When the ferry arrived at Victoria Harbour, it was Saturday morning, and the wharf was bustling with activity, but no one was cheering for the arrival of the ferry.

They have seen too many of these southbound passenger ships recently, and most of the passengers are fleeing their hometowns to escape the war, seeking a glimmer of life. They have no relatives and friends in this strange place, and naturally they have no expectations of reunion after a long absence, and the cordiality of returning to their hometown, but only the desire to live, and the confusion and anxiety about the future.

In the crowd of people, there was a man alone, carrying a small amount of luggage, and a well-cut dark gray tweed coat made his tall figure more and more erect.

He was one of the few first-class passengers on the ship, and the sailors treated him with great respect, leading him all the way off the ship, to the exclusive parking lot, and watching him get into the car that picked him up and walk away, before returning to the ship to continue his work.

The driver was a middle-aged Nanyang man who didn't talk much, occasionally answering questions and speaking English with an accent. Although the man in the back seat understood what he heard, he still didn't feel comfortable, and after chatting a few words, he didn't ask anymore.

The black sedan traveled along the coastline, and by the time it reached its destination, it was already after lunch. The driver diligently helped him open the door, and took off the luggage and put it away, although it was the driver of Hengguang Far East Group, there was no need to pay the fare, the man was still very generous to give a large amount of tips, and the driver drove away happily.

Standing in front of the cast-iron gate, the man couldn't help but think about it, although it was the first time to come here, the scenery in the gate was almost exactly the same as the home he remembered, and his heart couldn't help but rise with a long-lost familiarity.

The iron door was not closed, but it was gently hidden, presumably because the person who had just gone out came back quickly, so it was not locked. After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and pushed the door open, picked up his luggage and strode in.

On the way to the scene just now, he learned from the driver, and the driver said that the owner of this house is very good, and if there is no accident every weekend, it is a holiday for the maids, allowing them to go shopping, have dinners, and reunite with their families, so the reputation in the circle of the servants is particularly good, and everyone envies the people who can work in this house.

It's the weekend, and the weather is so good, the maids must be on vacation, so the house is very quiet inside and out, and this atmosphere is indeed comfortable and enjoyable.

The sound of children playing came from the backyard, and after a while they came to the front, only to see a boy running in front of him with a doll held high, and another girl younger than him chasing after him.

The little boy ran past him in a puff of smoke, and the little girl noticed his presence, stopped, looked at him for a moment, and asked timidly:

"Uncle, I haven't seen you, who are you?"

The man was in a very good mood, squatted down, looked at the little girl and asked:

"You don't know me? But I know you. ”

"Really?"

"If you're not mistaken, you're the eldest lady of the Li family, right?"

Li Lingrui said that his children often go to Lin Wanjing's house, and they get along with her family's servants more closely than their own family.

"Hmmm! Li Lingrui is my father! Saying this, the girl's red little face added a bit of pride and admiration, "Uncle, what about you?" ”

"Me?" The man smiled and replied, solemnly: "My uncle's surname is Liu, and his single name is a Jin character." ”

"Liu... Jin? The girl repeated the name, as if thinking about something, and suddenly as if remembering something, she became excited, and shouted to the little boy who ran away:

"Brother Yichen, don't run away, come here! Your dad is back! ”

When the little boy heard this, he was stunned, dropped the toy in his hand and ran over, came to the little girl, and poked her forehead unceremoniously:

"How many times have I told you, you call your godfather and call your father, and I call my father handsome!"

"Oh." The girl pouted and rubbed her head, but she didn't mind, she still said happily: "This uncle, his name is Liu Jin!" ”

"There are more people with the same name in this world, and Liu Jin is my father?" The little boy said, he couldn't help but straighten his little chest, his little hand was forked into his waist, his body was straight, and he said proudly, "Mommy said, my father is a general, there are many big ships, one person can fight thousands of troops, bad people dare not provoke him, but he is mighty!" ”

As he spoke, the boy's smart eyes turned to Liu Jin again, looked at him, and raised his little face:

"You say, you are my father? How to prove it? ”

Liu Jin couldn't help but be dumbfounded, and asked with a smile:

"How do you think I can prove it?"

As long as he doesn't want to drive a "big boat".

