This passport was something Ruan Yu had applied for after the unpleasant incident involving Xu Huaisong and Li Shican.
She had just received it yesterday and planned to discuss it with him today after the meeting at Huanshi, once their next work phase was clarified.
Her initial thought when applying for the passport had been simple.
During their time apart in different countries, they had battled time zones and distance daily, yet still encountered communication issues. Since her work wasn’t strictly location-bound and she had the financial means, she figured that the next time he flew to the U.S., she could tag along—stay with him until his work was done, then return together.
But that was as far as her thoughts had gone. When she applied for the passport, settling in the U.S. hadn’t crossed her mind.
Xu Huaisong had returned to China for her—she should have known that long ago, and he had even said so himself a few days ago in Suzhou. But perhaps because he had made the decision so casually from the start, and because she subconsciously assumed his return was a natural "homecoming," something his family would "rejoice over," she hadn’t elevated it to the same level as Lü Shenglan did.
Emotionally, she disliked Lü Shenglan’s attitude, but rationally, one thing had struck her—in this relationship, she had indeed given far less than Xu Huaisong. Worse, she was gradually sinking into complacency, growing accustomed to receiving his affection and starting to take his kindness for granted.
She was someone who looked forward, not dwelling excessively on the eight years they had lost. But everything had two sides. While she lived in the present, she had also overlooked the pain and struggles he might have endured in those missing years.
Ruan Yu glanced at Xu Huaisong, who was driving, feeling an indescribable pang of regret.
He would never bring those things up himself, but she could have at least tried to ask.
Why hadn’t she?
Xu Huaisong kept his eyes on the road. "Did you get scolded at the meeting?"
She shook her head, then after a pause, said, "I was just thinking… am I the kind of person who…"
"Hmm?"
She lowered her head, clutching the hem of her skirt. "…is really selfish?"
Xu Huaisong frowned, about to ask further, when her phone buzzed, cutting him off.
Ruan Yu glanced at him, then swiped open her phone to see a message from Li Shican: Forgot to mention—Director Wei seems to have overseas plans soon. You can relax for a while.
Xu Huaisong glimpsed the sender’s name in her notifications.
She looked up to explain, "He’s telling me Director Wei is going abroad soon."
Xu Huaisong gave a quiet "Mm," opening his mouth as if to resume their earlier conversation, but then seemed to change his mind. "What do you want to eat?"
After dinner, they returned home, and Xu Huaisong went to shower first.
Curled up on the living room sofa, Ruan Yu waited for a while before picking up her phone to message Shen Mingying. Omitting certain private details about him, she briefly recounted the day’s events.
Mingying: Wait, are you telling me you’re planning to move to the U.S. with him?
This involved lifelong commitments and family considerations—of course, Ruan Yu wouldn’t make a hasty decision. She paused, about to reply that she was merely considering it, when Mingying sent a string of question marks: How long have you two even been together? Two months at most, half of which was long-distance. Are you sure this isn’t impulsive? What does he think about this?
Ruan Yu sidestepped the first two questions, replying: He’s showering. I haven’t talked to him yet.Moreover, she estimated that the moment she opened her mouth, she would be shut down with a "not needed" or even an "impossible."
Mingying: What about your family?
Ruan Yu: I need to figure things out myself before bringing it up with them.
Ruan Yu wasn’t wrong—she shouldn’t blindly alarm her parents before she had made up her own mind. But through the screen, Shen Mingying might have misunderstood it as "seeking forgiveness rather than permission."
So she exploded: When you're head over heels in love, sacrifices feel sweet, but can you guarantee the future? Forget everything else—just imagine that life. Are you planning to be a caged canary in a foreign mansion forever?
If he returns to China, it’s just restarting his career. But you’ll be in an unfamiliar place with no one but him. There will always be conflicts in daily life—what will you do when you argue, or when feelings fade?
To put it bluntly, if you’re alone in a foreign land and someone bullies you, he can protect you. But what if he’s the one who bullies you? You can’t recklessly tie yourself to a man like this!
Simply put, people favor those closer to them. From her perspective, Shen Mingying was speaking for Ruan Yu’s sake.
