Chen Die was very familiar with this cigarette scent.

She instinctively looked up and down the corridor. The motion sensor lights darkened again, leaving everything pitch black. No one was there.

Chen Die frowned slightly, let out a breath, and as she walked back to the banquet hall, she ran into Chen Shao coming out.

Chen Shao raised his eyebrows, “Sister?”

“…”

Chen Die thought to herself, this idiot is starting again.

Chen Shao suddenly seemed to have a realization, drawing out a low “Ah,” and teased, “How exciting, sister. What were you and Wen Liang just doing?”

“Huh?”

“In this darkness, he’s quite ungentlemanly, coming back by himself,” Chen Shao clicked his tongue twice.

Chen Die looked past his shoulder into the hall and saw Wen Liang had just made his way through the crowd back to his seat.

Combined with the cigarette smell she had caught at the bathroom door, it wasn’t hard to guess what had happened.

So, Wen Liang knew she was going to teach Wang Yunxi a lesson, and had even helped by guarding the door…?

Wang Yunxi was coming over now, having fixed her appearance. The disgust and anger she felt upon seeing Chen Die momentarily froze when she saw Chen Shao in front of her.

Then it turned into contempt and sarcasm.

Chen Die glanced at her, understanding that she probably misunderstood her relationship with Chen Shao.

She couldn’t be bothered to explain and crossed her arms, moving aside to let her in.

Chen Shao, acting like a hooligan, even whistled.

“You two don’t get along?” Chen Shao asked.

“Just like that.”

“I’m telling you, sister—” Chen Shao spoke lazily, placing his hand on her shoulder, “If your temper continues to be like Wen Liang’s, you’ll probably suffer a lot in the entertainment industry.”

Chen Die said nothing, just looking at him calmly.

After a while, Chen Shao raised his hands in surrender, joking as he compromised, “Alright, I know, I know, you two aren’t together anymore. Wen Liang must have wasted several billion on you.”

Chen Die frowned, “What?”

“You don’t know?” Chen Shao raised an eyebrow, “Just a few days before you signed with Yi Ming, at the bidding conference, Wen Liang snatched a project that Chen Ke had been preparing for half a year.”

“That’s something,” Chen Shao laughed, “For Chen Ke’s biological daughter, he spent billions to sabotage Chen Ke. I wonder who ultimately benefited from that.”

Bidding conference?

Chen Die had heard Zhu Qicong mention it before.

Calculating the timing, it was the same day she moved out of the West Suburb villa.

The night before that, she had encountered Lin Quan, cut her palm, and Wen Liang said he would get revenge for her the next day.

The result of that revenge was probably Chen Ke’s project.

That approach was certainly Wen Liang’s style.

Chen Die felt a moment of disorientation.

After briefly speaking with Chen Shao, Chen Die walked into the hall.

The auction had already begun on stage. Currently being displayed was a hairpin with a thousand years of history—the central object of their film.

The prop department had already prepared a replica for filming, which Chen Die had seen, so it wasn’t unfamiliar to her.

Their film began with a girl’s family’s revenge and ultimately concluded with the grand theme of defending the country.

The male and female leads were separated on the battlefield, eventually divided by life and death, with the hairpin becoming the final token.

Green mountains do not naturally age but turn white for snow. Clear waters have no inherent worry but are wrinkled by the wind.

The big screen also displayed a close-up of the hairpin. After years of carving and polishing, it was no longer so dazzling but had more indescribable qualities settled within it.

The person who offered this hairpin as a charity auction item was a descendant of the male protagonist in the story.

Passed down through generations as a family heirloom, it had now reached this current owner. He had never married and had no children to pass it on to, so he donated it to charity.

After the host introduced the backstory, he announced, “Let’s give a round of applause to thank the donor, Mr. Li Heqi! This is the only treasure tonight without a starting price. It all depends on your appreciation.”

After the applause, the bidding began.

“1.5 million!”

“1.6 million!”

…

When the price reached 2.5 million, Lan Chuan, who had been quiet until now, raised his paddle, “2.8 million.”

Other crew members attending the banquet were all looked over. Lan Chuan had always been known for his low profile, and no one expected him to bid at the auction.

But for such an artist to spend lavishly on a historical artifact with a story wasn’t surprising.

“3 million.”

Another male voice sounded in the banquet hall.

Everyone looked over to see the man sitting in the front row holding up his paddle. His fingernails were long and slender, with slightly visible veins extending to his wrist, where an expensive watch displayed his wealth.

The atmosphere was pushed to its peak, and a few more bids were called.

Lan Chuan didn’t bid again. He wasn’t used to competing with others for something, even if he truly liked it.

Finally, at 5 million, the gavel fell, and an attendant carefully packaged the hairpin and brought it to Wen Liang.

