Chapter 17: Deeply in Love, Forever and Always (Part 2)
Nora Zhao's premonition proved correct. She died the day her child was born—never even getting to see the baby. She drifted into unconsciousness calling Wesley Wei's name. And as the child entered the world crying, the mother left it with a smile.
Wesley Wei buried her and raised their daughter alone. The money Nora Zhao left behind, he followed the instructions in her will—transferring three hundred thousand yuan to me as compensation.
I sat in the passenger seat, having listened to Wesley Wei's whole story. I glanced back at the tiny baby and asked, "What did you name her?"
Wesley Wei drove on and said softly, "Yixue Wei."
The baby waved a little hand, as if recognizing her own name.
"That's a beautiful name."
"Thank you."
I sat in the car a while longer, then said, "Take me to visit her grave. We went through this together, after all."
"Sure."
Wesley Wei drove me to the cemetery. He carried the baby and led me to Nora Zhao's burial site.
The cemetery was quiet today. Only one other person was there—standing ramrod straight before a headstone, lost in thought.
I followed the path up the steps and glanced absently at the figure. I recognized the face instantly.
"Detective Sullivan?"
It was him.
He turned, saw me, and nodded. "Out of prison?"
"Yeah. Just got out today."
He looked like he'd aged a decade. The easy warmth was gone, replaced by something distant and somber.
Nora Zhao's grave was near where Sullivan stood. Wesley Wei set down offerings and said, "Nora, Marcus Zhang came to see you."
I looked at the headstone for a long time, unable to let go.
Finally, I sighed, crouched before the grave, and gently wiped dust from the stone. I said softly, "In the end, you and I were the same. We just wanted a little more time to love someone properly."
I lit incense and gazed at Nora Zhao's memorial photo. To Wesley Wei, I said, "I'm sorry. Today was supposed to be the day I got out of prison, but here you are visiting her. I hope I haven't made things harder."
Wesley Wei shook his head. "It's all right. She wouldn't be at the cemetery anyway."
"Hmm?"
"I once wrote a poem. It was published in a newspaper, and she loved it."
"What poem?"
Wesley Wei held the baby and recited it—slowly, tenderly.
"I will not linger in the cemetery.
I will become a star in the sky, keeping you company till dawn.
I will become a cool breeze, brushing across your face.
I will become a sudden rain, falling upon your skin.
Life and death cannot keep us apart...
You will surely feel my presence."
When he finished, Wesley Wei looked up at the sky in silence.
A gentle breeze swept past, as if Nora Zhao were stroking his face.
I thought of that night again.
I said, "Nora Zhao once mentioned a beautiful poem you'd written."
"Yes. I wrote it when her cirrhosis worsened. I couldn't help putting it into my work."
I was about to reflect further when Detective Sullivan approached us. He asked, "Excuse me—are you the one who wrote that poem?"
"Yes. Is something wrong?"
"Nothing..." Sullivan suddenly gripped Wesley Wei's hand. "Thank you."
Then he turned and walked away without even saying goodbye to me. He was different now—a coldness that pushed people away. Same face, same body, but the soul inside seemed like a stranger.
Wesley Wei muttered, "Strange man."
"Yeah. He wasn't always like that."
After I finished paying my respects to Nora Zhao, Wesley Wei drove me home. Not to my old rental apartment—to the home I'd once dreamed of owning.
After Victor Li was captured, the assets he'd tried to transfer were recovered, and the government made the stalled project its top priority.
Most debts were repaid. Where funds fell short, local banks stepped in to bridge the gap. The building was finally finished. And according to our contracts, homeowners were entitled to compensation for the delayed delivery—nearly two hundred thousand yuan per unit. But Victor Li's remaining assets were gone. In the end, each household received fifty thousand yuan in compensation.
It was over a hundred thousand less than we were owed, but the homeowners were surprisingly content. The fact that the building was completed at all was a miracle. Getting any compensation felt like a bonus. We'd taken a hit, yes—but for us, this was the best possible outcome.
Elena stood waiting at the gate of the residential complex. I couldn't help reaching for her, and she ran lightly into my arms.
I held her tight, breathing in her scent.
Not cheap laundry powder—she'd dressed up for me, even put on perfume.
I lowered my head and kissed the top of it, saying softly, "I'm home."
She looked up, her eyes shining. "Welcome home."
Elena cupped my face and stood on tiptoe, pressing her lips to mine.
I pulled her close, a swell of emotion rising in my chest, kissing her back, breathing her in, holding her like I'd never let go.
My arms tightened around her—I was terrified of losing her again.
"All right..." Elena broke the kiss, breathless. She whispered, "Mom and Dad are upstairs waiting. Get some rest today. Tomorrow we'll go to my parents' house and spend a few days there."
"No. Day after tomorrow, I'm finding a job. You've worked hard enough. I can't just sit around."
She took my hand and led me toward the building. Just before we reached the entrance, she asked me to wait.
She disappeared inside, and I wondered what she was doing—then she came back out with my dad, carrying a red banner between them. They unfurled it, and the words stood out bold and clear.
"Welcome Home, Homeowner."
Welcome...
Homeowner...
Home.
A few simple words, and tears came pouring out. All the bitterness and injustice I'd swallowed came flooding back. I clamped my hand over my mouth, but I couldn't stop the sobs.
Those words had nearly cost me my entire life.
I stood there in the middle of the busy complex and wept like a child. Then I sank to the ground, tears streaming down my face, and I couldn't stop.
It was so bitter... just as she'd said once. So bitter I could barely bear it. I could barely endure it myself, and yet I'd walked so far and for so long.
People stopped and looked. Everyone here knew me, and no one laughed.
Every single one of them had been where I was.
Elena wiped my tears away. "The property management was going to throw the banner away. I fished it out of the trash, washed it, and kept it at home—because I knew you'd want to see it. Come on. Today is a happy day. No more crying."
Dad brought a stool for me to sit on, draped a cloth around my shoulders, and cut my hair.
Fresh haircut and all, I rode the elevator upstairs—clean and modern, a world away from what we'd endured. The moment I opened the door, the aroma of home-cooked food hit me. The table was piled with steaming dishes. Mom stood in the doorway and threw her arms around me.
"Go take a shower. Your dad and Elena made a feast. Wash away the bad luck, then we eat."
"Yeah..."
I stepped into my own bathroom and took a proper shower for the first time in ages. Elena took my old clothes and threw them away.
I changed into fresh clothes and sat at the table in my new home, surrounded by smiling faces.
They kept piling food onto my plate. I laughed and I cried—and every bite tasted better than the last.
After dinner, I sat on the balcony, looking out over the complex below and then back into the warm, lit living room.
It was beautiful. I couldn't stop looking.
Elena walked up beside me and draped her arms around my neck. "The household register is in my drawer. Tomorrow we'll go to the civil affairs office and make it official. Then we'll visit my parents. You've got the money for the marriage certificate, right? Did you save enough making electrical fixtures?"
"I told you I wasn't on sewing machine duty—I was the electrician... But yeah, I saved enough. Let me check the map first, though. I need to see if the bus routes changed while I was inside."
"No need."
Elena suddenly pulled out a car key and pressed it toward the parking lot below.
Downstairs, a small car flashed its lights.
I stared at it, stunned, and she said, "I don't need you to buy me a Mercedes or a BMW. Anywhere you are feels safe to me. An ordinary apartment, an ordinary car, an ordinary life—as long as you're there, I'm content. Forgive me for leaving when things were hardest for you."
I wrapped my arms around her and whispered, "Forgive me for putting you through so much worry."
"We forgive each other. I still love you very much."
"I love you too. More than ever... forever and always."