Chapter 047: A Strange City in a Foreign Land

Shi Runrun had once thought that his kindness to her before must have had something to do with liking her, with loving her, even if just a little. In the countless moments they had spent together, she found herself unable to hold back, surrendering her heart, believing—at least somewhat—that he would fall in love with her too.

But he hadn’t.

If it had truly been love, then why, in that crucial moment of crisis, had she discovered his betrayal?

She had tried to convince herself with countless excuses, but the clear, crisp voice of a woman on the phone that day was undeniable.

She wasn’t a fool—she simply couldn’t find any other excuse for him, no way to absolve him.

And then, there was the baby.

The baby was gone, and with it, the only bond left between them was severed. They had no choice but to part ways.

Xiao Xuezheng...

Shi Runrun closed her eyes in agony, her hands unconsciously clutching at her chest. That place ached with a deep, unbearable pain.

Only now did she realize just how excruciating it could be to love someone, to care for someone—how agonizing, how tormenting.

She couldn’t hold back; her tears fell again.

She wept, unable to stop herself.

She knew she still loved him, but she could no longer be with him.

The next second, the gentle voice of the flight attendant echoed from the speaker.

“Welcome aboard International Airlines. Our flight is about to depart from Jing City International Airport, bound for City B...”

The announcement interrupted her thoughts. She wiped away her tears, forcing them back, and obediently fastened her seatbelt as instructed.

As the plane took off, she gazed through the window. The buildings below grew smaller and smaller, eventually vanishing from sight.

Then, as the plane pierced through the clouds and soared high above, all she could see was the setting sun and drifting clouds.

The scenery outside the window was beautiful—almost painfully so. The more beautiful it was, the more it mocked her, highlighting just how pitiable she was at this moment.

The fairy tale of marrying into a wealthy family had ended. Staring blankly out the window, tears welled up in her eyes again.

The figure of that man seemed to appear before her again and again.

What she didn’t realize was that, several rows behind her on the plane, a man sat watching her intently, his deep, dark eyes never leaving her.

...

Not long after the flight to City B departed, by six in the evening, Xiao Xuezheng’s men had already surrounded the airport.

From the traffic bureau chief, Xiao Xuezheng had found the license plate of the car that had taken Shi Runrun, and by tracing the plate, he learned she had come to the airport.

He immediately rushed there with his people.

His arrival, as such a prominent figure, brought the airport executives out to greet him in person.

Though exhausted and slightly dizzy from a long day, Xiao Xuezheng explained his purpose to the airport leaders. They took it seriously, quickly instructing their staff to search for Shi Runrun’s information.

It wasn’t long before Qin Feng came running over, out of breath.

“Mr. Xiao, we found her! Madam bought a ticket to City B. The flight departed an hour ago!”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuezheng’s expression remained blank, but the chill on his face grew even colder.

His hands fell to his sides, balling into fists. Ji Yunan, standing beside him, felt a shiver and asked, “Xuezheng? What now? Should we head to City B immediately?”

Xiao Xuezheng’s brow furrowed tightly, his eyes clouded with gloom. What he couldn’t accept was that she had already left this city—she was gone from his world.

At that moment, one of the airport executives said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Xiao, but there are no flights to City B for the next few days. If you’d like to use your private jet, I could arrange it for you, but the soonest would be tomorrow afternoon.”

The man replied coldly, “No need, thank you, Director Lin. I’ll handle the rest myself. Sorry to trouble you today.”

He refused the airport’s offer, then turned to Ji Yunan. “Get the car ready—we’re heading to City B tonight!”

“No! Don’t call the driver. I’ll drive myself!”

Ji Yunan was speechless.

Jing City to City B was more than three thousand kilometers—a journey of several days by car.

Ah, little sister-in-law, you really are going to drive us mad...

...

By nine that night, City B’s airport lay under a sky full of stars and the glimmer of neon lights.

The plane carrying Shi Runrun landed gently. Before she could regain her senses, the aircraft had come to a stop, and it was time to disembark.

The announcement came again, the flight attendant’s sweet voice reminding all passengers to leave the plane.

Shi Runrun unfastened her seatbelt, followed the other passengers off the aircraft, crossed the jet bridge, and walked to the airport exit.

Beyond the exit, everything was unfamiliar—the airport, the night, the city itself.

She gazed at this strange place, filled with uncertainty, at a loss for what to do next or where to go.

All she could think about was escaping him as quickly as possible; she hadn’t planned for anything beyond that.

...

Shi Runrun drifted along with the crowd out of the airport.

A cold wind howled through the night, striking her face.

Unlike the weather in Jing City, City B was several degrees colder. The biting wind cut to the bone, and Shi Runrun shivered, suddenly aware of just how far she’d come from Jing City.

And from him—so very far.

Fortunately, the subway was still running at this hour, so she didn’t have to spend a fortune on a taxi to reach the hotel she’d booked on her phone.

Hotel was a generous description—it was just a modest guesthouse, costing only a few dozen yuan for a night. She planned to stay one night, then look for work the next day.

She followed the signs to the subway entrance, but as soon as she sat down on the train, her body began to fail her.

Her wounds ached terribly, and when she touched her forehead, she realized her fever had returned.

She searched her pockets and found she was out of fever medication, and even if she had some, she couldn’t keep taking it so recklessly.

To make matters worse, she wore only a thin hospital gown—not nearly enough for this city’s chill.

Shi Runrun resolved to reach the guesthouse, change into warmer clothes, and then go to the hospital for some medicine.

It would take an hour to reach her destination. As the ride went on, her discomfort grew worse, but she forced herself to endure.

Luckily, she managed to hold on. After leaving the subway, she walked more than ten minutes before finally reaching the guesthouse.

She registered with her ID, bought a thick piece of clothing from the owner at a low price, then tidied herself up in her room before heading out to the hospital, still unsteady on her feet.

The guesthouse owner was kind enough to tell her where the nearest hospital was and how to get there.

Shi Runrun braved the pain and high fever and made her way to the hospital.

But illness overwhelms quickly. She hadn’t even reached the hospital doors before she collapsed at the entrance.

“Runrun!”

A familiar, deep male voice sounded at her ear...

Dazed, Shi Runrun opened her eyes, and thought she saw that familiar figure...

Who was it... Who was calling her?