Chapter 109 The Night Before Departure
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs dormitory building was obscured by the dim glow of the streetlights, its outline blurred. Most of the windows were dark, with only a few letting in light, like the occasional open eyes of a sleeping beast.
It was already past 10 p.m.
A black sedan silently glided to the trees opposite the dormitory building and turned off the engine. Huo Yanli remained in the driver's seat, not getting out immediately. He rolled down the window, his gaze fixed on the familiar window on the third floor.
The light is still on.
He knew she was there. Her flight was tomorrow morning to New York, to report to the United Nations headquarters. This trip would last at least two years. And their five-year agreement had less than forty days left until its expiration.
For the past few months, he felt like he was living in a state of flux. The East Africa project was progressing smoothly with her help, but he felt little joy. He skipped Ji Yun's birthday banquet, using a business trip as an excuse. He ultimately couldn't muster the courage to attend his friends' farewell dinner.
He tried to fill all his time with work, numbing himself with meeting after meeting and negotiation, just like before. But whenever the night was still and quiet, that clear, almost sharp sense of loss would seize him. The countdown on the calendar, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, drew ever closer each day.
He had so much to say, yet he felt that any words would pale in comparison to her clear plan. He had so many things he wanted to do, but he didn't know where to begin, afraid of being presumptuous, afraid of causing trouble, and even more afraid of receiving that calm, foreseen rejection.
But she's leaving tomorrow.
Some things, if left unsaid, may never be said again. Some faces, if never seen again, may remain unseen for years.
His heart pounded heavily in his chest, with an almost painful urgency. Huo Yanli stared at the lit window for a long time.
He finally picked up his phone, found that familiar number, and dialed it.
The call was answered quickly, ringing only twice.
"Hello?" Song Zhiyi's voice came through the receiver, as calm as ever, with a hint of slight doubt.
Huo Yanli's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice was a little dry, but it sounded particularly clear in the quiet carriage: "It's me."
"Yes. Is there something you need?"
“I’m downstairs at your dorm.” He paused, his gaze still fixed on the window. “Can you come down? There are some things I want to say in person.”
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. He could imagine her at her desk, or packing her bags, looking slightly taken aback when she heard his words.
"Okay." Her reply was concise, without any further questions. "Wait a moment."
No rush.
The call ended.
Huo Yanli pushed open the car door, walked out, and leaned against the door. A few minutes later, a slender figure emerged from the dormitory building's entrance.
Song Zhiyi was holding an ordinary brown paper document bag. She walked up to him and stopped a step away.
"Why are you here so late? Is there something wrong with Grandpa?" she asked, her tone filled with her usual concern.
Huo Yanli shook his head: "No, Grandpa is fine." His gaze fell on the file folder in her hand, and his heart skipped a beat for no reason. "You...are you packing?"
"Okay, just one last check. There are some documents I need to bring." Song Zhiyi followed his gaze to the file folder in her hand, took it naturally, and didn't explain further. "Did you need something?"
Huo Yanli opened his mouth, but the words that had swirled in his mind countless times—about apologies, about regret, about his clumsy thinking and changes over the past few months, about his reluctance to end things like this—were stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word. Faced with her calm gaze, all his surging emotions seemed to lose the courage to pour out.
“I…” he began with difficulty, his voice hoarse, “What time is your flight tomorrow? I’ll take you.”
Song Zhiyi gently shook her head: "No need to trouble yourself, the department has arranged transportation to the airport. Besides, don't you have a board meeting tomorrow morning?"
She even remembered his schedule. Huo Yanli felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
"It's okay to cancel," he said.
“Really, there’s no need.” Song Zhiyi’s tone was gentle yet firm. “Huo Yanli, there’s no need for this.”
No need for that. No need for pretense, no need for making amends, no need for these formalities. This was the unspoken meaning in her words. She could always easily see through his attempts to conceal his panic and futility.
Silence spread between the two, with only the faint sound of cars in the distance and the tireless chirping of cicadas nearby.
Huo Yanli's gaze fell once more on the file folder in her hand. A thought, cold and clear, shot into his mind. At a time like this, what she was holding...could it be...?
Song Zhiyi seemed to notice his lingering gaze and felt the pressure of his silence. She looked up at his tense profile and the struggle he was trying so hard to hide deep in his eyes, and pursed her lips slightly.
Then, she raised her hand and handed the brown paper document bag to him.
“This,” her voice was clear and somewhat abrupt in the sultry summer night air, “is for you.”
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