Along the way, Lao Lin did not open the letter.

Lin Chaoxi's focus was not originally on the content of the letter.

She just suddenly remembered that in the real world, after Lao Lin had a car accident, the doctor put Lao Lin's personal belongings in a bag and handed it to her.

There were Lao Lin’s clothes, mobile phone and change in the bag, but she was sure there was no letter in the bag at that time.

A ticket stub might be thrown away, but not a letter that he had traveled thousands of miles to pick up.

So the question is, where has faith gone in the real world?

Many guesses flashed through Lin Zhaoxi's mind.

Lao Lin might have met with a car accident before gaining the trust. As mentioned in some cases, he lost his memory due to the car accident and completely forgot about gaining the trust.

It is also possible that someone deliberately bumped into Lao Lin and stole the letter from his arms, but if that were the case, Lao Lin would not completely forget to mention it after waking up...

All the speculations were not convincing enough. Lin Chaoxi looked at the street outside the car window and inexplicably felt that she had encountered a huge and difficult proposition.

She couldn't tell what the question was about, she couldn't see the question and didn't know the answer. She just knew that she couldn't answer it right now.

The streets she was once familiar with were all around her. Under the thin sunlight of winter, the city was gray and hazy. Only the pretty girls were still wearing bright clothes.

The bus stopped at Dongming Lake Park.

In the distance there is a large complex of gray and white buildings, which looks like a five-star resort hotel.

"Is it that way?" Lin Chaoxi asked Lao Lin hesitantly.

"It can't be wrong."

Dongming Lake is very large. Nanshan, where they had been on an outing, is in the southwest corner of the lake, while Ci'en Hospital is on the east side, built by the lake, and the environment is very quiet and peaceful.

She and Lao Lin stood in front of the guard room.

"Excuse me, do you have a reservation?" asked the security guard.

Lin Chaoxi was stunned. Pei Zhi's phone had been turned off since he left An Ning. No one had informed him before they came, so of course there was no appointment.

"What about the ward number? Let me call to confirm it." The security guard said as he picked up the phone.

Lin Chaoxi and Lao Lin looked at each other and stepped back at the same time.

Lin Zhaoxi called Huajuan.

If the security guard calls the ward, there is no guarantee that Pei's mother will get into a family dispute after learning about this.

Brother Juan has a very high EQ. When he heard her voice, he guessed that Lao Lin was also nearby, so he contacted him without saying a word and just asked them to wait at the door.

It was very windy by the lake, so she hung up the phone and walked to a sheltered corner with Lao Lin.

They waited for a while, and then a slight "click" sound came from the direction of the guard room.

The iron gate moved away, Lin Chaoxi raised his head and saw Pei Zhi.

The boy was wearing the same plain sportswear as before, but he was stunned the moment he saw them.

His pupils dilated slightly and he stopped walking. He looked like he wanted to say hello to them, but because of some accumulated emotions, he didn't speak at the first moment.

For Pei Zhi, this reaction was already beyond his control.

Lao Lin reacted faster and waved to Pei Zhi.

Pei Zhi recovered quickly and walked towards them.

The boy's face became clearer and clearer. Lin Chaoxi used her hands to block the lake light and looked at him carefully. He seemed to have lost weight again, so his jawline became simpler and more handsome, but his eyebrows and eyes became deeper. In the distance, the water surface was shimmering, but he seemed to be underwater where the light could not be seen.

Lin Chaoxi couldn't explain what this feeling was. It seemed that within ten days, the boy she knew had turned into a very mature and calm man.

Pei Zhi walked up to them and wanted to greet them as usual.

But before he could say anything, Lao Lin pulled the boy into his arms without saying anything. He patted the boy's back with his broad palm, and a heavy "bang bang" sounded in the air.

As time goes by, Lao Lin is still the man who hugged Pei Zhi and told him "You can also rely on me" during their picnic in the summer camp that year.

The lake was silent. Lin Chaoxi lowered his head, feeling inexplicably sad.

Lao Lin quickly let go of Pei Zhi.

When Lin Chaoxi heard the voice, he calmed down, looked up with a smile, and was about to hug Pei Zhi and say "Long time no see".

Before she could say "OK", the word "OK" was stuck in her throat when the boy suddenly pulled her into his arms.

She was pressed against his shoulders, his hands clasped tightly. All the words she had prepared lost their effectiveness at this moment, and finally she heard the voice in her heart ringing out.

"I miss you so much." She couldn't help but say.

Pei Zhi's fingers clasped on her shoulders tightened, the lake water gently licked the embankment, and everything was completely quiet.

——

Lin Chaoxi didn't know how long she and Pei Zhi's embrace lasted. In the end, even Old Lin couldn't help coughing, reminding them that it was almost time.

Ci'en Hospital is surrounded by scenic spots, so it was impossible for them to stand in front of the hospital and talk about the past. So Pei Zhi took many detours and took them to a small hotel nearby.

"Why did you come here today?" Pei Zhi asked.

"I have something personal to do..."

Lao Lin briefly told the story of the old gatekeeper and Xin.

Lin Chaoxi suddenly realized that the version that Lao Lin told Pei Zhi was exactly the same as the one he told her, and he never wanted to hide anything from them.

People like Lao Lin will say “I don’t remember” if they don’t remember, and he will also say “I can’t tell you” if he doesn’t remember.

So Lao Lin did have a car accident, and he doesn't remember what happened in between...

