From the moment he entered, Pei Zhan noticed that the high heels Jiang Hua loved to wear, which were usually placed in the entryway, were gone. The plush toy she liked to use as a lumbar cushion on the sofa, the rug on the floor—everything had vanished without a trace.
The housekeeper, seeing this, knew immediately that the couple had either had a major argument or were heading for divorce.
Anyone with eyes could tell this marriage was far from harmonious. These two were less like a married couple and more like strangers merely sharing a living space.
The housekeeper didn’t stay long each day but came regularly to clean and cook.
Though they had been married for three years, the two rarely saw each other. The housekeeper could count on one hand the number of times she had seen them have dinner together at home. She had no idea what kept them so occupied.
At least there was one silver lining: whenever the couple left food untouched or unfinished, she would pack it up to take home, avoiding waste.
Pei Zhan wearily took off his black suit jacket. “You don’t need to come anymore from now on.”
With a soft thud, the bedroom door closed.
Pei Zhan scanned the master bedroom. Jiang Hua had taken everything she needed.
The wedding photo on the bedside table—she had cut it, leaving only his half, and placed it on the bed.
Aside from that, everything that belonged to them in the room had diminished.
Jiang Hua’s clothes in the walk-in closet, even the cactus she had impulsively bought from the market and placed on the balcony—she had taken it all.
There was nothing left behind by Jiang Hua, not even… the clothes she often tossed carelessly onto the bed.
Pei Zhan had a cleanliness obsession and couldn’t stand the slightest mess.
Jiang Hua was different. Born with a silver spoon, she had a pampered temperament. Her outfits never repeated throughout the week, and she had a habit of leaving clothes strewn about.
The room would often be in disarray because of it. No matter how late Pei Zhan returned, if he found the room messy, he would tidy up for her.
When his deep gaze fell upon the dressing table, the once-crowded array of bottles and jars was now completely cleared away.
The entire room felt cold and devoid of life, restored to its original emptiness.
For a moment, Pei Zhan seemed to hallucinate: Jiang Hua, wrapped in a towel, her hair in a messy bun with a few strands falling by her ears, barefoot and stepping on a stool as she applied strawberry-scented body lotion. Her long legs were slender and toned. Hearing a sound, she turned her head, a smile spreading across her face, her eyes crinkling like crescent moons, as if holding a galaxy of stars. Then she ran to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her damp body against his, saying, “Whose husband has come home?”
Outside the window, a raindrop hit the balcony, followed by a sudden downpour pelting against the floor-to-ceiling glass.
Pei Zhan snapped back to reality. Everything he had just envisioned was nothing but an illusion.
At the Aiville Six-Star Hotel.
Before going to bed, Jiang Hua had finally managed to complete a design draft that was acceptable for submission. It was only when she stood up that she realized it was pouring outside.
Rubbing her stiff and sore neck, Jiang Hua rose to her feet.
Just then, someone knocked on the hotel room door.
It was probably the late-night snack she had ordered.
Jiang Hua went to open the door. A hotel staff member stood there, pushing a elegant small dining cart. “Good evening, Miss Jiang. Here is the sweet congee you ordered, along with the pastries you requested.”
“Thank you. Please bring them into the room.”
Jiang Hua had the habit of eating midnight snacks. She would sleep right after eating, yet she never gained weight.
“Miss Jiang, would you like us to send someone to help with cleaning?”
Jiang Hua glanced back at the suite—clothes, bags, jewelry, and various cosmetics and skincare products were all piled haphazardly on the floor. Jiang Hua didn’t like strangers entering her room, and being somewhat busy, she had forgotten about these items.
“Let’s deal with it tomorrow. I won’t trouble you all today.”
The hotel staff flashed a standardized smile. “Of course, Miss Jiang. We’re at your service anytime.”
After the staff left, Jiang Hua checked her phone. Finally receiving her supervisor’s approval, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She finished her midnight snack, washed up, and fell asleep.
Around 1:30 a.m., Jiang Hua suddenly heard the landline on the bedside table ringing. Still half-asleep, she groggily picked up the receiver and held it to her ear. “Hello, who is this?”
Hotel front desk: “Miss Jiang, there’s a gentleman on the line for you. Would you like to take the call?”
Her mind still foggy, Jiang Hua didn’t quite catch what was said and mumbled a vague “Hmm?” in response.
After three rings, Jiang Hua, rubbing her eyes and still half-asleep, lay face down on the bed, clutching the receiver. All she heard was the faint static of the line—no other sounds.
She was only awake for a few seconds before drifting back to sleep.
Dozens of kilometers away, in an upscale flat complex, the night was deep and quiet. A cat darted swiftly through the greenery. The entire thirty-story building was shrouded in darkness, except for the eleventh floor, where every room and the living room were brightly lit.
A man in dark pajamas stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a phone to his ear.
Time ticked by—three minutes passed unnoticed.
On the other end of the line, only the steady, even breathing of a sleeping woman could be heard.
A crescent moon peeked out from behind the clouds; the rain had been falling for hours.
The silver moonlight elongated the man’s shadow, and a sense of lonely solitude gradually filled the room…
That night, some found it hard to rest, lying awake until dawn.
Others… slept like the dead, waking up refreshed and energetic in the morning.
The Hilton five-star hotel wasn’t far from Di University. Jiang Hua had received her class schedule—two lectures starting at 8:30 a.m. She grabbed the breakfast prepared by the hotel and ate as she walked, a journey of just over ten minutes.
It had rained the previous night, and the ground was still damp.
Dressed in a knitted beige maxi dress and carrying a limited-edition custom white bag, Jiang Hua was walking when her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, the smile on her face faded—it was a call from the Jiang Family Villa landline.
Hesitating, she answered. A familiar, deep voice came through the phone. “Dad, so early?”
Jiang Weiguo had just returned from his morning Tai Chi session. “I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up. You’ve got your class schedule, right? Hurry up and get ready, don’t be late. Let Pei Zhan take you to school. Bring back that Di University diploma for me to see—don’t embarrass me.”
“If word gets out that Jiang Weiguo’s daughter can’t even graduate from university, how am I supposed to face your uncles and elders?”
“I told you to study abroad back then, but you wouldn’t listen!”
Jiang Hua slowed her pace, lowering her head to gaze at her own toes. The gentle breeze carried a chill, stirring her hair slightly. “I’ll consider studying abroad. As you taught me, things should be taken step by step. It’s still too early to discuss this now.”
Jiang Weiguo was actually amused by her response. “Don’t think I don’t know – I heard from Wang Qi that all your design submissions got rejected?”
Jiang Hua: “I’m not cut out for this line of work. I really don’t know why we started this jewelry company in the first place. Now if my teachers and classmates find out I’m your daughter yet know nothing about jewelry design, I’ll be the laughingstock.”
“You! You never bothered to master the craft, yet you blame the company… Take good care of yourself out there, and try not to cause Pei Zhan too much trouble. Hasn’t he cleaned up enough messes for you over the years? Pass the phone to him – I have a few words to say to him.”