CH 4424

4424 The Other Side 393

It seemed to be noon. He could vaguely hear the sound of cooking coming from the open windows of some houses.

Immediately after, someone called out for the playful children to be home for dinner.

Under his feet was a newly paved cement path. This road seemed to have been an ordinary dirt road in the past, but after the city was built, it was transformed into a cement road.

However, it seemed to have been modified bit by bit. Therefore, the road surface had a patchy appearance that gave it a very shabby feeling.

He suddenly walked to a residence and stopped. From where he was, he could see a courtyard. The small courtyard was well-kept. Green grass, wisteria, and beautiful Chinese roses decorated the originally dilapidated courtyard.

He could not help being drawn to this courtyard. He took a few steps closer, but a few naughty children suddenly ran into him.

The group of children clearly did not notice him, a foreigner, and did not greet him before running off into the distance.

“Xiao Jie, wait for me…” A voice drew his attention. He turned around and saw a pretty little girl running past him in a huff.

In front of her, a little boy about her height stopped to wait for her.

“Hurry up!”

“How can I keep up with you when you’re going so fast?”

“You’re too slow.”

“We just ate. Don’t run so fast!”

“Got it.”

The two children held hands tightly and ran away again.

Gong Shaoying was deeply attracted by the two children and watched them run further and further away. Immediately after, he ran after them.

“Slow down.” He heard a woman calling after them worriedly. The voice was coming from a nearby window.

He carefully circled from the backyard to the front. To the residents of this district, the courtyard facing south was the main entrance, and the back was the back door.

A window at the back door was open. A woman was leaning against the side of the bed, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the two children run further and further away. Helpless, she sat down by the window.

From where he was, he could finally see clearly—it was her…

The person who had waited for him all her life, who had been thinking of him all her life…

“Qingcheng…” Gong Shaoying could feel his voice trembling.

His voice was so quiet that the woman clearly did not notice him. Instead, she was staring in the other direction, seemingly unsure of what she was waiting for.

Perhaps others would never understand how she felt, waiting by the window in this manner. Or how it felt to be waiting, with every last ounce of strength that one had.

Unease…

Fear…

Confusion…

Struggling…

All kinds of emotions at once.

The man could not help muttering, “Qingcheng…”

He walked towards the window.

When he got closer, the woman in the window casually glanced at him and then was stunned.

She saw him.

He stopped in his tracks, took a deep breath, and pursed his lips. However, he could no longer hold back his tears. After choking a few times, he finally spat out a mouthful of turbid air.

He looked at her with bloodshot eyes that were filled with longing.

“It’s me…” He said hoarsely.

The woman stood up abruptly and pushed open the window. There was only a short distance between them.