A Peach Wood Comb

The wild fire spread, and he suddenly sat up, shook his head, adjusted her collar, and seeing she was a bit more awake, kissed her cheek, laughing softly, “We almost gave someone an eyeful.” Lai Hui, suddenly shy, lowered her head, struggled to move away, but Zhou Yuxian pulled her back, kissing her ear, “I want to leave the hospital!” She turned to glare at him. “You’re a patient!” “Yes, but patients should give birthday gifts too.” As he spoke, his secretary entered, handed him a gilded rectangular box, then left. Zhou Yuxian pressed a raised button, and the lid popped open, revealing a necklace. The bright platinum chain was adorned with several lilies, the pendant a light blue crystal heart, looking quite ordinary and not particularly valuable. Out of politeness, Lai Hui examined it closely before taking it out, shaking it a few times, then pointed at the glass droplet inside the light blue crystal, asking, “What is this?” Zhou Yuxian directed her to the window, “Go close the curtains and turn on the light!” Though puzzled by his non-answer, she complied, pulling the thick curtains, plunging the room into darkness, then turned on the crystal lamp, instantly brightening the room. She sat back down, looking at Zhou Yuxian eagerly, along with the necklace. “Look at it against the light!” She did as instructed, holding up the pendant in the light, and was instantly astonished, her mouth agape. The light blue crystal refracted a dazzling array of colors, with waves of fantastical hues changing one after another, like a tiny magical crystal ball. After the splendor, glass droplets in the blue crystal slid down like magic, leaving behind glistening, crystal-clear tears. This reminded her of a movie scene where lovers held hands under the mist, shedding tears of happiness… “This… what is this?” “It’s called ‘Lover’s Tears,’ crafted by the crystal designer Michael using optical principles. He compares love to sunlight, believing that tears shed for love can only fall on the heart of the beloved.” Zhou Yuqian embraced her from behind, revealing the crystal; the water inside was clear, real water. “Are these real tears?” Lai Hui turned her head to look at him. “They’re yours!” Zhou Yuqian kissed her cheek. Lai Hui stared in disbelief, then exclaimed loudly after a moment, “You’re lying!” Zhou Yuqian laughed, pinching her face, “You’re not that dumb!” He removed the diamond necklace from her neck and put on the ‘Lover’s Tears’ for her, adding, “Even if your tears were airlifted to Germany, Michael might not be able to replicate this. His design is too idealistic; tears can be preserved in the heart of a lover, not in a glass container. The value of this necklace lies in its uniqueness; there’s only one in the world, and it will never be available on the market.” “How did you get it?” Lai Hui asked suspiciously. “Michael was once my neighbor! I know he’s greedy for money!” He laughed, then asked, “Do you like it?” She gazed at him blankly, softly saying, “I do!” As she lowered her long eyelashes like folding butterfly wings, momentarily hiding the tears welling up in her eyes. Zhou Yuqian felt a tug at his heartstrings, momentarily at a loss for words. She fiddled with the crystal pendant hanging from her neck, unable to fathom why he would give her such a necklace. She didn’t dare to ask, fearing he might say it was repayment for saving his life. Although she knew it wasn’t, although he had prepared this necklace long ago, she suspected he might still say so. If not, what else could he say? It couldn’t really be to preserve her tears, could it? Just the thought made her blush, recalling the fiery passion they had just shared. The crystal brushed against her skin, feeling like his lips still lingering, making her face grow even hotter, her head bowed, her red face tucked into her collar, the wool fabric brushing against her delicate skin like his rough fingertips… Oh heavens, what was she thinking? Yet she dared not look up, her hand moving to her restless heart, where an unusual longing grew — a longing for Zhou Yuqian to hold her even tighter, perhaps to meld into him. Instinctively, she lifted her face, her beautiful eyes clouded with emotion. “Yuqian!” Her soft voice sounded like raindrops hitting stone, sparking a tender, misty affection. Hearing her call, Zhou Yuqian seemed entranced as he turned her small body towards him, lowered his head to seal her lips, and catch her falling tears. Suddenly, his chest felt full, wanting to pass it onto her. He kissed her eagerly, his hand hidden under the blanket slipped inside her clothes, and in a swift move, he pinned her beneath him — footsteps sounded outside the door. Zhou Yuqian snapped back to reality, annoyed at his loss of control again. He propped himself up, his thumb caressing her lower lip, his voice hoarse, “Lai Hui, don’t tempt me here!” He pulled the blanket over her disheveled clothes, kissed her forehead, and lay down beside her. “Let’s take a nap, you didn’t sleep much last night!” Lai Hui couldn’t even remember if she slept last night; she was just puzzled by how they, both known for their self-control, had lost it twice in the hospital, as if once emotions were stirred, they couldn’t help themselves, blurring the line between love and separation. She only knew that once in his embrace, she wanted to stay there, like now — she hugged his waist, her head buried in his chest, biting his sweater. Then a hand reached over, roughly pulling back the clothes, nearly taking her teeth along. “This is a hospital, don’t bite things, it’s dirty!” It was like a dream. When had Zhou Yuqian ever been so gentle yet domineering? He was always either indifferent or sarcastic. Now, with Lai Hui nestled in his arms, it felt like she had fallen into a dream — a dream where the lofty Zhou Yuqian was hers. Touching the pendant around her neck, she laughed at her own wild fantasies, yawned, and drifted into a deep sleep. Zhou Yuqian, however, lay awake, his fingers trembling as they traced her shadowed eyes, half in pity, half in struggle. He knew he lacked the talent for playing with emotions, so what was he doing now? For one person’s wish, he had almost risked his life; for another’s happiness, he had Michael work tirelessly for a week to create this one-of-a-kind necklace. Their time together had been uneventful, so why did they grow so intense as their separation neared? Separation? He looked down at the person in his arms, suddenly realizing he had never truly considered separation, not even now when he thought of it, he subconsciously avoided it. What should he do? It gave him a headache; he decided not to think about it, at least not until they returned to City A. Two days before they left, the city finally saw snow. The heavy snow fell, covering the roads with two feet of snow, making it impossible to drive. Lai Hui and Zhou Yuqian gave up on going out to see the snow, circled the yard, and trudged back into the house. At the entrance, they shook off the snow from their coats, then stepped onto the warm floor after removing their shoes. “It’s freezing! I’ve never seen snow like this; the snowflakes must be three or four centimeters in diameter.” “Isn’t it good to broaden your horizons? You’re making a fuss!” Zhou Yuqian handed her his coat and went upstairs. “Bring up some coffee and red wine when you come up!” “You just got out of the hospital yesterday and you want to drink?” “What’s wrong with red wine? Oh, and bring up a cloth too!” Lai Hui was too lazy to argue with his strange requests; she just took everything upstairs. Experience told her that Zhou Yuqian wouldn’t waste time on something pointless. Carrying the wine and coffee into the second-floor bedroom, the curtains were already open, and the full-length windows were covered with a layer of white frost, resembling clouds and mist in various forms. Zhou Yuqian, standing on tiptoes with a cloth, wiped away the frost, gradually revealing the clear outline of the mountains and sea outside. The hills, roads, and beaches were all blanketed in silver snow, with the sea still a circle of blue, like a giant white felt hat adorned with a dazzling sapphire. Here is the