Lady

"It's okay, thank you, you don't need to say anything." Ju Hui used the plastic bag as a handbag, raised her hand to wipe her mouth, "That kiss just now was your treat for me to try Pente. You're really an old-fashioned person, quite strong. My arm is really itchy, I'm going back to find some incense."

Sheng Qijing watched her walk away as she spoke, her bath towel half-fallen off, still unable to seduce him.

Tonight, she went to the terrace with him, afraid that Sheng Qijing would define her as his girlfriend, yet genuinely wanting him to introduce her to his friends. She was constantly playing a game of cat and mouse with him, making it impossible for Sheng Qijing to tell whether she was sober or drunk.

The moment she stepped into his arms, he was afraid she would turn around and leave again; Ju Hui was so nagging.

Sheng Qijing held back, but he didn't want her to leave now: "Since you've had your drinks, I won't see you off."

As she said this, Ju Hui opened the driver's car door: "It's alright, I'm going to Yun Que, it's very close."

Where are you staying tonight?

"Um."

The bright moon hangs high, the courtyard is desolate, and there is nothing to rely on.

Facing Ju Hui's arm, Sheng Qijing, who was about to teach Ju Hui to look him in the eye, changed his mind and returned to the twenty-two-year-old who would leave in a flash if he said something harsh.

Sheng Qijing held his breath: "That Director Wang is bent, just like his bowlegs."

Ju Hui exclaimed, not understanding how he had gotten to Director Wang's bowlegged legs. She thought she had misheard, but after thinking for a moment, she realized that Sheng Qijing was referring to his sexual orientation.

What does his sexual orientation have to do with her?

Because she added Director Wang on WeChat today?

Suddenly, Ju Hui was offended by him. She gave him a cold look and nodded silently: "I figured it out a long time ago. I asked for Kan Yu's WeChat. He wants to be in a relationship."

After he finished speaking, the car headlights illuminated the small front yard and Sheng Qijing.

Until Ju Hui disappeared from sight.

-

During this holiday, Ruobei's traffic congestion index ranked first in the country.

Jiang Yiying waited for three days to get a high-speed rail ticket back to Jiangxi.

She managed to buy a ticket for 6 a.m. the next day at the early morning of September 30th. She rushed there in a taxi, but was stopped on the elevated road near the entrance. She was forced to get out of the car early and drag her suitcase for several hundred meters.

Later, I heard from classmates who took the high-speed train at the same time that after they left, the taxi drivers stayed behind, causing a traffic jam that stretched for a kilometer and took an hour to clear, but this didn't make it to the trending topics.

Traffic was booming and demand was high during this holiday.

I don't know about others, but her "Unlucky Bear Goes Home" vlog only got average views, with the most comments and likes being "Are the senior students coming too?"

The commentator's IP address is located in Jiangxi. His homepage features a high school math midterm mock exam paper with a score of 88, and calling himself "Senior Sister Ju Hui" is just a way of following the trend.

After the campus singing competition ended, someone posted a clip of Jing Kuan's performance online. His rendition of "Long Live Love" was nice, but too unrestrained, resembling Chen Xinhong when he first joined Rock Records. The video went viral for a while.

The video didn't capture the ten or so seconds that Ju Hui appeared, but she became a secret code among Ruomei students in the comments section, with the term "senior sister" appearing frequently.

Jiang Yiying chose to ignore it and continued scrolling down, picking out some replies unrelated to Ju Hui. This deliberate avoidance increased the popularity of the comments about her senior.

Jiang Yiying was astonished. Her vlog didn't miss a single hair of Ju Hui's, and some sharp-eyed netizens even recognized her as the "senior's" younger sister, someone from their gossip network.

Jiang Yiying hesitantly told Ju Hui about the situation, but the other party did not respond and asked her not to pay attention to it either: "Just don't reply. Wait until they forget about it, and your video will have gained enough popularity."

Jiang Yiying suddenly understood.

"Yiying, is it particularly convenient for you to go to Jingdezhen?" Ju Hui asked her over the phone.

Jiang Yiying paused for a moment: "Yes, is it something you want me to buy for you?"

