Return
After observing the purchasing department for a while, Li Jiaqi discovered that Shen Zhiwei did not seem to have any intention of further interfering in the company's core business based on the success of the "Pink Plan," which made her tense nerves relax a little.
Indeed, in the past year or two, Zhiwei has been traveling to and from Shanghai much more frequently, while spending less time in Beijing. When the company occasionally requires her attendance, she always comes and goes in a hurry, her brows furrowed with an undeniable weariness and worry.
In the early winter of their tenth year of marriage, Xu Anyi finally succumbed to her illness, passing away in Shanghai after a long and arduous treatment. When news of her critical condition reached Beijing, Zhiwei was reviewing a batch of new design drafts when her pencil snapped in her hand. She immediately rushed to Shanghai, only to find that her mother, unlike many times before, did not struggle to recover. As she passed away, Xu Anyi looked peaceful, stroking her daughter's head before closing her eyes.
Li Fuqiang canceled an important meeting that day and took the earliest flight to Shanghai to accompany Zhiwei through all the funeral arrangements. At the funeral, Zhiwei, dressed in black, remained calm and returned the greetings to all the relatives and friends who came to pay their respects, behaving with propriety and showing no sign of distress. Only in the instant she turned away did Li Fuqiang catch a glimpse of her slightly trembling shoulders and her momentarily empty eyes.
After the funeral, she nodded slightly to Li Fuqiang, her voice hoarse, "Thank you for coming." After that, she had no energy left to deal with anyone. She returned to her hotel room, locked the door, and fell asleep immediately. She slept for two whole days, as if trying to exhaust the fatigue and sorrow that had accumulated over the past ten years.
Li Fuqiang was preoccupied with official duties. Seeing that Zhiwei was only asleep, he instructed Xiaoyu to take good care of her before returning to Beijing.
Two days later, Zhiwei woke up, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling of her hotel room, momentarily disoriented and feeling a void in her heart, utterly lost and helpless. Mechanically, she grabbed her small bag, and without notifying anyone, took a taxi straight to Pudong Airport. Standing in the vast terminal, she aimlessly stared at the flight information displayed on the screens, then walked to the first open ticket counter and said to the staff, "I want to buy a ticket for the next flight."
After Xiaoyu discovered that Zhiwei was missing, she immediately chased after her to the airport. She learned that Zhiwei had bought a ticket to Lijiang. Not daring to dissuade her, Xiaoyu quickly bought herself a ticket on the same flight while calling back to Beijing to report to Shenping.
Shen Ping relayed the message to Li Fuqiang, who remained silent for a moment before replying, "It's good for her to have some peace and quiet." He understood what his mother's departure meant to Zhiwei—it was her first and last bond in this contractual marriage.
Zhiwei didn't realize her destination was Lijiang until she boarded the plane. She didn't care where she went, as long as she left this air filled with memories of her mother. Upon arriving in Lijiang, she followed a minibus soliciting passengers at the airport to the entrance of the old town and randomly chose a clean-looking guesthouse to stay in. Xiaoyu silently followed, handing her the necessary items and maintaining a respectful distance, giving her ample space.
For the next three or four days, Zhiwei wandered the ancient city's stone-paved streets like a walking corpse. She looked at the small bridges and flowing water, listened to the noisy voices of people, but felt that everything was separated by a transparent film, unable to touch her heart.
One day, she happened to pass by a relatively secluded old house. A deep and ancient song came from the courtyard. The melody was distant, but the lyrics were not clear. However, the voice seemed to have a kind of power that struck her soul. She couldn't help but stop and lean against the door to listen quietly.
When the song ended, she mustered her courage and went into the courtyard, where she saw several people dressed in Taoist robes drinking tea. She asked what song had been sung, and one of the older Taoists gently told her that it was a re-arranged version of the ancient score of Tao Yuanming's "Returning Home".
Seeing her confusion, the Taoist priest patiently explained the meaning of "returning home" to her—to retreat to the countryside, follow nature, let go of worldly ties, and find inner peace. "Returning home, the fields are overgrown, why not return? Since I have let my heart be enslaved by my body, why am I sad and grieving alone? I realize that the past cannot be changed, but the future can be pursued..." the Taoist priest slowly recited.
Listening to the ancient texts, and thinking of her mother finally being freed from her illness, Zhiwei's tears, which she had been holding back, finally broke free. In this unfamiliar courtyard, facing several unfamiliar Taoist practitioners, she wept uncontrollably, as if releasing all her sorrow, grievances, and confusion. The Taoists quietly stayed by her side, without disturbing her.
For the next few days, Zhiwei went to that small courtyard every day to listen to the music, remaining silent as ever. One of the Taoist priests' companions joked privately that perhaps this beautiful woman had taken a liking to one of his fellow disciples. The Taoist priest who had explained things to Zhiwei before said seriously, "Don't talk nonsense. This lady has clear, noble eyes, a heavy mind yet graceful manners; she is from a completely different world from us rough, uncultured people. She has come here seeking temporary peace and quiet, and to resolve her current confusion."
After staying in Lijiang for about ten days, Zhiwei's emotions gradually calmed down. She booked a flight back to Beijing. Before leaving, she went to the small courtyard again and silently donated enough money to repair the temple as a token of her gratitude.
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