The next day at work, Shen Xi Fan felt helpless without a phone and resolved to buy a new one after work to restore her ability to communicate.
That morning, a package arrived via courier. Curious, she signed for it and opened it on the spot. To her astonishment, the box bore the logo of Chow Sang Sang, a well-known jewelry brand. Inside, she found a diamond necklace, one she vaguely recognized as the “Platinum Shadow Heart” design.
She was stunned. The tiny diamonds sparkled in the warm orange light, reflecting a dreamy brilliance. The necklace glimmered like moonlight on water, exquisite and ethereal. She finally understood why women loved diamonds—not just for vanity, but because they brought immense aesthetic pleasure.
She was no exception, but this gift was far too extravagant. It wasn’t that she didn’t want it—it was that she couldn’t accept it.
She considered calling Yan Heng but hesitated, feeling it wasn’t appropriate to use the hotel’s internal line. Then her eyes caught a note tucked inside the jewelry box. Reading it briefly, she carefully repacked the necklace and placed the box at the bottom of her bag.
She decided to meet him at a café and return the gift. She had to tell him: Let me think about it.
It seemed like the best approach. After all, hurt couldn’t be erased so easily, and feelings couldn’t simply disappear without a trace. She understood that much. But she also didn’t want to live a life filled with regrets.
Think it through first, she told herself. Time will reveal the path forward.
* * *
He Su Ye stayed late in the lab. A clumsy graduate student had miscalculated a formula, forcing them to restart the entire experiment. What should have wrapped up by five dragged on past seven.
Planning to grab a quick bite at a food stall, he detoured to his usual noodle shop—only to see Shen Xi Fan already there. One hand held chopsticks, the other a napkin, and she was enthusiastically slurping spicy hot pot soup. She looked completely absorbed in her own little world.
He couldn’t help but feel amused, laughing inwardly at his misplaced concern for her while she seemed so carefree.
At that moment, Shen Xi Fan was cheerfully picking lettuce leaves from her bowl, which was swimming in bright red chili oil. She exhaled continuously to cool her burning mouth. When she noticed He Su Ye with his bowl, gesturing to ask if he could sit across from her, she raised an eyebrow. That guy eats here too?
But when she saw his bowl contained clear broth, her disdain was palpable. “Seriously? Bland soup? How boring! The whole point of hot pot is the spicy flavor!” She eyed him with mock scorn, curling her lip.
He Su Ye’s expression remained cool. “I’m dealing with heat in my body and can’t eat spicy food. Don’t look at me like that—I’ve been in a terrible mood lately.”
So even a gentle TCM doctor can have bad days, she thought. But she was in a worse mood. The heat from the hot pot only added fuel to her fire. “Oh, I’m the one who’s not in a good mood. My phone broke—”
He froze. “Your phone broke? Oh, that explains it…”
A bite of vegetable got stuck in her throat. After catching her breath, she sucked on her chopsticks, sighed, and said, “Breaking my phone was bad enough, but now my ex-boyfriend shows up, randomly gifting me expensive things. You think I should feel lucky? Not at all! I gave it all back. I’m so frustrated!”
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