Anna Yates saw Simon Lockwood’s message while she was at a bar with friends. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

A group of young men and women were gathered, drinking competitively and singing. Anna Yates sat by herself in a corner, sipping juice and staring into space.

Her phone screen suddenly lit up. She thought it was Joanna and hurried to look, only to freeze when she saw the contact name.

’Counting the days... Yes, it’s about time he came back.’

Simon Lockwood’s profile picture suited his personality: a single black period.

Scholar Lockwood: [Miss Yates, sorry to bother you. Is Joanna Kennedy there with you?]

...

Anna Yates reached out to reply, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She just turned off her phone.

Simon Lockwood sat on the sofa. The lights in the room were off. Light from outside seeped through the small window, flickering across the side of his face.

On the table sat a red, leather-bound certificate. On the cover, the title "Award Certificate" was printed in both Chinese and English.

Three hours. He was finally, slowly, beginning to realize one thing—Joanna Kennedy was gone.

She hadn’t left a single word.

The dim room was silent, save for the BEEP-BEEP-BEEP of the phone as it endlessly redialed and automatically hung up, over and over, relentlessly.

After a long time, the phone’s low battery warning finally made Simon Lockwood stop. Just then, a message came in.

Simon Lockwood stared motionlessly at the familiar contact name. He didn’t know how much time had passed. His fingertip went to open the message, but his hand trembled so much he almost missed. When he finally managed to tap it open, the message appeared before him.

Joanie: [Simon Lockwood, I’ve dropped out of school. Let’s break up.]

For a moment, it was as if Simon Lockwood had forgotten how to read.

Brief and blunt. Not a single wasted word. No reason given, no reply expected, no path for retreat. It was like a cold, indifferent notice being served.

Simon Lockwood’s face was expressionless. There wasn’t even an extreme reaction, just an untimely flicker of confusion.

He didn’t understand. Why?

He’d won first prize, with a reward of 20,000. Joanna’s grades had been steadily improving. Everything was clearly heading in the right direction. Just two days ago, she had sweetly told him she missed him...

How could everything change overnight? So suddenly, so... unbearably painful.

He went out, searching every place he could think of. He even went to the Kennedy family’s auctioned-off villa, but he still couldn’t find Joanna Kennedy.

Joanna Kennedy didn’t have many friends. Simon Lockwood wasn’t the type to pry, but he still found himself standing in front of the Yates family’s home.

He knocked several times, but there was no response. Simon Lockwood had just gotten Anna Yates’s home address from a teacher, and had asked for her phone number too, just in case.

He dialed the number and heard a phone ring inside. As the ringing stopped, the door opened from within.

Anna Yates had actually seen Simon Lockwood on the security camera feed long before. She’d planned to pretend she wasn’t home, but she’d been found out and had no choice but to open the door.

Simon Lockwood first apologized for showing up unannounced, then asked directly, "Do you know where Joanna went?"

"...I don’t know," Anna Yates said dryly, lowering her head, not daring to look at him.

It was the truth. She really didn’t know where Joanna Kennedy had gone.

But Simon Lockwood didn’t believe her. "Miss Yates, you know Joanna’s situation better than I do. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but right now, I just want to make sure she’s safe."

’Instead of demanding a reason right after being dumped, his first concern is her safety.’

Anna Yates sighed, her tone sincere. "I really don’t know. Joanna... she didn’t tell me."

’So... even Anna Yates doesn’t know...’

Simon Lockwood’s expression went blank for a second. He lowered his gaze, the devastation in his eyes no longer concealable. Despite his grief, he still managed a polite, "Sorry to have bothered you," before leaving.

Anna Yates watched the boy’s tall, lonely figure walk away. She subconsciously took two steps forward, unable to bear it. "Simon Lockwood, stop looking for her."

"...Joanna won’t be coming back."

Simon Lockwood paused for only a few seconds. Amid the distant sea of people and traffic,

he heard himself softly repeat, "Joanna... won’t be coming back."

Simon Lockwood sat on the small bed in his bedroom late into the night. He didn’t move until dawn began to break, finally stirring his stiff limbs.

His eyes, sleepless all night, were painfully dry.

His stomach was empty, twisting with a sharp pain. Only then did Simon Lockwood sluggishly realize he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday.

He had to take a few slow steps before feeling returned to his numb legs. He opened the refrigerator. It was stocked with fresh ingredients and several packages of bread.

Simon Lockwood took out a half-eaten package of bread. By the time he finished, all he could taste was a bitter sensation at the back of his tongue.

After finishing the bread, the burning in his stomach subsided. He got up to water the two succulents on his desk, then checked the time, put on his jacket, and rode his bike to school.

The other students were all at their desks for morning reading, except for one empty seat, on which sat a pile of books that hadn’t been taken away.

It was proof that the owner of the books had left in a hurry. Or perhaps they simply didn’t need the books anymore, so much so that even coming back to get them was too much trouble.

Simon Lockwood suddenly felt like he was just like those books. He was amused by his own ridiculous thought and pulled at the corners of his mouth, but a real smile wouldn’t come.

’It’s all... unimportant.’

The good news of Simon Lockwood winning a world-class physics competition spread quickly. A renowned foreign university extended him an olive branch, and upon learning of his circumstances, even promised to waive all fees.

In the dean’s office, the Dean of Students tried to persuade him earnestly one more time. "This is such a great opportunity. You have to think more about yourself."

He had been a teacher for most of his life and was now the dean. He had to admit, the boy before him was the most outstanding student he had ever seen, in terms of both grades and character.

Given time, he was sure to achieve great things.

But he just couldn’t understand why such a brilliant young man would be so confused on this one matter.

"...Sir, can you give me some more time to think about it?"

"Sigh... all right." The dean sighed, hoping the boy would see reason.

Besides the top-tier foreign university, two domestic universities had also offered him direct admission.

The school leadership thought he was reluctant to go abroad and tried to persuade him to choose one of the two domestic options instead. Simon Lockwood never gave them an answer.

The other two students who had gone to the competition with him had only won third prize, but they also received offers of direct admission and quickly chose their preferred schools.

The weather in Aethelburg had finally warmed up, entering that awkward phase where people dressed in all sorts of layers.

On a weekend morning, Anna Yates came out of her house with her backpack on, ready to go to her tutoring class. She had only taken a few steps when she saw a boy sitting on a bench, his gaze lowered.

As she got closer, she saw that it was Simon Lockwood.

"Scholar Lockwood, what are you doing here again?"

Hearing her voice, Simon Lockwood finally realized someone was standing in front of him. His hand, hanging at his side, twitched. He rose slowly, and as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time, his tongue felt stiff. His voice came out hoarse. "...I still want to know where Joanna Kennedy really went."