But Ma Mei had made a huge mistake. The turn of events she hoped for didn't materialize, and what happened next caught her completely off guard.
Ma Mei walked out of the commander's front door at a snail's pace and had barely gone far when she ran into Hen Zhiyuan face to face.
He looked much more haggard than she remembered him, his stubble now clearly sprouting from his chin.
The two walked towards each other and faced one another, their eyes meeting but neither speaking a word for a long time.
Finally, it was Ma Mei who broke the silence.
"Zhiyuan, come back home with me. I have something to say to you!"
Hen Zhiyuan stared at his wife's face, no longer young, and thought about the road ahead. Slowly, he shook his head, "Ma Mei, I'm not going back. I now have nothing left! I no longer have a future!"
Ma Mei grabbed Hen Zhiyuan's arm, tears instantly flooding her eyes, "Zhiyuan, if there's no future, then let it be. We can find new jobs and start over!"
