Late that night, in a lively bar in N City.
Despite it still being the NBA season, Haydn Shawn was drinking heavily in a private room with his teammates, ignoring the fact that they had a game the next day.
While the others drank for fun, Haydn drank to drown his sorrows.
He was fully aware of all the recent online reports about him. He also knew that Xiao Wan, because of him, had her most beloved harp destroyed.
Haydn still vividly remembered the first time he saw Xiao Wan play that harp. She sat in the classroom wearing a beautiful white dress, her slender, graceful fingers delicately plucking the strings. The magical music flowed out, and though there was no wind, Haydn felt as if her hair and dress were dancing with the melody, so beautiful it almost seemed unreal.
At that moment, he thought, I must rent the finest theater in America so Xiao Wan can hold a concert just for her.
But before he could fulfill that dream for her, he was drugged by a cheerleader and ended up with a child he never wanted.
Now, even knowing how deeply Xiao Wan must be hurting, Haydn couldn't go to her or comfort her. The team's manager and everyone around him advised him not to. They said it would damage the positive image he had with fans, harm his career, and even affect the team's stock prices, upsetting investors.
Haydn had raged at those trying to stop him, but the result was a complete ban on his social media activity by the team. The manager even assigned two strong bodyguards, claiming they were for his protection but clearly intending to control his movements and prevent him from contacting Xiao Wan, avoiding more negative media exposure.
The manager tried to persuade him, saying, "You've worked so hard to get into the NBA and build your career. Do you really want to throw it all away on a whim? I know Xiao Wan is important to you, but isn't basketball just as important? Just hold on for now. Didn't we agree? I'll figure out a way to bring Xiao Wan back to you."
Before meeting Xiao Wan, basketball was indeed the most important thing in Haydn's life. But now, he was completely lost. If continuing in the NBA meant letting Xiao Wan take the fall, enduring everyone's criticism and ridicule, could he still claim to love her?
He was the one at fault! How could he hide in safety while Xiao Wan bore all the blame? Even if the child was gone, would Xiao Wan ever want to return to him? Wouldn't she hate him?
These thoughts overwhelmed him until he could no longer suppress his emotions. He excused himself to use the restroom and managed to slip away from the two persistent bodyguards. He planned to find a journalist he knew and reveal the truth to clear Xiao Wan's name and stop the harm caused to her.
But as soon as Haydn stepped out the bar's back door, someone tapped his shoulder. Thinking it was the bodyguards, he turned around, only to see a muscular man with dark brown hair. Just as Haydn found the man familiar, the stranger landed a heavy punch on his nose.
Briefly blinded by the impact, Haydn staggered and fell into a filthy garbage bin in the corner. As he struggled to stand, the man, as fierce as a bear, pounced on him, raining blows on his face and body. Haydn's handsome face was soon covered in blood.
However, years of basketball training had given him quick reflexes. Regaining his composure, he grabbed the man's wrist and spat out blood before glaring at the angry face. "I remember who you are. You're Xiao Wan's ex-boyfriend, the one after me."
Nathan Brown sneered coldly. "Then you should know why I'm beating you."
Nathan broke free from Haydn's grip and attacked with renewed fury. Haydn, seemingly in a trance, sat passively on the dirty ground, letting Nathan pummel him. This attitude enraged Nathan further.
"Fight back! Fight me, you coward! You hide behind your team's protection, but what about Xiao Wan? Have you thought about her? Do you know how much that harp meant to her? Do you know how much she's suffered because of you? If you couldn't make her happy, why did you get involved with her in the first place?"
With each accusation, Nathan landed another punch on Haydn's already battered face. When Haydn was unrecognizable, Nathan grabbed a nearby garbage lid and prepared to strike again, but this time Haydn blocked it.
Wiping the blood streaming from his face, Haydn slowly stood up, as if awakened, and said to Nathan, "You're right, I'm a coward. I didn't protect her when she needed me most. But who are you to lecture me? If you were so great, why did Xiao Wan break up with you?"
Nathan froze momentarily at Haydn's words.
