Prologue—The End Is Also the Beginning

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In the distance, dusk was falling, attempting to conceal all light...

In a small rented room, a man held his phone, smiling at the image of a woman nearing sixty. “Mom, how are you and Dad doing lately?”

“We’re both well enough. How are you managing alone, working out of town? I heard this winter is especially cold—should I send you the padded coat we bought last year?”

The old woman gazed at her son on the screen, her eyes full of warmth. Perhaps this was a mother’s innate love for her child, unchanged after decades.

“No need, that coat was for Dad, wasn’t it? Has his back been acting up lately? I recently met a doctor here and asked about Dad’s problem. He says he can cure it for good. Why not let Dad come here for treatment?”

He glanced beside his mother, but the tall, steadfast figure of his youth was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Dad? Why isn’t he there? It’s been so long since I last saw him. Mom? Mom!”

Seeing the flustered look on his mother’s face, a sense of foreboding surged within him.

He asked softly, “Mom, what happened to Dad? Please tell me.”

His tone was gentle, yet there was no room for evasion.

“It’s nothing. Your father went out with a couple of friends, just taking a stroll and chatting to pass the time. I’m left home alone and it’s a bit dull.”

After so long at his job, he could spot the nervousness in her eyes at once. Still, he didn’t confront her, only nodding mechanically.

“All right, Mom, you and Dad take care of yourselves. It’s not that safe these days. It’s getting late, tell Dad to come home soon.”

“Mm.” She nodded with difficulty and after a long pause said, “I’ll hang up now and get dinner ready... waiting for your father to come home.”

“All right, Mom. Goodbye. Take care.”

He hadn’t spoken with his mother this long in years, and he suddenly felt a distance between them, unsure how to go on.

But as soon as he set his phone down, he immediately booked a flight for the next day, then dialed his company.

“Manager, something’s come up at home. I may not be able to make it back for a few days.”

“You always have something going on! You haven’t closed the last two deals—how can you just leave? Don’t forget, you’re the pillar of your team. No one else can handle these clients. You’re in line for this year’s top bonus, don’t throw it away over some trivial family matter.”

“But—” Su Bai tried to protest, but was cut off.

At the other end, a fat, middle-aged man eyed the name on his phone—Su Bai—with a look of disdain.

But the rustling beneath him soon restored his comfortable expression.

A coquettish voice chimed in at just the right moment.

“Qiang, who was that?”

“Don’t worry about it, just a fly. Our little world is just getting started, my darling. I can’t let a fly spoil the mood. Heh heh.”

The wanton woman, seeing the lewd grin on the fat man’s face, felt a wave of nausea. Yet she shot him a flirtatious glance. “You’re so bad, Qiang, always teasing me.”

No sooner had she finished than she wrapped herself around him like a seductive serpent, and what followed came naturally.

Back to Su Bai, whose call had just been cut off—

He’d been struggling alone for years; how could he not recognize such perfunctory words?

“Bastard! You’ve been exploiting me for so long and still expect me to work for you in peace?”

His eyes bloodshot, veins bulging on his arm as he gripped his phone, Su Bai was filled with rage at the thought of his precarious position all these years.

“If you can betray me, don’t blame me for being ruthless! All this preparation—who knew I’d use it now.”

He set the phone aside and took a hard drive from his desk drawer.

Switching on his computer, a mysterious folder appeared on the screen.

Soon, as a sinister smile played on his lips, the sky outside was swallowed by darkness.

The next morning, Su Bai, dressed in black, hurried through the airport, his bloodshot eyes and travel-weary face betraying a sleepless night.

Yet the smile at the corners of his mouth remained undiminished.

“It’s only fitting to leave this company a grand parting gift. I wonder if tomorrow you’ll make headlines in Zhejiang Province.”

“The plane is about to depart. Please turn off mobile phones and all electronic devices...”

As the announcements sounded, Su Bai closed his eyes to rest, stealing a glance out the window and murmuring softly, “What a beautiful world, heh.”

Like many, Su Bai had followed his parents’ path from elementary school to his junior year at university.

He’d planned to continue, but fate had other ideas—his father’s back injury grew worse, and he could no longer support Su Bai’s education.

Left with no choice, Su Bai gave up his graduate school spot, carrying his resume from place to place in search of a job.

At university, while not exactly the center of attention, he was considered outstanding. Proud as he was, repeated setbacks after leaving school early battered his self-confidence.

With only a certificate of incomplete studies, what hope did he have of landing a good position in a major company?

