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Lin Zhiyuan knelt on one knee on the ground, the moon-white rose petals were trampled into a mess, and the music from the speakers continued to play.
A single sentence reveals the heart's true feelings
I hope you will agree to provide me with proof.
Lin Zhiyuan found it very noisy. He stood up to find the switch for the stereo, kicking away all the romantic decorations on the floor. The servants had done all the work, and he had no idea where to operate the stereo. The deep, pleasant male voice was still singing persistently.
At this moment, my heartstrings resonate.
Then reveal your feelings to others.
Use that gold ring as proof.
Lin Zhiyuan scoffed. What good is a well-prepared ring?
Feeling frustrated, he didn't want to stay inside any longer, so he strode out to the deck and stood there. The dockside streetlights were dim, and he wondered where she had gone. Alone in a foreign land at night, did she have anywhere to go?
Lin Zhiyuan took out his phone and called his bodyguards, asking them to send someone to look for Su Xuan along the way and take her wherever she wanted to go. After hanging up, he opened the sharkskin ring box on his hand again. Even though there was only a little light on the deck, the blue diamond was still captivating.
Since it was put up for auction, this blue diamond has attracted the attention of top buyers around the world. Blue diamonds are rare and expensive, and this one is not only fancy vivid blue, but also has an IF clarity, surpassing the VVS1 of the Oppenheimer Blue Diamond.
But for Lin Zhiyuan, what is most precious is its weight: 11.3 carats, her birthday.
He stood by the phone, listening as his assistant successfully bid for the item for fifty million US dollars. Only then did his anxiety subside. This was the first time he had ever valued an auction so much.
After winning the bid for the diamond, he secretly followed up on the ring's design progress every day, harboring this exciting secret.
The yacht was where he and Su Xian started their relationship, so he chose it as the location for his proposal. Whenever he thought of the surprised and sweet smile that would appear on her face, the corners of his lips would also turn up.
But it turned out that this was just wishful thinking, and everything went back to square one.
Lin Zhiyuan took out the ring and tilted it slightly, revealing a line of small characters flashing inside the ring.
“Saunz departir”
The Old French phrase means "never to be separated," which, together with her star and moon ring, forms the phrase: "Autre ne vueil, Saunz departir."
I wish to find one heart to share with you, and stay together until our hair turns white.
The bright crescent moon lifted up the blue star that everyone was watching. He wanted to tell her that he was also willing to be the moon that lifted her up, and to walk hand in hand with her into the future.
He didn't know when the idea came to him.
Perhaps it was seeing her suspended by wires on set, repeatedly wielding a sword, just to capture that one perfect shot; or perhaps it was that night at Disneyland, when I was moved by her genuine smile.
Perhaps it was because of a silly night when we sneaked into the kitchen together, watched her cook fried rice, and then shared it with her using a spoon, feeling a blissful contentment; or perhaps it was because of waking up in the middle of the night and seeing her soft, fragrant body in my arms, which softened my heart.
Lin Zhiyuan closed the ring box. He knew that he would never find another person in his life with whom he would want to spend the rest of his life.
When his father urged him to return to headquarters to officially take over the job again, he agreed. The night he introduced Su Xuan to his family, his father told him to make plans early. If he really wanted to marry her, he had to think carefully about the future. Unfortunately, he wasn't part of her future.
He was busy every day, busy with research, meetings, and interviews, but only occasionally on sleepless nights would he take out that ring and stare blankly.
After Zheng Yu learned that he had become single again, she couldn't help but ridicule him, thinking that he had finally settled down, but she didn't expect that he was still incorrigible.
He didn't tell anyone what had happened between him and Su Xuan, but when he returned to the manor, he couldn't help but ask his mother how she had the courage to marry a man from England alone back then.
The mother was somewhat surprised, and her smile became strained as she recalled the past. "Your maternal grandfather raised me for a marriage alliance. Your father wanted to join forces with him to open up the domestic market, so they hit it off immediately when it came to my marriage."
"But your father is a good man, both to me and to the family. Our relationship actually improved after we got married." The sadness on her face was replaced by a smile when her father was mentioned.
“Your father and I don’t have such strong social class concepts. Miss Su is indeed very nice. But timing is also important for two people to be together.” His mother gently patted his arm.
"Ah Yuan, two people who truly love each other will never lose each other."
That night, Lin Zhiyuan sat in the armchair in the living room, took out a photo of Su Xian when she was a child from his wallet, and looked at it quietly for a long time.
The fireplace was deathly still in the summer, yet he always felt her presence lingering in the house, and he recalled that absurd day and night. Each time, he watched her intently, watching her passionate expression, watching her, unable to resist his temptation, try various positions in different places, both shy and enjoying herself.
