Chapter 53: The Black Gem

The flight Xie Bo booked for Lin Yiwei did not require any layovers, an eleven-hour direct journey that finally landed at London Heathrow Airport.

It was first class, offering an immensely comfortable and spacious environment where the seat could even be adjusted completely flat, alongside inflight Wi-Fi. Lin Yiwei accepted all of this with a clear conscience; she was hardly going to be polite to Xie Bo, especially since Xie Bo had never once been polite to her.

Yet, there would likely be no more of this in the future. Now that they had broken up, she had no reason to accept Xie Bo's financial support.

Upon arriving in London, she would have to rely entirely on herself.

Lin Yiwei connected to the Wi-Fi. Her WeChat contact list contained only a farewell message from Ye Anning, asking her to report her safe arrival once she landed.

Reflecting on her twenty years of life, Lin Yiwei thought herself truly a solitary star, devoid of friends and family, with her only brother having also been taken from her.

Having finally managed to make a kindred, intimate confidante, they were ultimately destined to part ways.

Xie Bo had not sent her any further messages. A sense of loss lingered in the depths of Lin Yiwei's heart, though since she was the one who initiated the breakup, Xie Bo would not hound her once he agreed to it.

In truth, perhaps he had wanted to break up long ago, as that was the course of action most aligned with his own interests.

The words he could not bring himself to say, Lin Yiwei had spoken instead. It was very decorous.

Her previously calmed emotions rose in tumultuous waves once more at the thought of him, a searing ache rushing straight up into her nasal cavity.

She actually wanted to cry.

Incredible—if Lin Yiwei was going to weep for anyone, it certainly shouldn't be for a man who did not belong to her.

Had she not long since meticulously sorted out this relationship in her own mind?

Yet, the moment she saw him kissing Chi Xiyu, she still felt a dull, hidden throbbing deep within her heart, a pain she was unwilling to admit to.

No matter how much she refused to acknowledge or face it, pain was still pain.

She forced herself to think more of Lin Xie; rescuing him was the most urgent priority at present.

Aside from this young man who had watched her grow up, there was no one in the world worth her unconditional devotion, no one worth dedicating her entire being to in adoration.

She repeated this to herself over and over again.

The plane took off, the sudden sensation of weightlessness filling Lin Yiwei's eardrums and leaving a hollow emptiness in her chest.

Goodbye, goodbye, Xie Bo.

Lin Yiwei closed her eyes tightly, forcing back the surging tears, and abruptly plunged into a heavy, chaotic dream filled entirely with his kisses. It seemed as though she dreamed she had turned into Chi Xiyu, being kissed by him...

She had never envied that vain girl, but within the dream, Lin Yiwei envied her desperately, envied her for having a good family background... and for being able to possess things she herself was unworthy of.

She had not slept for long when Lin Yiwei was awakened by the crying of a child.

A woman holding a child alone was sitting slightly ahead and to her side, continuously coaxing the infant in the swaddling clothes.

No matter how gently and softly she coaxed, the baby continued to wail incessantly.

A young man in the row behind, wearing a large Louis Vuitton logo and dyed grandmother-grey trendy hair, could take it no longer. He pulled out his AirPods and yelled at the young woman, "Can you control your kid, for God's sake? Unbelievable, you run into people holding babies even in first class, so annoying! Do you even let people rest?"

The woman appeared to be in her early thirties, very attractive, dressed with extraordinary elegance, and possessing a calm and gentle demeanor.

Unaccustomed to arguments, she could only offer repeated apologies while trying her best to soothe the baby in her arms.

"I'm sorry, I am truly sorry. The air pressure might be making her a bit uncomfortable, I'll try my best to keep her quiet."

"An apology is supposed to fix this?! Can you make this kid shut up, cover its mouth with something or whatever? If you can't control it, I'll help you!"

Hearing this, the woman immediately turned firm. "Don't you dare! If you pull something like that, I'll call the police!"

