Chapter 45

After that, there was no contact for seven months.

During these seven months, Zou Ping has been expecting Tang Yuchuan to contact her.

At first, she would secretly check her phone screen, thinking that there might be news from him.

Gradually, disappointment accumulated little by little. She told herself to be proud and not look back, even though she always missed him.

Later, whenever she thought of Tang Yuchuan, she would suppress her emotions and devote herself to her work, secretly hoping that one day, when they would meet again, she would be able to appear in front of him in a more powerful posture and shine in his eyes.

Isn't it inferiority complex? She said to herself, she always unconsciously cautious in front of him. Is this inferiority complex? Yes, she thought.

Then just try harder.

Tang Yuchuan has been busy for the past six months. Every time he returns to his cold apartment, he always thinks of her.

She wasn't a very lively person, but her presence filled the room with a different kind of vitality. The apartment was always cold and quiet these days, and as he glanced across the empty room, a sense of emptiness arose in his heart.

He told himself over and over again that she would have a better future if she left him. He had been keeping an eye on her, and a few times when he heard she was having trouble, he almost wanted to call her, but he warned himself not to disturb her, and in the end he secretly contacted a friend in France to help her.

Over the past six months, he has taken Tan Jing to see a psychologist and has actively contacted the girls who were hurt by his father, apologizing to each one and doing his best to provide the compensation they desire. He understands that these efforts cannot make up for what he has lost, but this is the only thing he can do.

The company's affairs are gradually being settled.

Tang Yuchuan finally decided to sell Jingchuan's shares to several shareholders who were interested in purchasing them, and then completely solved Hongsheng's debt problem. He gave all his shares in Hongsheng to Tan Jing, as Hongsheng was the result of her hard work.

With this, the two companies have completely cut ties with themselves.

Tang Yuchuan was ready to disclose his father's incident to the public, but he felt that Tan Jing began to hesitate. She was not as determined as she was at the beginning to apologize publicly and disclose it to the public. She began to procrastinate again and again. I don't know if it was because she felt soft-hearted towards him.

That day, Tang Yuchuan opened the "Trame" on the table. This magazine was not sold in China. He asked a friend to bring it back because he knew there was an article about her in it.

Between the Longitude and Latitude: Zou Ping in Lyon

The magazine's paper is thick, cold and clean to the touch. The article is sparsely embellished, each sentence directly describing her work: a capsule collection of ten outfits, each printed on a single corner of the canvas; an exhibition where layers of oil painting create a spatial illusion of interplay of light and shadow; and her fusion of traditional textures with modern lines, creating a calm yet powerful effect.

Tang Yuchuan flipped through the pages, and before he'd even finished halfway, a wave of relief washed over him. He saw her name recognized by many French critics and audiences, and saw her paintings breathing with their own rhythmic rhythm amidst the light and shadow. Of course, beneath this relief, there was also a sense of emptiness, perhaps because she wasn't around.

At the same time, Zou Ping became a hot topic.

"Shocking! The scandal of young girls being victimized behind Hongsheng President's charity project has been exposed!"

Hongsheng? Tang Yuchuan? Tang Yuchuan's father?

She froze, her heart pounding. Videos, screenshots, and comments flooded in. Her initial shock gave way to anxiety, her fingers trembling slightly as the light from the screen reflected on her face.

It seems that many people reported in their real names that Tang Yuchuan's father used a charity project to harm needy girls who were receiving help. This project was later taken over by Tang Yuchuan and only ceased operations not long ago.

Tang Yuchuan read the article about "Echo." On stage, a model walked, the layers of clothing and canvas intertwined, almost obliterating the distance between body and canvas. The calm text made him feel Zou Ping's creativity and growth.

As expected of her! Tang Yuchuan had always believed that Zou Ping's talent and hard work would give her a bright future, but seeing her growth firsthand was something he had never imagined. He was still shocked by her and proud of her.

He thought that maybe she would become a painter, as she had both the skills and the feeling. But he never expected that she could create such a creative fusion of painting and clothing.

His thinking was too limited, and her aura was too overwhelming, Tang Yuchuan thought.

Zou Ping dialed Tang Yuchuan's number without hesitation.

Her fingers read her thoughts before her brain did. She was worried about him.

Zou Ping didn't believe that Tang Yuchuan was a bad person. She couldn't find a way to connect Tang Yuchuan with the events described in the news and the abusive words in the comments.

She wanted to find him and ask him how this happened and whether he had offended someone, but no one answered the familiar number.

I dialed again, but still couldn't get through.

Her heart tightened and her throat was dry.

Public opinion broke out today. As soon as the news came out online, Tang Yuchuan's phone was flooded with calls. There were friends who came to show concern, reporters who got his phone number from somewhere, and netizens.

Everyone called him. He simply turned off his phone and continued reading the magazine report about Zou Ping.

The article described her capsule collection: ten limited-edition outfits, each printed on a single corner of the canvas. The text was brief and precise.

Tang Yuchuan closed the magazine, his fingers resting on the edge for a moment, and sighed softly. Somehow, he began to unconsciously imagine her working in Lyon, and he felt a secret worry in his heart.

Various videos were pushed continuously on the screen, some were original exposé videos, and some were commentaries from various marketing accounts, with short comments piling up: "Incredible... How is it possible... It's so scary..." Zou Ping held the phone tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Tang Yuchuan flipped through the pages again, taking in the exhibition details, the capsule collection concept, and the audience's response. Every sentence confirmed that she was being seen and recognized. He felt a slight warmth spreading through his chest.

