After the New Year festivities subsided, Fang Li finally managed to persuade Qin Weidong—through a persistent combination of sweet talk and unwavering determination—to let him take a job at the very music store where they had purchased his beloved guitar some time ago.
The previous employee had decided to relocate south for work opportunities, and Fang Li eagerly stepped in to fill the vacant position. His primary responsibilities revolved around sales—warmly greeting customers as they entered the store, engaging them in conversation to understand what kind of instrument they were looking for, and skillfully introducing them to the various options available. During quieter moments, he would often play guitar alongside the store owner, diligently practice his tuning techniques, and help keep the shop neat and organized. The work, thankfully, wasn’t overly strenuous.
The driving school where Qi Jian had found employment wasn’t situated too far from Fang Li’s music shop, making it relatively easy for them to connect. Although Feng Hui had generously rented a small place for Qi Jian and even offered him money for taxis, Qi Jian, ever mindful of being practical, insisted it was too wasteful and almost always opted for the more economical bus.
Conveniently, the bus stop was located directly across the street from the music store. On days when Qin Weidong’s demanding work schedule prevented him from joining Fang Li for lunch, Qi Jian would often bring over a homemade lunchbox, and the two friends would share a meal amidst the guitars and sheet music. In the evenings, if Feng Hui’s work allowed, he would often drive by in his car to pick up Qi Jian, ensuring he had a comfortable ride home.
Towards the end of February, a heavy blanket of snow descended upon Jinyang, transforming the city into a picturesque winter wonderland. On that particular day, Qin Weidong made a special trip to the music store to collect Fang Li, and then escorted him to an elegant Western-style restaurant for a romantic dinner.
A lone violinist played softly in the background, filling the air with melodic strains. The table was adorned with flickering candles and a vase of fresh, fragrant flowers—all thoughtfully arranged by Qin Weidong. Course after delectable course of Western cuisine arrived, each dish beautifully presented, and finally, a delicate, exquisitely decorated cake was brought to their table, a single lit candle flickering brightly on top.
Fang Li looked at Qin Weidong, a mixture of surprise and gentle confusion in his eyes. “What’s all this for?” he asked softly.
Qin Weidong’s gaze was warm as he simply replied, “It’s your birthday,” his voice carrying a note of quiet tenderness.
At a nearby table, a young woman glanced over and couldn’t help but notice the undeniably romantic setup at Fang Li and Qin Weidong’s table. Her attention then shifted to the strikingly handsome young man sitting across from Fang Li—his sharp, defined brows and strong, elegant nose immediately capturing her attention, and a blush crept up her cheeks. Glancing back at her own blind date, who was currently engrossed in a loud, somewhat greasy conversation, the stark contrast couldn’t have been more apparent.
Fang Li stared at the small cake in genuine surprise. He hadn’t celebrated his birthday in years. Back in the dusty confines of the mine, when his grandmother had still been in good health, she used to lovingly cook him a bowl of traditional longevity noodles. Later, as survival became the primary focus, birthdays had sadly become a forgotten luxury. He had absolutely no idea how Qin Weidong had even remembered the date.
“Why didn’t you tell me in advance?” Fang Li asked, his voice filled with a soft wonder.
Qin Weidong’s lips curved into a gentle smile. “It’s supposed to be a surprise, isn’t it? If I had told you, it wouldn’t have been one.”
Fang Li chuckled softly, a warmth spreading through his chest. He wasn’t entirely sure where Qin Weidong had learned to be so unexpectedly romantic. Then again, with all the formal dinners and business meetings Qin Weidong had been attending lately, Fang Li’s playful side emerged. He licked his lips suggestively and teased, “Did one of those girls who’s always hanging all over you teach you all this?”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Qin Weidong replied, his tone firm but a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.
He looked at Fang Li’s playful expression, a genuine smile finally breaking through his usual reserve. The most profound and immediate change that had come with no longer having to constantly battle for survival was, quite simply, this: a quiet, pervasive sense of happiness that now colored their days.
