Shen Xinyi's family lived in Suzhou, only half an hour from Shanghai by high-speed rail, and she'd gone home for the May Day break.

On the afternoon of the second, Qin Zhiwei drove Xu Ye's car to the area near the train station well ahead of time. Sitting in the car, he sent Shen Xinyi a message:

"I'm near the station. Send me a message when you're close."

Shen Xinyi was still packing at home. When Qin Zhiwei's message came in, she wrote back, "Why did you go so early? I haven't even set off."

Qin Zhiwei: "It doesn't matter. I've got nothing else on anyway."

Knock knock.

Two knocks at the door, and then Shen Xinyi's mother, Tao Wanrong, came into the room. "Have you got everything packed? Your father's waiting."

"In a minute!" Shen Xinyi put her phone away in a hurry and went back to her suitcase.

Seeing her daughter's flustered movements, Tao Wanrong saw through it and said nothing, and quietly withdrew from the room.

About five minutes later.

Shen Xinyi came out to the living room pulling her suitcase, and Tao Wanrong said quickly to the boy on the sofa, "Wenwen, your sister's going back to school. Aren't you going to see her off?"

Shen Wenxuan, just started at middle school and in the middle of a game of Honor of Kings, didn't even lift his head. "Come on, it's not like she's never coming back. I haven't got time… Sun Shangxiang, you gutless piece of— push, would you!"

Shen Xinyi rolled her eyes and didn't bother looking at him.

Shen Liang came over and took his daughter's suitcase, picked up the car keys, and went downstairs with her.

Ten minutes' drive got them to the station. Shen Liang took Shen Xinyi as far as the ticket gate, watched her through security, and only then went back to the car.

Sitting in the waiting hall, Shen Xinyi went on answering Qin Zhiwei. "I'm in the waiting hall. They start checking tickets in ten minutes."

Qin Zhiwei: "Great, I'll wait for you."

Shen Xinyi: "There are…