Jiang Weifeng reacted instantly. "Get ready. Call Shen Yan. We’re going to Cheng Yunchuan’s place first."
Jiang Weifeng drove at breakneck speed the entire way. Lin Jiang kept dialing Cheng Yunchuan’s number, but she couldn't get through.
They arrived at the building at the same time as Shen Yan. After racing upstairs, they found no one answering the door. Shen Yan was about to head back down to find the property management, but just as he turned to descend the stairs, Jiang Weifeng stepped back, gritted his teeth, and kicked the door hard.
Fortunately, it was an old residential complex, and the lock wasn't particularly sturdy. It didn't take much effort to force it open.
Upon entering, they found the curtains tightly drawn, leaving the room without a single ray of light. Cheng Yunchuan was curled up on the floor against the wall. Lin Jiang rushed over, only realizing as she got closer that the girl had bitten her lip raw; her body was still trembling uncontrollably.
Lin Jiang pulled her into an embrace. "Don't worry. I'm still here."
Cheng Yunchuan had long since lost her composure, holding on only by a thread of sheer will, stubbornly insisting she was fine.
Seeing the situation, Shen Yan called Cheng Yunchuan’s parents. It was only after her mother arrived that Lin Jiang and the others took their leave.
On the way back, Lin Jiang informed them of her decision. "I finished drafting the post early this morning."
Shen Yan tried to stop her almost without thinking. "He’s trying to draw you out. You need to stay calm."
Lin Jiang shook her head. "I’ve thought this through for a long time. It was only a matter of time. Shen Yan, I am the victim. I shouldn't be the one who's afraid."
Shen Yan started, "But—"
"Okay," Jiang Weifeng interrupted slowly, his voice filled with unwavering resolve. He gave her a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze. "Do it your way. I’ll handle everything else."
Lin Jiang’s eyes grew red. "Okay."
In this world of passing crowds, some live in palaces while others dwell in the abyss, yet the two must inevitably coexist. Like shadows beneath the light, or scars hidden under a vibrant red dress.
The world is full of people whose wounds never scab over.
Therefore, this was not a battle for one person alone; no one should have to fight this war in isolation.
Lin Jiang posted to Weibo that day using her main account for the radio station.
Having run the station for over six months, she had a degree of influence, but her primary fanbase wasn't on Weibo. Her account there had only recently begun being managed with the help of her team and had only two previous updates. Consequently, the post didn't make much of a splash at first. However, once Cheng Yunchuan reposted it, a tide of abuse immediately drowned out the voices of support.
Then, Jiang Weifeng posted a long message, publicly disclosing his relationship with Lin Jiang and expressing his full support for her statement.
With nearly two million followers, Jiang Weifeng’s post quickly pushed the matter to the bottom of the trending list. He made a call to Gu Xiang, and moments later, the topic surged to the fourth spot.
This move was both deeply considered and entirely instinctive.
Not long after the post went live, Lin Jiang received a call from her editor.
In the new media industry, change is the only constant, yet it is also what they fear most. Lin Jiang’s situation had thrown the entire team into a frantic state of activity.
Lin Jiang had already decided: if the platform found it too difficult, she would terminate her contract and pay the penalty fees and all associated losses.
Meanwhile, Jiang Weifeng’s phone hadn't stopped ringing either.
Zhang Yijia demanded, "You’re a photographer, not a social activist! What do these online feuds have to do with you?"
Jiang Weifeng held back his temper. "I’ll explain it to you later."
Zhang Yijia wasn't listening. "Don't bother. Who am I to deserve an explanation from you? Before, when you stopped working, you at least gave notice. Now you’re straight-up announcing a relationship and getting embroiled in a social scandal..." Zhang Yijia panted heavily. "Setting everything else aside, kid, how long have you even been dating this girl? People who have been together for seven or eight years can barely say they know each other's depths. Have you considered what happens if this turns out to be fake?"
Jiang Weifeng gripped his phone tighter, his gaze sharp and cold. He spoke with icy finality. "Let’s dissolve the partnership."
"What?" The person on the other end of the line thought he was hearing a joke.
"I’m out. I don't want a single cent from you."
"..."
After hanging up, he met a pair of misty eyes.