These days, the angles of Fang Li’s face had subtly matured. The natural lift of his cheekbones and the slight upward tilt of his eyes lent him a hint of youthful vibrancy, but nothing remotely effeminate—rather, there was a certain lazy, captivating charm about him now, like a sleek little fox with glossy, well-kept fur.
“Who’s talking nonsense?” Fang Li retorted, a playful glint in his eyes. “That CEO who dropped you off last time had a woman hanging off each arm. Even Feng Hui mentioned that a bunch of department heads’ daughters are all openly eyeing you. You’ve got quite the impressive romantic appeal yourself…”
Qin Weidong looked at him again with that familiar, helpless expression that Fang Li found so endearing. “Don’t you already know who I actually like to hold?”
Fang Li’s face broke into a bright, unrestrained smile. He simply loved it when Qin Weidong looked at him like that—a mixture of exasperation and utter powerlessness. After his laughter subsided, he gave a couple of theatrical coughs and said, in a mock-serious tone, “I believe you. You’d never mess around behind my back or, heaven forbid, dump me. I trust you more than I trust my own unreliable self.”
And he genuinely meant every word.
Qin Weidong gently swatted away Fang Li’s fingers, which were stealthily trying to swipe a dollop of cream from the edge of the cake. “Good. As long as you know that. Also—try not to smile quite so much at the customers in your store.”
He’d heard from the ever-chatty Feng Hui that ever since Fang Li had started working at the music store, word had rapidly spread through the nearby schools. Now, a significant number of students were aware that there was a ridiculously good-looking guy working at Sarich Music, even more striking than a professional model. Consequently, a steady stream of girls had been coming into the store, ostensibly to browse guitars, but their real motivation was clearly to catch a glimpse of him.
“So, I’m not even allowed to smile now? How else are we supposed to entice people to actually buy something?” Fang Li rolled his eyes dramatically. “Who snitched on me, huh? Was it Feng Hui? That big-mouthed jerk…”
“Are you even listening to me?” Qin Weidong’s tone shifted, becoming more serious when he saw how little Fang Li seemed to be taking his concern to heart. “Less flirting. Otherwise, you can just stay home and smile at the walls instead.”
“Qin Weidong! You are seriously too much!” Fang Li huffed, his playful mood momentarily turning to genuine exasperation. “What flirting? Who exactly am I even flirting with?!”
He thought Qin Weidong was being ridiculously petty and possessive. Tugging at his own cheeks, Fang Li pulled a deliberately silly, exaggerated face at him. “See? This is what you get for me being nice and agreeable for two whole days. The very next time some girl walks into the store, I’ll greet her like this: ‘W-e-l-c-o-m-e!’ And scare her right off. How’s that for customer service?!”
He contorted his soft, delicate features into such an extreme grimace that his face ended up a scrunched-up mess. Even with his most determinedly stern expression, Qin Weidong couldn’t suppress a chuckle that rumbled in his chest. He reached out and gently lowered Fang Li’s hand, smoothing out the creases on his forehead. “Okay, okay. Don’t hurt yourself with all that… enthusiastic greeting.”
Fang Li couldn’t help but burst into laughter himself, the tension dissolving in the shared amusement. When he finally calmed down, he picked up a fork and eyed the remaining cake with longing. “You couldn’t have possibly bought a slightly bigger one, could you?”
He had a serious sweet tooth, a craving so intense that sometimes Qin Weidong worried he’d develop diabetes before he even reached his thirties.
“There’s a knife right here. I’ll cut you a slice.”
In what seemed like no time at all, Fang Li had devoured nearly half of the cake by himself. When he reached for the other half, Qin Weidong couldn’t bear to watch any longer and gently stopped his hand. Then, with a sly smile, he pulled a small, elegant gift box from the inner pocket of his jacket.
