Haiyang was no small second-tier city. With its comfortable climate and balanced population density, it rivaled even the major metropolises in prosperity thanks to its coastal port. Years ago, it had even been praised as the “Shining Star of Harbor Cities.” During the day, its bustling traffic and towering skyscrapers made it a vibrant spectacle, but with nightfall came a rare tranquility. Even the leaves torn from trees by heavy rain now danced freely along the edges of the road.
When Jian Ming stepped out of the airport, the rain stopped—as if cooperating with him. He looked up at the city he had lived in for twenty-three years, and fragmented memories surged like a flood. When the flashing montage landed on his sister’s face, he abruptly lowered his head and let out a long breath. Dragging two large suitcases behind him, he flagged down a nearby cab.
Wearing a black trench coat and frameless glasses, Jian Ming already stood out in the crowd with his tall frame—1.87 meters. But paired with his strikingly handsome face, he drew attention wherever he went. The growing number of stares around him made Jian Ming visibly uncomfortable. After handing his luggage to the driver, he quickly slipped into the back seat of the taxi.
“Where to, sir?” the driver asked, starting the engine and glancing at the distinguished-looking man through the rearview mirror.
“Jingxin Sanatorium.”
The driver raised an eyebrow. No one in Haiyang didn’t know of Jingxin—it was practically a hub for psychiatric patients. He gave Jian Ming a glance as if to double-check, but seeing no reaction, he simply stepped on the gas and sped off.
“You just got back from overseas, right?” Taxi drivers everywhere seemed to share a trait: once you were in their car, they couldn’t resist striking up a conversation. This guy was no exception.
Jian Ming instinctively tensed up. “Why do you ask?”
“Heh, just from helping you load your luggage—it was heavy as hell. And you’ve got a certain air about you. We see all sorts every day. Wasn’t hard to guess.” The driver sounded quite pleased with his observation.
Jian Ming withdrew his gaze, annoyed at himself for getting so tense over a simple comment. After ten years of studying human behavior, was he really so easily read by a cab driver? Looks like Haiyang was still the deepest nightmare buried in his psyche—just stepping back here had his nerves on edge.
“Hm.” He gave a cold reply, not wanting to continue the small talk. Reaching into the pocket of his coat, he pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.
“Dad, it’s me.”
“Hm, you’ve arrived? Coming straight home?” came the steady voice of Jiang Luchuan on the other end.
“I want to visit Qiqi first. I’ll come home later.” Jian Ming felt grateful toward the man who had raised him for sixteen years—not just for providing a home for him and his sister, but for inspiring his career path and giving him something to fight for.
“Alright. I’ll be heading out for a while, so just reheat whatever’s on the table when you get back,” Jiang Luchuan replied casually, like they’d had this same exchange every day for years—as if Jian Ming’s six-year absence had never happened.
The Jingxin Sanatorium was located in the northern part of the city. By the time Jian Ming arrived at the front gate, it was already 8:30 p.m. He saw that the main gates had been shut for the night. Stepping forward politely, he tapped on the window of the security booth. “Excuse me, sir—may I still visit someone today?”
A man in his forties, dressed in the sanatorium’s uniform, opened the window and shook his head. “Sorry, sir. Visiting hours end at eight. The patients are already resting. Maybe try coming back tomorrow?”
Jian Ming looked a little disappointed. “Alright… sorry to trouble you. Thank you.”
He could’ve easily looked up the visiting hours online or called ahead. But some part of him had just… needed to come. He didn’t leave right away. Instead, he took a few steps back and stood silently in front of the gate, eyes fixed ahead—gazing past the iron bars, past the main building, as if doing so could somehow let him see the one who weighed heaviest in his heart.
Six years…
Qiqi, my Meimei,I’m home.
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