During Wen Zhouyuan's illness, Feng Feng had imagined countless ways to say goodbye.
Perhaps it would be in the hospital, watching him slowly be consumed by the disease and pass away in pain. Or perhaps one day, he would suddenly collapse, on the verge of death, leaving her his last words. She had even told herself that at that moment, she must not cry in front of him, lest he worry about her after he was gone.
But she never expected that he would leave like this, without even a word of farewell.
This was the most cruel kind of departure, without notice, with no possibility of return.
Wen Zhouyuan's eyes were closed. Even though he had suffered torment in his final moments, his face remained distinguished and handsome. Feng Feng gazed at him, memories flashing back, as if returning to the moment they first met. He had stood opposite her, full of youthful spirit, smiling as he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
The scenes of the past overlapped with the face before her. Feng Feng's tear ducts seemed to have opened. She crouched by the hospital bed, took Wen Zhouyuan's hand, and began to cry silently.
Everything else became unimportant at that moment. Only the sorrow was real.
Not long after, medical staff came to handle Wen Zhouyuan's body. One of them said to Feng Feng and Bai Zhi, "The family can discuss when to arrange the funeral. Someone from the hospital will assist."
"Alright, thank you," Bai Zhi replied.
Then, the two watched as Wen Zhouyuan's body was wheeled out of the room.
His face was covered with a white cloth. The medical staff pushing the stretcher seemed like a scene in a slow-motion movie.
Bai Zhi gently patted Feng Feng's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Feng Feng: "I'm fine, thank you."
Bai Zhi: "I should be thanking you. He wanted me to tell you to do what you want to do, and don't leave any regrets in life."
Bai Zhi conveyed Wen Zhouyuan's last words to Feng Feng.
Upon hearing this, Feng Feng felt a pang in her chest, her emotions so complex she didn't know what to say.
She had loved Wen Zhouyuan, and she had also resented him. But all these feelings, along with his departure, had dissipated into the wind.
Bai Zhi was not familiar with Nanjiang, so the responsibility for Wen Zhouyuan's funeral arrangements largely fell to Feng Feng.
Wen Zhouyuan was not from Nanjiang. After some discussion, Feng Feng and Bai Zhi decided to cremate him first, then take his ashes to his hometown, Beian, for the funeral.
To handle Wen Zhouyuan's affairs, Feng Feng took half a month's leave from her firm.
Shen Su learned about Feng Feng's leave from Ji Tong. Because their work often intersected, and Feng Feng was always professional, Ji Tong was curious when she took such a long leave. People at the firm only said she had some family matters to attend to, without revealing further details.
When Shen Su heard "family matters," he immediately thought of Wen Zhouyuan.
That same evening, Shen Su received a call from Gu Song.
Gu Song: "Did you hear? Wen Zhouyuan is dead."
Shen Su: "No, I didn't."
But he had already guessed, so he wasn't surprised.
Besides, Wen Zhouyuan's condition was such that he didn't have much time left. His death was inevitable.
Gu Song: "I heard it from Xing Zheng. Feng Feng seems to have taken his ashes back to Beian for his funeral. His ex-wife and daughter are also there. The relationships are really quite complicated."
Shen Su: "Are you calling me just to say this?"
Gu Song: "Alright, I know you're not interested."
Shen Su hung up, fiddling with his phone, his thoughts drifting far away. Wen Zhouyuan was dead. How was Feng Feng feeling now?
Would she never look for another man because of Wen Zhouyuan in the future?
Shen Su smiled faintly. If that were the case, it wouldn't be surprising. She had always been so special to Wen Zhouyuan.
Her affairs were no longer his concern. Shen Su didn't dwell on it further, put down his phone, and went to sleep.
Perhaps because he had thought of Feng Feng before sleeping, he dreamt of her that night.
In his dream, Feng Feng suddenly turned back to look for him. They were in a hotel, intimately entwined, and she bit his ear, whispering, "I've fallen for you." He laughed mockingly.
The dream was too intense. When he woke up in the morning, Shen Su had to take a cold shower, but the images lingered in his mind.
In reality, he hadn't thought of Feng Feng for quite some time. He was very happy with Ji Tong; she always infected him with her laughter.
It was just that Ji Tong was still young and lacked experience in certain aspects compared to Feng Feng.
As Shen Su showered himself with cold water, this thought crossed his mind, and he laughed again. He was actually comparing the two women subconsciously. How absurd.
After more than half an hour under the cold water, Shen Su finally calmed down. He knew deeply that the content of his dream was impossible. Feng Feng would never fall for him, nor would she ever turn back and seek him out.
Wen Zhouyuan's funeral arrangements went relatively smoothly. His family had long known about his illness. Although his parents were saddened, they maintained their composure.
Feng Feng attended the funeral as Wen Zhouyuan's friend. After the ceremony, Bai Zhi and Wen Mubai stayed in Beian to accompany the elder couple, while Feng Feng flew back to Nanjiang.
Upon returning to Nanjiang, Feng Feng slept for an entire day until Lan Lan came to see her.
Feng Feng, still in her pajamas, opened the door for Lan Lan. She saw Lan Lan holding a bag of food. Lan Lan put the items down and observed Feng Feng for a long time.
Feng Feng smiled at her. "I'm fine."
Lan Lan: "You've lost weight. You say you're fine? Come, eat something."
She took out bread and put it into Feng Feng's hand.
Feng Feng, having lain down all day, was indeed hungry. She took the bread and started to eat.
Lan Lan casually asked a few questions about Wen Zhouyuan's funeral. "How are his parents?"
Feng Feng: "Yes, the elder couple's emotions are relatively stable."
Lan Lan: "That's good. What about his ex-wife and daughter? Have they returned to London?"
Feng Feng: "Not yet. They're staying to keep the elder couple company for a few days."
Lan Lan: "That's good. The elder couple probably hasn't had much time to live with their granddaughter yet."
Now that their only son was gone, leaving behind a child was the elders' only remaining solace.
Lan Lan looked at Feng Feng for a long time again. "And you?"
Feng Feng: "I'm also doing well."
Wen Zhouyuan had just passed away, and she had indeed been sad, but after these few days, she had come to terms with it.
Lan Lan: "I'm not asking about that."
Feng Feng: "Then what are you asking about?"
Lan Lan: "Wen Zhouyuan is gone. What about you and Shen Su? Are you going to pursue him?"
Feng Feng's action of eating bread paused. She suddenly couldn't speak.
She had indeed told Lan Lan before that she would consider Shen Su's matters after Wen Zhouyuan's situation was resolved.
But when that day truly arrived, she still subconsciously wanted to evade it.
The first thing that flashed in her mind were Ji Tong's pure and clear eyes, and Shen Su's thoughtfulness and preference for her.
Even if she summoned the courage to say what she wanted to say, what then? Would the situation change?
Adults weigh the pros and cons. If she were Shen Su, she would undoubtedly choose Ji Tong without hesitation.
"Perhaps Ji Tong is more suitable for him," Feng Feng said after a long pause.