End July, 2008.

  Everything was progressing as planned. The price of CDS and other short-selling mechanisms in Zhou Yuandai’s hands were rising greatly. During this time, many investment firms on Wall Street were even seeking to acquire a large amount of CDS for profit or to even out the risk.

  Take Goldman Sachs for example. This child of the American Federal Reserve was still shamelessly selling CDO products everywhere while having already begun acquiring a large amount of CDS in private.

  Still, Zhou Yuandai was not in a rush.

  First was because she was still looking forward to a better situation. Second was because the amount she possessed was really too great. If she sold it as a whole, no one would be able to eat it whole. If she sold it in batches, it would instead drag down the overall price in the market.

  Maybe because she was in a good mood, Xu Tingsheng regained the right to apply to go out.

  Walking the streets, Xu Tingsheng entered a Chinese restaurant. He was escorted by two deaf-mutes and someone who was neither deaf nor mute but was a trusted follower of Zhou Yuandai’s and would definitely not utter a sound besides keeping an eye on him.

  Already used to it, Xu Tingsheng sat down alone amidst many bemused gazes. He ordered rice, fried pepper meat and sour oil vegetables.

  That voice resounded from the wall-mounted television behind him.

  As soon as he heard it, Xu Tingsheng’s chopsticks stopped in mid-air……

  He froze.

  “Recalling like a storyteller, speaking in a countryside accent, leaping over the pit of water, going past the small village, waiting for the destined meeting.”


  He heard an incomparably familiar, rather tender voice in the first sentence.

  This song was which had been written by Jay Chou for Joey Yung in his previous life. Still, the voice was definitely not Joey Yung’s. Turning, Xu Tingsheng saw no one on the screen where the MV was playing as the scenes were merely depicted in sand.

  “It’s from Apple, Cen Xiyu’s new album. Still, this song doesn’t seem to have been sung by Apple herself. It is still very popular, though,” Passing by and seeing Xu Tingsheng’s focused, puzzled expression, a waiter told him this on account of meeting someone with similar interests.

  Xu Tingsheng did not respond. He was forbidden to engage in all conversations that could possibly transmit information. Apple was a sensitive word for him. That person conducting surveillance behind him was already all tensed up at this moment.

  In his previous life, should have appeared in Joey Yung’s album around July 2007, right?

  It was naturally impossible for Xu Tingsheng to have taken note of such a minor thing in this life. Thinking about it now, since this song had appeared in Apple’s album, the sole explanation was that she had also requested a song from Jay Chou, and very early on. Then, coincidentally, Jay Chou had given Joey Yung another song and given this to Apple.

  His puzzlement and thoughts passed in a flash. All this was not important. What was important was that singing voice and the scenes on the television.

  That was Xiang Ning’s voice. She sang:

  “You built a castle out of clay

  Told me you’d marry me someday……”


  In the MV, tall buildings appeared, a modern tower amongst them……While others might not be able to understand the underlying meaning of this scene, Xu Tingsheng needed but a single glance……that was Ning Garden.

  So, Xiang Ning was actually singing about the castle that Xu Tingsheng had built for her and his promise to marry her from before.

  The scenes in his mind……

  On the day of inquiries for Ning Garden, the sixteen-year-old girl had knocked on the door, saying that she had guessed it, guessed why this place was called Ning Garden, guessed why Ning Garden had a Little Pert Waist, guessed that Xu Tingsheng was behind Ning Garden and guessed his painstaking rationale for it.

  Also, the night that Little Pert Waist had been lit up for the first time.

  That day, the seventeen-year-old Miss Xiang had asked her Uncle, “Do you like being together with me?”


  “I do,” Uncle had answered.

  “Will we get married then?”


  “We will.”


  “For sure?”


  “For sure.”


  “Yes. I’d be willing.”


  “Yep. We’re agreed then.”


  “Mmm. Xu Tingsheng, you must marry me. You must marry Little Xiang Ning. I wouldn’t be able to marry anybody else. Sometimes, I suddenly feel scared that you could be stolen away by someone else. I tried thinking about it before, but it’s really not possible. If you leave, if you no longer want me, I’ll be alone by myself forever, even though I’d still be waiting for you then.”


  That night, Little Pert Waist had attracted a city, the crowds like a tide. So, she had had to exert herself and shout out every word.

  “Is she waiting for me to go back to marry her?” Xu Tingsheng thought.

  The singing continued.

  “However many turns, however many pairings, forsaken in youth

  Little oath is still unstable

  Little tears are still holding on

  Tender lips are saying to split

  Thereon someone is living in my heart……”


  The tender voice sang of a breakup. Distinctly muffled sobs were audible as Xu Tingsheng seemed able to see Xiang Ning in the recording studio with earphones on, full of tears.

  “I’m looking for the one from that story

  You are an irreplaceable part

  As you doze off a little beneath a tree

  The little me is waiting foolishly……”


  The scenes hovered on the back figure of a little girl, waiting solitarily……depicted in sand, this all seemed rather blurry.

  At this point, that voice was still in a rather unstable state. Meanwhile, the final editing of the album had actually preserved this most authentic state.

  How were these lyrics? ……This was clearly Xiang Ning saying to Xu Tingsheng: I’m looking for you. You are an irreplaceable part……the little me is still waiting foolishly, waiting for your return.

  A year had gone by. Besides the necessary performances, under Zhou Yuandai’s surveillance, Xu Tingsheng had tried hard to appear calm as water everyday. In truth, though, just how he yearned to hear the voice of that young girl, saying something to her.

  The fourteen-year-old Xiang Ning suddenly surfaced in his mind.

  That little her had been skipping out from the big metal gate at the school’s entrance……it had been their first meeting in this life that day. Because of that meeting, Xu Tingsheng’s reborn life had begun to have colour, filled with happiness and anticipation.

  Even though he knew that his every move would be recorded, Xu Tingsheng was still unable to control the collapse of his emotions, prevent the tears from flowing.

  “Thereon someone is living in my heart

  We who were once little uns……

  I’m looking for the one from that story

  You are an irreplaceable part

  Little hand leading little one

  Guarding a little eternity.”


  The singing stopped. The scenes in the sand changed, till finally, there were no other sounds besides the sliding of fingertips……the figure of a little girl appeared. Slowly, a wedding gown appeared on her……yet, she was still waiting.

  Not far away from her, two other figures that were also not so clear were similarly standing, waiting.

  Finally, fingertips slid past the bottom of the screen……Xu Tingsheng recognised that hand.

  She wrote: You said that you’d come see me soon. I waited, and it’s been over a year……it’s alright. I’ll wait however long it takes……

  After requesting to see it again, because of his reaction, Xu Tingsheng was hastily brought back to where Zhou Yuandai was.

  After some ten plus minutes, Zhou Yuandai who had finished listening to the report found Xu Tingsheng.

  “Well, well, well……sigh, what a pity,” Xu Tingsheng could clearly see the mocking triumph in Zhou Yuandai’s eyes and tone.

  “I specially found that song and listened to it. It really is not bad. Very meaningful,” She continued, “Love separated by mountains and seas……unfortunately, do you know what comes next? Mountains and seas cannot be levelled.”