In the end, watching illness torment his once-strong father, he finally bowed his head and settled into a clerical job at a mid-sized firm.

Years went by with no hint of promotion. Many admired his abilities but kept their distance, as though afraid to end up as lifelong minor employees themselves.

After so many years, Su Bai’s pride had been dulled; he hesitated over every decision. He’d thought of quitting countless times, but feared he wouldn’t find anything better.

Repeated failures left him with no confidence, doubting all his independent judgment.

But this time, it was about his father, about the family he would sacrifice everything to protect. The rebelliousness he’d long since lost, for once, resurged.

Closing his eyes, Su Bai relived his life, sighing inwardly before pondering how to handle the mess awaiting him at home.

After a while, he grew annoyed, blinking hard to calm himself.

“Hey? Isn’t this an old classmate?”

A familiar voice startled him; he looked over in disbelief.

She was as lovely as ever, as though stepped from a painting, no longer simply fresh-faced, but with a mature, graceful air.

Seeing the woman before him, Su Bai was briefly dazed, quickly turning away.

He touched his face nervously before slowly turning back to her.

Her name was Zhang Yuting, his college girlfriend. They’d always maintained a lukewarm distance, never seeming quite like a couple to outsiders.

Their friends even bet they wouldn’t last a month, only to be astonished when they spent three years together.

They knew each other inside out, cooperating flawlessly every time.

They’d dreamed of the future together; Su Bai could almost see the happy life he and Yuting would share.

But after his father’s accident, they lost contact. She reached out to him many times, but her messages disappeared into a void, and their tacit love faded away.

Six years later, these once-familiar faces met again, but words failed them.

The stubble on Su Bai’s face contrasted with Zhang Yuting’s neat, composed appearance, and in that instant, the distance between them widened.

Both were now twenty-seven or twenty-eight, yet their paths had diverged.

Su Bai’s gaze dimmed; he forced a brief wave, then turned away in silent acknowledgment.

To his surprise, Zhang Yuting changed seats to sit beside him.

“You—” Su Bai could hardly believe she’d ignored his coldness to come over.

As he opened his mouth to speak, Zhang Yuting put a slender finger between them.

“Stop! I cleared this with the flight attendant, and your neighbor agreed. I’m not like some people, disappearing for years without a word,” she teased.

“Uh...”

Mentioning this, Su Bai fell silent, and the air between them cooled.

It was Zhang Yuting who broke the silence first.

“I later learned what happened with your family. Just so you know, I only did what I did because I was worried about you.”

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Su Bai gave a wry smile and shook his head. “No need to say more. I was out of line back then, not considering your feelings.”

With that, silence fell again.

If only Su Bai hadn’t returned home to work—what would things look like now? Would they be happily married, or would they have parted ways after graduation?

No one could know, nor would anyone dwell on the past.

“Let’s not talk about it,” Su Bai said, noticing the costly yet understated outfit Zhang Yuting wore. She probably slipped out quietly; he’d met her father once before.

Most likely, after graduation, she’d been set up with a government job.

He was about to tease her about it when he noticed the diamond ring glinting on her left ring finger—its faint light in the cabin was piercing to his eyes.

She noticed his awkward expression at once and laughed it off. “My father arranged for me to work in the capital this time. I think your family lives there too, right? I hope your parents are well.”

Understanding she wanted to avoid the topic, Su Bai played along. “Really? I’m actually heading home to start over. My parents are getting older; they need me around.”

They chatted idly about old times and their future plans.

“The plane is about to land. Please return to your assigned seats, stow your tray tables, straighten your seat backs, raise your window shades, fasten your seat belts, and note that the lavatories are now closed. Every passenger, including infants, must...”

With the landing announcement, they fell silent. Suddenly, Zhang Yuting dug a business card from her breast pocket.

They disembarked together.

Handing him the card, Zhang Yuting smiled—a radiant, unburdened smile, as if a great weight had been lifted.

“I know you’re proud. I can’t help you much financially. Over the years, I’ve thought a lot about all this. If you don’t cut ties, things only get more tangled. Let’s take this as fate’s way of letting us end things properly.”

She looked at him with bright, hopeful eyes. “So... is this really goodbye?”

A stab of pain pierced Su Bai’s heart, but seeing that she was already engaged, he forced a smile. “Yes, it’s all water under the bridge. What matters is the present.”

“You’re right.” She seemed disappointed not to hear the answer she’d hoped for and quickly turned away.

