Chapter 156: The Returning Traveler

Time flew by, and the leaves of the small tree outside the window turned yellow, then green again.

Unwittingly, two full years had passed.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!" Ye Yiyi hurriedly took the burger handed to her by Jiang Yao. "A-Yao, take good care of yourself at home. I'll be back tonight, and I've already booked a table at Spring Breeze in Ten Miles in advance."

Tonight was Ye Yiyi's birthday.

Over the past two years, Ye Yiyi's career had flourished.

Now, she had truly become a music diva in her own right.

Jiang Yao handed another cup of soy milk to Ye Yiyi. "Don't worry."

"No, no, I can't eat anymore. If I gain weight, I won't look good on camera," Ye Yiyi muttered as she rushed out the door.

Time could change many things in this world.

Take Ye Yiyi, for instance, who used to never watch her diet.

After Ye Yiyi left, the apartment fell empty and quiet, leaving Jiang Yao alone once again.

In the past two years, she had quit her jobs at the wedding planning company and Spring Breeze in Ten Miles, and had moved twice.

After finishing the script she needed to submit, Jiang Yao got into her electric wheelchair and went outside.

The wheelchair was personally chosen for her by Ye Yiyi, and their new home was specifically selected to accommodate her mobility needs.

The gentle evening breeze of summer brushed against her face.

In two years, it seemed as though nothing had changed, yet everything had changed.

Jiang Yao often recalled the night two years ago when He Yunqing came to bid her farewell; the night sky had been just as clear.

Everything felt as if it had happened only yesterday.

For two years, she had received no news of him whatsoever.

The man she had loved so deeply had vanished into thin air, as if he had never existed at all.

Cheng Yanchi, on the other hand, frequently kept in touch with Jiang Yao, chattering away, and had even been clamoring to return to China just a few days ago.

Several domestic clubs had already expressed interest in inviting him back as a coach.

Counting the days, Cheng Yanchi would be back from abroad in half a year at most.

Jiang Yao looked at her legs, knowing that it would be hard to keep her condition hidden from Cheng Yanchi much longer, and she was already prepared to tell him everything.

As long as she was still alive by then.

Ever since the incident with Jin Nana, Elder Jin's attitude toward Jiang Yao had cooled considerably.

Over the past two years, he only contacted her occasionally during major holidays to invite her to the Jin family estate, but Jiang Yao declined each invitation politely.

Before long, Ye Yiyi returned.

She came back somewhat intoxicated.

"I'm sorry, A-Yao. A group of people kept dragging me to drink until so late. Come on, let's go now."

"You've already had so much to drink, you shouldn't go out anymore."

"How can we not? I still have some great news to tell you!" Ye Yiyi said, bringing her hands out from behind her back with a mysterious look on her face. "Tada! I won an award!"

Looking at the trophy in Ye Yiyi's hands, Jiang Yao knew there was no stopping her until she drank her fill. "Let's go."

Spring Breeze in Ten Miles was as bustling as ever.

The waitstaff had changed over and over again, and very few people still recognized Jiang Yao.

Manager Zhao, however, remained firmly in his usual spot. The moment he caught sight of Jiang Yao, he warmly greeted her. "Ah, ever since you quit, it's been so hard to catch a glimpse of you."

As he spoke, he pushed her wheelchair while the group headed toward a private room, only to be interrupted by a sudden commotion near the entrance.

Jiang Yao couldn't help glancing toward the doorway.

A large crowd had gathered, their faces indistinguishable in the dim lighting, with some wearing caps and face masks pulled tightly over their features.

"They booked the table three days ago—there are about twenty people, and they took the largest private room," Manager Zhao explained. "No idea what big shot they're welcoming back."

Jiang Yao didn't think much of it and went to a small private room with Ye Yiyi.

Inside the lavishly decorated large private room, the noise was deafening.

A group of people were hooting and hollering loudly.

"Come, come, come! We must drink to our heart's content today."

"Tell me, when are you two planning to get married?"

The woman seated in the center of the room felt a flush of pink creep up her cheeks, whether from the alcohol or shyness, and she cast an affectionate glance at the man sitting beside her.

The man remained silent, lowering his gaze to take a quiet sip of his drink. The dim lighting cast a layer of detached melancholy over him.

"Yunqing," the woman prompted softly.

He Yunqing slowly raised his gaze. The emotion in his eyes was unreadable, but the corners of his lips curved into a flawless smile. "We should sit down and discuss it properly with the elders soon."

"Oh!"

Hearing him say this, the surrounding cheers grew even louder, and the crowd became increasingly excited. "Well, then, we really must congratulate you."

Jin Nana sat there, the flush on her face deepening.

"You two have known each other for so many years; I never imagined you'd actually end up together."

"Yeah, I'm starting to believe in love again."

"Oh, please, that's called childhood sweethearts. How could that person you just started dating recently possibly compare to them?"

Listening to the chatter around him, He Yunqing silently picked up his glass and drained it in one gulp.

Today's drink was sharp with a hint of bitterness.

I wonder if she made it?

With the drink settled in his stomach, He Yunqing stood up and walked outside to get some fresh air.

Spring Breeze in Ten Miles had undergone a major renovation over the past two years, and much of the interior had changed.

Only this atmosphere of decadent luxury remained entirely untouched.

This city had its own unique nocturnal romance, and Spring Breeze in Ten Miles was the very epitome of it.

It moved forward regardless of the twists and turns in anyone's life.

Walking over to the bar, the man's gaze swept indifferently across the young bartender on duty.

"Sir, what would you like to order?"

He Yunqing sat down. "Are you the only bartender here?"

The young bartender smiled. "No, there's another guy who's also a bartender, but we take turns, and he's off today. Is there a specific drink you wanted him to make? I can make most standard cocktails."

He Yunqing thought for a moment. "Rainy Night Murder, can you make it?"

The young bartender was momentarily startled. "I know a bit of it, but I can't quite nail the proportions. That was the previous bartender's signature drink."

"Make one," He Yunqing said flatly, and then added, as if casually, "What happened to the previous bartender?"

The bartender shook her—or rather, his—head. "She had already quit by the time I got here. I never met her, but I heard she left because she got sick."

"What illness?"

"Who knows? My guess is she just didn't want to work here anymore and used it as an excuse."

With that, he deftly mixed a glass of cocktail and slid it across the counter to He Yunqing. "Have a taste and see if it's right."

He Yunqing took a light sip.

A miss by an inch is as good as a mile; it tasted completely different from the drinks Jiang Yao used to make.

Watching He Yunqing's expression, the bartender instantly understood. "Sorry about that. I guess I didn't get the recipe right."

He Yunqing shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

Holding his drink, the man stood up, intending to return to the private room.

Just then, the persistent young bartender called out from behind, "Well, why don't you go back first, and I'll try mixing another one? I'll bring it to your private room once I get it right."