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In the days that followed, Lin Ruoyin began shuttling between her studio and the hospital. But she didn't feel tired.

She gets up early every day, first going to her studio to handle necessary matters, then rushing to the hospital before lunchtime, bringing meals she prepared herself. She researched extensively on dietary guidelines for patients recovering from anorexia and malnutrition, consulted nutritionists, and meticulously prepared each meal.

At first, Xu Jia still had great difficulty eating. His long-term anorexia had severely impaired his gastrointestinal function; eating even a little more would cause him nausea and bloating. Lin Ruoyin patiently stayed with him, feeding him spoonful by spoonful, and a meal often took more than an hour. She didn't think it was too slow; she just gently encouraged him, patted his back softly when he was uncomfortable, and showed a genuine smile when he successfully finished a small bowl of porridge.

Xu Jia's body recovered at a slow but steady pace. A week later, he was able to sit up and eat on his own; two weeks later, with the help of a nurse, he could get out of bed and walk slowly around the ward; three weeks later, his cheeks were no longer so sunken, and his eyes regained their sparkle.

That afternoon, Lin Ruoyin rushed to the hospital from her studio as usual. When she pushed open the ward door, she was stunned.

Xu Jia sat by the window, a simple easel set up in front of him with a small drawing board clipped to it. He held a sketching pencil in his hand, intently drawing something on the paper.

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a soft golden glow on his thin profile. His expression was focused and calm; his fingers, still slender, gripped the pencil, but no longer trembled.

Lin Ruoyin stood at the door, watching this scene without moving, her eyes gradually becoming moist.

As if sensing her gaze, Xu Jia stopped writing and turned around. The moment he saw her, he was momentarily dazed, as if he couldn't distinguish whether everything that had been given to him by his soft heart during this time was real or an illusion.

Lin Ruoyin snapped out of her daze, walked to his side, and her gaze naturally fell on the drawing board.

It was a sketch of a sycamore tree outside the window. The lines of the tree were simple yet powerful, and the light and shadow were handled delicately and vividly. Although it was just a black and white sketch, it seemed to allow one to feel the texture of the leaves and the warmth of the sunlight.

"It's beautifully drawn," Lin Ruoyin said softly.

"I haven't painted in a long time, my skills have become rusty."

"No, it's really good." Lin Ruoyin squatted down to look him in the eye.

Xu Jia gazed at her, his eyes tender yet complex: "You said before that you had something to tell me when I got better."

Lin Ruoyin's heart skipped a beat. She nodded and squeezed his hand: "Yes."

Xu Jia was ready.

Looking at the cautious expectation and hidden unease in his eyes, Lin Ruoyin took a deep breath and said, "Xu Jia, the reason I broke up with you back then wasn't because I didn't love you anymore."

Her tears immediately streamed down her face.

Xu Jia's hand tightened slightly.

"It's because I realized that our relationship had become a dead end. You felt that I was sacrificing for you, and I felt that you were sacrificing for me."

Lin Ruoyin turned her head and glanced at the simple yet vibrant painting on the canvas. "So I've decided to let go."

Xu Jia closed his eyes. "I know. I've always known."

After a long while, Xu Jia opened his eyes again and said in a hoarse voice, "I was just blinded by the news of your marriage to Lu Yan."

Lin Ruoyin didn't want to recall the shock, collapse, chaos, and screams that filled five years ago. She only said, "That was all I could do at the time."

Xu Jia pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were going through a tough time, and... I even harbored a deep-seated hatred for you for five years."

Lin Ruoyin raised her head, placing one hand on Xu Jia's thin cheek, her fingertips clearly feeling the contours of his cheekbones. She made him look at her, "Let's not talk about these things anymore. Hatred, sacrifice... let's forget all of that."

"But... I hurt you like that..."

"You also punished yourself in a more painful way... So, let's all step out and step out of all the right and wrong entanglements of the past five years."

She gazed at him, took a deep breath, and her eyes held a clarity and determination untouched by worldly cares: "Xu Jia, let's start over."