The little boy thought for a moment, rolled his eyes, and raised three fingers:

"You answer me three questions, and if you answer it correctly, I will believe you!"

The world of children is so simple and cute.

"Okay." Liu Jin agreed softly, making an extremely serious look:

"Just ask."

"What's Mommy's favorite flower?"

"Peonies, roses, bellflowers. Especially peonies. ”

"What's Mommy's favorite color?"

"Blue, the color of a sapphire as deep as the sea."

"What's Mommy's favorite animal?"

"Horses. She's good at horseback. She has a maroon foal named Yewu, and she is a very individual little girl, as big as you. ”

"How do you know?" The little boy's eyes widened, the man in front of him knew too much detail, and he didn't even say the age of the night dance.

"Because I gave her that foal, she also said at that time that in the future, Yewu should be a good seedling to gallop on the field."

The little boy was dumbfounded, Lin Wanjing had said these words to him, almost exactly the same.

Ah Ling hadn't heard the sound of children frolicking in the house for a long time, so she couldn't help but worry, so she came out to check, but as soon as she went out, she saw Xiao Yichen talking to a man intimately, her heart tightened, and she called him:

"Little master, haven't I told you many times, don't talk to strangers!"

When the three people in the courtyard heard this, they all turned their eyes to her, Xiao Yichen's face was filled with a happy smile, and he looked at Ah Ling and said:

"Auntie, he's not a stranger, he's my father, and my father is back!"

Of course, Ah Ling recognized Liu Jin, and was surprised until the tears fell, and then she woke up, raised her hand and wiped it indiscriminately, and then stepped forward, but except thank God, she couldn't say anything beside her.

Liu Jin seemed to expect this scene, smiled, and said:

"I'm sorry, it's taken me so long to come back, these days, hard work for you."

Hearing this, Ah Ling shook her head wildly:

"No, it's unfortunate, it's good for you to come back, it's good to come back! I'm not hard, Miss is hard..."

Speaking of Lin Wanjing, Ah Ling finally woke up from the reunion after a long absence:

"Yes, now that you're back, come with me to Miss! I'll take you! ”

Only after entering the living room, Liu Jin's eyes immediately fell on the eye-catching oil painting on the wall - it was a very special seascape picture, the world in the painting was split diagonally in a diagonal pattern, half of the blue water, the sun rose from the sea level, a small boat was sailing towards it, and on the other side, there was an orange fire, black smoke, just looking at it, you can also feel the blazing heat that the painter wants to embody.

The scene in this painting is a parting in the naval battle that year.

Seeing that he didn't follow, Ah Ling turned back and saw him staring at the oil painting, so he explained:

"This was drawn by the young lady. Sometimes she would sit here and look at the painting for an afternoon, without saying a word, and sometimes she would look at it and laugh, laugh and laugh, but then shed tears. ”

When Liu Jin heard this, Fang knew that Lin Wanjing had never forgotten the parting, so he was more and more glad that he came back alive to see her, otherwise she didn't know how long she would use the scene of that day to torture herself.

The piano room was on the right wing of the main building, and as she walked through the corridor, Liu Jin's gaze stayed on the silk threads that were wrapped around the stairs and closets, the silk threads were the thickness of a little finger, and a copper bell was tied at intervals, which jingled when she touched it slightly. He couldn't help but be surprised, frowned and asked:

"Why is that?"

Hearing him ask about the reason for the bell, Ah Ling looked melancholy, sighed, and explained:

"This is also an invention of the young lady. When the young lady came back, we asked around for your news, and we tried our best to hide it from her, and we didn't dare to let her know. But in the end, the paper couldn't hold the fire, and the news of your martyrdom was heard by her. Although I don't see anything unusual on weekdays, I know that she sleeps all night and cries until dawn. Suddenly, one day, her eyes couldn't see clearly. Although it is better now, it is still repeated, sometimes it is clear and no different from ordinary people, and sometimes it is suddenly invisible, not to mention at night, even standing in front of her in broad daylight, she can't recognize people, she can only see a vague shadow. The doctor said that it was because of the crying at that time that the root of the disease fell in his eyes. No, it was fine a few days ago, but for some reason in the past two days, I can't see it clearly... You know, the young lady is also a person who doesn't like to trouble people, so she got these bells, and as long as she touches them, she knows that they are stairs or easy to bump into, so be careful. That's fine, as soon as the bell rings, I know she's moving around, and I can come and help her right away. ”

