novelraw Chapter 362: The Feather of Memory Falls Slowly
Chapter 362: The Feather of Memory Falls Slowly
There was silence on the call for a full ten seconds.
Sitting on the couch in the living room, Wen Ruan felt her mind drifting, unsure of what to do.
Luo Bin, the chief partner of Quanjing Law Firm, one of the top eight red-circle firms, was a true social elite. His presence frequently appeared in major news media reports, and he even had his own encyclopedia entry.
Out of curiosity, Wen Ruan had previously looked up information on this renowned lawyer. She knew that he had once led the legal team for Smile Holdings, so it wasn’t surprising that he knew Jin Meixiao.
The problem was that, in order to help her best friend resolve an international trade dispute, she had inadvertently put Luo Bin in Jin Meixiao’s debt. And Luo Bin had only intervened because of Tang Song.
In other words, she had unknowingly made Tang Song owe a massive favor, causing him trouble.
There was nothing more expensive in this world than a favor—especially for people like Tang Song and Luo Bin, where favors could appreciate infinitely in value.
Although Jiang Yiran was her best friend, if she truly had to choose, Wen Ruan wouldn’t hesitate to stand by Tang Song’s side. After all, he was her real family.
Clenching her teeth, Wen Ruan whispered an apology to Jiang Yiran and her husband before stepping onto the balcony.
With a nervous voice, she said, “Lawyer Luo, I… I’m really sorry. I originally just wanted to ask if there was a solution. I didn’t expect things to turn out this way. I apologize for troubling you so much. I owe both you and Director Jin a huge favor. If there’s anything I can do in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask.”Even though she knew she was overestimating herself, she still intended to take responsibility.
Perhaps sensing her unease, Luo Bin’s tone softened. “Wen Ruan, can I call you that?”
“Of course, Lawyer Luo. Whatever you prefer.”
“Actually, you don’t need to worry so much. Things aren’t as complicated as you think. Director Jin was willing to help simply because she appreciates you.”
“Jin… Sorry…” Wen Ruan’s chest rose and fell violently, her voice trembling. “Lawyer Luo, what do you mean? I don’t even know Director Jin. Why… why would she notice me?”
Luo Bin chuckled lightly, his tone unusually teasing. “That’s something you can ask her yourself when you meet her in the future. I’m sure she’ll give you a satisfying answer.”
“Meet her in person…” Wen Ruan fell silent for a moment before whispering, “Will this cause trouble for Tang Song?”
“Of course not. Wen Ruan, you’re overthinking it. Speaking personally, let me give you some advice—whether it’s with Su Yu or Director Jin, you should maintain appropriate respect, but never fear them. Otherwise, you’ll only make them look down on you.”
Wen Ruan’s eyes flickered. Her sharp mind quickly caught the key point.
The reason Jin Meixiao had taken notice of her was most likely because of Tang Song.
Wen Ruan lowered her voice. “Thank you, Lawyer Luo. I understand now.”
“That’s good. Goodbye, then.”
“Goodbye.”
After hanging up, Wen Ruan stood frozen on the balcony, staring at the thick clouds outside, her gaze filled with shock.
Who was Jin Meixiao?
Having worked in the media industry in Beijing for years, she knew all too well.
2015, she graduated from Beijing Normal University.2016, Smile Investments was officially established.During the years she worked in Beijing, Smile Investments was rapidly rising.
Everyone around her had heard of it, talked about it, been shocked by it, and admired it.
In its early days, Smile Investments, though powerful and diversified, remained relatively unknown, operating mostly behind the scenes.
However, as the company expanded into a holding group, forming Smile Capital, it stirred up storms in the financial and investment sectors.
The name Smile Holdings quickly became a hot topic.
Short videos, cross-border e-commerce, the sharing economy, new retail, artificial intelligence, new energy, big data, biopharmaceuticals…
Every major emerging industry bore the traces of this company.
And as the real controller of the group, Jin Meixiao naturally drew public attention.
Beyond her unbelievable business achievements, she was also flawless in appearance, demeanor, and presence.
Unlike Su Yu, a dazzling superstar, Jin Meixiao rarely appeared in the public eye, keeping an extremely low profile.
Even a blurry media photo of her could go viral.
Even her fashion choices became widely imitated trends.
She was a true goddess.
Many people said that someone like her shouldn’t exist in reality—she was just too much of a bug.
And now, Luo Bin had just told her that Director Jin knew her, admired her, and was willing to help her unconditionally.
Recalling Su Yu’s inexplicable goodwill and Luo Bin’s words, Wen Ruan suddenly realized…
She had still underestimated Tang Song’s influence.
