Chapter 107 The Real Answer
Lin Yu and Jiang Chuan hailed a taxi at the entrance of the ancestral hall. The taxi weaved through the crowded streets and took them straight to the Padang Terminus.
The terminal station was nearly deserted, and the empty platform looked particularly desolate in the afternoon sun.
The bus quietly pulled up beside the platform, and the two boarded through the back door, choosing window seats. Lin Yu opened the window, and a damp breeze carrying the bustling atmosphere of Hong Kong's old streets rushed in.
This train departs from the starting point, circles the island, and will eventually return here. She and Jiang Chuan might get off along the way and head to different destinations.
Lin Yu gently pressed his forehead against the cool window frame, his voice mingling with the soft clatter of wheels on the tracks. "That car you bought... I've driven it back to my current place for now. Remember to come pick it up when it's convenient for you."
"No rush." Jiang Chuan's voice came from behind, deep and steady like the tide in the night. "We have plenty of time."
The tram slowly started moving, weaving through the bustling streets. Passing by Hysan Place in Copperfield, the cheerful electronic music of "The Blue Danube" pierced through the noisy crowd and entered the tram through the windows.
Lin Yu was drawn by the music ringtone. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw the iconic red and blue ice cream truck parked on the street corner in the distance.
"It's Richman Ice Cream!" she blurted out, her voice brimming with an excitement she herself didn't realize. Her previously calm expression instantly came alive, like a crack suddenly appearing on a frozen lake.
She got up and rang the bicycle bell. After the bicycle came to a stop, she hurriedly jumped off, and Jiang Chuan followed behind her to pay. The two of them weaved through the bustling crowd and squeezed into the long line in front of the ice cream truck.
"Which one do you want to eat?" Jiang Chuan asked her, tilting his head, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible doting affection.
Lin Yu stared at the price list, intending to rip him off, but found that the most expensive item was only fifteen Hong Kong dollars, so she finally chose the nut ice cream cone. The queue moved slowly, and Jiang Chuan gently nudged her shoulder, suggesting she rest on a bench by the street.
Lin Yu settled into her chair when her phone vibrated. Looking down, she saw Lin Jing's name flashing on the screen. She answered the phone, and her sister's gentle voice immediately came through the receiver.
"Banban, are you on holiday yet?"
"I've let her go. She's attending a wedding in Hong Kong right now. What's wrong, sis?" Lin Yu hadn't contacted her sister in a long time, and hearing her voice made her miss her.
"It's nothing, it's just that my sister wants to thank Attorney Jiang, but she's afraid of being too forward, so she wanted to ask your opinion first." Lin Jing's voice was tinged with hesitation.
Lin Yu was taken aback, and asked somewhat blankly, "Thank him for what?"
"He didn't tell you?" Lin Jing was clearly surprised as well. "It's about our shop being demolished."
"The developer kept bringing up the issue of converting residential units into commercial spaces and the illegal construction area, trying to withhold compensation. Your uncle and aunt were extremely anxious those days..."
Lin Jing's tone revealed undisguised gratitude. "My dad was extremely anxious at the time. Remembering that your boyfriend was a lawyer in Shanghai, he asked my uncle to try contacting him to see if there was any room for negotiation."
"I didn't have much hope at first, I just wanted to find out the details so I would have a better idea. I didn't expect that after he heard about it, he would fly over during the National Day holiday."
The night breeze lifted Lin Yu's hair as she gazed at Jiang Chuan, who was queuing not far away.
Wearing a sharp, expensive suit, he stood out from the crowd of tourists, yet strangely pleasing to the eye. He slightly stepped aside to make room for a mother holding a child, his demeanor as impeccable as ever.
“During those days, he ran around with his family, helping us to sort out the contract, and even personally went to negotiate with the developer. He was busy until the last day of the holiday, and only after everything was settled did he rush back to Shanghai.”
"The compensation money arrived in my account today. My parents just went to the bank to check, and it's all there. So I wanted to discuss with you how we should thank him?"
