CHAPTER 107: CHAPTER 107: TIED BY RED STRINGS, LOVE HIDDEN IN A SACHET

After the program team finished the simple opening introduction, Shannon walked in from the doorway.

She wore a light purple long dress, highlighting her outstanding temperament.

Holly’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, unexpected to see Shannon, remembering their last meeting was just a fleeting glance at the opening kiln festival.

She instinctively looked at Shannon’s neck, but didn’t see the familiar Mutton Fat Jade Button; instead, there was a Yarrow pendant with embedded diamonds.

"Hello everyone, I’m Shannon. It’s an honor to come to ’Success’ to learn and communicate with everyone."

Shannon’s smile was appropriate, her voice gentle, yet Holly noticed his gaze seemed to linger on her for a moment.

After a brief greeting, the recording began.

Perhaps to accommodate Shannon, the afternoon’s recording mainly revolved around the integration of oil painting and pottery.

Holly listened from the side, finding that Shannon indeed spoke knowledgeably.

She discussed color matching, texture expression, and how to incorporate oil painting patterns into pottery, with clarity and unique insights.

She had to admit, Shannon had solid foundations in the field of oil painting, and many of her viewpoints were worth adopting.

After the learning and gameplay recording ended, it was evening. Holly removed the microphone and sat in her chair, messaging Blake Sinclair.

He had something come up in the afternoon, leaving mysteriously.

After seeing the message on her phone that he was already at the door, Holly packed up her things, ready to leave, when Shannon approached her.

Shannon smiled gently at her, "Teacher Holly, I arrived in haste today and didn’t have the chance to greet you. I’m having a dinner with the program team tonight, would you like to join?"

For some reason, every time Holly saw Shannon, there was always a strange feeling inside.

Even though she was smiling now, there was still something hidden in her gaze that made one uneasy.

Especially when she thought about that Mutton Fat Jade Button, was it really as she imagined?

"Teacher Holly?" Shannon called her again as she hadn’t responded.

Holly snapped back and was about to agree since she didn’t seem to have much to do in the evening, but then she heard the deputy director passing by making a playful comment, "Teacher Shannon, today is The Lovers’ Bridge festival, Teacher Holly must have plans with President Sinclair tonight! Let’s not be the third wheel."

Today is The Lovers’ Bridge festival?

Holly was stunned for a moment, a bit slow to react.

While Shannon opposite her stiffened slightly upon hearing "The Lovers’ Bridge festival" and "President Sinclair", her smile was forced, "That’s right, I almost forgot. On such an important day, you must be with President Sinclair..."

As she spoke, a figure appeared at the door, Blake Sinclair walked straight to Holly with a bouquet of pink lychees.

The staff nearby and a few college students began teasing, "Wow, President Sinclair is so romantic!"

"No wonder we didn’t see President Sinclair this afternoon; he must have been preparing a surprise for The Lovers’ Bridge festival!"

The deputy director quickly grabbed the behind-the-scenes cameraman, guiding him to capture the scene.

Holly looked at the pink lychees just handed to her and looked up at him.

Blake Sinclair’s gaze was gentle, "Happy Lovers’ Bridge festival."

Since he entered, Shannon’s gaze had lingered on him, that speechless look seemed to hold thousands of words.

"President Sinclair, hello. I’m Shannon." She called him, her voice carrying a slight tremor.

Only then did Blake Sinclair turn his calm, emotionless gaze to her, "Hello."

After a brief greeting, he withdrew his gaze immediately, holding Holly’s hand, "Let’s go."

Holly looked at Shannon with a bit of embarrassment.

Shannon quickly regained her composure, smiled at her, "It’s okay, we can meet next time too."

After saying that, she left with her assistant.

On the way back to the hotel, Holly was preoccupied with the matter of Shannon’s Mutton Fat Jade Button, so much so that she didn’t respond when Blake Sinclair called her several times.

"What’s wrong?" He asked during a red light interval, turning his head.

"Nothing." She shook her head, realizing this road wasn’t the one back to the hotel.

"Where are we going? Aren’t we going back to the hotel?"

Blake Sinclair curled his lips slightly, looking at her, "Taking you to enjoy The Lovers’ Bridge festival."

Kennet is a gentle city in the south.

Holly, being a native northerner, was experiencing The Lovers’ Bridge festival in the south for the first time.

Blake Sinclair took her to Pellam Road near The Celadon Town, where there was an event for The Lovers’ Bridge festival tonight.

The car stopped at the entrance of Pellam Road, Blake Sinclair held her hand and walked inward.

"So that’s where you went this afternoon?"

"Yes, heard there’s an event for The Lovers’ Bridge festival here, so I wanted to bring you over."

Blake Sinclair slightly tightened his grip on her hand, this being their first Lovers’ Bridge festival together, and unlike previous years, he finally didn’t have to watch her from a distance.

"Many people, don’t let go."

"Okay."

At night, the entire street was filled with lanterns hanging; lanterns under the eaves formed a sea of lights, making even the cobblestone path glow.

Boats slowly cruised along the river, staff wearing traditional clothing carried palace lanterns, occasionally strumming a lute, singing southern tunes.

The two followed the flow of people, vendors by the roadside greeting enthusiastically.

Blake Sinclair almost stopped at anything interesting, soon his hands were full of things.

