Chapter 10 The Last Call
I stood on the deck, staring at nothing.
A Qian was nearby, speaking Burmese to one of his men.
When he finished, he walked over and tossed a plastic bag into my arms.
“Keep your documents safe.”
He pointed at the guy he’d just been talking to.
“When the ship reaches the transfer station, follow him. Uncle Hong won’t dare make a move against us. Once you’re past this stretch, you’ll be safe back home.”
I nodded without a word.
Everything was ending, yet my heart felt heavy, unable to lift.
Before the ship sailed, A Qian started toward the shore.
Something caught my eye. I called out to him.
“Did Boss come?”
His voice hesitated.
“…Boss left early this morning on a business trip. Probably still in meetings.”
But I saw it clearly—a black Cullinan parked in the shadows, farther from the dock.
Not the one Liang Sheng usually drove, but one I’d stolen for joyrides more than once.
My heartbeat sped up.
I stared at that dark shape and frantically pulled out the new phone A Qian had given me. I punched in the number burned into my memory over three years.
Once. Twice. No answer.
I kept dialing.
Finally, it connected with a soft buzz.
I stared at the ticking timer, swallowed hard, and could barely speak.
After a long pause, I managed, “Are you here?”
Liang Sheng’s voice came through, flat and unreadable.
“Mm.”
A spark of life returned. I forced a joke through the ache in my chest.
“A Qian’s a terrible liar. You parked far, but I’m not blind.”
“Mm.”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
Still, I refused to hang up, even if all we shared were shallow breaths.
After a long silence, I heard a quiet laugh on the other end.
Liang Sheng sounded helpless, almost mocking himself.
“Zhou Wen, I’ve always wondered. These three years by my side—you lived on edge, swallowed every grievance. Yet now, when you’re leaving… do you still feel something?”
I froze, wanting to deny it, but the words stuck.
Deny what?
Had I not lived in fear?
Had climbing into his bed not been deliberate?
He didn’t wait for an answer. He went on.
“While you were healing, I waited for you to speak—to tell me your real name, why you did all this, what you truly wanted. In the end, I found out from files.”
“Even now, I don’t know what to call you. Zhou Wen… or Fang Mu?”
Hearing that name from his mouth hit like a blow. I nearly doubled over.
In that moment, every lie and secret felt pointless.
Three years sharing a bed, and our first real honesty came only at goodbye.
At the end of the call, Liang Sheng laughed softly and said,
“Zhou Wen, this is the last time I’ll call you that.”
“I’m giving you the chance to go back to your world. Don’t look back.”