Chapter Five: The Third Person in the Photo
12:41 a.m.
Lin Mo sat on the edge of his bed, the light from his phone illuminating half his face.
He had already enlarged the photo as far as it would go.
The image was a little blurry.
It was summer three years ago.
He and Su Yan were standing outside the convenience store.
They had both been so young then.
Lin Mo was wearing a white T-shirt washed nearly gray with age, a bottle of something in his hand.
Su Yan stood beside him, smiling brightly.
And behind them.
There really was someone there.
A man.
Probably in his twenties.
He was wearing a dark jacket and standing behind a pillar beside the convenience store.
Only half his face had made it into the shot.
But there was something very strange about him.
The man wasn't looking at the camera.
He wasn't looking at the convenience store, either.
He was watching Lin Mo and Su Yan.
As if he were waiting for them.
Lin Mo enlarged the photo again.
The image quality began to blur.
He stared at that face.
A strange, indescribable discomfort suddenly rose in his chest.
He picked up his phone and messaged Su Yan.
“Who is this person in the photo?”
Read.
No answer.
“Do you know him?”
Still no answer.
Lin Mo waited five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
At 1:10 a.m., he finally couldn't stand it anymore and called her.
The phone rang for a long time.
No one picked up.
Lin Mo sat on his bed.
Suddenly, he realized something.
If that person really was just an ordinary passerby, Su Yan had no reason to send him this particular photo.
And why had she asked:
“Do you remember this day?”
What she really wanted him to remember probably wasn't herself in the photo.
It was that person.
The next morning at seven, Lin Mo had barely slept.
He had spent the entire night thinking about the photo.
He had even dreamed about that blurry figure.
In the dream, he was standing outside the convenience store.
Su Yan was right beside him.
But no matter how he called out to her, she wouldn't answer.
The man in the distance stood there the whole time.
At last, he slowly came closer.
Then he said to Lin Mo:
“Do you really think she just went to Japan?”
Lin Mo jolted upright in bed.
His heart was pounding.
The room still looked exactly as familiar as ever.
There was no man.
No Su Yan.
Only the alarm clock.
He rubbed his forehead.
“It was just a dream.”
He got out of bed and washed his face.
Cold water ran over his cheeks.
He looked up at himself in the mirror.
His eyes were a little red.
“Don't overthink it.”
He said it to himself.
But as soon as he finished, he thought of the photo again.
So he picked up his phone.
Su Yan still hadn't replied.
At nine that morning, in the research lab, Lin Mo sat in front of his computer, staring at the materials his professor had given him.
The screen was filled with things he couldn't understand.
In the past, a situation like this would have made him anxious.
Now, it didn't.
His attention wasn't on his research at all.
“Lin Mo.”
His professor's voice suddenly came from behind him.
He jumped.
“Professor.”
“How's the material looking?”
“There are a few parts I don't understand.”
“Which parts?”
Lin Mo turned the screen around.
The professor looked at it for a few seconds.
“This part.”
He pulled over a chair and sat down.
Then he began to explain.
Lin Mo tried hard to listen.
But another image kept filling his mind.
That man.
After talking for a few minutes, the professor suddenly asked, “Are you listening?”
“Yes.”
“Then what did I just say?”
Lin Mo fell silent.
The professor smiled.
“You're distracted today.”
“Sorry.”
“Something going on?”
Lin Mo hesitated.
“Professor, can I ask you something unrelated to research?”
“Sure.”
“If someone suddenly sends you a photo from three years ago and asks whether you remember that day, what does it usually mean?”
The professor thought about it.
“Usually, it means she wants you to remember something.”
“What if there's a stranger in the photo, too?”
The professor looked at him.
“Then ask her who he is.”
Lin Mo gave a bitter smile.
“She won't reply.”
“Then wait for her to reply.”
The professor stood up.
“Thinking harder about some things doesn't make the answer come any faster.”
“Yeah.”
“Just take care of what's in front of you first.”
After the professor walked away, Lin Mo stared at the computer screen.
Suddenly, he felt there was a lot of truth in those words.
All he could do now was wait.
But waiting didn't mean doing nothing.
At the very least, he could take care of the things he was supposed to do.
So he shifted his attention back to the research materials.
