When Chen Xin walked into the classroom, he was immediately stunned. Though he didn't know much about music, he understood how much an instrument meant to its player. For many, their instrument was like a soulmate. And now, Xiao Wan's beloved harp had been destroyed like this!
He felt both heartache and fury. He wanted to go up and comfort her, but he quickly stopped himself—no, it was better not to disturb her right now. Let her take her time.
So, Chen Xin stood not far from Xiao Wan, watching as she slowly picked up the scattered wooden fragments on the floor, trying to piece them back together.
Meanwhile, outside the door, other classmates of Xiao Wan had also begun to arrive for class. After learning what had happened, they all chose to remain silent, standing outside without barging in to disturb her.
A few minutes later, Chen Xin finally approached Xiao Wan. Squatting down beside her, he started helping her gather the broken fragments. Xiao Wan glanced at him briefly and, in a choked whisper, said, "This harp was a gift from my grandmother."
"Mm," Chen Xin softly acknowledged.
"It wasn't particularly expensive, nor was its tone perfect, but… but my grandmother saved up for many, many years to buy it for me," Xiao Wan sobbed. "She didn't have a good life in America to begin with. Later, when she brought me over from China, she had to support both of us on her salary. Things were already so hard for her, but she still gritted her teeth and bought me this harp because she wanted to help me pursue my dream. She hoped I'd become a successful harpist someday.
"I was so happy when I got the harp. I felt like I had hope in life again. But I didn't realize that this harp had also taken away my grandmother's hope. She had cancer and hid it from me. Instead of spending the money she saved on treatment, she used it to buy me the harp and pay for my lessons. It wasn't until my sophomore year in college that I found out about her illness. I tried everything I could to help her get treatment. I even wanted to sell the harp, but she wouldn't let me. Her cancer worsened rapidly, and within half a month, she was gone.
"In those years she was sick, she endured so much pain while still working hard to earn money. And what about me? I was busy fooling around with my classmates in college, completely ignoring her suffering! I feel so heartless, so unworthy. She was the only person in the world who truly loved me, and I… I killed her."
Chen Xin immediately embraced her and said with gentle firmness, "That's not true, Xiao Wan. You didn't kill your grandmother. Don't think that way."
Tears streamed down Xiao Wan's face as she cried, "But after she passed away, I couldn't stop thinking: If I hadn't chosen to learn the harp back then and had just graduated from high school to start working, maybe she wouldn't have died. That's why I started skipping classes. I didn't want to come to school. Every time I walk into this place, I feel like I'm carrying such a heavy burden. I feel like I let her down. She must have gotten sick because she worked so hard to save money for me…"
"That's not it," Chen Xin said, cupping Xiao Wan's face and holding back his own heartache. "Don't blame yourself for everything. Sometimes, certain things are just unavoidable. I believe your grandmother didn't think that way at all. She just wanted to work hard to give her beloved granddaughter a better life. If you had dropped out of school and started working, that would have truly betrayed her hopes for you."
Xiao Wan looked at him as if grasping a lifeline, her face showing a vulnerability she had never revealed to him before. "Really?"
"Really," Chen Xin nodded firmly. "Trust me, and trust your grandmother's expectations for you. Don't punish yourself for things that weren't your fault."
Xiao Wan stared at him blankly for a moment before finally breaking down into loud sobs.
Chen Xin held her tightly, letting her tears soak into his shirt. He gently patted her back. The two of them stayed like that for a long time until Xiao Wan's cries finally subsided.
"Alright," Chen Xin said, wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes. "No more crying. Your grandmother wouldn't want to see you like this. I know it's hard to see your harp destroyed, but the music you learned through it will never be forgotten. Just like your bond with your grandmother—it'll never fade, right?"
Xiao Wan nodded, her eyes still red.
"Come on, let's gather the pieces together. I'll see if I can find someone to help repair it," Chen Xin said. "But Xiao Wan, I need you to understand, even if it can't be fixed, you can't blame yourself for it. This isn't your fault."
"Mm…" Xiao Wan choked out. "I… I thought leaving the harp at school was the safest choice because I didn't have a stable place to stay. If I had known this would happen, I would've kept it with me every day and never let it out of my sight…"
"It hasn't left you. It's still here, just like your grandmother. They'll always be in your heart." Chen Xin gently touched her face.
Xiao Wan gazed at him for a long moment and then softly said, "You're in my heart now, too."
