Great Power Reclamation

April, Paris.

Standing on the steps in front of the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Yang Chenglong looked at the densely packed rooftops at the foot of the mountain, with only one thought in his mind:
This place is fucking beautiful, no wonder that bastard wouldn't leave.

He decided to come to Paris three days ago.

It all started with a phone call. Lin Wanwan cried on the phone, and although she tried her best to hold it in, Yang Chenglong could tell.

After he asked her for a long time, she finally said that her ex-boyfriend had contacted her again and sent her a bunch of messages.

Saying things like "I still can't forget you"

"I've broken up with that French girl."

"Let's start over."

Lin Wanwan said, "I didn't reply to him, but he kept sending messages and sending messages."

Yang Chenglong held his phone, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Lin Wanwan said, "I don't need to do anything. I just want to talk to someone."

Yang Chenglong said, "Okay, then you go ahead, I'm listening."

Lin Wanwan talked for an hour. From how they met in high school, to how they came to England together, to his exchange program in Paris, to her discovering that he was cheating on her.

Finally, she got tired and said, "Yang Chenglong, thank you for listening to me."

Yang Chenglong said, "You're welcome."

After hanging up the phone, he sat in his dormitory, staring out the window for a long time in a daze.

Then he turned on his computer and booked a flight to Paris.

The next day, he asked the school for leave without making up a reason, simply saying, "Something came up at home." The teacher glanced at him, didn't ask any further questions, and approved his leave.

Early on the third day, he flew to Paris.

Yang Chenglong didn't know the bastard's name, only that he was called "A-Jie," which was the nickname of Lin Wanwan's ex-boyfriend. He also didn't know where the bastard lived, only that he was an exchange student at a university in Paris.

But he has a way.

He found several Chinese student groups studying in Paris and sent them a message:
"Does anyone know a guy named A-Jie from XX University who cheated on his girlfriend with a Chinese girl?"

He received a reply in less than half a day.

"Are you talking about that art student, the tall, thin one who wears glasses?"

Yang Chenglong's eyes lit up: "Yes, that's him."

"He lives in the 13th ward, I know the address. What's wrong?"

Yang Chenglong did not reply.

The Sacred Heart Cathedral is far from the 13th arrondissement, but Yang Chenglong is not in a hurry.

He sat on the steps in front of the church for a while, looked at the scenery, then went down the mountain, took the subway, and headed towards the 13th arrondissement.

It was already evening when we found the building.

Yang Chenglong stood downstairs and looked up at the sixth-floor window, where the light was on.

He took a deep breath, went upstairs, and knocked on the door.

The person who opened the door was a tall, thin young man wearing glasses; he was indeed quite handsome. He saw Yang Chenglong and paused, then asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Yang Chenglong looked at him and suddenly laughed.

"You're Ah Jie?"

"Yes, you are..."

Before he could finish asking the question, Yang Chenglong threw a punch.

The punch landed squarely on his nose, his glasses flew off, and he stumbled back several steps, crashing into the wall.

"Who the hell are you?!" Ah Jie shouted, covering his face.

Yang Chenglong went inside and closed the door.

Do you know Lin Wanwan?

Ah Jie's expression changed.

"You...who are you to her?"

Yang Chenglong squatted down and looked at him.

“I’m her friend,” he said. “I saw the messages you sent her. She said she didn’t reply, but you didn’t believe her and kept sending them. Right?”

Ah Jie covered his nose, and blood flowed from between his fingers.

"I...I just want to get back together, what's wrong with that?"

Yang Chenglong laughed again.

"Wanting to get back together is fine. But when you cheated on me, why didn't you ever think about getting back together?"

Ah Jie stopped talking.

Yang Chenglong stood up and walked around the room. A painting hung on the wall; it depicted a blonde, blue-eyed girl, presumably the French girl.

There were several photos on the table, some of Ah Jie, some of him and his friends, but none of Lin Wanwan.

"You don't even have a single photo of her in your room," Yang Chenglong said. "You say you want to get back together, do you even believe it yourself?"

Ah Jie remained silent.

Yang Chenglong walked back to him and squatted down.

“I’m not here to hit you,” he said. “I’m here to let you know that someone cares about her.”

