The Remaining Warmth Of Fog Harbor Chapter 47
byBad news and thunder
Lu Wanheng has been in the seaside town under the jurisdiction of Qingchuan City for seven days. She learned this from a private detective.
In these seven days, she visited almost every street and every corner of the town.I get up before dawn in the morning, carry a stack of missing persons posters, and post them along the seaside trail, from the fishing port in the east of the town to the old neighborhood in the west of the town. I buy a rice ball at a roadside stall at noon, and while eating it, I ask the shopkeepers and passers-by, “Have you ever seen a girl with a foggy port sound and who likes to draw?”; in the evening, I sit on the rocks, take out my sketchbook and draw the seascape of the day., wrote a letter to a non-existent address, and did not return to the rented B&B until it was completely dark – it was a cramped attic with a monthly rent of 300 yuan. It only had a squeaky wooden bed and a desk with peeling paint. There was rain leaking in the corner, but he didn’t care. As long as he could be closer to the place where Shen Zhiyi might appear, he could bear it no matter how hard it was.
She has very little money left. Most of the money she gained from selling her assets has been spent on private detective fees, transportation expenses, and printing fees for missing persons notices. Now she only has a few thousand dollars in cash left in her pocket, and she can barely afford next month’s rent.But he didn’t dare to stop, and he couldn’t stop. The painting supplies store owner’s words, “Girls with a foggy port voice often come here to buy watercolors” were like a life-saving straw, tightly clenched in his hand, supporting him through one desperate day and night after another.
She always felt that if she looked for another day or another place, she would be able to see that familiar figure.She even rehearsed countless reunion scenes in her mind: she would rush over and hug her, whether she wanted to or not, whether she would push her away or not, she would tell her all the truth, all her thoughts, all her guilt; she would tell her that she didn’tEngaged with Zhou Xi, she broke away from her father’s house arrest, she gave up everything about the Lu family, and he came only for her; she would beg her for forgiveness, and beg her to give her a chance to make amends, even if it was just to let her stay with her, be a stranger, and take care of her silently, she would be willing to do so.
That afternoon, she was posting a missing person notice at the vegetable market at the entrance of the town.The vegetable market is bustling with people, and the fishy smell, the green smell of vegetables, and the oily aroma of cooked food are mixed together, and it is full of fireworks.She stepped on the wet stone road and posted the missing person notice on the bulletin board of the vegetable market. As soon as she posted it, she heard the aunt selling seafood next to her calling him: “Little girl, I think I have seen this girl you are looking for!”
Lu Wanheng’s heart suddenly rose to his throat. He turned around suddenly and rushed to Auntie quickly, his voice trembling with excitement: “Auntie, have you seen her? Have you really seen her? Where is she? Is she okay now?”
The aunt was startled by his reaction. She was stunned and then said slowly: “A few days ago, there was a girl who came to buy shrimps. Her accent is a bit like yours. She is also thin and tall. She is wearing a mask and can’t see her face clearly, but she has a painting folder in her hand, which seems to be for painting.”
“Picture folder?” Lu Wanheng’s eyes lit up and he asked eagerly, “What color is she wearing? How old is she? Did she say where she was going?”
“He was wearing a light blue coat. He looked to be in his twenties. He didn’t say where he was going. He just bought some shrimp and left.” The aunt tried hard to remember, “It seemed to be heading towards the beach.”
In the direction of the seaside?Lu Wanheng immediately looked outside the vegetable market. Not far away was the coastline. The sun was shining on the sea, making the waves sparkle.He didn’t bother to say thank you, turned around and ran towards the beach, his heart beating wildly and his chest filled with unprecedented hope.The light blue jacket, the picture folder, the foggy port accent, these all matched Shen Zhiyi, it must be her, it must be her!
He ran along the seaside trail, staring ahead, afraid of missing any figure.The sea breeze blew in his face, carrying a salty breath, and ruffled his hair, but he didn’t notice it at all. He just kept running and shouting: “Zhiyi! Shen Zhiyi! Where are you? I’m Wanheng! I’m coming to find you!”
