Chapter 85 Sweet Memories

On a winter afternoon in Haicheng, the sun shines through the vast, curved floor-to-ceiling windows of the "Cloud Top" café, illuminating the polished walnut tables and exquisite bone china cups and saucers. The air is filled with the caramelized aroma of premium ground coffee beans and the alluring, buttery fragrance of pastries. Soothing piano music flows like flowing water, making this a favorite afternoon tea spot for the city's celebrities and ladies.

Yu Ling sat alone by the window. Before her sat a cappuccino with perfectly crafted latte art, but she remained untouched. She stared out the window at the bustling traffic on the street below, her fingertips unconsciously caressing the warm cup, her mind wandering far away.

Gu Qianqian's carefully planned "chance encounter" and harsh humiliation in the mall yesterday was like a poisonous thorn that pierced deeply into her heart.

Although Lin Feng's appearance and the "Moonlight Sonata" dress finally saved her from a loss, Gu Qianqian's boast of her "coming-of-age necklace" and the phrase "matching it to her collarbone wouldn't be a waste" lingered in her mind like a curse. Add to that the cold text message in Zhao Chen's study last night... and a cloud of unease settled heavily on her heart.

She needed a little solitude, the bustle of people coming and going to dispel the loneliness and suspicion in her heart. That was why she came here alone, ordered a cup of coffee, and tried to find a moment of peace in the lingering heat.

However, this peace was destined to be short-lived.

A familiar and aggressive cold floral scent mixed with the scent of expensive leather, like an invisible announcement, instantly broke the quiet and lazy atmosphere of the cafe.

The crisp and oppressive sound of high heels came from far away.

Yu Ling's heart sank! Her fingertips instantly turned cold. She didn't even need to turn around to know who was coming.

"Oh, what a coincidence." Gu Qianqian's lazy and sweet voice, like an ice pick, pierced the air accurately and rang in Yu Ling's ears. "Drinking coffee alone? Do you mind sharing a table?"

Before she finished her words, she had already sat down in the velvet armchair across from Yu Ling. Her posture was as graceful as a lazy Persian cat, her chestnut curls falling over her shoulders, and the antique "Rose Morning Dew" necklace around her neck shone brightly in the sunlight.

She didn't wait for Ling to answer, or rather, she didn't need Yu Ling's answer at all. She called the waiter and ordered a glass of expensive Geisha hand-brew.

Then, he leaned forward slightly, folded his hands elegantly on the table, and his carefully painted, hooked eyes were fixed firmly on Yu Ling's face with undisguised inquiry and a hint of playful smile.

"Ms. Yu," she parted her red lips slightly, her voice deliberately soft, but every word clear, "I left in a hurry yesterday and didn't have a good chat. Come to think of it, Brother Chen and I have been 'old friends' for many years." She deliberately emphasized the word "old friends" with an ambiguous hint.

Yu Ling picked up the coffee cup, the warmth of the cup slightly dispelling the coldness of her fingertips. She forced herself to meet Gu Qianqian's gaze, maintaining a calm facade. "Really? He rarely mentioned the past."

"He's just nostalgic, and he's also sentimental." Gu Qianqian chuckled, picked up the delicate silver spoon, and slowly stirred the Geisha coffee that had just been served. Her eyes were blank, as if lost in beautiful memories, and her voice was dreamily sweet:

"I still remember when I was at Stanford, the sunshine in California was so beautiful..." She narrowed her eyes slightly, her red lips curved into a charming arc, "It was by that beautiful artificial lake, Palo Alto Lake. Brother Chen taught me how to row."

She paused and let out a soft, girlish laugh. "I'm so stupid. I couldn't keep my balance. A wave hit me and I fell into the water! The water was so cold..."

Her gaze refocused on Yu Ling's face, with a kind of ostentatious intimacy: "Guess what? Brother Chen didn't even bother to take off his clothes, he just jumped in! He swam very fast and picked me up from the water! He held me, soaking wet, and walked all the way back to the graduate student dormitory! There were a lot of people watching along the way, but he didn't care, he just held me so tight..."

As she spoke, her cheeks flushed just the right amount, as if she was truly immersed in the sweetness of those years.

