A tall, beautiful woman bent down, picked up the marriage plaque from the ground, and looked at it in her hand.
Serena Li stepped forward, approached the woman, and said apologetically, “I almost hit you, I’m so sorry.”
Upon hearing this, the woman looked up, and upon seeing Serena Li , a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes before she froze.
Serena Li noticed that the other person wasn’t speaking and wondered if they were angry. There was a small piece of wood underneath the marriage plaque used for stability; if it hit someone’s head, it would probably hurt quite a bit. She wondered what she could say to soothe the other person’s emotions.
After a moment, the woman handed her the marriage talisman and asked, “Do you believe in this?”
The woman’s Mandarin was not very fluent and her pronunciation was a bit strange, but she was dressed fashionably and looked like a Chinese person who grew up abroad. Serena Li thought that she might be curious about the Chinese culture of making wishes and praying for blessings, so she asked the question. After taking the marriage plaque, she smiled slightly and said, “Maybe she doesn’t believe in it, so she can’t hang it up.”
At that moment, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light on Serena Li . Her smile made her look radiant and captivating.
The woman stared at her smile, then paused for a moment, inwardly marveling at her beauty. No wonder Gary Gu couldn’t forget her.
“ Tina Xiong , so you’re here. I’ve already offered incense. We’re going to the release pond now. Come here quickly.” A voice sounded behind them. The woman called Tina Xiong came to her senses, waved to Serena Li , and turned to leave.
Just then, Lynn Yan , having finished her phone call, came over and saw that Serena Li was still holding the love charm, so she asked, “You haven’t thrown it away yet?”
“I threw it away, but I couldn’t hang it up. It fell down and almost hit someone,” Serena Li said.
“Sometimes you have to throw away this brand a few times, try it again!” Lynn Yan said.
“These things probably only work if you’re sincere. I have a lot of distracting thoughts right now, so I won’t throw it away. You and Joyce can try it!” Serena Li said, then put the marriage talisman into her backpack.
Seeing that she really didn’t intend to hang it up again, Lynn Yan didn’t say anything more.
Tina Xiong and her friend left the banyan tree, her friend asked her, “You, a foreign girl, are actually interested in wishing trees? And you even chatted with a stranger about it, that’s really rare!”
“I just happened to be passing by and saw the trees covered in red ribbons, so I got curious.” Suddenly remembering something, Tina Xiong asked her friend, “Are all the people throwing away matchmaking tokens here single women?”
“Of course, the marriage plaques all say ‘a match made in heaven,’ and are usually hung by single people. Those who are in a relationship hang love locks with their partners.”
Tina Xiong seemed to be deep in thought.
I never expected to see Serena Li so soon after returning to China ; she looks even better than in the photos. So she’s still single! Could it be that she hasn’t gotten over Gary Gu either?
I couldn’t help but wonder whether I should tell Gary Gu about this when I got back to the United States.
…
Serena Li and her two companions drove to the Bihai Resort in Huicheng.
Serena Li ‘s birthday happened to fall on a weekend, and Lynn Yan and Joyce Wu had planned to go on a trip together to celebrate her birthday, arranging their itinerary for the two days in advance.
This resort has a great location, offering opportunities for fishing and cycling on greenways during the day, and plenty of entertainment facilities to enjoy at night, which is why we chose it.
Joyce Wu ‘s brother’s friend is the marketing director of this resort, and he reserved a villa for them on the innermost side of the property. It’s nestled against the mountain and by the water, with beautiful scenery and fresh air.
They arrived at the resort at 3 p.m. After resting, the three of them went to soak in the hot spring pool in the backyard of the villa.
Huicheng, like Pengcheng, is a coastal city in southern China, and the temperature at the end of October is around 20℃. However, the temperature by the sea is lower than in the city, so soaking in a hot spring like this can help resist the temperature difference and relax both body and mind, which is very comfortable.
Meanwhile, in Pengcheng, at Luyuan Garden, two men were enjoying tea in a tea room.
” Frank Wang is a very cautious person. He is meticulous in his words and deeds and there is nothing to criticize about him on the surface. However, his finance and auditing team often holds gatherings at a high-end private restaurant in Nanyuan. Some people have seen Frank Wang there a few times. You know, this kind of place is called a restaurant, but it is actually a place where big bosses with whom they have vested interests provide them with entertainment.”
Jason Qin finished speaking, he observed the expression on the man’s face.
The man crossed his long legs, his posture languid and casual. One hand rested on the edge of the sofa, his whole body relaxed. He held a cigarette in the other hand, white smoke swirling around, obscuring half of his face and seemingly concealing most of his expression. Yet, the way he squinted and stared intently at me was profound and restrained, sexy and dangerous.
Jason Qin asked curiously, “Old Mo, do you have a grudge against him? Why are you suddenly investigating him?”
Victor Mo raised an eyebrow and said cryptically, “He’s set his sights on something he shouldn’t have.”