When she thought of this, she suddenly heard Pei Zhi say, "But today is Monday."

Pei Zhi was looking at her when he spoke, meaning "Why are you here?"

"What's wrong with Monday? I study hard every day, just so I can skip school whenever I want, isn't that okay?" She looked at Pei Zhi with a smile.

"OK."

Pei Zhi's attitude was blunt, and Lin Chaoxi was inexplicably sneered. She covered her mouth and couldn't help but began to cough heavily.

Pei Zhi patted her on the back and asked Lao Lin, "Is it done?"

"Almost."

"What's the difference?"

Lao Lin: "Master, you have come all the way here. Do you want to discuss work with me?"

Pei Zhi thought for a moment and changed his tone: "How are you feeling recently?"

"Let's make do with it." Lao Lin replied.

"What about you?" Pei Zhi turned his head.

Lin Chaoxi was picking up some peanuts when he was so scared that his chopsticks slipped and he started coughing violently again: "I, cough cough, maybe, I'm a little bit unwell."

"Have you been to the hospital? How is your blood test?"

Pei Zhizi asked about the "blood picture" in detail, but she couldn't make it up at all.

Lao Lin started drinking water, and she could only bite the bullet and answer: "I went to the community hospital and got some medicine, but I didn't get a blood test."

"I still have to go to the hospital when I get back."

"Alright, alright, let's talk about work." Old Lin waved his hand to stop Pei Zhi from continuing to educate them.

The main courses were served one after another. Lao Lin asked the boss for paper, pushed the plate away, and told Pei Zhi about his subsequent argument in the small restaurant.

A big yellow dog was lying on the doorstep, and a thin stream of warm grey smoke was emanating from the chimney. Lao Lin quickly finished writing a few pages and reached out to the boss for more paper.

The warm sunlight shines through the glass windows.

Lin Chaoxi sat next to Pei Zhi, and the tension and anxiety she had felt for the past few days was gradually calmed down.

She lay on the table, tilted her head, and squinted at Pei Zhi. From his slightly curled hair, she could see his focused eyes in the sunlight. She coughed occasionally, and Pei Zhi would pat her back with his hand. Perhaps the atmosphere was too gentle and comfortable, and she fell asleep without realizing it.

When she woke up, Lao Lin and Pei Zhi were still talking. In fact, they had been sitting in the restaurant talking about their thesis during the entire meal.

Lin Chaoxi listened to their conversation and ate a few mouthfuls of rice after waking up. She would occasionally interject or answer their questions. She just thought it was good like this, and it would be great if time could continue like this.

But at a certain moment, Pei Zhi stopped and looked down at his watch.

Someone opened the shop door and a cold wind blew in. Lin Chaoxi couldn't help but shiver.

Lao Lin put down his pen naturally and asked, "Are you going back?"

Pei Zhi nodded: "It's almost time."

"Let's go, I'll take you back."

Lao Lin stood up to settle the bill, and Pei Zhi took the manuscript on the table and sorted it out.

Lin Chaoxi looked up at the clock and knew that Pei Zhi had only one hour to go out.

The meal took 40 minutes, and the journey there and back took 10 minutes each. Pei Zhi had probably already chosen the most suitable location since he met them.

They walked back to the hospital from the tavern.

There were dense trees along the road beside Dongming Lake. Pei Zhi and Lao Lin walked side by side in front of her.

On the right hand side is the shimmering lake surface, which looks very clear up close but grayish white in the distance.

Lin Chaoxi involuntarily retracted his gaze and saw Pei Zhi's back not far away.

Straight, strong, and always in front of her sight since a long, long time ago.

The lake shoreline is long and dazzling in the sunlight, as if it can extend to the end of the sky and the earth.

Maybe she was not fully awake yet, or maybe she was confused after being in the sun for too long. She noticed Pei Zhi's hand gently waving in his trouser pocket, so she quickened her pace and walked over to Pei Zhi.

Lao Lin was in front, and Pei Zhi fell behind by a few steps without knowing when.

Just as she mustered up all her courage to reach out, a cold but strong hand covered her.

It felt like someone was pinching my heart. My heartbeat suddenly stopped, and then accelerated rapidly the next second.

Lin Chaoxi could feel the hand holding her wrist slightly turned, and the long and strong fingertips pressed against her palm.

The blood is salty and astringent, like sea water, drowning the heart.

——

The 10-minute journey was shorter than expected.

Along the way, Pei Zhi held her hand all the time.

Lin Chaoxi always felt that he wanted to say something, but perhaps because it was his first time in love, he had not yet finished writing the speech when they arrived at the hospital.

Pei Zhi naturally let go of her hand, stopped not far from the door, and said, "I'm here."

Behind him was the quiet hospital, in the distance was the vast lake, and Nanshan Mountain was vaguely visible.

"How can we help you?" "We'll go in with you" or "Don't go in."

Lin Chaoxi finally realized what she had been wanting to say, but Pei Zhi seemed to be able to guess what she was thinking and handed her the draft paper she had just written.

The off-white paper she took over rustled in the lake breeze. She could still feel the cool and firm touch of the boy's knuckles on her hand, but she was afraid that he would say something like "thank you for coming to see me".

But Pei Zhi just put one hand in his pocket, waved at them with the other hand, and turned away.

The iron gate moved away, he walked deeper into the building complex, and the gate closed again.