Chapter 13: The Necklace
When visiting museums, Xiang Er often lingered in front of various Buddha statues. She was easily captivated by the faces of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, often carefully observing those visages crafted by artisans with public expectations in mind, gazing for minutes at a time.
One Buddha head had left a particularly deep impression on her. Unlike the benevolent, dignified expressions of similar statues, this one, although possessing refined features that generally conformed to traditional aesthetics, had a slightly sharper upward curve at the corners of its eyes, its nose tip, shaped like a hanging gall bladder, drooped a fraction of an inch, and its lips curved ever so slightly upwards, completely transforming its expression.
It seemed to wear a perpetual faint smile, aloof and detached, yet with a hint of enigmatic amusement, as if all the matters of the world were merely plays being performed under its gaze. It observed and watched, without emotional involvement, without pity or compassion, calmly watching everything unfold. At times, it even seemed as if it might, with that faint smile, gently nudge those teetering on the edge of hell, watching them fall into the abyss.
Standing before this Buddha statue, Xiang Er felt a chilling indifference that made her tremble. She only looked at it for five minutes, but from then on, every time she thought of a god, she would remember this statue.
It became the embodiment of a god in her mind. A god, high and mighty, never pitying the world, never empathizing with human emotions, never extending a helping hand to the weak and insignificant ants, only coldly observing their worldly struggles. And sometimes, even holding the ants in its palm, toying with them at will.
But honestly, was that Buddha statue beautiful?
Of course, it was exquisitely beautiful, beautiful enough to make one lose their mind, beautiful enough to be unforgettable.
Now, as Xiang Er gazed at the woman in front of her, stunned, the image of that Buddha statue flashed through her mind.
The woman’s face bore a slight resemblance to the Buddha head, possessing a classical, elegant beauty. Beneath her arched eyebrows, a pair of phoenix eyes shimmered like cold stars, her lips full and red, her skin like white jade, her face the perfect oval of a classic beauty.
But the greater resemblance lay in their aura. That indescribable aura, not of this world, lofty and cold, the aura of an observer.
The wind died down, time seemed to stand still, there wasn’t a single passerby around, even the swirling fallen leaves stopped falling. The bright beam of sunlight was once again obscured by clouds, and in the dim world, the woman in the red dress was the only splash of color.
The white parts glowed, the red parts burned.
The woman continued to look at Xiang Er, her gaze more like observation than simply looking.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
Until Xiang Er’s legs grew numb, and she slowly straightened up, her body slightly unsteady. The woman reached out to support her, but hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly withdrew her hand.
Xiang Er stood up straight, now only able to see the woman’s chin. Looking at her delicate jawline, she softly asked:
“How do you know my name?”
The woman pointed at Xiang Er’s chest. Xiang Er looked down and saw her employee ID card.
Her name was clearly printed on the ID card.
Xiang Er nodded and turned to leave, heading back to the company.
The woman said from behind her:
“Is this yours?”
Xiang Er turned around and saw the woman extending a hand towards her. In her delicate, creamy fingers, a pearl necklace appeared.
The pearls and her fingertips complemented each other perfectly, each enhancing the other’s beauty.
Xiang Er recognized the pearl necklace. She had bought it for herself with half of her first month’s salary after graduation. It was her only piece of real jewelry. The inexpensive pearls weren’t even natural, but cultured, their texture and luster not top-tier, but she loved it. It was a small token of self-love.
But… had she been wearing the necklace when she left the house today?
Xiang Er couldn’t remember.
“Ah… yes, it’s mine, thank you.”
Xiang Er thanked the woman and walked towards her. In her current mental state, it was perfectly reasonable that she couldn’t remember if she had been wearing the necklace. At least it was definitely hers, so she must have dropped it.
She must have dropped it while running earlier.
She reached out to take the necklace, but just as she picked it up, the woman’s wrist turned, and she looped the necklace around Xiang Er’s wrist.
The creamy white pearls contrasted sharply against her pale, bloodless wrist and blue veins. Xiang Er looked down, comparing her pale, thin fingers to the woman’s jade-like fingers.
She still preferred the woman’s fingers; they were so beautiful. They were much more beautiful than her own, like a meticulously crafted masterpiece by Nüwa, perfect in every detail.
*In the creation myth of Chinese folk religion, the goddess Nüwa is the Mother Goddess and creator of all humankind*
The woman’s fingers brushed against hers as she fastened the necklace. Xiang Er recoiled from the coldness. Why were they so cold? It seemed the woman also had a cold constitution.
Xiang Er obediently stood still as the woman helped her put on the necklace, looping it twice around her wrist.
The woman looked at her hand with a satisfied expression, stating firmly:
“Beautiful.”
Xiang Er looked up at her. The woman’s satisfied expression was genuine. Her exquisite features, which had seemed almost doll-like before, now came alive with emotion, something flickering in her beautiful eyes.