Haydn continued, "I may have lost Xiao Wan, but I was framed. If it weren't for that child, I'd still be with her. You were just lucky! And now you're here acting self-righteous. Do you think I wanted things to turn out this way?"
By the end, Haydn was yelling through tears.
Nathan shouted back, "It doesn't matter what you wanted! The damage to Xiao Wan is done! What good is your regret now?"
Haydn roared, "Then take those words and throw them right back at yourself!"
Both men raised their fists and struck each other simultaneously, using their fight as an outlet for their anger, guilt, and self-loathing.
Blood soon stained the ground. Exhausted and injured, neither man would yield, continuing to fight as if proving something to themselves.
That's when Leng Qing arrived with his crew.
Stopping his Harley across the street from the bar's back door, he coldly observed the brawl. The two men in the alley seemed determined to fight to the death. Leng Qing smirked.
One of his buddies said, "Huh, looks like someone's saving you the trouble, Yi-ge."
Another recognized Nathan and remarked, "Neither of them are any good. Should we take them both out?"
Leng Qing watched the bloody fight for a while before shaking his head. "Forget it. Let's go."
The group sped away into the night.
Meanwhile, Nathan and Haydn, utterly drained, finally collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
Half an hour later, a black sedan quietly pulled into the driveway of Chen Xin's villa in the dead of night.
A middle-aged man in a black hat stepped out of the car. His face was cold and stern, with a long scar running down the corner of his eye, exuding an intimidating and menacing aura. He stopped at the villa's front door and made a call to Chen Xin, but the call was promptly disconnected.
Two minutes later, Chen Xin, dressed in pajamas, quietly opened the door and stepped out. The man in the black hat immediately nodded respectfully and said in a low voice, "Mr. Chen, there's been an unexpected development tonight. The person you instructed me to deal with has already been taken care of by someone else."
Chen Xin frowned and glanced back at the living room before asking, "What do you mean?"
The man took out his phone and showed Chen Xin a photo he had taken. In the picture, Nathan and Haydn were locked in a fierce fight in an alley. He explained, "By the time I arrived, they were already at each other's throats. I didn't intervene for fear of causing too much commotion and drawing attention. I apologize for not completing the task tonight, but I can try again at a later time—"
Chen Xin shook his head slightly. He looked at the bloodied faces of the two men in the photo and curled his lips into a faint smile. "No need. There's no point dirtying your hands. This outcome is better."
The man in the black hat nodded.
"How about the other matter I assigned you?" Chen Xin asked calmly.
The man lowered his head slightly. "That matter… was also intercepted."
Chen Xin raised an eyebrow. "Who? Was it Nathan again?"
"No. This time, it was a friend of Miss Lin from her band," the man replied.
Chen Xin narrowed his eyes. "Leng Qing?"
"Yes. Last night, he found the woman who destroyed Miss Lin's harp and used some… effective methods to intimidate her. I believe she won't dare cause Miss Lin any trouble in the future. Furthermore, Leng Qing was also at the bar tonight. I think he originally intended to teach that basketball star a lesson."
"Quick, isn't he?" Chen Xin chuckled lightly. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Alright, since that's the case, I have a new task for you."
"Please, tell me."
"Find out everything you can about this Leng Qing," Chen Xin instructed. "But be careful. He's probably very vigilant, so don't let him notice he's being investigated."
"Understood, I'll—"
Before the man could finish, a voice called out from inside the house: "Xiao Guai, where did you go?"
Chen Xin immediately gestured for the man to leave. The man slipped back into the car and drove off quickly.
Chen Xin closed the door quietly, composed himself, and adjusted his expression. When he turned around, he saw Xiao Wan rubbing her eyes and walking toward him barefoot. Her voice was hoarse as she asked, "So late… who came to see you?"
Chen Xin walked over, picked her up, and kissed her on the forehead. "Nobody important. Don't worry about it. Why are you awake?"
"I turned over and realized the spot next to me was empty, so I woke up," Xiao Wan murmured, curling up in his arms like a cat. She yawned and said, "I don't feel safe when you're not here. Don't sneak out at night anymore, okay?"
Chen Xin chuckled. "Then what if I need to use the bathroom?"
