Speaking of which, perhaps that inexplicable fixation on buying a house, ingrained in Chen's bones and inherited from the East, had been quietly at work, influencing and driving him.
By the time Chen Xi finished work and arrived at his destination today, it was already five thirty in the afternoon.
As dusk fell over New York, the lights of Manhattan gradually came alight like scattered diamonds.
After getting out of the car, Chen stood at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.
He looked up at the skyscraper towering before him—One57.
He fished a newly acquired key card out of his pocket, proof of ownership of his new home.
Today, he was finally moving into his new place!~~
Talan was still in Los Angeles, packing with the kids, but Chen couldn't wait and wanted to start enjoying the place first.
After all, he'd bought a house. What reason did he have to keep living in a hotel?
He stepped past the building's dazzling entrance canopy and uniformed doorman, then went inside. After passing through the turnstile with facial recognition, he strolled over to the private elevator for residents.
The doors closed. A faint sensation of weightlessness washed over him as the floor numbers shot upward at a dazzling speed. There was no mechanical hum, only the faintest whisper of air.
"Ding."
After a soft chime, even more pleasing than the system's notification sound, the elevator doors opened.
The first thing he saw wasn't the interior of the apartment, but a relatively private entryway. Of course, it belonged exclusively to his unit.
The actual front door stood a short distance ahead: two towering French oak doors with a distinctive grain.
Chen changed into his slippers by the shoe cabinet, then raised his hand to swipe his key card. A