Zou Ping couldn't get through to Tang Yuchuan's cell phone, and then she called Miao Zhan and Chen Zui, but couldn't get through. In desperation, she put down her cell phone temporarily and started browsing the air ticket booking software.

She wanted to go back home, wanted to know if he was okay, wanted to see him and be with him... The anger and resentment when they broke up, and the promise to be strong-willed in front of him, all seemed to have disappeared at this moment. She missed him and was worried about him.

The magazines on the table smelled of paper and ink, and he felt a quiet satisfaction.

The cold light of the phone screen reflected on her face, and she held the phone tightly.

There was a knock on the door, clean and urgent.

Tang Yuchuan got up and opened the door, and saw Tan Jing standing at the door.

Her back was straight, her fingers were slightly curled, and she hardly moved. Her eyes were as calm as a rippleless lake, but in the silence she exuded an invisible weight.

"Are you okay... I came to see you." She spoke in a low voice, her tone steady, as if every word was carefully calculated, yet with a slight nervousness.

Tang Yuchuan closed the magazine, his fingertips lingering on the edge for a moment before slowly lowering it. "It's okay. I anticipated the disclosure of this incident would cause a stir. But I haven't made the whole story public, nor have I apologized to the public as you requested. Do you want me to issue a statement now?"

Tan Jing shook her head, her eyes steady, without flickering or wavering: "It's not me. It's not me who made it public, Yuchuan, actually... I don't want to really hurt you. Although... sometimes I really hate you."

Tang Yuchuan remained silent, staring into her eyes, his brows furrowed slightly. The air seemed to be stretched, each second heavy and slow.

He was analyzing, his thoughts running quietly. He believed that Tan Jing would not lie at this moment, but the magnitude of the incident made him feel that if it wasn't Tan Jing... someone else must be manipulating the matter.

Tan Jing bit her lower lip lightly, her voice soft and steady: "Don't you believe me?"

Tang Yuchuan gently waved his hand and whispered, "No." After a pause, he added, "It's just... something of this magnitude can't be initiated by anyone. I feel... there is someone behind the scenes."

She took a deep breath, her expression still calm. Her shoulders were relaxed but not slack, and her fingers were lightly clasped on her knees. Every tiny movement seemed to be precisely calculated, without any unnecessary effort or expiation. She said softly, "I'm here to tell you this, too."

Tang Yuchuan looked at her and his heart tightened slightly.

After a brief silence, Tan Jing suddenly spoke up and said, "Maybe... it's Gu Xing."

On the other side, there was a knock on Zou Ping's door, interrupting her plan to buy a ticket back home.

The temporary assistant assigned to her by the company was standing at the door, holding a stack of documents and a schedule.

"Ping, your upcoming schedule is already full," the assistant said in a calm, expressionless voice, but every word carried an irresistible force. "The situation here cannot be adjusted. If you breach the agreement, it may affect the cooperation with Maison Clairvoix and other partners."

Zou Ping bit her lower lip lightly and said in a low voice: "I just want to go back to China for a few days."

The assistant shook her head and explained, "Ping, the spirit of contract is very important. It not only affects your reputation, but also the reputation of our brand."

He pulled out his schedule and briefly outlined the schedule. "This month, you'll be completing the installation of two exhibitions in Lyon: one is the launch of a limited-edition capsule collection with Maison Clairvoix, including final adjustments to the stage backdrop, lighting, and set design; the other is your solo oil painting exhibition, which requires the installation and commissioning of the final three large-scale works. Additionally, you'll be required to record creative explanation videos for the online collaboration series in Paris and Milan."

Zou Ping's heart sank slightly, she knew that these tasks were tight and could not be changed at will.

The assistant then added, "You haven't told us about your plans to return to China before, so these are already arranged. However, I can submit a request to our director to give you a month's vacation after you complete these tasks."

Zou Ping was a little hesitant. She wanted to return home, but her worries prevented her from waiting.

The assistant clearly noticed her hesitation and shrugged gently, saying in a steady tone, "If the exhibition goes well, the director will be generous enough to give you time off. But if you leave rashly, the penalty in the contract will be substantial."

She looked down at her full schedule, her fingers trembling slightly as she thought of the contract she had signed.

The idea of ​​returning home was suppressed by reality, but the concern in my heart did not disappear.

She took a deep breath, as if telling herself: Stay calm first, finish the work seriously, and then go back to see Tang Yuchuan.

Zou Ping came to the studio and forced herself to open the exhibition design drawings, carefully checking the prints of each capsule series clothing, the angle of each light, and the position of each oil painting.

In the studio, the light is dimmed by thick gray curtains, and only the scent of paper, ink, and fabric flows in the air.

Whenever she thought of Tang Yuchuan, she told herself to be serious and focused, and that she could see him when she finished. She reminded herself that at this moment, although she was forced to stay in Lyon, every precise arrangement, every brushstroke, and every design adjustment was secretly narrowing the distance between her and Tang Yuchuan.

It can be regarded as a kind of self-comfort, Zou Ping smiled bitterly, the itinerary scattered on the table, her fingers gently pressed on the document, exerting a little force, as if promising herself: After I finish these, I will come to find you in a month.