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Preparations for the Paris International Jewelry Fair have entered their most intense phase.

Lin Ruoyin, along with Xiao Tang and the team, practically lived in the studio in Wutong District.

That evening, around 10 p.m., Xiao Tang ordered takeout. Everyone sat around the long table, eating and chatting about their upcoming trip to Paris.

"We're finally going! Besides setting up the exhibition, can we squeeze in some time to go shopping?" Xiao Chen, the youngest design assistant in the team, chewed on her chopsticks, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the romantic city.

Lin Ruoyin: "Yes~"

"Yay! I've already made a list. I want to go to the Marais district to hunt for vintage clothes, and also those famous concept boutiques!"

“Yes, yes, yes!” another girl who had recently graduated immediately chimed in, “I also want to go eat at that super famous éclair!”

The atmosphere immediately became relaxed and lively.

After finishing their meal, everyone spontaneously began to clean up. Xiao Tang neatly stacked the lunchboxes and said to Lin Ruoyin, who was about to start, "President Lin, don't bother. You've been working the hardest these past few days. Take a break. We'll do these."

"Yes, Mr. Lin, don't bother with such a small matter." The others echoed, their eyes filled with genuine concern.

Lin Ruoyin felt a warmth in her heart and didn't insist any further. She returned to her seat and looked out at the quiet night.

The sudden influx of nothing to do allowed certain things that had been deliberately suppressed beneath the busyness to quietly surface.

Deep in my mind, that cold female voice rang out without warning, so clear it seemed to be right next to my ear.

"The number you dialed is not in service."

It was three days after the press conference. Public opinion was still in an uproar. After finishing her work, Lin Ruoyin sat alone in her office, her finger hovering over that familiar number. She hesitated for a long time before finally pressing it.

She hadn't thought about what to say after the call connected. It was just an awkward attempt by her own confused mind.

Then, she heard that voice.

"The number you dialed is not in service."

Her somewhat dazed face was reflected in the windowpane.

...

Yinsheng achieved unexpected success at the Paris exhibition a few days later.

The series that the studio submitted for the exhibition, featuring exquisite jewelry designs, won the favor of many buyers. During the exhibition, several European boutiques expressed their intention to collaborate. Fashion and art media at home and abroad also gave it very positive coverage, calling Lin Ruoyin "a reborn Oriental Pearl".

Praise and orders followed. Lin Ruoyin was busy with various meetings, interviews and client negotiations. Occasionally, when she talked about her design concepts in front of the camera, an artist's brilliance would shine in her eyes.

Whenever Lin Ruoyin looked back at that radiance, she would always be momentarily distracted.

"Ruoyin?" At times like this, Lu Yan would stop talking and look at her with concern. "What's wrong? Are you too tired because you have too many orders lately?"

Lin Ruoyin snapped out of her reverie and subconsciously shook her head: "No, I just thought of a... design detail."

...

On an ordinary afternoon.

The phone kept ringing.

The person being called looked at the caller ID and mentally prepared themselves for a long time before answering.

"Sis," Lin Ruomeng's voice came through, as lively as ever, "Why are you calling me at this hour? It must be very late back home."

"I just finished a meeting and suddenly realized I haven't contacted you for several days." Lin Ruoyin tried to make her tone sound as casual as possible. "Where are you? It sounds like things are going well."

Lin Ruomeng quickly replied, "At school, the group discussion just ended."

Lin Ruoyin paused for a moment, then asked, "How have you been lately?"

Lin Ruomeng: "That's fine."

Lin Ruoyin: "How's your studies?"

Lin Ruomeng: "That's fine too."

Lin Ruoyin: "Do you have enough money?"

Lin Ruomeng: "There's never enough money."

Lin Ruomeng said with a smile, "It's enough, it's enough. Don't worry about me all the time. How are you feeling? Even though you're a hot designer now, don't be arrogant! You need to rest, okay?"

Lin Ruoyin smiled and said, "You too, take good care of yourself while you're abroad."

Lin Ruomeng: "I know, don't worry. I'm not like you. I eat even when I'm not hungry, and I sleep even when I'm not sleepy."

Lin Ruoyin: "Okay, then I won't bother you anymore, bye-bye."

Lin Ruomeng: "Okay, bye-bye."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Ruoyin held the phone, remaining motionless for a long time.

Perhaps she was overthinking it.

Xu Jia's crazy behavior may indeed stem from his personal breakdown following the club incident.

...

The sound of a message notification on her phone pulled Lin Ruoyin back to reality.

Lu Yan: "I've arrived."

Lu Yan invited her to go home tonight to have dinner with Lu Hongxuan.

Lin Ruoyin: "I'm coming down."

The dining room in the Lu residence was brightly lit, exuding a warmth and homeliness rarely seen in the past.

Lu Hongxuan had been discharged from the hospital for several days, and his complexion had improved considerably. He was currently sitting in the main seat, looking at Lu Yan and Lin Ruoyin, who were sitting on the same side of the dining table. Several light and nourishing home-style dishes were laid out on the table, and the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful.

“Dad, this soup has been simmering for a long time, please drink more.” Lu Yan got up and served his father a bowl of mushroom and chicken soup. Then, he turned to Lin Ruoyin and naturally picked up the tenderest part of the steamed sea bass and placed it on the plate in front of her. “You’ve been tired lately, eat more fish.”

Lin Ruoyin looked up and met Lu Yan's eyes, which held a gentle smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she also felt Lu Hongxuan's approving gaze. She hummed in agreement and lowered her head to eat the fish. In front of Lu Hongxuan, she couldn't, and had no reason to, deliberately distance herself from Lu Yan.

Lu Hongxuan watched all of this, slowly took a sip of soup, and showed a rare look of contentment on his face.

