Chapter 39 Never See You Again
The sound of the file bag falling to the ground startled Ling Shen's eardrums. He squatted down mechanically and swept his fingertips over the items scattered on the ground - on the contract with the corners curled up, Su Nian's signature was stained light gray by the spread of pen ink, and the brand new bank card still had the cold and hard touch of the plastic film.
His index finger unconsciously stroked the last line of words in the contract, and his nails drew a crescent-shaped wrinkle on the last stroke of the word "read".
The wind outside the window suddenly rushed into the empty living room, lifting up the paper and then pressing it down. The ink was mixed with a light fragrance, very much like the jasmine-scented incense that Su Nian always liked to use.
Ling Shen suddenly covered his face with the entire contract, a broken sob escaped from his throat, his knuckles turned white from excessive force, and the paper made a fragile "rustling" sound.
In the kitchen sink, a few broken porcelain pieces lay crookedly, as if silently telling a story. The dishes in the cupboards still maintained their original appearance, neatly arranged, but they would never be used again.
The furniture in Su Nian's bedroom remained unchanged, but the daily necessities and clothes that once belonged to him had all disappeared, as if he had never lived here.
Ling Shen walked into the bedroom in a daze, his body drained of all strength, and he buried himself in the bed, nearly collapsing. He buried his face deep in the pillow, sniffing the faint scent on it, as if only in this way could he feel the warmth that belonged to Su Nian again.
He curled up, his hands gripping the sheets tightly, his knuckles turning white from the exertion.
The elegant scent of jasmine lingered around Ling Shen. It was the scent of Su Nian's usual laundry detergent. This familiar aroma gradually relaxed his tense nerves, and he lost himself in it, drifting off to sleep, enveloped by memories and longing.
In faraway Europe, a silver-white plane broke through the clouds and landed smoothly on the runway. The cabin door slowly opened, and Su Nian walked down the stairs, looking at the completely different scenery around him.
The European-style buildings along the street, the different faces of passersby, everything seemed so unfamiliar. He didn't know why, but his heart felt empty, as if he had lost something very important. His chest felt empty, and even breathing was painful.
"Sir, the car is ready." The assistant stepped forward cautiously, lowered his voice, and gently reminded Su Nian who was immersed in his own thoughts.
Su Nian looked up at the clear blue sky, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. Yes, everything was over. He and Ling Shen were over. Or rather, their obscure, unspoken feelings had never even begun.
From now on, separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, they will all have their own lives and futures, and will no longer have any intersection.
Su Nian withdrew his gaze and forced himself to suppress all the surging emotions. His face regained its composure, but beneath that calmness lay an unknown sadness.
He walked outside, the sun shining softly on his body, which should have been a warm and comfortable feeling, but Su Nian's back exuded a sense of loneliness, as if there was only one person left in his world.
Lucas was originally drinking tea leisurely in his backyard. The sunlight shone through the grape trellis, casting mottled shadows, and the surroundings were quiet.
But the sudden noise from next door attracted his attention. The sound of car engines and servants' footsteps broke the silence.
"Such a grand spectacle," Lucas sighed, unable to help but glance sideways. The previously quiet manor was now filled with servants waiting neatly in the courtyard. Three black sedans, their bodies gleaming with a majestic presence, were parked steadily.
Lucas watched as a pair of slender legs stepped out of the car first. The man was wearing a neat suit and spotlessly polished shoes. Then came an oriental face, with gentle features and a faint smile at the corners of his lips. But those eyes were devoid of emotion, as if covered with a layer of frost, making people afraid to approach.
Surrounded by the crowd, the man walked steadily into the beautiful and grand manor, and his figure gradually disappeared behind the carved gate.
Lucas looked up and took a sip of red wine. He looked at the manor, which seemed to be full of life because of the owner's return, and shook his head slightly. "How strange."
Lucas, sighing to himself, didn't know that his new neighbor was none other than Su Nian, the one his friend had been longing for. And now, he had no idea that Ling Shen, the one he had tried so hard to keep, would soon become a nuisance he couldn't get rid of.
“Ding-bang—”
The sharp sound of metal collision pierced the eardrums like an ice pick, shaking the chandelier on the second-floor ceiling.
He opened his eyes reluctantly, his eyes clearly showing the annoyance of being interrupted. He had finally met Su Nian in his dream, but before he could hold her in his arms again, he was woken by the violent noise.
The continuous roar from downstairs was interspersed with the crisp sound of breaking wood. Ling Shen rushed down the stairs barefoot, the chill of the marble steps climbing up through his feet, but he couldn't suppress the rage boiling in his chest.
When he saw the familiar walnut bar counter being smashed into a hideous hole by a sledgehammer, with sawdust mixed with cement dust flying in the sunlight, he felt something shatter inside him.
"What are you doing?!" Ling Shen loosened his tie, and his Adam's apple rolled violently under the taut blue veins.
He watched the bar where Su Nian had made coffee and baked cookies turned into powder. In a trance, it seemed as if everything in his past with Su Nian was shattered.
The worker holding the hammer froze in place, his cement-stained gloves still poised for a strike. The rest of the construction team looked at each other, confusion written across their hard hats.
Just then, the sound of leather shoes stepping on broken wood boards came from the door. Chang Zi slowly turned his custom cufflinks, and the trouser legs of his Armani suit swept across the dust on the door frame.
"I bought this place, so of course I have to tear it down and renovate it." Chang Zi raised his eyebrows and looked at the stairs, but his gaze suddenly froze after he saw the figure clearly.
Ling Shen narrowed his eyes and looked at the door. After confirming that the person coming was Chang Zi, whom he knew, his face turned visibly pale.
"You...you, A Shen, why are you here?" Chang Zi pushed through the crowd and walked in front of Ling Shen, somewhat confused.
"You bought this place? You want to tear it down and rebuild it?" His voice sounded like it was fished out of an ice cellar, each word was filled with sharp ice chips, and his finger was pointing at the group of workers in front of him.
Chang Zi touched the tip of his nose awkwardly and waved behind him. The assistant who followed him quickly took all the workers away from the scene.
Chang Zi walked forward with a smile until everyone had left. "Yes, I bought it. Isn't this the right location? I was thinking of buying it and opening a coffee shop here."
Ling Shen took a deep breath with some impatience, "How much did you pay for it? I'll pay double."
Chang Zi was so shocked by Ling Shen's words that he stayed where he was, "Huh?!"
Ling Shen patiently repeated it again, and Chang Zi slowly raised two fingers, "Two million"
Chang Zi's phone rang soon. Seeing the extra four million in his account, Chang Zi was a little amused and said, "No, Shen, what do you want this place for? Besides, if you really want it, I'll give it to you. What are you doing?"
Ling Shen was too lazy to say anything more to him, "Take your people and leave quickly."
"A Shen." Chang Zi chased to the stairs, but had to stop because of Ling Shen's cold look when he turned around.
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