Rebirth: Illuminating a Brilliant Life

In the months that followed, life became increasingly hectic, yet filled with warmth and surprises.

After Cheng Ran was promoted, the cases he handled became increasingly complex, and the responsibilities on his shoulders became increasingly heavy.

That day, he took on a thorny intellectual property case involving multiple conflicting interests and a mountain of evidence. After working late into the night for several days in a row, his voice became so hoarse that he could barely speak, and he visibly became haggard.

Su Xuan saw this and was anxious. She secretly asked the archaeological team for half a day off and spent the whole morning in the kitchen making a pot of fragrant and nourishing pear soup.

After Cheng Ran finished his video conference, Su Xuan brought him a bowl of soup and fed him spoonful by spoonful, gently scolding him, "No matter how hard you work, you have to take care of your health. If you collapse from exhaustion, I won't forgive you." Cheng Ran's eyes welled up with tears, and he obediently finished the soup, feeling much of his fatigue dissipate.

Su Xuan's work is not easy either. The restoration of newly unearthed cultural relics has begun, and each piece is a tough nut to crack due to its age and severe damage.

She and her team spent their days in the laboratory, wearing magnifying glasses and tweezers, carefully removing impurities from the artifacts and then piecing the fragments together with special glue.

Once, a crucial fragment of a cultural relic was misassembled, and all of her efforts for the day were in vain. Su Xuan was so anxious that she burst into tears. When Cheng Ran found out, he went straight to the laboratory after get off work, hugged her, and comforted her gently: "It's okay, we'll start over. You're so capable, you can definitely overcome this difficulty."

With his encouragement, Su Xuan regained her confidence and eventually succeeded in restoring the cultural relics.

Despite their busy schedules, the two didn't forget to add some romance to their lives.

It just so happened to be Su Xuan's birthday, and Cheng Ran booked tickets for the art exhibition she had been longing for in advance. He also made a simple yet exquisite antique-shaped cake by hand. The main body of the cake was a replica of a pottery jar, and the sugar frosting on it was delicate and realistic, which surprised and delighted Su Xuan.

At the art exhibition, the two held hands, admiring each painting and exchanging their thoughts in hushed tones, as if time had slowed down.

But the peaceful days didn't last long, and unexpected changes occurred.

Cheng Ran's client, dissatisfied with the verdict, lost control of his emotions and came to her door, questioning her vehemently and even making threats.

Cheng Ran remained calm, reassuring Su Xuan while reiterating the bottom line of the law; Su Xuan also quickly called the police and stayed close to Cheng Ran, her eyes firm and fearless.

After the police took away the troublemakers, Cheng Ran breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Su Xuan. The two held hands tightly, both understanding that there might be many obstacles ahead, but as long as they supported each other and stayed together, there was nothing to be afraid of.

Recently, Cheng Ran's development momentum at the law firm has been particularly strong, and everyone has witnessed his outstanding performance.

The senior partner who had mentored and taught him since he first joined the company spoke highly of him. That day, the partner called Cheng Ran into his office and solemnly handed him a file folder.

Cheng Ran opened it with a lot of doubt and found a letter of recommendation inside. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a recommendation from Imperial College London, one of the top universities in the UK.

The partner patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Cheng Ran, I've witnessed your hard work and growth over the past few years. You have unlimited potential! The firm wants to give you another push and try to secure a great opportunity for you to study abroad. Imperial College's law program is one of the best in the industry. Going there to further your studies and broaden your horizons will definitely elevate your professional level significantly when you return. It would be a great benefit for the firm and for you personally. I think you should seize this opportunity."

Cheng Ran held the letter of recommendation, feeling a mix of emotions. She was overjoyed by this rare recognition, but she couldn't help but worry about Su Xuan, who was far away in China. Studying abroad meant being separated from her for a short period of time.

Moreover, being in a foreign land, there were many unknowns and too many variables. For a moment, he remained silent, his brows furrowing slightly.

His partner noticed his concerns and added with a smile, "I know you have something to miss, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, and good feelings can withstand the test of time. Besides, this opportunity is fleeting, and once it's gone, it may never come again."

After Cheng Ran went abroad to study, Su Xuan initially found it difficult to adapt.

Insomnia became a regular occurrence at night. In the empty room, she tossed and turned, her hand instinctively reaching out to the side, only to touch the cold bed. At that moment, longing would overwhelm her like a tidal wave.

But Su Xuan had an indomitable spirit, and she would never allow herself to wallow in disappointment all day long.

At work, she became even more dedicated. She volunteered to participate in archaeological excavation projects in remote areas, places with harsh environments, sandstorms, and rampant mosquitoes, but Su Xuan paid no heed.

At the excavation site, she held tools in her hand, her eyes focused as if she were carving a rare treasure. She would squat for hours on end, sweat dripping down her face and leaving small marks in the dust.

Colleagues often advised her to take a break, but she would just smile and say, "If I dig a little longer, I might find more clues." Hard work pays off. During a routine excavation, she was the first to discover the hidden entrance to an ancient tomb. The unearthed artifacts had unique patterns and were very likely to fill a gap in the academic understanding of the funerary culture of a certain dynasty. Su Xuan instantly became the focus of the archaeological team.

In her daily life, Su Xuan began to rekindle her long-abandoned hobbies and enrolled in a calligraphy class.

With each stroke of the pen, the restless heart gradually calms down, and the finished works fill the room, as if building a wall to resist loneliness.

Occasionally, she would invite a few close friends to her home for a small cooking party. Following the recipes, they would hurriedly prepare a table full of delicious food, and laughter would echo in the house, dispelling some of the gloom.

But every time she video-chatted with Cheng Ran, all her strength would crumble instantly. Watching Cheng Ran share his experiences at school on the other end of the screen, she would say that everything was fine and even jokingly tell him not to be overwhelmed by his studies abroad. But after hanging up, her eyes would already be red and tears would silently roll down her cheeks.

In order to have common topics with Cheng Ran, Su Xuan used her spare time to study international law intensively, and devoured those obscure and difficult books, just so that she could join the conversation when Cheng Ran talked about his profession and not let a sense of distance grow between them.

As the days went by, Su Xuan gradually got used to this way of getting along despite the time difference and distance.

Just as her career was progressing steadily and her project was nearing completion, an unexpected accident occurred. While conducting academic research abroad, Cheng Ran was injured and fractured her leg, requiring hospitalization.

Upon hearing the news, Su Xuan was extremely anxious. She immediately asked for leave from her workplace and hurriedly went through the procedures for going abroad. While packing her luggage, she kept muttering, "No project or achievement is as important as him right now."

The moment Su Xuan stepped onto foreign soil and rushed to the hospital, seeing Cheng Ran lying pale on the hospital bed, her eyes welled up with tears. She quickly stepped forward and hugged him tightly, as if she wanted to use this hug to dispel all his pain. In the days to come, no matter how difficult things might be, the two of them were determined to overcome them hand in hand.