The street they were walking on was long as heck. These two ladies planned ahead and wore flats for their stroll. By the halfway mark, their feet were chill, but their stomachs were growling like crazy.

　　Between them, there were two restaurants, and sandwiched in the middle was this fancy boutique selling sandalwood combs.

　　"So, where are we grubbing?" Ling Hanlu pointed out the busy joints on both sides, waiting for Xu Shuping to make up her mind.

　　One place served Cantonese, the other Fujianese. Xu Shuping, facing the boutique, looked left and right with a puzzled expression. "Hanlu, you call the shots!"

　　"What's up with you? You've been off all day. Missing Da Bao and Er Bao, not used to being kid-free?" Ling Hanlu remembered Xu Shuping mentioning a couple of days back how her grandparents wanted to hang with the kids over the weekend.

　　"It's almost easier when they're causing a ruckus. Too much downtime gets my mind racing... Barely slept last night."

　　"Chill out. Let me decide then; let's hit up that Fujianese spot, cool?"

　　They headed over to the restaurant on their right.

　　The hostess greeted them with a big smile and sat them at the only open table by the window.

　　Noticing her friend's lack of interest in ordering, Ling Hanlu asked the waiter to suggest a few dishes. Meanwhile, Xu Shuping scoped out the place, checking out every detail of the decor—tables, chairs, lights, not missing a beat.

　　"Hanlu, I don't think the decor style here matches any ethnic theme. What do you think?"

　　"Seems kinda Americanized... But hey, I'm no expert. Long as the food's good, right? Just checked some reviews online, they seem solid."

　　"You know, that kid might be back home, hustling some business deal, even got himself a new work number. Probably forgot to charge the old one, didn't bother letting me know, huh?" Xu Shuping, piecing together her thoughts since they left home, finally concluded and read aloud.

　　"Yeah, could totally see that." Ling Hanlu nodded in agreement.

　　"Heh, that makes sense. Hey, where's our grub though? What'd you order, Hanlu?" Xu Shuping craned her neck towards the kitchen, flashing her first smile since they hit the street.

　　Finally, the last dish, Osmanthus sweet potato paste with lotus seeds, arrived. Ling Hanlu scooped some with a stainless steel spoon and offered Xu Shuping a bite. Before she could take it, Xu Shuping's phone rang.

　　Glancing at the number, she quickly declined the call. "Don't recognize 'em. Probably just another sales pitch."

　　"Oh, forget about that. Dig into this!" Ling Hanlu motioned towards the gorgeous dessert.

　　Both focused intently on tasting it.

　　However, two minutes later, the same number called again.

　　Xu Shuping glanced at Ling Hanlu. "Should I take this call again?"

　　"They're not giving up. Just go ahead and answer! Politely turn them down if needed!"

　　"Okay." Xu Shuping answered.

　　A young man's voice came through. "Hey, is this Ms. Xu Shuping?"

　　"Yeah, I'm not looking for a loan or buying a house, thanks!"

　　"Wait, don't hang up. Hi, I'm a friend of Liang Chen. He sent me to find you!"

　　"Liang...?" Xu Shuping looked up, meeting Ling Hanlu's eyes. Feeling somewhat relieved, she replied, "Alright, see you soon!"

　　2

　　The café they were meeting at wasn't far from the restaurant where they'd eaten. Ling Hanlu and Xu Shuping walked arm in arm towards it.

　　"Hanlu, can you believe that kid? Disappears for months and then comes back with a buddy to cover for him. Unbelievable!"

　　"Yeah."

　　"He's not gonna jump out from some corner, is he? That would be way too much, my heart can't take it! Haha..."

　　"Stay calm, stay calm." Ling Hanlu gently squeezed Xu Shuping's fingers, trying to share the little calm she had left with her friend. Panicking over something uncertain was almost impossible for the old Ling Hanlu.

　　"Are we there yet?" Xu Shuping asked, staring at the café's big sign.

　　"Yeah, we're here. You go ahead! I'll be right behind you." Ling Hanlu knew her role; she was just there for support. So, she naturally took a step back.

　　"Look at that row of booths, which one looks like it could be him? He sounded young, should be around Liang Chen's age..."

　　"I see one guy sitting alone. That's probably him."

　　"Hanlu, I don't want to go!" Xu Shuping turned to leave, but Ling Hanlu held her back.

　　"Shuping..."

　　At that moment, the only young man sitting alone in the booth stood up. He forced a slight smile and greeted the approaching women.

　　"I'm a friend of Liang Chen. Please, have a seat!"

　　Ling Hanlu left the seat facing the young man for Xu Shuping.

　　"Excuse me, which one of you is Ms. Xu...?" The man asked, a bit unsure, trying to figure out who was who.

　　"That's me." Xu Shuping answered while still scanning every corner of the café.

　　"Ms. Xu, I ordered a caramel macchiato for you. And for your friend, what would you like?"

　　"I'm good, I don't really drink coffee. Thanks!" Ling Hanlu felt an instant urge to vanish.