Saying this, I arrived at the door of the piano room, the door was not closed, and I could see the figure sitting in front of the piano at a glance, wearing a purple square-necked velvet dress, with a well-fitting cut, and the delicate and graceful outline of the beautiful figure without loosening or tight. Her waist-length hair was permed with large wavy curls, her shawl was scattered, and the broken hair beside her ears was hooked up with a pearl clip, and the ends of the hair were snaked around her slender neck, outlining the curves of her beautiful neck more delicately and femininely. At this moment, she was looking out of the window with her face sideways, her eyes reflecting the warm sun of the late spring afternoon without focus, and her eyes were covered with a faint halo. When they met, she was only a weak crown year, and her pretty goose egg face occasionally inadvertently revealed some innocence and romance, and after experiencing a lot of things in this world, that childishness faded away, replaced by dignified and gentle, and a kind of indescribable, but distressing strength.

This picture is so quiet and beautiful, Ah Ling didn't know whether to disturb or not, and turned her head to look at Liu Jin helplessly, the two were hesitating, and then they heard Lin Wanjing ask:

"Ah Ling, who's coming?"

Ah Ling woke up from a dream and replied:

"Miss, the young marshal is back. The distinguished guest that Boss Li said a few days ago is a young marshal! ”

There was undisguised excitement in her words, but she never thought that Lin Wanjing was extremely calm when she heard this, and even a little helpless, turned her head and fell her gaze back to the keys in front of her, and said indifferently:

"Why are you making such a joke again? You promised me before, how long has it been since you didn't count? ”

Ah Ling suddenly felt aggrieved and was about to plead, but was stopped by Liu Jin. But seeing him slowly walk to her side, he hesitated for a long time before he spoke:

"Wanjing, it's me, I'm back."

The fingers on the keys of Linqin were stunned, but her eyes still did not turn to him, and after a while, she whispered:

"Sir, your voice is indeed very similar to that of my husband. I don't know how much my little sister promised you to help her play this scene. I will let her settle the reward she promised to you, so that you don't have to bother with your husband to comfort me. ”

After speaking, Lin Wanjing didn't give him the slightest room to defend, so she played the tune by herself, obviously not wanting to continue to entangle herself in this matter.

Liu Jin is not in a hurry, she can't see clearly now, so she doesn't believe that he is in front of her, and when her eyes get better, all misunderstandings can be solved. At this moment, he wanted to enjoy the silence for a while more than arguing and confronting, as if time had gone back to the best of days—when she was practicing her piano music intently, while he flipped through the briefings and listened quietly.

The melody flowed slowly from under her slender fingers, it was her favorite French ballad, "Green Sleeves", and just when he thought she was proficient enough to play it and no longer needed him to mention it, she took her left hand off the keys, leaving her right hand to play the lonely main melody smoothly.

Liu Jin was stunned, and she was moved-the part he taught her to play the ensemble was only here.

As smart as she is, how could she not learn this tune, she just didn't learn it, and mourned their time together in this way.

Trying to understand why she was doing, he was not only moved, but also raised his left hand to the keys and followed her melody in unison.

The fingers on the keys paused for a moment, and for a moment he was stunned, and after he had finished playing a bar, he looped back again, naturally connecting back to where she had stopped.

This kind of "invitation" is very familiar to her.

The slightly trembling fingertips finally re-struck the keys, keeping up with his rhythm, evolving from cautious tentative to firm and effortless playing. And he also gave her back the reins of control, put his right hand around her waist, and pulled her body into his arms.

At the end of the song, her hand was fixed on the keys and did not move for a long time.

Is it because of the longing that the hallucination?

Or is this long-lost ensemble just a dream?

She was afraid that if her fingers left the keys, she would wake up from the dream, and he would disappear again, and there would be no way to trace him.

He seemed to see through her concerns, raised his hand and put it on her stiff palm, pulled back to his body with his fingers interlocked, hugged her, held her back tightly in his arms, rubbed her ear, and said softly for a long time:

"Wanjing, I'm back..."

