The bartender had already brought two bottles of beer to Han Lin and Tang Feng. Han Lin opened both bottles, then placed one in front of Tang Feng, clinked his bottle against Tang Feng's, and downed half of it in one gulp.
Han Lin wiped the remaining wine from the corner of his mouth, silently lowered his head, and said to Tang Feng, "Thank you."
Tang Feng waved his hand, picked up the beer in front of him, and downed half a bottle.
"I believe Zhao Ziming truly loves you, and I believe you love her the same way. That's why I can return her to you with peace of mind. I hope you won't disappoint me, or I definitely won't let you off the hook." After saying this, Tang Feng finished the remaining half bottle of beer in one gulp.
"Don't worry," Han Lin replied, finishing the rest of his beer.
"In that case, I won't bother you any longer. Here is her address. Once you're ready, you can go find her." Tang Feng placed the slip of paper with Zhao Ziming's address in front of Han Lin and then got up to take his leave.
Han Lin escorted Tang Feng to the tavern entrance, watching Tang Feng drive away in his luxury car and disappear into the halo of the streetlights. Han Lin suddenly chuckled foolishly and muttered to himself, "Zhao Ziming, you're really silly."
After saying that, Han Lin looked at the address written on the slip of paper in his hand and hailed a car on the side of the road.
"Driver, go to this place." Han Lin showed the driver the address on the slip of paper.
After looking at the address, the driver frowned slightly, sighed, and complained, "This place is really remote. There's hardly anyone going there this late. If I drop you off there, I'll have to drive back empty. It's not worth it."
Han Lin understood what the driver meant and immediately replied, "I'll give you double the fare, hurry up and go."
"Okay, please have a seat." The driver beamed with joy upon hearing Han Lin's words. It had been a long time since he had encountered such a generous and easy-going customer.
However, what the driver said at the beginning was indeed true. Han Lin watched the taxi weave through the bustling city center, leaving more and more of the city behind, before gradually disappearing into a dimly lit area. While Han Lin was still lost in thought, the taxi stopped.
"This is it. The place you're looking for should be just ahead," the driver said, turning to Han Lin, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
Han Lin snapped out of his reverie, took out the fare from his pocket, handed it to the driver, and got out of the car. As he stepped off, childhood memories suddenly flooded back. The low-lying houses before him bore a striking resemblance to the village where the orphanage was located. Looking at the address in his hand, Han Lin still couldn't pinpoint the exact location.
Han Lin surveyed his surroundings. Apart from the faint light filtering through the windows of the houses, there was hardly a single pedestrian on the street. Just as Han Lin hesitated, he received a text message on his phone.
"Go to the end of the second straight alley and turn right; it's the second to last house." This was a text message Tang Feng sent.
When Han Lin saw the text message, he hesitated for a moment. A thought popped into his mind: Was Tang Feng a better choice for Zhao Ziming? Tang Feng looked up at the moon hanging overhead, then down at his shadow illuminated by the moonlight, clenched his fist, and followed Tang Feng's directions to Zhao Ziming's house.
The alleys here were wider than usual, but the streetlights were much dimmer. Soon, Han Lin stood in front of Zhao Ziming's house. He looked up at the house; the concrete facade, the rusty security door, and the dust on the windows had made the once-transparent glass opaque.
Han Lin mustered his courage and knocked on the door. Soon after, Zhao Ziming's gentle voice came from inside. "It's so late, who would come? Mom, go and check."
"I guess Xiaofeng was worried about you and came to check on you again," Zhao Ziming's mother replied, and then footsteps came from the direction of the door.
Wait! Mom? Isn't Zhao Zimo an orphan? Where did this mom come from? And why does this mom's voice sound so familiar? Han Lin was puzzled by the conversation he overheard, and an answer was about to come to him.
Before Han Lin could fully grasp the logic behind it all, Zhao Ziming's mother opened the door. The instant the door opened, Han Lin and Zhao Ziming's mother saw each other, their faces filled with astonishment and surprise. Of course, there was also a hint of joy at a long-awaited reunion.
"Dean Fu Ju." After a long while, Han Lin blinked his slightly reddened eyes and looked at Dean Fu Ju standing in front of him.
"Little, Little Linzi." Dean Fu Ju looked at Han Lin standing in front of her, just like looking at her own child, and called out Han Lin's nickname with slightly red eyes.
"Is Zimo here?" Han Lin peered into the room.
"Her?" Dean Fu Ju hesitated, then turned to look into the room and sighed helplessly.
Just as Han Lin and Dean Fu Ju were in silence, Zhao Zimo suddenly stepped out from behind Dean Fu Ju. Zhao Zimo's face was a little pale. She walked up to Han Lin, looked at him, and said, "Long time no see."
"It's been quite a long time, so long that I almost lost you." Han Lin looked at Zhao Ziming standing in front of him, gave a bitter smile, and replied. How did that little girl he used to bully become the girl he so desperately wanted to protect? Han Lin had been pondering this question, but he still hadn't found the answer.
"Why did you lie to me? You and Tang Feng were never married, you..." Seeing Zhao Zimo, Han Lin's heart was filled with joy, but also with a deep sense of accusation against the loneliness and torment of the past.
Zhao Ziming seemed quite composed, and looking at Han Lin's expression, she simply said, "Han Lin, we can't be together anymore. Forget about me."
After saying this, Zhao Zimo gently pulled Dean Fu Ju's arm and then prepared to close the door.
Han Lin immediately braced himself against the doorframe with one hand and said, "Whether it's possible or not isn't up to you to decide. If I say it's possible, then it's possible."
Zhao Ziming looked at Han Lin through the half-open door, but did not respond to his words. Han Lin stared at Zhao Ziming's pale face; her expressionless demeanor felt like a sharp knife constantly cutting into his heart.
Suddenly, Han Lin smiled, released his hand from the door frame, and said, "Since you were little, you've been a gentle yet determined person. Once you've made up your mind, it's hard to change it. But this time I can't indulge your willfulness, but I won't force you either."
Han Lin paused, observing Zhao Ziming's expression. Finally, a slight ripple appeared in Zhao Ziming's otherwise calm demeanor. Han Lin took a few steps back, then looked at Zhao Ziming and continued, "I'll stand here and wait for you. Open the door whenever you've made up your mind. I'll be here the whole time."
Zhao Ziming hesitated for a moment while holding onto the door frame, but eventually closed the door.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com