"Please, miss, we're on an airplane here, I just want to sleep. I stayed up all night playing games yesterday, I'm exhausted. I have only one demand: make your screeching brat shut up, or else you can go to economy class."

Gazing at the continuously crying child in her arms, the woman grew frantic and unbuckled her seatbelt, preparing to move to economy.

A flight attendant quickly intervened, "Ms. Leng, you cannot unbuckle your seatbelt, right now the aircraft—"

Before the words could finish, a pocket of turbulence swept past, violently shaking the fuselage. This Ms. Leng nearly fell in the aisle, but fortunately, Lin Yiwei's quick reflexes caught the infant before it slipped from the mother's grasp.

Leng Zhiyun was frightened pale, her face drained of color. "Pearl! My Pearl!"

In Lin Yiwei's embrace, the infant miraculously ceased her crying.

She opened her wide eyes, looking at Lin Yiwei with curiosity, and mumbled indistinctly, "Sister," and "Hold me."

Lin Yiwei had never held a child before, nor did she particularly like children, but looking at the snow-white, dumpling-like face of the mixed-race little girl before her, she instantly fell for her.

"So cute."

"Thank you, thank you so much! Truly, thank you." Shaken and still recovering from the scare, Leng Zhiyun looked on the verge of tears.

Lin Yiwei handed the little girl back to her mother.

Leng Zhiyun, still shaken, took a seat in the empty place beside Lin Yiwei and fastened her seatbelt.

To her dismay, the moment the child was back in her arms, the crying resumed.

"Little Pearl, won't you stop crying, please? Mommy doesn't know how to coax you anymore. Do you not like Mommy?"

Seeing that this woman was evidently a new mother, crying right along with her weeping baby, Lin Yiwei said softly, "Would you like me to try?"

Leng Zhiyun handed the child over to her. Lin Yiwei fished a small silver bell out of her bag, which produced a crisp, tinkling sound. "Look at this."

The little girl opened her eyes wide with curiosity, reaching out to touch the small pink bell, and her mouth immediately bloomed with an angelic smile.

Lin Yiwei found it slightly amusing in her heart; this pink little bell had originally been a "toy" belonging to her and Xie Bo, and they had many similar toys besides... yet she simply found the bell adorable and wanted to keep it as a memento, which was why she had packed it and brought it along when she left.

She had never expected an infant to take a liking to it.

Lin Yiwei gently hummed the melody of "Jingle Bells" as the little girl obediently rested in her arms, her wide eyes fixed on her—

"Sister."

Noticing that Leng Zhiyun looked very young, youthful, beautiful, and intellectual—hardly any older than herself—Lin Yiwei said, "Little Pearl, you should call me Aunty."

"You'd better call her sister; she's much younger than me!" Leng Zhiyun said with a smile. "I'm already thirty-five, while you still look like a student."

"Still, you look very young."

"Are you going to London for your studies?"

"Mm, as an exchange student."

"That's wonderful. My daddy is ill, so I'm taking the baby across the ocean to visit him in London. I hope he can hold on, or if not, at least let him see Little Pearl one last time."

"Everything will be fine."

"Mm, I'll take your kind words."

Lin Yiwei looked up and smiled at her. Catching sight of the crimson cinnabar mole between Lin Yiwei's brows, Leng Zhiyun froze for a moment.

Once upon a time, that child had possessed such a mole as well...

"By the way, what should I call you?" she asked.

"My name is Lin Yiwei, 'Yiwei' as in perceiving the subtle trends from early signs."

"That's a lovely name. I'm Leng Zhiyun."

"Leng... Zhiyun."

Lin Yiwei suddenly recalled: wasn't the second young miss of the Leng family, the prominent jewelry dynasty in Hong Kong, named Leng Zhiyun?

She usually didn't pay attention to gossip news about wealthy financial magnates and tycoons, except that her cousin, Su Andi, liked to read that sort of upper-crust drama and romantic gossip.