He looked into A-Jie's eyes: "When she cried, someone was there for her. When she was sad, someone listened. When she needed something, someone was there for her. That person wasn't you, it was me."

Ah Jie stared at him blankly.

"Don't look for her again." Yang Chenglong stood up. "If you do, I'll come back. Next time, it won't just be one punch."

After saying that, he opened the door and left.

Stepping out of the building and standing on the street, Yang Chenglong realized that his hands were trembling.

It wasn't fear, it was excitement.

He took out his phone and sent a message to Ye Guigen: "Brother, I've arrived in Paris."

Soon, Ye Guigen called.

What are you going to Paris for?

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "I beat someone up."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Who?"

"Lin Wanwan's ex-boyfriend."

There was a few more seconds of silence.

"How was the beating?"

"Not bad, one punch and my nose bled."

Ye Guigen sighed on the other end of the phone.

"Yang Chenglong, are you stupid?"

Yang Chenglong thought for a moment: "He is a bit stupid. But I can't live with myself if I don't beat him up."

Ye Guigen was silent for a moment, then asked, "Where are you now?"

"District 13, just finished beating up, looking for a place to stay."

"Do you have an address? Send it to me. I'll see if I have any friends in Paris, just in case he calls the police."

Yang Chenglong felt a warmth in his heart: "Brother, thank you."

"No need to thank me," Ye Guigen said. "Next time something like this happens, let me know in advance. I'll find someone to keep an eye on things for you, so you don't act recklessly on your own."

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "I understand."

After hanging up the phone, he found a small hotel to stay in.

Lying in bed, he thought about what had happened that day, about the blood on A-Jie's face, and whether Lin Wanwan would know when he said "my friend."

He suddenly remembered what Yang Geyong had said: "A man must be responsible. When it's time to step up, he must step up."

He went today.

Whether it was right or wrong, he did it.

The next day, Yang Chenglong spent the whole day sightseeing in Paris.

He went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa. Although he couldn't understand it, he thought it was pretty amazing.

He went to the Eiffel Tower, climbed to the top, and looked down over all of Paris. He went to the Seine, sat on a bench, watched the couples passing by, and thought about Lin Wanwan.

In the evening, he sent Lin Wanwan a message: "I'm in Paris."

Soon, Lin Wanwan called.

What are you going to Paris for?

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "I beat someone up."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Ah Jie?"

"Ah."

Silence fell again.

"You...you hit him?"

"Yeah, one punch, and my nose is bleeding."

Lin Wanwan remained silent for a long time.

Yang Chenglong panicked a little: "Are you angry?"

"No," Lin Wanwan's voice was a little hoarse, "I just... didn't expect it."

Yang Chenglong didn't know what to say.

"Yang Chenglong," Lin Wanwan said, "why did you do this?"

Yang Chenglong thought for a moment: "Because he made you cry."

Lin Wanwan fell silent again.

“Do you know that he might call the police?” she asked.

"know."

"So you still want to go?"

"Ah."

"why?"

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "Because I said that if he treats you badly, I'll beat him up. I have to keep my word."

Lin Wanwan suddenly laughed on the other end of the phone.

She was laughing, but then it seemed like she started crying again.

“Yang Chenglong,” she said, “you’re such a fool.”

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "My grandfather said the same thing."

That night, Lin Wanwan and Yang Chenglong talked on the phone for a long time.

She asked him how he found Ah Jie, and he told her honestly. She asked him if he was afraid when he beat him up.
He said he wasn't afraid at the time, but now he's a little scared. She asked him what he would do if he got arrested by the police, and he said he hadn't thought about it yet, but Ye Guigen was trying to figure something out.

Finally, Lin Wanwan said, "Yang Chenglong, come back. Don't stay in Paris anymore."

Yang Chenglong said, "Okay, I'll go back tomorrow."

"I'm waiting for you."

Yang Chenglong's heart skipped a beat.

"You're waiting for me?" "Yes," Lin Wanwan said. "I have something to tell you when you come back."

The next day, Yang Chenglong flew back to London.

On the plane, he kept thinking about Lin Wanwan's words, "I'll wait for you," and his heart was pounding. Was it a good kind of unease, or a bad kind? He didn't know.