After only one sentence, his voice was hoarse and he couldn't speak.

Warm tears fell on the back of his hand, but they were covered by the trembling of her cold palm, as if she didn't want him to see it—a habit she had not changed after all these years.

And the tear stains were as hot as they were back then, as if they had burned through his skin and into his heart.

He called her by name gently, but he could only call her by name, and could not say anything else.

There are clearly so many heartfelt words, at this moment, he doesn't want to say a word.

After this long journey - the tragedy of life and death, the uncertainty of the future, the embracing at this moment is more and more precious.

Outside the window, the warm afternoon sun was shining on the branches, and a pair of unknown birds jumped between the branches, shaking off a few goose-yellow leaves.

After a while, the two agile figures landed on the windowsill, enjoying the corn grains in the teacup as if no one was around, and even took a bath in the white porcelain water tray, looking like they should be frequent visitors to this house.

The sound of wings flapping attracted Lin Wanjing's attention, but the bright scene was reflected in her eyes, but she was just confused.

The clear eyes were clearly covered with a touch of regret, Liu Jin seemed to be able to feel it, and said softly in her ear:

"This palm-sized bird, with its willow yellow feathers, is indeed special."

"Willow yellow?" She asked rhetorically, "Is it actually willow yellow?" ”

Liu Jin couldn't help but be surprised when he heard this, and said suspiciously:

"What? You... Haven't seen them yet? ”

She couldn't help but be stunned, and shook her head regretfully:

"They always seem to avoid me, when their eyes are good, no matter how much they wait, they don't show up, they can't see it, they come to beg for food."

"Maybe... They're there for you. ”

Lin Wanjing heard this, but laughed at herself:

"But it's not good to say. Maybe they knew I couldn't see it and bullied me. ”

When he listened, he suddenly felt bitter and distressed:

"It's going to be fine..."

But this comfort sounded more and more powerless at the moment.

His heart was like a knife, and he raised his hand to put it on her face, her body trembled obviously, and her blank expression flashed for a moment of hesitation—this warm touch of déjà vu was so beautiful that she couldn't tell the real from the fake.

Five years, more than a thousand nights, this touch appeared repeatedly in her dreams, and when she raised her hand to hold the palm, the world in front of her shattered and collapsed like glass, leaving her to wake up alone and sad.

She didn't want to dream anymore, and she didn't dare to dream anymore.

In her confusion, she heard him whisper again:

"I'm sorry, Wanjing, it's all my fault for making you like this..."

She shook her head hurriedly, her trembling fingertips carefully touching the back of his hand, once, twice, and suddenly clenched it tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.

These tears are more and more distressing.

"Can't cry anymore, Wanjing, I won't let you cry anymore." He gently brushed away her tears, held her cheek, and said earnestly, "Get better, Wanjing, you must get better, I will definitely find a way to cure your eyes, even if it is to exchange my eyes for it, and pay for it with my life..."

Who knew that as soon as these words came out, Lin Wanjing pouted:

"Then I'm gone."

Liu Jin couldn't help but be stunned, stunned, and listened to her again:

"If he is cured and he can't see you again, then this eye will not be cured."

"Wanjing..."

"Actually, the doctor said that it was lucky that my eyes didn't continue to deteriorate. If it can't be cured, will you bother me? ”

"No, it won't."

Liu Jin replied categorically without hesitation, and added at the end, "No matter whether your eyes can recover or not, from now on, I will hold you, hold you wherever I go, and never let go." ”

Saying this, he shook her hand in the palm of his hand vigorously, and when he saw the corners of her mouth slightly raised, his heart moved, and he couldn't help but hug her into his arms.

For a long time, he heard her call him softly:

"Yun Rou..."

This soft call, he only felt as if he was in a different world, and only after a while did he remember to respond to her, looked down at the person in his arms, and asked:

"What's wrong?"

She seemed to have a lot to say, thought for a moment, but finally shook her head and said softly:

"Welcome home."

Their hearts were moved, and they lowered their heads and kissed her deeply:

"I'm finally back to you, Wanjing, from now on, there will be no beacon fires and smoke, only flowers, it's you."