Unbelievable!
“Ring ring—”
A sudden, urgent phone call rang.
Kang Zherui’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly answered, “Hello?”
“Yes! I’m Kang Zherui, General Manager of Zeran Electronics!”
“Alright, Lawyer Zhang, go ahead.”
“Yes, yes, that works. Let’s set it for 2 PM. I’ll be waiting for you at the office.”
“Thank you very much. I appreciate it.”
“Bye-bye.”
After hanging up, Kang Zherui turned and hugged his wife tightly, his voice trembling with excitement.
“It’s Lawyer Zhang Wei from the Shanghai branch of Quanjing Law Firm. He’s coming this afternoon to sign the agency contract. The legal fees will be 4% of the marked amount—$320,000.”
“That’s amazing!”
Hearing the confirmation, Jiang Yiran finally felt relieved.
Seeing Wen Ruan walk in from the balcony, she rushed over and hugged her best friend tightly, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Ruan Ruan, I don’t even know how to thank you. Without you, Zherui and I would’ve been in serious trouble. You saved us.”
Kang Zherui also walked over, his eyes red, “Thank you, Wen Ruan. If you ever need anything, just say the word, and we’ll do everything we can.”
Then, turning to Jiang Yiran, his face filled with guilt, “I’m sorry, honey. These past two months, I’ve been emotionally unstable and took it out on you. It wasn’t your fault. I made you suffer.”
In fact, letter of credit scams weren’t unfamiliar to those in import-export trade.
They were common, even frequent—soft clauses, forged letters of credit, fake “inspection certificates,” etc.
Their company had a complete verification process and had caught several scams before.
But this time was different.
First, business revenue had declined, adding immense pressure.
Second, this letter of credit was genuine, and the buyer had colluded with the local bank, making it impossible to guard against.
Hearing his apology, Jiang Yiran pouted in grievance and punched his chest.
“I’ll deal with you tonight! Let’s go, Ruan Ruan, it’s lunchtime.”
“I’ll book a restaurant!” Kang Zherui quickly pulled out his phone. “Wen Ruan, I heard from Yiran that you like spicy food. I know a great Hunan restaurant. Let’s go there for lunch!”
“Love you, mua~” Jiang Yiran planted a loud kiss on Wen Ruan’s cheek, her face flushed with excitement.
“Stay at my place for a few days, okay? Let my husband handle the company. Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to eat, we’ll do it together.”
“Yes, yes! Yiran, just take care of Wen Ruan. I’ll manage the company!”
Wen Ruan smiled. “Alright, you two freshen up first. I’m going to the restroom.”
She locked the door, stared at herself in the mirror, and exhaled deeply.
After a moment’s hesitation, she picked up her phone and dialed Tang Song.
The call connected after a while.
With a sweet tone, she asked, “Hey, hubby, are you busy?”
"Damn! You... Ruan Ruan, just you wait!"
Wen Ruan covered her mouth, letting out a soft, playful laugh. She leaned close to the phone and, in a deep, sultry voice, murmured, ", I’m waiting for you.”
Quancheng.
In the restaurant's lounge area.
Hearing those two words from the other end, Tang Song felt a rush of heat surge straight to his head.
"That sounds really nice. Say it again."
"."
Today, his big sister was unusually obedient.
In the past, she’d at most call him "Gege" in bed. But today, the title had been upgraded.
He didn’t know why, but he had a gut feeling that his big sister was extremely excited right now.
She was using this as a way to tease him and ease her emotions.
The two of them exchanged a few playful lines before Wen Ruan finally chuckled. “Alright, I’m going to eat now. Bye-bye, hubby. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Hanging up the phone, Tang Song let out a long exhale, his heart still racing.
Although Wen Ruan was always uninhibited in bed, she was usually mindful of her image otherwise.
This sudden bold move was really too much to handle.
After lunch, as they stepped out of the restaurant, Tang Jianying and Xu Feng were beaming with joy as they looked at the brand-new Audi A6L parked in the lot.
Especially Tang Jianying, his smile was practically stretching past his ears.
The Audi A6L had been his dream car, his white moonlight—he’d adored it since his youth.
But back then, it was far beyond his reach, so he could only admire it from afar.
Later, when he saw old colleagues driving the same model, he couldn’t help but envy them.
Now, his son had bought him a fully-loaded A6L in cash, fulfilling a long-cherished dream.
Sleek, dignified, yet stylish and elegant.
The signature Audi front grille, matrix LED headlights, and the 3.0T V6 engine—a beast boasting 340 horsepower.