Lin Jing hesitated and said, "I thought that after we got back to Shanghai, you would definitely let us know that he went out during the National Day holiday...didn't he tell you in advance?"
"What did he tell his family?"
"I'm not sure, I just found out about this myself... My family probably didn't want me to worry."
"Okay, sis, don't worry, it's nothing serious. I'll pass on your thanks."
On the other end of the phone, Lin Jing insisted on paying the remaining lawyer fees, but she firmly refused. Hanging up, the street wind ruffled her coat, carrying a chill.
During the National Day holiday, just two days after their breakup, it was the most resentful and awkward moment for them.
Lin Yu had no idea what he was feeling when he received that call for help, as he traveled thousands of miles to deal with her family's trivial and thorny disputes.
Was it for her? Or was it merely to maintain his usual, almost harsh, sense of propriety?
Lin Yu raised her head, her gaze passing through the crowded throng, watching Jiang Chuan protect the ice cream cone as he walked towards her step by step.
The setting sun gilded his deep features, and fine beads of sweat could be seen clinging to his forehead. But even in such moments, he always maintained that innate composure in every gesture.
Jiang Chuan's face was calm, his gaze piercing through the crowd and landing on Lin Yu, as if she were the only destination in this world worth striving for.
He handed the ice cream to Lin Yu, and the icy touch made her fingers tremble slightly.
"What's wrong?" he asked with concern.
Lin Yu shook her head, took a bite of the ice cream, and the sweet cream melted in her mouth. "It's nothing," she said softly, "It seems a little too sweet."
As dusk settled, Jiang Chuan suggested that Lin Yu accompany him to Victoria Peak. Thinking of Lin Yu's selfless help to his family, Lin Yu couldn't find a reason to refuse.
The two stood at the ticket office at the foot of the mountain, but the long queue made Lin Yu hesitate.
She was about to suggest forgetting it, saying that once they got back to the mainland, she could choose any of the mountains—Taishan, Huangshan, or Huashan—when Jiang Chuan grabbed her wrist and led her through the VIP passage straight to the waiting platform.
The cable car slowly ascended along the steel cable, and the two sat facing each other in the transparent cabin, with the lights of thousands of homes gradually illuminating below them.
The view of Hong Kong outside the window seemed to have been zoomed in and out, with the surface of Victoria Harbour rippling with the last rays of the setting sun, and the entire city unfolding before their eyes like a flowing golden scroll.
"How did you know I came here?" Lin Yu asked casually, seemingly not very curious about the answer.
"Didn't you say I was here on a business trip?"
Of course, he couldn't tell Lin Yu that Zou Lang had sent him a message three days before Lin Yu's departure, detailing his sister's entire itinerary for the past few days and encouraging him to make the most of the opportunity.
It seems that everyone except the parties involved hopes they can be together forever.
A night breeze swept by, and he raised his hand to rub the tip of his nose, hiding all his enthusiasm and anticipation in endless silence.
Lin Yu looked at Jiang Chuan's profile reflected in the glass door and said, "Thank you for what happened to my sister's family."
Jiang Chuan turned his face upon hearing this, the setting sun casting its glow over his refined and indifferent features. "It was nothing," he said casually, his long fingers resting lightly on the armrest, as if it truly was just a trivial matter.
Lin Yu could no longer accept this favor without hesitation, so she looked away and gazed at the darkening sky outside the window. "How much does your lawyer charge per hour?"
"Please." Jiang Chuan leaned forward and placed his palm on the cool back of her hand resting on her knee. "Between you and me, there's no need to say these things."
The cable car arrived at the top of the mountain, and Jiang Chuan led her through the crowd to stand in front of the railing of the observation deck.
The mountain wind howled, whipping Lin Yu's hair. She subconsciously raised her hand to smooth it, and a warm coat gently covered her, keeping out the cold air.