"Blake Sinclair, how come you’re better at shopping than I am?" Holly teased, but her eyes were drawn to the sugar figurine stall not far away.

Blake Sinclair smiled indulgently and led her toward the sugar figurine stall.

As they talked, the two of them stopped in front of a small shop with a sign that read "Qixi Sachets."

The shop owner, an elderly lady dressed in traditional Han clothing, immediately greeted them with a smile, "Handsome gentleman and beautiful lady, would you like to make a sachet?"

"Making sachets is a traditional Qixi custom. Couples would write their wishes and place them inside the sachets. Tonight, there’s an event on Pellam Road; couples walking over The Lovers’ Bridge with handmade sachets will have a lifetime of happiness."

To these words, Holly merely thought it was a sales tactic by the store and listened without much intention, as they had already bought too many things that evening.

"Thank you, we’re just looking around."

After saying this, she was about to leave but noticed Blake Sinclair standing still, his gaze fixed on the sachets on the wooden shelf, looking particularly serious.

Holly tugged at his hand, "Do you want to make one?"

Blake Sinclair looked at her without speaking.

Though he never believed in divinity and metaphysics, at that moment, he wanted to believe in the promise of lifelong happiness, for once.

From only being able to watch her from afar to now being able to openly hold her hand, every step felt uncertain. He wanted to grasp every chance of being connected with her for a lifetime.

Seeing the seriousness in his eyes, though not understanding his insistence, Holly smiled, "Then let’s make one."

Throughout the process of making the sachet, Blake Sinclair was very attentive, personally choosing the spices and selecting the sachet fabric.

They sat at a small table to write notes. After Holly finished folding her note, she leaned over, but before she could see, Blake Sinclair had already put his note away.

"What’s the big secret?" she mumbled.

Blake Sinclair carefully handed the folded note to the shop owner, "Holly, do you want to know? But the owner said it should remain a secret."

"Who... who wants to know? Not even a bit!" Holly stubbornly denied, her words contradicting her thoughts.

Blake Sinclair didn’t expose her, just smiling silently as she turned her head away in a huff.

The shop owner took their notes and placed them in the sachet, sealed it, and attached a red tassel to the opening, handing it to them, "Take this sachet and head to The Lovers’ Bridge in front. Remember to walk hand in hand."

The so-called Lovers’ Bridge was just a stone arch bridge in front of them.

The bridge was crowded with couples, all walking slowly hand in hand.

As they crossed the bridge, Blake Sinclair held her hand tightly. When they reached the middle, Holly looked up at him and saw his eyes shining, "What are you thinking about?"

"I’m thinking I’m glad it’s you by my side now." Blake Sinclair’s voice was soft, but it made Holly’s heart skip a beat.

After crossing the bridge, a street vendor holding two red strings approached, "A thousand miles of destiny are connected by a single thread. Would you like two red threads? Wearing them on Qixi symbolizes eternal unity. Handsome gentleman and beautiful lady, how about buying two?"

Holly instinctively waved her hand to decline, but Blake Sinclair was faster, "We’ll take two."

The vendor smiled so widely her eyes nearly disappeared. "Alright, here you go. Remember to wear them today and don’t take them off!"

She handed him two red strings and continued to pitch, "How about a sachet too? After midnight, take off the red strings and place them in the sachet, then put it under your pillow; it signifies eternal unity."

Holly chuckled helplessly, thinking this vendor must be a natural-born salesperson with such practiced sales pitches.

"No thanks, we already have a sachet." She declined and pulled Blake Sinclair forward.

Blake Sinclair let himself be pulled along, looking at the red strings in his hand and then at the sachet, deep in thought.

After touring the entire length of Pellam Street, Holly leaned on Blake Sinclair’s shoulder, too tired to keep her eyes open. She fell asleep on the way back, resting in the passenger seat.

When she woke up, the car had already arrived at the hotel’s entrance.

Just as she was about to unbuckle her seatbelt, she noticed a red string tied around her left hand at some point.

She waved her hand in front of Blake Sinclair and raised his red-string-wrapped right hand with a smile, "When did you put these on? Does the great President Sinclair believe in this too?"

Blake Sinclair’s ears turned a bit red as he turned to hold her hand, gently caressing the red string, "Holly, I want to never be apart from you."

Holly felt her heart flutter at his sudden sweet talk.

Back in the room, he reminded her several times not to take it off even while bathing.

Holly helplessly agreed several times.

Yet, just as she entered the bathroom, he followed her in.

"What are you doing?"

"I’m here to supervise if you take off the red string."

"I said I wouldn’t."

Holly reached out, intending to push him out, but he turned and pulled her into his embrace.

"Holly, I’ll only be reassured if I see it with my own eyes..."

Like a river wrapping around flowers, the red strings entwine, shadows merge, and they immerse in their union.

At the end, Holly was carried out.

Exhausted, she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

In the quiet night, only a bedside lamp was left illuminated.

Blake Sinclair held Holly, their fingers intertwined, gazing at her sleeping face with gentle eyes.

The alarm lightly vibrated at midnight, and he cautiously turned it off.

Carefully turning the person in his arms over, he gently untied the red string on her hand, then took off his own, placing them together in the sachet and carefully tucked it under the pillow.

He lay back down, held Holly close, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, "Holly, we will never be apart."

Moonlight trickled in through the curtain gaps, falling on their entwined hands, soft and lingering.