“Why didn’t Xiao Chuan bid again later?” Feng Zhi, sitting next to Lan Chuan, asked with a smile. Lan Chuan smiled and shook his head, “Since Mr. Wen values this hairpin so much, why should I compete for something so dear to his heart?”

The charity gala ended.

The film would continue shooting tomorrow, so Chen Die left with the rest of the crew.

Feng Zhi walked in front and called out to the man standing by the car in the distance, “Mr. Wen.”

Wen Liang turned around, his expression unchanged. He shook hands with Feng Zhi, his gaze not lingering on Chen Die for even a second.

Meanwhile, Zhu Qicong, standing to the side behind Wen Liang, wasn’t sure whether he should also pretend not to know Chen Die. He stood frozen in place, his eyes lowered.

Feng Zhi chatted with Wen Liang briefly about the hairpin.

The two had only occasionally met at public events and weren’t familiar with each other, so after a few exchanges, they finished.

Feng Zhi led everyone back to the car sent by the production team.

Chen Die walked last. As she passed by Wen Liang, she quietly said “Thank you” to him.

Wen Liang paused as he was opening the car door, then got in without any other response.

“Mr. Wen, back to Mingqi Apartments or West Suburb?” Zhu Qicong asked.

“Linqian Cemetery.”

Wen Liang sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, raising his hand to press his brow bone.

Zhu Qicong was stunned, then realized what day it was, immediately fell silent, and quietly drove toward Linqian Cemetery.

The item purchased for 5 million was delicately placed in a crystal box with a silver-white string tied around it, lying beside him.

The car drove steadily away, passing the crew’s business van.

A moment later, Wen Liang reopened his eyes, let out a light sigh, and took out his phone.

The production’s marketing team had already published photos of the performers attending the event.

In a 9-grid layout, the last three photos were of Chen Die.

Compared to Wang Yunxi’s formal attire, Chen Die’s outfit was much simpler, but it suited her best.

Wen Liang suddenly realized that he hadn’t looked at Chen Die properly for a long time. In his memory, she was just beautiful, with fair skin and a good figure.

But what else?

In the photo, the woman wore a black dress with long curly hair, waving toward the camera.

Her smile was appropriate, her figure lovely, and underneath in the comments, many people praised her beauty in creative ways.

Wen Liang disliked this version of Chen Die, like a beautiful shell.

The lively, fierce, threatening Chen Die from the bathroom earlier was much more endearing.

On the silent night, the black Bentley drove into the cemetery parking lot.

Linqian Cemetery had excellent facilities with 24-hour caretakers. Wen Liang went to register and sign in, then entered the cemetery.

Walking up the central steps, he finally stopped in front of a tombstone.

The area around the tombstone was clean, with a small white flower placed in the middle—a service provided by the cemetery, where they placed a fresh flower in front of the tombstone every day.

On the tombstone was a young woman.

Her brow and eyes somewhat resembled Wen Liang’s, very beautiful and delicate.

The age in the photo wasn’t far from Wen Liang’s current age, but that was already the most mature stage of her life.

She had married early, given birth to Wen Liang early, and died early.

At that time, Wen Liang was still in primary school. One evening, he returned home from school to find no one there, not even the servants.

Wen Liang ran upstairs and pushed open his parents’ bedroom door to find his mother lying pale on the bed, curled up due to drug reactions, with cold sweat constantly breaking out on her forehead.

It was the first time he had seen his elegant and beautiful mother in such a wretched state.

He was helpless and confused, watching his mother commit suicide before his eyes, gradually losing her heartbeat and breath.

This had happened more than a decade ago. Standing before the tombstone again, his mind was now very calm. Wen Liang looked at the woman on the tombstone with a subdued gaze.

“It’s been 18 years,” Wen Liang said calmly. “I wonder if you have any regrets now.”

“But you liked tranquility, so this isn’t bad. Besides, if you were alive, you might still get angry because of me,” Wen Liang smiled. “I’ve done nothing but awful things.”

The only response was the equally calm sound of the wind.

After a long silence, Wen Liang said, “In 18 years, there’s only one thing I feel I did right.”

“…”

“But she doesn’t feel the same way.”

He didn’t stay long and had nothing more to say, so Wen Liang quickly returned to Mingqi Apartments.

After showering and handling work emails, it was already late at night, but he still couldn’t sleep. Another scene kept floating in his mind.

Four years ago today—

Wen Liang had also returned from the cemetery, but back then, he returned to the West Suburb villa.

The young girl at home had just finished her college entrance exams and was playing freely like she’d been liberated. When he entered the house, Chen Die was sitting cross-legged on the sofa playing video games, excitedly asking him to join.

Wen Liang had no interest in that and went straight to his bedroom.

