion, and shakily pointed in a direction.
Cen Jin offered a tight-lipped smile of thanks and got back into the car.
In that short time, a group of curious children had gathered around the car, chattering like a flock of gray sparrows. Cen Jin rolled down the window and asked them to move aside, but they stood still, lining up and grinning foolishly at her as if she were an alien. Left with no other choice, she honked the horn—a long, commanding blast—and the little sparrows finally scattered with excited yelps.
On the way to the village committee office, Cen Jin drove extremely slowly. First, because it had just rained, and the road was muddy and uneven. Second, the village children were remarkably bold, showing no fear of vehicles. They would occasionally dart into the road, their sudden appearances a common occurrence. A moment of distraction could easily lead to trouble.
Cen Jin had barely slept for nearly two days, relying solely on a cup of coffee she’d had before leaving to stay alert. She didn’t dare let her guard down.
Fortunately, as she approached the village committee office, the road widened and was paved with smooth cement, allowing her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The village committee office was one of the few places she still remembered. It looked just as before—a whitewashed single-story building with a national flag flying high in the courtyard, fluttering gracefully in the wind. It couldn’t compare to the urban skyscrapers, but within the context of the mountain village, it was a rather respectable structure.
As soon as Cen Jin stepped out of the car, she saw a girl with glasses standing at the entrance. She had her hair tied in a ponytail and still carried a youthful look on her face. She regarded Cen Jin with confusion.
Cen Jin walked toward her.
The girl asked, "Who are you looking for?" As she spoke, she glanced subtly at the car parked nearby.
Cen Jin stated her purpose directly: "Is Deputy Director Yan Changsheng here?"
The girl paused for a moment before understanding. "You mean Yan Village Chief?"
Cen Jin blinked. "He’s been promoted to village chief? Well, yes, I’m here to see him."
The girl pursed her lips and shook her head. "All the leaders have gone to the county for a meeting. They won’t be back until tomorrow noon."
She led Cen Jin toward the office. "What do you need? I’m a reserve cadre in the village. I can help you register your request first."
Stepping over the threshold, Cen Jin said, "It’s quite urgent. I drove four hours to get here, and I’ll need to head back soon.""Huh?" The girl looked surprised. "Where did you come from?"
"Yi City."
The girl whipped her head around, unable to conceal her excitement. "Yi City? I went to university there."
Cen Jin raised an eyebrow slightly. "F University?"
The girl looked somewhat embarrassed. "I couldn't get into that one. I went to Lake University."
Cen Jin understood immediately. "That's good too. Did you come back here to work as a village official?"
The girl smiled. "You could say that. This is my hometown, so I returned after graduation." The shared experience of having lived in the same city instantly bridged the distance between them. She let down her guard toward this unexpected visitor and brought over a chair. "Please sit. I'll help you get in touch."
Cen Jin sat down and pulled up the old photo on her phone, intending to ask directly about Li Wu's current whereabouts. But when she looked up, the girl was already dialing on the landline.
They exchanged a smile and fell silent.
The girl continued to watch her. The woman before her embodied everything she aspired to be. Her attire was simple—a white top and jeans like her own—yet she looked completely different. Slender and pristine, she resembled a white tea flower, unassuming yet impossible to overlook, possessing a sophistication the girl felt she might never attain—a sophistication that seemed effortless for this woman.
Cen Jin looked up again and noticed the girl staring at her intently. She raised an eyebrow. "Did you get through?"
The girl hurriedly put down the receiver. "No, he might be in a meeting with his phone on silent."
Cen Jin stood and walked over, showing her phone screen. "Do you know this boy? His name is Li Wu, and he lives here too."
The girl studied the photo carefully and recognized the person. "Him—his grandfather just passed away, right?"
"Yes," Cen Jin said gratefully. "Two years ago, through Village Chief Yan's introduction, I became his sponsor. He's run into some trouble recently, so I wanted to come check on him. Do you know where he's living now?"
"I do!" The girl looked up. "I'll take you there."
Cen Jin smiled. "What should I call you?"
"Cheng Lixue."
"Thank you, Miss Cheng."
The girl beamed, this time genuinely.
——
With Cheng Lixue leading the way, Cen Jin felt much more at ease. As they moved away from the village center, the mountain path became rough and narrow. Driving would have been impractical. Trudging through the muddy, overgrown trail, Cen Jin could only be thankful she was wearing sneakers; otherwise, she wouldn't have known how to endure the journey.
