Chapter 63: Secret Concern (Happy New Year)

Her fingers trembled as she struggled to open the bottle, hurriedly swallowing the pills. Bathed in the soft glow of the orange lamp, her face was pale, beads of cold sweat streaming down. She drew deep breaths, slowly dragging herself back to consciousness. Half-awake, she gazed at the delicate wind chimes hanging by the window. A faint smile played at her lips, and, before she realized it, she drifted into dreams.

She awoke again to the shrill ringing of her phone. Still groggy, she fumbled for it, bothered and reluctant to be disturbed. As she turned, she was startled to see pills scattered all across the floor and the medicine box lying askew.

Lan picked up her phone immediately, realizing at a glance that she was late. The moment she answered, before she could utter a word, a woman’s ear-splitting voice roared through the receiver: “Didn’t I tell you the proposal was due this morning? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

The force of the tirade made Ye Linglan’s head throb even more, her body unwell and a faint fever simmering beneath her skin. She hurriedly apologized to Lin Jia.

When she handed the proposal to Lin Jia, Lan felt she could barely hold on. Her eyes half-closed, she was about to ask for leave when Lin Jia turned and said, “Go pack your things this afternoon. You’ll be on a business trip for the next couple of days.”

Lan was taken aback but answered promptly, “Alright!” She managed a gentle smile. “Manager Lin, I’ll head downstairs now.”

———

Mo Zhicheng had just returned to Sky City. On his way to the office, his steps faltered for a moment as he subconsciously glanced toward an empty cubicle. His gaze lingered, and one hand slipped absently into his trouser pocket, a faint weariness seeping through him. Lin Jia was waiting outside his office to report on work matters. As he unfastened his coat and shed his overcoat, he asked casually, “Has everyone in your team been showing up these days?”

Lin Jia was surprised—President Mo rarely concerned himself with personnel matters. “Everyone’s here. Ye Linglan will be on a business trip these next few days, so I told her to go home and pack.”

“Is that so?” Mo Zhicheng nodded lightly. “Which sector is she in charge of?”

“She’s still handling convention business.”

“How long will she be away?”

“Around a week, President Mo.”

Lin Jia reported respectfully, but couldn’t help feeling puzzled by his sudden inquiry.

“Good.” Mo Zhicheng offered her a faint smile. “Noted. You may go.”

With that, he withdrew his gaze and lowered his head to review some documents. Once Lin Jia had left, he leaned back in his leather swivel chair, pressing gently against his nose bridge to ease his fatigue. After a brief rest, he called his secretary. “What’s my schedule for next week?”

“President Mo, next week you are scheduled to visit the Bulgari Hotel in Bali.”

Mo Zhicheng’s lips pressed into a thin line. “How long will the trip last?”

“Five days to a week,” the secretary replied, cool and mechanical.

“Are the tickets booked?”

“Yes, President Mo. They’ve been reserved in advance.”

“Good.” He ended the call with a brief reply, paused for a moment, then walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the splendid scenery below. Surrounded by a sea of blossoms, he found the heights lonely and cold.

———

After packing her luggage, Ye Linglan was about to set out when she received another call from Lin Jia. Originally, she was to go to Hong Kong, but there was a last-minute change: she would travel to Bali instead, accompanied by the junior manager, Xiao Zhou.

She didn’t know the reason for the sudden change in plans—she could only return home to fetch her passport and pack several light summer outfits, along with some essential medicines.

No matter the time or place, she always preferred a window seat. The sky stretched vast and clear as jade, bright and cloudless. Below, the land unfurled in all its grandeur. From above, the shifting clouds took on myriad forms, luminous and ethereal—like swirling mist, like white feathers, pierced by brilliant rays of sunlight that cast sparkling reflections. In that small window, the entire world seemed to reveal itself.