For the first time, he really managed to put that man out of his mind for a while.
At noon, Lin Mo walked out of the research lab.
His phone finally vibrated.
Su Yan:
“Did you sleep last night?”
Lin Mo stopped.
He didn't answer right away.
A few seconds later, he replied:
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because of the photo you sent.”
Silence.
“Why did you suddenly send me that photo?”
After a while:
“Can we meet tonight?”
Lin Mo looked at the message.
“Sure.”
“Don't ask me too many questions.”
“Why?”
“I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it clearly over the phone.”
Lin Mo's heart sank a little.
“Okay.”
She sent another message:
“Seven tonight. The same convenience store as yesterday.”
Lin Mo replied:
“Okay.”
The conversation ended.
He put his phone away.
He didn't know why.
It was only a meeting.
Yet he had the feeling that he was about to face some very important answer.
At 5:30 p.m., Lin Mo left the research lab.
He didn't go straight to the convenience store.
Instead, he returned to the dorm first.
He organized the photos he'd taken yesterday.
The fifth spot was still empty.
He stared at the blank space.
Suddenly, he thought of something.
Maybe the most interesting thing about a photograph was that it could only ever preserve a single moment.
Everything outside the frame would never be captured.
The same was true of that photo from three years ago.
The camera had captured him and Su Yan.
It had captured the convenience store.
It had even captured that man.
But it hadn't captured:
What Su Yan had been thinking.
What Lin Mo had been thinking.
Why that man had been standing there.
And it certainly hadn't captured what happened afterward.
Lin Mo suddenly understood a little.
Maybe he had always believed he remembered three years ago.
In reality, he only remembered the three years ago that existed inside the photo.
He had no idea what had really happened.
At 6:55 p.m., Lin Mo arrived at the convenience store five minutes early.
He sat in yesterday's seat.
He ordered a coffee.
Seven o'clock.
Su Yan hadn't arrived.
7:05.
Still no sign of her.
7:15.
Lin Mo began checking his phone.
7:23.
He stood up.
He was just about to call her when a familiar figure suddenly appeared outside the door.
Su Yan walked in.
She was wearing a dark jacket today.
She looked exhausted.
Lin Mo could tell at a glance that she hadn't slept well.
She sat down across from him.
She didn't order anything.
“I'm sorry.”
“It's okay.”
“I meant to come earlier.”
“What happened?”
She didn't answer.
Instead, she took out her phone, reopened the photo, and set it on the table.
“Did you see this person?”
Lin Mo nodded.
“Yes.”
“Do you know who he is?”
“No.”
Su Yan looked at the photo.
“His name is Takahashi.”
Lin Mo froze.
“He's Japanese?”
“Yeah.”
“What is he to you?”
Su Yan didn't answer.
She put her phone away.
“He was a friend of my dad's.”
Lin Mo frowned.
“Your dad?”
“Yeah.”
“But this photo was taken near our school.”
“I know.”
“Why would he show up here?”
Su Yan fell silent.
“Because my dad was looking for me back then.”
Lin Mo froze.
“What do you mean?”
She took a deep breath.
“My dad actually didn't want my mom to take me to Japan.”
“He wanted to keep me in Taiwan.”
“So my mom decided to take me away first.”
“But my dad found out afterward.”
Lin Mo slowly began to understand.
“So he sent someone to look for you?”
“Yeah.”
“Takahashi was that person?”
“Yes.”
Lin Mo looked at the photo.
A chill suddenly ran through him.
“But why did he take a picture of us?”
Su Yan pressed her lips together.
“Because I didn't tell you that day.”
“Tell me what?”
She lowered her head.
“I had already decided to leave.”
Lin Mo said nothing.
“Not the next day.”
“That very night.”
“I meant to tell you that day.”
“But in the end…”
She stopped.
“What happened in the end?”
“I couldn't say it.”
“Why not?”
She looked at him.
“Because you said something to me that day.”
“What?”
“You said you hoped neither of us would ever become the kind of adult we hated.”
Lin Mo stared at her.
He didn't remember that at all.
Su Yan gave a bitter smile.
“In that moment, I suddenly thought that if I told you I was leaving, you'd definitely ask me to stay.”
