Rose in No-Man's Land

44 What is your relationship with her?

Zhou Xifan thought that after Xia Xingmian joined the orchestra, things would be a bit better than that day at the milk tea shop.

Unexpectedly, after that's last phone call, Xia Xingmian's question, "Zhouzhou, are you real?" completely baffled her.

Why does it feel like this person is getting worse and worse?

The matter between Xia Xingmian and Tao Ye is their private business, and Zhou Xifan didn't want to pry too much. Moreover, Xia Xingmian rarely brought up the specifics about Tao Ye, so her understanding of their relationship was very shallow, making it hard to find a way to comfort her.

She opened the drawer and took out an envelope that had been prepared for a long time, then called for a local courier. The envelope was addressed to: Wenquan Mountain Villa, for Xia Huaimeng.

Inside the envelope was a VIP ticket to a concert that Xia Xingmian had originally given her.

Since the kidnapping incident, she had wanted to find a chance to tell Xia Xingmian about Xia Huaimeng. Just as she was preparing to meet her, Xia Xingmian's sudden trip abroad interrupted that.

At the time of the last exam, she was supposed to tell Xia Huaimeng about it too, but the ambiguously crossed lines of their conversations had left her anxious, and she didn't dare to see Xia Huaimeng again.

Now might be the best opportunity.

Xia Xingmian was currently at a low emotional point, and when love yields no results, one must think of ways to fill the gap with other kinds of emotions, like familial love.

It had been 10 years.

The two sisters should finally meet.

As for her and Xia Huaimeng...

Zhou Xifan smiled and sighed, comforting herself with what she had said to Xia Xingmian that day: Let it happen naturally.

— —

Xia Huaimeng received a letter from Zhou Xifan. She was quite surprised that Zhou Xifan would take the initiative to contact her, as she was usually the one pestering Zhou Xifan about Xia Xingmian.

Upon opening the letter, she found a concert ticket and a handwritten note: "Come listen, you won't be disappointed."

Xia Huaimeng instinctively thought that Zhou Xifan was inviting her to go together and was quite happy, immediately contacting her art studio to cancel all her appointments for that day.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Xia Huaimeng carefully prepared her makeup and outfit, left her daughter with the nanny, and headed to the Jiing City Convention Center an hour early.

Her ticket was for a seat very close to the front, almost as if it was a reserved spot for the performer's family.

She waited for a long time, but Zhou Xifan didn't show up. Instead, a strange woman sat down next to her.

As the woman settled into her seat, Xia Huaimeng caught a whiff of a cool, woody fragrance mixed with the sharp scent of plum wine. Before long, another stranger sat down beside her. It was only then that Xia Huaimeng took out her phone to message Zhou Xifan and asked where she was.

Zhou Xifan: [I'm not going.]

Xia Huaimeng: [Aren't we listening together?]

Zhou Xifan: [I never said that.]

Xia Huaimeng put down her phone. Suddenly, she felt empty inside.

The concert began.

As the news reported, this symphony orchestra was top-tier on the international stage. From the start of the first piece, every note clutched tightly at the ears of everyone in the audience.