Her voice was hoarse and full of tears, echoing along the empty coastline, but received no response.He ran for a long time until he was exhausted and collapsed on the beach, gasping for air.The beach was so hot from the sun that it made his knees hurt, but the heat in his heart cooled down little by little.
She looked around. Except for a few tourists walking, there was no figure in the light blue coat that the aunt mentioned.Maybe the aunt remembered it wrong, maybe she came a step too late, and she had already left.
Huge disappointment came over him like a tidal wave, drowning him.She lay on the beach, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably, her tears mixed with sweat and sand, soaking the beach beneath her.She has been searching for so long, traveled to so many cities, and suffered so much hardship, why can’t she still be found?Did they really miss each other like this?
Just then, the phone in his pocket rang.This is a cheap mobile phone for the elderly that she bought. It has no other functions except making and receiving calls. The only people who know this number are private detectives and B&B owners.She thought the private detective had a clue, so she quickly wiped away her tears, took out her cell phone and answered the call.
“Hello, hello.” His voice was still heavily nasal and hoarse.
A strange, serious male voice came from the other end of the phone: “Is this Ms. Lu Wanheng?”
“I am,” Lu Wanheng’s heart tightened, with an ominous premonition, “Who are you? What’s the matter?”
“We are the police from the Haibin Police Station of the Qingchuan City Public Security Bureau,” the policeman’s voice paused, as if he was considering his words, “We received a report here. A female deceased was found on the beach in Qingchuan City’s Haibin Town. After identity verification, the deceased’s name was Shen Zhiyi. You are her registered emergency contact, so I called you to inform you.”
“The deceased…Shen Zhiyi…”
These words were like thunder, hitting Lu Wanheng on the head hard, making her freeze in place instantly.Her mind went blank, her ears were buzzing, and she didn’t hear a word of what the police said.She couldn’t believe her ears. There must have been a mistake. The police must have identified the wrong person. How could Zhiyi die?She is so kind, so strong, she is still so young, and she still has so many unfinished dreams, how could she die?
“Comrade police, have you made a mistake?” Lu Wanheng’s voice was filled with tears, and his body was shaking uncontrollably. “It’s impossible, Zhiyi will not die. You must have mistaken the wrong person! She just left Wugang, she is in Qingchuan, she is still alive, you must have made a mistake!”
“Ms. Lu, please calm down,” the policeman’s voice was still serious, but with a hint of sympathy. “We have verified the deceased’s ID information. It is indeed Ms. Shen Zhiyi, and her belongings were found at the scene, including her painting folder, ID card and some drawings. We have confirmed that there is no mistake.”
Paint folders, ID cards, drawings… these are all personal things. The police even found these. Could it be… could all of this be true?
Lu Wanheng’s heart seemed to be grasped tightly by an invisible hand, and the pain made her unable to breathe.Her eyesight went dark and she almost fainted. Fortunately, she managed to stand still by holding on to the rocks next to her.Tears were like broken beads, pouring out of her eyes crazily, blurring her vision.She thought of the breakup letter Shen Zhiyi wrote when she left, the “severe depression” mentioned in her letter, her pale and haggard appearance, and what the hospital doctor said “depression causes myocardial ischemia and requires special care.”
It’s her, it’s all her fault!If she had not been under house arrest by her father, if she could break free earlier, if she could find Zhiyi earlier, if she could be by her side to take care of her, Zhiyi would not have died, and Zhiyi would not have left this world alone!
The huge guilt and pain were like two mountains, weighing her down and making her breathless.She screamed into the phone: “How did she die? When did she die? Where did you find her? Did she say anything at the end?”