He lay on the bed. For over a decade, he never slept well on this day.

In his dreams, his head felt heavy and his feet light. He could neither see light above nor solid ground below, as if falling into an endless abyss.

The image of his mother, hunched in unbearable pain before her death, played repeatedly before his eyes.

He seemed to be immersed in ice-cold lake water, unable to hear any sound or breathe. The fear hidden deep in his subconscious emerged unrestrained in his dreams.

Suddenly, a faint sound reached his ears.

Completely different from the absolute silence of the dream, it was abrupt but clear, jarring his nerves.

He woke up.

The bedroom door was pushed open.

The light outside was bright. A young girl wearing a soft nightgown stood at his door in slippers.

The light fell around her, enveloping her, making her seem to glow.

The bedroom was pitch black, and Wen Liang couldn’t see anything clearly except for the glowing Chen Die.

She had just dried her hair, and her fluffy, shiny black hair hung over her chest. Her eyes were clear and pure, looking straight at him.

“Brother Wen Liang, are you asleep?”

The girl’s voice was also gentle, instantly pulling Wen Liang completely out of his dream. The coldness in his body gradually receded.

Wen Liang rubbed his face and asked hoarsely, “Why are you here so late?”

Chen Die didn’t speak. She shuffled into the room in her slippers, walked to his bedside, hesitated for a moment, then raised her leg and climbed onto his bed, kneeling to look at him.

“I watched a movie this morning and am afraid to sleep alone,” she said softly, lowering her head. “Can I sleep with you?”

“No,” Wen Liang refused without thinking. “Go back.”

“I don’t want to.”

Chen Die didn’t know where this stubbornness came from, but she simply lifted her chin, pulled back his covers, and crawled in.

Wen Liang pulled her out by the little hood at the back of her nightgown, scolding her, “Chen Die, how old are you to still say you want to sleep with me?”

At this point, Chen Die naturally refused to budge, absolutely unwilling to leave his bed.

She persistently said, “Eighteen! Today I’m going to sleep right here!”

Wen Liang was already a bit disoriented from the dream and then struck by the image of the glowing girl standing at his door, which seemed to be branded into his mind.

And now the glowing girl was wrapped in his blanket lying beside him, looking like she was making a heroic sacrifice, appearing both funny and cute.

“Chen Die.”

Wen Liang stopped trying to pull her away. He just looked down at her and asked, “Didn’t they teach biology in your school?”

Chen Die didn’t grasp the meaning behind his words and said without thinking, “I’m an art student. What biology class?”

Wen Liang chuckled, “What about health education?”

Only then did Chen Die understand.

Those twisted little thoughts of hers, which she hadn’t fully figured out herself, had led her to rush into Wen Liang’s bedroom with pure courage. Only after hearing him did she realize.

Chen Die looked at him quietly, then called his name, “Wen Liang.”

No longer “Brother Wen Liang.”

Wen Liang understood.

He was somewhat surprised but didn’t think too much about it. Instead, he smiled and pinched her face, “Getting brave, aren’t you, Lingling?”

“I know everything. I’m already 18, I’ve graduated, I’m an adult,” Chen Die said, looking at him.

Wen Liang pulled back the covers, lifted her skirt, and pinched her thigh.

Chen Die couldn’t handle this. Her eyes immediately widened, and she let out a weak whimper from the bottom of her throat, completely frozen.

Wen Liang scoffed lightly, “Look at how timid you are, and you still say ‘I’m an adult.'”

“Wen Liang,” she frowned slightly, “Don’t always look down on me. When I say I’m okay with it, I mean it.”

They stared at each other in the darkness for a few seconds.

It had to be said that this young girl he had unexpectedly brought home was indeed pleasing to the eye. She was beautiful from any angle, especially now with her embarrassed face trying to act tough, full of life and vibrancy.

Wen Liang confirmed one last time, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Then come here.” Wen Liang pulled her into his arms, then flipped over and pressed down on her.

At that time, Wen Liang didn’t stop to think about why Chen Die would walk into his bedroom in the middle of the night, insist on sleeping with him, and even be willing to take their relationship to the next level.

He just found it pleasurable, and once he had a taste, it wasn’t long before he lured the young girl to sleep in his bedroom.

But it wasn’t until that day when he was drunk and went to find Chen Die, hearing her explanation, that he understood. It turned out that Chen Die had once liked him so humbly, relying only on pure courage, even to the point of being extreme.

The young girl he had raised, whom he had always taken for granted as belonging only to him, could now stand confidently under the spotlight, receiving the affection and praise of many people.

Her feelings for him had gone from love to letting go, and now she shone independently.

And Wen Liang suddenly discovered what he had overlooked all along—that which had forcefully pulled him from darkness back into the mortal world.

It was Chen Die.