**
He dropped his keys onto the marble counter with a hollow clink and tossed his jacket over a nearby chair. He felt the emptiness of the space close in around him, like it always did. His family was wealthy, sure, and he lived in one of the most expensive penthouses the city had to offer, but all of it felt meaningless without someone to share it with.
Without her.
Ling Buyi.
He had managed to suppress thoughts of her for most of the day, throwing himself into work, but now, as the silence of the penthouse wrapped around him, she was all he could think about.
Xu Jing collapsed onto the couch, too tired to even change out of his clothes. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about her—Ling Buyi's smile, her laugh, the way she carried herself. His eyes grew heavier and heavier, and before long, sleep claimed him.