“The deceased was discovered by the homeowner early this morning in a seaside cabin in a seaside town. After preliminary identification, the cause of death was acute myocardial infarction, which may be related to complications caused by long-term depression,” the policeman said in a low voice. “No other messages other than a suicide note were found at the scene. There were paintbrushes and unfinished sketches scattered around her. Ms. Lu, would it be convenient for you to come to the police station now? I need you to confirm the identity of the deceased and go through the relevant procedures.”
Acute myocardial infarction…complications…
Lu Wanheng’s body went limp and he collapsed on the beach.She finally understood how much pain Zhiyi had endured these days.She not only had to fight the psychological torture caused by severe depression, but also endured the physical pain caused by myocardial ischemia, and she carried it all alone, without anyone to accompany her or take care of her.
“I’ll be here right away,” Lu Wanheng’s voice was broken and hoarse. “Please protect her body and her belongings. I’ll be there right away!”
After hanging up the phone, Lu Wanheng almost got up on his hands and knees and ran towards the police station like crazy.She didn’t know where the police station was specifically, but she only knew it was probably near the town government.She ran through the vegetable market, the commercial street, and the residential area, knocking down several people along the way. She turned a deaf ear to other people’s accusations and abuses. She only had one thought in her mind: hurry up, hurry up, she wants to see her acquaintance, she wants to confirm that it is not true, and she wants to accompany her, even if it is just the last journey.
She ran to the side of the road, stopped a taxi, and handed almost all the cash she had to the driver: “Master, hurry up, go to the Haibin Police Station, the sooner the better, I’m sorry to bother you, please!”
The driver was startled by her appearance. Seeing that she was crying heartbrokenly and sweating profusely with anxiety, he didn’t dare to delay. He immediately started the car and sped away in the direction of the police station.
The car was driving on a narrow street, and Lu Wanheng was sitting in the passenger seat, clenching her fists with her hands tightly, her nails digging into her palms, and blood seeping out between her fingers, but she felt no pain at all.Her eyes were fixed on the front, tears kept flowing, and she kept chanting: “Zhiyi, wait for me, you must wait for me, I’m coming, I’m coming soon…”
She thought of their couple’s bookmark, which she had always carried with her, rubbing the notches on it every day, thinking that when she found her true love, she would put the bookmarks back together again; she thought of the seascapes she had painted, each of which was sent to that non-existent address.She thought that when she found Zhiyi, she would give her all these paintings and tell her what the sea in each city looked like; she thought of the old studio she rented in Wugang, and thought that when she found Zhiyi, she would take her back to the place where they first met and start over.
But now, all this is in vain.Zhiyi is gone, she has left forever and will never come back.
When the car turned at an intersection, an electric car suddenly rushed out. The driver slammed on the brakes, and the tires made a screeching sound on the ground.Due to his inertia, Lu Wanheng hit the front windshield hard. His forehead immediately became red and swollen, and a heartbreaking pain came.
“Are you okay?” The driver quickly turned around and asked her.
“I’m fine,” Lu Wanheng covered his forehead, his voice still urgent, “Master, leave me alone, hurry up, keep walking, go to the police station, I want to see her quickly!”
The driver looked at the wound on her forehead and her anxious expression. He sighed helplessly and started the car again.But not long after walking, the owner of the electric car shouted from behind: “Hey! You hit someone and want to run away? Stop!”
The driver had to stop again. The owner of the electric car had already caught up with him. He was a middle-aged man. He pointed at the bumper of the car and said angrily: “Look, you hit my car. It’s deformed. You have to pay for it!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Lu Wanheng quickly took out the remaining few hundred yuan in cash from his pocket and stuffed it all into the middle-aged man. “Brother, I have something urgent. I have to go to the police station. You can keep the money. If it’s not enough, I will make up for it later. Please let us go?”
The middle-aged man looked at the money in her hand, then at the injury on her forehead and her eyes that were red from crying. He hesitated for a moment, but finally took the money and muttered, “Forget it, be careful when driving next time.”
