Meng Yao was displeased upon learning this and told Hong Jiaxi about it, asking him to stay away from that girl with ulterior motives as much as possible.
Hong Jiaxi, however, said she had misunderstood and told her not to dwell on it.
She had originally trusted Hong Jiaxi and believed in their relationship, so she didn't pursue the matter further.
Until someone anonymously left a note in her mailbox. Following the instructions on the note, she went to the artificial lake on campus during evening self-study.
Indeed, she saw Hong Jiaxi and Zhou Ran sitting on a bench by the lake, with Zhou Ran leaning on Hong Jiaxi's shoulder.
She was too far away to hear what they were saying, but Hong Jiaxi affectionately patted Zhou Ran's head.
Zhou Ran then tilted her head up and took the initiative to kiss him. Meng Yao's heart tightened. She saw Hong Jiaxi freeze for only a few seconds before responding to Zhou Ran's kiss.
Meng Yao could no longer bear to watch from the shadows and turned to leave without hesitation.
She couldn't tolerate Hong Jiaxi doing such a thing behind her back, nor could she forgive him.
Later, when Hong Jiaxi came to find her, she asked about Zhou Ran. He pretended to know nothing, saying he hadn't seen Zhou Ran in a long time.
This completely disheartened her. She was originally a proud and stubborn person and didn't want to confront him directly.
She secretly completed the procedures to study abroad and cut off all contact with him.
During her time studying abroad, her heart still ached. The thought of her past relationship with Hong Jiaxi made it impossible for her to concentrate on anything.
It was then that she suddenly noticed a classmate who was also from Lancheng and whose name also contained the character "Jia."
Just because Song Jiaping's name was somewhat similar to Hong Jiaxi's, she added this classmate, Song Jiaping, as a friend.
They would occasionally share their campus lives, not chatting much, but able to see each other's updates on social media.
Meng Yao found it too difficult to overcome the emotional pain from Hong Jiaxi, so she applied to become a Doctors Without Borders doctor with an international humanitarian organization.
She didn't expect to be accepted. When she received her first mission, she discovered that Song Jiaping was among the accompanying doctors.
Initially, she didn't have a good impression of Song Jiaping and was even wary of him.
Although they knew each other, she hardly spoke to him during the journey, deliberately avoiding him.
During this mission, she encountered dangers she had never imagined. In the past, she had wished for death due to a failed relationship.
But when faced with life-or-death tests in this war-torn place, she realized that a breakup was a trivial matter and not worth risking her life for.
She and Song Jiaping also developed feelings for each other amidst the trials of life and death, falling in love.
It was because she had regained her memories that she didn't want to face Hong Jiaxi again. She left the hotel alone and hired a car to go to the desert they used to traverse frequently.
She and Song Jiaping had once camped in that desert, sheltered from gunfire, and watched sunrises and sunsets together.
During that time, they were captured by local armed militants and taken to a camp deep in the desert, facing constant threats to their lives.
She thought she would never be able to return to Lancheng and her parents alive.
Fortunately, Song Jiaping was by her side. He mingled with the soldiers and wounded in the camp, gaining the recognition of the officers there and becoming friends with many.
At that time, she found him amazing and didn't know how he managed it.
Because of him, she was not subjected to inhumane treatment, only having to treat the wounded, and she survived safely with him.
What should have been a terrifying experience instead led them to fall in love, with no external interference, only a simple reliance on each other for survival.
She also recalled some of the local language, allowing her to communicate simply with the driver.
The driver of the chartered car seemed to understand where she was going and took her to the camp in the desert.
But she found the camp before her had completely changed. There were no longer soldiers and officers in uniform. The originally single-colored tents were painted with various colorful patterns.
The tents were now occupied by local residents.
The driver noticed her surprise and explained, "Those soldiers from before are either dead or scattered, and the tents were all vacated. Some displaced refugees discovered this place and settled down. There are now hostels here, you can find one to stay for a night. See our most beautiful sunrise and sunset, and I'll pick you up tomorrow."
Meng Yao listened to his lengthy explanation and understood some of it. She nodded and, dragging her luggage, looked for a place to stay.
The locals who had settled here were warm and hospitable, and she soon found a place to stay.
After putting down her luggage, she walked along the familiar path in the desert to a sand dune and sat there waiting for the sunset.
While waiting, she took out her phone and found there was no signal in the sky, so she sent a message to Song Jiaping.
"I remember everything. I'm on the sand dune where we used to watch the sunset together. Jiaping, do you remember this place?"
She thought the message wouldn't go through, so she put away her phone and quietly looked into the distance, the beautiful memories flooding back like a tide.
She was no longer the girl who used to get stuck in emotional ruts. She would respect Song Jiaping's decision and would not pester him after returning to Lancheng.
The world is so big, and life is so short. She wanted to live her own wonderful life and keep this love hidden in her heart.
...
Hong Jiaxi also called a car and searched the city for a day, driving to the outskirts.
He couldn't think of any other way and went to the local police station to report his companion missing, claiming he might have been tricked and abducted by the chartered car driver.
The police there only asked him to leave his address and phone number and wait for news.
Hong Jiaxi, seeing the chaotic state of the police station, had little hope for the capabilities of the local officers.
As night fell, he was still searching for Meng Yao on the streets, but all the shops were closed, and there were hardly any pedestrians.
Some people hurrying home gestured to him when they saw him, signaling him not to stay outside.
When he and Meng Yao first arrived, they had been told by a local guide that it was best to stay in their hotel after dark and not wander the streets, as it would be dangerous.
But unable to find Meng Yao, he couldn't go back to the hotel alone, constantly worrying that Meng Yao would be in trouble.
He hadn't been searching alone on the street for long when he suddenly heard the roar of motorcycles not far away.
The sound was very noisy, rising and falling.
Soon, he saw a large number of off-road motorcycles speeding towards him like the wind.
He hastily dodged to the edge of the pedestrian crossing, but these helmeted riders did not obey traffic rules at all.
Wherever there was a road, they sped through, paying no attention to whether there were people on the street.
Even though he dodged repeatedly, he was still brushed by the passing motorcycles several times.