Suburban Area, City N, USA
As dusk fell, the modern city was shrouded in a gray, fog-like shadow of winter. The cold wind howled, carrying specks of hail. Pedestrians on the streets pulled their coats tightly around them, avoiding eye contact as they hurried past one another.
At the end of a straight road lay a highway that intersected it at a right angle, dividing the area into two contrasting worlds: one side featured a slightly chaotic, older district, while the other showcased a serene and upscale villa community. However, the road didn't stop there; it dipped under the highway, continuing as a narrow, dimly lit tunnel.
Outside the tunnel, the ground was uneven, with a few iron posts blocking cars from entering. The posts were rusted and peeling, and several scruffy street men leaned against them, eating bread handed out by kind strangers.
Lin Xiaowan sat at the tunnel entrance, her heavily smokey eyes fixed on the sky. Her fingers unconsciously plucked at the guitar strings in her arms as if intent on snapping them. Beside her was a young man with a strikingly handsome face—sharp cheekbones and a defined nose enhanced by his punk makeup. He glanced at her fingers, then offered her the cigarette he was smoking.
Lin Xiaowan's lashes trembled briefly before she naturally took the cigarette, inhaled deeply, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"The forecast says it might snow heavily this week," the man said, his tone detached as he looked at the flickering lights inside the tunnel.
"Yeah," Lin Xiaowan replied absentmindedly, holding the cigarette between her fingers.
After a brief pause, the man added, "Do you want to stay at my place? It'll get pretty cold outside."
Lin Xiaowan smirked, her smile tinged with mockery. "And what? Pay my rent by sleeping with you? I'm already tired of that arrangement."
The man frowned slightly but said nothing before two figures entered the tunnel—a tall one and a shorter one. The shorter figure ran toward Lin Xiaowan, calling her name in English: "Kitty!"
Lin Xiaowan handed the cigarette back to the man and stood up, clapping her hands. "What did you get?" she asked the two newcomers.
The shorter one, a white girl with dyed black hair and lip piercings, dumped some groceries on a blanket. "The supermarket was packed. We only managed to grab discounted chicken breast and some nearly expired bread," she shrugged.
Lin Xiaowan divided the food among her companions, keeping the smallest portion for herself. The white girl handed her the leftover money, which Lin Xiaowan casually tossed into her bag.
The tall, tired-looking white boy asked, "Did anyone pass by while we were gone?"
Lin Xiaowan replied, "Yeah, but no one stopped to listen to me sing, let alone give me money."
"It's getting colder, and we're making less money. Soon we'll either starve or freeze," he grumbled.
The girl kicked him. "Hey, Pine, stop whining! We haven't complained, so man up, or go crawling back to your parents!"
Pine fell silent, gnawing at his chicken breast.
Lin Xiaowan reclined against the man who had given her the cigarette. "Don't worry about me," she said lazily, brushing off the group's concerns about her low spirits.
The punk gang was interrupted when a black sports car pulled up near the tunnel. A striking man in a tailored black suit stepped out. His broad shoulders tapered into a slim waist, and his toned physique exuded charm. Lin Xiaowan's sharp gaze flicked toward him, assessing: He needs a little taming.
Before she could act, a leggy blonde exited the car, threw herself into the man's arms, and sobbed, "Please, Yang, I don't want to break up. Tell me what I did wrong, and I'll change!"
The man's magnetic voice matched his refined appearance. "It's not your fault. I just can't make myself love you. Staying together will only hurt us both."
He handed her an elegant box, apologizing sincerely. The blonde brightened as she opened it to reveal a Patek Philippe watch. After a graceful exit, the man leaned on his car, looking toward the tunnel.
Lin Xiaowan seized the opportunity, sauntering over and greeting him in English. "Looking to cross the tunnel to the villa side?"
He hesitated, surprised by the punk girl's melodic voice. After a brief exchange, she playfully insisted he tell her his name, but when he introduced himself as "Chen Xin," she teasingly refused to share hers, promising to reveal it if he passed by again tomorrow.
As Chen Xin drove away, Lin Xiaowan returned to her friends, ignoring their teasing as she plotted her next move.
After choosing to take a detour, Chen Xin indeed returned to his newly purchased villa in the United States half an hour later. The villa, designed in a European architectural style, stands up to three stories high, covering an area of over 400 square meters. Surrounded by greenery and flowers, it features a sizable swimming pool and lawn, making it one of the most expensive villas in the area.