This instantly amplified her allure tenfold.
Xiang Er was captivated once again.
The woman looked at her, her eyes sparkling, a slight smile playing on her lips.
In that moment, although it was late autumn, nearing winter, Xiang Er felt as if summer flowers were suddenly blooming all around them, cascades of red roses and fields of white camellias, spreading wildly with the woman at the center.
Xiang Er closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her ears. She withdrew her pearl-adorned hand, gently clutching the cold pearls, and said:
“Thank you. You… are beautiful too.”
It was just a normal social courtesy. She often complimented others like this, it was fine, there was no need to be nervous… But as soon as she said the words, a wave of heat surged upwards, as if burning through her throat, leaving her parched and speechless.
Worse, the heat spread from her throat to her neck, then upwards to her jaw, cheeks, and even her ears… everything was burning.
She could clearly feel the path of the burning sensation on her face, but the more she felt it, the more nervous and uncomfortable she became, further fueling the flames. Finally, her entire body felt like it was boiling, like scalding water, her hair hot, steam practically rising from her head.
At that moment, she heard that cello-like, magnetic voice, filled with alluring laughter, like a spell:
“Xiang Er, beautiful.”
The woman smiled gently, her gaze bright and focused, fixed on Xiang Er’s blushing face.
Xiang Er lowered her head. Now, even her wrist was burning, the pearls like hot beads. She even thought her clothes might catch fire.
“Ah… I, I need to go back, back to work…”
She mumbled, turning and walking towards the company building. At first, she managed to maintain a normal pace, trying to appear composed and elegant, but soon she couldn’t help but quicken her steps, until she was practically running.
Clutching the burning pearls, her ears hot from the wind, she ran, a smile involuntarily playing on her lips, her mood completely different from before.
Was she… really beautiful?
Being complimented by such a rare and uniquely elegant beauty… it made her so happy!
And the woman was so gentle, picking up her pearl necklace, putting it on her wrist… Xiang Er clutched the pearls tightly, feeling like she was floating.
She floated all the way to the building entrance, and as she was about to enter the elevator, she suddenly frowned.
She hadn’t asked for the woman’s name, nor had she exchanged contact information… wasn’t that rude?
But she never casually interacted with strangers. She was socially awkward, and this one interaction was enough for her, enough to savor and replay in her mind for months to come.
Besides… Xiang Er stepped into the elevator, watching the numbers ascend, her mood suddenly plummeting. Besides, in her current situation, with an Evil God lurking, ready to devour her at any moment, how could she have the mood or the energy to make friends?
Meeting such an outstanding woman, more beautiful than a celebrity, was already incredibly lucky; she shouldn’t ask for more.
Thinking this, Xiang Er stepped out of the elevator.
The company continued to operate as usual, unaffected by her sudden departure. The supervisor had pulled the entire team into a meeting, and the office was empty, with only a few people scattered around.
Xiang Er entered the office. Those few people didn’t even look up. She returned to her seat unnoticed, staring blankly at her computer screen.
Just then, someone emerged from the general manager’s office. It was the newly appointed young male general manager. He walked straight towards Xiang Er and said softly:
“Come to my office for a moment.”
Xiang Er sighed inwardly. As expected, there was a price to pay for losing control. Living in reality meant paying a very real price, such as being called into the boss’s office.
She followed the general manager into his office and said softly:
“General Manager Cheng, I just… had an emergency earlier. You can punish me as you see fit.”
General Manager Cheng smiled warmly:
“I’m not blaming you. It’s perfectly fine to let off some steam occasionally. I understand.”
He took out his phone, opened his WeChat QR code, and held it out to Xiang Er.
Xiang Er looked at him in surprise. General Manager Cheng smiled and said:
“Your supervisor has some issues, so I’m helping her add some employees to my contacts. In the future, you can report important matters directly to me, no need to go through her. Of course, I’d also like to chat with you from time to time, to understand the situation in the company, is that alright?”
Xiang Er stared blankly for a moment, her lips moving:
“Al… alright.”
General Manager Cheng tapped his phone screen with two fingers:
“Add me then.”
Xiang Er took out her phone and scanned the QR code.
General Manager Cheng happily accepted her friend request and politely told her to go back to work.
Returning to her workstation, Xiang Er suddenly felt regretful. She would much rather have added that woman’s WeChat than her boss’s!
Such a beautiful woman, the photos in her Moments must be stunning, each one a masterpiece!
If only she had asked for her WeChat, even if they didn’t chat, just looking at her Moments would be enough!
Xiang Er resolved that the next time she encountered that woman, she would overcome her social anxiety, ask for her name, and add her on WeChat. It was just adding someone on WeChat, not like she was trying to make a lifelong friend… Even if she suddenly disappeared in the future, it wouldn’t matter, right? The more Xiang Er thought about it, the more reasonable and exciting it seemed.
She just didn’t expect the opportunity to come so soon.
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