As their shoulders brushed, a wave of sorrow rose within him.

He glanced back—she covered her mouth with one hand, dragging her suitcase as she hurried away...

Su Bai was no stranger to farewells, and he let out a heavy sigh. Perhaps this was the best he could do for her.

Alone as he was, he had no business entangling himself with a woman like her.

He knew he was not the hero of some rags-to-riches novel, destined to marry a beautiful CEO from a humble post.

The business card still carried her delicate scent; he rubbed it gently between his fingers.

On the back, a line of neat, elegant handwriting caught his eye:

“A shooting star seeking direction in the Milky Way will one day find its own galaxy. I hope the passionate, responsible Su Bai of yesteryear won’t simply lose his way.”

Tick, tick...

The sound of his watch echoed in his ears, as if the whole world had fallen still.

Su Bai’s gaze lingered on the card.

He had probably fared worst among all his friends these past ten years, but it had forged his resilience and self-restraint.

Yet these few lines stirred up a storm in his long-calm heart.

“Yes, the old me really... truly lost my way.

Is it helplessness? Sorrow? Or... regret?”

“Why overthink it? The path has led me here—there’s no turning back. I should hurry home to see Mom.”

He slipped the card into his pocket, rubbed his face, fastened his coat, pulled on his hat, and wheeled his suitcase in the opposite direction.

Outside the airport, a bus was just approaching; the timing was perfect.

“Sigh.” He finally caught his breath as he took a seat.

Watching the familiar yet strange scenery pass by, his thoughts drifted back to years ago.

Children playing, spinning tops and frisbees for hours, waging mock battles on the hills with toy guns.

“I wonder how they’re all doing now.” He sank into reverie again.

“Next stop: ** Road. Passengers, please prepare to alight...”

“This is my stop. I wonder if Mom’s home.”

He didn’t have a key and was wondering what to do if his mother was out when his phone rang.

“Hello, is this Mr. Su?”

Su Bai frowned, assuming it was another annoying scam call. He almost hung up without even checking the screen, but the next words stopped him.

“Is Zhang Xuehua your mother?”

“What happened to my mom?” Su Bai shot to his feet, his voice loud enough to draw the attention of everyone on the bus.

Realizing he’d overreacted, he struggled to steady his voice. “Sorry, I was upset. How is my mother?”

Each word was clipped and trembling.

“I understand you’re upset. Ms. Zhang was hit by a car on the way to the hospital. She’s in the emergency room now. Please come to ** Hospital as soon as possible.”

Beep—

As the call ended, it was as if all strength left Su Bai’s body. He collapsed into his seat. Some looked on with pity, others with schadenfreude; some even snapped pictures for social media...

He ignored them. When the bus stopped, he staggered off, eyes hollow, nothing more than a walking shell.

“How could this happen...”

He crouched down, clutching his forehead as traffic flowed around him, threatening to swallow him up.

Beep!!

The phone rang again.

Su Bai wasn’t going to answer—he knew it must be the hospital.

He stood up, wiped the tears from his eyes, and forced himself to face reality.

He hailed a cab, slouched in the back seat, hat pulled low, staring out the window.

“Hey, buddy, life goes on. No need to be so down—there’s always a way out.”

“Just drive. Don’t say any more.”

Su Bai’s icy tone sent a chill through the driver, who muttered under his breath and eyed Su Bai in the mirror before falling silent.

Soon they arrived at the hospital. As soon as the car stopped, Su Bai rushed inside.

“You must be Zhang Xuehua’s family,” a young nurse in uniform said evenly. “Go register at the front desk.”

“I need to see my mother first.”

He brushed past her before she could stop him, heading straight for the ward.

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“You can’t go in! She’s in surgery—go pay the fees at the front desk!” the nurse cried, trying to block his way.

“Get out of my way!” Su Bai shoved her aside, shouting, “Money, money, money! That’s all you care about! The longer my mother stays here, the more you line your pockets!”

He could no longer contain his emotions. With both parents in trouble, he was at his breaking point.

Crash!

The emergency room doors burst open and a doctor emerged, his gloves still stained with his mother’s blood.

“The patient’s condition is critical. Where is the family?”

Su Bai lunged to the doctor, grabbing his hands.

“Doctor, I’m here—I’m her son. How is my mother?”

He squeezed tighter and tighter, causing the doctor pain until the man finally pulled free.

“She’s elderly, and the car that hit her ran a red light at over seventy miles per hour. I’m afraid... it doesn’t look good.”

