Chapter 60: An "Expensive" Watch (Part 2)

The car smoothly pulled into the underground parking garage of the apartment building. Zhao Chen parked, unbuckled his seatbelt, but did not step out immediately. The dim interior lights outlined his sharp and deep profile. He turned slightly, his gaze falling heavily upon the blue box that Yu Ling treasured like a precious jewel.

"Lingling," his voice rang out in the quiet space, low and clear.

Yu Ling’s heart skipped a beat. She lifted her head, plunging into his fathomless eyes. Swirling within them were complex emotions she could not comprehend—surprise, shock, and a melting, thick tenderness that made the tip of her heart burn.

"Why?" he asked, his voice very soft, carrying a cautious exploration. "This watch... is very expensive." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the box in her embrace. "HOriZOn's limited edition."

Yu Ling’s cheeks burned instantly, her grip on the box tightening until her knuckles turned white. She avoided his scorching gaze, her voice as thin as a mosquito's, tinged with a desperate, all-or-nothing bashfulness:

"I... I just saw that your old watch had been worn for so long, and it was all scuffed up... I wanted to... wanted to buy you a new one..." Her voice grew softer and softer with every word, ending almost as a breath of air. "I... I bought it with the money I saved up myself!"

With this last sentence, as if trying to prove something, she suddenly lifted her head and mustered the courage to look at him, her eyes holding a touch of stubbornness and an imperceptible grievance.

Silence filled the car. Zhao Chen did not speak; he merely looked at her. His gaze carried a tangible warmth, tracing inch by inch over her flushed earlobes, her nervously pursed lips, and those eyes that feigned composure while betraying every last thought. Time seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

Then, without warning, he leaned in.

His warm fingertips, bearing faint calluses, gently caressed her cheek, his movement as reverent as if he were touching a rare, priceless treasure. Yu Ling’s breath hitched, and her body instantly stiffened.

"Lingling," his voice was as low as the strings of a cello, vibrating within the confined space, every single word striking clearly upon Yu Ling's heart, "I have many watches. Gold, platinum, diamond-encrusted, limited editions, custom-made..."

His fingertips slowly slid along her jawline to behind her ear, gently stroking the sensitive skin and sending a subtle shiver through her.

"But not a single one," he paused slightly, his amber eyes locking firmly onto hers, deep within them a surging tenderness that nearly threatened to drown her, "can compare to this piece."

His voice grew lower and hoarser, carrying a magic that made the tip of her heart tremble. "Because this is given by you. It was bought with the money you saved, bit by bit, and given to me."

He leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against Yu Ling's bangs, carrying his unique, clean, and steady scent. His other hand carefully, almost devoutly, took the dark blue watch box from her stiff embrace.

"It is no longer just a watch, Lingling." He opened the box, the midnight-blue dial refracting a mysterious luster under the dim light. He took the watch out and gently unfastened the old watch that had accompanied him for many years from his wrist. The worn strap of the old watch slipped away silently, cast aside at random.

Then, he lifted Yu Ling's slightly trembling hand.

Yu Ling's fingertips were icy cold. Zhao Chen lowered his head, his warm lips kissing her cool fingertips with extreme gentleness and boundless affection. The touch felt like a faint electric current shooting instantly from her fingertips up her spine, causing her entire body to tremble softly.

"This is your sentiment," he murmured lowly, his lips leaving her fingertips while still holding her hand, guiding her as she fastened the brand-new, midnight-blue "Deep Space Gaze" slowly and steadily onto his cleanly contoured left wrist.

The cold platinum case touched his warm skin, bringing a trace of delicate stimulation. Zhao Chen raised his wrist. The deep blue dial flowed with profound luster in the dim light, contrasting against his pale skin and distinct wrist bones, creating a breathtaking harmony.

He lowered his head, gazing intently at the new watch on his wrist for a long time. When he finally lifted his head, all the complex emotions in his eyes had settled, leaving only pure, thick, unadulterated joy and cherishing. Extending the hand wearing the new watch, he gently cupped Yu Ling's cheek, his thumb softly brushing the corner of her lips.

"Lingling," he called her name, his voice overflowing with sweetness and satisfaction, "Thank you."

He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers, his nose brushing against hers like two little beasts leaning on each other for warmth, their breathing mingling. "This is... the most precious gift I have ever received. I will wear it always, every single day."

His aura was inches away, carrying a scorching temperature. That unmasked joy and adoration melted the anxiety and heartache in Yu Ling's heart like the sweetest honey.

A warm current surged from the bottom of her heart, spreading through all her limbs. She looked at the handsome face so close to her, looked at the watch on his wrist that she had gritted her teeth to buy, and looked at the tiny reflection of herself in his eyes. An unprecedented sense of happiness, mixed with sweetness and contentment, tightly enveloped her.

She could not help curving the corners of her lips, the flush on her cheeks deepening like evening clouds dyeing the sky.

On Monday morning, Zhao Chen went to work wearing the midnight-blue "Deep Space Gaze," exactly as he had promised. The platinum case emitted a low-key silvery-gray matte finish in the morning light, and the deep midnight-blue dial complemented the cuffs of his dark suit, exuding an undeniable luxury texture wrapped in understatement.