At Stanford Lake. Falling in. Soaking. Holding each other tightly as we headed back to the dorm…

Every word was like a red-hot iron, burning Yu Ling's heart! Her fingertips became icy cold again, and she could hardly hold the warm coffee cup.

She could clearly imagine the scene—young Zhao Chen, with a youthful eagerness and nervousness she had never seen before, wetly hugging the equally soaking, beautiful Gu Qianqian… That was a past she had never participated in, and could never reach! It was their "sweet past"!

A huge sour and bitter feeling washed over her like an icy tide! Her throat seemed blocked, unable to utter a single sound. She could only bite the inside of her lower lip tightly, using the pain to maintain her composure.

"Really?" Yu Ling heard her own voice, as dry as sandpaper. "He... is quite good at swimming." She picked up the coffee cup and used the action of drinking coffee to hide her slightly trembling fingers and her instantly pale face.

Gu Qianqian took in Yu Ling's forced composure, and the smile on her red lips deepened, with a cruel pleasure like a cat and mouse game. She elegantly took a sip of coffee, set the cup down, and gently tapped the silver spoon on the rim, making a crisp sound.

"That's more than that." She changed the subject, her tone becoming more cheerful, with a hint of boastful excitement. "He looks calm, but he's actually quite wild! One year for my birthday, I made a bet with some friends that I wanted a sterling silver model of a Victorian sailboat in the window of that antique shop downtown."

Her eyes grew hazy, as if she were transported back to that tumultuous and exciting night. "That model isn't for sale. The old shop owner is stubborn and won't sell it, no matter how much money you offer. When Brother Chen found out, he drove over there in his modified Dodge Viper without a second thought!" Her voice suddenly rose, with a fanaticism that didn't match her socialite image. "That engine sound! The roar of the V10! You could hear it three blocks away!"

"He parked the car right in front of the antique shop! He stepped on the accelerator so loudly that the windows on the whole street were vibrating!"

Gu Qianqian imitated the roar of an engine, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "The old man turned pale with fear! Brother Chen rolled down the window and said, 'Give me the boat. I'll pay for the glass.'"

She giggled, as if it was the most romantic thing in the world. "Guess what? The next morning, the silver sailboat was wrapped and placed in front of my dormitory door! The windows of the entire street were replaced with new ones! And that engine sound... Tsk, just thinking about it now makes my blood boil!"

Speeding. Roaring. Shattering glass. To win a beautiful woman's smile...

An even more powerful and impactful image exploded in Ling's mind! She could almost hear the roar of the engine tearing through the night sky and see the unbridled, vehement young man, Zhao Chen, who was so furious for Gu Qianqian!

This contrasts starkly with the "ordinary husband" she's familiar with, the one who wears an apron and makes ginger soup for her, and who secretly spits out a charred chicken leg when she overcooks the porridge. Which one is the real him? Which one does he miss the most, deep down?

The huge impact caused Yu Ling's fingertips to tremble uncontrollably! The surface of the coffee in the cup shook violently, and a few drops of dark brown liquid splashed onto the snow-white tablecloth, creating a small, glaring stain.

Her loss of composure was like the most delicious bait, causing the smugness and cruelty in Gu Qianqian's eyes to reach their peak instantly! She admired Yu Ling's pale face and trembling hands, as if admiring a work of art on the verge of breaking.

Just as Gu Qianqian opened her red lips slightly, ready to throw out a more deadly and private "sweet past" -

"Excuse me, Miss Yu Ling."

A low, calm male voice, as emotionless as a precision instrument, suddenly sounded at the table.

Like an icy blade, it instantly cut through the sticky and malicious air in the cafe.

Yu Ling and Gu Qianqian were both startled and looked in the direction of the voice.

Still in his impeccable black suit, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting a cold light, Zhao Chen's special assistant, Lin Feng, appeared silently at the table like a programmed robot.

In his hands was a large, thick booklet with a dark blue leather cover, hot-stamped with intricate patterns of stars and waves. In the center of the cover were the powerful, gold-stamped English letters: "Stella Maris" (Sea of ​​Stars).

Lin Feng ignored Gu Qianqian's suddenly surprised and gloomy gaze and walked straight to Yu Ling's side. He still maintained his impeccable respectful attitude towards Yu Ling and bowed slightly.

