"Let's go, the ship is about to leave, or it will be too late."

"Big brother! Big brother! Please persuade Mom and Dad. I promised to go abroad to study, but could you postpone it for a few days? Second brother hasn't come back yet, and I haven't had a chance to say goodbye to my friends. I, I... I don't want to go..." Zhou Shuya cried so hard she could barely breathe, clinging to Chen Ke's hand.

When Chen Ke entered the room and learned that Zhou Shuya was going abroad, he knew that Chen Zhuo would definitely make her leave as soon as possible. After all, Jiang Ying's plan had already begun, and every minute Zhou Shuya stayed in Shanghai was a minute more dangerous.

So for her safety, Chen Ke had no choice but to steel himself and, together with Song Xiaowen, help Zhou Shuya out the door. "Ya Ya, don't worry, you'll be back soon."

Zhou Shuya, who was struggling, was stunned. Her face, streaked with tears, held a cautious hope. "Really? Big brother wouldn't lie to me, right? I'll be back soon, and you'll all be alright, right?"

As perceptive as Zhou Shuya was, how could she not sense that something was wrong? It was just that she was too weak, and the only thing she could do was obediently follow her family's arrangements and leave so as not to hold them back.

Upon hearing this, Song Xiaowen burst into tears. Her child understood everything.

Zhou Shuya finally stepped down the stairs on her own, but tears kept streaming down her face, leaving her fair skin covered in tear stains.

Zhou Shanhuai was already standing at the car door, whispering something to Ding Qing. Zhou Shuya didn't hear it, but she knew he was instructing Ding Qing to take good care of her and protect her safety when they arrived in France.

The four of them stood by the car and parted ways, their eyes filled with reluctance. Song Xiaowen had endless words of concern to say, while Zhou Shanhuai didn't say much, but looked at Zhou Shuya with eyes full of fatherly love, his eyes reddening.

Time was tight, so Zhou Shuya got into the car by herself. When Ding Qing started the car, she couldn't help but burst into tears again. It was the kind of crying that a young girl is so heartbroken that she doesn't care about anything else. Her cries were so loud that they made Zhou Shanhuai and Song Xiaowen's hearts ache.

"Xiaoya, take good care of yourself and stay safe."

"Mom and Dad! Big brother... Waaah... You two have to take good care of yourselves too..."

Chen Ke appeared to be the calmest person present, but his voice was hoarse when he spoke, "Goodbye, Ya Ya, have a safe journey."

Even the longest roads have an end. Wutong Road is very long. The three of them watched the car carrying Zhou Shuya drive away from the doorway until it was completely out of sight.

Song Xiaowen and Zhou Shanhuai seemed to have lost all their energy and spirits. The elderly couple supported each other and kept looking at the end of the road.

As autumn draws to a close, the once lush green leaves are gradually turning golden. A gust of bleak wind blows them off the branches, and they flutter away, eventually landing somewhere unknown.

Chen Ke was never one to wallow in melancholy, but at this moment he suddenly felt that the scene was far too fitting, stirring up a sense of sadness about parting in his heart.

·······

"Woo—" The long, drawn-out sound of the ship's whistle rang out.

Ding Qing looked at Zhou Shuya, who was standing on the dock in a daze, and gently reminded her, "Miss, boarding has already begun. Let's go."

Zhou Shuya had calmed down. She looked at Ding Qing and said, "They will all survive, right?" She wasn't some clueless rich girl. She knew her family was in dire straits, but all she could do was pray for them.

"Yes, they will all be fine. When Miss returns, everyone will definitely come to the dock to welcome you," Ding Qing replied confidently.

At this moment, Zhou Shuya opened her right hand, which she had been holding tightly. Chen Ke had slipped it into her palm when she got into the car, whispering in her ear, "Someone asked me to give this to you. With this in hand, you must believe that everything will be alright."

A crumpled piece of paper lay in her outstretched hand, but it was a very special piece of paper, unlike any she had ever seen before.

"What's this?"

Zhou Shuya shook her head. "My older brother gave it to me." Looking at the inscription addressed to Ms. Zhou Shuya, who is twenty-three years old, the handwriting... was indescribable.

She didn't know who wrote it to her, but since it was addressed to her by the twenty-three-year-old, Zhou Shuya didn't open it. Instead, she carefully and preciously put it into her handbag, then turned to Ding Qing, took a deep breath, and said, "Let's go. Only when I leave can they be without any worries."

Just as Zhou Shuya turned to walk towards the ship, Chen Zhuo, standing by the window in a tea room on the third floor of a building at the dock, watched her retreating figure and finished the last sip of tea.

Li Gang, who was standing to the side, bowed and said, "Second Young Master, there's still time. Why don't you go down and see Miss off?"

Chen Zhuo's expression was cold, his eyes deep. "No need. We can't afford to arouse their suspicion at all. Everything's been arranged at home, right?"

"Don't worry, there are people stationed around the house to ensure the safety of the master and mistress."

After a long silence, a hoarse voice finally rang out, "Where's my brother?"

“The master has also gone back. He went to the police station to see you this morning and seemed very anxious.” Li Gang hesitated for a moment when he saw Chen Zhuo’s face, but finally said as if he was going to make a decision: “It seems that the master must know. Second Young Master, if you do this, won’t the master suffer the same pain as you? The pain of losing a loved one is something the master will have to endure for the rest of his life.”

"How can they be the same? That kind of pain can never be the same."

Li Gang didn't understand. "What's different?"

Chen Zhuo had no intention of explaining. "Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. There's no way to back down now. Li Gang, you can leave. This is none of your business. I've had your traces erased. No one will track you down. You were my brother's driver all these years. I'm sorry for putting you in danger all the time."

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