The next morning.
Qin Fengwu, dressed in a suit, was already waiting at the airport.
If Chen Jinzhao were here, he would have noticed Qin Fengwu's very noticeable dark circles, looking as if he hadn't slept all night.
And so it was.
Last night, Qin Fengwu had a bit of wine upon learning that Wu Lingyun would be arriving in Tougoku, but he tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
So Qin Fengwu woke up early, tidied himself up, and came to the airport to wait.
For some reason.
Qin Fengwu felt a little nervous, perhaps because he hadn't seen Wu Lingyun in such a long time.
He had even rehearsed their meeting scene many times in his mind.
But none of them were satisfactory.
Just as Qin Fengwu was feeling troubled, the news of the flight's arrival reached him, instantly making him sober.
Qin Fengwu took a deep breath and went to the arrival area to wait.
Looking at the bustling crowd, Qin Fengwu suddenly felt a sense of confusion. It wasn't until Wu Lingyun walked up to him that he snapped back to reality. Qin Fengwu looked at Wu Lingyun, who had clearly grown up, and felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
"You're here…" Qin Fengwu's voice was awkward.
"Yes, Brother Qin, I'm here. I'm not bothering you, am I? My elder brother said you would be waiting for me at the airport. I thought he was joking. After all, Brother Qin is a very busy man. It's really too much trouble for you to come in person." Wu Lingyun was not far from Qin Fengwu, only about fifty centimeters away.
Qin Fengwu tried to find a topic to talk about.
When he saw that Wu Lingyun had no entourage with her, he couldn't help but frown, "Why didn't you have your bodyguards accompany you? You are Chen Jinzhao's sister. If someone were to try and harm you, wouldn't that be very dangerous?"
Wu Lingyun chuckled, covering her mouth.
Qin Fengwu was startled, "What are you laughing at?"
"I feel like Brother Qin has changed a bit, but I can't quite pinpoint where the change is." Wu Lingyun's eyes curved into crescent moons when she smiled. Seeing those beautiful eyes, Qin Fengwu finally realized what he had missed.
Seeing Qin Fengwu lost in thought, Wu Lingyun asked curiously, "Brother Qin, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, nothing…" Qin Fengwu shook his head.
"I'll take you to where I'm staying first. I have some things to attend to in the next few days, arranging for the Tougoku imperial family to visit your elder brother in Huaguo. Life is truly strange. When I first saw Chen Jinzhao, he was just a small security guard. I never imagined that in just five years, he would become a pillar of Huaguo."
"And I…"
"Am no longer the spirited youth I once was. My status is far below your elder brother's."
Qin Fengwu didn't let the driver take them. Instead, he personally acted as Wu Lingyun's driver.
Wu Lingyun listened patiently to Qin Fengwu's words, then said earnestly, "Brother Qin, in my heart, you are always the most capable."
At the same time.
The girl silently added in her heart, "Except for my brother."
Qin Fengwu forced a smile, "Is that so? How come I don't know I'm this outstanding? Are you trying to coax me?"
Wu Lingyun sat in the passenger seat, turned her head, and stared at Qin Fengwu's handsome face, smiling again.
"Do I look like I'm joking with you, Brother Qin?"
Qin Fengwu felt a hint of pleasure welling up inside him.
This was extremely rare for Qin Fengwu now. He was different from five years ago, with less flippancy and more composure.
He was more calm and collected when facing matters.
However, ever since Yu Mengzhi married Chen Jinzhao, Qin Fengwu's heart had been barren, and it wasn't until Wu Lingyun's gentle drizzle that his heart was nourished.
Qin Fengwu was distracted.
He parked the car by the roadside and said to Wu Lingyun, "I want to rest for a bit. I didn't get much rest last night."
The two got out of the car.
Wu Lingyun looked at the streetscape of Tougoku Kyoto.
Since Tougoku had only recently come under Huaguo's jurisdiction, Huaguo troops were everywhere on the main roads, and advanced fighter jets occasionally flew overhead. Seeing the scene that had once only appeared in her dreams, Wu Lingyun's mood improved.
She turned to look at Qin Fengwu again and noticed that his face was a little pale.
"Brother Qin, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Shall I accompany you to the hospital?" Wu Lingyun held Qin Fengwu's arm. Qin Fengwu rested his hands on the hood of the jeep, took a few deep breaths, and then said, "Xiao Wu, I want to tell you something."
Wu Lingyun pursed her lips, "Brother Qin, please speak."
Qin Fengwu looked up at Wu Lingyun beside him and asked solemnly, "What is your purpose for coming to Tougoku?"
He was asking what he already knew.
But, he still had to ask.
Wu Lingyun opened her mouth, wanting to evade the question vaguely.
Qin Fengwu spoke before her, "If you are here to visit Tougoku, I will wholeheartedly support you. But if you are here for other reasons, I don't think you will gain much from this trip."
These words made Wu Lingyun's heart tremble.
She knew very well what Qin Fengwu was implying – he clearly wanted her to back down.
"Brother Qin, I…" Wu Lingyun tried to speak again.
A trace of bitterness appeared on Qin Fengwu's face. He looked into Wu Lingyun's eyes and said, "Xiao Wu, you are still very young, and you have infinite possibilities in the future. I don't think you need to sacrifice your future for a mere ethereal goal. You should know what I'm talking about."
"You must understand, you are Chen Jinzhao's sister."
He was practically spelling it out.
Seeing Wu Lingyun fall silent, Qin Fengwu suddenly felt a sense of relief. Wu Lingyun was indeed a wonderful girl, but he felt he wasn't good enough for her.
It was better not to ruin her.
"Get in the car," Qin Fengwu said again.
Wu Lingyun's eyes were vacant, "Get in the car? Where are we going?"
Qin Fengwu glanced at his watch and said to Wu Lingyun, "I'll take you back to the airport now and arrange the soonest flight for you to return home. Tougoku is not a good place for you. You are suited to grow and flourish on the soil of Huaguo."
Wu Lingyun stood still, not moving.
Qin Fengwu looked at the girl in confusion, but saw eyes filled with determination that deeply moved him.
"I won't!" Wu Lingyun said firmly.
"I want to stay in Tougoku. Didn't Brother Qin just ask why I came to Tougoku? Well, I will tell you my purpose now. My purpose is to stay by Brother Qin's side! Not for a day, not for two days, and certainly not for three days!"
Qin Fengwu's pupils contracted, as if he had experienced an earthquake.
Wu Lingyun's face became increasingly stubborn, with a resolve that Qin Fengwu found impossible to refute. She continued to speak, "I want to stay by Brother Qin's side for one year, two years, three years, until my entire life is over!"
"Xiao Wu, you…"
"Why must you do this? You know my current situation, and I am an old man who has been divorced. You are not yet thirty. I don't want to hold you back." Qin Fengwu shook his head repeatedly. Facing the proactive Wu Lingyun, the Governor of Tougoku was clearly struggling.
Wu Lingyun held Qin Fengwu's hand, seemingly not hearing what he had just said, "Brother Qin, I want to marry you! I don't want to be a fleeting sight in your life, but rather the gentle breeze that accompanies you on your lifelong journey."
"In the past, present, and future, it will always be so."