The car finally started again and drove towards the police station.Lu Wanheng leaned on her seat, the pain in her forehead getting more and more severe, and her eyesight went dark, but she didn’t care.Compared to the pain in my heart, what does this physical pain mean?
Like a movie playing in her mind, every detail of how she and Shen Zhiyi met and fell in love flashed through her mind.
She recalled the first time she met Shen Zhiyi in Wugang Studio. She was wearing a white dress, sitting by the window painting, and the sun was shining on her, as beautiful as an angel.She mustered up the courage to go over and talk to her, clumsily praising her for her good painting. Thinking about it now, she was really stupid at that time.
She remembered the first time she had dinner with Shen Zhiyi. She was so nervous that her palms were sweating. She accidentally knocked over the water glass and wet her pants. Shen Zhiyi did not laugh at her, but smiled and handed her a tissue. At that moment, her heart was beating fast. She knew that she was completely lost.
She remembered the night when she confessed her love to Shen Zhiyi. She knelt down on one knee, holding a simple ring in her hand, and was so nervous that she couldn’t speak coherently. Shen Zhiyi smiled and agreed to her. She picked her up excitedly and turned her around several times, her heart filled with happiness.
She recalled the days when they decorated the apartment together. She was sweating while moving furniture, and Shen Zhiyi accidentally soiled her fingers while painting. The two looked at each other and smiled, and there was a sweet smell in the air.
She remembered that when Shen Zhiyi was ill, she stayed by her side, cooked porridge for her, gave her medicine, held her hand, and told her, “I’m here, don’t be afraid.”
But now, she is gone.The person who made her laugh the most and cry the saddest, the person she swore to protect for the rest of her life, the person she gave up everything to find, left forever.
The car finally arrived at the Haibin Police Station.Lu Wanheng pushed open the car door and rushed in almost staggering.The lobby of the police station was quiet, with several police officers sitting at their desks handling official duties.She immediately spotted the familiar picture folder placed in the corner. It was her birthday gift to Shen Zhiyi. It was off-white and had small daisies painted by herself.
“Comrade police, I’m here, I’m Lu Wanheng,” she rushed to the police with a hoarse voice, “Where is Shen Zhiyi? Where is she? Let me see her, please let me see her!”
The policeman looked at her haggard appearance, with blood on her forehead, and her eyes were full of sympathy.One of the policemen stood up and patted her shoulder gently: “Ms. Lu, please calm down first and come with me.”
The police took her into a lounge. On the table in the lounge were Shen Zhiyi’s belongings: picture folder, ID card, mobile phone, wallet, and a familiar canvas bag.Lu Wanheng walked to the table, stretched out his hand tremblingly, and picked up Shen Zhiyi’s ID card.The photo on the ID card was taken before Shen Zhiyi fell ill. Her eyes were clear and her smile was gentle, exactly as she remembered it.
“This is her thing,” the policeman said from the side, “We have sorted it out, please confirm.”
Lu Wanheng didn’t say anything, he just picked up the canvas bag and unzipped it.Inside were a few simple pieces of clothing, a set of painting tools, and a bottle of quick-acting Jiuxin Pills.The lid of the medicine bottle was open, and there were a few small white pills left inside.She picked up the medicine bottle and touched the cold glass with her fingertips. Her heart hurt like a knife.She could imagine how painful and helpless Zhiyi felt at the last moment of his life.
“Where is her body?” Lu Wanheng raised his head, tears welling up in his eyes again, “I want to see her, I want to see her one last time.”
The policeman was silent for a moment and nodded: “Follow me.”
The police took her into the morgue.The morgue was freezing cold and filled with the smell of disinfectant.Shen Zhiyi’s body was lying on a white stretcher, covered with a white sheet.
Lu Wanheng’s steps were as heavy as lead, and every step he took was like stepping on the tip of a knife.She walked to the stretcher and looked at the face covered with a sheet, feeling filled with fear and reluctance.She was afraid to see Zhiyi’s cold look, afraid to confirm that all this was true, but she wanted to see her again, to see her for the last time.
