Lady

Kan Yu: "Sis, you forgot you're not wearing makeup. You look like a 101-point-dotted dog on the screen."

The spotted puppy, with its snow-white skin, stretched its neck curiously to look at its owner.

Ju Hui let out a sound of surprise, bent down even lower, and handed the baseball cap back to him: "Thank you."

After Ju Hui finished tidying up, she waited for Jing Kuan to finish singing the revised version of "Long Live Love," then seized the opportunity to get up and pull Jiang Yiying away.

Along the way, she could hear the sculpture department freshmen calling her "senior sister, senior sister." Ju Hui smiled with her eyes squinted behind her mask, her feet hurriedly darting away.

The phone rang at that moment; it was Sheng Qijing.

He actually called her, and from a number she'd had for years. Ju Hui was shocked; she didn't dare answer and had no desire to. The call ended automatically half a minute later.

Sheng Qijing's phone on the table went dark, then lit up, then went dark again. He knew Ju Hui wouldn't answer, and he never even considered listening to the dial tone.

He understands Ju Hui.

The man beside her was someone Sheng Qijing recognized; he was her longtime assistant and manager, and he was the only one who had stayed by her side all these years. He took back his phone, swiped up, and sent Weibo to the backend.

The secretary knocked three times and rushed in: "Great news, Mr. Sheng! The unopened vintage wine that Mr. Liu sent you has been successfully unpacked! It's amber in color, and the aroma is correct—it's the unregistered Pente from Laurinde in 1973. Haha, now we have a stabilizing force! Mr. Sheng, when do you plan to proceed with the ceremony…?"

The secretary's chest heaved, and she frowned slightly.

Sheng Qijing didn't listen to his long string of words at all; he was looking down at his phone.

After a while, as if he had just finished processing the information, Sheng Qijing looked up and saw his secretary. He asked in confusion, "Secretary Bu, how did you get in?"

Out of consideration for their relationship, Sheng Qijing should call him "little uncle." The secretary gripped the newly printed test report and left the office, exchanging a brief glance with his assistant at the workstation.

He ignored their awkward laughter, lowered his eyes to straighten his collar, turned around, and knocked on the door.

He continued knocking until the mud on his head was almost burned off and the back of his fingers were almost worn out, before he heard Sheng Qijing answer in a drawn-out voice, "Come in."

He looked down and saw Sheng Qijing standing by the window, making a phone call.

Sheng Qijing: "Go on."

Ju Hui: "What did you say?"

Ju Hui didn't understand. Sitting in the passenger seat, she frowned. In the rearview mirror, she saw Jiang Yiying's camera again.

Jiang Yiying withdrew her hand only after she showed a bad expression.

"Mr. Sheng, we had planned to hold a vertical tasting event for the old vintages of Château Laurun in Mochen, and we can use this case of Pente that Mr. Liu gave you. It's time to put the tasting event on the agenda."

The receiver was clear, and Ju Hui knew that his secretary was reporting on his work. But the microphone seemed to be muted, and Ju Hui didn't hear Sheng Qijing's response for a long time.

Sheng Qijing: "Why aren't you saying anything? What do you think should be done about the tasting event?"

Ju Hui: "You're waiting for me to say it. How would I know?"

"The tasting event will be held in Ruobei. It will be a private event. Please don't invite too many media. I will have Cheng Yi arrange the specific list."

Cheng Yi, one of the secretary's assistants who was grinning foolishly at Secretary Bu outside the door.

Ju Hui heard a "okay".

Sheng Qijing sat back down and asked Ju Hui, "A friend sent a case of fine wine. Would you like to come and try it sometime?"

Ju Hui turned her head and looked at the extra raindrops outside the window: "You can call me while you're talking to your secretary about work."

"Is that not allowed?"

"No, that's fine."

After a while.

"It just reminds me of Sheng Zhen."

Ju Hui spoke of the person they both remembered, like the lingering foam of fine wine finally rising to the surface: "He also left me hanging like that, making me feel embarrassed. If I went there, would you insist that I have an aperitif?"

"Ju Hui." Sheng Qijing's voice turned completely cold. "Come, or don't come."

"Let's talk about it later." Ju Hui was clear-headed; she couldn't directly refuse Sheng Qijing. "I'll talk about it when I have time to go back to China."

Ju Hui hung up the phone.

The rain started to fall harder, and Jiang Yiying muttered to herself, "I wonder what will happen to the students behind us..."

Kan Yu didn't speak, and Ju Hui was thinking about other things. The return journey was quiet because of the inexplicable low pressure.

The headlights flashed by, mingling with the raindrops on the windshield, like pale yellow sparkling wine, and Ju Hui's arms began to itch.

"Sister, don't grab me randomly."

"It's nothing, just some autumn mosquitoes on the lawn."

"Ju Hui, are you having an allergic reaction?" Jiang Yiying stood up upon hearing this, paused, then added, "Jia Ping mentioned before that you get rashes on your arms. Incense sticks can help relieve them. Should we go get some from Jia Ping?"

"No need, it's already fine."

Ju Hui patted her forearm and clenched her fist to show them that there were no rashes or bloodstains. "Don't worry."

Jiang Yiying met her gaze, nodded, and sat back down.

On the phone.

Jiang Yiying: [Jiaping, does Ju Hui have urticaria? It just started raining, and she scratched her arm while we were still in the car.]

