At night, Leng Qing sat alone in his studio, facing an unfinished stone sculpture. At his feet lay a soda can full of cigarette butts, and he held a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers.
Slender trails of smoke curled upward from the glowing tip, passing over his face, closed in deep thought, before spiraling around the dim ceiling lamp above him like an inextricable dark cloud.
Leng Qing maintained his contemplative pose for several minutes before abruptly opening his eyes. He took one final drag from his cigarette, tossed the butt into the soda can, and picked up the smallest carving knife from his toolbox. Standing before the massive sculpture, he brought the blade down on its face with swift and fierce strokes.
If someone had been watching, they would have assumed his movements would ruin the beautiful piece. However, when Leng Qing finally put the knife down, the girl's face on the sculpture remained unmarred. Not only that, but her features had gained even more detail.
She now had two rows of finely carved eyelashes. They were so delicate they resembled real ones, and though the girl's eyes were closed, the lifelike texture of her lashes gave the impression they were gently trembling. This subtle detail brought her face to life, making it more vivid and lively, as if she were sitting before Leng Qing, playing a beautiful melody.
He let out a sigh of relief, set down the carving knife, and picked up a small brush to clear the fine stone dust from her face. Just as he was about to begin, a loud "bang, bang, bang" came from the door.
Frowning, he carefully covered the sculpture with a dust cloth before walking to the door. "Who is it?" he asked.
A weak voice from outside answered, "It's me."
Leng Qing closed his eyes briefly before opening the door. Just moments ago, he had poured all his emotions into the stone sculpture of Lin Xiaowan. Yet, when faced with the real person standing before him, his expression turned cold. "What do you want?"
Xiaowan didn't answer. She lowered her head and walked slowly into the room.
Leng Qing suddenly felt a surge of irritation. Lighting a cigarette, he took a deep drag, turned his back to her, and said, "Don't come running to me every time you get hurt by some man. This isn't a trash recycling station."
But Xiaowan, unlike usual, didn't retort with her sharp tongue.
Sensing something was off, Leng Qing turned to her abruptly. "What's wrong?"
Xiaowan crouched down slowly, burying her face in her knees. In a soft, trembling voice, she said, "I lost my necklace."
Leng Qing immediately understood the gravity of the situation. His eyes widened slightly. "Where did you lose it?"
"I don't know…" Xiaowan's voice choked with sobs. "Last night, I was holding onto the pendant when I went to sleep. Today, I went out with Chen Xin, and when I came back, it was gone. I have no idea where I lost it. Leng Qing, what do I do? I can't find my necklace…"
She finally broke down in tears.
Lin Xiaowan rarely cried. Leng Qing knew that she always tried to maintain a bright and carefree demeanor, because so many people looked up to her as their angel and source of strength—people like Ma Qi, and even Leng Qing himself. She felt she couldn't cry. After all, if the angel lighting up your life started crying, what hope would you have to go on?
Leng Qing could no longer bear to maintain his cold demeanor. He crouched down and gently embraced her. "It's okay, it's just a necklace. Even if it's lost, the feelings you have for your grandmother won't change, right?"
"But… but it was her gift for my eighteenth birthday…" Xiaowan sobbed uncontrollably. "It's the only thing I have left from her, and I lost it… Leng Qing, I feel so useless. I really… I really don't want to keep going. Maybe if I—"
"Don't say something so foolish." Leng Qing immediately covered her mouth. "Didn't your grandmother tell you something before she passed away? And didn't she give you that necklace for a reason? If she's watching you from above, she wouldn't want to see you like this, not over a necklace."
Xiaowan quickly stopped crying and nodded. "You're right. Grandma wouldn't want to see me like this."
"Exactly. She wanted you to live happily and to show the world your talent with the harp," Leng Qing said, gently patting her back to comfort her. "So you need to try to be happy, right?"
Xiaowan nodded firmly.
"Alright, stop sitting on the floor. Come on." Leng Qing led her to the sofa bed where he slept. "Rest here for a while. I'll go get you something to eat."
Xiaowan grabbed his hand pitifully and said, "I'm not hungry. Don't leave me. I'll get scared if I'm alone."
Leng Qing stroked her face. "Alright, I'll stay with you."
He sat down beside her, and Xiaowan immediately leaned into his arms, clutching his stone-dust-covered shirt as if it were her lifeline.
Leng Qing gently stroked her hair, momentarily feeling as though they had gone back to when they were nineteen. The day Xiaowan's grandmother passed away, she had been just as tearful and vulnerable, curled up in his arms. It had made him feel like a man, like he had to take responsibility for her life.
They stayed like that for a long, long time before Leng Qing finally asked, "And Chen Xin? Done playing around with him?"
"Done," Xiaowan replied hoarsely. "I thought he'd be different, but he wasn't."
Leng Qing suddenly wanted to ask her, What about me? Am I different from them? If I am, then why, after all this time, won't you take a proper look at me?
But as he gazed at the redness around her eyes, he couldn't bring himself to ask. Forget it. Let her rest well tonight.
···
Lin Xiaowan didn't return home that night, while Chen Xin spent a sleepless night overwhelmed with work. The mother of those two children seemed intent on extorting the company over the incident, demanding compensation of half a million U.S. dollars and six months of paid leave for her husband every year. Chen Xin spent the entire night discussing how to handle the situation with the lawyers.