Her harsh but well-meaning advice came fast and fierce. Before Ruan Yu could even draft a reply, messages kept pouring in. At some point, Xu Huaisong had already come out, drying his damp hair with a towel, his gaze lingering on her without a word.
Distracted by Shen Mingying’s words, she was momentarily dazed when she saw him and blurted out, "You’re done showering?"
Xu Huaisong gave a faint "Mm."
She set her phone aside and grabbed the hairdryer. "Sit down. I’ll dry your hair today."
Xu Huaisong glanced at her phone, still vibrating with new WeChat messages on the sofa, then took a seat on the chair.
The noise of the hairdryer drowned out the message alerts.
After drying his hair, Ruan Yu sat down beside him and said, "Huaisong, I need to talk to you—"
"Go shower and rest," he interrupted. "I have to go to Suzhou early tomorrow for work."
Ruan Yu hadn’t gone to the law firm today and wasn’t sure about their progress. After a pause, she nodded. "We’ll talk when you get back."
Xu Huaisong must have been truly exhausted—he fell asleep almost instantly.
The next morning, Ruan Yu wanted to ask if she could go with him, but when she opened her eyes, the other side of the bed was already empty.
A note lay on the nightstand: "Breakfast is in the fridge."
She felt something off between her and Xu Huaisong—whether it was her own preoccupation or if something was wrong with him too.
Unable to figure it out, she texted him to ask when he’d be back. Upon receiving an "evening" reply, she went grocery shopping for dinner. Unexpectedly, she got a call from him on her way back.
Xu Huaisong asked, "You’re not home?"
"Huh?" Ruan Yu was puzzled. "I’m on my way back from the supermarket, about to take the elevator. What’s up?"
She didn’t need an answer to know what was happening. Xu Huaisong, who was supposed to be in Suzhou, had returned home—apparently just arrived.
She blinked. "Why are you back so suddenly?"
"Changed my mind last minute."
Smiling, she lifted the grocery bag. "Perfect timing. We can have this for lunch."
As she turned toward the kitchen, Xu Huaisong suddenly stepped forward, took the bag from her hands, set it aside, and then wrapped his arms around her from behind.Caught off guard, her heart inexplicably trembled.
Xu Huaisong tightened his arms around her, burying his chin into the crook of her shoulder without a word.
She turned her head in confusion. "What's wrong?"
He didn't answer immediately. After a pause, he asked, "I still have to go back to America in a few days. With Wei Jin's matter unresolved, I'm worried about leaving you here alone. Would you like to come with me? We can expedite your passport and I have connections for the visa."
Ruan Yu had actually been wanting to discuss this with him. Hearing him bring it up first, she answered without hesitation, "Sure!" After a brief pause, she turned around and added, "I already have a passport, so just help me arrange the visa."
Xu Huaisong's connections in America were indeed impressive. Ruan Yu's visa wasn't just fast-tracked—it practically flew through the process.
Even days later, as she carried her luggage to the car heading for the airport, she still felt everything had happened too quickly to process. Yet her mood had lightened considerably.
What was there to hesitate about? It wasn't too late to seriously consider the future now. Rather than agonizing over it alone, why not walk the path he'd taken and experience the life he'd lived? Perhaps clarity would come naturally.
September in Hangzhou remained sweltering. Ruan Yu sat in the passenger seat enjoying the air conditioning until it became stifling. She rolled down the window during a red light, reaching out to feel the breeze. "San Francisco's temperature is so different from here," she remarked.
Xu Huaisong had instructed her to pack several sweaters and a windbreaker.
"It gets chilly mornings and evenings," he said, glancing at her. "We're moving now—pull your hand back in."
Ruan Yu complied with an "Oh," then checked the traffic ahead. A long line of cars crawled slowly forward. She looked at her phone for the time.
"We'll make it. It'll clear up past this section," he assured her. Noticing she wanted fresh air, he turned off the AC and drove steadily. Within half an hour, the traffic thinned significantly, especially after crossing the sea bridge—only a sparse few cars trailed behind them now.
Ruan Yu looked back curiously. "It's the weekend—why's the bridge so empty?" Before he could answer, she suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, your license is still new—aren't you prohibited from highways?"
Xu Huaisong glanced at her. "Haven't you had your license for seven years?"
Oh. A driver in the probationary period could use highways if accompanied by an experienced driver.
