Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 89

The annual autumn auction exhibition was set to officially kick off in three days.

Xiao Mo and a group of employees were conducting the final verification of all the items consigned for sale.

Watching Ling Xi walk in with a slow, deliberate pace, he waved her over. “You’ve come at just the right time. This is the catalog sent over by Rongzhi Company a few days ago. Take a look.”

In the art collection auction process, receiving the catalog means the consignment has been successful. The next steps are simply finding a buyer during the preview and then officially participating in the auction.

Ling Xi was naturally very interested. She took the booklet, sat down on the sofa, and began to flip through it quietly.

It seemed that while she was away from Xuancheng for over a month, Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin had organized all the procedures step-by-step. It was truly effortless and worry-free.

The catalog produced by Rongzhi Company was exquisite, living up to its high production costs.

Flipping to the final pages, Ling Xi froze for a moment when she saw the “grand finale” item. She immediately called out to Xiao Mo: “Brother, come here for a second.”

After arranging for the employees to finish organizing the data, Xiao Mo walked over to Ling Xi, looking puzzled. “What’s wrong? Is there an issue with the catalog?”

“Who consigned this?”

Ling Xi pointed at the image. The Ru-ware porcelain with its familiar “crazing” patterns left her confused, so she asked despite knowing the answer.

Xiao Mo tilted his head to glance at it and answered naturally, “Oh, that… while you and Bo’er were away from Xuancheng, Qin Yun brought it over. He said Qiao Bo’er wanted to auction it off. Entrusting it to us is not only secure but also allows the studio to collect a handsome commission, so I accepted it.”

Ling Xi snapped the booklet shut and shoved it into Xiao Mo’s hands. Without a word, she prepared to leave. Xiao Mo grabbed her arm. “Where are you going? Is there something wrong with this Ru-ware?”

“The piece is fine, but the person has a problem. I’m going upstairs to cause a scene.”

Ling Xi was naturally dissatisfied that Qiao Bo’er would sell “her” for no reason, so she shouted her intention to leave.

Xiao Mo couldn’t understand what act she was playing and kindly warned her, “You’re going to find Bo’er? Hey… whatever it is, talk it out properly. Don’t start a fight!”

After a few steps, Ling Xi turned back. “Give me the consignment contract for this porcelain.”

“You don’t want her to sell it? But this item is the most impressive treasure in our exhibition! Several buyers have already contacted us wanting to buy it before we even start!”

“No! It can’t be sold. I’m going to talk to Qiao Bo’er.”

Unable to overcome Ling Xi’s stubbornness, Xiao Mo had no choice but to return to the office and find the contract. “Here…”

Taking the contract, Ling Xi was about to step out when Xiao Mo stopped her again. “Hey! What exactly is going on? At least give me a reason.”

“I simply don’t want to sell it. I’m going to demand an explanation from her.”

“Is this Ru-ware that important to you?”

“Of course! Otherwise, would I pass up the chance to earn a massive commission?”

“Alright then.”

“President Qiao, this autumn exhibition will be held at the five-star hotel under Jiatai. The preview hall and the auction hall have been arranged. Do you need to go to the site for inspection?”

As Chu Xi was reporting on work, Ling Xi burst into the office aggressively. The commotion drew the attention of both women.

The atmosphere instantly fell into a strange freezing point. Seeing Ling Xi’s sudden visit, Qiao Bo’er was in a good mood and waved for Chu Xi to leave first.

As they brushed past each other, Chu Xi muttered irritably, “Are you having a breakdown or something?”

“Tsk!” Ling Xi made a sound of annoyance.

Once Chu Xi closed the door, Ling Xi marched to the desk with the contract and began her interrogation: “Come on, tell me what this is about.”

Rarely seeing Ling Xi lose her temper, Qiao Bo’er looked on with a relaxed, appreciative expression. “What brand of gunpowder did you eat today…?”

“The Qiao Bo’er brand! Why did you suddenly decide to sell the Ru-ware from the study?”

Understanding Ling Xi’s point, Qiao Bo’er spread her hands nonchalantly. “I just felt like selling it…”

“Are you selling a collectible? You’re selling the antique ‘Ling Xi’!”

Amused by Ling Xi’s phrasing, Qiao Bo’er propped her hands on the desk, her lips still holding a warm smile. “Antique ‘Ling Xi’? You mean… you consider that porcelain to be yourself?”

“Isn’t it? That’s exactly how Qin Yun explained it to me back then. You paid a high price for it because it resembled me, didn’t you?!”

“Come here.” Qiao Bo’er beckoned to Ling Xi. The “agitated” girl instantly stopped bristling and scurried over to her side, looking like she was practically wagging her tail.

“What is it?”

Qiao Bo’er dotingly cupped Ling Xi’s cheeks, looking at her over and over, her eyes filled with an un-erasable love. “The current you is no longer that crazed Ru-ware, so it no longer has a reason to exist.”

The answer was perplexing, and Ling Xi started to act stubborn. “You always have a reason. I can’t win an argument with you!”

“Fine, let me explain it to you one more time. When I first saw that Ru-ware, with its shattered-looking crazing, the only thing I could think of was you. Because in my memory, you carried that same sense of brokenness… beautiful, yet imperfect. I don’t know if you can empathize with that description.”

The way Qiao Bo’er looked while reminiscing fell into Ling Xi’s eyes. Set against the bleakness of the autumn scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, she was breathtakingly beautiful, yet a deepening sadness surfaced.

Ling Xi couldn’t help but reach out, wanting to soothe those emotions. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t bear to sell such a good collection so easily; I didn’t think too much about it.”