　　"Caramel macchiato... Did Liang Chen order it for me? I once told him it makes me happy... Where is he?" Xu Shuping's eyes sparkled with anticipation, like little fireflies from Ling Hanlu's perspective.

　　"Liang Chen... he went home."

　　"Home? Back to the south?"

　　"Yes. Ms. Xu, enjoy your coffee!" The man signaled the waiter to place the coffee in front of Xu Shuping.

　　"Alright." Xu Shuping took a sip. "Liang Chen mentioned he started a business with a friend. That's you, right?"

　　"Yes. How's the coffee?"

　　"It's great!"

　　"Good, haha..." The man seemed relieved but quickly became serious again. He pulled a thin brown envelope from his bag, holding it close to his chest. Looking ahead, he took a deep breath and said with a shaky voice, "Ms. Xu, I'm here to fulfill a wish of my good friend Liang Chen..."

　　"For him?"

　　"Yes, he can't come himself."

　　For the next twenty minutes, Xu Shuping held her head in her hands, staring intently at the brown envelope on the table as she listened to the man's story.

　　"Liang Chen and I were college roommates. We were really close. He didn't come from a wealthy family, and he struggled to find a decent job after graduation. So, when I suggested going abroad to take over a Chinese restaurant my distant relative was selling, he agreed."

　　The man explained that the local cost of living was low, so their primary customers were the local Chinese community. After a few months, business was doing well.

　　"It was still dark that day. Liang Chen and I were resting in our rented house when he heard something downstairs. He got up to check and saw a few local teenagers causing trouble. Across the street, there was a Chinese supermarket. The kids were piling up junk at the entrance and set it on fire. One of them even threw a burning stick through the window. We rushed down to drive them away. Liang Chen ran inside to save people. There was a mother and her little daughter inside. Just as Liang Chen was carrying the girl out, there was an explosion. He threw the child out..."

　　"Mm..." Xu Shuping continued staring at the table.

　　"He was in the hospital for two days. He was conscious for a while and told me a few things. One of them was to repay his debt. This card," the man pointed to the brown envelope, "has 210,000 yuan. He wanted to apologize to you. The remaining 90,000 yuan plus interest, he can't repay in this life. He said he'll repay it in the next life, even if he has to be a horse or ox. This caramel macchiato is his apology gift. Ms. Xu, I'm sorry!"

　　Xu Shuping never looked up, letting her tears fall on the envelope, soaking it into a deep brown blotch. The man stood to leave, but she grabbed him.

　　"Did he suffer?" Xu Shuping asked, her teeth chattering.

　　"Liang Chen was a real hero. I couldn't match his bravery. I didn't dare to rush in. Pain... except for when he was giving his final instructions, he was mostly unconscious. He probably didn't feel much pain. Ma'am, I'm so sorry for your loss."

　　When it was just the two women left in the booth, Xu Shuping couldn't hold back her trembling any longer. She clutched the envelope tightly to her chest, sobbing quietly as saxophone music played in the background.

　　Ling Hanlu held her, letting her release her grief in the small space.

　　"Hanlu, do you think Liang Chen knew I never expected him to repay the money?"

　　"To the end, Liang Chen was grateful to you. You were a light in his tough life. And now, he's up there lighting your way. Shuping, he would want you to live your life fully."

　　"Live my life... But the only person in the world who truly understood me is gone. The only one who could hear the sadness in my nocturnes is gone. Not just gone for now, but forever."

　　"Shuping..." Ling Hanlu held her tightly. "Liang Chen is gone, but if he could take your sorrow with him, he'd be at peace, don't you think?"

　　"Hanlu, I've been practicing a new piece at home lately. Sometimes, when it's inconvenient at home, I go to the music store after work to practice for half an hour. I was never this diligent in school. I thought, if Liang Chen ever got tired of wandering and came back, he might remember the Xu sister who played nocturnes for him. Or Xu Auntie? I should have a new piece ready for him to listen to!"

　　"Let's go practice at the music store now, okay, Shuping?"

　　"Do you think he can hear it?"

　　"Yes, he can hear it. Everything has a spirit, especially angels, right?"

　　"Yeah, angels... Okay, I'll listen to you. Let's go right now!"

　　The two women, arms linked, jogged out of the café.

　　In the afternoon sunlight, tourists bustled about, their steps relaxed and leisurely. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the simple pleasures of life within arm's reach. Xu Shuping's eyes were red and swollen. As she watched groups of people chatting and laughing, each with their own hidden stories behind their smiles, she began to feel timid.

　　Ling Hanlu took Xu Shuping’s hand, interlocking their fingers to give her strength. She nodded toward the road ahead. "Let's head to the music store! Should we grab a cab at the corner?"

　　"No, let’s run!"

　　"Are you sure?"

　　"Yeah! Young people always say they run to see the ones they love. Let’s run to do what we love. What do you say?"

　　"Shu..." Ling Hanlu looked up, holding back her tears, then glanced at Xu Shuping. This woman, with tear-streaked cheeks and disheveled hair, had a clip stubbornly holding together her messy hairstyle. Ling Hanlu took it off and fixed her hair anew, then, gathering all her strength, took a deep breath and said, "Let's go!"