“It’s not about buying. I have two earthen kilns that I’ve left there, and I want to see how they are doing.” Ju Hui’s voice was weak. “I’ll reimburse the expenses. I’ll send you the location.”

Jiang Yiying hummed in agreement, and after waiting for a while, she only heard the sound of someone turning over and rubbing against the pillow.

Sister Ju Hui is asleep.

Jiang Yiying hung up silently.

The next afternoon, Ju Hui had just sat down at Vin et Vie when she received a message from Jiang Yiying: "I've arrived in Jingdezhen. There are definitely more people here than where we are. Where should I look for a kiln? [starry-eyed]"

Ju Hui: [What kind of earthen kiln?]

Jiang Yiying: [I called you yesterday, and you said there were two earthen kilns here.]

The phone call wasn't a dream after all. She realized that the call was real, so she sent Master Li the location of his kiln, transferred 1,000 yuan to him, and told him that the place was far from the city center and it was inconvenient for him to go there. She told him to find a hotel to stay in first.

"Miss Ju, are you replying to President Sheng's message?"

Wang Liumu asked from across the table.

Seeing Ju Hui put down her phone, his smile widened. Wang Kehui had just been transferred back to Ruobei from France, and Wang Liumu was Director Wang's secretary, young and still somewhat student-like. He was new to the workforce and willing to listen to his seniors, believing in being bold yet meticulous in his work. He was here today on Director Wang's instructions to "spend more time with clients" during his vacation.

Director Wang said that Ms. Ju and President Sheng have a close relationship and that he could chat with her about private matters.

Ju Hui squinted and quietly leaned closer: "Secretary Wang, does Director Wang like President Sheng?"

Wang Liumu's expression froze: "What do you mean?"

“I was talking to him about work in a very proper way, and he kept referring to me as President Sheng. Did Secretary Wang ask me to meet with him to spy on me, his love rival?”

"Xiao Hui—"

Before Wang Liumu could even process what was happening, Yun Aonan walked in from the shop entrance with a look of surprise and carefully scanned Wang Liumu from head to toe.

Ju Hui looked up and saw that Yun Aonan was dressed beautifully today, wearing a polka-dot long dress. The thin fabric accentuated her figure. A man followed behind her, carrying her padlock bag. The leather plaid pattern on the bag matched the print on his shirt. He was wearing a gold watch on his wrist, which was even brighter than the padlock.

She and Yun Aonan made eye contact.

Ju Hui: Is this your date?

Yun Aonan: Don't laugh, yours is even more ordinary.

Yesterday, Yun Aonan asked her out to dinner, saying that since she hadn't dated a man in so many years, she had to introduce her to a few so she could have a taste of romance.

Ju Hui said she was busy today and declined, but didn't say what she was busy with, nor did she mention that they would all come to the Sheng siblings' club.

This is such a coincidence.

The two smiled broadly and chatted briefly. Then, as if on cue, Yun Aonan went to sit by the window a little further away and sent Sheng Qijing a message: 【Ju Hui's aesthetic sense has declined.】

Sheng Qijing immediately replied: [?]

It was Wang Liumu's off-get off work time. He wasn't wearing a suit and leather shoes. Facing Ju Hui, with whom he could chat, he said, "Perhaps. President Sheng is both talented and handsome; he should be Director Wang's type."

Ju Hui laughed, her hair trembling. Wang Liumu looked at her carefully for a few moments, then said, "But Miss Ju, you are young and beautiful, a perfect match for President Sheng. Director Wang also said that."

Director Wang didn't say that.

Seeing the smile slowly disappear from Ju Hui's eyes, Wang Liumu feared that she didn't believe him either, so he lowered his eyes and took out the gift he wanted to give from his bag.

Silk scarf, a collaboration between LOUIS VUITTON and the Tera Art Centre.

Wang Liumu smiled and said, "Director Wang asked me to bring this for you."

The rectangular box lay flat on the table, quite heavy. The box wasn't the classic orange-blue, but a dark blue that blended with the black tabletop, inlaid with silver, and a bow was sticking out, waiting for Ju Hui to open it.