One moment the gossip claimed the eldest miss of the Leng family had eloped years ago, returning pregnant only to be killed off in internal family struggles; another moment it spoke of a jewelry tycoon suffering from chronic heart disease with his life seemingly hanging by a thread...

And yet another report stated that the second young miss of the Leng family, Leng Zhiyun, who had dominated the jewelry industry for years, was widely known as an independent and intellectual career woman, only to be hit with rumors of an unknown pregnancy with a mystery father...

In short, despite her lack of interest, Lin Yiwei had been spoon-fed these gossip reports by Su Andi for years, so upon hearing the name Leng Zhiyun, she almost instantly recognized the identity of the woman before her.

Leng Zhiyun perceived Lin Yiwei's thoughts and teased, "You guessed right, I am that Leng Zhiyun. Who would have thought it? The second young miss of the Leng family, a career woman reduced to such a flustered state traveling alone with a child."

"No, I'm sorry, I..." Lin Yiwei's introverted tendencies flared up, leaving her a bit shy and unsure of how to respond.

She could never have imagined she would be conversing with a wealthy socialite who frequently appeared in the news.

Suddenly, the infant's hand reached inside Lin Yiwei's collar and plucked out a crucifix necklace.

"You like this one!" Lin Yiwei unclasped the necklace and handed it to the infant. "Take it and play."

Seeing the crucifix, Leng Zhiyun's expression changed, and she immediately snatched it to examine it closely...

A bronze-yellow crucifix crafted from a very unusual material—neither gold nor silver, grand yet archaic. The body of the cross was carved with delicate, meticulously detailed relief patterns of roses.

At the very center of the rose was a green gemstone so tiny it was almost imperceptible, understated and refined.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let her just take things," Lin Yiwei panicked slightly. "It's not sharp, I've worn it for many years, please rest assured, it won't hurt her."

Deaf to her words, Leng Zhiyun stared at her excitedly. "Where did this crucifix come from?"

"Huh?"

"Where did you get it? Who gave it to you?"

"No one gave it to me, I've worn it since I was little," Lin Yiwei explained with a blank expression. "The orphanage aunties said I had it with me when I arrived."

"An orphanage? You grew up in an orphanage? And you're surnamed Lin?"

"I was adopted later on."

"You're an orphan?"

Lin Yiwei had no desire to bare her life story to such a strange woman—though strictly speaking, she wasn't entirely a stranger since Leng Zhiyun was the renowned second young miss of a jewelry dynasty.

Ultimately, Lin Yiwei was not close to her; she had her own pride and preferred not to say too much.

"Could you please return it to me?" Lin Yiwei asked for the crucifix back.

Leng Zhiyun, however, gripped it tightly, studying Lin Yiwei's beautiful face with a complex look in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, forgive me, I noticed the workmanship on your crucifix is extremely sophisticated. You see, I work in the jewelry business, so it piqued my interest." Leng Zhiyun immediately recovered her decorous smile and handed the crucifix back to Lin Yiwei.

"Ah, I see." Lin Yiwei stroked the crucifix necklace, joking, "You can tell me if it's valuable. Who knows, if I ever can't afford to eat or pay my tuition one day, I might be able to sell it for some cash..."

Leng Zhiyun paid no mind to the crucifix; her focus remained entirely on the person before her. "Are you... very short on money?"

"Oh no, no, no, I was just joking." Lin Yiwei did not want her to misunderstand, much less expose her poverty in front of a stranger. "I'm not short on money, I have savings."

Leng Zhiyun remained deeply worried about her—the kind of uncontrollable, irrepressible worry.

How difficult it must be for her to survive alone in this world without the protection of family.

She dared not imagine how many grievances she must suffer or how many bad people she might encounter.

"May I add your WeChat?" Leng Zhiyun asked, looking at her with tentative care. "You share such an incredible bond with our baby—I believe in these things, her very first word was calling you sister, and she likes you so much... The two of you are truly fated, could we keep in touch?"

