The true spirit of craftsmanship—every stroke and every line infused with dedication and inspiration—can never be replaced by high technology.

“So in the future, when my Ranran surpasses her teachers, I’ll have to rely on her to take care of me,” Jiang Chenlin joked, his usual sunny demeanor returning.

Then, as if casually, he asked, “By the way, I think I saw Pei Jingyan at the airport.”

He realized that he instinctively didn’t want to mention those three words.

Su Qingran didn’t notice the slight stiffness in Jiang Chenlin’s voice when he brought up Pei Jingyan’s name. She simply replied naturally, “Yeah, I ran into him on the plane. He was here to visit an elder.”

She almost mentioned that she had also seen Pei Jingyan at the hospital two days ago, but then thought better of it, knowing that her family’s busybody would seize the opportunity to lecture her again about being careful with what she eats. So, she kept it to herself.

Visiting an elder? Jiang Chenlin found it hard to believe—what a coincidence.

But he didn’t think Pei Jingyan had any interest in Su Qingran.

Although Pei Jingyan had always been an enigma, he and Su Qingran seemed like people from completely different worlds, with incompatible energy between them.

Still, that didn’t stop Jiang Chenlin from feeling a pang of jealousy.

He asked, somewhat sourly, “Did you two have a nice chat?”

Su Qingran shook her head. “Not really. We just exchanged a quick greeting—after all, he’s your brother.”

Jiang Chenlin felt a bit of relief, but he was still somewhat irritated. “Earlier at the airport, he said goodbye to you but not to me. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think he was your brother.”

Su Qingran, seeing his expression, couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you jealous just because your brother greeted me but not you?”

“Yes, I’m jealous,” Jiang Chenlin admitted with a nod, thinking to himself that it wasn’t the kind of jealousy she imagined.

“Well, next time you see him, be a bit more polite,” Su Qingran suggested, “You’re younger, after all, so you should show him respect.”

Jiang Chenlin finally burst into laughter. “Alright, I’ll be respectful. And from now on, when Ranran sees him, you should treat him as an elder too.”

After saying that, all the gloom that had been weighing on his heart seemed to vanish.

Later that afternoon, Su Qingran and her classmates finished designing the storyboard for their upcoming project, and she hurried off to the studio.

She had promised Pei Jingyan that she would finish the 108-bead bracelet within a week, and since her trip to Xinjiang had delayed things, the deadline was now fast approaching, and she needed to get it done quickly.

Fortunately, the basic shape was already completed, and all that was left was the fine carving, polishing, and finishing.

Time flew by, and Su Qingran was so absorbed in her work that she didn’t notice when she received a WeChat notification on her phone.

It wasn’t until after she finished polishing and strung the beads together, stretching her sore neck, that she picked up her phone.

To her surprise, it was a message from Pei Jingyan.

He said, “Miss Su, there’s no rush with my bracelet. You don’t need to hurry. Next week is fine.”

Su Qingran, holding the completed bracelet in her hand, decided to take a photo and send it to him. “Just saw your message… I’ve just finished it.”

She added a laughing-crying emoji.

Then she asked, “When would you like to pick it up? Or should I deliver it to you?”

Pei Jingyan replied quickly, “I have a summit near your school tomorrow at noon. Bring it with you, and I’ll pick it up.”

Su Qingran responded, “Alright, see you tomorrow.”

The next day, Su Qingran stood at the school gate as agreed and saw a tall, sharp-looking man near the security post from afar.

It was clear that Pei Jingyan had come straight from the conference. His secretary stood a few meters away, and he himself was dressed impeccably in a suit, his tie perfectly in place, exuding the aura of a business elite.

Su Qingran noticed that each time she saw Pei Jingyan, he seemed a little different from the last, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint how.

“Mr. Pei,” she greeted him as she walked over and handed him the bracelet, neatly packaged in a wooden box. “Please take a look and see if you like it. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, I can try to adjust it.”

Pei Jingyan opened the wooden box. Inside was a beige linen bag containing the bracelet.

In the sunlight, the sea willow beads glowed golden with streaks of black, and the amber plaque beneath them had a warm and smooth texture.

His eyes immediately fell on the carving of the sage meditating under the tree.

All the struggles, conflicts, and undercurrents were hidden beneath a calm exterior, yet the minimalist strokes gave the piece a faint air of desolation.

At that moment, Pei Jingyan felt that Su Qingran understood him.

He gripped the amber plaque tightly, looked up at Su Qingran, and said, “It’s excellent. I like it very much.”

The words “I like it” were spoken softly.

Su Qingran felt as though the man before her held something deep within his eyes. Just meeting his gaze gave her an inexplicable sense of pressure. She quickly smiled and said, “I’m glad you like it. Here’s the certificate of authenticity.”

She handed him a shopping bag as she spoke.

Just then—

“Ranran!” A male voice suddenly called out from behind her.

Su Qingran turned to see Jiang Chenlin running toward her.

He ran over, bringing a gust of wind with him that blew Su Qingran’s hair, almost brushing against Pei Jingyan’s chest.

Pei Jingyan glanced down for a moment, then said, “Thank you, Miss Su. I’ll be on my way.”

Su Qingran nodded. “Alright, Mr. Pei, take care.”

She then turned to Jiang Chenlin and said, “I finished the bracelet last night. Mr. Pei was nearby for a conference today, so he came to pick it up, saving me a trip to the studio.”

Jiang Chenlin’s gaze followed Pei Jingyan, who was now walking away with his secretary, his steps steady and unhurried, never looking back.

“Yeah, we probably won’t need to see him again,” Jiang Chenlin murmured, almost to himself, his voice barely audible.

“What did you say, Chenlin?” Su Qingran asked.

Jiang Chenlin turned to look at her, and though Su Qingran had been up all night working on the carving, Jiang Chenlin’s eyes were much more bloodshot than hers.

He said, “Ranran, let’s move up the date for our engagement. I can’t wait any longer.”