The next morning, Maggie was sitting alone at the tunnel entrance, yawning while counting the money their band had earned the day before. Suddenly, a pair of custom-made black Silvano Lattanzi shoes stopped in front of her.
She looked up, a hint of surprise flashing across her face. "Mr. Chen?"
"Hello, Maggie." Chen Xin gave her a faint smile, though the dark circles under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion. "Why are you here alone today?"
"Payne went to get breakfast, and Leng Qing often skips coming by. I'm used to it." Maggie replied. "Mr. Chen, I assume you didn't come here just for small talk. Is this… about Xiaowan?"
Chen Xin's face showed a trace of guilt as he nodded gravely. "Yes. Xiaowan and I had an argument, and she left in anger. I've looked everywhere for her but can't find her. Do you… have any idea where she might be?"
This time, however, Maggie didn't respond immediately as she had during their last meeting. Instead, she sighed, lowered her head, and remained silent.
Chen Xin grew anxious. "What's wrong? I know I shouldn't have argued with her again, but I swear I'll never do it again."
Maggie gave a bitter smile. "Xiaowan's previous boyfriends used to say the same thing, but they still argued with her over and over again. Mr. Chen, do you know that after you asked about Xiaowan's whereabouts last time, Payne told me I was being too eager, too desperate for her to find happiness? He said I didn't properly evaluate the men interested in her and let them get close to her too easily. And now, I think he might have been right."
"I understand where you're coming from." Chen Xin crouched down, looking at her sincerely. "But I, Chen Xin, never break my promises. I hope you can believe in me one more time. You said you want Xiaowan to be happy, and I promise you, I'm the one who can make her happy."
Maggie bit her lip, her eyes reddening bit by bit. Choking up, she said, "You'd better keep your word because Xiaowan has been through a lot of pain in her past. I couldn't save her, but maybe you can."
Chen Xin nodded earnestly. "I'll do everything in my power to make that happen."
Maggie wiped her eyes and sighed deeply. "She's probably with Leng Qing. Whenever she feels down, she always goes to him. Leng Qing has a studio, and the address is…"
After learning the location of the studio, Chen Xin stood up quickly but hesitated for a moment before asking, "Maggie, you mentioned Xiaowan had a painful past. Do you know what happened?"
Maggie shook her head. "That, I really don't know. Xiaowan never told us. But Leng Qing has known her the longest—he might know something."
"Got it. Thank you." Chen Xin expressed his gratitude before hurrying off.
Maggie watched his retreating figure and murmured to herself, "If you can truly save her, then I should be the one saying thank you…"
Near noon, Xiaowan finally woke up in Leng Qing's studio. The musty smell of the sofa bed wasn't as smooth or soft as the silk sheets at Chen Xin's house, but it was the most comforting bed she had experienced in years.
"You're awake," Leng Qing said softly from nearby as he heard her stir.
Yawning, Xiaowan walked barefoot across the floor and hugged him from behind, resting against him as she admired the stone sculpture of herself. Tilting her head, she scrutinized it for a moment before snorting. "It's so ugly—still not as good-looking as me."
Leng Qing chuckled, grabbing her hand. "You must be hungry. I'll go buy you something to eat."
"No need for the trouble. You still have noodles here, right? I want plain noodles—make them for me," Xiaowan said as she swung her legs from the sofa.
"Alright." Leng Qing put out his cigarette, pulled over a portable electric stove from the corner, and filled a pot with water before placing it on top.
While the water boiled, Xiaowan lit a cigarette of her own, reclining on the sofa and humming a tune as she played around.
Leng Qing walked over, sat beside her, and took the cigarette from her lips. "Smoke less."
Xiaowan rolled her eyes and snatched it back. "Oh, now you care about me? Who was it that taught me to smoke in the first place?"
Leng Qing felt a pang of regret. Back then, Xiaowan had been devastated by the passing of her grandmother, lost and broken. Watching her spiral, he'd smoked a cigarette in frustration, and she'd insisted on trying it. That was how she had learned to use nicotine to suppress her sorrow.
