I could hardly put what I felt at that moment into words.
I was like someone lost in the desert, dying of thirst. After finally finding water, I ran up to it, only to discover it was a goddamn illusion!
If I didn't want to die, I had to keep crawling forward, aimlessly, with no idea when I would find that oasis.
It wasn't just me. An Ning longed for that oasis too, but in the end, this was what we got.
That was why An Ning's eyes had reddened. Like me, she couldn't accept this outcome.
I felt as though my mind had taken a blow. Suddenly, I laughed, a laugh full of helplessness.
Meng Yifan said nothing. Song Xiaotian patted my shoulder, equally at a loss for words to comfort me.
"Is... is there another way?"
I propped my head in my hands, sighing over and over. "Or An Ning and I could find somewhere to hide until things blow over, until everyone forgets I exist..."
Uncle Song nodded. "That's one option, provided you can hide there for the rest of your lives, and the place is completely cut off from the world. If you can manage that, and don't have children-or if you do, your children don't need to go to school-then it could work."
"But if you can't do that, what I just suggested is the best option, because you can't hide for the rest of your lives. Trading one year for longer-lasting safety is worth it, I think."
"Of course, we have to respect your wishes. If you agree, leave with Xiao Xiang tonight and go make yourself stronger."
My mind was in turmoil, and I couldn't make a decision right away.
The living room fell silent. The seven or eight people present remained quiet