Snowflakes floated down in large, soft clusters outside.
In a place like Washington, heavy snow was a rare sight. That winter was especially harsh; icy winds from the north swept through in gusts, sending the temperature plummeting. The sky was gray-white, and the snow drifted gently onto 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 was unusually slow, and the two newly built villas had lingered unsold from spring into autumn. People came and went to view them, but no one made a serious offer. By October and November, anxiety gnawed at her, and she kept adjusting the prices… Finally, at the end of the year, someone bought them.
The moment the two houses were sold, she felt as if a long-held weight had finally lifted from her shoulders.
Outside, the snow thickened, falling silently to the ground. From time to time, the distant hum of cars reached her ears. Sunlight filtered through the eaves, glinting off the lingering snow in tiny, fragmented sparkles.
That afternoon, she had an appointment with Dawei to meet a client.
The client had purchased an old bungalow in Chevy Chase. The house was decades old, in serious disrepair, and planned for complete demolition and reconstruction. They wanted Li Ming's team to handle both the design and construction.
They had agreed to meet first at a nearby café and then head to see the client together.
It had been a long time since they had sat down and talked alone.
Li Ming and Dawei had been university classmates years ago, both studying Civil Engineering and Architectural Design at a university in Harbin.
In early summer of 1989, just before graduation, Dawei suddenly left for Beijing… and the school announced his expulsion on the eve of graduation.
For a long time, no one heard from him. Later, it emerged that he and a few friends had gone to Hainan.
At that time, Hainan was just beginning to develop. The real estate market was in its infancy—full of opportunities, but equally full of risks.
They started doing architectural design there and co-founded a small architecture firm. Initially, the company had only three people: Jianguo, a former university classmate, and Qiangming, a young Peking opera dan performer.
Qiangming had met a wealthy woman from Hong Kong during a performance. She later adopted him as an "adopted son," at least officially. In reality, they soon began living together. Rumors circulated behind their backs, but no one openly spoke of it.
During the SARS outbreak in 2003, Qiangming's sister fled the north to Hainan to stay with her brother. By then, she had unknowingly been infected. Later, their elderly grandmother also contracted the virus and passed away that year.
The grandmother's will left most of her assets to Qiangming—several properties, stocks, and cash. This sudden inheritance gave the small firm enough capital to start taking on real estate projects, participating in Hainan's emerging resort and residential developments.
Those years coincided with Hainan's real estate boom. Projects grew in number, and the company expanded. But rapid expansion brought risks. By 2009, during several large-scale developments, the company's cash flow broke down, leaving several projects unfinished. Disputes arose among the partners, and the company eventually dissolved.
After that turbulent period, Dawei returned to Harbin and lived quietly for several years. During that time, he met his first wife, who ran an aluminum construction materials business locally. 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 a guardian. His wife's business kept her busy, so Dawei took on most of the child care responsibilities.
Later, when Li Ming's firm needed extra hands, Dawei helped out. Eventually, Li Ming assisted him in obtaining a work visa, allowing him to continue working in the U.S.
By now, Li Ming had finished half her coffee. Sunlight streamed across the street, melting the snow along the curb.
Dawei glanced at his watch. "They should be arriving soon," he said.
Li Ming nodded, stood, and put on her coat.
They stepped out of the café and headed to the parking area. In the distance, the sky lightened as the clouds were slowly pushed aside by the wind. The winter chill had not fully retreated, yet the air carried the faint hint of early spring.