Chapter 94 What is your dream?

Her mother's diary was like a key, unlocking a long-sealed room in Song Zhiyi's heart. In that room, her parents' voices and smiles, their ideals and pursuits, and that heavy love and responsibility were displayed with unparalleled clarity.

Instead of wallowing in grief, she threw herself into her work with greater clarity and focus. Her colleagues in the translation department noticed that Song seemed calmer and sharper than ever. She processed documents more efficiently, her remarks at interdepartmental coordination meetings were more incisive, and her interpretation of complex international clauses became increasingly insightful. It was as if some inner drive had been ignited more thoroughly.

She still leaves work on time, visits Grandpa Huo in the hospital, and participates in necessary family gatherings. Her relationship with Huo Yanli has entered a stable and peaceful new phase. The initial coldness and aloofness have long since disappeared, replaced by a tacit understanding of mutual respect and support. They exchange work experiences, discuss current events, and share a good book or a valuable article. Huo Yanli still takes good care of her, reminding her to eat on time and bringing her late-night snacks when she works overtime. She accepts this more naturally, and occasionally sends him a text message when he comes home late from socializing, reminding him to "drink less and get some rest."

But their relationship ended there. Like two clear streams, flowing side by side, reflecting each other's images, yet never truly converging. The string of the "five-year promise" in Song Zhiyi's heart remained unyielding. She knew the nature of her work, knew where her next assignment might take her. War zones, conflict zones… these places never promised a safe return. She didn't want to, and dared not, begin a deep emotional entanglement. That would not only be irresponsible to herself, but also a burden and cruelty to the other person. Her current state was good, like comrades-in-arms, like confidants, neither too close nor too distant, just right.

Huo Yanli could sense that invisible boundary. He was no longer impatient, but instead focused on cherishing every moment, using actions rather than words to let her get used to his presence and feel secure. He knew that for someone like Song Zhiyi, a conquering pursuit was meaningless; only a steady stream of companionship and understanding could possibly soften her strong defenses. He was willing to wait, even as the five-year period drew to a close.

...

One Friday evening, Song Zhiyi finished a working meeting with the embassy of a European country and walked out of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building alone.

"Song Zhiyi".

A familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar female voice sounded from behind.

Song Zhiyi turned around and saw Lin Wei. She was standing under a sycamore tree not far away, wearing a well-tailored beige trench coat. Her makeup was still exquisite, but her eyes were different from before. They were less deliberately charming and calculating, and more complex and difficult to discern, like the weariness after a struggle, or the emptiness after making a decision.

“Miss Lin.” Song Zhiyi stopped in her tracks, her expression calm.

Lin Wei walked over and stopped in front of her. There was a polite distance between them.

"Can I... talk to you for a few minutes?" Lin Wei's tone was unexpectedly calm, even with a hint of pleading.

Song Zhiyi glanced at her watch: "Okay. There's a coffee shop up ahead that's relatively quiet."

The two entered the coffee shop one after the other and chose a corner by the window. Song Zhiyi ordered only a glass of warm water, while Lin Wei ordered an Americano, but barely touched it.

A silence lingered between the two for a moment, with only the soft background music of the café playing in the background.

"You win." Lin Wei finally spoke, her voice a little hoarse, her eyes fixed on the passing car lights outside the window. "I concede. I concede completely."

Song Zhiyi frowned slightly, seemingly not understanding the opening remarks: "I don't think there's any winning or losing between us, Miss Lin."

Lin Wei gave a bitter smile and turned to look at her: "Is that so? But for me, it's a war. To take back what I thought was rightfully mine—Yanli's heart, the position of Mrs. Huo. I tried everything, recalling the past, creating chance encounters, and even... saying things I shouldn't have said. I thought that as long as I embarrassed you and let him see your 'indifference,' I could sway him."

She paused, her gaze falling on Song Zhiyi's calm and composed face: "But I've only just realized that all my tricks are a joke in front of you. You don't care at all whether I'm your 'ex-girlfriend,' you don't care what others say about you 'climbing the social ladder,' and you don't even care whether Yanli truly loves you. You're like... like you're standing in another dimension, watching us people go through joys and sorrows over love and loss, while in your eyes, there are things that are more important."

Song Zhiyi listened quietly, without interrupting or arguing. Her eyes were clear, as if they could reflect all of Lin Wei's embarrassment and resentment.

“Miss Lin,” Song Zhiyi suddenly asked a question that completely surprised Lin Wei, “what is your dream?”

"What?" Lin Wei was stunned, completely unprepared for this question.

"Dreams. Or rather, what kind of person do you really want to become? What kind of thing do you want to do?" Song Zhiyi asked earnestly, her eyes focused, as if she were truly expecting an answer. "I remember you were a top student in the School of Foreign Languages ​​in college, with excellent grades. Back then, what were your plans for the future?"

