As Zhao Pingjin drove home, he cast a sidelong glance at the person beside him. “Can’t you cause me fewer problems?”

Huang Xitang’s earlier ferocity had completely disappeared. She leaned against the seat, her makeup smudged, looking somewhat like a paper doll.

When they arrived home, Xitang took her pillow and teddy bear to sleep in another room.

Zhao Pingjin stood at the bedroom doorway, giving her a faint glance, his mouth turning downward. “What’s this? I’ve become your class enemy again?”

Xitang remained silent.

Zhao Pingjin turned around and said coldly, “Come back to the bedroom to sleep.”

Xitang followed him back, lying on her side at the edge of the bed, her back to Zhao Pingjin.

Zhao Pingjin leaned against the headboard, looked at the small figure curled up under the blanket, and lowered his voice. “Still upset?”

Xitang remained motionless.

Zhao Pingjin reached over to stroke her hair. “Let me explain something to you. First, promise me you won’t get angry. You’ve been around long enough to understand these things clearly. In this city of Beijing, you can do anything except ruin someone’s career. For people like us, face is the most important thing, and career is the greatest face. Zhong Qiao crossed a major line.”

Zhao Pingjin gently caressed her ear. “She’s already gone. There’s nothing you can do about it. Try to move on.”

The shoulders of the person under the blanket began to shake. She was crying, silently and tearlessly. When Zhao Pingjin’s hand touched her cheek, it was covered in tears.

Zhao Pingjin’s heart tightened. He lifted her into his arms and grabbed tissues to wipe her tears. Huang Xitang sobbed, tears flowing continuously, rolling into the palm of his hand, warm like row upon row of scars.

As she cried, she began to gasp, as if something was stuck in her throat. She had trouble breathing, and her face turned bluish.

Zhao Pingjin was deeply concerned. He quickly sat up, released her, and anxiously patted her back to help her breathe. “Inhale, inhale, stop crying.”

Huang Xitang leaned against his chest, sobbed a few times, exhaled twice, and gradually stopped crying. She sat motionless, tears clinging to her eyelashes.

Zhao Pingjin held her in his arms again.

When Xitang had calmed down and was lying in his embrace, Zhao Pingjin softly persuaded her, “You’ve vented your anger today, and that’s enough. Old Gao has already been humiliated tonight. Don’t bring this up again. Don’t offend Gao Jiyi. He controls all the films you’re in. Do you understand?”

After pondering for a long time, Xitang gave a soft acknowledgment.

She didn’t speak again that night.

Zhao Pingjin knew that Xitang saw it. Zhong Qiao was her, and she was Zhong Qiao. Their fates were the same. She was reflecting on her own life, and he could offer no comfort.

That night, they made love in the darkness.

Intense, silent. Words that couldn’t be spoken, would never be spoken again, could only be confirmed more deeply through their entwined bodies.

At the moment Zhao Pingjin released inside her, tears burst from the corners of Xitang’s eyes. Her body trembled, her jaw clenched, completely unable to control herself. Using her last bit of courage, she asked, “Zhao Pingjin, have you forgiven me?”

Zhao Pingjin didn’t answer.

She waited for a long, long time, only to hear his muffled response: “Go to sleep.”

Xitang felt the warmth throughout her body cooling bit by bit.

The windowsill was covered with snow. Heavy snow had fallen all night.

A week before Christmas, Fang Langkai hosted a dinner. Qingqing was pregnant, and he was delighted, beaming with joy whenever he met anyone. Initially, Xitang didn’t want to go and had told Zhao Pingjin so, but Qingqing had called her personally.

After some thought, she decided to go. Perhaps this would be the last time she would see her.

In the hotel corridor, she encountered Gao Jiyi again. Jiang Songxue was by his side; apparently, their relationship was still going strong.

In Beijing, during their numerous encounters, Xitang and Gao Jiyi typically didn’t speak to each other. If they happened to meet face to face, they would at most exchange an expressionless nod. This time, when Gao Jiyi saw her, he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “Well, look who’s here, the great detective.”

Xitang truly admired the thick skin of these people. She could only twitch the corner of her mouth and force a fake smile.

At the dinner table, everyone first warmly congratulated the Fang Langkai couple.

Qingqing wore a red dress and looked extremely radiant. “Tonight, no one is allowed to leave early. We agreed, no one goes home sober!”

Zhao Pingjin frowned and said, “That’s right. Among us, it’s rare to have a child born out of love. We should drink more.”

Fang Langkai laughed heartily.

Among them, besides Gao Jiyi, the Fang couple was the second to conceive. Gao Jiyi grumbled, “Hey, who are you teasing?”

With such a joyous occasion, and considering Fang Langkai’s status, not only did Zhao Pingjin join in the celebration, but Gao Jiyi and Lu Xiaojiang did as well. So everyone drank and dined leisurely, the conversation flowing smoothly, creating a harmonious and cheerful atmosphere.

Halfway through the meal, Gao Jiyi suddenly remembered something. “Zhouzi, what about that package I asked you to bring back from Italy? My wife has been nagging me about it.”

Zhao Pingjin had completely forgotten about this and only recalled it when reminded. “I forgot. You can call my secretary to get it later.”

Gao Jiyi glanced at Huang Xitang but smiled as he said to Zhao Pingjin, “How was it, accompanying a woman trying on clothes? Drove you crazy, didn’t it?”

Xitang listened absent-mindedly, and it took her a while to realize that Zhao Pingjin’s last trip to Europe wasn’t for business but to accompany his fiancée shopping for wedding clothes.

