Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Xuxu patted her chest and admonished Jiang Zhuoheng before she answered his question. “Yan Rusheng called, he sounded unhinged.”


  “Oh,” Jiang Zhuoheng replied lightly and put his hands tenderly around her shoulders. “I’ll send you home, it’s getting late.”


  Hearing that, Wen Xuxu glanced at the time on her phone. It was almost 10 p.m., indeed it was getting late.

  On their way back, the windows were rolled down. Xuxu’s hand supported her cheek and she peered outside. The nightscape of the bustling city flitted past her eyes.

  The gentle breeze brushed against her face. The residual noise from the bar had finally vanished in her head and her mind had calmed down.

  Jiang Zhuoheng was focusing on driving and they didn’t talk at all in the car.

  The car entered the neighborhood and stopped right outside her apartment. She unfastened her seatbelt and asked him, “Do you want to go upstairs for a while?”


  Jiang Zhuoheng shook his head. “Nope, it’s too late.”


  It was indeed getting late so Xuxu didn’t insist. “Then drive carefully on the road, good night.”


  She got down and closed the car door. Standing next to the car, she bade him goodbye with a smile.

  “Rest early.” Jiang Zhuoheng lowered his head and looked at her with a deep gaze.

  “Mm.” Xuxu nodded. She turned around to walk towards the apartment and fumbled for her keys at the same time.

  “Xuxu, I’ll wait for you.”


  Suddenly, she heard Jiang Zhuoheng’s voice call out.

  It sounded like he had mustered all his courage to profess his love.

  Xuxu was stunned and she slowly raised her head. Then she gradually turned to look back.

  The sound of the engine started with a

  and the white Audi vanished out of her sight as quick as lightning.

  She stood rooted to the ground. She regained herself only after the car had turned back and drove past her once more.

  The cellphone in her bag rang out; it was a text notification.

  Xuxu took out her cellphone and glanced at the screen. The text was from Jiang Zhuoheng.

  She tapped on the text.

  Wen Xuxu was embarrassed.

  If he hadn’t added that last sentence, it didn’t sound so bad. He would continue to wait……

  She clutched her phone and looked up at the starry sky, a melancholic gleam in her eyes.

  Grandfather, do you really want me to get married?……

  Xuxu reached home, and as usual, after she had changed into her slippers, she went straight into the bathroom. After she’d finished showering, she put on her bathrobe and walked to her bedroom.

  She sat at her dressing table to dry her hair. The loud hum from the hairdryer disrupted her mood and thoughts.

  She decided to switch it off and placed the hairdryer on the dressing table. Pulling open the dressing table drawer, she retrieved a dark red wooden box placed inside.

  The box was sealed with a tiny golden lock. She got up and went to the bedside cabinet to search for a bunch of keys. She found the smallest key and used it to open the wooden box.

  Inside the box, there was a golden-yellow plastic ring. It was covered with bits of black mold.

  Xuxu put down the box and took out the ring. After she put it on her little finger, she raised her hand in front of the mirror. There was a bitter smile at the corners of her mouth.

  The black box of her memories had been opened. Xuxu stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror. She raised her other hand and touched her cheek gently.