Chen Xin parked his car in the garage and had just entered the foyer when a servant approached him, speaking fluent Chinese: "Sir, your wine has arrived from home and has been placed in the cellar."
Chen Xin raised his eyebrows slightly—a habitual gesture when he was excited. He quickly headed towards the wine cellar, remembering to ask the servant beside him, "None of them were damaged, right?"
"No, all are intact."
Pushing open the wine cellar door, Chen Xin saw another servant standing in front of shelves filled with various expensive wines, carefully wiping the bottles with a cloth. Upon seeing Chen Xin, the servant politely bowed. Chen Xin nodded and said, "You may go; I'll handle things here."
After the two servants left, Chen Xin carefully took down the bottle of red wine placed in the center of the shelf. Treating it like a cherished pet, he gently wiped it clean, wanting to caress the slightly yellowed lettering aged by time, but couldn't bring himself to do so. In the end, he gently placed the bottle back.
He immersed himself in the wine cellar for a while until a phone call brought his thoughts back.
Seeing the name "Ye Chen" on the screen, Chen Xin smiled helplessly before answering. As expected, he immediately heard Ye Chen's stormy roar: "Chen Xin, what are you thinking? Such a beautiful blonde, and you're not satisfied?"
Leaning against the wall, Chen Xin explained, "It's not that I'm dissatisfied…"
"Then what? Do you think she's a gold digger? Let me tell you, who doesn't like money these days? Don't be limited by narrow-minded thoughts, thinking they like us just because we're rich. So what if they like my money? It's a sign of my capability! I enjoy spending money on girls! So you—"
"Calm down. Can you let me finish before sharing your theories?" Chen Xin interrupted helplessly.
Reluctantly, Ye Chen said, "Fine, go ahead. I've introduced you to at least ten prospects, from domestic to international. Let's see what excuse you have this time."
Chen Xin chuckled, "It's not that the girl isn't good; I really tried, but I just don't feel anything for her. Whether we're having dinner or watching a movie together, it feels as plain as drinking water—there's no… no spark, you know?"
"I! Don't! Get it! A 34D bust, such fair long legs, looking like a Barbie doll, and you're not moved? I really don't know what kind of girl would move you," Ye Chen retorted helplessly. "Alright, Chen Xin, I won't introduce any more girls to you. I'm just torturing myself here! Tell Auntie not to call me about this anymore; I want to keep such good resources for myself!"
Chen Xin quickly replied, "Yes, yes, it's my fault. I'll call my mom in a bit."
Only then did Ye Chen's mood improve. He changed the subject, "By the way, have you settled into your new place? Just a heads up, the locals here can be quite cunning. Seeing that we have money, they might take us for suckers. Don't let yourself get scammed."
Chen Xin rubbed his temples, "…Too late, I've already been scammed."
"What? What happened?"
Chen Xin briefly explained the pedestrian tunnel incident to his good buddy. After hearing it, Ye Chen was furious and cursed, "Sh*t! These guys think they can bully us just because they're locals? I have a friend who knows the developer of your villa. I'll meet that guy someday and teach him a lesson!"
"Forget it; it's not a big deal. It just means I have to drive an extra half hour after work every day," Chen Xin consoled. "I mainly chose this place for its nice environment."
"Chen Xin, can't you stop being such a saint?" Ye Chen said helplessly. "Can't you learn from me and be a bit more vengeful?"
Chen Xin suppressed a laugh and said, "That's called complementary personalities. If I were as vengeful as you, we would've ended up in the hospital from fighting dozens of times by now."
"True, haha," Ye Chen replied. "Speaking of which, maybe that blonde girl really isn't right for you. She's so gentle; you should find someone who can keep you in check."
"Sigh, let's not rush into finding a partner…"
"Yeah, right. Tell that to Auntie, or she'll keep calling me."
"Alright, alright, I get it," Chen Xin said as he turned to leave the wine cellar. "By the way, when are you coming to N City?"
"In about half a month. The branch office in L City is a mess because of financial issues," Ye Chen replied. "Once I'm there, let's have a good get-together with our buddies in the States!"
"No problem."
After hanging up, Chen Xin had dinner alone and then went to his study to work.
A month ago, following his father's instructions, he came to the family's branch company in the United States to serve as president. The Chen family's business mainly involves the production and sales of computer components. In recent years, business has been good, and the company has been expanding, but they've hit some bottlenecks in the U.S. Since Chen Xin is the most capable in the family, he came over to help.
