Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Shu Yao gradually got used to seeing Chen Ye as soon as she woke up.

He even forgot that his leave had a time limit.

With no one around her, Shu Yao called out his name a few times. No response. She scratched her slightly messy hair, then remembered that three days had passed.

There were no sticky notes by the bed, no messages on my phone.

Why did you leave without telling her?

His ankle had fully healed, and he could walk into the bathroom without any help. But while brushing his teeth, Shu Yao felt inexplicably depressed.

There was no need for live broadcast, and Li Sui also went home. The dining room was empty, and it seemed even lonelier than the previous two days.

Obviously, these were her daily routines before.

Shu Yao herself was a little surprised. Since when did she get used to Chen Ye's presence and even start to feel uncomfortable being alone?

She shook her head, opened the bread on the table, and ate while reading the information she had collected in the past few days, forcing herself to focus on her work.

Jewelry design was a completely new field for her, and the dry text was difficult to absorb. After reading it for a while, Shu Yao felt that it would be better to find someone to consult directly.

She opened WeChat and sent a message.

After receiving a positive response from the other party, Shu Yao turned off his phone and continued to gnaw on the cold bread.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the door. Shu Yao looked up in surprise and saw Chen Ye coming back with a paper bag.

He took out the soy milk and glutinous rice cakes from the bag and placed them on the table, inserting a straw. "Why are you up so early today?"

"You didn't go back?" Shu Yao was stunned. "Hasn't three days already passed?"

Shen Ye looked up helplessly: “Today is Sunday.”

"Ah." Shu Yao just remembered this.

Ever since she became a full-time craftsman, she only remembers the date and has almost no concept of "weekend".

She picked up the soy milk and took a sip. It was indeed rich and mellow with a smooth taste.

"You got up so early in the morning just to buy this?"

"Don't you want to drink?"

"Yeah." Shu Yao bit the straw. After a while, he remembered something and spoke hesitantly, "I thought you went back... so I asked a friend to come over at noon."

Shen Ye understood immediately: "Male?"

Shu Yao nodded.

"I guess it's the kind of guy who would call her sister?" Chen Ye looked at her expression. "He's the kind of guy who would call her sister?"

Shu Yao nodded again.

The smile on Shen Ye's face disappeared, and he stretched out his hand to her: "Give me back the soy milk."

Shu Yao turned aside and said, "You are childish."

"Not yet?"

"I've finished it all." Shu Yao deliberately took another big sip before handing the cup over. Only a bottom was left in the cup.

Chen Ye looked down, put his lips around the straw that she had just bitten, and drank the last bit of soy milk.

His attitude was too matter-of-fact, but Shu Yao couldn't help but be distracted.

The soy milk in his mouth was swallowed with a gulp.

Chen Ye lowered his eyes and looked at her index finger picking at the cup. Her nail was pink and round like a crescent.

He leaned against the dining table and smiled leisurely: "Shu Yao, why are your ears turning red so easily now?"

*

Chen Ye had seen several guests who came to Yinyuan to see Shu Yao, most of them were over 40 years old.

He didn't know about it at first, but later he found out that there are only dozens of craftsmen engaged in filigree inlay in the country. Due to various reasons such as the complexity of the skills, the long learning cycle, and the lack of guaranteed salary, fewer and fewer young people are willing to inherit this skill, and the workforce is aging rapidly.

Shu Yao is probably an extremely special one among them.

But the guest who came today is also quite special.

The boy was wearing a white sweatshirt, his hair was dyed flaxen, he had fair skin and a handsome face, and he looked to be in his early twenties.

As soon as she entered the door, she called out to Shu Yao enthusiastically, "Sister, long time no see."

"..." Shu Yao instinctively glanced at Chen Ye beside him.

Shen Ye put one hand in his pocket and let out a very light chuckle.

But Shu Yao heard the subtext: Sister, you’re my head.

She smiled at the boy and introduced him to Shen Ye first: "This is Xu Mingqing. His grandfather is a very good filigree inlay craftsman. He is now an independent jewelry designer."

Shu Yao turned around and said to Xu Mingqing, "This is my husband, Chen Ye."

"Hello, brother-in-law." Xu Mingqing said with a smile.

Shen Ye responded indifferently.

It was lunch time, and Shu Yao took them to Dingyuanlou, a restaurant in Lishui that served authentic dishes.

Although the area is not large, the food tastes good and the space is quiet.

Xu Mingqing took a sip of water and asked curiously, "How are the mall sales going recently?"

Shu Yao sighed, "It's much better than before, but there aren't many works in our mall to begin with, so it can't be much better."

