Chapter 32: Fear and Recognition
At night, I sat at the edge of the bed in the master bedroom, flipping through pictures of Xu Nian's past.
Qin Jinnan had raised him well. From the day he was born until now, at the age of 10, every year was documented in photographs.
Qin Jinnan came out of the bathroom. He lifted the covers and sat down next to me.
I instinctively curled my legs up, but before I could pull away, he had already wrapped his arm around my waist and back, pulling me into his embrace.
"Do you know when I first confirmed it was you?" he asked softly.
I tilted my head to look at him.
"Last month, on the 23rd, at 12 o'clock at night," he continued, his voice low and steady. "You were feeding the dog outside the bookstore. The car drove past, and all I could see was your side profile."
"I hadn't felt any emotional highs or lows in almost ten years, but in that moment, my heart was beating so fast, I thought it was going to burst out of my chest."
He gently rubbed my hand, his touch soothing. "But the system, it's always been a restless thing. For the past ten years, I didn't let it get the better of me, but it kept setting me up."
"I was afraid of chasing after a fleeting dream, of reaching for something only to find it was just a shadow in the water."
"That's why I recognized you, but I didn't dare get close. I was afraid that if I did, you would disappear again."
His arms were long and strong, wrapped securely around my waist.
I passively leaned into his shoulder, glancing at him sideways. My voice was soft as I asked, "So, you were in the company's safe passage that night. You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
Qin Jinnan paused, his expression slightly sheepish, before admitting, "Yes, I knew it was you. But I was too scared."
A man like Qin Jinnan, who always exuded confidence, was admitting his fear without hesitation.
"In these ten years, those countless long nights, I had many dreams where you were real. But every time I woke up, there was nothing left. I was afraid it was just another dream."
"That's why I watched you. I followed you. I asked the universe to make you appear before my eyes, over and over again."
"I dared not reach out and grab you until I was sure."