Initially, he planned to stay for just two or three months, but upon arrival, he discovered significant issues in the branch. Additionally, he identified several other promising areas for development, so he decided to buy a house and settle down temporarily.
He has always preferred to work meticulously rather than rushing, striving for perfection in everything. Naturally, he chose the best house, brought over the fine wines he'd collected over nearly ten years in China, and, of course, his three adopted stray dogs.
At this moment, Chen Xin was working at his computer, while the three dogs of various colors lay obediently on the soft mats beside him, watching their owner with big eyes.
At 10:30, Chen Xin finished his work on time. He took out some dog treats from the drawer and waved to his pets in the corner. The three dogs immediately wagged their tails and rushed over, placing their paws on his legs to eat from his hand.
With his other hand, he swiped through his tablet, intending to watch a light-hearted movie after work. Somehow, he randomly clicked on a music video on a streaming site.
It was an unconventional song with a haunting melody. In the video, the female lead singer, sporting heavy smoky makeup, hoarsely screamed into the camera. Her eyes seemed to convey immense sorrow and anger, yet also a sense of exhaustion.
Chen Xin immediately thought of the girl he had seen at the tunnel entrance that evening, recalling that she hadn't told him her name. He wasn't particularly fond of her heavy makeup but found her clear voice unforgettable. He wondered if he should go find her the next day and ask for her name.
But the thought quickly passed. Chen Xin calmed down and felt he was being foolish.
He shook his head with a smile, patted his pets' heads, and went to bed alone.
For the next three days, Chen Xin avoided taking the tunnel route home, opting to drive the long way instead. But on Friday night, an issue arose.
The highway was heavily congested, stretching for hundreds of meters.
Chen Xin was relatively fortunate; leaving the office late, he was at the end of the traffic jam. A kind police officer tapped on his window, "Sir, I suggest you turn around. This jam will last at least two hours."
Chen Xin smiled politely, "Thank you. I didn't expect it to be this bad."
The officer shrugged, "Well, Christmas is the day after tomorrow."
Chen Xin realized it was similar to the New Year back home. But where could he turn his car around to? This highway was the only way home; he had no
Chen Xin smiled and explained, "I don't have any change left. Besides, I believe your performance is worth this much."
"Hmph, you sure know how to talk," Lin Xiaowan said, standing up with her guitar. "But since you're being so generous, I can't be stingy either. Let me sing you my best song!"
At these words, the onlookers nearby cheered, seemingly eager to hear Lin Xiaowan sing.
Lin Xiaowan smiled smugly, glanced back at her band members—bassist Pine and keyboardist Margie were ready to go, but drummer Leng Qing was leaning coldly against the wall, motionless.
Xiaowan walked over and kicked him. "What are you daydreaming about? Start the accompaniment! My best song! Did you hear me?"
Leng Qing glanced at her, then shot a cold look at Chen Xin behind her, reluctantly tapping out a beat on the drums.
Margie and Pine immediately joined in, and the melody of the song echoed properly from the tunnel entrance.
As soon as the tune began, Chen Xin felt something was off. However, it was too late to stop it. The girl in front of him coquettishly placed her hand on his shoulder and, with a charming voice, began singing that classic old song—
Madonna's "Like a Virgin."
Chen Xin smiled and explained, "I don't have any change. Besides, I believe your performance is worth this much."
"Hmph, you sure know how to talk," Lin Xiaowan said, standing up with her guitar. "But since you're so generous, I can't be stingy either. Let me sing you my best song!"
At these words, the onlookers nearby cheered, seemingly eager to hear Lin Xiaowan sing.
Lin Xiaowan smiled smugly, glanced back at her band members—Pine on bass and Margie on keyboard were ready to go, but the drummer, Leng Qing, was leaning coldly against the wall, motionless.
Xiaowan walked over and kicked him. "What are you daydreaming about? Accompany me! My best song! Didn't you hear?"
Leng Qing glanced at her, then cast a cold look at Chen Xin behind her, reluctantly tapping out a beat on the drums.
Margie and Pine immediately joined in, and the melody of the song echoed properly from the tunnel entrance.
As soon as the tune began, Chen Xin felt something was off. However, it was too late to stop it. The girl in front of him coquettishly placed her hand on his shoulder and, with a charming voice, began singing that classic old song—
Madonna's "Like a Virgin."