"Mr. Zhao has instructed me to give this to you." Lin Feng's voice was steady, as if stating a fait accompli. He placed the thick, dark blue volume in front of Yu Ling with both hands.

Yu Ling was completely stunned and took it subconsciously. The booklet felt heavy in her hand, and the leather cover had a warm touch.

"Mr. Zhao said," Lin Feng continued, his voice clearly heard by everyone, including the sullen-faced Gu Qianqian across from him, "you mentioned last time that you felt the engine noise of the 'Jifeng' ship in the harbor was too loud and unworthy of your enjoyment of watching the sunset."

He paused slightly, his eyes seemingly casually glancing at Gu Qianqian before continuing, "So, he customized a new ship for you. This is the final confirmation manual for the 'Star'. The silent propulsion system is specially customized to ensure that when you listen to the wind and watch the sea on deck, the only sounds are the waves and your heartbeat."

Silent propulsion system? Custom? Zvezda?

Every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting the solidified air hard!

Yu Ling's heartbeat suddenly accelerated! She suddenly opened the thick cover of the dark blue booklet!

On the title page, beneath the gold-plated "Stella Maris" logo, is a stunning panoramic rendering of the yacht! The streamlined hull resembles a giant silver whale leaping out of the sea, elegant and full of power!

The deck is spacious, with a swimming pool and a helicopter pad! The most eye-catching thing is the bold words in the design description: "Customized ultra-quiet hybrid propulsion system - navigation noise is less than 45 decibels (library-level quiet)"

Inside the brochure are incredibly detailed specifications, design drawings, and top-tier interior designs. Every detail embodies unparalleled luxury and uniqueness!

As Yu Ling flipped through the manual, Lin Feng, seemingly having completed his core mission, didn't leave immediately. He naturally pulled out an old-looking Polaroid photo with slightly yellowed edges from his suit pocket.

The photo, with its backdrop of a dazzlingly lit, exotic streetscape at night, was a mess—a patchwork of broken glass. In the center of the picture, a Dodge Viper, its hood flaring with exaggerated lines and matte black, was a muscle car.

A tall, slender young man in a motorcycle jacket leaned against the car, his back uninhibited. In his arms, he held a girl in a sequined miniskirt, her smile dazzlingly bright—it was none other than Gu Qianqian, a much younger and more immature woman! In her hands, she held aloft a sterling silver sailboat model, which looked particularly small in the photo.

This photo was like a silent slap in the face, harshly slapping the "sweet past" that Gu Qianqian had just been showing off!

Lin Feng casually placed the yellowed Polaroid photo next to the thick and luxurious "Star" manual, as if discarding a piece of waste paper. His movements were as natural as brushing off a speck of dust.

He offered no explanation, not even glancing at Gu Qianqian. He bowed slightly to Yu Ling again, "Please inform Mr. Zhao once you've verified the manual is correct. I'll be taking my leave now."

With that, he turned and left as quietly as he had come. Leaving behind on the desk the "Star" manual, a symbol of the ultimate pampering and taste of the future, and the yellowed Polaroid camera, a record of the cheap past and the clamor, formed an extreme contrast, like heaven and hell.

There was a deathly silence in the cafe.

The piano music stopped at some point.

All eyes were focused on this table.

Yu Ling's gaze slowly shifted from the stunning "Star" brochure to the yellowed photo beside it, showing Zhao Chen racing to win a silver sailboat for Gu Qianqian. The unruly figure in the photo, the dazzling smile, the shattered glass scattered across the floor... then compared it to the library-level quiet luxury yacht in the brochure...

The huge contrast was like the strongest irony! It silently mocked all of Gu Qianqian's previous boasting!

The color drained from Gu Qianqian's face instantly! Even her meticulously applied makeup couldn't mask the extreme shock, embarrassment, and humiliation of being slapped in the face in public!

She stared intently at the dark blue "Zotra" manual, especially the line that said "Noise level below 45 decibels." Then she looked at the old photo next to it, which she had once been proud of but now looked so cheap and ridiculous...

“Dang!”

The silver spoon in her hand, which had been stirring the coffee gracefully, finally slipped out of her hand and fell onto the polished bone china cup and saucer, making a sharp, crisp, death knell-like sound!