The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

For several days in a row, the heavy iron gate remained unopened.

Inside the cold room, there was a man who was dead drunk.

He had a stubble beard, his clothes were covered in various unidentified liquids, and his hair was a mess, making him look like a beggar on the street.

At that moment, his fingers were waving erratically in the air, and he was muttering incomprehensible murmurs.

The strange dream had such a profound impact on him that he needed to numb himself with alcohol to catch his breath when his mind wasn't paying attention.

It can't go on like this!

That's what he was thinking.

The next day, he sobered up until dusk, tidied himself up, and went to the train station.

He wanted to leave the city and live in a different environment.

Perhaps in this way, we can emerge from the gloom and rekindle our fighting spirit.

With the Chinese New Year approaching, the waiting hall was packed with passengers carrying large and small bags.

Their faces were beaming with genuine smiles.

After a year of hard work away from home, I can finally catch my breath and briefly press the pause button on my life.

"Don't push me!"

"Stop pushing! You're ruining my luggage!"

"Passengers, please don't rush! Everyone can board the train! Everyone can board the train! Please line up!"

Long queues formed outside the ticket gates.

As trains pulled into the station, announcements for ticket inspection rang out in the waiting hall. They waved their tickets and surged toward the ticket gates like a tide.

Once you board that train, you'll be able to see your family and friends whom you've been longing for.

Wearing the new clothes knitted by my mother, and the braised pork made by my father.

Xu Nian looked at them, and suddenly her nose stung with tears, and her vision blurred.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, they are returning to their hometowns to reunite with their families.

He was all alone, having left his hometown.

Or perhaps, he never had a hometown to begin with.

"Next one, come forward!"

The ticket seller at the window urged impatiently.

Xu Nian stepped forward and handed over her ID card.

The ticket seller scanned the ID card onto the machine: "Where to?"

Xu Nian was bewildered once again.

Where should we go?

"Where to?"

The ticket seller urged.

Xu Nian said hoarsely, "Any city outside Shanhaiguan is fine."

All he remembers is that when he was eight years old, he boarded the train and the next stop was Shanhaiguan.

So, once you leave the pass, you'll be back in the place called your hometown, right?

The ticket seller rolled her eyes at him, annoyed: "You're talking about places. Taoxian is outside the pass, and Taiping is also outside the pass, but they're only 500 kilometers apart."

Xu Nian fell silent again.

"Are you done yet? Hurry up! I'm waiting to go home!"

The passengers behind urged anxiously.

"Let's go to Taiping."

In a moment of desperation, Xu Nian randomly chose a city.

"No tickets available, the earliest is seven days from now."

"What about Peach Fairy?"

Three days later.

There are no tickets available...

Xu Nian chuckled to herself.

Yes, it's almost Chinese New Year, train tickets must be in high demand.

"Hurry up, if you haven't decided yet, go to the side and come back to queue when you've made up your mind. Don't delay other people from buying tickets."

The ticket seller urged them again.

Let's go to Taoxian.

Xu Nian made up her mind.

"273.5 yuan, standing room only, no seat; sleeper berth 496.5 yuan, which one should I buy?"

"Standing tickets, please."

After paying by scanning the QR code, Xu Nian took her ticket and left the ticket hall against the flow of people.

The train is in three days, which means I'll have to stay in Yuncheng for another three days.

I've been here for over a decade, so what's three more days?

He strolled along the bustling street, surrounded by cars and people eager to get home.

Yuncheng is very large, so large that it takes nearly three hours to drive across it from north to south.

Yuncheng was also very small, so small that not a single light was lit for him.

He was like a homeless stray dog, wandering alone under the streetlights.

In a daze, he saw a familiar alleyway.

This is the alley where he first met Xu Xi.

He went inside as if possessed.

Standing beneath that solitary brick, Xu Nian's empty eyes once again filled with bewilderment.

"Uncle... Uncle, help me! I'm being chased by human traffickers!"

"Can...can I go with you?"

The timid little girl's figure reappeared before his eyes.

If... Xu Xi could always remain that naive, ugly duckling following behind him, how wonderful that would be?

In this way, he could stand beside Xu Xi without any burden.

Now, her brilliance is too dazzling.

The light shining on him was not salvation, but blinding.

The idea only lasted for a brief moment before Xu Nian dismissed it.

More than anyone else, he hoped that Xu Xi could achieve even greater success and soar to new heights.

She is another version of him in this world, and he hopes that this other version of himself will be so outstanding that he can only look up to him.

At the very least, we can't let ourselves be the ones to suffer.

Xu Nian sighed, lightly patted the fine snow off her shoulders, and walked towards the alley entrance.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the entrance of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

"Dad... I was wrong. I promise I'll listen to you from now on and never make you angry again. Please, please don't send me to the police station..."

"Who's your dad? Don't talk nonsense!"

Seeing the objects reminded him of her, and he thought of her again.

If Xu Xi hadn't fallen for him, perhaps they could have continued living together.

Darkness can highlight light, but it cannot blend into light.

Xu Nian's eyes revealed an unconcealable melancholy and loneliness.

He longed to find someone to confide in about everything that had happened to him.

That's right, Uncle Zhang works here.

Or... how about we go in and have a chat with him?

For Xu Nian, Zhang Feng held a special kind of affection.

He is experienced, knowledgeable, and capable, and has sincerely helped Xu Nian on numerous occasions.

Only in his presence could Xu Nian find a trace of feeling like a child.

He strode into the police station.

Following the location from my memory, I found Zhang Feng's office.

At this moment, Officer Zhang was bent over his desk, frowning as he reviewed one document after another.

"Captain Zhang, go home for the New Year first. This case can't be solved anytime soon. It's not too late to deal with it after the New Year."

"Go back? What are you talking about? It was my comrade-in-arms who sacrificed his life! He had just had his baby!"

"I can go home for the New Year, but his wife and children will never see their husband and father come home for the New Year again!"

Zhang Feng slammed his fist on the table and roared, his eyes already bloodshot.

After a long while, he calmed himself down and waved to the police officer in front of him.

"You guys go back, I'll stay here and continue the investigation."

"I won't celebrate the New Year if I can't find that son of a bitch!"

Xu Nian turned around and quietly left the police station.

Uncle Zhang has important matters to attend to, so I won't bother him.

......

"Roasted chicken legs, fragrant roasted chicken legs!"

The familiar food cart, the familiar roasted chicken legs, the familiar aroma.

Xu Nian subconsciously looked behind her, but couldn't see the familiar little girl.

"Young man, long time no see!"

The stall owner greeted Xu Nian with a smile.

"The usual? One chicken leg, extra spicy; one skewer of chicken necks, no spicy?"

"No."

Xu Nian shook her head in disappointment.

Now, he no longer has family to share meals with.

The stall owner laughed, picked out chicken legs and necks, sprinkled them with seasoning, packed them into two bags, and handed them to Xu Nian.

"After this trip, I'll go home for the Chinese New Year."

"You should go home soon. Don't wander around the streets. Your family is waiting for you at home."

Tears that had been suppressed for so long finally burst forth at this moment.