04

"If one does not go to Sicily, one cannot truly know Italy. For Sicily is the key to everything." He looked out the window and said with a smile, "This is a quote from Goethe"

A large cut was made on the bag, and the phone, wallet, passport... everything was gone. She was all alone and was instantly dumbfounded

"What are you going to Italy for?" The man, lacking in awareness, continued to flirt casually, showing a determination that he would not give up if she remained silent. "Tourism? Visiting relatives?"

They sat down at a window seat, as night fell and the city was undergoing some transformation... It was gradually becoming a land of revelry, reminiscent of the coliseum from a thousand years ago. The only difference was that the alcohol, perfume, and cheese of modern civilization masked the blood and dust of the battles between man and beast.

He is the man in the shirt on the airplane

Berlin, Germany

It was lunchtime for the Romans. Jianan casually found a café, glanced at the menu, and ordered a cima. When the dish arrived, it turned out to be a beef roll, haphazardly stuffed with some vegetables, eggs, and dry cheese. Her appetite was not particularly good; she only took a few bites before putting it down and slowly sipping a cup of espresso. She still found it difficult to adapt to the coffee here. The cappuccino was acceptable, but the espresso, with just a small sip, made her heart race uncontrollably, as if she had been injected with an entire bottle of stimulant. Her appetite was not particularly good; she only took a few bites before putting it down and slowly sipping a cup of espresso. She still found it difficult to adapt to the coffee here. The cappuccino was acceptable, but the espresso, with just a small sip, made her heart race uncontrollably, as if she had been injected with an entire bottle of stimulant

He smiled and explained to Xu Jianan: "Every time I come to Rome, I always come here to eat; the beef is quite good"

She suddenly recalled the time during the holidays when she went to the United States to visit Chen Suining, being carefree and casually tossing her makeup bag, passport, and phone into his backpack, no longer having to worry about anything.

Oh, I see. The man in the shirt leaned back into his seat, no longer saying anything.

The airplane descended rapidly, and a strange feeling of pressure built up in her eardrums. Xu Jianan tightly closed her eyes, inexplicably feeling a sense of safety. ... She ... . ... Finally, she arrived at a place where there were no traces of him everywhere, and no one recognized her.

The path paved with stone slabs, the buildings constructed from rocks, and in the distance, the Gothic spire of the church rises high, piercing the clouds. Meanwhile, pedestrians laugh as they walk shoulder to shoulder towards the nearby square

You must be studying literature

At an altitude of 30,000 feet, a sense of tranquility enveloped her. Jianan wrapped herself tightly, striving to avoid thoughts of the humiliation she had faced before her departure. She had expected to be unable to sleep, yet she soon drifted off into a hazy slumber. When she awoke, hunger became unbearable, and the airplane meal became tolerable. Then she slept again, devoid of any dreams. Sleep felt like a vast black hole, pulling her in; what had once seemed like an arduous journey of over ten hours now felt like a mere instant.

In familiar Chinese, Xu Jianan seemed to have grasped a piece of driftwood, and with a sense of urgency, she raised her head to see a tall man standing in front of her, his face filled with curiosity: "What is wrong with you?"

"Guess wrong! This meal is on you—your card can still be swiped, right?" Berlin said lazily, "I am a thorough engineering student."

He did not speak, but his footsteps were quick, walking while glancing around.

There is a saying in the Bible, "Ask, and it will be given to you; knock, and the door will be opened for you; seek, and you will find." I am your gospel. He spoke with utmost seriousness

The dishes arrived quickly. The tender young beef, accompanied by slightly intoxicating sake, was topped with melted butter that formed a sauce. The various aromas intertwined, and with a gentle sniff at the tip of the nose, one felt an unparalleled delight. The second dish was a vegetable salad, with the refreshing flavors of Roman artichokes and asparagus perfectly balanced by a specially crafted dressing, creating an exquisite harmony. Xu Jianan took a few bites and heard Berlin asking himself: "Where to next?" The second dish was a vegetable salad, with the refreshing flavors of Roman artichokes and asparagus perfectly balanced by a specially crafted dressing, creating an exquisite harmony. Xu Jianan took a few bites and heard Berlin asking himself: "Where to next?"

