A small town in Jiangnan.
In the bedroom, Yuan Wei stood by the bed, looking at Shi Ran who had fallen asleep on the edge. He frowned almost imperceptibly, tiptoed onto the bed, covered himself with the quilt, and feigned having just woken up.
After adjusting himself, his face still carried the same sadness as before. He then raised a hand to pat Shi Ran’s shoulder, "Ranran? Wake up."
Shi Ran, roused from her sleep, rubbed her drowsy eyes, "Sorry, I fell asleep just now."
She easily felt sleepy in the late stage of pregnancy, and after a long journey, she was indeed quite tired.
"It's alright, I've caused you trouble," Yuan Wei said, tilting his head to look at the urn on the bedside table. He gently picked it up, his fingertips tracing the edges of the black urn's pattern, "Ranran. I want to..."
He stopped speaking, holding the urn and sighing at length, "My mother spent her whole life in Lancheng. If not for this situation, she would never have left Lancheng. So, I've been thinking and decided to..."
As he spoke, Yuan Wei looked up, his grief-filled eyes turning firm, "Take my mother 'home'."
Lancheng was where she was born and raised. Even in death, she should return to her roots.
"Okay, I'll go back to Lancheng with you."
Shi Ran hesitated for a moment, then made her decision.
When she was at her most difficult and helpless, it was Yuan Wei who stayed by her side. Even if it was to repay a debt of gratitude, she should accompany Yuan Wei.
Besides, they were friends.
Yuan Wei was stunned for a moment, looking at Shi Ran in disbelief, his eyes unable to hide his emotion, "Ranran, thank you. If you weren't here with me..."
At this point, Yuan Wei suddenly realized his words might have been inappropriate and added, "I really don't know how I would get through this time without this friend."
"Friends don't need to be so polite."
Shi Ran smiled and asked, "When are we leaving?"
"Can you handle it? I want to leave right now. I'll drive, and you can sleep in the back after I fold down the rear seats."
SUVs have spacious interiors, and with the rear seats folded flat, it would be convenient for Shi Ran to sleep in the back.
Shi Ran knew that the deceased should be respected above all else, and everything must prioritize Mrs. Yuan's funeral, so she naturally wouldn't refuse.
"Yes, elders value returning to their roots. Going back to Lancheng is the right thing to do," she said, supporting Yuan Wei's decision.
Upon receiving her agreement, Yuan Wei looked at her with relief and nodded heavily, "Mm, alright."
Everything was proceeding as Yuan Wei had anticipated.
He and Shi Ran packed up briefly and, carrying Mrs. Yuan's belongings, drove back to Lancheng overnight.
On the road, Shi Ran asked curiously, "Why aren't you driving your own car?"
She had ridden in Yuan Wei's car before and knew he owned a white Nissan SUV, but today he was driving a black SUV.
"It's at the repair shop. Yesterday, I called 120 to take my mother to the hospital, and I was driving behind. I was in too much of a hurry and got into an accident." Yuan Wei explained.
Shi Ran asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Yuan Wei, focused on driving and looking straight ahead, shook his head, "If something had happened to me, would I be standing here in front of you?"
Shi Ran nodded and smiled.
Worry can cloud one's judgment.
Just as Yuan Wei had said, if something had truly happened to him, he wouldn't be standing before her unharmed.
All the way, Yuan Wei drove diligently. Shi Ran, worried about Yuan Wei, sat in the passenger seat to chat with him, to prevent any accidents.
Meanwhile, by the time Tang Si arrived at the small town in Jiangnan, Yuan Wei and Shi Ran were already gone.