"That's normal," Xu Mingqing said. "Except for my sister's, the other works in the mall are almost all imitations of cultural relics by older craftsmen. They are few in number, expensive, difficult to maintain, and their aesthetics don't match the tastes of today's young people."

"Yes, that's what I asked you to talk about. The comments in the lawyer's letter comment section also made me reflect. My master once told me that buying and selling is the best protection, and using is the best inheritance. We don't have to be so aloof and put it aside. We still need to reach out to the public."

"Hey, I had a fight with my grandfather about this last time." Xu Mingqing curled his lips and picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs with a bit of helplessness.

"Fight? Why?" Shu Yao picked up the water cup, only to find that there was no water. She was looking for the kettle on the table. Chen Ye silently took the kettle and helped her fill it up. Shu Yao smiled at him and helped him pick up a piece of pork ribs. "Try it, it's delicious."

Chen Ye picked up his chopsticks and heard Xu Mingqing answer: "I told my grandfather that the works he made now are gorgeous and exquisite, even luxurious, but it is difficult to attract the attention of young people. I suggested that he should make appropriate innovations and make changes. As a result, my grandfather and I had a big argument. He said that I was lazy and ruined the original flavor of filigree inlay."

"Actually, I think it shouldn't be difficult to convince the old man. All we need to do is show him works that satisfy him."

Shu Yao took out a velvet box from her pocket, inside of which was a pair of teardrop-shaped filigree earrings.

Xu Mingqing picked it up, took a look at it, and asked curiously, "Is this also a replica of a cultural relic?"

"Yes, but some changes have been made." Shu Yao opened the photo album on his mobile phone, and one of the photos was the original earrings collected in the museum.

Chen Ye glanced silently, not noticing any difference, but Xu Mingqing immediately pointed it out: "Did you use casting technology to replace the original filigree inlay technology for the frame of the earrings you made?"

"Yes." Shu Yao put away his phone and pointed at the earrings' frame. "For buyers, besides the difficulty of maintenance, the easy deformation of traditional filigree inlaid jewelry is also a reason they shy away from buying. The frame is cast, and the filigree is filled in the middle to increase the overall thickness. This will greatly improve the deformation problem."

"Compared to complicated bracelets and necklaces, this kind of work isn't very expensive. The design appeals to young people, and the price is within their reach." Xu Mingqing raised his hand and gave her a thumbs-up. "Sister, you're really creative."

"Please take it back and show it to Grandpa." Shu Yao closed the velvet box and pushed it in front of Xu Mingqing, saying seriously, "Also, I think if it sells well, it can also improve the living conditions of some veteran craftsmen. I happen to be going to Fuchuan in a few days to attend the Intangible Cultural Heritage Symposium, and I will focus on this matter at the symposium. However, there are still some things I don't know much about jewelry design, so I hope you can help me fill in some gaps."

"Sure, with pleasure."

…

The two of them had a great time discussing it.

Only Shen Ye was sitting next to him, drinking water without saying a word, like an outsider.

It is said that people shine when they do what they are good at. He felt this a long time ago when he saw Shu Yao being interviewed. However, the difference between then and now is completely different.

If she was doing what she was good at before, now she is doing what she truly loves.

But different fields are like different worlds. Shen Ye found that although he could understand it, he had no way to integrate into it at the moment.

He leaned back in his chair, lowered his head and fiddled with the puppy ring on his left ring finger.

The puppy's tail drooped silently.

*

Return to Hidden Garden.

Xu Mingqing and Shu Yao walked into the studio one after another. Chen Ye knew that they were going to discuss the speech draft for the symposium, so he did not go in to disturb them and stayed in the reception room next door.

Shu Yao poured Xu Mingqing a glass of water and said with an apologetic smile, "Can you wait for me for a moment? Just five minutes."

"Of course, sis, what's up?"

Shu Yao lowered his voice and uttered two words: "Coaxing people."

Then she added, "Call me Sister Yaoyao, that's what they all call me."

Xu Mingqing was stunned for a moment, put on the Bluetooth headphones, then smiled and made an "OK" gesture to her.

Lifting the curtain, Shen Ye was sitting on the sofa, looking down at a book seriously.

Fundamentals of Filigree Inlay

Shu Yao: “…”

He seemed so engrossed that he didn't even notice she was approaching until she went over and tugged at his sleeve.

Shen Ye raised his eyes: "What's wrong?"

"You're upset." Her eyes fell on his ring.

The puppy's tail was clearly raised in the morning, but it drooped down after he came back from dinner.

As for the reason, although Shu Yao was not completely sure, he had more or less guessed it.

"So?" Chen Ye raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "Are you here to coax me?"