Though the doctor disliked Su Bai’s aggression, he’d seen this often enough to respond with patience and candor.

“What...”

Su Bai’s hands fell limply. Head bowed, he stared at the floor, images of his mother’s lifelong care flashing before him. He couldn’t believe it was true.

He covered his ears, squatting, unwilling to hear another sound.

The nurse didn’t press him, and the doctor signaled her to leave him be.

Everyone left, some casting sympathetic glances his way. They knew that something irreplaceably precious had just left this man forever.

His trembling hands removed his glasses, now streaked with tears.

He knew many were watching; he couldn’t break down in public. He tried to stifle his sobs, but it only made things worse.

Tears and snot streamed down—a pitiful sight, the real face of a man on the verge of collapse, trying to appear strong but only revealing his utter vulnerability.

Beep!!

Su Bai answered the call mechanically. The news on the line broke what little composure he had left.

“Your father, Su Mu, is in critical condition. We need a family member to sign. How soon can you get here?”

“Ahhh!”

Raw, heart-wrenching wails burst from him, his grief so overwhelming that people drew away, their disdainful gazes boring into him.

“What a jinx.”

Su Bai paid no mind; he could hear nothing but his own sobbing.

“Please be quiet in the hospital!” the head nurse finally came over, seeing the other nurses at a loss, and confronted Su Bai sternly.

Half an hour later—

“Hurry up and leave!”

A man, dragged out by several security guards, disheveled and humiliated, looked every bit the fool.

The biting wind made Su Bai shiver, but the cold in his heart was far worse.

“Dad, Mom! I’ve failed you! All these years, I never managed to build a home, and you still had to worry about me. I... I never gave you a single day of comfort! All these years of study, and I can’t even care for my own parents. I’m not worthy of being your son!”

“I’m nothing but a useless failure! I couldn’t care for the parents who gave me life, couldn’t protect the woman I loved for so many years, and now I’m nothing but a complete wreck!!”

“I have nothing left—nothing at all. Is there even a reason for me to keep living?”

“Seems... there really isn’t!”

After babbling to himself for a while, Su Bai let out a hollow laugh.

That laugh was full of self-mockery and scorn. He’d lived so long he no longer knew what kept him going—what a cruel irony.

Another half hour passed before he finally picked himself up, his face still streaked with dirt, and limped toward the hospital where his father lay.

After a day of running about, it was already dusk.

The setting sun was bloody red.

Su Bai walked down the endless street, holding two death certificates from the hospital and a crematorium queue slip.

He wandered in a daze, neither weeping nor screaming—he’d been wrung dry in a single day, and had no strength or will left to struggle.

All the houses along the street were shut tight; inside, families gathered over steaming dumplings.

“Mom, look at that man outside. He’s so strange, wandering alone on a freezing day,” a little girl said, peering through the window at Su Bai.

“Come away! Don’t stick your nose in grown-ups’ business!” her mother snapped, closing the curtains and pulling her away.

Outside, Su Bai wandered on, lost, unsure if he should go to the home he hadn’t visited in years.

“Home?” he muttered, suddenly stopping, a wave of desolation washing over him.

He looked at a telephone pole in the distance, then at the death certificates in his hand. His eyes hardened with resolve.

“Ah!”

A roar, filled with boundless pain and grievances, burst from his lips. Perhaps crashing into a pole and ending it all in the dead of winter wasn’t such a bad idea.

“You—what are you doing?!”

Before he’d even run halfway, a girl’s scream rang from an alley nearby.

“Heh, this little beauty is fresh. Come with us, sweetheart—it’s cold out here,” jeered a gang of three or four young men, closing in on a girl cowering in a corner, her voice trembling as she protested, “If you come any closer, I’ll call the police! Please, don’t!”

“Police? I’d like to see you try. Go on, call them! Heh heh heh!” her warning only excited them further.

Crash!

A brick smashed down on one youth’s head, blood streaming instantly. He clutched the wound, feeling blood seep through his fingers.

Su Bai said nothing but three words: “Go, now!”

The girl, terrified, could barely stand, leaning on the cold wall as she hobbled away.

The fight in the alley turned fierce.

But after years in an office, Su Bai was no match for the young thugs, and soon they had him down.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Blow after blow landed on his face, the cold making the pain sharper, before it all gave way to numbness.

“I thought you were someone. Turns out you’re just a useless loser playing the hero.”

One of the youths pulled out his phone and dialed a number...