He could have taken some time to look for Lin Xiaowan, but his anger hadn't yet dissipated. Instead, he threw himself into his work, using it as a way to avoid thinking about her.
Deep down, he felt wronged. Over the past two months, he'd done everything he could to treat her well. He thought that, even if she was once a carefree girl who loved no one, his patience and effort would eventually touch her.
And yet, what was the result? No matter how much he gave, it couldn't compare to a necklace given by some other man.
As he thought about this, Chen Xin slammed his hand against the steering wheel, barely avoiding a collision with the Bugatti parked in front of the company as he pulled in.
Isn't that Ye Chen's car? What's he doing here?
Chen Xin got out of his car just as Ye Chen stepped out of his.
"What are you doing here?" Chen Xin asked.
Ye Chen's expression was complicated. "I heard the wife of one of your employees is making a big fuss. I came to see if I could help."
Chen Xin sighed. "Thanks, but if what she says is true, I'll compensate her. After all, Xiaowan did hit her child."
"Don't rush. Let's see what the mother says today." Surprisingly, Ye Chen didn't take the opportunity to sow discord between Chen Xin and Xiaowan. Instead, he turned and walked into the company.
Chen Xin found this odd but didn't dwell on it. When he entered the company, he saw the mother had already arrived with her two children, accompanied by her husband, who worked as the company's purchasing manager. Chen Xin's lawyer was also present. Just as Chen Xin was about to approach them, Harold stopped him.
"Chen, I need to talk to you," Harold said.
"I need to deal with yesterday's issue first. That mother is pressing for a resolution. Can we talk later—"
"What I need to say is about yesterday's incident," Harold replied. "Bring the company lawyer to my office. Things aren't as she claims."
Chen Xin froze for a moment. Without betraying any emotion, he headed to Harold's office with the lawyer. Upon entering, he noticed Harold had brought his daughter, Jenny, who was sitting nearby with headphones on, listening to music.
"What's going on?" Chen Xin's suspicion grew.
Harold began, "Jenny has told me everything. Let me recount what actually happened yesterday…"
Ten minutes later, Chen Xin struggled to suppress his anger and turned to the lawyer. "Can what he just said help us defuse this crisis?"
The lawyer adjusted his glasses. "We'll still need to compensate the other party, as physical harm was involved. However, if it's true that her two sons tried to harass Mr. Harold's daughter and Miss Lin stepped in to protect her, we could argue that the mother's lack of discipline is a factor. This might persuade her to reduce her excessive demands. But…"
"But what?"
"I've looked into it. The surveillance footage from the scene has no audio, so it can't fully corroborate Mr. Harold's account."
"What if someone recorded the audio?" Ye Chen, who had been leaning against the door silently, suddenly spoke.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Audio recording? Who has it?" Chen Xin asked.
"I do," Ye Chen said. "I was in the restroom at the time and recorded the entire incident."
Chen Xin was stunned, while the lawyer immediately responded, "If that's the case, it simplifies matters. Mr. Chen, leave the negotiation to me. I know what to do."
Chen Xin nodded. The group headed out, and the lawyer explained the situation to the mother. Initially, she tried to deny the claims, but when she heard Ye Chen had a recording, she immediately backed down.
In the end, they reached a settlement. Furious, the woman dragged her sons out of the building, turning back to yell at Chen Xin, "You're protecting your gold-digging girlfriend! Karma will get you!"
Chen Xin replied sternly, "I'm not protecting anyone. I've provided the necessary compensation. On the contrary, your two sons are already harassing girls at such a young age. Perhaps you should reflect on your parenting."
"That's just your side of the story! My sons would never do something like that. I've raised them strictly!"
As soon as she said this, Jenny emerged from Harold's office. Seeing her, the two boys shouted, "Jenny, we gave you all our chocolates! Show us your boobs already!"
The employees who had been watching the commotion burst into laughter. One of them rolled their eyes and said, "Wow, so this is the result of strict parenting? Amazing."
"You—" The woman was fuming. Unable to contain herself, she revealed her true colors and pointed at Chen Xin. "I told my husband long ago not to work for a company run by Asians like you. You're all scheming and manipulative, and your girlfriend is nothing but a gold digger who spreads her legs for money! You're just too stupid to see it!"
"Hey!" Harold stepped forward, blocking her path. "Watch your mouth."
The lawyer added, "Ma'am, your remarks constitute racial discrimination and defamation. If Mr. Chen decides to pursue this, I can assist him in filing a compensation claim against you right now."
The woman's husband, terrified, apologized repeatedly. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault for not managing my wife and kids better. Please forgive us…"
Chen Xin held back his anger and shook his head. The main issue had been resolved, and he planned to address the boys' behavior privately. He said, "Fine. Just make sure to discipline your children in the future. Your family will not be invited to any more company events."
The man quickly escorted his wife and unruly sons out of the building.
With the matter finally settled, Harold addressed the remaining employees, "Alright, back to work. There's nothing more to see."
Chen Xin patted Harold on the shoulder. "Harold, thank you for today."
"Don't mention it. If anything, I should thank you… and Lin Xiaowan." Harold looked at him with a mix of gratitude and guilt. "If it weren't for her, my daughter might have been… and yet, I wrongly accused her. Chen, I truly owe her an apology. Could you give me a chance to apologize to her in person?"
Chen Xin nodded. "Of course."
Provided… he could find her again.