When he got off the plane, Ye Guigen came to pick him up.

"How about it?"

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "I don't know. She said she had something to tell me."

Ye Guigen looked at him and smiled.

"Then why are you nervous?"

Yang Chenglong thought for a moment and said, "The reason for the nervousness is that we don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing."

Ye Guigen patted his shoulder: "Let's go, let's eat first. Whether it's good or bad, let's talk about it after we've eaten."

That evening, Yang Chenglong went to the hotel where Lin Wanwan was staying.

His palms were sweaty when he knocked on the door.

Lin Wanwan opened the door, saw him, and was stunned for a moment.

“You’ve lost weight,” she said.

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "I didn't eat well in Paris."

Lin Wanwan smiled and let him in.

There was a small sofa and a coffee table in the room, and the window offered a view of London at night. Lin Wanwan asked him to sit down, and she sat opposite him.

After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"Yang Chenglong, do you know what I've been thinking these past few days?"

Yang Chenglong shook his head.

"I'm wondering why I met you."

Lin Wanwan said, "You appeared when I was going through the hardest time. You stayed with me when I didn't want to talk. When I thought I would never trust people again, you showed me that there are still fools in this world."

Yang Chenglong listened, but dared not speak.

“I was very sad when A-Jie texted me.”

Lin Wanwan continued, "It's not because I still like him, it's because I hate myself, I hate myself for ever liking someone like that."

She looked at Yang Chenglong and said, "But after you made that phone call, I wasn't sad anymore."

Yang Chenglong was stunned.

"You know, the feeling of someone caring about you is different from the feeling of being cared about by someone."

Lin Wanwan said, "These past few months, you've always cared about me. You were there when I cried, you were there when I laughed, and you were there whenever I needed anything."

She paused for a moment: "I've never met anyone like this before."

Yang Chenglong scratched his head, unsure of what to say.

“So,” Lin Wanwan stood up and walked up to him, “I want to tell you something.”

Yang Chenglong's heart was pounding like a drum.

Lin Wanwan looked at him, her eyes shining.

"I like you, Yang Chenglong."

Yang Chenglong was stunned.

"It's not because you're nice to me, it's not because you beat someone up for me," Lin Wanwan said. "It's because of you as a person. Your silliness, your eccentricity, your commitment to your word—I like all of that."

Yang Chenglong opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Lin Wanwan laughed, and tears streamed down her face.

Why aren't you saying anything?

Yang Chenglong finally regained his voice, but what came out of his mouth was still a dazed look: "I...I'm wondering if this is real or a dream."

Lin Wanwan laughed even louder.

"Why don't you pinch yourself?"

Yang Chenglong really pinched him, and he grimaced in pain.

"It's not a dream," he said with a silly grin.

Lin Wanwan looked at him, her eyes red, but she smiled happily.

"So you don't have anything to say?"

Yang Chenglong stood up and looked at her.

“Lin Wanwan,” he said, “I’m not good with words, and I don’t know how to say nice things. But I can tell you that from now on, when you cry, I’ll cry with you. When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you. Wherever you want to go, I’ll take you. Whoever bullies you, I’ll beat them up.”

He scratched his head: "I may not be doing it well enough, but I will keep doing it. I will do it for the rest of my life."

Lin Wanwan looked at him, tears falling down her face.

“That’s enough,” she said.

That night, Yang Chenglong and Lin Wanwan sat in the small garden downstairs at the hotel for a long time.

The spring night in London was a bit chilly, but neither of them felt cold.

Lin Wanwan leaned on his shoulder and said, "You know what? A-Jie texted me later, saying he got beaten up by a curly-haired guy and asked if I knew him. I said I knew him, he's my boyfriend."

Yang Chenglong felt a surge of warmth in his heart: "You mean it like that?"

"Hmm." Lin Wanwan looked up at him. "You don't want to?"

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "I'm willing! I'm more than willing!"

Lin Wanwan smiled and leaned back.

"He even asked me if that guy had any training, because he broke my nose with one punch."

Yang Chenglong was taken aback: "It's on sale?"

"Yes, the bridge of the nose is broken, it will take several months to recover."

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "That serious? I didn't use much force."