Lin Wei opened her mouth, but found herself unable to answer for a moment. Dreams? What kind of person to become? It was too far in the past. From the moment she decided to cling to Huo Yanli as a "high branch," from the moment she became intoxicated by the luxurious life and social status that the Huo family might bring, all her plans seemed to revolve around the identity of "Huo Yanli's wife." Later, the breakup, going abroad, extravagance, regret, returning to China and entanglement... in her world, it seemed that only "getting Huo Yanli back" remained.

“I…” Her throat went dry.

Seeing the fleeting confusion and panic in her eyes, Song Zhiyi sighed softly. There was no disdain in that sigh; instead, it carried a faint, almost regretful, understanding.

She paused, her gaze sincere: "There are many meaningful things in this world. Pushing through a difficult negotiation, saving a life on the brink of death, helping a child in a war-torn region get an education, or even just excelling in your professional field and creating value... the sense of accomplishment and meaning that these things bring is no less than that of finding love, and may even be broader and more lasting."

“Love is important,” Song Zhiyi continued, her tone still rational, “but it shouldn’t be the whole of life, much less a cage that traps you. You are excellent, so why do you have to put all your vision and energy into one man? You can completely forge a more wonderful and independent path on your own, and you may even go further and higher than them.”

These words contained neither accusation nor preaching. They were like a mirror, clearly reflecting Lin Wei's increasingly narrow and lost self over the past few years.

A tremendous shock and shame overwhelmed Lin Wei. Looking at Song Zhiyi, at this simply dressed woman whose eyes were as vast and profound as the starry sky, she realized for the first time so clearly that the difference between them was never about family background, but about the scope of their souls and their pursuit of life.

She could never "win" against Song Zhiyi, not because Huo Yanli's heart belonged to someone else, but because she herself had already lost her way at the very beginning.

After a long silence, Lin Wei finally spoke with difficulty, her voice dry and hoarse: "I...I used to think about doing something, like translation, or international trade...but then I felt it was too tiring, so I thought..."

"Why not find a reliable home?" Song Zhiyi replied, her tone still calm. "But entrusting your life to someone else is ultimately a castle in the air. It will dissipate with the slightest breeze."

Lin Wei was completely speechless, tears welling up unexpectedly. It wasn't resentment, nor anger, but a belated regret for her wasted time, and a complex mix of awe and reverence for the powerful core of the woman before her.

She lowered her head, staring at the now-cold coffee in her cup, and remained silent for a long time. When she looked up again, the resentment and obsession in her eyes seemed to have dissipated considerably, replaced by a clarity born of exhaustion, and a faint... desire to start anew.

"I...I think I understand a little bit." Lin Wei's voice was soft, tinged with uncertainty. "Although it may take some time to process. But...thank you, Song Zhiyi."

She paused, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Can I... still contact you in the future? It's not about Yanli, it's just... just when I want to talk to someone."

Seeing the genuine change in her eyes, Song Zhiyi nodded, her tone still calm: "My work is quite busy, so I don't have much time. But whenever I have time, it's fine."

This wasn't a passionate promise, but rather a well-intentioned gesture based on respect and discretion. It was precisely this sense of propriety that made Lin Wei feel genuine and at ease.

"Okay." Lin Wei stood up, picked up her bag, and said, "I'll be going now. I won't bother you any longer."

She walked to the door, then stopped and glanced back at Song Zhiyi, who was still sitting quietly by the window. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the glass window, casting a warm halo around her.

Lin Wei took out her phone and found Huo Yanli's chat window. Over the past few years, she had sent countless messages, some affectionate, some aggrieved, and some tentative. This time, she typed slowly, but with unwavering determination.

"Huo Yanli, for the first time, I realize you're really just like that. Goodbye, and I wish you happiness."

She sent it out, and then deleted the number she had kept for years, along with all her past obsessions and resentments.

She stepped out of the coffee shop, a cool evening breeze brushing against her face, invigorating her senses. She took a deep breath, gazing at the city lights just beginning to twinkle in the night sky, and for the first time, she felt that the road ahead, though blurry, seemed to have a new direction.

Inside the coffee shop, Song Zhiyi slowly finished her glass of warm water and got up to leave. She wasn't particularly moved by Lin Wei's change. She had simply said what she believed; whether others listened or not, whether they could be changed, was up to fate.

Everyone has their own life lessons to learn. Her lesson was never about defeating a "love rival," but about how to better fulfill her parents' wishes and how to walk more steadily and further on the path she had chosen.

As night deepened, the city lights spread out like a galaxy.

Song Zhiyi walked steadily back to her dormitory. She knew that her own path still stretched ahead. Whether she had companions or would ultimately walk alone, she was prepared.

With one's heart set on the mountains and rivers, one is not afraid of wind and rain, nor is one confined by petty emotions and love.

This is the real Song Zhiyi.