Ju Hui didn't want to dismantle it, but responded with surprise, asking Secretary Wang to put it away first.

Ju Hui was able to recognize the collaboration because she had just looked up Tera, a small art center in Paris that Bailan, an investor in Mo Chen, acquired four years ago. It was not profitable and had an average annual deficit.

This collaboration was most likely orchestrated by Bailan with substantial financial backing.

After acquiring Tera, the Bu family realized that the success of Mo Cun could not be replicated, and that Sheng Qijing was the key to helping them establish their artistic reputation in France.

Wang Kehui told Ju Hui that the board of directors wanted Sheng Qijing to take over Tera in order to recover revenue. Sheng Qijing agreed, but on certain conditions: he demanded that if the situation improved, Bailan would give him 20% of Mochen's shares, meaning that Bailan would essentially withdraw from Mochen.

These conditions were too harsh, but the board of directors relented and offered corresponding terms: if it didn't work out within two years, Sheng Qijing would leave Mochen and receive a pension.

Both parties reached an agreement and signed a performance-based agreement.

To be honest, seeing this silk scarf made Ju Hui's heart sink just as much as when she heard the news.

But she quickly let go, put the scarf back into the box, and said frankly, "Give it back to Director Wang. I appreciate the sentiment."

Director Wang's words carried weight, but Ju Hui only believed half of them.

He told Ju Hui this inside information because he wanted her to help Sheng Qijing sign a contract with Tera using her fame, create some new series of works, hold exhibitions in China, and secure a performance-based agreement for Sheng Qijing.

But what good does this do him?

Wang Kehui is a director, but his promotion opportunities have been squeezed out by Sheng Qijing. If Sheng Qijing succeeds in the bet, Mo Chen will completely belong to Sheng. Director Wang was appointed by headquarters, and Sheng Qijing will not keep him.

When Ju Hui heard this news, she was either foolish or felt sorry for Sheng Qijing; if he was doing well, then she was doing well too.

Ju Hui tossed the silk scarf aside without giving it another glance. She chatted with Wang Liumu about random things, and having had enough social time, she knew it was time to leave.

The secretary disappointed Ju Hui; he didn't provide any new or useful information, and Ju Hui's expectations were dashed.

Ju Hui had learned about the conflict between Bai Lan and Sheng Qijing when she was studying in Norway. When Wang Kehui mentioned the words "help," "Sheng Qijing," and "Bai Lan" at the tasting event, Ju Hui thought that she could do something for him to alleviate the guilt that had been building up for years.

disappointment.

"Miss Ju, you came by taxi, right? I'll take you home." Wang Liumu grabbed the paper bag and prepared to get up, determined to hand over the handkerchief.

Before Yun Aonan sat down, she gave Ju Hui a look, meaning "find an excuse to take me away later." She didn't want to stay with that eligible bachelor until dinner time, but she was also a tough opponent. Secretary Wang was entangled with her, and she couldn't get away.

Ju Hui: "..."

She couldn't hear anything anymore, silently reminding her phone over and over in her mind, "Calling, calling..."

During her university years, Yun Aonan was particularly enthusiastic about "meditation manifestation" and even found a low-definition documentary released in 2008. The narration, with its chanting, tells the story of villagers changing the color of a lake through their thoughts and an elderly woman in the neighborhood reviving a balcony of dead flowers through conversation.

Ju Hui didn't believe it at the time, but now she's starting to believe it—she managed to get her friend to call her via WeChat using her mind.

Ju Hui calmly picked it up; it was a video call from Jiang Yiying.

The next second, Ju Hui clicked to hang up.

She switched to voice mode and called back, holding the phone to her ear and gesturing to Wang Liumu, "I'm taking this call."

Secretary Wang nodded blankly, looking at Ju Hui who was beaming with smiles.

"What's wrong, Qi Jing?"

Ju Hui lowered her voice beforehand to ensure that Jiang Yiying's doubts wouldn't reach a second ear. Ju Hui smiled and said, "Yes, I'm in your club now."

She looked up and around to see where the cameras were.

Regardless of Jiang Yiying's frantic explanations: "Sister Ju Hui, I'm not that senior!"

