Chapter 69 District 11 Island

Chapter 69: Zone 11 Island

A violent roar filled his ears. Tan Youming gripped his phone tightly, the fierce wind howling around the skyscraper, casting him into an unsettling sense of suspended insecurity. His throat constricted, fearing this was yet another sensory hallucination, a dream so fragile it would shatter at the slightest touch.

His mouth hung open, unable to produce a sound. Anxiety gripped his heart until a clear, certain repetition came from the other end.

"Tan Youming."

Only then did the named man regain his breath. He swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "Is that really you?" So hesitant, so cautious, afraid it might be another auditory hallucination.

"Mhm," the other end replied. "It's me."

Tan Youming's eyes welled up instantly.

"Tan Youming, don't cry."

Tan Youming's throat ached, his lips trembling. "Where are you?" His tone was as light as a cloud, carrying the joy of something lost and found, yet wrapped in a hint of poorly concealed grievance.

"Zone 11 Island."

Tan Youming quickly snapped to attention, decisively turning away from the balcony. "I'm coming to find you."

"Take your time. I'll wait for you."

"Don't hang up!" Tan Youming blurted out. "Just like this, keep the line open. You—you keep talking to me."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Don't cry."

He hurried back to the office, switched to using headphones. The other person's breathing felt closer, yet instead of feeling reassured, Tan Youming grew even more frantic as he packed his luggage. Yang Shiyan quickly arranged for a boat.

Zone 11 Island was an entirely artificial island built for offshore oil refining—remote, isolated, without even an official name, let alone an airport. Even the fastest commercial speedboat would take over five hours to reach it.

On the vast sea, Tan Youming's emotions churned like the turbulent waves. "I-I'm on the boat now. Wait for me. I'll be there soon, very soon."

"Mhm, I'll wait for you at the dock."

The signal was weak, the voice coming through the headphones was slightly distorted. Fearful of losing the connection again, Tan Youming emphasized, "Don't hang up. Don't hang up."

"I won't."

His heart aching as he leaned against the railing, Tan Youming poured out the worries he had suppressed for three hundred ninety-four days and nights. "Are you... okay? Were you hurt? How's your health?"

The reply was as succinct as ever: "I'm fine. No injuries. My health is good."

Tan Youming couldn't help asking, "Then why... did it take so long to find me?" He truly wasn't complaining—just unable to hold back or hide a hint of grievance, just a little, not too much.

There was silence on the other end for a moment, sounding both helpless and apologetic. "I'm sorry. I... forgot many things. Only recently did I slowly remember." To be precise, it was only in the past two days that the pieces of his memory finally clicked into place.

Shen Zongnian had been swept into ocean currents after falling into the sea and drifted near Zone 11 Island, where he was rescued by an offshore oil engineer. However, due to hitting a reef, he lost his memory. Coincidentally, the oil refining team was short-staffed during the peak season, so they took him in on the island.

Tan Youming gripped the railing tightly, feeling both sorrow and urgency. "That must have been very painful."

"It wasn't painful."

"Was it exhausting there?"

"Not exhausting." Shen Zongnian had always been able to endure hardship. The workload on the drilling platform was heavy, and the risks were high, but it was within his tolerance.

"Tan Youming, what about you?" Shen Zongnian didn't dare imagine how Tan Youming, who suffered from separation anxiety, had endured this past year. When the final piece of his memory puzzle fell into place, what he felt first wasn't the return of his memories but a distant, overwhelming sense of pain.

"Are you okay?"

Tan Youming looked up at the sky, his voice hoarse as he held back tears. "Shen Zongnian."

"I missed you."

The other end fell silent.

Tan Youming murmured without thinking, "If you hadn't shown up soon, I really—I really—"

The breathing from the other end of the phone grew heavier.

"But I didn't dare. I hadn't found you yet, and I was afraid that if you came back, you wouldn't be able to find me—"

"Tan Youming, Tan Youming," Shen Zongnian's heart grew frantic. He interrupted, quickly soothing him, "I'm sorry."

