Time Flies

A broken bone takes a hundred days to heal.

Chen Zhi's left leg was in a cast for four months.

During those four months, the chirping of cicadas in Jiangcheng gave way to the autumn winds of Beijing, and finally ushered in the first snow of early winter.

Chen Zhi finally understood what it meant to reap what you sow.

Lin Wanwan truly made good on her promise of "no contact."

She canceled all her public appearances, stopped updating her social media accounts, and vanished from the internet like she'd never existed. The only thing Chen Zhi received each month was a WeChat message from Su Man: "Still alive, not depressed, stop asking."

Pei Ningxue had also cut off all contact completely.

Occasionally, late at night, Dai Damai could spot traces of her login on the internal network backend—her IP address kept changing, from London to Edinburgh, then to Zurich.

This was her way of telling Chen Zhi: I'm watching you, but I won't see you.

In these four months, the only person by Chen Zhi's side was Li Zhiyi.

From his hometown in Jiangcheng to Wanshu Academy in Beijing, from blazing summer to early winter.

Every day, she traveled back and forth between Renmin University and Wanshu Academy—shopping for groceries, cooking, simmering bone broth, and accompanying him to hospital check-ups.

She never mentioned Lin Wanwan, and she never asked about Pei Ningxue.

She was like a tranquil lake, absorbing all of Chen Zhi's anxiety and guilt.

November 15th. Beijing saw its first snowfall.

In the orthopedics clinic at Peking University Third Hospital, the doctor used a small electric saw to cut through the cast on Chen Zhi's leg.

The moment the plaster fell away, a sour smell that had been trapped for months wafted out.

Even Chen Zhi wrinkled his nose in disgust, but Li Zhiyi acted as if she smelled nothing. She took a warm, damp towel, knelt down, and carefully wiped away the dead skin on his calf.

"Li Zhiyi, what are you doing this for?" Chen Zhi looked down at her soft, fuzzy hair and couldn't help but ask.

Without looking up, Li Zhiyi continued her gentle movements. "For the fact that you've got a broken leg now, so you can't run away."

Chen Zhi was left speechless.

"Healing well. The bone callus is forming nicely. But you'll still need a cane for the next half month—no strenuous activity or jumping," the doctor said, looking at the X-rays.

Chen Zhi stood up, but his left leg was weak. The muscles had atrophied from being inactive for so long.

Li Zhiyi immediately handed him the cane.

This cane was bought by Lin Wanwan.

Clutching the cane, Chen Zhi watched as Li Zhiyi crouched down to roll his pant leg back down and carefully tie his shoelaces.

"I can do it myself," Chen Zhi said, reaching for her.

Li Zhiyi slapped his hand away. "The doctor said you shouldn't bend over too fast, your ribs haven't fully healed yet."

She stood up, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

Back at Wanshu Academy.

Li Zhiyi folded the wheelchair and pushed it into the storage room.

Chen Zhi set down the cane and walked slowly along the wall, taking a few steps.

The feeling of being on solid ground again was surreal.

He walked to the kitchen doorway and watched Li Zhiyi washing fruit.

Four months of being together day and night had made them feel like an old married couple.

Li Zhiyi sorted and washed his clothes, remembered his medication schedule, and on nights when his rib pain kept him awake, she would massage his back for hours on end.

But the kinder she was, the heavier Chen Zhi's guilt became.

She had lost weight noticeably. Her already slender waist now looked even more fragile under her loose sweater.

Chen Zhi walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Li Zhiyi's body stiffened. The apple in her hand slipped into the sink, splashing a spray of water.

"Stop it. My hands are wet."

"I'm not messing around." Chen Zhi rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice soft. "Zhiyi, these past four months... you've been through a lot."

Li Zhiyi turned off the faucet.

She grabbed a towel, dried her hands, then turned around and leaned against the counter, looking at Chen Zhi.

They stood close. Chen Zhi could see her long eyelashes quivering.

"Chen Zhi."

"Hmm?"

"Your leg is better now."

"Yeah."

"Are you going to find her?"

Chen Zhi froze.

He knew exactly who "her" was.

Lin Wanwan had a one-year agreement. He couldn't go to her—breaking it meant he would never see that gift again.

Li Zhiyi was asking about the girl "at Peking University."

Chen Zhi looked into Li Zhiyi's calm eyes. Her not fighting or grabbing for the past four months didn't mean she didn't care. She was just waiting—waiting for Chen Zhi's leg to heal, waiting for him to make his choice.

"I..." Chen Zhi started to speak.

Suddenly, his phone rang from the living room.

It was Dai Damai's special ringtone.

Chen Zhi walked over and picked it up.

"Zhi Ge! The dead have risen!" Dai Damai's voice was excited.

"You're the one who rose from the dead. Spit it out."

"Not me—Boss Pei logged on just now!"

Chen Zhi's pupils contracted sharply.

"IP address? Still in Europe?"

"Not in Europe!" Dai Damai swallowed hard. "In Beijing! And she didn't just log in—she accessed the company's financial reports for the last four months."

Dai Damai spoke rapidly. "I checked the exact location. The signal is at Peking University!"

Chen Zhi whipped his head toward the window at the falling snow.

Pei Ningxue had returned.

And she was at Peking University.

Chen Zhi hung up and grabbed his jacket from the couch.

Li Zhiyi stood at the kitchen doorway, watching him silently.

The living room was so quiet you could hear the wind blowing snow outside, the faint hum of the radiators.

Chen Zhi glanced at the carbon fiber cane, but ultimately didn't take it.

He walked to the entryway, put on his shoes, and paused for a few seconds with his hand on the door handle. Then he turned around.

"Zhiyi, I..."

"Go ahead." Li Zhiyi walked over and straightened his jacket collar, her voice as still as a placid lake.

She even pulled his zipper up a little higher.

"It's snowing out. Your leg just got out of the cast. Don't catch cold."

Chen Zhi stared at her for a long moment without saying a word. Then he turned, pushed open the door, and left.

The moment the door closed, Li Zhiyi stood there, listening to his footsteps fading down the hallway.

She looked down at the half-washed apple in the sink. She picked it up, and droplets of water ran down her fingertips.

For four months, she had fooled herself into thinking she could get used to this stolen peace.

But the moment Chen Zhi grabbed his coat and rushed out without hesitation, she realized—she was never that generous.

Her eyes finally reddened. Biting her lip, she placed the apple back into the sink and whispered softly to herself.

"Liar."

The elevator at Wanshu Academy descended rapidly.

Chen Zhi watched his reflection in the mirrored walls and took a deep breath.

Four months.

Pei Ningxue, you've finally shown yourself.

He pushed open the door of the unit and was met by the biting wind and snow of Beijing's early winter.

His left leg ached faintly, but he didn't care.

He hailed a taxi and pulled open the door.

"Driver, take me to Peking University. Guanghua School of Management."