Secretary Wang lowered his head awkwardly, remaining silent and shrinking back. This was the agreed-upon location; Director Wang had specifically instructed him to come here.

Wang Liumu didn't know this was Sheng Qijing's club, and didn't want to be misunderstood.

"Who am I chatting with? You can't monitor me 24/7," Ju Hui sighed, finding the nearest camera location.

And Yun Aonan, who was walking from that direction.

Ju Hui frowned. Yun Aonan was also holding a phone to his ear, pointing at her. The man who had been with her hadn't come along, and she didn't have a bag on her elbow.

She wasn't leaving; she came looking for her?

Ju Hui looked away, continuing her act, and asked Jiang Yiying, "Are you watching the surveillance footage right now?"

Jiang Yiying said, "Who are you trying to fool? Who is it... It's not like... a bad guy has come to the house!"

"No," Ju Hui reassured her, "...That's good."

Ju Hui spoke softly, trying her best to suppress her heartbeat, and calmly waved her left hand, mouthing to Wang Liumu, "You go first."

Secretary Wang stood up awkwardly. Yun Aonan had just walked over, holding his phone at chest height. She took a small step back to make way for Ju Hui's date, and her phone lit up for two seconds.

Contact person displayed: Sheng Qijing.

Secretary Wang: "..."

These three words happened to catch Wang Liumu's eye. He was startled and quickly left, like a mistress who had been hiding in the bedroom closet and was finally free.

Ju Hui sighed and looked at Yun Aonan, who had sat down next to her, with a puzzled expression, unaware that his phone, which was upside down on the corner of the table, was still on a call.

Yun Aonan shook her head: "You make the call first."

Ju Hui nodded: "Yi Ying, some TV drama plots really shouldn't be imitated."

Jiang Yiying laughed heartily, feeling relieved. She asked Ju Hui if they could still video chat, as she wanted her to see the earthen kiln in person.

Ju Hui agreed.

At 3 p.m., it was drizzling in Jingdezhen.

The rain, which Ju Hui hadn't heard all along, suddenly intensified, pounding against the umbrella canopy with a pitter-patter. The transparent umbrella buckle behind Jiang Yiying appeared and disappeared intermittently. She took a few steps, then stopped in one spot. The camera flipped, and a cold, grayish-green hue permeated the entire screen.

The half-meter-high yawning kitten kiln seemed to have shrunk, crookedly nestled in the weeds by the wall.

The rough kiln wall is covered with patterns of moss, and it leans to one side, as if the foundation has been raised by the thick tree roots next to it, making it unable to stand steadily; or as if the flame-patterned Tianlu that should have accompanied it had suddenly left, which is why it is so desolate.

"Is this the only earthen kiln left? What about the other places? Are there any other red and blue mythical beasts that look like lions?"

"No, look at the grass next to this cat. It's as tall as the rest of the grass. It must have been moved a long time ago."

Ju Hui looked at it for a while longer, then agreed and told her to go home early.

The call ended.

Yun Aonan pushed the phone closer and asked her, "Whose kiln is that?"

Ju Hui replied, "It seems that the earthen kiln I made in Sheng Qijing has been lost."

"No way."

As Yun Aonan spoke, he picked up his phone, but only saw the screen saver and no call. Just as he was about to call back, Ju Hui's phone lit up.

Sheng Qijing sent a photo.

Ju Hui clicked on it, and the image was loading.

Yun Aonan also cautiously approached.

Two pairs of eyes watched the gray curtain spin, waiting silently—

Tianlu should indeed be thrown away by Sheng Qijing. In his heart, Tianlu should even be blown up in front of the kitten, leaving no trace of its existence, and its wrongdoing would be erased.

Tianlu.

In a daze, the red and blue Tianlu suddenly appeared before her eyes. Eight years had passed, but Tianlu's makeup was still vivid and clean, without any moss. It sat on her balcony, looking out over the Huangpu River every day. It was doing very well.

Sheng Qijing: [It's always been here.]

Sheng Qijing: [You've come back to China and slept with me so many times over the years, yet you've never even glanced at it.]