Xin Yue scoured her house, desperately searching for her locker key. Drawers opened, cushions overturned, but it was nowhere to be found. Panicking, she contacted everyone she'd been with in the past few days, hoping someone had seen it. With each call, her anxiety grew, turning her once-familiar home into a maze of uncertainty. The clock's ticking echoed the urgency, while the calm moonlight outside contrasted with her inner turmoil. The race against time continued as she wanted to give the gift to her brother before his birthday ended.
In between her panic, Xin Yue's phone screen flashed with the name of Lei Wan. She picked up the call quickly.
[Yes, Xiao Wan, did you find the key?]
[Yes, the key was in the living room. The maid had found it yesterday itself, but because of the engagement preparations, she forgot to inform anyone.]
As Lei Wan spoke, Xin Yue's mind played back the scenes from her visit to the Lei mansion. She vividly remembered the overwhelming emotions that clouded her judgment as she left, causing her to stumble near a corner table. In the midst of her emotional haze, her bag had slipped from her grip, its contents scattering across the floor. It was in that chaotic moment that the locker key, unbeknownst to her, fell down and she did not notice that something was missing from her bag.
A sense of relief washed over Xin Yue, but Lei Wan's next words made her frown.
[I'll return the key to you tomorrow.]
[No, Xiao Wan. Please, I want the key today itself. Haoran's birthday was ruined because of me, so I want to compensate him by the gift. And I want to give him the gift today itself.]
[Okay then, come to my house.]
[Okay I'll come but please meet me outside your house.]
[Fine, see you.]
The relief from finding the locker key was momentarily overshadowed by a frown on Xin Yue's face as the call with Lei Wan ended. Recollections of her encounters with Lei Junshan flooded her thoughts. The memories were tainted with the sting of humiliation, and Xin Yue tried to shake off the discomfort that lingered from those interactions.
'I am not afraid of him! Anyway, I will return immediately after fetching the key!' She tried to muster up the courage to face Lei Junshan if she accidentally stumbled upon him in the Lei mansion.
…
Lei mansion.
The room was dimly lit, with the soft glow of a single lamp casting a warm ambiance. Grandma Lei, adorned in her favorite floral-patterned shawl, sat on her well-worn resting chair, lost in contemplation. Her children's words of dividing the family echoed in her mind bringing tears in her eyes.
As Grandma Lei was immersed in her thoughts, a subtle movement caught the corner of her eye. A shadow danced across the walls, its undulating form drawing her attention away from the recesses of her memories. Curiosity sparked in Grandma Lei's eyes as she followed the shadow's path.
When she was near to the shadow, Grandma Lei spoke into the quietude, her voice a gentle melody in the stillness of the room, "Who's there?"
In response, the shadow paused, and as if obeying Grandma Lei's call, it slowly turned around. Revealed in the flickering light of a candle held in a young hand was Lei Junmo. He gazed at Grandma Lei as she walked near him.
"Junmo?" Grandma Lei was surprised to see her youngest grandson. She could not figure out what mischief he was up to. She flicked his forehead, "Why are you roaming around with a candle in your hand like a madman in the middle of the night?"
"Madman?" Lei Junmo said, "Grandma, wouldn't I be a madman if I roamed around with a candle in my hand in the middle of the day?"
Grandma Lei shook her head, "Don't talk nonsense. Tell me, what exactly are you doing?"
Lei Junmo moved closer to Grandma Lei and whispered, "Grandma, whatever I am doing, I am doing it for the benefit of our family."
Grandma Lei was perplexed. She could really not understand what Lei Junmo was saying.
Lei Junmo did not explain to Grandma Lei anything else and walked towards Lei Juncheng's room. As he moved with purpose, the candle casting elongated shadows along the hallway, he approached the closed door of Lei Juncheng's room.
The soft, rhythmic sounds of Lei Juncheng's peaceful slumber echoed through the doorway. Lei Junmo casted a watchful presence over his sleeping brother. With a tender sincerity in his voice, Lei Junmo called out to his brother in a hushed tone, "Brother," he whispered.
Lei Juncheng's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light that pervaded his room. In the haze between dreams and reality, he was greeted by an unexpected sight. Lei Junmo stood near his bedside, holding a candle that cast a warm, flickering glow across his features.
Lei Juncheng, startled by the sight of Lei Junmo with a candle in hand, reacted impulsively by slapping his brother, thinking there was a potential threat. Lei Junmo, his cheek stinging from the unexpected slap delivered by Lei Juncheng, momentarily held his face, his eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and a pitiful expression appeared on his face, "It's me, Junmo."
"Are you crazy?" Lei Juncheng was infuriated by Lei Junmo's actions, "What the hell are you doing in my room in the middle of the night with a candle?"
"Brother, angels!"
"Angels?"
"Brother, Su Youlan told me that if we pray to angels, then angels will fulfill all our wishes."
"Su Youlan? Who is she?"
"She's the wedding planner who Huang Ling fired today. The same Su Youlan who has a mole on her back."
"Didn't you meet her today itself? How do you know so much about her in such a short time."
"Brother, I know her for 8 hours. And 8 hours is a long time. Intimacy is a normal thing in such a long time."
"What?" Lei Juncheng was still in a daze and did not understand any of Lei Junmo's words.