“There’s more?” Fang Li’s eyes widened with anticipation as he eagerly opened the box—and found a luminous pearl pendant nestled inside. A perfectly smooth, glowing pearl, strung on a delicate platinum chain, shimmered with a faint, rosy pink iridescence under the soft restaurant lighting. Its luster was rich and undeniably radiant.
“It’s so pretty!” Fang Li’s eyes sparkled with genuine delight. “You actually picked it out yourself?”
“I bought it during a business trip to Jianjing a little while back. Do you like it?” Qin Weidong asked, his gaze soft as he watched Fang Li’s reaction.
“I do!” Fang Li had never had the opportunity to visit Jianjing. He had a deep appreciation for anything shiny and beautiful, but he instinctively touched the simple pearl he always wore around his neck. “Didn’t you already buy me one a long time ago?”
“This one’s even better,” Qin Weidong replied, a hint of pride in his voice.
“How much better? And more importantly, how much did it actually cost?” Fang Li’s curiosity was piqued.
Qin Weidong simply said, his tone leaving no room for argument, “Just wear it.”
Fang Li, however, knew him far too well to be easily dismissed. “See? The very moment you say something like that, I know it must have been insanely expensive.”
He wasn’t privy to the exact amount Chaojiang was currently paying Qin Weidong, but he knew Qin never hesitated to spend generously on him. The drawer of their shared nightstand consistently held three to four thousand yuan in readily available cash, there whenever Fang Li might need it. If some of it happened to disappear, Qin would quietly replenish it without a word.
Initially, Fang Li had voiced concerns about the safety of keeping so much cash at home. But Qin had insisted on leaving it there, explaining that since Fang Li spent more time at home, he worried something unexpected might happen when he wasn’t around, and if immediate medical assistance was required, the doctors could use the cash without delay. Any hesitation, Qin feared, might prove to be far too costly in the long run.
With a gentle sigh, Fang Li unclasped the old, red-stringed pearl pendant that Qin had given him years ago and carefully fastened the new one around his neck. The delicate platinum chain seemed to disappear against his skin, revealing only the occasional subtle glimmer of silver at the base of his pale neck when he lowered his head.
On their drive home, Qin Weidong navigated through the softly falling snow, the distinct crunching sound of deep snow beneath the tires filling the quiet intimacy of the car. Fang Li protectively hugged the half-eaten cake box to his chest and gratefully allowed Qin to slip warm gloves onto his hands.
Lost in thought, Fang Li dangled the old necklace in front of his eyes. It felt wasteful to simply leave it unworn. Suddenly, a bright idea sparked in his mind. While they waited at a red light, he quickly shortened the worn red cord and carefully tied it to the car’s rearview mirror. The simple pearl now hung down gently, swaying slightly with the car’s movement.
“Doesn’t this look nice?” Fang Li asked, a touch of nostalgia in his voice. “It was the very first gift you ever gave me—it holds so much sentimental value. And you’re definitely not the type to hang one of those cheesy peace charms, so maybe this necklace, since I wore it for so long, can bring you a different kind of peace too.”
Qin Weidong glanced at the dangling pearl, his expression neutral. “Looks nice.”
He didn’t particularly care for such sentimental trinkets. If Fang Li liked it and it brought him some small measure of comfort, that was more than enough for him.
“Then let’s just leave it there,” Fang Li said, giving the pearl a playful little flick with his finger. A small smile of satisfaction touched his lips.
……
For days afterward, Fang Li couldn’t resist constantly touching the smooth, pink pearl that now graced his neck. He had always had a fondness for beautiful trinkets, and he only discovered the truly exorbitant cost of this particular birthday gift because the ever-candid Feng Hui let it slip a few days later.
That evening, Feng Hui had driven his car to the bus stop situated conveniently in front of the music studio to pick up Qi Jian after his shift. The heavy snow that had fallen earlier was beginning to melt, leaving a slushy sheen on the ground. Inside the music store, Fang Li and his boss had swapped their regular shoes for practical rain boots and were outside diligently shoveling the remaining snow from the sidewalk with sturdy iron spades.