Those words, light as a feather, struck Chen Xin's heart like a boulder. He wanted to hug her tightly, to kiss her deeply, until neither of them could breathe. But he restrained himself. He knew now wasn't the right moment.
Instead, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and said, "You're in mine, too."
Just then, a commotion erupted outside the door. Their professor, Tom, had arrived. Seeing the students chatting idly in the hallway instead of practicing, he was immediately irritated. He flung the door open, only to be greeted
The classmates all shook their heads. "We don't know either, Professor. When I arrived this morning, I saw that the lock on the door had been smashed, and the harp was already in this state."
"Outrageous! You! Go report this to the dean right now! I will get to the bottom of this and ensure whoever did this faces proper punishment!"
The student nodded immediately and ran off to deliver the message.
Chen Xin glanced at the professor and then gently said to Xiao Wan, "Let's pack up your harp first, so it doesn't disrupt everyone else's class."
At his suggestion, the surrounding classmates quickly offered to help.
"Let me help."
"Me too."
Everyone gathered to pick up the shattered pieces scattered on the floor. Finally, they wrapped the fragments in the classroom curtain and handed the bundle to Xiao Wan.
Xiao Wan looked at them gratefully, her voice choked with emotion. "Thank you."
Professor Tom sighed, patting Xiao Wan's shoulder. "You can go home and rest today. No need to attend class. Rest assured, I will find out who did this."
"Thank you, Professor," Xiao Wan said sincerely, her eyes still red.
The white-haired professor shivered slightly. "This child, suddenly being so formal and polite, feels a bit unusual. Alright then, you're her boyfriend, aren't you? Take her home and let her rest."
Chen Xin nodded politely. "Of course. Thank you for your understanding."
As Chen Xin left with Xiao Wan in his arms, Professor Tom sat down furiously at the podium, his anger barely contained. "Xiao Wan is a once-in-a-century genius in the harp world! Whoever did this must be jealous of her talent. It's disgusting!"
The students exchanged glances. One of them said, "Professor, I don't think jealousy is the reason."
"Then what is it? If you know something, spit it out!"
"It seems to be related to her ex-boyfriend. There's been a lot of talk online about it recently. Professor, do you watch the NBA?"
"Why would I watch a bunch of brutes fighting over a ball? It's nothing like the elegance of the harp!" Tom retorted, lifting his chin with pride.
The students couldn't help but laugh softly. "Well, her ex-boyfriend is an NBA star. Now that he's famous, some of his fans have spread rumors about Xiao Wan being a gold-digger who cheated on him. It's likely this incident with the harp is connected to those rumors."
"Hmph!" Tom slammed his hand on the desk. "Good riddance to him! He's nothing but trouble. Breaking up was the best thing she could have done. This new boyfriend of hers seems decent—steady, at least. But why did he come in with smoky eye makeup?"
"Pfft…" The students burst into quiet laughter.
Tom glared at them. "What are you laughing at? Class is starting! Practice seriously! None of you are leaving until you can play as well as Xiao Wan!"
The students' grumbles mingled with the sounds of the harp as they filled the classroom.
Not far away, Cold was standing alone in a shadowed corner outside. Leaning against the wall, his face was obscured by darkness, but the glow of his cigarette flared intermittently.
Three days later, the culprit who destroyed Xiao Wan's harp was identified. Surveillance footage revealed that it was a white girl from another department. Late at night, when the teaching building was empty, she broke into the harp room, smashed the harp with a hammer she had brought, sprayed a vulgar message on the door with black paint, and then walked away casually.
Although the perpetrator was identified, the school was slow to decide on a punishment. Professor Tom, frustrated by the delays, repeatedly pressed the dean for answers and eventually learned the truth: the girl's father was a major businessman in another state, a stakeholder in the school, and had connections in the city. The school board didn't want to offend the daughter of a key shareholder and was trying to sweep the incident under the rug.
Tom, known for his fiery temper, was livid. He stormed from the dean's office to the president's office, threatening to resign if the girl wasn't disciplined. In the end, the school reluctantly offered Xiao Wan a token compensation of a few thousand dollars.
But what use was a few thousand dollars? A harp's value far exceeded that amount, not to mention the irreplaceable sentimental value it held. Worse, the girl who committed the act never apologized and continued to live freely under her father's protection.
Xiao Wan, however, wasn't particularly fixated on an apology. She was consumed by the fact that her harp was destroyed beyond repair. Her spirits remained low.