At these moments, Lin Zhiyuan felt as if loving her was never enough; he wanted to possess her deeply and forever.
The day I received Zhang Zhiran's call was her birthday.
"Brother Yuan, you're a bastard!" Zhang Zhiran cried, "Why did you break up with Xiaoxian? Do you know how bad she is? Sister Bailin said Xiaoxian has severe insomnia, and she also drinks heavily. She's like, like she has no life left. I'm so scared..." Zhang Zhiran cried loudly on the phone.
That night, Lin Zhiyuan suffered from insomnia again, repeatedly playing the video Zhang Zhiran had secretly filmed. Because of the role, her hair was cut unevenly, and her thin back trembled as if she might collapse at any moment.
A faint singing voice drifted over, and Lin Zhiyuan turned the volume up to the maximum and listened to it, finally recognizing the song she was humming.
He always remembered that during the time she spent on the streets interacting with homeless people before filming, she told him that this movie would be difficult to make and that she might become depressed. He promised to spend more time with her and help her get out of character.
The lonely figure on the beach broke his heart. He longed to hold her and tell her he was there, but he had no right to. Ironically, everyone thought he had dumped her, when in fact she was the one who didn't want him anymore.
So she was in so much pain too, but why? Was it really that hard to marry him?
Lin Zhiyuan's sleep began to become lighter, though he didn't know when it started. One night, he was woken up by his phone vibrating. He turned on the lamp and sat up, only to find more than a dozen missed calls on his phone, all from the same number in Hong Kong.
"Hello, Mr. Lin, this is Bai Lin. I'm sorry to bother you..."
"What's the matter?"
"It's Su Xian, she... she has a fever. I called a doctor to come to our house to give her an injection, but it didn't work."
He gripped his phone tightly, but still calmly said, "Then you should call the doctor again."
“Mr. Lin, you know she keeps everything bottled up inside. Since returning from France, she barely speaks more than two words a day and is always lost in thought. She has a severe drinking problem, and we simply can’t control her.”
“She never allows us to stay with her at night. This morning when I came in, I saw her lying on the floor. I don’t know how long she’s been lying there. I’m really worried. Mr. Lin, I really have no other choice.”
A soft sob came from the receiver. Lin Zhiyuan remained silent, as if he had encountered the biggest problem of his life.
"Could you please take a look at her?"
Lin Zhiyuan stood in front of Su Xian's bed, unsure whether coming here was the right thing to do.
She didn't sleep soundly, her brows were slightly furrowed, her originally long hair was cut short for the role, which made her cheeks look even more sunken, her wrists exposed outside the blanket had prominent knuckles, and the star and moon ring on her index finger was also dull and lackluster.
He was still clutching the photo of himself as a child, which Bai Lin said she found on the sofa.
Was she, like him, sitting alone late at night, caressing the photograph?
The person on the bed stirred, opened her eyes, and quickly noticed him. Lin Zhiyuan suddenly felt a little lost. What if she chased him away?
"Didn't you say you'd be back in a few days? Why is it taking so long?"
Her reproachful words left him bewildered.
"Why aren't you saying anything? If anyone's angry, it's me." She pouted, clearly dissatisfied. "I waited for you halfway up the mountain for days, then went to the manor to find you, and even went to Tahiti. I'm so tired. If I had known you'd be back so soon, I would have stayed home and waited for you instead of going anywhere."
So it turns out she didn't sleep well earlier because she was looking for him in her dream, and she's probably still dreaming now.
"Then wait for me at home from now on," he replied, going along with her words.
"Hmm. Are you tired? Come and go to sleep." Lin Zhiyuan looked down at the corner of his suit that she had been tugging at.
"Why are you still wearing a suit? Aren't you going to change into your pajamas?"
After receiving Bai Lin's call, he couldn't wait to arrange the flight route. He booked a ticket and rushed to the port city. Less than 24 hours have passed since then.
"I just got back and haven't changed yet, so I came to see you first."
He was afraid she would have to wait too long.
"Then come here and let me hug you for a while. I miss you so much." Su Xian smiled, and her tired face regained some vitality.
Could he still hold her? She was delirious with fever, but he was still quite lucid. She frowned, clearly unable to understand why he wouldn't hold her. He moved a little closer to her, as if possessed, yet remained somewhat distant.
Unexpectedly, she leaned closer, took his hand, and nuzzled against him. His hand was enveloped in her two hands and rested against her ear. He heard her whisper, "Have I ever told you that you smell wonderful? I love it."
When he sobered up during the day, she indeed coldly told him to leave. Although he was mentally prepared, his heart was still stung. He wanted to help her quit drinking, and she actually listened and didn't drink for several days. He was somewhat relieved; she would still listen to him.