Compared to his current Chery QQ, this was like trading a slingshot for a cannon.
The more he looked at it, the more he loved it.
He could already imagine meeting up with his old classmates and colleagues to talk about the car's specs.
After returning home, they rested for a while.
Then, his father dragged Tang Song out for a drive, circling the town a few times, excitedly sharing how smooth the ride was and how beautiful the interior looked.
4 PM.
After bidding his parents farewell, Tang Song drove his Mercedes S-Class toward the county town.
This trip back to Jing County wasn’t just about coming clean to his parents—
It was also about figuring out how to trigger the item [Feather of Memory].
It was time to visit his alma mater.
Jing County No. 1 High School.
Located in the northeast corner of the county town, this was a key development area for the local government.
Seven years ago, the surroundings were still a bit desolate.
Now, residential communities, businesses, and shopping centers had sprung up, bustling with life.
After parking his car by the roadside, Tang Song walked toward the South Gate.
The old shops imprinted in his memory had all disappeared.
Ever since graduating from high school, he had never returned.
The rice noodle shop where he and Liu Qingning ate for three years,
The food stalls, the barbecue rice joint…
Even the entire street had been rebuilt.
Tang Song walked up to the guardhouse and knocked gently on the door. Latest content published on ⓝovelFire.net
“Hello, sir.” He spoke politely. “I’m an alumnus of No. 1 High. I’d like to visit my alma mater. Would that be alright?”
As he spoke, he pulled out a pack of premium cigarettes and handed them over.
The guard looked him over carefully. “Do you have your ID? What year did you graduate?”
“Yes.” Tang Song placed his ID on the table. “Graduated in 2016, Class 3. Our homeroom teacher was Li Gaisu.”
“Oh, Mr. Li’s class!”
The guard smiled, accepted the cigarettes, and recorded his details in the register. Then, he pulled out a QR code and placed it on the table.
“You came at the right time. During summer and winter vacations, alumni visits are allowed at specific times. This is the school's alumni group chat. You can join it and check in advance next time.”
“Got it. Thanks a lot.”
Tang Song scanned the code, joined the group, and watched as the security gate slowly opened.
He nodded in gratitude and stepped onto the campus.
The Campus of No. 1 High.
Above him, the clouds were scattered like cotton, seemingly piled together at random.
No. 1 High was a fully enclosed school, and with it being summer break, the entire campus was eerily quiet.
Only the chirping of cicadas and birds echoed between the red-bricked buildings.
Tang Song strolled along the tree-lined paths, taking in the sights of the campus he had never really paid much attention to before.
The science building, the sports field, the cafeteria, the dormitories, the library…
Everything felt both familiar and foreign.
Many details had faded from his memory—he couldn’t tell if they had changed or if he had simply forgotten.
But some memories remained crystal clear.
The intense study sessions in the classroom, the sweat-drenched afternoons on the field, the long lunch lines at the cafeteria, the late-night conversations in the dorms…
And then, there was her.
The girl in a school uniform with a high ponytail.
The girl waving at him while carrying a water bottle.
The girl sitting next to him, patiently explaining math problems.
The girl standing in the hallway, smiling playfully.
The wooden soles of his shoes clacked against the worn-out stairwell, producing a heavy "thud, thud".
He walked up to the second floor of the classroom building, arriving at his old classroom—Class 3 of Senior Year.
From the hallway window, he could see inside.
The desks, chairs, curtains, ceiling fans, and bulletin boards…
Each item felt like a key, unlocking the floodgates of his memory.
One scene after another flashed before his eyes.
Every frame was a piece of his youth—one that could never be revisited.
His gaze settled on the third row by the south-facing window.
It was as if she was still there, tilting her head with a radiant smile.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps between the leaves, filtering in through the window—
Illuminating her hair, her nose bridge, her shoulders, and her long, fluttering eyelashes.
Then, his gaze shifted—
To the second-to-last row.
On a scrap paper, aside from math problems, there was a name—one that had been etched into his heart.
"Thump, thump—"
As if sensing something, Tang Song looked up.
A pure white feather hovered in mid-air, radiating a faint golden glow.
Mesmerizing.
The Feather of Memory slowly drifted down, creating ripples in his deep, clear eyes.
Tang Song reached out and grabbed it tightly.
2016, February.
High School Senior Year.
The stone pathway outside the senior classroom building.
A pair of red-and-white sneakers suddenly came to a halt.
"Holy sh*t! How is this here?!"
Beside him, Shen Hang turned in confusion. “What? What’s here?”
Tang Song didn’t answer. He crouched down and picked up a pink wired earphone, his eyes lighting up with excitement.