“What is it?” Jason Qin replied almost instantly.
Just then, a sudden ringtone sounded; it was Jason Qin ‘s cell phone.
Jason Qin got up and went to the window to answer the phone. After finishing the call, he suddenly realized something and turned to Victor Mo , saying, “Mo, it’s a woman, right? And the one he’s interested in is the same one you’re interested in?”
Victor Mo glanced at him but didn’t say anything.
Jason Qin understood completely when he saw that the man didn’t deny it. It was the first time he had ever seen this calm and restrained man care so much about a woman, and now he didn’t mind revealing a few more pieces of information to him.
“Old Mo, the general manager of Biyun Resort just called and said that a BMW from Pengcheng with the license plate ending in ‘YC’ arrived there this afternoon. It seems the owner is having a birthday celebration.” Biyun Resort is also one of Jason Qin ‘s properties, and he was the one who handled the bidding for the ‘YC’ license plate when Victor Mo wanted to bid for it. So, he had all the people in his properties keep an eye out for this license plate and notify him if it appeared at his place, because he was also very curious about what kind of person the owner of this license plate was.
Victor Mo glanced at Jason Qin and smiled knowingly. Birthday? No wonder her voice was so excited and playful when her father called her yesterday; it turns out it’s her birthday today.
“Old Mo, do you want me to arrange for someone to prepare a surprise for you?” Jason Qin asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No need, I’ll be there in a bit.” Victor Mo said, then stubbed out his cigarette.
“Huh? Aren’t you going back to the capital tonight? If you go to Huicheng now, you’ll basically have no time to linger!” Jason Qin exclaimed in surprise.
“I have my own way.” Victor Mo finished speaking and got up. As he walked to the door, he turned back and said, “Hao, have someone keep an eye on Frank Wang .”
Jason Qin nodded.
Watching Victor Mo ‘s departing figure, Jason Qin stroked his chin and smiled. Old Mo has finally been defeated! This makes him even more eager to meet that woman named Serena Li .
***
Joyce Wu made a reservation at the resort’s Western restaurant early this morning for her birthday dinner .
At 7 p.m., the three of them dressed up and went to the restaurant.
Lynn Yan and Joyce Wu first gave Serena Li birthday gifts, which she happily accepted.
Thanks to the companionship of these two friends over the years, she has never felt lonely, so at this moment she is both happy and grateful.
Towards the end of dinner, Joyce Wu ‘s brother’s friend came over and said that the resort’s gym would be opening a new indoor climbing facility for trial use that night, and invited them to try it out.
All three of them were quite athletic and had done rock climbing before in other places. Since it was still early, they agreed.
Back at the villa, while changing clothes, Serena Li felt a slight cramping in her abdomen and realized she had started her period. Her period usually falls around this time, but she guessed that after soaking in the hot springs that afternoon, her blood circulation had improved, causing it to start early, making strenuous exercise inconvenient.
Joyce Wu and Lynn Yan wanted to stay with her, but Serena Li refused, saying that the climbing opportunity was rare and they shouldn’t miss it.
After they left, Serena Li went for a walk on the greenway in the villa area.
Walking quietly along the winding stone path, lined with large palm trees, a viewing lake pavilion, and swing chairs, everything seemed vibrant and beautiful.
The air here is great, and the temperature is quite comfortable right now, so walking around isn’t tiring.
Below the villa area is an artificial beach, where you can see a few scattered tourists. I don’t know if someone is setting off fireworks, but there were crackling sounds coming from the beach, followed by colorful fireworks rising and falling, flashing brightly and dimly, creating a dazzling display.
Serena Li watched as patterns bloomed in the sky, resembling peacocks spreading their tails, celestial maidens scattering flowers, and countless floral umbrellas. It was so beautiful that a beautiful smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
At that moment, Victor Mo stood not far away, watching Serena Li , watching the beautiful curve of her lips, watching the dimples that appeared and disappeared… It felt as if a feather was gently scratching his heart, making it itch little by little, and then he walked up behind her.
Serena Li sensed someone approaching and turned around.
When she turned around and saw Victor Mo , the moment their eyes met, she was so shocked that she couldn’t speak.
Victor Mo seems to always like to appear suddenly, catching people off guard.
But at this moment, his eyes were deep and his lips curved into a smile. The dim yellow light of the streetlamp cast a halo around his handsome face, making him appear even more tender.
Serena Li looked at him, unsure of what to say. He then parted his thin lips slightly and said gently, “Serena, happy birthday!”
“You…” How did he know my birthday?
Victor Mo turned to look at the beach, and after someone gave him an “OK” sign, he said to Serena Li , “Look over there first.”
Serena Li looked in the direction he was pointing.
At that moment, four bright red “fireballs” rose into the sky. With a “bang,” the “fireballs” blossomed, and the four words “Happy Birthday” bloomed in the sky like four roses, dazzling and colorful, illuminating the night sky and the smiling faces of people under the night sky.