Lin Jiang had clearly overheard his conversation. She paused before speaking. "Weifeng, I want to resign from my substitute teaching job at 'Starry Lights'."
"Oh? I’m unemployed, so you want to be unemployed too?" Jiang Weifeng asked with a smile.
"Well, you can support me," Lin Jiang shrugged, then pouted. "Wait, it looks like you might not be able to afford me soon."
Jiang Weifeng walked over and pulled her into his arms. "Regrets?"
"Well..." Lin Jiang laughed, poking her head out from his embrace to look at him. "To prove I have no regrets, how about I take you to meet my parents?"
Perhaps having anticipated that this day wouldn't be too far off, Jiang Weifeng didn't have much of a reaction. He draped an arm over her shoulder, the warmth of his palm seeping through her clothes to her skin and deep into her blood, as if injecting her with a surge of energy.
He said, "Let’s go."
Some things didn't need to be said.
Just as the temperature of the air naturally dictates the thickness of one's clothes, many choices are as logical and inevitable as the changing of the seasons.
Halfway there, Jiang Weifeng got out of the car to buy gift boxes. Lin Jiang rolled down the window, letting the cool breeze wash over her skin. A half-yellowed leaf from a London plane tree drifted toward the window, trembling as it fell onto her lap. Only then did Lin Jiang realize the Autumn Equinox had arrived.
*On the nights of White Dew and Autumn Equinox, each night grows colder than the last.*
Jiang Weifeng hadn't worn his suit jacket when he got out of the car, wearing only a thin short-sleeved shirt. It reminded her of the winters of their youth; whenever she passed the sports field bundled in a heavy down jacket, she would always see him running across the court in just a T-shirt.
A youth is never cold, and though he was no longer a boy, his blood remained hot and difficult to cool.
Xu Mingjuan, however, was a different story. As soon as they reached the entrance of the complex, they saw her wrapped in a dark red patterned shawl, chatting with the security guard. That shawl was something Lin Jiang had bought for her in Italy; by Lin Jiang’s standards, it was far too early in the season to be using it against the autumn chill.
Xu Mingjuan had likely come out specifically to meet them. As soon as she saw Lin Jiang step out of the car, she walked over. Seeing Jiang Weifeng carrying the gift boxes, she chided him, "You’re here now, why spend so much money?"
But Lin Jiang knew her mother was smiling inside. As they got closer, she noticed that Mrs. Xu, who never wore makeup at home, had actually applied eyeshadow.
Upon entering the house, it became clear that Xu Mingjuan wasn't the only one who took Jiang Weifeng’s first visit seriously. Lin Wei and Lin Jiang's maternal grandfather were busy in the kitchen, the sounds of cooking in full swing; they hadn't finished the dishes even by the time the guests arrived. Her paternal grandfather was unhurriedly setting the table, but as soon as he saw them, he rushed into the kitchen to call the others.
This scene caused the courage Lin Jiang had painstakingly built up to come crashing down.
Fortunately, just as she stood at the door, unable to move and on the verge of tears, Jiang Weifeng took her hand.
"Is everyone here? Then let me introduce you—this is Jiang Weifeng," Lin Jiang said with a forced smile.
"Hello, Uncles, Grandfathers," Jiang Weifeng greeted them one by one, handing the gifts to Xu Mingjuan.
"You two came so suddenly, we weren't prepared. Quick, come in and sit." After a round of pleasantries, the house soon became lively.
Everyone gathered around the table. The elders kept the atmosphere light, and the younger ones responded with a few words here and there. There was less formality and scrutiny, and more genuine warmth.
The bustle reminded Lin Jiang of past Lunar New Years, the whole family gathered to watch fireworks. Grand, fiery, and vibrant—only to come to an abrupt halt at the peak of its beauty, all brilliance vanishing in an instant.
Just like now.
Lin Jiang interrupted the casual chatter. She tried her best to keep her expression from looking too grim as she asked, "Grandpa, Grandfather, could you take Jiang Weifeng for a walk around the neighborhood?"
The room went silent.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, her maternal grandfather suddenly laughed. "Sure. It just so happens the neighborhood pond got some new fish. I’ll take him to see them."
Once the three men were gone, before Lin Jiang could even speak, Xu Mingjuan asked, "What is it? Why did you have to send the old men away?"
