Don't Cross the Boat Alone

A reunion on the ruins is the only ending to the unfinished story seven years ago. Seven years later, Lin Yuanzhou returned to his hometown to celebrate the New Year. Qingshi County has changed a lot. The alley where the stray cat Orange once lived has been demolished and new buildings have been built. But he still walked in that direction habitually, without any purpose, just to take a look. Then he saw a man. The man stood in front of the ruins, with his back turned to him, as if he was looking for something. Lin Yuanzhou's feet were nailed to the ground. Cheng Yu seemed to feel someone behind him and turned around slowly. Eyes facing each other. Cheng Yu's expression changed from confusion to disbelief, and then turned into a tentative smile that Lin Yuanzhou had never seen before. "Are you here to see the cat?" Cheng Yu asked, as if they had just separated yesterday. Lin Yuanzhou said nothing. His throat felt like it was blocked. Cheng Yu's smile slowly faded. He said, "I come here every year. I don't see you every year." "I only came this year." Lin Yuanzhou said. This was the first thing he said to Cheng Yu in seven years. Intent: Sometimes love is not about getting close, but staying away in the name of protection; but true reconciliation begins with acknowledging that this "protection" itself is also a kind of harm. It's about those relationships that you care too much about but don't dare to touch, and how many years later, using iron boxes under the rubble and late conversations, you can find a place for a youth that has long since "expired".