They were like roommates sharing an apartment, each with their own space, and their life was strangely harmonious. However, this silent harmony was shattered by the crisp sound of glass breaking on the floor.
He rushed downstairs and saw her looking like a walking corpse, just as Zhang Zhiran had said, devoid of any vitality.
He tried to bring her to her senses with the work she cared about and the audience she cared about, but she remained unmoved. He was getting angry and pressed her for answers. He didn't understand why she had become like this. He didn't understand what her inner conflict was.
She lost control; every word she uttered struck him hard. He had once thought he loved her and understood her, but it turned out he hadn't. The woman who had masked her strength finally revealed her vulnerable side to him at this moment.
He had never seen her cry so heartbrokenly. Her weakness, her retreat, her pain—all of it fell into his heart with each tear. Even though she was the one crying, his heart ached terribly.
He pressed me too hard just now.
He couldn't help but hug her, doing his best to comfort her.
He was too hasty. He should have waited a little longer, until he could slowly melt her hard shell, before staying with her forever.
He knew she was pretending to be asleep. He knew her too well; he remembered her perfectly, no matter what she looked like. He pretended not to notice and picked her up. She was so light; he wondered how long it would take for her to return to her former self.
He dampened a towel and gently wiped away the tears on her face. Her eyelashes trembled. He stopped, wanting to tell her to stop pretending, wanting to hold her again. But he held back; he knew it wasn't the right time.
Waking up in the morning and seeing her busy in the kitchen, he felt as if he had returned to the days when they lived together in the hillside mansion. Although the house was still filled with silence, everything was different. Her cooking was still as good as ever. He finished his noodles with satisfaction, only to hear her tell him to leave.
He was filled with fear, but in the instant their eyes met, he understood her thoughts. He had been there for her through the toughest part; she had found her courage, but she still needed time.
She was proud, and despite having witnessed her at her most vulnerable, she still wanted to rely on herself from now on.
This is who she truly is, whether strong or vulnerable, it's still her.
So he left without hesitation. He knew that one day he would find that opportunity again, and that true lovers would always find each other in the crowd.
His assistant was quite surprised by his last-minute decision to stay in Cannes for a few days, but only he knew that he had been planning this decision for a long time.
The annual film festival makes the city shine with stars. As usual, a group of friends went to his yacht to have fun, each hugging the woman next to them and laughing. The unchanging lively party made him inexplicably annoyed.
He went straight back to the sofa on the top floor, opened a bottle of Qingyue cigarette, and poured himself a drink.
"Drinking alone is rather boring." A hoarse female voice came from behind. Lin Zhiyuan looked over and saw a female companion who had brought him leaning against the railing, staring straight at him.
How boring. He nodded at the bodyguard standing at the top of the stairs and continued drinking his wine.
Today, the film "Qing Zhuo" was showing, and the entertainment news I've been following on my phone just sent him her red carpet photos. He agreed with the comments below; there was indeed a touch more gentleness and determination in her eyes.
He remembered once when he was waiting at a red light, he saw her shop window advertisement and immediately remembered her aloof and otherworldly face.
They first met at an art exhibition that year. She glanced at him casually, and the sharpness in her eyes captivated him. But the world is so small. He heard that she and Zhi Ran were friends. Later, when he was on the phone with Zhi Ran, he deliberately mentioned the yacht, which created their second encounter.
But the world is so vast that even though they are breathing the same air in the same city, they don't know where each other is.
He gazed into the distance toward the cinema, wondering how the film would be received. Winning an award wouldn't be easy, but for him, winning it through public relations wouldn't be difficult either, though she certainly wouldn't agree.
He had been puzzled by her somewhat arrogant pride, but after leaving the small courtyard last time, he seemed to truly understand.
He was too stubborn in wanting to marry her, but marriage is just a formality; what's more important is whether they want to spend the rest of their lives together.
If he could do it all over again, he would definitely hug her the moment she turned around and tell her that it's okay not to get married, they can just keep going like this forever.
As the owner of the yacht, he didn't stay away for long. The group moved on to another place in a lively atmosphere, and he casually made up an excuse to leave.
After spending several days on the yacht, he was exhausted. He disembarked and walked through the bustling crowd, intending to rest in his hotel suite for one night before returning to England.
The Burgundy beef stew at the French restaurant on the first floor is renowned. After ordering, Lin Zhiyuan went into the restroom. He had just locked the door and turned on the tap when he glanced at something on the sink, which almost made him stop breathing.
Through the heavy wooden door, he vaguely heard that familiar voice, and his wet fingers picked up the star and moon ring. He reached out, turned the lock, and opened the door.
The anxious look in her eyes turned into disbelief the moment she saw him.
His heart hadn't raced this fast in a long time.
This time he definitely won't be in such a hurry; he'll wait for her, and they'll have plenty of time.
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