Don't come back, I'm going to die first.

After Jin Yanzhi left, life abroad seemed to return to normal. The young lady Jiang, who had swaggered in high heels, never reappeared. Everything that had happened a few days ago vanished quickly, like small ripples on a lake.

The pressure of her studies and the final editing of her project left Lin Zhen'er with almost no free time except for eating and sleeping. But even so, whenever she had a chance to catch her breath, she quickly set up a backdrop in a corner of her apartment and began her long-prepared live stream of making handmade jewelry.

Every necklace and trinket displayed in front of the small backdrop was a find she made at an old lady's handmade shop. Because of previous news reports, her first live stream achieved a record number of viewers on the platform.

Amidst the barrage of insults, the woman with a gentle smile patiently explained the materials of each product, seemingly oblivious to the ridicule and mockery. She had experienced far too many real troubles over the years, so this commotion was nothing compared to not making money.

After being blocked by several large accounts on Carnival after entering the site, Mr. Jin had no choice but to take out his tablet at home, register a small account, and continue to lurk in the carnival.

Because he borrowed an address from a friend and would order dozens of items every time he went online, this alternate account quickly became a loyal fan of the streamer, Lin. Occasionally, he could hear her gently thanking him for his patronage and reminding him to shop rationally.

"Thank you for your patronage, Aunt Chai. The next live stream will be on Wednesday night."

As the broadcast ended with a goodbye, the assistant sitting next to him, waiting for him to check the data, finally couldn't contain his curiosity and spoke up:

"Mr. Jin, you also have a nickname, Aunt Chai?"

Holding the fat dog tightly in his arms, Jin Yanzhi took two deep sniffs of its furry, smelly paw, and there was a smug feeling in his voice:

"The inspiration for this dog came from the second character of our name, Cai Cai, which sounds like Shiba Inu. Also, we were neutered, so we are now a female male dog."

The woman, having finished her live stream, turned off the somewhat glaring lights and squatted down to skillfully pack the goods she had sold that day. Over the past few days, she had become increasingly adept at live-streaming sales, and her speed in packing jewelry had gradually increased.

Although her jewelry wasn't made of natural gemstones, each piece was exquisite, with meticulous attention to detail from the base to the chain. Of the thousands of pieces sold, there wasn't a single negative review. Lin Zhen'er carefully wrapped each piece in velvet cloth and then sealed it in plastic wrap, feeling that these late-night packing sessions were far more fulfilling than her previous nights spent drinking on the balcony.

"I found a junior apprentice to help you with your live streams starting tomorrow. These days, it's all the rage for handsome young men to try on jewelry and stuff."

He said he was open to discussing price and other factors, and just wanted to learn about this low-cost business model for starting a business.

A cold voice drifted in through the doorway, accompanied by a gust of cold wind. Lin Zhen'er shivered as she looked at the handsome face with two dimples on the phone her best friend handed her. After hesitating for only a few seconds, she nodded.

None of them expected that the arrival of this handsome junior would cause them to lose their biggest customer, Sister Chai, in the live stream. Fortunately, the junior, who studied music in Southern Europe, was enthusiastic and adorable. Every day, he would play and sing in the live stream with his long, slender, white fingers, attracting many new customers.

Sometimes good fortune doesn't give advance notice. The news that their low-budget film, which they had struggled to produce, had been nominated for a local film festival was almost the last thing the people picking through their stock in the small shop knew.

The messages from relatives and friends who had stopped contacting her after she left the Jiang family to congratulate her started bombarding her phone first.

After carefully examining the list several times, the person standing by the roadside, having put down the large bag in their hand, finally confirmed that they had indeed been nominated. Meanwhile, their best friend's joyful voice on the other end of the phone repeatedly reminded them that many things had truly and quietly changed.

They now have a source of income and prestige to establish themselves here. The previous restriction that they had to return to their home country when the time came has been broken again. Now, whether or not they go back is truly up to their own wishes.

"Congratulations to Ms. Lin Zhener on making a name for herself in the international film industry. My son and I are very happy for you."

Among the densely packed unread messages, the most eye-catching was still from Mr. Jin, who was extremely busy back home. Their recent conversations were few and far between, consisting mainly of chatting about dogs and simple greetings.

The woman, basking in the Southern European sunshine, held her phone, a smile playing on her lips, staring at the screen for a long time before finally looking up and letting out a long sigh.

The shadows that had shrouded him since childhood, seemingly impossible to shake off, finally loosened their grip on this day, allowing that frail shadow to stretch its head and look towards the bright future that had already begun to emerge.

"Bingbing is going back to China for a week in a few days. Can you give Laicai to her to bring to keep me company?"

She said the quarantine procedures weren't as difficult as they used to be.

She didn't do a live stream tonight. After celebrating with her best friend, she curled up on the narrow balcony, wrapped in a blanket, lost in thought. This sentence, seemingly just about missing the dog, is actually another kind of test. The dog is the only thing holding them together in their long-distance marriage.

