Chapter 73: Seventy Million Worth of Gems (Dedicated to Natural Diamonds)

Mo Zhicheng paused, his hand gripping the pen: “What is it? Are you planning to give me a gift?” He looked up at her, intrigued.

Ye Linglan smiled softly. “That’s why I wanted to ask, what kind of gift would you like, Mr. Mo?” Her question was abrupt, but she hoped to please him.

“Is that so?” he asked in a low voice.

She nodded.

Mo Zhicheng put aside the documents in his hand, stood up, and leaned lightly against the seat beside her.

She wore her usual work attire—a black uniform paired with a white shirt. Beneath the narrow skirt, her long legs were accentuated by high heels, making her appear tall and elegant. Her shirt collar was slightly open, revealing a pale, delicate neck. His gaze fell on the gold necklace she wore, its pendant simple, yet he reached out to gently touch it, murmuring almost inaudibly at his lips, “You’ve always known what I want, haven’t you?” His words held a double meaning. “Isn’t that so?”

Linglan was momentarily taken aback. “Mr. Mo, you always overestimate me.”

He finally lifted his gaze, and Linglan hadn’t expected him to brush past the topic, instead casually remarking, “Nice necklace. Simple style, suits you well, though a bit plain. Was it a gift from your cousin?”

Linglan looked at him, realizing he was still annoyed about her cousin from the previous night, holding on to it!

“No, it was a gift I gave myself for my twentieth birthday,” she replied, dispelling his doubts. She saw him pause for a moment, then open the bookshelf to reveal a hidden compartment. He drew out a red brocade box and handed it to her, prompting her to look up in confusion, “What’s this?”

“Open it and see,” he said softly.

Ye Linglan gently opened it, and a ruby necklace appeared before her eyes—the deepest pigeon-blood red, reflecting clarity and brilliance, its dazzling light shining like a river of stars. She stared in awe, hearing him say, “Wear it.” He mentioned it lightly, as if the jewel meant nothing to him.

Yet Linglan had seen this gemstone featured in the media, and heard it was auctioned by him for seventy million at a charity gala—seventy million! She wondered how he could hand it to her so easily, with barely a word.

Her pupils betrayed her disbelief.

Linglan carefully closed the box and returned it to him. “Mr. Mo, it’s too valuable.”

The man was silent for a moment, pondering before he spoke again: “So our definitions of ‘valuable’ are not the same.”

“—” She was puzzled.

He continued, “Perhaps it’s precious in your eyes. I’ve never scrutinized gemstones, because no matter their value, to me, they’re just stones.”

A seventy-million-dollar stone?!

She scoffed inwardly.

“Do you know why I bought it? Not because its designer is renowned, but because I liked its name. It’s called ‘Tear of Hope.’ Gemstones have no warmth, always cold. Perhaps only human warmth can make them glow.” Mo Zhicheng tilted his head. “Doesn’t it look like a teardrop?” She looked—the red gem did look like an upside-down tear. If it’s hope, why does it fall as a tear?

But Ye Linglan knew a little about gemstones. In the Bible, the ruby is the most precious of all stones, known as the stone of love, symbolizing passionate love, beauty, eternity, and fidelity, full of vitality and deep color. She drew back her thoughts. “Is Mr. Mo always so generous with women?”

“This is a return gift for the bow tie you gave me.”

“Bow tie?” Ye Linglan was confused, surprised. “What bow tie?” She had never given him anything. Seeing her furrowed brow and obvious surprise, he asked, “The bow tie in my jacket pocket wasn’t from you?” His gaze tightened, voice urgent, a low irritation flooding his chest, his displeasure showing on his face.

Ye Linglan quickly smoothed things over. “If you like bow ties, Mr. Mo, I can prepare one for you.”

“No need.” Mo Zhicheng interrupted, his voice hurried, as if deliberately suppressing some unpleasant emotion. He turned his back to her, and for a moment, she could not see his face, only his tall silhouette. Linglan closed the box, returning it to him. “Mr. Mo, this—” But before she could finish, Mo Zhicheng glanced at the brocade box, looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and said, “Wear it at the birthday banquet, dress up nicely and attend.” He pushed the gift back into her hands, then dismissed her, “Go now.”

———

Ye Shenghan knew that since Linglan entered Tiancheng, she had become so busy that they rarely met in person, mostly communicating online to avoid attention. They started exchanging information through MSN; every night, Linglan worked tirelessly under the lamp, piecing together those scraps of paper until a complete document emerged. She would immediately take a photo and send it to Ye Shenghan, her eyes full of excitement, then delete the original file cautiously.

Beep—

A fresh avatar flashed in the corner of her computer. She double-clicked to read.

