I folded the letter, put it in my pocket, and then asked Peach, who was mixing drinks, "How long has that guy been gone?"

"It's been almost an hour, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." After a slight pause, I asked again, "Did he tell you where he was going?"

Peach recalled for a moment and said to me, "He actually asked me how to get to the airport from here... I guess he was going to the airport."

I sensed the urgency of time, and the next moment I grabbed my coat from the sofa and headed out of the inn. Peach called after me, "Where are you going? I cooked your breakfast. Eat before you go."

"It's too late, I'll tell you when I get back."

By the time I finished speaking, I had already stepped outside the inn. I then drove the Smart car I'd borrowed from Xiao Song towards the airport as fast as I could. On the way, I sent Ye Zhi a voice message: "You might not believe it, but I really ran into this… The man we discussed last night is very likely the one you're waiting for. He left me a letter this morning. In it, he said his father was imprisoned for embezzlement, and his mother, not wanting him to face external pressure, took him to settle in Nanjing… This matches what you said before… As for whether it's true or not, you'll have to come and verify it yourself… I heard from Taozi that he went to the airport an hour ago. I'm on my way now, hoping to catch up with him before he boards his plane… If you see this message, please get to the airport as quickly as possible."

After I sent the voice message, Ye Zhi didn't reply immediately. Actually, I really wanted to know how she felt after finding out about this. I felt that her pain must outweigh her joy, because in all the years she had waited, this man had already betrayed his promise and fallen in love with another woman. This betrayal would make all of Ye Zhi's persistence seem like a joke. Could her proud personality really bear it?

Thinking about all this, I really hope that it was all just a misunderstanding on my part, and that this guy just happened to have some coincidences with the man Ye Zhi was waiting for.

...

Because the car was going fast, I arrived at the airport in just forty minutes. I mingled in the crowded throng, searching everywhere for that guy, but unfortunately, I didn't see anyone who looked similar. Maybe he had already boarded the plane...

Undeterred, I went to the security checkpoint to inquire again, trying my best to describe the guy's appearance, but the staff warned me not to interfere with their work.

I really wanted to find out the truth for Ye Zhi, so I was very anxious because there was another possibility: this guy had just passed through security and was still in the waiting hall, and had not yet boarded the plane.

Standing at the entrance of the terminal, I lit a cigarette. Just then, Ye Zhi finally sent me a voice request. I answered immediately and asked her, "Where are you now?"

"I'm on my way to the airport. Is everything you just told me true?"

“It’s absolutely true. I have a letter he left here. If you remember his handwriting, it will be even easier to confirm.”

Ye Zhi's tone finally softened, and she asked me again, "Is he still at the airport?"

"I'm not sure. I might not be able to get through security, but he might have already passed through and is still waiting for his flight."

"Buy a plane ticket now, and you can go through security."

I was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed, "How come I didn't think of this! ... Never mind, I'll book a ticket for the next available flight right now. Keep in touch, and if I find him, I'll message you immediately."

...

I booked a 10:00 AM flight from Dali to Beijing. After getting my boarding pass, I immediately went through security and entered the departure lounge. I started searching as fast as I could, but still couldn't find that guy.

He should have arrived at the airport an hour before me. Theoretically, the chances of me catching up with him were slim, and I had really tried my best. But I was still filled with regret because I really wanted to help Ye Zhi settle things with this person and this matter. If she continued to live in this state of waiting for the outcome, she would never be able to open her heart to accept new people and a new life.

I sat in the waiting area for another ten minutes, having come up empty-handed, before Ye Zhi finally arrived at the airport...

We met in the ticket hall, and I said to her, who was filled with complicated emotions, "I also went to the waiting hall, but I didn't see him. He arrived at the airport an hour earlier than me. He probably boarded the plane while I was on my way."

Where is his letter?

I took the letter out of my pocket and handed it to her. As she read it, I observed her expression. She seemed a little nervous, and I became nervous too…

A moment later, she handed the letter back to me. Before she could speak, I eagerly asked her, "Is it his handwriting?"

Ye Zhi looked at me, then shook her head and replied, "No, this isn't his handwriting. Although there are some coincidences involved... it definitely isn't his."

Are you sure?

"I'm very sure."

I suddenly felt a sense of relief, and then smiled at Ye Zhi and said, "I also think I misunderstood... You are such an impeccable woman, you are worth waiting for by anyone... If that guy really is the one you are waiting for, how could he give up his promise to you and love another woman for eight years... It is obviously illogical."

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