He repeated, "I'm sorry I took so long to remember."

"That damned parrot learned to imitate the old man, shouting 'Nian'er, come home' every day. It was noisy, but it fooled me every time. I really ran out to the yard to look every time, but you never came back."

"Ms. Guan made longevity noodles on the winter solstice. I ate last year's portion for you. It was terrible. This year, you have to eat mine for me. Also, last New Year, we didn't take a family photo. Dad said without you, it wasn't a complete family. We have to wait for you to come back to take it together."

Shen Zongnian's heart burned, his throat tightened. Yet, he still struggled with words, only managing to say softly, "Okay."

Pent-up longing erupted like magma. Tan Youming couldn't stop pouring out his feelings. "I found the cigarettes you hid in the wardrobe. I didn't even know when you started smoking. I tried one—it was bitter, but also addictive. It made me temporarily forget that you were no longer by my side. But I didn't dare smoke too much. I was afraid I'd finish them before you returned, and even more afraid that once they were gone, they'd be gone forever."

"I've renewed your unlimited guarantee, but I added a supplementary contract. Now we're in a lifelong mutual guarantee relationship."

"I also found the twin butterfly tie clip you stored," Tan Youming explained, though twelve years too late. "Back then, I didn't mean to accompany Wei Sihe. It was because I felt his gift was too extravagant, so I wanted to return the gesture. Besides, the jewelry I bid for was given in both our names because I thought you'd likely deal with him in your new market expansion. Of course," he added, "that night when you said you didn't have a gift for me, I was a little upset. Because even if you gave me just a leaf, I would have been happy."

"Later, I wondered why you disliked Wei Sihe. After much thought, I figured you two just didn't hit it off from the first meeting. I didn't know if you minded that bowl of red bean soup back then, but I still want to tell you: I gave it to him because I treated him as a guest."

"You're not. You're mine."

The wind howled fiercely. Tan Youming poured out his heart without restraint to the distant shore, each word ringing loud and profound.

Shen Zongnian's heart, which hadn't been destroyed by the turbulent currents back then, now softened under the weight of Tan Youming's sincerity. He took a deep breath to steady himself, his voice coming out hoarse and slightly flustered. "I'll make up for the gift. I'll fix the sewing machine. I'll eat the longevity noodles. Tan Youming, you... don't be sad."

Tan Youming didn't want fleeting promises. He needed confirmation of the duration. "Every year?"

Shen Zongnian promised him. "Every year."

The boat drew closer to the shore. Figures were now faintly visible. Tan Youming's gaze was intense and fixed, as if he would jump into the sea and swim over if the boat didn't dock soon enough.

Shen Zongnian stood on the dock, as if reliving a scene from the past. Fourteen years ago, Tan Youming had appeared as if from heaven. Fourteen years later, Tan Youming came breaking through the waves. Back then, it was under a tropical sun; today, it was in the midst of a hurricane. It seemed no matter where fate abandoned Shen Zongnian in the desolate corners of the earth, Tan Youming would find him and bring him home.

This time, however, there was no bright smile, his canine teeth not showing. Tan Youming, now thirty, rushed over recklessly. Shen Zongnian still caught him steadily.

Arms tightly wrapped around his neck, face buried deep in the crook of his shoulder, warm tears soaking Shen Zongnian's shoulder. Tan Youming bared his canine teeth and bit him fiercely, leaving deep marks. His voice trembled. "Shen Zongnian, I hate you."

"I hate you so much."

Shen Zongnian's hands, holding him, paused slightly. He was about to apologize again when he heard Tan Youming whisper affectionately, "Just kidding."

"I missed you."

"So much."

The figure in his arms was too frail, so thin he felt like he could barely hold on. Shen Zongnian held him tighter, pulling him closer. This time, it was his turn to ask, unable to hold back: "Tan Youming, what happened? You're so thin!"