“And I didn't know if I'd have the courage to refuse you.”
“So I said nothing.”
Lin Mo lowered his head.
His fingers slowly curled into fists.
“Who took the photo?”
“Takahashi.”
“Why?”
“He wanted to confirm whether I was with a guy.”
Lin Mo looked up.
“What?”
“My dad was really worried about me back then.”
“He thought my mom was taking me to Japan because she'd already decided to be with another man.”
“So he sent Takahashi to confirm it.”
Lin Mo was stunned.
It was all too absurd.
So absurd it sounded like a movie.
But Su Yan's expression told him it was real.
“What happened after that?”
“Takahashi sent the photo to my dad.”
“My dad realized I was really preparing to leave.”
“And then…”
She paused.
“He found our house.”
Lin Mo held his breath.
“What happened?”
“My mom and he had a huge fight.”
“That was the first time I saw them actually get physical.”
“My mom told me to pack my things.”
“I asked her where we were going.”
“She only said, ‘Just go.’”
Su Yan lowered her head.
“So I left.”
“Without saying a single word to you.”
Lin Mo was silent for a long time.
He suddenly remembered that day.
Su Yan had originally asked him to dinner.
Then she suddenly said something had come up.
He had been a little angry at the time.
He had even wondered whether she was starting not to care about him.
He hadn't known that that night, she was going through the most chaotic night of her life.
And he had known nothing.
“Then why didn't you tell me later?”
Su Yan looked at him.
“Because my dad came looking for you afterward.”
Lin Mo froze.
“He came looking for me?”
“Yeah.”
“When?”
“You might not know.”
She said, “You probably never would have known.”
“Once, when you were preparing for an exam, my dad sent Takahashi to the school to find you.”
Lin Mo's expression slowly changed.
“When?”
Su Yan gave him a date.
Lin Mo went still.
He remembered that day.
Very clearly.
He had encountered a strange man outside the campus library.
The man had asked him:
“Do you know Su Yan?”
At the time, Lin Mo had assumed he was someone from her family and simply answered:
“Yes.”
The man hadn't said anything else.
He had only asked:
“Are you still in contact with her?”
Lin Mo had said no.
Then the man had left.
He hadn't thought much of it at the time.
He had assumed it was just a routine question.
But now.
Everything suddenly connected.
“That person…”
“That was Takahashi.”
Lin Mo leaned back in his chair.
His mind went completely blank.
“So what was he looking for when he found me?”
“To confirm whether you and I were still in contact.”
“Why?”
“My dad wanted to know whether I'd come back to look for you after I left.”
Lin Mo fell silent.
“Later, my dad found out you weren't in contact with me.”
Su Yan said quietly, “That's when he gradually let it go.”
“He thought we'd already ended things.”
Lin Mo didn't know what to say.
All these years, he had thought he and Su Yan had simply drifted apart.
In reality, there had been an entire story unfolding where they couldn't see it, a story that had even affected both of their lives.
“Then why are you telling me now?”
Su Yan didn't answer right away.
She looked out the window.
People came and went outside the convenience store.
“Because my dad got sick recently.”
Lin Mo froze.
“Is it serious?”
“Not terribly.”
“But lately, he suddenly started asking me questions.”
“What kind of questions?”
“He asked whether I'd ever regretted it.”
Lin Mo was quiet.
“I don't know how to answer him.”
“Is that why you came back?”
“Not entirely.”
She looked at Lin Mo.
“Before I came back, I actually went to a lot of the places we'd visited together.”
“The school.”
“The convenience store.”
“That little restaurant.”
“I even went to see movies we'd watched together.”
“I thought if I walked through those places, I'd figure out what I really wanted.”
“But I didn't.”
She smiled faintly.
“Finally, I realized that what I really wanted to know wasn't who I used to be.”
“It was who you are now.”
Lin Mo looked at her.
Something lightly struck his heart.
“What do you want to know?”
Su Yan didn't answer.
She only asked:
“Do you still like me?”
The entire convenience store seemed to fall silent.
Lin Mo looked at her.
This time, he didn't say he didn't know.
He slowly nodded.
“I do.”
Su Yan's eyes reddened slightly.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Not because we used to be together?”
“No.”