These four words were like an overly dazzling light, causing a huge shock and uncertainty to surge in his eyes, "Start...again?"

"What, Mr. Xu, are you not going to compensate me?"

"No," Xu Jia said uncertainly, "Do I...do I still have the qualifications?"

She deliberately softened her tone, like a feather brushing against my heart: "Don't you want to?"

These words were like a small lightning bolt, piercing through the heavy unease and self-doubt that enveloped Xu Jia. His eyes instantly reddened, and a thin layer of moisture quickly spread, blurring his vision, but making Lin Ruoyin's smiling face before him appear even clearer, more real, and almost tangible.

"think."

"Lin Ruoyin," he called her full name, as if to confirm if this was a dream, "Are you sure? You really... still want me?"

Lin Ruoyin did not answer, but leaned forward and gave him a quiet and long hug, responding to all his unease and questions.

Xu Jia's body stiffened at first, then he carefully raised his arm and gently wrapped it around her waist. After feeling the real warmth and presence, he tightened his grip little by little, pulling her completely into his embrace.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Jia loosened his embrace slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on her face, as if he could never get enough of looking at her.

Just then, his gaze inadvertently fell and settled on Lin Ruoyin's neck.

There, a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar necklace hung quietly. A silver chain held a warm, lustrous moonstone, the one he had given her years ago. But beside the moonstone, on the originally plain silver setting, stood a tiny, exquisitely cut diamond, perfectly set next to a subtle natural vein in the moonstone. Upon closer inspection, the vein appeared to be an extremely fine crack.

The crack was not concealed; instead, it was cleverly connected by the small diamond, as if a wound had been stitched up by starlight.

Lin Ruoyin followed his gaze and looked down, her fingers gently tracing the moonstone and the diamond next to it.

“The auntie accidentally broke the chain while cleaning, and the stone also got a small crack.” She paused, “I took it to an old craftsman to repair. He used the inspiration of ‘kintsugi’ (the art of repairing metalwork).

She pointed her finger at the small diamond: "He said that broken places don't have to pretend to be intact; they can be reconnected with something more precious."

Lin Ruoyin smiled and stroked the restored moonstone in her hand: "I think it's even more beautiful than before."

...

One year later, in Shanghai.

The unveiling ceremony of the "Symbiosis Lab" was held in a newly renovated historical building on the Bund. This old warehouse, which was originally on the verge of demolition, has now been transformed into a space where traditional crafts and digital art coexist.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Lin Ruoyin and Xu Jia stood side by side in the middle.

She wore a pearl-white suit, with the moonstone necklace repaired with gold thread around her neck. Xu Jia wore a simple dark gray suit. His slender frame was fuller than a year ago, and his eyes were calm, only revealing a gentleness that was not easily noticed by others when he looked at Lin Ruoyin.

Most of the reporters' questions revolved around the success of the "symbiotic" model. This concept, which originated in the "Star Island" project in Kuala Lumpur, has now taken root in Shanghai, not only enabling the Lu Group to successfully transform itself, but also allowing "Yinsheng" to grow into an independent high-end designer brand, while "Mohe," under the leadership of Zhou Hui, has found a healthier balance between art and commerce.

"President Lin, I heard that Paris has extended a cooperation invitation to the 'Symbiosis Lab'?"

Lin Ruoyin smiled: "Yes. We will go to Paris next month to discuss the specific details."

...

One month later, in Paris.

The collaboration negotiations went exceptionally smoothly. The French side showed great enthusiasm for the "symbiosis" concept, not only finalizing a three-year jewelry collection collaboration but also inviting them to design a permanent art installation for a new cultural center on the banks of the Seine.

As I stepped out of the office building, the Parisian twilight was gentle.

"Want to walk back?" Xu Jia asked.

Lin Ruoyin nodded. Their hotel was on the Left Bank, and it was only a twenty-minute walk back along the Seine.

