Chapter 86: What Is This?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lin Nuan brought a clean disposable cup to Lin Chen and he received it with his cigarette-wielding hand to place it on the coffee table. After pouring in some hot water from the glass cup, he then tapped the cigarette ashes into the disposable cup.

She lowered her head and thought Lin Chen still had something to say, but up until Lin Chen smoked his last cigarette, not once did he open his mouth to speak another sentence.

Hearing the sound of the cigarette butt being thrown into the disposable cup, Lin Nuan raised her head.

Lin Chen took out a sapphire velvet box from his pocket and placed it in front of Lin Nuan, the knuckles of his hand clear and visible.

“What is this?” Lin Nuan asked.

“That year you left home, this is the birthday present I originally wanted to give to you.” Lin Chen’s tone was plain and neutral.

He stood up and put on his jacket before bending down to pick up the cigarette box and lighter. He then fixed his gaze on Lin Nuan’s fair and beautiful face, saying, “If you’re free tomorrow, go and visit Mom. She’ll be happy…”

Lin Nuan tightened her hand around the long and thin box that she hadn’t had the chance to open and stood up with Lin Chen, keeping silent.

After sending Lin Chen off, Lin Nuan sat on the sofa for a very long time, spacing out as she stared at the glass of water Lin Chen never finished drinking.

A cold draft of wind blew over and Lin Nuan’s arm started feeling chilled. Just as she was about to stand up and close the window, she realized that she was still holding on to the box Lin Chen gave her.

Opening it, there lay a refined dainty necklace inside. Her nose felt a pang of pain as she was dragged back into her memories.

Four years ago, on that bright and sunny afternoon, the light shone in from the large tall window and brightened up the whole room.

After lunch, Lin Nuan and Liang Mulan were sitting on the sofa and flipping through the magazine while they discussed fashion trends. Lin Chen was upstairs packing his luggage for his business trip to France with their father.

The mother and daughter pair were talking about the jewelry on the model when Lin Chen quietly crept up behind the two. When he heard Lin Nuan say that the dainty necklace hanging on the model’s neck was pretty, he said, “Then I’ll buy it for your birthday present!”

At the time, Lin Nuan and Liang Mulan got a shock and their father walked downstairs, tidying up his collar while reprimanding Lin Chen for being too lazy and choosing his sister’s gift like that.

Such a bright and blissful memory had been sealed inside Lin Nuan’s heart for so many years, to the point where a thin layer of dust seemed to have collected over it.

But seeing the exact same dainty necklace today, the memory appeared clearly and exactly in Lin Nuan’s mind, seeming both extremely heart-warming and extremely mocking.

…

After the morning news, Lin Nuan was called into the office by Miss Xia, who gave her a document on the preparation of a new program.

Lin Nuan took over the document and glanced at it. The title was “A Sunday Date”, but she didn’t flip to read the contents, choosing to look at Miss Xia instead.

“This program has been in preparation for a while. It’s slotted to be in the golden timeslot of Sunday at 8 p.m. You should have also seen the advertising done a while ago…”

Lin Nuan’s heart thundered greatly for a moment—she understood Miss Xia’s meaning behind giving her the document.

She said, “This program, did Miss Xia think of recommending Bai Xiaonian?”

Miss Xia drew out a thin long lady’s cigarette and looked at Lin Nuan. After a moment of silence, she said, “You didn’t even look at the contents before recommending Bai Xiaonian. Do you miss the morning news department or are you standing up for your best friend?”

Lin Nuan pursed her lips, but before she could think of a reply, Miss Xia brought the cigarette to her lips and lit it up, continuing, “I personally think that… Bai Xiaonian suits the morning news more than you.”

Hearing Miss Xia say that meant that Lin Nuan would go on “A Sunday Date” while Bai Xiaonian would go on the morning news. Lin Nuan’s tightened brows relaxed in relief.