There was no need to say any of this-Queenie knew the person before her wouldn’t care, and those who did would speak up on her behalf


    anyway.


    As the livestream began, the inte was already aze;ment sections flooded with calls to boycott The Winston Group and Sienna. The air was thick with anticipation and tension.


    Yet theunch went off without a hitch. Each design was unveiled in turn. At first nce, they looked simr to Sienna’s creations, but a closer look revealed subtle differences. Still, there was a certainck of surprise-a


    sense that something was missing.


    If Queenie noticed the audience’s lukewarm reaction, she didn’t let it show. She wore a poised, polished smile, standing with a confidence and quiet elegance that drew every eye in the room. There was admiration in the way people looked at her.


    After all, anyone who could weather so much in a single day and still maintain suchposure was worthy of respect.


    “Our time in this world is always limited,” Queenie began, her voice carrying the weight of a story. “Some lives are cut short, others inevitably fade. While I was confined to a hospital bed, I found myself questioning what it all meant. If I spent every day unable to do anything, just lying there-did my life still matter at all?”


    The exhibition hall fell silent. Even the endless stream ofments on the livestream slowed, as if the audience was holding its breath.


    “But my family, my friends-they reminded me that existence itself is meaning. My birth brought them happiness; that’s meaningful. As the days slipped by, I found my own dreams; that’s meaningful too. In my hardest times, my friends gathered stories from around the world just to make me smile-that, too, is meaning.”


    Queenie’s smile was gentle, her presence soothing, as if she could steady


    12.19


    the nerves of everyone watching.


    “So I realized, maybe life isn’t about chasing some grand meaning. Whether it’s ordinary or full of twists and turns, there’s so much we can’t control. But each of us has our own Tree of Life, and whether it shines or


    not-that’s up to us.”


    At that moment, the camera panned down, focusing on Queenie’s corbone. Only then did viewers catch a glimpse of the hidden piece: a ne centered with a deep green emerald. The pendant took the shape of a tree, while ck cords threaded through smaller charms to mimic leaves, each one glowing faintly.


    “In darkness, its light is a deep, mysterious green, like a silent current gathering strength. In the sunlight, the leaves turn bright and luminous, sparkling on their own.”


    The camera pulled back, and the hall dimmed once more as a new promotional video began to y.


    At the end of the video, a single line appeared on the screen: Is your Tree of Life shining right now?


    Life, Queenie reflected, is never evergreen. It dims and glows, sometimes fading, sometimes burning bright. One day, it will wither away-but whether it shines on that journey from beginning to end is a choice only we can make.


    It was only then that people truly understood the real meaning behind the Tree of Life collection.


    Theunch ended to enthusiastic apuse, with raves filling the inte. Barely had Queenie left the stage before a staff member rushed over to announce that pre-orders had already far exceeded their initial target.


    Relieved, Queenie gave instructions for the follow-up and slipped away to the dressing room to change.


    As she stepped out, a sudden pop sounded overhead-and a shower of confetti drifted down, catching the light as it fluttered around her.


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