She shot him a look. "So that's the real reason you brought me along!"
Xu Huaisong smiled without responding.
After several kilometers, the sea breeze through the open window grew strong enough to buffet their faces as the car sped across the bridge. Ruan Yu turned to partially close it.
No cars approached from behind, but a black BMW ahead slowed to a crawl—likely hovering at the minimum speed limit, frustratingly sluggish.
Checking the time, Xu Huaisong signaled and changed lanes to pass it. As they drew alongside, Ruan Yu instinctively glanced at the driver.
Her body went rigid.
Xu Huaisong had already overtaken the car when he noticed her reaction. "What is it?"
"That driver... I think it was Wei Jin..."
The fleeting glimpse left her uncertain, but the man's sharp features had triggered instant recognition.
Xu Huaisong remained calm. "Didn't Li Shican mention he was traveling abroad soon? Probably heading to the airport too."
Ruan Yu nodded, peering once more through the rearview mirror.With that glance, she noticed the BMW's speed fluctuating, its path weaving unsteadily, occasionally crossing into the adjacent lane before jerking back, as if the driver were drunk.
She was about to ask what was going on when she saw Xu Huaisong, who was also watching the rearview mirror, furrow his brows.
He asked, "How many cars have passed us since we got on the bridge?"
Ruan Yu had indeed been puzzled by the traffic behind them and replied, "Just two or three?" Then she hesitated. "Now that you mention it, there haven’t been many cars coming from the opposite direction either."
Xu Huaisong’s frown deepened.
She blinked in realization. "Could it be that the bridge was closed off shortly after we got on?"
The situation was too unusual. Other than a roadblock, there was no other explanation.
But why would they close the bridge without warning?
From Xu Huaisong’s unusually grave expression and the BMW’s erratic behavior, Ruan Yu seemed to grasp something. She tightened her grip on the seatbelt.
Her gaze kept darting to the rearview mirror until, moments later, she saw Wei Jin suddenly accelerate, pulling up alongside them.
"What’s he trying to do?" Ruan Yu’s lips trembled.
Xu Huaisong rolled up the window, pried her hand off the seatbelt, and held it firmly in his own. "I’m here. Nothing will happen."
She gave a quiet "Mm," watching as the BMW drew level with them. She stared straight ahead, not daring to turn her head.
Xu Huaisong kept one hand on the wheel while glancing to the right, locking eyes with Wei Jin.
After that brief exchange, the BMW slowed down, falling behind again.
It seemed the acceleration had only been to confirm that one look.
Maintaining a steady speed, Xu Huaisong said, "There’s a woman in the passenger seat. She doesn’t look right."
Ruan Yu tensed. "Could she be a hostage?"
"Possibly."
So it really might be a sudden police operation targeting drug trafficking.
Ruan Yu’s heartbeat quickened as she glanced at the turbulent ocean beneath the bridge.
With both ends blocked and only a handful of cars left on the six-lane bridge, it felt like an isolated island.
She swallowed hard. The next moment, a police car with blaring sirens sped toward them from the opposite lane. At the same time, in the rearview mirror, the BMW shifted into reverse and began speeding backward.
Wei Jin gripped the wheel with one hand while pulling on an orange vest with the other.
In a flash, Ruan Yu understood.
With the bridge sealed off, he was putting on a life jacket to jump into the sea!
As the police car on the opposite side closed in, the BMW made a sharp 180-degree turn and began driving against traffic.
Xu Huaisong suddenly said, "Hold on," and reversed direction, chasing after it.
Ruan Yu grabbed the handle.
She knew why he was doing this.
For Wei Jin, jumping was a desperate gamble—either escape or drown.
But Xu Huaisong couldn’t let him take that risk.
This operation was the only lead in a decade-old case.
The Xu, Jiang, and Wang families had waited ten years for this day.
Wei Jin couldn’t die.
He had to face justice and reveal the truth.
Xu Huaisong glanced at the police car beyond the barrier, then pressed the accelerator, closing the distance between them and Wei Jin.Author's note: The journey from Hangzhou to Shanghai doesn't actually require crossing a sea bridge. This was changed for plot purposes, so it doesn't strictly follow real-world geography. (#^.^#)
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