Severing the Past

After returning to the room, Zhao Wanyu had already woken up, likely disturbed by the earlier phone call.

"How are you feeling?" Chen Mengchuan asked.

Zhao Wanyu nodded, "Better."

Nodding, Chen Mengchuan called her out to sunbathe together.

It was early autumn, and although Qinghai Province was a bit cold, it was still very warm under the bright, sunny sky.

After sunbathing for a short while, Chen Mengchuan saw that her cheeks were flushed red and sweat had broken out on her forehead, so he suggested they go back inside.

"I want to sunbathe a little longer," Zhao Wanyu said stubbornly.

Chen Mengchuan smiled, "As long as you're happy, and don't mind getting a tan."

Zhao Wanyu smiled brightly, "Miss Sonoko is much darker than me, and you don't seem to dislike her."

Under the sun, Zhao Wanyu's gentle face, fair skin, and rosy cheeks made Chen Mengchuan stare in a daze.

"Am I beautiful?" Looking at Chen Mengchuan's gaze, Zhao Wanyu asked shyly.

Chen Mengchuan snapped back to reality, smiled slightly, and nodded earnestly.

For lunch, Zhao Wanyu had a great appetite and drank two large bowls of fish soup.

While Zhao Wanyu went to rest and take a nap, Chen Mengchuan went to school and found Ayase Sonoko, as he had many things on his mind.

"Mengchuan-kun," Ayase Sonoko greeted him with a smile.

Seeing no students in the room, Chen Mengchuan asked, "Don't the students have class today?"

"It's the weekend today, students get one day off each week, which is also my day off. Please have some water." Ayase Sonoko poured Chen Mengchuan a cup of hot water.

Taking the cup, Chen Mengchuan looked at Ayase Sonoko, lost in thought.

"Mengchuan-kun!" Ayase Sonoko called out to him.

"Sorry, I was spacing out."

"Mengchuan-kun, you seem troubled. Can you share it with me? I can be your bamboo tube, bury it in the earth after listening," Ayase Sonoko said with a smile.

"Would you give up your dream for the person you love?" Chen Mengchuan asked.

"Give up a dream for a loved one? Mengchuan-kun, that's a difficult question. If it's someone you love, why would you give up your dream? A dream should be pursued with your loved one to truly be called a dream," Ayase Sonoko replied earnestly.

"Are these children Sonoko's dream?"

"To provide a good education for these disadvantaged children is my dream, and it's a dream I will never give up!"

Back in his room, Chen Mengchuan sat blankly in front of his computer, memories flooding his mind one after another...

Ayase Sonoko's dream of proving herself, dedicating her life to the education of these children.

She had given up so much...

In his daze, he had been selfish and so resolute.

Ayase Sonoko's simple, pure dream.

Her words of never giving up...

After an unknown amount of time, a gentle hand brushed across his face, bringing a touch of moisture.

Chen Mengchuan came to his senses, only to realize he was already in tears. Zhao Wanyu sat quietly beside him, wiping his tears.

Wiping his eyes with a tissue, Chen Mengchuan's face flushed red, not wanting to lose face in front of Zhao Wanyu.

"I remembered some things from the past, I'm sorry to have made you see this."

Zhao Wanyu remained silent, just sitting beside him and watching him. The quiet moment felt strangely familiar, and Chen Mengchuan felt a moment of disorientation.

"I've decided to return to Shanghai tomorrow," Chen Mengchuan said. The past was the past. Cutting ties would be good for him and also for Ayase Sonoko; she had her own dreams.

Zhao Wanyu nodded, looking at him. The sight of Chen Mengchuan in tears inexplicably struck a soft spot in her heart.

"If you're in a hurry, I can arrange a meeting with Manager Xu and Manager Toni for you right away," Zhao Wanyu said.

Chen Mengchuan looked at her with some surprise and said firmly, "Thank you, Wanyu, the sooner the better!"

"Then I'll arrange it for three days from now," Zhao Wanyu said with certainty.

Nodding, he glanced at her again. He could hear the certainty in her tone. Although he didn't know why she was so confident, the sooner he could meet Xu Shuwei and Toni Chen Miantang, the sooner he could persuade them to join, and the sooner Chisako could be completed.

"Oh, right, I'll take the computer back to the room. When you were sleeping, your ears were probably filled with the sound of my keyboard," Chen Mengchuan said as he closed and packed up his computer.

"Brother Chuan, give me your ID card, and I'll book your return ticket for you," Zhao Wanyu said.

"Okay," Chen Mengchuan didn't refuse.

Back in his room, Chen Mengchuan immersed himself in designing the modules for Chisako. For dinner, Zhao Wanyu brought him a bowl of vegetable and beef noodles, topped with two fried eggs she had made.

He worked until the early hours of the morning before feeling sleepy. After taking a shower and returning to his room, he fell into a deep sleep.

In his drowsy state, a warm, full body snuggled into his covers.

The next morning, when he opened his eyes, he tried hard to recall. He seemed to vaguely remember something snuggling into his covers yesterday?

After getting out of bed, Chen Mengchuan and Zhao Wanyu went to the school together. They said goodbye to Ayase Sonoko. Despite only spending a few days together, Zhao Wanyu hugged Ayase Sonoko tightly at the moment of parting.

As the tractor rumbled back towards Wutumeiren Township, Zhao Wanyu watched Balagetu Village recede into the distance. "Brother Chuan," she said to Chen Mengchuan, "if you come again next time, you have to bring me along."

"Okay."

On the swaying tractor, Chen Mengchuan watched Balagetu Village disappear. Ayase Sonoko's dreams lay there. Everyone should have their own choices.

If the drowning child, Sun Weijie, hadn't been enough to make him believe in that hazy dream, then the real Ayase Sonoko confirmed the reality of his twenty-year delusion.

After cutting ties with all that, he would have to face the future alone, armed with the black technology in his mind!

Upon arriving in Wutumeiren Township, Zhao Wanyu, waiting in the bus, asked Chen Mengchuan to wait. She ran to the yard where Chen Mengchuan had borrowed the tractor earlier, placed 500 yuan on the tractor seat, and then returned to the roadside.

After boarding the bus, Chen Mengchuan received a call from Sun Zhongyong.

"Mengchuan, did you cast a spell on that Guo Siming?" Sun Zhongyong asked exaggeratedly.

"What's up, Brother Sun?"

"That Guo Siming came to Su City to see me. He had two contracts in his hand, and I couldn't understand them after looking for a long time."

Chen Mengchuan chuckled. "What's not to understand? Are there problems with the contract terms?"

"It's not the contract terms, it's the contract amount and Guo Siming's attitude. 16.1 million! He didn't even haggle, and he added another 10 million. What kind of love potion did you give Guo Siming? He's in the coffee shop right now; I'm calling you from outside." Sun Zhongyong said.

"Brother Sun, review the contract carefully. If there are no issues with the terms, sign it. The amount is correct. I've already discussed it with Guo Zhidong," Chen Mengchuan replied.

"Alright, then I'll sign the contract with him."

"Thanks for the trouble, Brother Sun. Once the contract is signed and the first payment arrives, let me know. It's inconvenient for me to talk too much while traveling. I'm flying to Xi'an City, then flying to Shanghai City tomorrow. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be back in a few days."

"Did you finish your business?" Sun Zhongyong asked.

Chen Mengchuan turned his head, his gaze passing through the car window towards the desolate Great Northwest.

"I'm done."

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