February 7, 2024, the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Wednesday.
6:30 in the morning.
Shencheng, China Resources Shencheng Yuefu.
The sky had not fully brightened yet. A light mist hung between the high-rises, blurring the city into a hazy gray-blue.
The warm, bright bedroom was neat, tidy, and spotless.
Zhang Yan dragged her suitcase out of the room, then carefully checked the entire apartment again.
Only after confirming that the water, electricity, doors, and windows were all shut off and that nothing had been left behind did she pick up her phone.
Her finger hovered over that name in her contacts for a long while before she finally made the call.
The call was answered at once.
Liu Qingning's voice came through the receiver. "Hello? Zhang Yan?"
"Qing... Qingning." Zhang Yan held the phone, undisguisable tension hidden in her voice. "I'm ready. I can leave anytime." "Okay." The voice on the other end was brisk and decisive. "I'll come pick you up now. I'll be there in about ten minutes."
"Mm. Sorry to trouble you."
After hanging up, Zhang Yan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and lowered her head to check the time.
It was still dark outside.
A direct flight from Shencheng to Quancheng took less than three hours.
It was just that there were already few direct flights from Quancheng to Shencheng, and there was almost no choice in timing. The flight a little after eight was already the most suitable one; they would land around eleven.
She was used to waking early, so she did not find it hard.
It was just... Jing County.
The moment she thought of that place, her heart still tightened slightly despite herself.
She stood there, looking at her reflection in the glass, took a deep breath, dragged