"Hold it!" Xiao Wan glared at him. "Or you could carry me with you. I can even help you take off your pants."
"Alright, alright, whatever you say," Chen Xin teased, rubbing her cheek as he carried her back to the bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed, lay down beside her, and tucked the blanket around them both.
"My feet are cold. Warm them for me," Xiao Wan mumbled as she curled up against his chest.
"Okay," Chen Xin replied. He lifted her slender legs and placed them against his abdomen, gently rubbing her icy feet with his hands.
Still feeling low, Xiao Wan yawned again and slowly closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Chen Xin gazed at her beautiful face, suddenly understanding why countless heroes throughout history were willing to risk everything for the sake of a breathtaking beauty.
After a moment of silent contemplation, he couldn't help but softly ask, "Xiao Wan, don't you always say I'm manipulative and cunning, that I never let you sleep properly?"
"Mm, yeah. Why?" Xiao Wan replied groggily, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Then which do you prefer—this gentle me, or the cunning me?" Chen Xin gently squeezed her soft feet. "What if I told you I'm not as kind and gentle as I seem on the surface?"
"No matter what you're like… I…" Xiao Wan murmured sleepily, "still like you…"
Chen Xin froze for a moment, then leaned down to kiss her. He held her tightly in his arms, as if trying to meld her into himself.
One week later.
The weather at the end of March was getting warmer, and the flowers and plants in Chen Xin's garden were sprouting green, looking full of vitality. However, Xiao Wan lay lifelessly on the lawn, plucking off the fresh flower buds one by one from the nearby branches.
When Chen Xin came home and saw her, he noticed a pile of innocent flower buds and leaves already lying next to her.
He chuckled helplessly, crouched down, and kissed her cheek.
"Eh? Why are you home so early today?" Xiao Wan asked listlessly.
Chen Xin smiled with a good mood and replied, "Because I have a gift for you."
"Not interested." Xiao Wan pouted in boredom. Over the past few days, he'd already given her plenty of things to cheer her up, from limited-edition clothes and handbags to entire sets of diamond jewelry, none of which she cared about.
"Don't jump to conclusions so quickly." Chen Xin tried to pull her up. "Come on, let's go back to the house and take a look at this gift."
"No way." Xiao Wan stayed rooted to the ground, refusing to budge no matter how much he tried to pull her.
Chen Xin sighed and scooped her up in a princess carry. Xiao Wan, like a lazy cat, rolled around in his arms. "Ah, you're so annoying! Can't you let me enjoy the spring sunshine alone?"
"You're clearly ruining the spring scenery. Alright, let's check out the gift. I guarantee you'll like this one." Before she could struggle free, Chen Xin carried her into the living room. "Look over there—what's that?"
"What is it? Even if you got me a diamond the size of my head, I—"
Before she could finish, Xiao Wan glanced up and froze. Standing before her was a harp. A harp that looked almost identical to the one her grandmother had given her!
Xiao Wan jumped out of Chen Xin's arms, rushing to the harp. She gently touched its body with cautious hands. At a glance, she recognized that the strings were from her old harp! Even the wooden pieces were pieced together from fragments of her original harp. To cover the seams, gold patterns of plants had been painted over the joins.
The original block of wood with her grandmother's engraved message was still there, but now an additional line had been added below:
"To my dearest Xiao Wan—from Grandma and Chen Xin."
Xiao Wan stared at the words in a daze, as Chen Xin cautiously spoke beside her, "You… don't mind me adding my name, do you? The harp isn't fully restored. The craftsman told me that the inner wood was too fragmented to repair, so he used mostly new wood but covered it with the old harp's veneer to make it look as similar as possible. Most of the strings are from the old harp, but a few that snapped had to be replaced. So, overall, I could only restore about sixty percent of your beloved harp—"
Before he could finish, Xiao Wan threw herself into his arms.
Chen Xin let out a sigh of relief and stroked her hair. "I also bought you a brand-new harp, which is already placed at your school so you can use it during classes. I cleared out a room on the first floor for you as a dedicated music room, where we can keep this one safe. That way, you won't have to worry about anyone damaging it again."