“It’s okay. I can tolerate all of Ling Xi-xi’s unreasonable behavior. Moreover… you’re doing it for my sake; it’s only natural to be reluctant to sell.”

“Why did you feel like I was a ‘broken beauty’?” Ling Xi leaned against the desk with a smile. She wanted to hear Qiao Bo’er talk about her—to see a different version of herself through her lover’s eyes.

“When I held it, I was always cautious, deeply afraid that even a slight lack of attention would cause it to shatter—just like the old you… who might disappear from my world if I wasn’t careful. But now, I’m not afraid anymore. Because my Ling Xi will always stay by my side, right?”

“Aren’t you afraid that the current me might still disappear?” Ling Xi wanted to tease Qiao Bo’er, intentionally acting as if she were elusive.

Qiao Bo’er lifted the back of Ling Xi’s hand, pressed a light kiss to it, and shook her head. “Now, my dear Ling Xi-xi is brand new. You are loyal to me and possess patience. Leaving aside past pains, you are the perfection hidden behind the brokenness. Think of it as a butterfly emerging from its cocoon… So, I don’t need it anymore. It is the past you, and you will always be in my future.”

Qiao Bo’er’s romantic words could always easily touch a peaceful spot in the depths of Ling Xi’s heart.

Ling Xi’s eyes actually turned red. She realized she couldn’t fully empathize with the depth of Qiao Bo’er’s love for her—it was true then, and it was still true now. Thus, her emotions were mixed with frustration and anger toward herself.

“Fine! Sell it! Sell all of our sentimental and messy past. That way, we are both brand new, and our lives are brand new!”

In Qiao Bo’er’s description, the former Ling Xi had been hiding in a dark corner.

She had curled up, hugging herself tightly. That heart, covered in scars, was isolated from the world.

That was why she used to say “Good Morning” in a bad way, and why she couldn’t be bothered to take care of herself. She was like a mayfly floating in the ocean of life, only capable of drifting with the current.

Anxiety and pain had incessantly troubled her throughout the passing years. That version of Ling Xi was fragmented; her smiles and her dreams were etched with continuous cracks, yet they teetered on the edge of collapse without ever completely shattering.

Qiao Bo’er was the light that filtered through every single one of those cracks. She had passed through those sharp fissures, leaving herself bruised and battered. Even if she was stained with blood, even if it was heart-wrenching, she had gritted her teeth and surged frantically into Ling Xi’s world until she had cast all the light upon her.

Was this version of Qiao Bo’er not exactly like the Ling Xi who once stood outside the dungeon?

Suddenly moved, Qiao Bo’er pulled Ling Xi into a tight embrace. Her voice choked with emotion as she sought to pour out her love: “I want to be your light, just like you were back then—descending from the sky draped in the glow of the sunset, dreamlike and ethereal like an angel, leading me away from the hell of endless darkness.

When you were trapped in time and unable to extricate yourself, I was willing to save you without reservation. Because I can’t stand it—I can’t stand seeing you suffer even the slightest bit of harm.”

Everyone said that Qiao Bo’er loved Ling Xi deeply, yet Ling Xi was always unaware of it.

Until this very moment, the Qiao Bo’er in her eyes was also draped in holy light, arriving unbidden to pour all things beautiful into her life until the roses bloomed.

Ling Xi tilted Qiao Bo’er’s chin up. Her kiss was gentle, landing at the corner of her eye where the salty tears tasted bitter on her tongue: “No. In the days to come, I will still be that ‘Little Ling Xi’ who protected you in the town of Enfil. I’ll buy you delicious ice cream cones, and this time, it’s my turn to leave the best chocolate tip for you.”

Ling Xi felt as if she had just woken from a dream. Starting from that one absurd kiss, Qiao Bo’er had hidden her heart within the minute details, stringing together a landscape of love within Ling Xi’s memory.

The crushed hand-held spectacles, the white paper roses, the expensive imported chocolates, the rich ice cream cones, the Rongzhi Company that auctioned antique collections, the home where a nightlight was always left on for Ling Xi, and so on.

Which of these wasn’t for her? Which of these wasn’t quietly whispering just how much she loved her?

“So, do you still blame me for selling this porcelain?” Qiao Bo’er asked, seeking Ling Xi’s opinion.

Ling Xi waved her hand with certainty. “From now on, I’ll listen to you. I’m sorry about just now; I was too impulsive. I shouldn’t have shouted at you.”

“A Ling Xi who can admit her mistakes is so cute…” Pinching the tip of her nose, Qiao Bo’er opened her arms and switched into a pampered “little woman” mode: “Hug! Xi-xi, mwah…”

Seeing Qiao Bo’er actively seeking a kiss, Ling Xi playfully played along: “Bo-bo, chu…”

No one knew exactly when Qin Yun had arrived. Through the crack in the door, she and Chu Xi were secretly watching the intimate interaction inside the office. Both of them simultaneously felt a shiver run down their spines.

“What’s with the chu-chu bo-bo, bo-bo chu-chu… Disgusting!” Qin Yun couldn’t stand this kind of childish display of affection; it made her teeth ache.

Chu Xi reached out to wrap her arms around Qin Yun’s waist, leaning in to whisper in her ear: “Yun-yun, mwah…”

Unable to resist her young girlfriend’s affection, Qin Yun turned around to give her a fleeting, “dragonfly-touching-the-water” kiss. “Don’t learn bad habits from the people inside!”

“But I want to ask for a kiss, too…”

“Idiot!” Though Qin Yun scoffed, her actions were swift. She swept Chu Xi up and hurried into her own office, with a kiss following close behind.

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