Qi Jian, ever helpful, joined in the snow-clearing efforts. As Fang Li repeatedly bent down and straightened up, the delicate pearl necklace kept knocking annoyingly against the collar of his coat, so he eventually took it off and carefully tucked it into the safety of his pocket.
Feng Hui also pitched in with the shoveling, and once their task was complete, the kind-hearted boss brought out steaming mugs of hot drinks to warm them all up. Fang Li, his cheeks flushed from the physical exertion, took off his heavy coat, and in the process, the pearl pendant slipped unnoticed from his pocket, nearly rolling away under the nearby table.
Before Fang Li could react and reach for it, Feng Hui, who happened to be closer, spotted the delicate shimmer and picked it up first. He examined it with a knowing look. “You’ve got nerves of steel, huh? Losing something this ridiculously expensive—you’d be crying for days.”
Fang Li casually took the necklace back and put it on again, a nonchalant air about him. “It probably cost a few hundred, right?”
These days, even a decent winter coat that Qin Weidong bought him could easily run into a few hundred yuan. Fang Li’s perception of comfortable spending had definitely shifted upwards. A few hundred for something as lovely as this pearl? He could certainly accept that now.
Feng Hui let out a short, incredulous laugh and pulled a face that clearly conveyed his disbelief at Fang Li’s naive assumption. “A few hundred? That thing was auctioned off at the Jianjing Pearl Exhibition. You know what ‘auction’ means, right? Highest bidder wins. Now, add two zeros to your guess.”
“What?” Fang Li’s brain seemed to freeze momentarily, his ears practically ringing with disbelief. He quickly did the mental math, his eyes widening. “You mean… over ten thousand yuan?”
Feng Hui gave him a look that suggested he thought Fang Li was utterly clueless. “What did you honestly think? When Qin Weidong was so insistent on buying it, I even told him he must’ve been scammed by those fancy exhibition folks. Twenty thousand for a single pearl? He might as well have cast a solid gold collar for you.”
Even Feng Hui, who had never lacked for money growing up in his privileged family, had been momentarily speechless when he saw Qin Weidong casually swipe his credit card for that exorbitant amount.
Fang Li instinctively pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over Qin Weidong’s contact, ready to call him right away and protest. Feng Hui shot him a warning glance. “Oh, come on. Don’t try to be all frugal on his behalf. If he bought it, it means he can comfortably afford it. Do you even have any idea how much he’s making off the various projects he’s handling now? Didn’t he mention he’s planning to buy a new place?”
Fang Li blinked in surprise. “No, he didn’t say anything about that.”
“Well, he’s probably just been completely swamped with work lately. That Fengxin Mine project auction? He was the lead on that whole thing. Did an absolutely amazing job—made all the shareholders grin from ear to ear. Qin Weidong’s practically about to be promoted to general manager. By then, the little pocket money you’re earning at the music store won’t even cover one month of the maintenance fees for a new place. Just wait, he’ll tell you soon enough.”
At that very moment, miles away, Qin Weidong had just exited the provincial government compound. It was situated in a relatively quiet area by the Jinyang River, a peaceful oasis in the middle of the bustling city. He was carefully holding the freshly approved mining license in his hand as he got into his car—and just then, Fang Li’s call came through on his phone.
Over the phone, Fang Li’s voice was a mixture of exasperation and affection as he scolded Qin Weidong. “Spending twenty thousand yuan on a single pearl—are you completely crazy? It feels like I’ve got twenty thousand yuan just hanging precariously from my neck!”
Qin Weidong simply chuckled, the sound warm and reassuring, as he started the car’s engine. “I made you a promise, remember?”
“What promise are you even talking about?” Fang Li asked, a hint of playful skepticism in his tone.
“That as long as I have the means, I’ll always give you the very best,” Qin Weidong replied, his voice steady and sincere.