Zhao Pingjin didn’t want to discuss it and responded blandly, “Mm.”

He turned to look at Huang Xitang, who seemed not to have heard, and continued eating quietly.

A moment later, Gao Jiyi offered a toast to Zhao Pingjin. Perhaps due to the alcohol or something else, he spoke especially loudly: “Brother, about that matter, I’m counting on you. At your wedding, my red envelope will be the biggest.”

Zhao Pingjin said nothing, just clinked glasses with him and drank half a cup of wine.

Seeing the good atmosphere at the table, Fang Langkai took the opportunity to nudge Lu Xiaojiang. “Xiaojiang, that matter you mentioned last time, why don’t you ask Zhouzi about it?”

Zhao Pingjin heard this and looked up at Lu Xiaojiang with a sidelong glance, asking indifferently, “What matter?”

Lu Xiaojiang was taken aback and answered honestly, “Oh, I’m helping my father with immigration. There are some complications with document verification at the Foreign Affairs Department.”

In recent years, Lu Xiaojiang has hardly maintained a personal relationship with Zhao Pingjin. Zhao Pingjin hadn’t expected him to move so quickly. He put down his chopsticks, a thin smile appearing at the corner of his lips. “Back then, when Zhao Pindong from our family refused to return, your father spoke so firmly at our house, saying he wouldn’t go anywhere after retirement, just stay in Beijing. Otherwise, how could he line up early in the morning to buy a tripe? What’s up now, Dad doesn’t like tripe anymore?”

Lu Xiaojiang didn’t dare respond to his sarcasm and simply answered truthfully, “My wife and I plan to stay abroad long-term. My mother persuaded him that having a stable visa would be better.”

Zhao Pingjin thought for a moment and asked, “How many confidential documents has your father handled?”

Lu Xiaojiang said, “He was transferred to Hebei five or six years ago. Most of the documents have already passed their confidentiality period.”

Zhao Pingjin relaxed his body, leaned back in his chair, and asked casually with his hand supporting the chair back, “I had dinner with your bank’s leaders yesterday. I heard you’re going to be promoted again. You’re not planning to resign anytime soon, are you?”

Lu Xiaojiang shook his head. “Not yet.”

Zhao Pingjin nodded and said, “Alright, so the immigration matter isn’t urgent. Take your time with it.”

Lu Xiaojiang was rebuffed and lowered his head without speaking.

Fang Langkai became anxious. “Hey, Zhouzi, will you help or not? Give us a straight answer.”

Zhao Pingjin responded lightly, “Xiaojiang is so capable, why would he need me to step in?”

Fang Langkai felt awkward and turned away from them.

Zhao Pingjin was displeased and glanced at Huang Xitang beside him.

She sat next to him, very docile tonight. Jiang Songxue had initially tried to chat with her, asking about gossip from their film crew, clearly trying to trick her into saying something harmful. However, Huang Xitang didn’t fall for it. She just looked at Jiang with a smile and shyness, only giving vague answers like “I’m not sure” “We didn’t have scenes together” or “I don’t know what she’s like, but she seems nice” and other meaningless responses. After a few questions, Jiang Songxue also found it boring and turned to discuss childcare with Qingqing.

Huang Xitang continued to be quiet, with her phone always at hand, occasionally sliding it open to take a peek.

Zhao Pingjin had noticed that she had checked her phone several times. Huang Xitang wasn’t usually fond of using her phone, especially when dining out with him. Her manners and etiquette were always impeccable. Tonight was unusual.

Zhao Pingjin looked up and thought, indeed, the people at this table were celebrating their joys and happiness, none of which concerned her. Surrounded by a pack of wolves and tigers, no wonder she was distracted.

While Zhao Pingjin was conversing, Xitang lowered her head to check her phone. The screen remained silent.

Her finger slid across the screen, pulling up last night’s text message, which she quickly scanned again.

That mysterious message remained on the screen.

An unknown number with just a short line – “Stop investigating Zhong Qiao’s case.”

It was sent after midnight yesterday.

She had been filming a night scene then, returning to the hotel after 1 AM when she saw the message. She immediately replied, “Who are you?”

The sender was still awake and responded a minute later: “I’m an old friend of Zhong Qiao’s. I don’t want you to be in danger either.”

Xitang’s eyes widened instantly as she stared at the phone. The longer she stared, the more she began to shiver. She hadn’t expected that after so many years after the person’s death and all traces of Qiao had been erased from this world, someone would still remember her.

Xitang gripped the phone tightly, though her entire arm began to shake. Trembling, she typed on the screen: “Thank you for remembering her.”

The person told her, “You were her best friend. She will rest in peace in heaven.”

Although there were only a few lines of text, and the other party was very brief and cautious, perhaps it was loneliness from missing Zhong Qiao that made her even suspect she was hallucinating. Even if it was Qiao sending her a message from another world, she wasn’t afraid at all. Xitang would rather believe it was a distant yet familiar friend.

Emotions welled up inside her, threatening to overwhelm her. Xitang’s fingers moved rapidly across the phone screen, typing. As she typed, she suddenly came to her senses. She reached out and slapped her thigh hard, forcing herself to calm down.

Then she deleted all the text on the screen.

She thought carefully, then thought carefully again, and re-entered a message, cautiously replying, “I didn’t even send her off when she left. I’m quite ashamed as her good friend. I didn’t do anything for her.”

“Don’t do anything more. Wait for my message.”

“How can I trust you?”

“The letter she left you was written in blue ink, in a white envelope, with a silver ring inside.”

Xitang’s tears slowly flowed out.