He sighed and said with self-reproach, "That was my mistake. I should've stopped you back then."
Seeing his expression, Xiaowan softened. She sat up, stuffed the cigarette into his mouth, and leaned on his shoulder. "Alright, alright, I was just teasing you. I don't really blame you. Hey, show me how you blow smoke rings!"
Leng Qing gave her a gentle look, took a deep drag, and blew out a large smoke ring, followed by a smaller one that passed through the first.
Xiaowan clapped her hands in delight. "Hahaha, it never gets old! My Leng Qing is the best!" She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
Suddenly, Leng Qing caught her wrist, pressing her down onto the sofa bed as he deepened the kiss.
But before long, Xiaowan pushed him away abruptly. Turning her head to the side, she whispered, "No."
Leng Qing fell silent for a few seconds and asked, "Didn't you say you were done with Chen Xin?"
Xiao Wan lowered her gaze without responding. Leng Qing felt a chill in his heart. He slowly sat up with an indifferent expression, while Xiao Wan remained lying there, seemingly lost in thought.
At that moment, a rapid knock sounded from the door.
A familiar male voice followed, "Xiao Wan! Xiao Wan! It's me, Chen Xin! Are you in there?"
Leng Qing noticed Xiao Wan's fingers twitch slightly, but she didn't move. Neither of the two in the room said a word, yet Chen Xin's voice grew louder and more urgent, as though he wouldn't stop until he saw Xiao Wan.
Finally, Xiao Wan let out an angry breath, sprang up from the sofa, tugged her dress to one side to expose her bare shoulder, mussed up her hair, and stormed barefoot to the door. She yanked it open.
"What?" she leaned against the doorframe, her cold gaze cutting into him.
Her disheveled appearance left Chen Xin momentarily stunned. Peering past her, he could see Leng Qing sitting on the sofa, his clothes somewhat unkempt. Xiao Wan spoke with a vengeful tone, "I'm busy. If you have nothing urgent, then get lost."
Chen Xin stared intently at her, looking past the defiance in her rebellious eyes, deeper and deeper, until he saw the hidden sadness and grievance buried within.
With a soft sigh, he said, "I came to apologize. I've already handled the situation. Those two boys—so young yet so malicious—cannot be left unchecked. I contacted CPS in the city, and they took the matter seriously. The boys' information has been recorded, and their parents were warned. CPS will monitor their education and behavior over the next three years. If they do anything similar, they'll be sent to a rehabilitation center for proper guidance.
"I'm also proud of you for stepping in to save Jenny that day. But I'm sorry for not asking what happened first, for leaving you alone at home for so long, and for lashing out at you.
"And lastly… I found your necklace."
Xiao Wan had remained expressionless until this point, but when Chen Xin pulled out a crescent moon necklace from his pocket, she gasped and snatched it from him almost instinctively.
She stared at the recovered necklace for a long time, clutching it to her chest, breathing heavily, before looking at Chen Xin with disbelief. "Where…where did you find it?"
"It's a bit complicated," Chen Xin explained gently. "I guessed it might have fallen into the drain while you were showering, so I had workers dismantle the bathroom in your room. We found it stuck in the drainage pipe—it hadn't flowed far. If it had reached the underground system beneath the villa, I wouldn't have been able to recover it at all—"
Before he could finish, Xiao Wan threw herself into his arms, hugging him so tightly that even Chen Xin, who was physically strong, found it hard to breathe.
Despite this, he felt overjoyed because she was finally willing to forgive him.
As he stroked her hair, he said softly, "I'm sorry, truly. I promise I won't—ah!"
Before he could finish, Xiao Wan clawed at his face and cursed, "You bastard! Just a pet caretaker, and you dare yell at me? You've got guts, huh? I did the right thing, yet everyone scolded me for it. Why?! And why did it take you so long to find me? Do you know how miserable I've been these past two days? I'm going to scratch you to death!"