“Not because you feel regret?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Lin Mo looked at her.
“Because I was still happy to see you yesterday.”
“In the three years you were gone, I never really forgot you.”
“I used to think that meant I couldn't let go.”
“But now I think…”
He paused.
“Maybe I just never stopped liking you.”
Su Yan lowered her head.
Tears fell.
She quickly wiped them away.
“Why are you crying?”
“I'm not.”
“You obviously are.”
“I just got something in my eye.”
Lin Mo smiled.
“What kind of sand gets into your eye inside a convenience store?”
She laughed too.
But the tears kept falling.
That night, they didn't redefine their relationship.
They didn't hold hands.
They didn't hug.
They didn't even say, “Let's start over.”
They simply walked out of the convenience store together.
They followed the same road they'd walked three years ago, moving forward slowly.
When they reached the intersection, Su Yan suddenly stopped.
“Lin Mo.”
“Yeah?”
“I might not be able to stay in Taiwan right away.”
“I know.”
“I don't know what will happen after that, either.”
“I know.”
“And the situation with my family still isn't completely settled.”
“I know.”
She looked at him.
“Then why did you say you like me?”
Lin Mo thought for a long time.
“Because liking someone doesn't mean you have to get them right away.”
Su Yan stared at him.
“Then what do you want to do?”
“Keep walking.”
“Together?”
Lin Mo looked at her.
“If you're willing.”
She didn't answer.
She only nodded gently.
At eleven that night, Lin Mo returned to the dorm.
He opened his computer and enlarged the photo.
This time, he didn't find it frightening anymore.
The third person in the photo was no longer a mystery.
He knew the man's name.
He knew why the man had appeared there.
But just as he was about to close the photo, he noticed something else.
In the lower-right corner of the photo, there was a reflection in the convenience store's glass door.
There weren't only three people in that reflection.
There was a fourth.
Lin Mo frowned.
He enlarged the photo again.
The fourth person stood farther away.
The figure was extremely blurry.
It looked like a woman.
And the woman seemed to be holding a camera.
Lin Mo's heart sank.
He immediately took out his phone and sent the photo to Su Yan.
“Who is this person?”
A few minutes later:
Read.
No reply.
Another five minutes passed.
Su Yan finally sent a message:
“I don't know.”
Lin Mo frowned.
“You really don't know?”
“I really don't.”
“Then why is she in the photo, too?”
A long time passed.
Only then did Su Yan reply:
“Because that photo… wasn't taken by Takahashi.”
Lin Mo froze.
“What?”
“Takahashi only took one photo that day.”
“The one of us standing outside the convenience store.”
“But the photo you're looking at now was sent to me by someone else later.”
“Who?”
Su Yan didn't answer.
Lin Mo stared at the screen.
The next second, she sent him a screenshot.
It was a three-year-old email.
Sender:
Unknown.
Subject:
“You'd better look at this photo.”
The attachment was that photo.
And the date it had been sent—
was exactly the day before Su Yan left Taiwan.
Lin Mo stared at the date.
His breathing slowly grew heavier.
“Who sent you this email?”
Su Yan replied:
“I don't know.”
“You never looked into it?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“The account was fake.”
Lin Mo fell silent.
Three years ago.
A stranger.
A photograph.
An anonymous email.
And someone hidden in the corner of the photo, someone no one had ever noticed.
He suddenly felt that things weren't as simple as they seemed.
Maybe Su Yan really hadn't left because she wanted to leave him.
But maybe—
there was something even more important she hadn't known back then.
Lin Mo stared at his phone.
Su Yan sent another message:
“Lin Mo, there's something I never told you.”
“What?”
The other person was typing.
For a long time, nothing appeared.
At last, the message arrived.
“There was more than just this one photo in that anonymous email.”
Lin Mo stared at the screen.
His heartbeat began to quicken.
The next second, Su Yan sent another photo.
This time, neither he nor Su Yan was in it.
There was only an empty room.
A table sat in the center.
A piece of paper lay on the tabletop.
And written clearly on it was one sentence:
“Don't let Lin Mo know.”
Lin Mo's hand stopped in midair.
He suddenly understood.
That departure three years ago
might never have been a story about two people.
Someone had spent three entire years
hiding a real secret between them.