The evening breeze was cool, and Xu Jia took off his coat and draped it over Lin Ruoyin's shoulders. The coat still carried his body heat, mixed with a faint scent of turpentine and iris perfume, her usual fragrance, which had somehow become his scent.

On the riverbank, the number of tourists gradually dwindled. The setting sun dyed the Seine waters a golden-red, and the Eiffel Tower in the distance began to twinkle with lights.

They walked slowly, and no one spoke.

As they crossed that familiar bridge, they both stopped in their tracks.

It was here, on a rainy night two years ago, that they had their most intense argument. She remembered the force with which he threw away the umbrella and grabbed her shoulder, the burning pain and confusion in his eyes, and the instant his face turned pale when she screamed those words.

At this moment, there is no rain, only the warm glow of the setting sun. The bridge is still the same bridge, the river still flows, but everything is different now.

Xu Jia clearly remembered that day too. He turned his head to look at her.

Lin Ruoyin smiled at him and teased, "You were pretty fierce that day."

Xu Jia's ears turned slightly red: "I'm sorry."

The two smiled at each other, held hands, and continued walking along the riverbank.

As we approached the hotel, the sun had already sunk below the horizon, the sky gradually changed from orange-red to deep purple, and the first star twinkled on the horizon.

Xu Jia suddenly pulled her to the railing by the river.

“Look,” he said, pointing to the western sky.

The last rays of the setting sun were fading, and Paris was enveloped in a gentle twilight. The Seine shimmered, and cruise ships glided by, leaving behind ripples that gradually disappeared.

"So beautiful," Lin Ruoyin said softly.

Xu Jia wasn't looking at the scenery; he was looking at her.

In the twilight, the afterglow outlined her gentle profile, her eyes reflected the shimmering river, and the moonstone necklace around her neck glittered slightly.

"Ruoyin," he called softly.

Lin Ruoyin turned her head, her eyes asking a question.

Xu Jia didn't answer, but reached out and gently stroked her cheek. His fingertips were slightly cool, yet the touch was so gentle that it made her heart flutter.

Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

Lin Ruoyin closed her eyes, her hands climbing onto his shoulders, her fingertips sinking into the texture of his dark gray sweater. His arms encircled her waist, pulling her closer, and the two could hear each other's heartbeats and feel the warmth of their intertwined breaths.

The last rays of the setting sun bathed them, casting long shadows of their embracing figures onto the ancient stone railings of the Seine. In the distance, church bells rang, startling a flock of pigeons that fluttered their wings across the rosy sky.

The kiss lasted a long time, long enough for dusk to fall completely, long enough for the streetlights along the riverbank to light up one by one, casting shimmering golden light across the water.

Finally, Xu Jia stepped back slightly.

Lin Ruoyin opened her eyes and saw his eyes, so close to hers, eyes that had now rekindled a gentle flame.

“I love you,” he said.

Lin Ruoyin laughed from the bottom of her heart: "I was just about to say that to you too."

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but kiss again.

As night fell completely, the Seine River transformed into a flowing river of lights.

In the distance, the lights of Paris gradually illuminated the city, immersing it in the romance of the night. Standing on the banks of the Seine, they resembled two trees, their roots intertwined after weathering storms, quietly growing new rings in the warm soil.

A river breeze carries the melody of an accordion from afar.

"What do you want to eat tonight?" Xu Jia loosened his grip slightly, but still held her in his arms, looking down into her eyes. "I know a small restaurant in the Marais district that makes excellent beef stew in Burgundy."

Lin Ruoyin smiled, her eyes shining like stars in the night: "Okay."

They held hands tightly, turned around, and slowly walked back towards the hotel along the lit riverbank.

Behind us, the Seine flows silently, having witnessed arguments on rainy nights and kisses under the starlight. The river is silent, yet it records all stories of breakage and rebirth.

Their story, like the newly risen moon on the riverbank, has gone through its phases of waxing and waning, finally ushering in its gentlest and most perfect time.

—End of text—