Fang Li was calling from the small, somewhat echoey bathroom at the music studio. Hearing those words, his heart felt as though it had been gently dipped in warm honey, a sweet and comforting sensation spreading through him. He instinctively cupped his hand over the phone’s mouthpiece and whined sweetly, a touch of playful manipulation in his voice, “When did you ever promise me something like that? My memory must be failing me… I don’t recall ever hearing it…”
Qin Weidong’s voice held a hint of amusement. “I promised you in my heart, silly. Now, be good for a little while. I’ve got something I need to take care of here. I’ll come pick you up at the studio tonight, okay?”
“Alright, I’ll be here waiting patiently for you,” Fang Li said, a soft kiss lingering on the phone’s receiver before he hung up. On his end, Qin Weidong immediately returned a call to Wei Jianghe’s secretary, his tone all business now. Then, he quickly rang up Feng Hui, asking him to urgently check whether the crucial materials detailing Wanlei’s illegal sandstone sales had been officially accepted and acknowledged by the higher-level authorities.
His car had just smoothly exited the secure gates of the provincial government compound when a discreet, official-looking government vehicle approached from the opposite direction. The moment the gatekeeper, standing diligently in his guard booth, recognized the license plate, he immediately stepped out, raised the barrier with a respectful gesture, and stood ramrod straight at attention, offering a crisp salute.
Inside the approaching car, Qin Zhengrong, a man whose presence exuded quiet authority, was intently flipping through a thick file. Sitting beside him, looking somewhat ill at ease, was the newly appointed Deputy Director of the Resource Department, Cao Yong, who had tiny beads of nervous sweat forming on his forehead from time to time despite the cool temperature inside the vehicle.
As Qin Zhengrong reached the final pages of the file, his expression subtly shifted, a hint of displeasure tightening the corners of his mouth. “Shenzhen’s remarkable success story was built on its willingness to embrace calculated risks. Sitting in a position of authority like this—if you don’t possess that same inherent boldness, you won’t go very far. You’ll simply miss every crucial opportunity to move forward and make a real impact.”
Cao Yong hastened to agree, nodding vigorously. “Yes, yes, Secretary Qin. You’re absolutely right. I’ll have my secretary immediately redraft the proposal with a greater emphasis on proactive strategies…”
Up in the front passenger seat, Qin Zhengrong’s efficient secretary reported the upcoming meeting schedule, her pen poised above her notebook. Qin Zhengrong listened attentively, his gaze still fixed on the file, while Cao Yong finally let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief. He had long heard of Qin Zhengrong’s unmatched capability and shrewd political acumen. At the relatively young age of forty-three, he had already risen to become the top leader of Jin Province, and it was widely understood that he was on a clear trajectory towards one of the central power circles in Beijing.
“Not long ago,” Qin Zhengrong said, his tone suddenly shifting, “there was an auction held for the Fengxin Mine. The final winning bidder was a company with the name Wanlei, is that correct?”
“Yes, that is correct, Secretary Qin. Wanlei it was. The final winning bid was in the vicinity of 120 million yuan,” Cao Yong confirmed, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. He wasn’t entirely sure why Qin Zhengrong was suddenly bringing up this particular project. It was undoubtedly a significant undertaking, but not one that should have typically required the Secretary’s personal attention at this stage. “Secretary Qin, I can assure you that Wanlei holds all the complete and valid mining qualifications, and the entire auction process meticulously followed all the proper and legally mandated procedures.”
Cao Yong, who felt he would need at least eight hundred more pairs of eyes just to keep pace with someone as sharp and perceptive as Wei Jianghe, watched as Qin Zhengrong abruptly flipped back to the materials he held in his hands—documents containing serious allegations reporting Wanlei for large-scale illegal mining and unauthorized sales of sandstone.
A decisive tone entered Qin Zhengrong’s voice as he issued a clear instruction. “Have Wei Jianghe come to my office first thing tomorrow morning.”
Axolotl Translations 
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