Chapter 130

This was the phone number they had exchanged during their first encounter.

He had never dialed those digits himself.

His heart skipped a beat when the call connected.

"Happy New Year—" The words tumbled out before he could stop them.

A soft response floated through the receiver.

Her voice carried the warmth of winter sunshine, laced with quiet amusement.

Adrian Klein could almost picture her holding the phone.

Fireworks burst behind her, illuminating her smiling profile.

......

Evelyn Langley slept till noon on New Year's Day.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting dappled patterns on the floor.

She stretched and pulled open the drapes.

Snow-capped mountains glittered in the distance under the morning sun.

Her parents' laughter drifted from the courtyard.

William Langley sat reading with occasional sips of tea.

"Finally decided to wake up?" He glanced at his daughter. "Skipping meals will ruin your stomach."

Victoria Langley popped an orange segment into his mouth. "It's the holidays. Let her sleep."

Evelyn leaned against the windowsill, grinning.

The aroma of warm breakfast waiting on the table filled the room.

......

Basking in the sunlight, she sipped tea in the courtyard.

The brew swirled on her tongue with hints of jujube.

"Isn't this the aged white tea Daniel sent?" She inhaled the fragrance. "Such a unique flavor."

William arched an eyebrow. "I thought you hated tea."

"People change." She took another sip.

Memories surfaced of how she'd grown to love tea while persuading Nathan Evans to drink less.

Victoria caught the unspoken thought and shot her husband a look.

"The doctor said cut back on tea, yet here you are brewing it daily."

Evelyn was still smirking when her mother changed tactics: "Don't laze around. Go enjoy this beautiful day."

Before she could protest, she found herself ushered out the door.

At the alley's entrance, she hesitated.

Eventually choosing the less-traveled path.

Her footsteps led her unconsciously to Linshi No.2 High School.

Her father's workplace, and the campus where she'd spent three formative years.