Chen Xin endured her grievances and scratches, softly explaining, "I know. I know you were right. I support what you did. I wanted to find you sooner, but dismantling the bathroom took time, and I wanted to bring the necklace to—"
"Still talking back? Scratch you to death!"
"Okay, okay, no more excuses." Seeing her reddened eyes, Chen Xin's heart softened completely. He hugged her gently and said, "It's all my fault. Do whatever you want to me—ah, hey!"
Xiao Wan suddenly bit his chest through his shirt.
Chen Xin winced in pain but didn't resist, patting her back in an attempt to soothe the fiery little wildcat in his arms.
She ground her teeth against his chest for a while before letting go, leaning against him with a teary whimper.
Chen Xin heaved a sigh of relief and quickly asked, "Not mad anymore? Let's go home, okay? I asked Ellie to prepare a lot of good food for you."
"No way! Who said I'm not mad anymore?" Xiao Wan glared at him. "I want to shop—buy, buy, buy! You have to come with me, and I'm going to shop until you're broke!"
"Okay, I already took the day off from work. I'll spend the entire day with you," Chen Xin said, taking her hand. "Shall we go, then?"
"Wait, let me put on my shoes." Xiao Wan turned back, finding her discarded high heels on the floor. After putting them on, she glanced at Leng Qing, still seated motionless by the sofa.
Her gaze dimmed slightly as she cleared her throat and said, "I'm leaving."
Leng Qing didn't respond.
Xiao Wan picked up her bag, held Chen Xin's hand at the door, and walked out without looking back at Leng Qing.
Not long after they left, the water in the pot began to boil. Leng Qing stared at the bubbling water, chuckled bitterly, and suddenly kicked the pot over. The scalding water spilled everywhere, as if mocking his helplessness with that woman.
The young woman raised her eyebrows slightly. By her own standards, her appearance was not bad, yet this man showed no reaction. As expected, the wealthier the man, the harder they are to attract. Failing her first attempt, she devised another plan. Suddenly, she touched her ear in feigned panic and exclaimed, "My earring! It's gone!"
She pretended to search on the carpet for a moment, of course finding nothing, and then turned to Chen Xin with an apologetic expression. "Sir, could you check the sofa you're sitting on to see if there's an earring? I suspect it might have fallen there when I tripped."
Chen Xin glanced around briefly. "I'm quite sure there is no earring on the sofa."
"But that earring is really important to me. Could it have fallen into the crevices?" she persisted, reaching out toward Chen Xin's thigh as she spoke. At the same time, she leaned in closer, deliberately giving him a view of her cleavage.
Chen Xin found himself trapped between the blonde woman and the sofa's backrest, visibly flustered. Not wanting to touch her, he frowned and said, "Ma'am, I'm quite certain there's no earring here. Could you please not get so close?"
That was the moment Xiao Wan stepped out of the fitting room. With just one glance, she understood what the blonde was trying to do. She coughed lightly and walked over with an icy expression. "This man is mine. If you're looking for a sugar daddy, spend some money to mingle at a yacht club instead of trying to snatch someone else's."
The blonde woman hadn't expected Xiao Wan to be so blunt. Her face flushed slightly, and she said, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just here to shop for clothes…"
"Oh, really? Then let's see what you can afford in this store, dressed in a $10 clearance T-shirt," Xiao Wan challenged, eyeing her provocatively.
The blonde bit her lip and picked up a dress hanging nearby. But after one glance at the price tag, she put it back down. She turned around and walked toward the door, attempting to look dignified. Xiao Wan casually said to the salesperson nearby, "Wrap up the dress that blonde lady just looked at for me. It's not my favorite, but hey, my sugar daddy is rich."
The blonde couldn't hold back anymore and turned around to yell, "You're no different from me! What's there to be so smug about?"
Xiao Wan batted her eyelashes innocently. "Don't lump me in with you. I would never steal someone else's man."
"You…" The blonde was livid, gritting her teeth. Finally, she burst out, "You know what? You are such a bitch!"
Xiao Wan gave her a faint smile. "Thank you."