Chen Xin, watching her decline, grew increasingly anxious. Xiao Wan had been skipping meals for days. Her already petite face became even more gaunt, and her complexion lost its usual healthy glow, breaking his heart.
Even Ellie's best efforts to cook delicious meals failed to rekindle Xiao Wan's appetite.
Chen Xin understood that anyone who experienced such a loss would need time to recover. But he couldn't bear to see her continue like this.
So, while trying to pressure the school to hold the girl accountable, Chen Xin also sought out skilled craftsmen to repair the harp. Yet every expert he contacted, after seeing the photos of the harp's condition, said it was beyond repair.
One afternoon, Chen Xin sat in his office, frowning as he listened to yet another craftsman on the phone.
"Mr. Chen, I understand how much you want to fix the harp for your girlfriend. But I've studied the photos you sent. Given the extent of the damage, unless you can turn back time, it's impossible to restore it. I suggest buying her a new harp instead. While it won't hold the same sentimental value, it's better than nothing. What do you think?"
"Alright. Thank you," Chen Xin sighed heavily and hung up.
He pressed his fingers against his aching forehead when suddenly, Ye Chen burst into the room.
Chen Xin looked up. "Why don't you ever knock?"
Ye Chen plopped down in the chair across from him. "We're so close, do I need to knock?"
"I'm busy today and don't have time to entertain you. Go play with the koi by yourself."
"As if! Those fat fish are Xiao Wan's pets," Ye Chen snorted before casually asking, "Where is Xiao Wan, by the way? Haven't seen her around. Did you finally dump her?"
"No," Chen Xin replied heavily. "Something happened. She's not in a good mood and has been resting at home."
Ye Chen sneered. "I knew it. Ever since she saw her NBA ex, she must've been thinking about going back to him, huh?"
"No, this has nothing to do with Haydn." As soon as Chen Xin finished speaking, his phone rang—it was the craftsman calling back.
He quickly answered. "Hello?"
"Mr. Chen, I've thought of a compromise. While it's impossible to fully restore the harp, I can manage about fifty percent. Would you like to hear the details?"
"Absolutely. Please tell me!"
That night, outside the entrance to N City Academy of Arts and Media.
A brunette girl walked out of the school with her classmates, laughing as they said their goodbyes. She got into her Maserati and started the engine.
The car drove smoothly along the straight road, but as she reached a corner, a dark figure suddenly appeared, startling her into slamming on the brakes.
She stared in shock at the group blocking her path.
They were an eclectic mix of people, each on a motorcycle. They lined up horizontally, completely blocking the road. Alarmed, the girl tried to reverse, only to hear the rumble of engines behind her.
She was surrounded.
The leader of the group turned on his headlight, the beam blinding her momentarily. When her vision cleared, she recognized the man standing in front of her—
It was Cold, the loyal companion always by Lin Xiaowan's side.
The brown-haired girl immediately guessed why the group of people had aggressively surrounded her.
If it had been an ordinary person, they might have been scared out of their wits. But the brown-haired girl showed no fear. From the moment she decided to destroy Lin Xiaowan's harp, she had anticipated trouble from Lin's admirers. But who was she? Her father was Pennsylvania's largest clothing manufacturer. With her father backing her, she believed that even if she committed murder, he could smooth it over for her.
So, she crossed her arms and calmly looked at the cold-faced man standing by her car window.
The man stared back icily and said, "Get out of the car. Otherwise, I'll smash it."
The girl sneered. "Oh, really? Then go ahead, smash it. Just hope you won't regret it later—"
Before she could finish, the man raised the hammer in his hand and struck the car window hard. A loud "bang" echoed with her scream. The girl stared in disbelief at the spiderweb-like cracks on her car window. He actually smashed her car!
The man, unruffled, raised the hammer again and coldly said, "One last chance. Get out of the car."
The girl, who had been pampered all her life, could not handle being treated this way. Raising her chin, she convinced herself that the man was bluffing. But as she hesitated, the hammer came down again—
"Bang! Crash!" With the second blow, the car window shattered. Glass shards sprayed all over the girl. Terrified, she covered her head and screamed, "I'll get out! I'll get out! Just stop!"