Lin Yiwei possessed a heavy sense of guard and was rather reluctant to give out her contact information. Yet, looking at Leng Zhiyun—she was a public figure, and the daughter of a jewelry tycoon could hardly be an impostor; what motive could she have to harm her?

Perhaps it truly was fate.

The fact that this infant stopped crying the moment Lin Yiwei held her and even called her sister was indeed quite wondrous.

Lin Yiwei fished out her phone and added her on WeChat.

"By the way, Sister Leng, since you're in the jewelry business, I'd like to consult you about something."

"Don't call me sister," Leng Zhiyun said gently. "Call me Aunty Leng, I'm your elder."

"All right, Aunty Leng. I wanted to ask, is there a type of gemstone suitable for men to wear that isn't too expensive, but not too cheap either—just..."

How should she phrase this?

"Uh, it can't be a necklace, and rings won't do either," Lin Yiwei struggled to describe it. "Just something suitable to give to a man..."

"A gift for a boyfriend, then?"

"No, no, not a boyfriend..."

He was no longer that.

Xie Bo had given her over a million in breakup money, and that sum had remained sitting in her account. Lin Yiwei wanted to return it to Xie Bo in a different way.

At first, she had accepted it with a clear conscience, intending to save it as funds for studying abroad, but now... she didn't feel quite so at ease anymore.

Where exactly things had changed, she herself did not know.

She did not want her relationship with Xie Bo to truly devolve into such a cold, transactional affair of money and lust. Every single night she had spent with him constituted the happy and joyful parts of her memory, and they ought not to be stained by this money.

Leng Zhiyun smiled. "What is your budget?"

"Around one million or so."

"It could be made into a bracelet using corundum, also known as black gemstone. It belongs to the sapphire family, and Thais also call it the Buddha stone; it can ward off disasters, pray for blessings, and bring good luck."

"Yes, yes!" Lin Yiwei nodded repeatedly. "I want that kind that brings good luck!"

A doting expression appeared in the depths of Leng Zhiyun's eyes. "Not a boyfriend anymore? A breakup gift?"

"You could say that."

"Yet you look so deeply in love with him. Why break up?"

"I..." Lin Yiwei was instantly at a loss for words. "I am not deeply in love with him! I don't love him!"

"A million, though! And you still claim you don't love him?"

"You've misunderstood. I just want to return what he gave me in a different way. He helped me a great deal, and no matter what, I have to return this money to him. But if I give the cash back directly, he'll most likely get angry."

In a fit of rage, the matter concerning Lin Xie might be ruined all over again.

Lin Yiwei certainly didn't dare provoke this lord lightly.

"All right, I understand." Leng Zhiyun stroked the young girl's head. "Don't worry, leave this to me. I will definitely craft a peerless Buddha stone bracelet for you as your breakup gift."

"Ah, I was only asking for your advice, I didn't mean to commission you..."

How could she possibly afford to hire Leng Zhiyun, a world-renowned jewelry designer, to customize a bracelet for her?

A mere million... probably couldn't even buy the scrapings of her design drafts.

"Since we share such fate, and you helped me out—without you, baby might have taken a fall. That is an immense favor that cannot be measured by money. So it's settled. Once I finish making it, I'll definitely contact you again."

She had unilaterally settled the matter, leaving Lin Yiwei with no choice of refusal, and she could only express her gratitude repeatedly.

During the long journey, Leng Zhiyun stayed by Lin Yiwei's side, and the two chatted extensively.

She could sense Lin Yiwei's wariness toward strangers; no matter how hard Leng Zhiyun tried to learn about her life, she ultimately gleaned very little information.

Upon landing, Leng Zhiyun offered to have her car drive Lin Yiwei to her accommodation, but Lin Yiwei politely declined, making the excuse that someone was coming to pick her up.

After parting ways at the airport, Leng Zhiyun with trembling hands sent a photo of the girl she had secretly snapped to her older brother—

"Brother, I've found precious pearl."