“Why are you still up so late?” ind.

Ye Linglan glanced at the corner of her screen, realizing it was already two in the morning. She had been excited to share the news about Tiancheng’s low bid, not expecting it to be so late. She typed, “Why are you up so late, too? Did you get the compressed file I just sent?”

The next moment, two messages appeared in the chat window.

First: Received.

Second: Linglan, tell me, are you tired?

Just eight simple words, yet they warmed her deeply. She stared at the screen for a long time, as if there was nothing else in her sight. She had so much to say, but her fingers hovered hesitantly over the keyboard, unsure how to respond.

Perhaps he waited a while, shaking the window to prompt her. Ye Linglan quickly replied, unconsciously typing only: Not tired.

Send!

Ye Shenghan looked at those two concise words—not tired! His eyes stung with an indescribable ache.

Beep—

Linglan was stunned as she read the long message he sent, every word serious and heartfelt:

“Linglan, sometimes I fear I won’t be ruthless enough to fulfill the promise I made to my father; sometimes I think I’m too cold, pushing you into the depths of danger, drawing you into this hidden battle, making you the most innocent pawn. Yet you never complain, always hiding behind a smile, fighting night and day beneath the lonely lamp. What I see is your kindness, your strength, and your innocence. The more you are like this, the more guilty I feel, afraid I will regret it, regret hurting you. That day you interrupted me—did you already know what I was going to say? But tonight, I just want to finish what I left unsaid. Linglan, come back!”

When she saw those final four words, she covered her lips, her vision blurring with tears.

Come back, come back! It was as though a deep and long-lost call echoed from within her soul.

A few drops fell onto the keyboard, spreading and dissolving. She typed softly, her heart full of emotion: “Ye, do you know why I agreed to help you reclaim the Ye family? It wasn’t impulsive. Linglan is an orphan, unattached and unconstrained in this world. I survived thanks to the Ye family’s support, though I know nothing of my origins. In my heart, the Southern Orphanage and Ye family are my only family, my home. I have no privileged background, but I grew up in a happy environment, and because of that, I met you. That is my fortune. Because of you, I have a new life. The Bible says it is more blessed to give than to receive. It means, when you receive kindness, you should know how to give back, so you may receive more blessings. If I left now, it would only arouse Mo Zhicheng’s suspicion. Such a sudden departure would harm you. So, Ye, you needn’t feel guilty. For me, small kindness deserves great gratitude. I only worry I’ve done too little, unable to help you.”

The blue light of the screen shone on Ye Shenghan’s face, and a single tear slid silently down his cheek, lost in the desolate glow.

As he did not respond for a long while, Ye Linglan closed the chat window, her head aching. She glanced at the red brocade box on her desk, thoughtful, and opened it.

The gem’s dazzling brilliance now seemed a cold light, speaking of indescribable loneliness, burning her eyes. She brushed it gently—though priceless, its beautiful color felt cold and distant.

——Wear it at the birthday banquet, dress up nicely and attend.

Linglan slipped under the covers, turned off the light, and rested, her thoughts churning all night.

The next day, Linglan seized a spare moment to prepare a gift for Mo Zhicheng—a truly troublesome task.

Lin Jia asked her to pre-order a large flower basket. She scoured all the flower shops in Nanjiang, yet could not find the unique bouquet she sought.

Returning to Tiancheng, she happened to run into Jiang Min. From the very beginning, that woman’s gaze was full of disdain. Linglan noted it—Jiang Min never stirred trouble without reason, and had already spread rumors of discord between them among the three project teams. Linglan never confronted her directly, but worried that Jiang Min’s targeting would become an obstacle.

As Jiang Min passed her by, she stopped, glanced back, her eyes mocking Linglan’s hurried figure.

————

As the birthday banquet approached, Ye Linglan was surprised when Lin Jia assigned her, along with Jiang Min from Project Group One and Xiao Zhou from Project Group Two, to handle the banquet arrangements together.

Tang Pei was the general supervisor, but due to work obligations, he could only occasionally offer guidance: “Banquet arrangement is an art. This is the first time the three groups are cooperating in this way. Whether it succeeds or fails will test your ability to negotiate and collaborate!” Tang Pei smiled. “Mr. Mo is rather particular about such matters, and many government officials and prominent families from Nanjiang will attend that night. You could say this is also a way to establish Tiancheng’s reputation in the exhibition business.” Tang Pei looked at Ye Linglan and saw her sweating. “Linglan,” he called.

“Director Tang.”

“You usually handle exhibition business and have more experience in this area. Review Tiancheng’s past cases, but I hope you can achieve a breakthrough and bring some innovation.” He instructed.