Snowflakes drifted down in large, soft clusters.
In a city like Washington, heavy snow was uncommon. This winter had been particularly harsh. Cold gusts from the north swept through the streets, dropping temperatures suddenly. The sky was a pale gray, and the snow settled gently on rooftops, as if tucking the city under a soft white blanket.
Li Ming sat by the window, holding a steaming cup of coffee. The past year had been far from easy. The real estate market had been unusually sluggish. The two newly built villas had lingered on the market from spring through fall—prospective buyers came and went, but no one made a real offer. By October and November, anxiety gnawed at her. She constantly adjusted the prices… and finally, at the end of the year, the houses sold.
The moment the two properties were sold, she felt an enormous weight lift from her shoulders, as though the stone that had pressed on her for so long had finally fallen away.
Outside, the snow fell thicker and thicker, silent on the ground. The occasional sound of a passing car echoed from afar. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the eaves, glinting off the remnants of snow and scattering tiny points of light across the streets.
In the afternoon, she had arranged to meet Dawei to see a client.
The client had purchased an old bungalow in Chevy Chase. The house was severely aged, slated for total demolition and reconstruction, and they hoped to entrust both design and construction to Li Ming's team.
They agreed to meet first at a nearby café, then go together to see the client.
It had been a long time since they'd sat down alone to talk.
Li Ming and Dawei had been university classmates many years ago, studying architecture in Harbin.
In early summer of 1989, just before graduation, Dawei suddenly left for Beijing… only to be expelled from school on the eve of graduation.
For a long time, no one heard from him. Eventually, it became known that he had gone to Hainan with several friends.
At that time, Hainan was just beginning development. The real estate market was in its infancy—full of opportunities, yet riddled with risks.
They started doing architectural design there and co-founded a small architecture firm. Initially, there were only three people: Jianguo, their former classmate, and Qiangming, a young Peking Opera actress.
Qiangming had met a wealthy woman from Hong Kong during a performance, who later took him in as an "adopted son." Publicly, this was the story, though in reality the two soon moved in together. Rumors swirled, but no one spoke openly about it.
In 2003, during the SARS outbreak, Qiangming's sister fled north to Hainan to seek refuge with her brother. She had already been infected without knowing it, and later their grandmother also contracted the virus and passed away that year.
The grandmother's will left the majority of her assets—several properties, stocks, and cash—to Qiangming. With this capital, the modest architecture firm now had sufficient funds to take on real estate projects, participating in Hainan's emerging resort and residential developments.
Those years marked the rapid expansion of Hainan's real estate market. Projects multiplied, and the company grew accordingly. But rapid growth carried risks. In 2009, during the development of several large-scale projects, the company's cash flow collapsed. Multiple buildings stalled, turning into unfinished projects. Disputes quickly arose among the partners, and the company ultimately dissolved.
After that turbulent period, Dawei returned to Harbin and lived a low-profile life. During those years, he met his ex-wife, who ran a local aluminum building materials company. They married and soon had a daughter.
Five years ago, Dawei came to the United States. His daughter was preparing to study abroad, and he accompanied her as her guardian. His ex-wife was busy with business and unable to care for their child, so the responsibility largely fell on him.
Around the same time, Li Ming's company needed additional staff, and Dawei came to help. Later, Li Ming assisted him in applying for a work visa, allowing him to continue working in the U.S.
By now, he had finished half his coffee. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the street where the snow had begun to melt and run along the curbs.
Dawei glanced at his watch. "It's about time. The client should be here."
Li Ming nodded and stood, putting on her coat.
They stepped out of the café and headed toward the parked car. In the distance, the sky had lightened, clouds gradually pushed aside by the wind. The chill of winter had not yet fully receded, but the air carried a faint hint of early spring.