"Have you not been eating right?"

The stern tone, the lecturing manner—even after hundreds of days apart, it felt familiar, not the least bit distant. Tan Youming pressed his face against Shen Zongnian’s neck, sounding both whiny and hurt: "Don’t scold me as soon as we meet!"

Shen Zongnian paused, then stroked the back of Tan Youming’s head, lowering his voice: "I’m not scolding you." It was just that the man was too thin, so thin it made his heart ache, like trying to hold onto shifting sand.

Tan Youming’s wet eyelashes brushed his cheek: "Mm, I know—you’re worried about me."

His shoulders trembled, and Shen Zongnian’s large hand gripped him: "Are you cold?"

"If you hold me tighter, I won’t be cold."

Chest to chest, two hearts nestled together, breaths mingling. Tan Youming could clearly feel the frozen blood in his veins begin to flow again, like withered wood taking root or ice melting into flowing water.

Shen Zongnian held him tightly, shielding him from the sea breeze. He had never imagined he would see Tan Youming again, yet here he was.

Fate had been harsh to him since he was young—his parents indifferent, his elders cold. But fate had also been kind, bringing Tan Youming into his life, allowing him to rise again each time he fell into the abyss and see Tan Youming once more.

Tan Youming couldn’t bear to let go, afraid that if he loosened his grip, Shen Zongnian might disappear again. He freed one hand to take out his phone and dialed Guan Kezhi. Until he had seen and touched Shen Zongnian in person, he hadn’t dared to deliver the good news prematurely.

Guan Kezhi answered quickly, though it sounded like she was in a somewhat formal meeting: "Ming Zai."

"President Guan, listen—who is this?"

Shen Zongnian: "Auntie Guan."

The other end fell silent. Even though Guan Kezhi was holding back, a hint of a sob could be heard: "Nian Zai, is that you?"

Shen Zongnian said guiltily: "It’s me, Auntie Guan. I’ve made you worry."

"How are you? Are you—" There was too much she wanted to say, but Guan Kezhi regained her composure and hurriedly asked the most important questions: "Where are you now? When will you be back? Should we come pick you up?"

Tan Youming said: "We’re on Zone 11 Island. It’ll take over five hours one way. We’ll come back tomorrow. Don’t trouble yourselves to come all the way out. Just meet us at the dock tomorrow."

"Alright, I’ll tell your father right away."

After hanging up, Tan Youming took Shen Zongnian’s hand: "Come on, let’s go get your luggage."

The Xu family had sent a car. Xu Enyi, the only daughter of oil tycoon Xu Qihua, oversaw Zones 9 to 13. She had received the news a step later than Tan Youming. They had searched high and low, only to find that the answer was right under their noses.

The business car arrived at the No. 3 drilling platform area. It was working hours, so everyone was away.

Tan Youming watched as Shen Zongnian packed his belongings—simple, clean, and orderly. Once again, he was struck by the realization that Shen Zongnian’s strength didn’t need any status to back it up. No matter where fate threw him or what hardships he faced, he could always take root and survive.

Tan Youming went over to help him pack: "Were people good to you?"

"Pretty good." The person who had initially rescued him was a drilling engineer nearing retirement. After reporting it, they couldn’t verify Shen Zongnian’s identity, but seeing that his wounds healed quickly, his physical condition was good, and he learned faster than most, they decided to keep him.

Noticing that Tan Youming still looked upset, Shen Zongnian thought for a moment and added: "Though Zone 11 Island is quite isolated and seems dull, seals often climb onto the drilling platform to sunbathe during the day."

Shen Zongnian really wasn’t good at comforting people. He lowered his head slightly to look at Tan Youming’s downcast face and added: "Since you like pandas so much, you’d probably like seals too." Both are dark and soft.

Tan Youming’s eyes still held an undeniable ache. Shen Zongnian sighed inwardly and took out his phone, offering it to him: "Do you want it?"