Chapter 256
Chapter 256
The scent of incense in the temple was strong, with red walls and green bamboo giving people a
sense of peace.
One could still hear the faint chanting and bells ringing from inside.
Candice looked at Hanley and asked, “Why did you bring me here?”
Hanley answered, “To light a lamp.”
Although the temple was crowded, it was unexpectedly quiet. It seemed as if everyone had reached a
consensus to speak and act softly, afraid of disturbing the peace there.
Hanley lowered his gaze. “When I was a child, I used to light a lamp here for my
my grandmother.”
The place to light the lamp was in the backyard. The young monk in charge of registration looked
compassionate, folded his hands in greeting, and then handed Candice a bundle of incense.
Candice pursed her lips, looking at the clusters of lights on top, hesitating to make a move. It
wasn’t until a gust of wind blew that Hanley’s deep and calm voice sounded, “My grandfather said that
lighting a lamp here for the ones we miss can guide their way.”
Only then did she slowly start to act. Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
As the green smoke rose, elegantly spiraling upward, she folded her hands together, her
expression pious and earnest.
When she returned home, the red paint on the door was still there. Candice hesitated for a moment
before opening the door. The house, unoccupied for a few days, had accumulated dust easily, and
upon opening the door, a cloud of dust greeted her.
Candice didn’t let Hanley in. She said, “It’s too messy inside.”
His eyelashes drooped, and after a pause, he spoke, “If there’s anything, call me. I’ll be nearby.”
She nodded. After he left, she closed the door.
The inside of the house was indeed chaotic. That night, she had left hastily, leaving the whole place in
a mess.
Candice sat on the sofa for a while, looking at the furniture in the house. She initially thought she could
quickly bring Joe back to live together.
She had made all the plans for the future.
However, all her expectations came to an abrupt halt at this moment.
Candice stayed in the old house for two days. Hanley came every day, delivering meals on time
and supervising her eating.
In fact, Candice didn’t think she was that delicate, but she really had no strength and no spirit left
in her body.
Every day, she either stared out of the window in a daze or daydreamed.
On the third day, Hanley didn’t come. Yana came instead.
She still wore high heels, walking briskly, but as soon as she saw Candice, a moment of
astonishment flashed across her face.
Candice’s current condition was indeed not good. Her skin was pale without a trace of color, and
she had lost a lot of weight. The shirt she wore looked like a sack on her.
Yana was surprised for a moment, pulled Candice to sit on the sofa, and she felt a bit of a
headache. “I just came back from abroad. Before that, my dad forcibly sent me to a deserted
island for wilderness survival. I heard about your grandfather’s situation from Hanley.”
She tried her best to console Candice, “I know it’s a huge blow to you, but you can’t give up on
yourself like this, alright?”
Candice nodded. Because she hadn’t spoken much these days, her voice was hoarse and tight.
and she choked out, “I know. I’m trying to adjust my state.”
Yana asked, “Have you ever been on a roller coaster?”
Candice was then dragged to the amusement park by Yana, and they went straight to the roller coaster.
Before starting, the staff repeatedly confirmed Candice’s condition.
Candice hadn’t experienced such an exciting ride much before. She had wanted to try it when she was
a child but dared not without someone accompanying her. Later, after starting to work, she didn’t even
go to an amusement park.
Yana held her hand, and before the ride started, told her, “When the roller coaster reaches the top and
starts to descend, you can say whatever you want because no one will hear you.”
Candice pursed her lips, holding onto the seat tightly.
Sure enough, when the roller coaster reached the highest point and began to plummet, there were only
piercing screams at the edge of her eardrums, and apart from that, nothing else could be
The hot which had almost lost sensation in the silence, began to show stons of revival under SAAN
SHARONA–beat by beat. It felt a bit pambut against her chest.
Who Coster stort, Candice’s face had finally gained a rosy hue.
YOA SURYAYN New knees asked, “How does it feel?”
Candice wiled away the tears forced out by the wind as she said, “I want to ride it again.”
When the last ride was over, Yana waved her hand, “I can’t take it anymore; I feel like throwing up.”
The gray in Candice’s eyes dissipated, slowly converging into a glimmer. She reached out and pulled
Yan. Thank you”
She knew Yana had done this to make her happy. Indeed, under such excitement, the pent–up.
frustration in her heart had dissipated quite a bit.
When the strong wind blew on her face, it seemed like all the words piled up in her heart had
flown away with her tears.
Hanging on to Candice. Yana said, “Candice, you are the second person to make me sacrifice like
this”
“Who was the first one?”
“My ex–boyfriend.” Yana gasped and recalled. “At that time, I was young and didn’t know any better. I
went bungee jumping for him. After jumping three times, I thought, what a stupid man. Does he
deserve me wasting my life for him?”
Candice was amused by her words. She asked Yana, “Why did you come to find me today?”
“It’s all because of Hanley. I just came back, and he forcibly recruited me. It seems he’s quite busy and
couldn’t get away. He called me early in the morning and asked me to come and
accompany you.”
Candice’s heart skipped a beat. She pinched her brow. “It’s my fault. I’ve been emotionally unstable
recently, and I can’t focus on work.”
Yana didn’t care much. “It doesn’t matter. The most important thing is for you to rest well.”
Although Yana said so, Candice still went to the studio on time the next morning.
When she entered, she happened to see Hanley coming out of the door.
Seeing her. Hanley stopped in his steps. Her figure was clearly reflected in his emotionless eyes.
Candice looked at him, her voice steady. “Deduct my attendance for the past few days according to the
rules.”
Candice’s return to work was most welcomed by Nadia.
She held two contracts in her hands. “Candice, Aether Corporation has agreed to sign the contract.
Also, the department wants you to sign it quickly.”
Candice took the contracts from her and glanced at them. “Is it still Sonia in charge of Aether
Corporation?”
“No. Sawyer is back, and he’s in charge now.”
Candice nodded. “If the time is set, go and sign it now to avoid any problems later.”
Nadia said. “The time is set for today, but-”
She looked at Candice hesitantly.
Candice, who had tidied up today and put on makeup, didn’t have much change on her face except
for losing a lot of weight compared to before.
Her expression was calm. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
She just needed time to adapt, nothing more.
Adaptation required a very long process.
Of course, some people were exceptions.
For example, when Candice saw Nina in Aether Corporation, she felt that Nina had adapted well to
the identity of Alex’s fiancée.