Steam blurred the kitchen window in the narrow but vibrant residential apartment, carrying the warm, yeasty scent of char siu bao.
Rain rattled noisily on the makeshift tin roof outside, but it was a common sound in that place.
Tan Meilin held her hot bamboo steamer basket with swift, efficient movements.
Her dark hair, loose from its messy bun, clung to her temples in the humid heat. She wore a faded band t-shirt and worn jeans.
"Ma! Are the chrysanthemums ready?" Meilin called out, her voice cheerful and slightly breathless. She didn't turn, deftly arranging plump buns into her tiered bamboo baskets.
A soft laugh answered her from the small living room adjacent to the kitchen. "Patience, xiao hua. The water just started boiling."
Tan Yaling, Meilin's mother, sat gracefully at a low rosewood table. She meticulously arranged dried chrysanthemums and goji berry slices into a delicate porcelain cup.
The air around her seemed calmer, faintly scented with old tea leaves and sandalwood incense.
She wore a simple, high-collared silk tunic, her greying hair neatly coiled. Every movement was slow, imbued with her calm demeanor, signaling a lineage steeped in tradition.
Meilin slammed the steamer lid shut with a satisfying clang. "Patience is for people who don't have hungry daughters, and a delivery order for Madam Chen in twenty minutes."
She wiped her hands on a cloth, and threw a smile at her mother. "Besides, your patience almost made us late for Auntie Lah's marriage consultation last week. Remember? Because the MTR was jammed?"
Yaling's lips curved into a smile, her sharp, understanding eyes fixed on her only daughter. "Auntie Lau found the perfect match, didn't she? Time, Mei-mei, is not just about how fast a match is made. It is about the flow of qi, the readiness of the heart."
She poured steaming water into the cup, letting fragrant steam spread through the room. "Something you might understand better, if you weren't always running like a startled rabbit."
"Running gets things done," Meilin retorted, leaning against the doorframe with crossed arms. She watched her calm mother, a leading matchmaker whose reputation quietly spread to circles far wealthier than their own.
Their bond was palpable, woven through shared laughter over burnt dinners, or their fierce debates about modern dating apps. Yet they possessed an unspoken language of mutual understanding glances.
Meilin was always practical, modern, and daring, while Yaling's world was one of subtle energy flows, ancestral whispers, and the delicate art of weaving human connections.
They were polar opposites, yet incredibly close.
"Speaking of keeping up," Yaling said softly, placing the finished cup of tea on a lacquered tray. "The Chia family called again today, Xiao Mei."
Meilin paused. The Chia Group was always associated with immense wealth and the most prestigious status in their country.
"Again?" Meilin asked with a slight frown. "What do they want now? They've been... more urgent lately."
Yaling placed her teacup on a ceramic saucer on the table, making a soft clicking sound. "Yes, they are very urgent and rushed, dear. Their Patriarch feels... the family's fortune is fading. So they are seeking a very strong union, to recenter their qi."
Meilin held her breath for a moment. The obsession with 'fortune' and 'qi' from these super-rich people felt like a different world. Meanwhile, her mother was more concerned about her own rising medical costs.
"And they want Mama, who finds this magical match for their CEO, Chia Jinhai, right?" she asked with a slightly tired voice.
Of course, she had heard the name Chia Jinhai. His name was everywhere as the handsome CEO and heir of the Chia Group.
Yaling nodded slowly with a slight furrow in her brow. "Yes, Xiao Mei. They are indeed seeking a match through my mediation, to restore their family's fading glory."
Meilin observed her mother carefully. The signs of fatigue seemed clearer on her face today.
"Mama," Meilin said, her voice softer. "You have worked so hard. Wealthy families like these will demand a lot from you. Maybe... maybe you should rest for a bit? Let some consultations wait?"
Yaling shook her head and smiled weakly. "My dear, these consultations are our livelihood, you know. Especially from families like the Chias."
She sipped her tea again, and looked at the prayer altar, where a photo of Meilin's father was displayed.
"The Chia family offered a substantial sum, Xiao Mei. Much larger than all the matches we've ever done."
Meilin's eyes widened slightly. If true, her mother's medical expenses could be covered.
"But, Mama," Meilin said again, "a match for Chia Jinhai... that will surely be very difficult. He is the head of the Chia Group, not just anyone. He lives in a different world."
Yaling sighed deeply, and her hand, holding the teacup, trembled more. Her face suddenly paled.
"Yes, he is difficult, Xiao Mei," she whispered, her voice growing fainter. "His threads... they are... too tangled..."
Suddenly, the cup in her hand fell to the floor, spilling chrysanthemum tea onto the worn carpet. Her eyes immediately closed, and her body slumped forward.
Meilin instantly rushed to her side, catching her mother just before her body hit the table. "Mama! Mama!"
Her mother was unconscious, breathing shallowly, her skin very cold to the touch. Meilin's usually quick and clear mind became frantic.
"No, no, no, no..." she mumbled the words repeatedly, searching for her mother's phone, cursing why her own phone was broken at a time like this.
There it was! She ran to the small table by the door, grabbed it, and unlocked it immediately. Her fingers were wet with cold sweat.
999
Ambulance. NOW!
Just as she was about to press the call button, the phone in her hand suddenly lit up with an incoming call, with a name that made her blood run cold.
MADAM LING - CHIA GROUP.