Chen Jin was lost in thought, and before long, he had drunk five or six glasses of wine. Though the alcohol wasn't very strong, his emotional instability left him feeling a bit light-headed. In the brief moments of joking with the young girl in his arms, he accidentally glanced across the room and was taken aback. There, Fang Zheng was passionately kissing a girl in his arms. What caught his attention was the girl's short hair—she looked incredibly familiar.
Chen Jin rubbed his temples. He knew it couldn't be Lin Wan; he had seen her clearly when she entered earlier. This girl, though, was more beautiful than Lin Wan. But now, watching those two lost in their act, he felt an uncomfortable sensation in his throat, like a fishbone stuck there.
Then, he remembered how Lin Wan had stood there this afternoon, her pale face trembling like a leaf. Suddenly, he felt a twinge of worry. He knew she was the type of person with a deep inner strength, one who would never give up easily, but still, he couldn't shake his concern. He remembered how, in a moment of carelessness, she had fractured her bone and gotten a high fever, looking utterly miserable. Every time he thought back about it, he couldn't help but feel a sense of fear—and a tinge of guilt.
He shoved the young girl out of his arms and, telling everyone he had something to do, hurriedly left, leaving a room full of people looking at each other in confusion. The young girl bumped into the coffee table, crying in pain, her tears falling freely.
Chen Jin, as though forgetting he had just drunk, sped through several red lights, racing back home. On the way, his mind kept replaying the events of this afternoon. He realized he had been too harsh with his words. Over the years, he had built a reputation for being ruthless, used to speaking harshly and doing ruthless things. He was used to hitting people hard, leaving no room to escape. But Lin Wan wasn't his enemy. Although she had angered him, he, a grown man, shouldn't have been so petty with her.
By the time he got home, it was already past midnight. He entered without even changing his shoes. The living room was empty. The bedroom was empty. The study was empty. His eyelids twitched. He suppressed a growing sense of unease and walked toward the bathroom. It was eerily quiet inside. He took a deep breath and opened the door. He froze for a moment, and then, like someone who had been tricked, he became furious.
Chen Jin turned around, opening the wardrobe in the bedroom. All the clothes were neatly arranged, without a single gap. He turned his head and saw the long crack in the large mirror on the vanity. His heart skipped a beat. When he saw the diamond necklace lying on the floor, his anger flared up. The gift he had given was treated like this? This woman really had a death wish. He viciously stomped on the poor necklace, the diamonds scraping against the floor with a horrible screech. He took out his phone and called her—only to find that it was turned off. This woman...
He angrily left a message: "Lin Wan, you'd better get back here right now. I'm giving you thirty minutes. Our matter isn't over. If you dare to run, I'll have the police take Old Wang away. I mean it. Don't challenge my limits." After finishing, he slammed his phone against the wall, the battery flying out.
After tossing the phone, Chen Jin paced back and forth in the bedroom, like a caged beast, agitated. The alcohol had hit him, and his head was pounding like a dough ball being kneaded. He walked back and forth when suddenly, a thought occurred to him. How could Lin Wan come back in thirty minutes if her phone was turned off? He stared at the broken phone and realized he was about to become a fiery ball, ready to burn everything.
Meanwhile, Lin Wan had gotten up as soon as Chen Jin left. She touched her face and was surprised to find there weren't many tears. Initially, it had been a blow to her pride, but later, it became an emotional release, a way to vent her confused life and for the self she no longer recognized. But no matter what, life had to continue. Even though it felt as though everything was falling apart, she couldn't just give up on it.
With this thought in mind, she wiped her face and returned to the bedroom. There wasn't much to pack—just a few books she had brought with her and some of her clothes. A single bag would suffice. As she packed, she saw the necklace, the one she had only worn for a brief moment. Standing in front of the vanity, she suddenly remembered that humiliating night. In the mirror, she could almost see that disgraceful scene. She absentmindedly reached out her hand, as if to touch the half-naked, debauched woman in the reflection, and then saw her image blending with her own.
No. Lin Wan gasped, pulled herself out of the hallucination, and looked again at the woman in the mirror, her face full of despair. She sadly realized that she could never go back to who she once was. Filled with rage and sorrow, she grabbed the necklace and threw it at the mirror. After hearing the sharp crash, she turned and left without looking back.
At 1:30 in the morning, just as Lin Wan was about to fall asleep, she heard the familiar sound of the doorbell, not the phone, but the doorbell. She got up and opened the door to find the expressionless driver, Old Li.
She opened the door, and Old Li said earnestly, "Mr. Chen sent me to pick you up."
Lin Wan yawned, asking, "What if I don't want to go back?"
"Then I'll go to Xingfu District…"
At the mention of those four words, Lin Wan immediately woke up. Wang Xiao's house was in that district. Could it be? She asked excitedly, "What do you want to do there?"
"Give them a heads-up to get ready for the public security and prosecutor's office first thing tomorrow." Old Li recited the words like a script, then noticed her pale face and thought to himself, Mr. Chen's move was really sneaky, but it worked.
"I'll go back right now. Please wait for me," Lin Wan deflated like a punctured balloon, speaking weakly.
Ten minutes later, Lin Wan, looking exhausted, got into the car with Old Li. She closed her eyes wearily, feeling as though she could hear the sound of fate's gears turning. Her earlier attempt to escape was now a joke. The man who controlled her fate was probably at home, laughing at her. She rolled down the window, letting the night breeze wash over her, feeling an unexpected envy. The wind was so free, so unrestrained, able to roam the world at will. When would she be able to live as freely as the wind?