The year was unusually long until autumn, and the continuous rain carried the smell of damp water in the air. Zhou Qi returned from a business trip for half a month, Yucheng was already full of depression, the leaves on the branches had already fallen, and only the scattered withered yellow hung high. Pedestrians were already dressed in thick clothes, and they came and went in a hurry.

Sweet potato stalls in winter have appeared on the streets, and elderly people wearing half-worn hats, neatly put roasted sweet potatoes into paper bags, and shouted a few times from time to time.

Zhou Qi sat in the car, and the high-intensity work for days made him unable to rest well, so he was a little restless. The car drove past the sweet potato stall and suddenly made a noise for the driver to stop.

The driver followed his line of sight to look at the sweet potato stall with a few people around, and asked tentatively, "Do you want to buy sweet potatoes?" I'll buy it back for you. ”

Before he could unbuckle his seat belt, Zhou Qi said lightly no, opened the car door and got out of the car.

The driver was stunned, not knowing whether he should get out of the car or continue to sit. He looked at Zhou Qi, who was already queuing in front of the sweet potato stall, and finally got out of the car and stood respectfully on the side.

Zhou Qi bought two sweet potatoes and came back not long after, but he didn't eat them, only holding them in his hands. The lines on his face softened a lot, and the tiredness of running around for days seemed to have been swept away.

Back at the old mansion, what awaits him is not the warm and soft lights, but the desertion of the courtyard and the locked door. The driver thought he would be angry, but he didn't, he was very calm, and just threw the sweet potato in his hand into the trash. Lit a cigarette and leaned against the car and smoked.

When night falls, the thick darkness envelops everything. The street lamps on both sides lit up one after another, and there was a drizzle falling in the sky, falling on the face cold.

The driver stood quietly with Zhou Qi, and he wanted to ask if he wanted to open the door and go in several times, but in the end he didn't speak, just stood quietly.

I don't know how long it took, an hour or two, before Zhou Qi put out his cigarette butt and sat in the car, saying, "Let's go." ”

His voice was slightly hoarse, and he closed his eyes when he got into the car.

The driver didn't know where to go, looked at him in the rearview mirror, and asked cautiously, "Is it to send you home?" ”

Zhou Qi didn't speak, he knew it was a tacit acquiescence.

The traffic jam is terrible, and I stop and go on the way back. Zhou Qi looked no different from usual, but the atmosphere in the car was extremely depressing. finally arrived at the place, and watched Zhou Qi get out of the car and leave, and the driver breathed a long sigh of relief.

Zhou Qi hasn't been back here for a long time, but fortunately, my aunt cleans it from time to time, so that it won't be dusty everywhere. He reached out and turned on the light, took off his coat and threw it aside, went straight to the wine cupboard, took out the wine, poured a glass, and took out a cigarette and smoked it.

The emptiness of the room was so uncomfortable that he closed his eyes. I don't know how many glasses he drank, but the phone he threw aside rang. The phone was an unfamiliar number, and he glanced at it lightly and picked it up.

The person on the other end of the phone politely called Mr. Zhou and said, "I heard that you have returned to Yucheng, and Mr. Fan has booked a place, I don't know if you are free?" ”

Zhou Qi replied yes, and the person on the other end of the phone gave him an address, and then hung up the phone.

Fan Zhenyu hadn't arrived when he was a child, so he went back and drank alone, but time passed very slowly, and it was only nine o'clock now.

After sitting for a quarter of an hour, Fan Zhenyu pushed the door and walked in. He was not surprised to see that Zhou Qi had arrived, smiled slightly, and said, "I'm sorry Mr. Zhou, there is a traffic jam on the road, which made you wait for a long time." ”

"You're welcome."

"Ayi's mother was supposed to come with me, but when she left, Xiao'er kept crying, and she stayed at home." Fan Zhenyu's tone was slightly helpless, and he turned to Zhou Qi and said, "Mr. Zhou must have been to the old mansion, and Ah Yi has gone abroad." Whether it is me or Ayi's mother, I hope that Mr. Zhou will end here. We are all very grateful to Mr. Zhou for taking care of Ah Yi during this time. ”

His tone was polite, but he couldn't hear the thanks. Song Jianyi's car accident this time, Zhou Qi is not without responsibility. Chen Qiaohe was angry with Jian Yi because of love and hatred, and all the cause and effect were on him. If it weren't for the fact that he had persuaded Jian Yi to cooperate with the treatment, he would not have been able to see her at all.

Zhou Qi didn't even have to ask if this was what Jian Yi meant, from standing in front of the empty courtyard, he knew that this must be what she meant. In order to escape, she even did not hesitate to use the power of the Fan family, which has always drawn a clear line.

Fan Zhenyu didn't wait for him to speak, and continued: "Mr. Zhou and Ah Yi have not been together for a year or two, and I heard that you also had a child. For the sake of the past, please let Ah Yi start a new life. Ah Yi will not die, and I believe that Mr. Zhou also hopes that she can live happily in the future. ”

At the mention of the child, Zhou Qi raised his head and looked at him.

Fan Zhenyu's face was still indifferent, and he said: "Don't misunderstand Mr. Zhou, Ah Yi never mentions personal matters with us. We also respect her. These are what your mother said, not only Jianyi's mother knows, but her grandmother and father already know. It's just that I'm afraid that she will be sad, so I haven't mentioned it all the time. ”

Zhou Qi sat in place, not even knowing when Fan Zhenyu left. Today, instead of coming over to ask him to raise his noble hand, he actually made him ashamed of himself, telling him that he had been entangled with Jian Yi for so many years, and Jian Yi had never been happy, and even almost lost his life because of it. Who is he to pester her again? Don't let her start a new life?

Zhou Qi smoked cigarette after cigarette, and soon a pile of cigarette butts accumulated in the ashtray. He looked out the window and saw that the city was still bustling at night, and nothing seemed to have changed. But his heart was empty and could no longer be filled.

The night was so long that it seemed like it would never reach dawn. Zhou Qi sat alone, watching the sky light up little by little. It wasn't until dawn that he got up and left the private room.

Ah Jin was waiting for him outside, and when he saw him come out, he didn't speak, but just followed him. Silently opened the door for him and sent him home to change clothes.

Winter came very quickly this year, and the whole city was exceptionally cold. In the dead of winter, the city is still bustling and bustling. Zhou Qi never went back to the old mansion, as if he didn't face it, everything was still the same. The man was still there, never left.