Yu Ling watched his retreating figure as he headed out, a warm little sun feeling nestled in her heart.

However, this warmth did not last long. During the lunch break, Yu Ling and a few familiar female colleagues went downstairs to buy drinks at the coffee shop next to the office building. Just as they stepped out of the elevator, they ran headlong into Section Chief Wang, a department manager notorious for bootlicking the high and stepping on the low, known far and wide for her gossipy and sharp tongue.

Approaching forty, Section Chief Wang was well-maintained, wore designer brands from head to toe, carried the latest luxury handbag, and had a habitual slight tilt to her chin. Her eyes casually swept over Yu Ling and the others, and just as she was about to brush past them, her gaze abruptly nailed itself onto Yu Ling’s wrist—which was completely bare.

Section Chief Wang paused her steps, the corners of her mouth curving into an undisguised, mocking arc. Her voice rose, carrying a deliberate, feigned astonishment: "Oh, Yu Ling! How come you aren't wearing your 'precious' watch today?"

Her shout successfully drew the attention of the surrounding colleagues, all of whom turned to look.

Yu Ling’s heart skipped a beat, though she tried her best to maintain a calm exterior. "Section Chief Wang, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Don't understand?" Section Chief Wang sneered, her eyes scanning Yu Ling up and down like a searchlight. "Just last Friday, at the end of the work day, I saw with my own eyes that you were holding a huge HOriZOn box! Tsk tsk, that brand isn't cheap!" She deliberately drew out her tone, the ridicule in her gaze practically spilling over. "What? You've only worn it for two days, and already you can't bear to wear it? Or could it be..."

She paused purposely, stepped closer, and lowered her voice just enough for the surrounding ears to catch: "You bought a knockoff, and you're afraid people will see through it and expose you?"

The air around them instantly quieted. Several female colleagues exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat awkward. Everyone knew Section Chief Wang's character, but no one wanted to court trouble with her at this moment.

A rush of blood surged to the top of Yu Ling's head, and her cheeks turned instantly crimson. She clenched her fists, her nails digging deeply into her palms, suppressing her rising anger. "Section Chief Wang, please mind your words! Whether my things are real or fake is not for you to judge!"

"Ha, struck a nerve?" Section Chief Wang acted as though she had caught some evidence, growing even more smug and raising her volume further. "Feeling guilty, are you? A limited-edition HOriZOn—is that something you could ever afford? And a 'Deep Space Gaze' at that? Do you even know how much that watch costs? Even if you sold yourself, you couldn't afford a single fraction of its price!"

She curled her lips, her gaze like venom-tipped needles. "So young, and instead of learning anything proper, you learn to buy fake goods to put up a front? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Wearing a fake watch—what, are you trying to seduce someone?"

The acerbic words were like icy blades, stabbing fiercely into Yu Ling’s heart. Trembling all over with anger, her eyes instantly reddened. The probing gazes of her colleagues brought a burning wave of humiliation. Biting her lower lip, she prepared to retort—

"Oh? A HOriZOn 'Deep Space Gaze', numbered 007?"

A low, pleasant male voice, carrying a trace of lazy amusement, broke abruptly into the somewhat tense hallway.

Everyone followed the sound.

Zhao Chen was standing by the elevator at some point. Tall and straight, he wore a impeccably tailored dark gray suit without a tie, the top button casually undone to reveal a patch of pale, cold collarbone. With one hand slipped into his suit pocket, he stood in a relaxed posture, looking as though he had just finished a casual meeting. The afternoon sunlight poured through the massive glass curtain wall onto him, outlining his handsome profile and illuminating the deep, midnight-blue watch on his left wrist.

He strode forward, covering the distance to Yu Ling in a few steps, and naturally extended his arm to wrap around her slightly trembling shoulders, shielding her by his side. A warm smile graced his face, yet his gaze was like an ice-edged blade, precisely pinning down the suddenly pale-faced Section Chief Wang.

"This... Section Chief?" Zhao Chen’s tone was unhurried, carrying the natural pressure of someone in authority that made people hold their breath involuntarily. "You seem to know a lot about my watch?"

Section Chief Wang felt a jolt in her chest under his seemingly gentle yet piercing gaze. However, relying on her turf and noting the unbranded-looking (yet actually top-tier bespoke private tailoring) suit Zhao Chen wore, she concluded he must be nothing more than Yu Ling's "ordinary employee" husband who was putting up a front. Her confidence returned tenfold.

She puffed out her chest, raised her chin, swept a critical gaze over the watch on Zhao Chen's wrist, and spoke with even greater disdain:

"Hmph, you two really know how to put on a show. One buys a fake to put on airs, and the other has the guts to wear it out grandly? Birds of a feather!"

She sneered, pointing at Zhao Chen's wrist. "This thing right here? And numbered 007? It's copied decently enough, but too bad—a fake is a fake, and the details are miles off! Do you really think everyone else is blind?"

The hallway fell into absolute pin-drop silence. Every eye focused on Zhao Chen's wrist. The midnight-blue dial flowed with mysterious luster under the sunlight, and the sapphire crystal at the tip of the hands refracted fine, dazzling rays of light.