Lin Wanwan couldn't help but laugh: "You're strong, don't you know that?"

Yang Chenglong thought about it and it seemed to be true. Everyone in the Yang family was strong. His grandfather, Yang Geyong, was over seventy and could still ride a horse. His father, Yang Wei, although he didn't care for him, was said to have been a skilled fighter in his youth.

"Should he call the police?" he asked.

"He wouldn't dare," Lin Wanwan said. "He knows he's in the wrong. If word gets out that he cheated on his girlfriend, he won't be able to stay here."

Yang Chenglong breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yang Chenglong,” Lin Wanwan suddenly said, “thank you.”

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "What are you thanking me for?"

“Thank you for doing all this for me.” She looked up at him. “No one has ever done this for me before.”

Yang Chenglong looked at her, his heart melting completely.

“There will be more in the future,” he said. “For a lifetime.”

The night in London is quiet and gentle.

In the distance, the lights of the London Eye slowly rotate.

In the small garden, two young people leaned against each other, talking nonsense and dreaming.

Just like their grandfather did sixty years ago.

However, this time, it's a new story.

The next day, Yang Chenglong treated Lin Wanwan to dinner at the same small restaurant.

When the proprietress saw them come in together, she couldn't stop smiling: "I knew it! That curly-haired young man comes every day, he's bound to win her over!"

Lin Wanwan blushed, and Yang Chenglong scratched his head and laughed.

After dinner, the two took a walk along the Thames.

The sun was shining brightly, and the river shimmered. Tour boats came and went, and tourists took photos with their phones.

"Yang Chenglong," Lin Wanwan suddenly asked, "are you still running your online store?"

"I do it," Yang Chenglong said. "Now I can earn several thousand pounds a month."

Lin Wanwan nodded: "So what are your plans for the future?"

Yang Chenglong thought for a moment: "After I finish university, I'll go back and help my grandfather manage the horse farm. Then I'll bring you back so he can see you."

Lin Wanwan laughed: "Would your grandfather like me?"

“Definitely,” Yang Chenglong said earnestly. “My grandfather likes decisive people. When you rejected me, you were particularly decisive, and he definitely likes that.”

Lin Wanwan laughed so hard she bent over.

After laughing, she said, "Then I need to get ready to meet your grandfather."

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "No rush, you can be ready whenever you want."

Lin Wanwan looked at him with gentle eyes.

"Yang Chenglong, do you know, I used to think that when it comes to relationships, it depends on fate, timing, and many, many other things."

Yang Chenglong listened.

“But after meeting you, I realized that I don’t actually need to look at anything,” she said. “It just depends on whether you’re willing to.”

Yang Chenglong nodded: "I'm willing."

Lin Wanwan smiled.

The sunlight shone on her face, making her look absolutely beautiful.

The London Eye in the distance is still slowly rotating.

The Thames is still flowing quietly.

And for them, it's just the beginning.

That night, Yang Chenglong called Yang Geyong.

"Grandpa, I have a girlfriend."

Yang Geyong was silent for two seconds on the other end of the phone, then burst into loud laughter: "Okay! Bring it back for me to see!"

Yang Chenglong scratched his head: "When she has time."

"What's your name? Where are you from?"

"Lin Wanwan is from Hangzhou."

"Hangzhou is great, it's known for its beautiful women." Yang Geyong laughed heartily. "When you bring her back, I'll treat her to drinks."

Yang Chenglong quickly said, "Grandpa, she doesn't drink alcohol."

“If you can’t drink, you can learn,” Yang Geyong said. “All the wives in our Yang family have to know how to drink.”

Yang Chenglong was both amused and exasperated: "Grandpa, she's not a daughter-in-law of the Yang family yet."

"It's only a matter of time," Yang Geyong laughed. "You're a good kid, I think you can do it."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Chenglong lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

A photo of Lin Wanwan is pasted on the headboard; it was sent along with a copy of "The Little Prince." In the photo, she is standing by West Lake, smiling at the camera.

He picked up the photo and looked at it for a long time.

Then he laughed.

He was laughing like a fool.

Outside the window, the London night is gentle.

His heart, however, was as bright as day. (End of Chapter)