Night Wanderer

Chapter 49 On this day, I devoured my own conscience

"Panic is temporary, and so are the symptoms."

Zong Ying turned and looked toward the door, but Sheng Qingrang, seemingly afraid of disturbing her sleep, didn't rush to knock or come in.

She let out a breath of relief and rested by the window for a while. In the western wind and setting sun, she could truly feel that autumn had arrived in Shanghai.

He stood outside the door for about half an hour. Zong Ying took the initiative to open the door. She saw him carrying a briefcase in one hand and two pieces of clothing in the other. The mud stains on the clothes had dried. He had washed his face, but he looked even more tired.

She asked, "Everything settled?"

Sheng Qingrang nodded and handed her the clothes. Zong Ying looked at the time and said, "Only a few hours left. I won't bother changing."

It was six o'clock in the afternoon, four hours before ten o'clock in the evening.

Both of them had long been sleep-deprived. Now, in this rare moment of calm, neither had the energy to talk. They silently chose to rest as much as they could.

The warzone command post was in ruins. The doors and windows didn't close tightly. Damp night air surged in with the wind. There was no light, no bed — only a few bundles of straw and some torn tarps on the ground. The walls crumbled at a touch.

Sheng Qingrang slept by the wall, and Zong Ying slept next to him. When night fully descended, the temperature dropped sharply and the wind grew harsher. In such a volatile warzone, a moment of sleep was rare enough — even more so with a trustworthy companion by your side.

Sheng Qingrang's breathing was steady. Zong Ying, on the other hand, had a long dream — beginning on the operating table and ending after the surgery. The case was complicated, but it was ultimately a success.

When the two were sleeping soundly, the fourth brother came to deliver dinner. He stretched out his hand to push the door, and only opened it a little bit, and saw two people sleeping next to each other in the corner. The moonlight peeked in and spread a soft layer on the two people, showing a different kind of tranquility.

He looked for a few seconds, and finally closed the door, leaving only dinner at the door.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon gradually moved to the middle of the sky. Fourth Brother returned after completing security rounds, only to see that the dinner was still untouched.

He flung open the door, intending to tell them they could leave under the cover of night. But peering inside, he realized — the two figures by the wall were gone.

Startled, he walked in. On the hay pile was the set of clothes he had borrowed from the nurse — Zong Ying hadn't changed into them.

Next to the clothes was a note. On clean, white paper, only two stingy words were written: "Thank you."

The clothes were left — but where had they gone?

He grabbed the clothes and rushed out. Seeing an adjutant approaching, he asked, "Did you see those two leave? When did they go? How?"

Faced with the barrage of questions, the adjutant looked completely puzzled, removed his hat, and said, "I have no idea."

The two who disappeared returned to 2015. This day — nearing its end — was the International Day of Peace, as designated by UN Resolution 55/282.

The wind was warm, and the moon bright. The two stood by the roadside, the traffic lights switching in order. Everything that had happened during the day now felt like a dream.