The man stepped back as the girl climbed out of the car. Though her legs were trembling, she tried to maintain her aristocratic pride. She glared at him angrily and said, "How dare you treat me like this! Do you know who my father is? If he finds out, you'll—"
"Pennsylvania's biggest clothing manufacturer," the man interrupted coldly. "He owns shares in the school, is 59 years old, and besides you, he has two sons. I know his daily commute, his favorite foods, his love for tennis, and his Wednesday evening visits to his mistress. I probably know more about your father than you do."
The girl froze, staring at him in shock. She had always thought of this man, Leng Qing, as nothing more than a lackey trailing after Lin Xiaowan. She never imagined he could gather such detailed information about her father.
"Now that I've introduced your father, let's talk about you," Leng Qing said. "Care to explain why you destroyed Lin Xiaowan's harp?"
At the mention of Lin Xiaowan, hatred filled the girl's eyes. Gritting her teeth, she snapped, "So what if I smashed her harp? That tramp dresses like a floozy every day, seducing men left and right. She's disgusting! And now she's after an NBA star! Let me tell you, if I hadn't destroyed her harp, some other fan might've done worse—maybe even stabbed her!"
Leng Qing sneered. "So, it's jealousy."
The girl's face flushed red as she protested loudly, "Jealous? That's ridiculous! Why would I be jealous of her? My family's wealth is ranked nationwide, and I have more money than I could spend in a lifetime. I don't need to stoop to her level!"
"Really?" Leng Qing said indifferently. "Then are you denying that when Lin Xiaowan brought her ex-boyfriend—hotel heir Nathan Brown—to school, you tried to seduce him, only to be ignored?"
Her face turned even redder. "I didn't seduce Nathan! Our families have known each other for years; we're friends. I was just warning him not to be deceived by that tramp!"
"Oh, so it was just a friendly warning?" Leng Qing scoffed. "Is that how the upper class disguises their ugly actions? Wrap them in noble intentions and hope no one sees through you?"
"You—you're slandering me!"
"Slandering? Then why don't you remind us what Nathan said to you when you tried to 'warn' him?" Leng Qing asked.
The girl winced at the memory. Yes, she had always had feelings for Nathan. He had been a playboy, never taking relationships seriously, and she had thought it was just a matter of time before he realized she was the best choice. But then Lin Xiaowan appeared, captivating Nathan completely.
She recalled the day Nathan came to school with Lin Xiaowan. She had blocked his path, tearfully begging him to wake up and not be fooled. But Nathan had exploded in anger, saying, "Don't you ever use that word to describe her again! If you do, don't blame me for cutting all ties with your family! How did you become such a foul-mouthed fool after all your years of education?"
Humiliated, she had cried for three days straight. That was when she resolved to make Lin Xiaowan suffer.
But when Nathan later broke up with Lin Xiaowan, she was elated. She tried to confess her feelings to him at a family gathering, only for him to reply, "I'm sorry. Even though we've broken up, I haven't given up on her. I'll only ever love her."
The girl's heartbreak turned to hatred when she heard rumors of Lin Xiaowan's fling with NBA star Hayden. Why did Lin Xiaowan get to have every man she wanted? She vowed to make her suffer.
Destroying the harp, which held sentimental value for Lin Xiaowan, seemed like the perfect revenge. She had been thrilled when she heard Lin had cried upon seeing the damage.
But now, faced with Leng Qing, she realized how wrong she had been.
"Not answering? That's fine. I'm not interested in your excuses," Leng Qing said. "I have one demand: apologize to Lin Xiaowan. Do it sincerely, and I'll leave you alone."
The girl scoffed. "Apologize? Don't think I don't see through your bluff. My father's connections can get you deported!"
Leng Qing nodded. "Your father's impressive. But unless he can assign 20 bodyguards to every family member, 24/7, 365 days a year, you'll all face danger every single day."
The girl froze. "What… what do you mean?"
"Imagine your father's car brakes failing mysteriously, your mother's beauty treatments going up in flames, or you encountering drunk drivers on your way to school," Leng Qing said, his calm voice chilling. "The solution is simple: apologize."
Terrified by his words and the malice in his eyes, the girl finally broke. "Fine! I'll apologize!"
Leng Qing stepped closer. "I want a public apology—on social media, the school bulletin, and to Lin Xiaowan's face. Cry, show remorse, and promise never to harm her again. Fail me in any way, and I won't let you off."
Shaking with fear, she whispered, "I… understand."
Leng Qing nodded, signaling his companions to leave. Once they were gone, the girl collapsed to the ground, trembling and sobbing in terror.