"Seeing you two like this, I feel relieved." Lu Hongxuan put down his soup bowl and said with emotion, "The company has weathered the most difficult time. Although it was severely damaged, we have finally stabilized the situation. Ruoyin's studio is also on the right track. You two..." He glanced between the two of them, his unfinished words filled with the expectations of an elder, "Lu Yan, you should be more responsible and considerate in the future."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan's smile deepened. "I understand."

After dinner, they chatted with Lu Hongxuan for a while before driving away from the Lu residence.

On the way back, it was late at night, and a nearly perfect full moon hung high in the sky, its soft light shining through the car window onto the two of them.

Soft music filled the carriage, creating a quiet and subtle atmosphere.

Lu Yan, one hand on the steering wheel, glanced at Lin Ruoyin, who was gazing out the window in a daze. The moonlight cast a soft silver rim on her face, making her look almost unreal. An unprecedented sense of satisfaction and longing welled up within him.

“Ruoyin,” he said softly, breaking the silence, “look at the moon tonight, it’s so round.”

Lin Ruoyin snapped out of her reverie, followed his gaze to the jade disc in the sky, and nodded: "Yes."

Lu Yan's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension, "I feel very happy, and I really hope that every day can be like today."

Lin Ruoyin paused slightly, then looked at Lu Yan and saw the shy smile on his face and the clumsy tenderness in his eyes.

"Mmm." After a long while, she finally uttered a single syllable as a response.

Lu Yan received a response, which, though simple, put him at ease, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

After arriving home, Lin Ruoyin went to her room, took a shower, changed into a bathrobe, and sat in front of her dressing table.

After applying the face cream, she opened the drawer and her gaze fell on the slightly worn velvet box in the far corner.

After a long pause, Lin Ruoyin reached out and picked up the velvet box. After another long pause, she finally opened the box.

As a result, Lin Ruoyin's movements suddenly stopped.

The box was empty.

She paused for a few seconds, almost thinking it was her imagination, and then carefully examined the box again, even opening the black velvet cloth lining the bottom. But the moonstone necklace that should have been lying on it was gone.

A wave of panic mixed with confusion gripped her instantly. She jumped up and began searching the room meticulously. The dressing table, the bedside table, the corners of the wardrobe, even the possible gaps in the carpet… she searched every possible place, her movements growing increasingly frantic.

No. Not anywhere.

She forced herself to stop, trying to calm down and think. When was the last time she wore this necklace? It seemed she hadn't worn it since returning from Paris; it had been kept in this box in her dressing table drawer. If she had accidentally left it outside, how could only the box remain?

She immediately turned around and opened all the other jewelry boxes. Various expensive jewels and exquisite ornaments lay intact in their respective places.

The only thing missing was this most inconspicuous necklace.

The possibility of theft has been ruled out.

The answer is almost obvious.

Lin Ruoyin's heart sank deeper and deeper. A kind of anger at the invasion of her private space, mixed with anxiety about the unknown whereabouts of the necklace, made it impossible for her to remain calm. She grabbed the empty box, turned around, and quickly walked out of the room, knocking on Lu Yan's door at the other end of the corridor.

"Knock knock knock".

The knocking sounded clear and urgent in the quiet night.

The door was quickly opened, and Lu Yan, who had obviously just finished washing up, with his hair still damp and wearing comfortable pajamas, appeared. A gentle smile lingered on his face, clearly still immersed in the blissful tranquility of the evening.

Seeing Lin Ruoyin outside the door, his eyes lit up: "Still awake? Is something the matter?"

Lin Ruoyin stood at the door, trying hard to control her emotions, but her voice was slightly tense than usual: "I...I want to ask you, is there anything I accidentally left here with you?"

Lu Yan was taken aback by her question, and subconsciously recalled, "I left something here? That's impossible, you don't seem to have been to my room before." His tone was relaxed, even a little teasing, "What's wrong, did you lose something? Let me help you look for it."

Lin Ruoyin looked at Lu Yan with a serious expression, "I really don't have anything with you?"

Lu Yan was completely confused.

Lin Ruoyin looked into Lu Yan's eyes, waited for a long time, and then slowly raised her hand, opened the empty box, and handed it to him.

Lu Yan looked down in confusion; the box was empty. He was even more puzzled: "What does this mean?"

His reaction didn't seem fake; he genuinely didn't understand. Lin Ruoyin closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, her gaze fixed on Lu Yan. Her voice was clear and calm, carrying an undeniable insistence: "Lu Yan, give me back the necklace."

This statement is no longer a question, but a firm demand.

Lu Yan's smile finally froze completely. He looked at the empty box, then at Lin Ruoyin's unusually serious, even cold, face, and a vague guess gradually took shape.

necklace……

He vaguely remembered seeing this box in Lin Ruoyin's room after she returned from Kuala Lumpur; inside was an inconspicuous moonstone necklace.

Driven by jealousy, he questioned whether it was Xu Jia, who was traveling with her, who gave it to her.

Lu Yan tried to make his voice sound natural, but it inevitably came across as a little stiff. "I didn't take it."

Lin Ruoyin gritted her teeth, because Lu Yan's repeated denials meant that the probability of finding the necklace was getting lower and lower.

Her voice trembled slightly, suppressing the subtle fear in her heart, and her eyes involuntarily reddened: "Lu Yan, I know it's you. Give it back to me."

Under the corridor lights, the two faced each other silently. The warm and affectionate facade from dinner had been completely shattered, revealing the cold and realistic cracks beneath. Looking at the unwavering determination and hidden pain in Lin Ruoyin's eyes, Lu Yan realized that he might have made a huge mistake.

He thought Xu Jia was a thing of the past.

However, that wasn't the case; he simply became a forbidden zone.