Qingran’s eyes softened, her throat tightening at the tenderness in his voice. She pressed the phone closer, as if doing so would bring him nearer. "You say the sappiest things when you’re not around," she whispered, blinking back the sting in her eyes.
"I’ll say them every day if it ans you’ll smile like that," Feng Yizhou said, his tone warm and breathless. "Tu es mon amour. Mon monde. Without you, the days have no light."
Qingran let out a quiet laugh. "French now?"
"I’ve been studying," he said proudly. "Te quiero, Qingran. Eres mi corazón."
"You’ve been studying that much?"
"I want to tell you I love you in every language I can find. Wo ai ni. Saranghae. Aishiteru. You are—my whole world."
She exhaled shakily, heart full. "Yizhou..."
"Qingran," he murmured. "You’re everything to . Everything. If I could trade places with you right now, I would. Just to hold your hand again. To make you rest. You always carry everything alone."
"I have to," she said quietly. "If I don’t, no one will."
"You don’t," he countered gently. "Not anymore. Not with . Even if I’m far, even if I’m useless over the phone—I’ll still walk with you. Every damn step."
She closed her eyes, holding the phone tighter. "You’re not useless. You’re the reason I can still keep going without falling apart."
He was silent for a breath. Then: "in Liebling. My love. My light. Promise you’ll be careful."
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"I will."
"Promise you’ll let soone help you when it’s too much."
"...Okay."
"I love you, Qingran. Always."
She swallowed hard. "I love you too."
Just then, Lingquan’s system voice echoed faintly in her ear.
[One minute left.]
Qingran hesitated, then whispered, "Do a favor?"
"Anything."
"Say it one more ti."
Feng Yizhou didn’t even pause. "I love you. Te amo. Je t’ai. Ti amo. Saranghaeyo. I’ll say it a thousand tis when I see you again."
The line went silent.
Qingran stared at the screen for a long mont before putting the phone away, clutching it to her chest like a lifeline.
Then she took a deep breath and turned back to the board.
It was ti to protect the future she wanted to return to.
Qingran stared at the blank screen for a beat longer, as if willing Feng Yizhou’s voice to linger just a mont more. Then, with a quiet exhale, she tucked the phone into her lap and turned toward the stairs.
"Now for the second half of this favor," she muttered, pushing herself up and heading down to the 39th floor.
She found ng Nian where she expected—leaning over the balcony rail, eyes scanning the distance like he could will Haoyu into view.
"ng Nian," she called gently.
He turned, a flicker of surprise softening into curiosity as she approached.
She held up the phone. "Lingquan gave ten minutes of cell service. I used six. The rest is yours—four minutes. You can talk to Haoyu."
For a second, ng Nian didn’t speak. His lips parted, eyes searching her face for any hint of a joke. But Qingran simply held the phone out with a faint smile.
"You’re serious?"
"I wouldn’t tease about sothing like this," she said. "Four minutes. Make them count."
ng Nian accepted the phone slowly, reverently, like it was a precious relic. His fingers trembled as he swiped through to Haoyu’s contact and tapped the call button.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then—"Hello?"
Haoyu’s voice ca through, unmistakably bright even through static.
ng Nian let out a breath like he’d been underwater too long. "Haoyu. It’s ."
"ng Nian?" Haoyu gasped. "You—how are you calling ? Is this really you?"
"It’s ," ng Nian said, a shaky laugh escaping. "Qingran made it happen. I don’t have long. Only four minutes."
"I’ll take them. I’ll take all of them," Haoyu said fervently. "God, it’s good to hear your voice."
Qingran turned and left them alone, climbing back upstairs without looking back. The mont wasn’t hers. But it felt just as important.
"Neither did I."
ng Nian turned away from the hallway and pressed his back against the wall, sinking slowly to a crouch. "Are you okay? Are you safe? Have you been eating properly? Drinking water?"
"I’m fine," Haoyu said, although his voice cracked just slightly. "The place I’m in isn’t great, but it’s safe enough for now. I keep thinking about you. Wondering if you’re still out there, if you made it."
"I made it. I’ve been helping Qingran. We’re at a hotel, fortified. Safe, for now. She’s got all these plans. A dam, can you believe it?"
Haoyu laughed softly. "Sounds like her. Is she still bossing everyone around?"
"Like a general," ng Nian said, a smile slipping into his voice. "But a good one. She’s trying to keep everyone alive."
"I’m glad she’s okay. And I’m glad you’re with her." Haoyu’s voice softened. "I wish I could be there too. I’ve been dreaming about you, you know."
ng Nian closed his eyes. " too."
There was silence for a mont. Not the kind that felt awkward—but one that wrapped around them like a blanket, filled with things unspoken but understood. Like a breath shared between two people who knew ti was running short.
"I miss you," Haoyu said at last, barely above a whisper.
"I miss you too," ng Nian replied. "Every day. This world is hell, but just hearing you for even one minute makes it bearable."
They didn’t talk about the future. About when they might see each other again. Neither of them wanted to waste precious seconds on uncertainty. Only the now mattered.
A static beep interrupted them—Lingquan’s warning that the last minute had begun.
"ng Nian," Haoyu said quickly, "promise sothing?"
"Anything."
"Stay alive. No matter what. I need to see you again. So don’t do anything reckless."
ng Nian’s hand tightened around the phone. "You stay alive too. I’ll co to you, I swear. I’ll find a way."
Another beep. Ten seconds left.
"I love you," Haoyu said, not hurried, but with deep certainty. "I’ve co to accept that I’m waiting for us to be together."
"I love you too," ng Nian whispered, barely able to speak past the lump in his throat. "Always."
And then the line went dead.
ng Nian sat there for a while, phone still pressed to his ear, unwilling to move, unwilling to break the fragile peace those four minutes had granted him.
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