Hello, is it such a coincidence?

Your?'' He proudly opened it, ``Xu Jianan?''

The waiter shrugged and said a few words in Italian with a hint of pity. She stared back at him blankly, her face filled with confusion

She wiped her tears and spoke somewhat incoherently: "My wallet has been stolen"

Now he no longer wants himself, while she remains stagnant, still unable to do anything

Moreover, carrying such an extravagant bag, who else would a thief target if not you?" Berlin tugged at the wide-open double C bag and said, "When you are out, do not flaunt your wealth, do you understand?

"It's mine!" Jiana almost jumped up, looking gratefully at the man in the shirt. She suddenly realized that this man was quite pleasant to look at—he gave off a comfortable vibe, much like his attire, which seemed to suggest he was a university student working while traveling.

Are you going to the police station

Because... that's how the thieves in Rome operate. They steal money and cash, but they can't use passports or credit cards, so why not return them to the victims? Disposing of them in a nearby trash can has also become a common practice. Berlin smiled slightly, "I know another friend whose thief kindly returned all the documents he didn't need from his bag to him."

Xu Jianan suddenly felt a chill on her cheek, and uncontrollably, tears began to roll down.

The plane was about to land, and the flight attendant gently woke her up. Jianan removed her eye mask and heard someone laughing from the diagonal behind her: "You really can sleep..."

After spending an entire day aimlessly like this, Jianan finally called the waiter to settle the bill. As she reached into her bag, she froze there, unable to speak for a long time.

He made an incredible expression, yet Jian Nan did not laugh; she simply turned her head quietly and pulled open the blackout curtain

Xu Jianan paused for a moment, feeling somewhat bewildered; she truly did not know.

At this moment, she was still having some difficulty adjusting to the light. She turned her head to take a glance; it was a young man wearing an extremely casual cotton shirt, squinting at her. He then raised his wrist, pointed to his watch, and said: "I calculated it; you have been sleeping with your head covered eighty percent of the time!"

"Travel." She finally answered him simply, then tightened her face, "I'm sorry, I don't like to talk when the plane is landing"

"Here you go." The man handed her the shirt with a generous gesture, while extending his hand, "My name is Berlin."

Xu Jianan arrived in Rome for the first time, where the winter is much warmer than in Feihai; a coat and a scarf seem to be sufficient

But how do you know it will be in the trash can

Xu Jianan curled up weakly on the spacious leather chair, while the flight attendant bent down and kindly asked her if she needed any further assistance. She only felt cold, so she requested another blanket.

The man in the shirt looked at her with sympathy, generously paid the money for her first, then exchanged a few words with the waiter, and pulled her up saying: "Let's go"

The waiter had enchanting brown long hair, and his eyes were gray. He warmly presented the menu and greeted him affectionately: "e stai!"

She followed him in a daze until they stopped in front of a trash can. The man in the shirt lifted the lid, rolled up his sleeves, and rummaged through it, seemingly finding nothing; he did not lose heart, and continued to search through all the trash cans on this street, finally retrieving a passport and several credit cards from the last one.

Thank you. Xu Jianan sincerely said, "I really thank you."

"It's a memorable name, isn't it?" Berlin smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you"

Thus, it was only natural for them to explore the city of Rome together. Berlin seemed to be well-acquainted with everything here, and he took her to the Pas Bar on Passeggiata Street

Berlin had long set down the cutlery, merely adjusting the large beer mug, leaning back leisurely and asking: "Are you going to Sicily?"

"Truly interesting." She couldn't help but slightly curve the corners of her lips upward

What should be done next? Should I go to the police station? Or seek assistance from the embassy?