The cool fragrance of white pine then spread, a scent she was once intimately familiar with, but which would later belong exclusively to someone else.
"I'm sorry, Banban." His voice was carried on the wind. The hand that was hanging on her shoulder hesitated for a moment, but finally withdrew with restraint.
Lin Yu gazed at the sea of lights gradually illuminating the mountain below, feeling the wind lift the hem of his coat and brush against the back of his hand. "Actually, thinking about it carefully, I also have my own problems."
She took a breath, her voice carried away by the wind. "You're right. I shouldn't have taken your efforts for granted, and I shouldn't have mixed up work and relationships."
"I believe in your character, Jiang Chuan, and I believe you would never do anything immoral. I was too naive and oversimplified things."
As the sun sank behind the clouds, the evening glow painted the sky a sea of orange. Lin Yu gazed at the horizon, lost in thought, Jiang Chuan's past sacrifices flashing before his eyes. "I've learned so much from being with you."
She turned her head slightly, meeting his deep, unfathomable gaze. "I'm no longer as helpless in the face of negative emotions as I used to be."
A mountain breeze brushed against her hair, and she pulled her coat tighter. "I will never again beg for other people's approval or love."
Jiang Chuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He knew that Lin Yu was genuinely forgiving him, for understanding that adult relationships are often mixed with unspeakable past feelings and much helplessness.
She seemed to have accepted Bai Qianhe's existence, and accepted that the man who should have loved her wholeheartedly still had someone else in his heart.
This realization did not make him happy; instead, it plunged him into unfounded fear and self-doubt.
He wanted to explain, but didn't know where to begin. He also couldn't be sure which would be easier to accept: a white lie or the harsh truth.
In fact, he also knew that all of this had long lost its meaning for Lin Yu.
It was as if she was ready to abandon her love for him and start anew, all her words of comfort turned into end-of-life care for a death row inmate, and he would once again return to the darkness of despair.
"Bang bang!" The wind picked up a bit, and Lin Yu buried his face in his coat, which carried his scent. The warm pine fragrance filled his lungs. "You're not wrong. From beginning to end, I'm the only one who's wrong."
"I was too stubborn and overconfident. I messed everything up and wasted your trust in me."
"If I could do it all over again, I believe I could do better, but I don't know if I would have that chance again."
Lin Yu did not respond, but just stared at the river surface in the distance, which was dyed red by the setting sun. He felt that a knot in his heart was finally loosening gently as the last ray of light faded away.
It felt like a tiny crack had been torn open in my heart, and I couldn't tell whether it would lead to unknown salvation or utter devastation.
This time, it will probably take her a long time to see whether this belated bowing is a genuine expression of remorse or just another temporary compromise.
The night was spreading beneath their feet, and they stood at the intersection of light and shadow, with the indelible past behind them and countless unformed tomorrows before them.
As neon lights gradually illuminated, they outlined Hong Kong's iconic skyline, while cruise ships glided slowly across the river, leaving shimmering trails of water in their wake.
"Are you hungry?" Jiang Chuan broke the silence, pulling Lin Yu back to reality. "I know a nice restaurant nearby with a complete night view."
Lin Yu shook her head. "Let's stay a little longer." She wanted to linger in this scenery a little longer, to clear her mind in this rare tranquility.
Jiang Chuan didn't say anything more, just stood quietly beside her, just like he had in many moments before.
In the distance, a bright moon quietly rises, its cool light spilling onto the surface of Victoria Harbour, reflecting the dazzling neon lights.
And now, she stands here, with the person who once loved her most and hurt her most beside her, and an unknown road ahead.
But strangely, she no longer felt the fear and unease of the past; instead, she felt an unprecedented peace.
Jiang Chuan's coat was still draped over her shoulders, and the lingering warmth of his body seemed to be telling her some unfinished story.
Lin Yu neither took it off nor moved closer to the person beside her. She simply stood quietly, letting the night breeze blow, waiting for the true answer in her heart to slowly emerge.
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