Shu Yao asked softly, "Do you want me to coax you?"

Shen Ye's left hand gripping the spine of the book tightened, he closed the book, walked in front of her, half-knelt, supported his hands on his thighs, and looked at her at eye level.

The distance between the two was very close, and Shu Yao could clearly see her own reflection in his black pupils.

"Then coax me--" He curled his lips, and called out a name that he had been reluctant to call before, softly and slowly.

"elder sister?"

Xu Mingqing's call of "sister" did not cause any fluctuation in her emotions, but Chen Ye's call was like sweeping a feather across her heart, making her feel itchy.

Her eyes lit up, and she touched his head with a curved brow, just like she touched Biscuit.

"He calls me sister because he has two biological sisters, so he is used to calling me that. As for the rest, everyone has their own expertise. The codes you use on your computer, the various professional terms you mention to your subordinates in meetings, and the French you speak with your partners are all incomprehensible to me. You don't need to care about this at all." After saying this, she withdrew her hand and stared at him with clear eyes.

"That's it?" Chen Ye laughed, "Isn't your way of coaxing people a bit too official?"

"I've never coaxed anyone before." Shu Yao muttered softly, thinking that even the spoiled little princess was not as picky as you. But she still thought about it seriously, and finally raised her head and asked softly:

"The symposium is next Sunday morning. Are you free this afternoon?"

"how?"

You can't suffer a loss.

Shu Yao first made a request: "Shout again."

Then, as if preparing for a graduation thesis defense, he said with a determined look and high morale, "I'll practice a little more and then I'll seriously coax you."

*

Chen Ye was free not only in the afternoon, but also had been staying in "Zaiyu" with nothing to do since the morning.

Since running "Zaiyu", Xu Zhaoli has met many strange people.

For example, when drunk, he strips naked in the corridor as if it were his own bathroom.

For example, doing radio gymnastics on the dance floor.

For example, someone drinks but doesn’t pay, and tells the fortune teller that it was God’s treat.

But all these seemed insignificant compared to Shen Ye who was reading seriously in the box.

Xu Zhaoli lit a cigarette, crossed his legs, and watched the show from the side: "What, Shu Yao finally despises you for being uneducated?"

沉野默默把手里的《花丝镶嵌基础》翻过一页，语气很欠揍：“不好意思，姐姐爱死我了。”

Xu Zhaoli got goose bumps all over his body at his tone. He rubbed his arms and said, "Are you disgusting?"

Shen Ye didn't get angry but laughed instead.

The scene of him calling her sister that day came to mind.

She seemed to like this name very much, and I don’t know what kind of bad taste it was.

But... there's nothing to lose by shouting.

As long as she is happy.

He thought.

"Hey." Xu Zhaoli asked casually, "Why are you so free today? Don't you have to go to Lishui?"

Shen Ye's right elbow rested on the armrest of the sofa, his eyes fell on the book, and he supported his head and said leisurely: "She has a symposium in the morning."

"Symposium?" Xu Zhaoli imagined a scene of a group of middle-aged people sitting in a row. "What symposium?"

"A symposium on the development, inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage organized by the Fuchuan Intangible Cultural Heritage Association."

"The intellectual realm of a top student is truly beyond the reach of uneducated mortals like us."

"Just you, don't drag me into this." Chen Ye didn't even give a glance and turned the page of the book. "What time is it now?"

Xu Zhaoli rolled his eyes in disdain. "Half past eleven! You've asked me this for the eight hundredth time! Could you please raise your distinguished, large, Carlyle eyes and glance at the clock on the wall?"

Shen Ye really looked up.

11:30, 28 seconds.

Tsk.

Why does time go so slowly?

My phone dinged, and a message from Shu Yao suddenly popped up: [It's almost over, but there's road construction at the entrance, so parking is impossible. I'll go directly to the underground parking lot to meet you. I looked at the map, and it's more convenient for you to enter through Exit A.]

After Shen Ye replied, he immediately closed the book, took the car keys and stood up.

It takes about twenty minutes to drive from "Reencounter" to the exhibition hall where the symposium was held.

The car had traveled most of the way when the phone rang again. Shen Ye glanced at it and saw that it was Shu Yao calling.

He pressed the button on his Bluetooth headset to answer the call.

Shu Yao's voice in the headphones was as gentle as water, and it began with "Husband."

Chen Ye raised his eyebrows slightly, wondering what was wrong with her, but Shu Yao didn't wait for his response, and then said some incomprehensible words in a natural and fluent tone.

"Is your car parked in area A3? I'm getting off now. How many friends did you pick up? Is there still room?"