Chapter 55: Secrets in Time Part 1

Miao Zhu smoothly passed through the acute phase of her fracture. Two weeks later, she went to Pearl Hospital for a follow-up. The doctor looked at the new imaging scans and said, “The bone fragments have healed very well with the main bone. Come back for another check next time, and if all goes well, you can remove the brace.”

Miao Zhu immediately shared the results with Mu Shanyi.

During this time, though she and Mu Shanyi hadn’t met again, Ye Yi took meticulous care of her at Beautiful Garden, preparing nutritious meals with endless variety every day. Grace came every day to keep her company and cheer her up. For band work, Lu Zheng handled all the pickups and escorts; sometimes Lu Zheng brought her cakes, other times picture books with cute illustrations. None of them mentioned Mu Shanyi, but Mu Shanyi’s presence lingered everywhere in Miao Zhu’s life.

Mu Shanyi kept a distance that was neither too close nor too far. She wouldn’t initiate contact, but whenever Miao Zhu reached out, she appeared—like this time.

The phone screen lit up, and Mu Shanyi’s reply popped in.

[❤️: Congratulations, great news!]

[❤️: There’s a casual gathering among friends at Moon tonight. Want to come have some fun?]

Was it to celebrate her fracture healing well? Or did she think Miao Zhu’s days of just work and staying home recovering were too boring, and wanted her to go out and unwind?

“Among friends, pretty casual,” so no need for special dressing up—just everyday wear. After returning from Pearl Hospital to Beautiful Garden, Ye Yi was bustling in the kitchen preparing dinner. Miao Zhu greeted her, gave Grace a rub, and dove straight into her room.

Many of her clothes were a hassle to maintain, so Miao Zhu hadn’t brought them from Moon Reflection Villa. She picked from her limited options: a pair of long boots about the same height as her brace for her healthy left foot, a black straight tube mini skirt that fell just above the knee, and topped it with a beret to tame her jet-black hair.

When it came to accessories, she hesitated, but in the end, she put on the Snowflake Necklace Mu Shanyi had given her.

Grace poked its head in from the doorway.

Miao Zhu pivoted in place on her left foot tiptoes and asked Grace, “How’s it look?”

Grace barked “Woof.”

After nightfall, Lu Zheng arrived in the nanny van to pick up Miao Zhu. Miao Zhu set down her crutches but hadn’t settled in before asking Lu Zheng, “Do you know what kind of gathering it is tonight?”

Lu Zheng knew. “President Mu’s birthday is coming up. Her friends are celebrating early with her since she won’t have time on the actual day.”

“Oh.” Miao Zhu knew Mu Shanyi’s birthday was that weekend. She had no standing to celebrate it with her anyway, nor any plans to, so it didn’t bother her that Mu Shanyi had scheduled something else that day. It had nothing to do with her.

Lu Zheng pressed the button to close the car door for Miao Zhu and returned to the driver’s seat. “Miss Miao, we’ll head out now to pick up President Mu.”

Miao Zhu nodded, then remembered Lu Zheng couldn’t see it, so she added an “Oh.”

Lu Zheng glanced in the rearview mirror. Miss Miao’s demeanor had clearly shifted since getting in the car, but nothing had happened—just her saying two sentences, neither problematic.

Puzzled, Lu Zheng stepped on the accelerator and hit the road.

The drive wasn’t long. Lu Zheng pulled up outside a coffee shop.

They waited in the car for Mu Shanyi. Miao Zhu looked out the window. The coffee shop glowed with cozy little lights, like a luminous amber in the thick night, warding off the chill from the street.

At the window seat sat Mu Shanyi and Zheng Simiao, chatting animatedly.

Lu Zheng sneaked another peek at Miao Zhu in the rearview. Miss Miao gazed down listlessly, lost in thought.

“Miss Miao, you’re wearing that necklace today.” Lu Zheng found a conversation starter.

But Miao Zhu didn’t play along, her response perfunctory as ever: “Oh.”

Undeterred, Lu Zheng continued. “It doesn’t snow in Cloud City. President Mu flew up north just to collect snowflakes. She waited until dawn. The temperature there was dozens of degrees below zero. The first snowflake specimen failed because the preservation temp wasn’t low enough, so she collected a second one.”

Miao Zhu’s hand on her knee jerked up suddenly, pressing the snowflake pendant to her chest. She stared at Lu Zheng, seeing no hint of a joke, and drew a deep breath. “You mean she made this pendant herself?”

Lu Zheng replied, “Yes. Two months ago, before her business trip, President Mu had Min Assistant prepare the materials. When she returned, she started making it—from collecting the snowflake specimen to sealing it, all done by herself.”

Waves of tidal emotion surged through Miao Zhu’s heart. “Do others have one too?”

“‘Others’ meaning? As far as I know, President Mu only made this one and gave it to you. I guess she gave it to you at the Cloud City University music festival night? At the hospital too—am I right?”

Miao Zhu’s voice stuttered from her racing heartbeat. “You could interpret it that way—she went out of her way to visit me at the hospital?”

Lu Zheng was puzzled again. “Miss Miao, President Mu was very worried about you. She rushed to the hospital as soon as she heard… You didn’t see her?”