She reached out with a trembling hand and gently lifted the sheet.
Shen Zhiyi was lying there, her face as pale as paper, her lips chapped, and her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was still suffering from pain.Her eyes were closed tightly, never to open again, never to look at her again.She was wearing the light blue coat, the one the market lady mentioned, and she was holding a paintbrush tightly in her hand.
“Zhiyi…” Lu Wanheng’s voice was so broken that she knelt down in front of the stretcher and stretched out her hand, wanting to touch Shen Zhiyi’s face, but just as her fingertips were about to touch, she retracted again.She was afraid of disturbing her and that she would not sleep peacefully.
“Zhiyi, I’m here, I’m here to find you,” she lay beside the stretcher, crying uncontrollably. “Why didn’t you wait for me? How could you just leave? Didn’t you say you wanted to start a new life? Didn’t you say you wanted to work hard to live? Why don’t you keep your words?”
“Zhiyi, I’m sorry, I’m sorry that I came late, I’m sorry that I didn’t protect you, I’m sorry that I made you endure so much pain alone,” her cry was sad and desperate, echoing in the cold morgue, “It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault. If you didn’t know me, if you weren’t with me, you wouldn’t have suffered so much, and you wouldn’t have died. Zhiyi, I’m sorry for you…”
Her body was shaking uncontrollably, and the wound on her forehead began to bleed again due to her emotional excitement, dripping onto the white sheet like dazzling red roses.She didn’t care, she just held on to the edge of the stretcher tightly, calling Shen Zhiyi’s name over and over again, saying she was sorry over and over again.
The policeman stood aside, looking at her painful appearance, and couldn’t help but have red eyes.They had seen too many separations between life and death, but such heart-wrenching pain still made them feel distressed.
Lu Wanheng cried for a long time. She slowly calmed down until her tears dried up and her voice became hoarse and she could no longer make a sound.She reached out her hand, gently smoothed Shen Zhiyi’s frown, and gently arranged her hair. Her movements were as gentle as handling a rare treasure.
“Zhiyi, don’t be afraid,” her voice was soft and hoarse, with a strong sense of longing, “I will stay with you, and I will never let you be alone again. Don’t worry, I will take care of your funeral affairs, and I will bury you at the beach you like, so that you can hear the sound of the waves every day.”
“Zhiyi, I will always be with you. No matter where you are, I will be with you.” She leaned down and gently pressed a kiss on Shen Zhiyi’s forehead. The kiss was cold and desperate. “I love you, Zhiyi. I will love you in this life, the next life, and the next life.”
The air conditioning in the morgue was getting heavier and heavier, making her tremble all over, but she was unwilling to leave.She wanted to spend more time with Zhiyi, see her more, and imprint her image deeply in her heart, and would never forget her.
She thought of the couple’s bookmarks, took out her own one from her pocket, and found another one in Shen Zhiyi’s canvas bag.She put the two bookmarks together and held them tightly in her hands. The wood of the bookmarks was warm, but she could no longer feel any warmth.
The fog in Wugang disappeared, and the sunshine in Qingchuan came out, but her world was plunged into darkness forever.She broke away from the control of her family, got rid of worldly prejudices, and gave up her wealth and status, but in the end, they still couldn’t keep her.
She won the whole world, but lost to her.
Lu Wanheng sat in the cold morgue, holding the couple’s bookmarks and guarding Shen Zhiyi’s body, like a soulless sculpture.She knew that her life was over from the moment she received that phone call.For the rest of her days, she lived only for Shen Zhiyi, only to protect her relics and their memories until the end of her life.
The sea breeze from Qingchuan blows into the morgue, carrying a salty smell, as if mourning for this love that ended in vain.The remaining warmth of Fog Harbor finally dissipated, leaving only endless regrets and eternal longings, flowing quietly in the long river of time.
Banxia novel, a lot of fun