"I do have something to tell you," Lin Jiang said seriously. "But please don't worry, and don't be angry."
Xu Mingjuan squinted at her. "Are you pregnant?"
"Oh, no!" Lin Jiang protested immediately.
"Then it’s fine. It can't be anything too big," Lin Wei said, laughing with relief.
Lin Jiang took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, I want to show you my Weibo."
When a secret that has been sealed for nearly four years is suddenly uncovered, the dust flying off the shroud is enough to take one's breath away. The secret buried beneath is even more suffocating.
Xu Mingjuan and Lin Wei leaned their heads together. The Weibo post was only about three hundred words, but they spent a full ten minutes reading it.
When they finally looked up, their faces were as pale as death.
Lin Jiang took a deep breath and finally began to tell her closest loved ones about the things that had pierced her like thorns—the things that had sent her wandering for two and a half years, afraid to come home.
All the filth and darkness, all the internal struggle, the disguise worn for over a thousand days—finally, she lanced them all, one by one.
These revelations left Xu Mingjuan and Lin Wei's faces bloodless, unable to process it for a long time. After a while, Xu Mingjuan let out a broken wail, weeping hysterically. She beat her chest so hard that even when Lin Jiang and Lin Wei held her, they couldn't calm her down. Her throat sounded as if it were tearing as she screamed, "My child!"
Only those two words.
Yet they shattered Lin Jiang’s very soul.
It was a long time before Xu Mingjuan’s sobbing subsided. Her makeup was ruined, eyeshadow smearing around her eyes and across her face as she wiped away tears. With her face in such a state, she stared unblinkingly at Lin Jiang, her voice raspy. "Your father and I have lived half our lives believing that 'what man does, Heaven sees.' If you want to defend your rights, if you want to fight for justice, then go! If you didn't, I would actually think less of you."
Lin Wei’s eyes were also bloodshot, but at this moment, he was the more resolute one. "We absolutely cannot back down or yield on this! Go ahead and do what you must. If you need me or your mother, we won't hesitate. we won't let anyone hurt you!"
Hearing this, Lin Jiang’s face was drenched in tears.
Later, as they were leaving, Xu Mingjuan and Lin Wei went downstairs to see them off.
Just as the car was about to start, Xu Mingjuan called Jiang Weifeng aside.
On the road, Lin Jiang asked, "What did she say?"
A long passage flashed through Jiang Weifeng’s mind—*"When she was little, I watched her get sick; now I watch her get hurt. I used to think taking care of her was enough, but now I realize that personal pain must ultimately be borne by the individual. Even as parents and children, we cannot avoid this..."*
Jiang Weifeng licked his lips, his expression dark. In the end, he only told Lin Jiang the final sentence: "Your mother said, 'Weifeng, protect her.'"
Lin Jiang couldn't help but tilt her head back to keep the tears from falling.
There were too many emotions; they couldn't all be vented at once, and there wasn't time.
At the very moment Jiang Weifeng had been called aside by Xu Mingjuan, Lin Jiang had received a call from Shen Yan. He said, "Lin Jiang, Jiaojiao wants to see you."
It was the same familiar minimalist palette of black, white, and gray. The warm yellow lights added a touch of softness to Shen Yan’s office.
But it didn't make the atmosphere any better.
Zhang Jiaojiao sat with her legs crossed, arms folded over her chest. Her back was straight, her head held high, and her ponytail was tied high on her head. Her eyelids were lowered as she swept a contemptuous gaze over Lin Jiang.
Then she said, "Everyone else out. I want to talk to her alone."
Once everyone had left, Zhang Jiaojiao looked at Lin Jiang and flashed a perverse, sickly smile. "Come on then. Tell me that story you all made up one more time."
Zhang Jiaojiao’s smile was wild and arrogant, but in Lin Jiang’s eyes, it looked somewhat tragic.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 张益嘉 | Zhang Yijia | Jiang Weifeng's business partner. |
| 星星点灯 | Starry Lights | The name of the radio program/teaching job Lin Jiang works for. |
| 张骄骄 | Zhang Jiaojiao | Zhang Juntao's daughter. |
| 白露 | White Dew | One of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendar. |
| 秋分 | Autumn Equinox | One of the 24 solar terms. |
