Chapter 26 It's time to rest.
Song Zhiyi put down the documents, walked to the window, and looked at the gradually darkening sky outside. The lights of Geneva lit up one after another, reflecting on the lake surface, shimmering and unreal.
“Ian,” she began, her voice calm, “do you know why I chose this job?”
Ian didn't speak, waiting for her to continue.
“My parents sacrificed their lives to save others.” Song Zhiyi looked out the window, her gaze distant. “They could have evacuated, but they chose to stay. Sometimes I wonder, if they had chosen to protect themselves first, would they still be alive now?”
She turned to Ian and said, "But then I realized it was their choice. They chose what they thought was right. And I chose what I thought was right."
"So you're going to keep pushing yourself like this?" Ian asked, "until... you're like your parents?"
“No.” Song Zhiyi shook her head and smiled slightly. “I want to live longer than them. I want to do more, save more people, and promote more peace. Only in this way can we prove that their sacrifice was worthwhile.”
She walked back to her desk and picked up the unfinished report: "And there are still things I haven't finished."
Looking at her calm yet resolute profile, Ian suddenly didn't know what to say. He had seen too many people crushed by war and hardship, but Song Zhiyi was different. She was like a tree, with deep roots, and no matter how strong the wind and rain, it only made her more resilient.
"What are your plans after returning to China?" He changed the subject.
“I’m going back to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I might also be involved in some international negotiations.” Song Zhiyi thought for a moment. “Also, I promised an NGO that I would help them create a manual on psychological intervention for children in war zones. I collected a lot of data in Syria before, and I need to organize it.”
"Work again," Ian said with a wry smile. "Don't you have any personal plans? Like... meeting your husband?"
He spoke that last word with some caution.
Song Zhiyi paused in her typing. The light from the screen reflected on her face, making her appear somewhat aloof.
“He and I…have an agreement,” she said simply, “to leave each other alone.”
Ian had clearly heard rumors about the marriage—after all, the Huo family was very famous both domestically and internationally. He hesitated, then finally just sighed.
“Anyway,” he said, “take care of yourself. Contact me anytime if you need help.”
"Thank you," Song Zhiyi said sincerely.
After Ian left, the room fell silent again. Song Zhiyi continued writing her report until late at night.
The report was finally finished. She clicked send, looked at the "sent successfully" message on the screen, and breathed a long sigh of relief.
Then she stood up, walked to the window, and stretched her stiff shoulders and neck. A familiar soreness returned to her old injury in her lower back—she had been sitting for too long today.
She didn't pay attention, and just looked at the night view outside the window.
It's been two years, time to go back.
Back to Beijing, back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, back to... that contract called marriage.
She didn't know what awaited her. But that didn't matter; she was used to facing the unknown.
Importantly, she accomplished her mission over the past two years. She participated in seven major negotiations, assisted in the evacuation of more than 300 expatriates, facilitated two temporary ceasefires, and even saved several lives.
That's enough.
As for the others—such as Huo Yanli, the Huo family, and that five-year agreement—
Let's talk about it when we meet.
Song Zhiyi turned off the computer and walked to the bedside. She took out a tin box from her suitcase—one of her few personal belongings. Inside were several old photos: a photo of her parents, a photo of her and her maternal grandfather, and a family photo of the three of them taken before her twelfth birthday.
The photo has yellowed, but the smile is still clear.
She looked at it for a long time, then gently closed the box and put it back in her suitcase.
Lying in bed, she remembered Ian's words: "You should rest."
Yes, it's time to rest.
But after the rest, there's still more to do.
Her journey is still long.
Geneva outside the window sleeps peacefully in the night.
The woman who was about to return home closed her eyes, preparing to embrace a new beginning.
Whatever it may be like at the beginning, she will face it calmly.
Because that was the path she chose herself.
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