The White Olive Tree

Chapter 27

Watching Li Zan disappear into the boarding gate, Song Ran realized that the crew members of the flight she was supposed to be on had already disembarked.

A flight attendant, surprised, asked her, "Why are you still standing here? Hurry up and go."

"Sorry," Song Ran apologized, pulling her boarding suitcase and hurrying away.

She had just left the corridor when her phone rang, displaying an unfamiliar number from Liangcheng.

She immediately answered, "Hello? Yes?"

There was a pause on the other end, as if Li Zan hadn't expected her to answer so quickly, before he said in a low voice, "It's me."

Stopping by a floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the tarmac outside, her heart skipped lightly as she said, "I know it's you."

"Oh," he said. "I just wanted to try the number, to see if I remembered it wrong."

"You got it right," she said, adding, "You have a good memory."

Realizing the redundancy of her statement, she thought to herself that if he didn't have above-average concentration and memory, how could he become an elite bomb disposal expert?

He asked, "Are you returning from a vacation?"

"Yeah, went to see my mom," she said. She thought he might wonder why her mother wasn't in Liangcheng, but she didn't explain, feeling there would be another time for that. "And you?" 

He hesitated before saying, "On a business trip."

"Is it something to do with bombs again?" she asked.

There was only the background noise of the busy surroundings on his end, and he didn't answer.

Soon, the sound of an in-flight announcement came through, and he said, "I have to hang up now."

"Safe travels," she wished.

"Mhm."

After hanging up, Song Ran looked out the window, seeing her reflection overlaid on the thin layer of indoor lighting on the glass, her lips pursed as she gazed outward.

Leaving the airport, it wasn't late, but winter nights fell early and it was still cold. On the way home, sitting in a taxi, she felt a chill that hadn't yet dissipated, clutching her phone tightly in her hand as if it were a vital talisman.

The next day at work, as Song Ran entered the TV station, colleagues she passed smiled at her. Confused, she reached the news department floor and entered the office area, only to find a large bouquet of flowers on her desk, with her colleagues all smiling at her.

Even more puzzled, she pulled out the card and read: "Congratulations to Reporter Song Ran for winning the gold medal at the Dutch International Photography Award with the photo CANDY. — Liangcheng Satellite TV News Department."

The card also had a thumbnail of the winning photo.

CANDY — SONG RAN.

"Congratulations!!!" The colleagues erupted in cheers.

Xiao Qiu came over and gave her a big hug. "Ran Ran, you're amazing! I knew you would win! The Pulitzer Prize hasn't been announced yet, but it's definitely yours!"

Song Ran closed the card with a smile. "Thank you."

People came forward to congratulate her:

"Song Ran, congratulations."

"You've become famous this time."

"Why be in a hurry? This is just a warm-up. The Pulitzer Prize in April is the real explosive news."