Nine

In the resplendent, gilded lobby of the Rongsheng Hotel, a grand banquet unfolded, guests delighting in the revelry. The reception celebrating the hotel's tenth anniversary was only halfway through when, from the entrance, emerged a strikingly elegant couple. The man was tall and imposing, handsome and dignified; the woman, in a silver evening gown, possessed a delicate figure and peerless beauty. Truly, they were a match made in heaven.

As they walked, a sudden light chime sounded—'ding dong.' The woman paused, reaching up to find that one of her earrings had slipped off. She was about to bend down to search when the man beside her moved first, stooping gracefully to retrieve it.

He held the exquisite diamond earring, examining it closely for a moment before lifting his gaze to the woman at his side. Their features were so alike, even their expressions mirrored each other. He stared, lost in reverie; the stern, authoritative face of the man unexpectedly softened, revealing a tenderness almost unbelievable.

Under his gaze, Zhang Nianqing’s heart fluttered uncontrollably. She reached out to reclaim her earring, but Xiang Zuo would not let go. He studied her face for a long while before stepping to her side; with a gentle gesture, he swept her dark hair behind her ear and, there in the midst of the crowd, personally fastened the earring back in place.

Her cheeks flushed crimson, the wild thunder of her heartbeats now a stampede within her chest. His hand, long-fingered and strong, was at this moment incomparably gentle, delicate, overflowing with unspoken emotion; it was as if this movement had been rehearsed a thousand times in his heart, skillful to the marrow, instinctive.

Neither spoke a word; only when a warm voice called from not far away was the intimate, enviable tableau broken.

"Master Zuo!" Rong Jiulian, the hotel’s general manager, came hurrying out from the hall, his greeting loud and clear. The next sentence, as he drew closer, dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Oh my, is this really Master Zuo? Are you putting on a display of the tough man’s soft side at my hotel entrance? This will surely make the headlines tomorrow!"

Rong Jiulian grinned broadly, darting glances left and right in exaggerated jest. But his teasing instantly swept all warmth from Xiang Zuo’s face; as if waking from a dream, he turned, his expression reverting to its usual strict, impassive coolness.

"Don’t you have anything better to do? We’re leaving." Xiang Zuo frowned slightly, displeasure in his tone; whether at the joke or at his own uncharacteristic behavior, even he could not say.

Rong Jiulian hurried after them, eager to escort the pair to their car. True to his gossipy nature, he could not resist drawing Zhang Nianqing into the conversation. "Sister-in-law, thank you for gracing us tonight! Oh, by the way, Master Zuo, that young lady we ran into at the bar last Friday—is she your sister-in-law’s younger sister? They look exactly alike! Sister-in-law, when you have time, will you introduce her to me? Maybe I’ll become your brother-in-law someday..."

A casual, friendly remark—but to the other two, it was a tidal wave within their hearts.

Xiang Zuo shot Rong Jiulian a glacial look. Just that one glance, and the previously exuberant man fell silent, his smile freezing into something worse than death.

Meanwhile, Zhang Nianqing felt as if her heart were being sliced open. Forcing a stiff expression, she struggled to breathe, scurrying into the car. She dared not look outside; tears welled up and spilled over, unchecked.

Last Friday...

No wonder, on Saturday, Xiang Zuo had—unprecedentedly—talked with her for nearly an hour! He’d asked about her childhood, her family... His sudden concern and warmth had filled her with joy for seven whole days! She thought he had finally remembered his feelings for her, that he had finally realized her presence...

Tears dripped onto her silver dress, unchecked, her mind a blank void.

She did not want to think, did not want to delve deeper! She would rather have heard nothing at all.

"I have matters to attend to. I won’t be home tonight."

Outside the car, Xiang Zuo’s deep voice sounded. As the vehicle pulled away, Zhang Nianqing hugged her knees, never lifting her head again.

She was driven all the way home, but stood for a long time on the dew-damp lawn, unwilling to go upstairs. Every corner was cold and lonely; what difference did it make where she was?

Zhang Momo hurried out of Uncle Hu’s house, anxious and in too much of a rush to get into her car before calling her sister. The phone rang for ages before a familiar, weary "hello" answered.

"Sis, did you sell Dongyin to Sheng Lian? How could you make that decision?! Don’t you realize... brother-in-law... his acquisition has an ulterior motive!"

A rapid-fire barrage tumbled out, Zhang Momo pacing anxiously by her car.

"Momo." Zhang Nianqing lowered her head, her tear-reddened eyes aching. "Xiang Zuo... for the first time, he earnestly discussed business with me; he wanted to acquire Dongyin, and I... I really had no way to refuse him..."

A beauty trap! Zhang Momo gritted her teeth, kicking the curbside planter. The hard cement edge proved formidable; within seconds, she was sitting on the ground, clutching her foot and gasping in pain.

"Sis! Can’t you see what he’s up to?!"

Zhang Nianqing did not answer, only lifted her gaze to the darkened windows above—her home. A home for one.

"I don’t want to see anything anymore..." She gathered her dress around her, collapsing helplessly onto the garden bench. Even holding the phone felt exhausting. "Sometimes, I wish I could just never wake up. If I never woke, everything would stay as it was the day I learned he wanted to be matched with me. Or, on that night we danced together... How wonderful that would be..."

Her desolate sigh compressed all the meaning of life into a wisp of air. The words, weak and languid, hit Zhang Momo like a depth charge, jolting her up from the planter. Limping, she braced herself on her car, her fists clenched with anxiety.

"Sis, don’t talk like that! What are you saying?!"

On the other end, there was only silence. The inexplicable quiet was terrifying.

"Sis? Sis!" Zhang Momo called frantically until she heard the faint sound of breathing; only then did her heart settle. "I’m not blaming you, I really didn’t mean that. I..."

She bit her lip hard, struggling with her next words. But as the weak, lifeless breaths reached her ear, Zhang Momo squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth as she forced out the words.

"It’s all right! Dongyin, let him have it! We... we’ll let it go!"

Her voice wavered, lips trembling; her eyes stung, and she took a deep breath to keep the tears at bay.

Holding the phone, Zhang Nianqing slowly closed her eyes. She could hear Momo’s weeping, and she knew what that printing press meant to her—her only way of honoring their departed parents...

But even knowing that, what could she do? She wanted to be considerate of her sister’s pain, but who would consider her own?

All she wanted was to have that man. With him, she could lose the whole world and not regret it.

"Sis," Zhang Momo wiped her nose, "is there something wrong between you and brother-in-law? Should I... should I go and apologize to him? It’s all my fault, all of this is my fault!"

"No!" Compared to her earlier exhaustion, her voice now cracked like thunder. Zhang Nianqing shot upright, gripping the phone so tightly her hand shook. "Don’t go to him! I beg you, don’t see him again!"

Zhang Momo was startled by her sister’s sudden burst of energy, stunned into silence, when she heard a heart-wrenching entreaty from the other end—

"In a marriage, three people... it’s too crowded. Momo, as for me and him, please... don’t interfere anymore..."