If the puppy is indeed sent to Turin, and the two of them turn away from this relationship, there will truly be no emotional obstacles left.

"Are you still not planning to go back to China?"

The man avoided the question she had posed, instead directly asking the question that had been buried deep in his heart. Looking at the twinkling stars overhead and the somewhat unfamiliar surroundings, Lin Zhen'er finished her drink again.

She didn't know what she was thinking; she was going crazy with longing for him. But the thought of facing public scrutiny and the potential repercussions of her dark past on the Jin family's hard-won reputation made her hesitate.

My current achievements have certainly proven myself better than before, but they still seem far from enough to be worthy of that renowned young entrepreneur in China. It turns out that falling in love with someone can truly awaken a courage and stubbornness in someone who previously only wanted to be a dependent vine.

Of course she wanted to stand with him, in a position of equal strength.

Don't you want me anymore?

The person opposite looked like a helpless child, biting their fingers as they sighed heavily at the dark night before them, then went back to their room and collapsed onto the bed.

Back in the rented room, he knelt before her, looking into her eyes with deep affection as she found herself trapped and unable to keep her job. He offered the suggestion that a wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on, tempting her to abandon the voices of the outside world and boldly be with him.

Now, across the screen, he captured her heart with his pitiful and innocent emotions, asking her pitifully if she didn't want him anymore.

The screenwriter, who had just won the award, felt a splitting headache and didn't know when would be a good time to go back.

"I need to think about going back to China."

After the message was sent, there was no reply from the other end. The phone screen went completely dark, as quiet as the endless night outside the window.

In Pingyang this season, roasted sweet potatoes are sold everywhere. These are quite different from ordinary roasted sweet potatoes. They have a much more mealy and powdery texture. Although the sweetness is not strong, they are so delicious that you can't stop eating them.

Holding the roasted sweet potato in his hands, Jin Yanzhi thought of that guy who studied abroad. He rarely had the chance to eat street food before, but now the famous screenwriter Lin loved it and would buy two every time he passed by, successfully getting him hooked.

"Don't you want to reconsider? Even if it's an adventure to provoke you, this move is going too far. What if things go wrong..."

The assistant's nagging was a bit noisy, so Mr. Jin waved his hand and got back into the car, a look of resolute determination on his face. The curly-haired young man posing in the live stream and the olive branches extended by the foreign judges had left him empty-handed for a long time.

If he doesn't take this gamble, the "left-behind husband" will become a divorced bachelor; he has no choice but to gamble...

When she saw the news, Lin Zhener was organizing the items for the evening. She sat on the floor, carefully matching each necklace to be put on the shelves, repeatedly adjusting the lighting and background, just like every other night of her previous live broadcasts.

Then my phone rang, and a flood of messages, even more than the day I won the award, poured into my view like a bursting dam.

The news of the death of the youngest business owner in the Kim family instantly filled the screen. Some people, after reading the headlines on various news websites and trying to get through several times by voice, finally began to panic.

She pulled out Xiao Xie's number from her contacts and dialed it many times, but no one answered.

Whether it was her sister at home or her colleagues at work, everyone seemed to have vanished at that moment; no one responded to her. The news report was accompanied by photos of a car accident. In the heavy rain and congested traffic, a Maybach with a familiar license plate was seen mangled beyond recognition.

The metaphysical bloggers on WeChat official accounts had already seized on the hot topic, and their eye-catching headlines pierced her wildly beating heart like sharp thorns:

Is it a coincidence or a cycle? Two generations of business owners from the Kim family died mysteriously in the same weather and in the same way.

Damn it, still no one answered the phone. Dropping her things, the person, trembling, walked out while booking a ticket, sobbing uncontrollably. Jin Yanzhi, isn't it too cruel of you to leave my world like this?

The latest flight back home was three hours away. After walking back and forth at the airport countless times, I finally boarded the plane as night fell. The whispers, snoring, and shouts of surprise from strangers around me couldn't disturb the person sitting by the window.

She repeatedly looked through the photos and chat history of the two of them on her phone, quietly shedding tears all night.

The Jin family in Pingyang was indeed as extravagant as ever. When the taxi was still a few hundred meters away from the funeral home, Lin Zhen'er covered her mouth in disbelief when she saw the white wreaths and the rows of black cars in the distance.

"You must be...you must be the wife of Mr. Jin from the news. There's still a long road ahead, please take care of yourself."

The taxi driver seemed to recognize who the disheveled woman was, and hesitantly spoke before getting out of the car.

The woman who slammed the car door shut and ran upstairs paid no attention to the driver or the stares of passersby. As the hall featured on the condolence notice drew closer, her breathing became more rapid.

The crystal coffin was huge and cold. The person who staggered inside finally saw that familiar face, lying quietly with its eyes closed.

"Jin Yanzhi, are you fucking insane? Wake up!"