Xiao Wan sniffled and nodded vigorously in his arms.
Chen Xin smiled. "Alright, feeling better now? Can you smile for me? I haven't seen you smile in so long."
Xiao Wan looked up at him with slightly reddened eyes and gave him a gentle smile. "Thank you."
At that moment, Chen Xin felt that all his recent exhausting efforts had been worth it. He kissed her forehead. "No need to thank me."
Xiao Wan took a deep breath, and the dimness in her eyes was replaced with renewed vitality. She walked over to the harp and gently embraced it. "Which room is the music room? Hurry up and help me move it in!"
Chen Xin obediently carried the harp to the prepared music room, only to be promptly pushed out by Xiao Wan. "You go out now! I need some time alone with the harp to bond with it. Don't disturb us, okay?"
Huh? Bond with the harp? What about me? Chen Xin opened his mouth, but helplessly agreed. "Alright."
After walking a few steps away, he suddenly felt something was off and returned, pushing the door open to look at her suspiciously. "Uh… did you forget to say something to me?"
"What? Thank you? I already said that."
"No, not that." Chen Xin blushed slightly and cleared his throat. "Something like… 'I really want to sleep with you right now,' for example?"
Xiao Wan gasped in shock, clutching her chest and glaring at him with an accusatory look. "Gosh, you're such a pervert! What nonsense are you spouting in broad daylight? I'm not that desperate, okay!"
…What the hell?
After receiving the new harp from Chen Xin, Xiao Wan's mood brightened, like the radiant sunshine of April. She quickly returned to her usual routine: eating, playing with the harp, or taking her dog out to frolic around the villa grounds.
One morning, Chen Xin reluctantly dragged her out of bed to take her to school. Unexpectedly, the moment they arrived at the school gate, they found themselves the center of attention.
Strangely, no one was whistling or jeering at Xiao Wan as they used to. Instead, they simply stared at them, their faces filled with odd, complex expressions.
Even Xiao Wan, who was used to being in the spotlight, felt a shiver run down her spine. She leaned closer to Chen Xin and whispered, "I've never seen them like this before. Something feels off. Do you think they're planning to gang up and beat us?"
Before Chen Xin could answer, a classmate from Xiao Wan's class came running toward her, shouting, "Kitty, you're finally here!"
Xiao Wan tensed up and asked nervously, "What now? Did something happen again? Did someone smash my new harp in the classroom?"
"No, no." The classmate shook her head. "Hurry, Xiao Wan, come with me!"
Bewildered, Xiao Wan and Chen Xin followed the classmate to the school's bulletin board. Staring at the most prominent announcement, Xiao Wan's jaw dropped in shock.
The bold headline read: "An Apology Letter to Lin Xiaowan."
Below the glaring title was a photo of the girl caught on surveillance smashing Xiao Wan's harp. In the photo, the girl looked tearful and red-eyed. Beneath the photo was a handwritten apology explaining in detail how she had destroyed Xiao Wan's harp, her reasons for doing so, and a promise never to repeat her actions.
"That's not all. She even recorded a tearful apology video and posted it on her Facebook!" The classmate showed her phone to Xiao Wan. "It's been online for days now. Haven't you seen it?"
"I haven't been on Facebook in ages," Xiao Wan replied, opening the video. In it, the brunette girl sobbed uncontrollably into the camera, repeatedly saying, "Lin Xiaowan, I'm so sorry."
Xiao Wan shivered from the intensity of her crying and turned to the classmate. "Wasn't her dad some big-shot businessman with shares in the school? Didn't they refuse to apologize? Why the sudden change of heart?"
The classmate shrugged. "We don't know either. But since she posted the video, we all liked it. Look, it already has over five thousand likes. Everyone's praising her for her heartfelt apology."
Xiao Wan burst out laughing. Now she understood why so many people had been staring at her earlier. They must think she's impressive for taking on the school shareholder's daughter and winning.
Just as Xiao Wan grabbed Chen Xin to leave, she turned around and saw the very girl from the video standing in front of them, red-eyed and crying.