Along the way, Cen Jin tried to ignore the uneven ground and kept her expression relaxed. She asked Cheng Lixue, "He's staying with his aunt now, right?"
"Yeah," Cheng Lixue replied, accustomed to such terrain. She glanced back slightly. "What happened to him? Director Yan takes him very seriously. After his grandfather passed, he was placed with his aunt to ensure he wouldn't be left alone and struggling. Living with relatives at least means someone can look after him."
Cen Jin's voice grew somber. "Which high school is he attending now?"
"Probably Nongxi County High."
Cen Jin recalled hearing the school's name during her navigation on the way here—it wasn't close. She asked, "Does he usually board at school?"
"Probably not. Not many kids here board. Parents see boarding as slacking off away from home, and it costs extra. Who'd be willing to pay for that?"
Cheng Lixue spoke casually, but Cen Jin fell silent.
After walking about seven or eight hundred meters, Cheng Lixue finally stopped. She pointed to a house on a small slope. "That one there—Li Wu's aunt's place."Cen Jin lifted her gaze to a single-story house, much like most dwellings in this village, with its tall door and narrow windows. Irregular stones formed the walls, and beyond the dark green roof tiles rose towering misty peaks so deeply verdant they appeared nearly black.
The two made their way through a lush vegetable garden and stopped at the front of the house. The wooden door was wide open, faint voices could be heard from within, yet no one was in sight.
Cheng Lixue stepped forward and knocked firmly twice on the door. "Is anyone there—"
Remarkably, the seemingly inexperienced young woman suddenly found her footing, her raised voice carrying an unexpected authority: "Is anybody home!"
Cen Jin watched her profile, a subtle smile playing on her lips.
Someone inside responded: "Who is it?" A woman's voice, speaking in thick local dialect.
"It's me! Cheng Lixue from the village committee—" Cheng Lixue replied fluently in the same dialect, then let out a long breath and glanced back at Cen Jin with resignation. "They're all like this."
Cen Jin nodded. "Mm."
The woman hurried out to greet them—a middle-aged woman with short hair wearing red clothes. She had a stout build and broad face, yet her features were small and crowded together when she smiled, creating deep wrinkles that looked rather unpleasant.
She called out cheerfully, "Secretary Cheng," while her eyes immediately swept over Cen Jin from head to toe.
Though subjected to such impolite scrutiny, Cen Jin showed no discomfort. She stood calmly, her face luminous like the moon, exuding an air of detached elegance.
The woman inexplicably sensed trouble and tempered her smile. "What brings you here? Come inside. Have you had evening tea, Secretary Cheng?"
Cheng Lixue didn't enter immediately, asking instead, "Is your nephew home?"
The woman raised her eyebrows, somewhat confused. "What do you need him for?"
Cheng Lixue stepped aside, gesturing toward Cen Jin. "This lady came from Yishi City. She'd like to see him."
The woman fell silent. "Who is she?"
"His sponsor."
"Ah—?" Li Gugu's mouth fell open as she tried to shift her accent closer to Mandarin. "So it's you. This is the first time I've met our great benefactor. Why did you come so suddenly without any notice?"
Cen Jin had no time for small talk and asked directly, "Where's Li Wu? He should be home," she glanced down briefly at her phone, "it's Saturday."
The woman said, "He's home, of course he's home." She turned and shouted, "Li Wu! Li Wu? Someone's here to see you!"
After a moment, there was no response from inside.
The woman ushered them in and rushed toward a separate room, urgently waving her hands. "I'm calling you out, get up! Stop feeding them now! Are you listening to me?"
Her tone was almost scolding.
Cen Jin followed behind and stopped at the same doorway.
At that moment, the boy by the stove set down the porcelain bowl in his hands and turned to look over.
His brow was slightly furrowed, but the moment his gaze reached them, his large eyes—previously unfocused beneath thick eyebrows—widened in utter astonishment.
Cen Jin watched him quietly. The boy's face overlapped with the photo she'd seen, yet there were differences. He seemed sharper now, or perhaps it was that his features had grown to better match those unyielding eyes of his.
The boy quickly straightened up. Cen Jin expected to meet him at eye level as before, but soon found herself secretly mocking her own involuntary upward gaze:
It turned out that during the time she—and everyone else—had paid no attention, the cypress had never ceased growing.
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