Bian Jiaping: [She is in Ruobei.]

Bian Jiaping replied very quickly.

Bian Jiaping: [She, you, and who else?]

Jiang Yiying finally understood what Ju Hui meant by surveillance: "And her agent too."

A while later, Bian Jiaping replied: [It's not because of the rain; she doesn't have urticaria.]

Jiang Yiying tilted her head. Was it because of the lawn? She wasn't sure, but there was no need to ask for the specific reason. The important thing was to ask where to buy the incense sticks.

Just as Jiang Yiying was thinking about how to ask the appropriate question, Bian Jiaping sent another message:

The incense sticks were made by a craftsman; she knows where they are. Tell her to go get them quickly and not to be so proud.

The rain continued into the next day.

Ju Hui wore a long button-down shirt today that was difficult to roll up the sleeves of.

Today she and Kan Yu are going to continue looking at studio locations. The National Day holiday is coming soon, and even if there are vehicle restrictions today, they will still have to take a taxi or rent another car. They can't afford to delay the rental process even for a day.

Kan Yu reprimanded Ju Hui: "You can't always think about resting. Now that you've slept with your muse, focus on creating. Show me your revised sketches these next few days."

Ju Hui gripped the steering wheel, her fingers moving restlessly like she was playing the piano: "Where have you been resting? I used all my inspiration to design a ring for President Yun, okay?"

"You went twice and didn't do it?"

Ju Hui was amused by Kan Yuchun, who now genuinely believed that Shanghai was her "charging station," a trip there would replenish her inspiration and support her work.

Ju Hui's brows relaxed, and she went along with his words: "He probably got tired of the novelty. The first time we met, I got caught in the rain and it was quite enjoyable. The second time, I put on makeup and bought a birthday cake, but he didn't even lift a finger."

How old is he?

Why do you care about him?

I said my age.

Kan Yu rubbed his temples, his eyes fixed on her lively hands. Without the steering wheel seal, they would have to go to the hospital for treatment right now.

"Oh, thirty-one."

"hiss……"

Ju Hui glared at him: "What? You're not old. You won't live to be thirty-one?"

“No.” Kan Yu smiled bitterly. “Nowadays, everyone wants to know what age to get married and have children. He probably thinks he’s too old. Who’s 31 and still entangled with their college girlfriend?”

Ju Hui's voice was hoarse.

Kan Yu turned off the air conditioning, glanced discreetly at the steering wheel, and smiled. Not bad, he'd cured the boss's flirtatious habit with a single word.

Ju Hui does not agree with the assertion that "age is positively correlated with the necessity of being married and pregnant".

She is surrounded by counter-arguments such as unmarried women who are pregnant and unmarried women who consider themselves married.

Age does not affect their personal choices. They did what was truly necessary before they reached Ju Hui's age, so all Ju Hui really needs to do is enjoy the present moment.

This is Ju Hui's idea.

But she didn't know what Sheng Qijing was thinking.

When he sees the cake, does he think how wonderful it would be if his wife and children bought it? Or does he wish he were touching a woman of marriageable age whom he admires?

No wonder Sheng Qijing is impotent; just think about it, she's impotent too.

Ju Hui really should know more about Sheng Qijing...

By the time she finished letting her mind wander, it was already past midnight. Ju Hui's nightgown had rolled up to her stomach, leaving her spread out in a starfish shape.

The horizontal stroke of the arms slowly rippled with an itchy sensation, like ants carrying cat hairs crawling up the left and right strokes.

Ju Hui coughed twice, rubbed her arms together, and checked the time: 2:30 a.m.

With a whoosh, Ju Hui jumped out of bed, changed her clothes, and went out.

This is the perfect time to drive and grab some incense.

Ju Hui's itchy arms were caused by Bian Jiaping, and she blamed him for it.

Bian Jiaping took her to the Feast at Hongmen, he agreed to Sheng Zhen's desire to see Ju Hui, Bian Jiaping drank the sparkling wine with her, and even the incense that relieved the itching was found by Bian Jiaping.

Ju Hui has the right to criticize Bian Jiaping.

The incense sticks were located in Suite 2003 of the Yunque Hotel in the CBD, a room that Bian Jiaping had reserved for her.

After giving her name and ID number at the front desk, the staff member handed Ju Hui a room key in a businesslike manner, smiling and saying, "Have a pleasant stay."

Ju Hui took the elevator up.

The door number is 2003. Stop, then the door opens with a beep.

The delicate fragrance of jasmine wafts towards you.

She closed the door, turned on the light, and walked from the entrance hall into the bedroom.

"Ju Hui".

She was called to a stop by someone from the side.

Ju Hui froze in the middle of the corridor and turned her head.

The study door was ajar, the light was off, and Bian Jiaping sat facing the doorway, his frameless glasses revealing long and complex English sentences in the computer files.

Bian Jiaping looked down at her and asked, "How's your arm?"

The next day, when Kan Yu arrived at Ju Hui's door with breakfast, she received a WeChat message from her boss: she would not sign the studio lease agreement in Songzhuang today, as she was going to look at other properties.

To be precise, it belongs to Bian Jiaping and is intended to be given to Ju Hui as a studio.

Ju Hui was driving, and Bian Jiaping was sitting in the passenger seat. It felt incredibly strange.

Bian Jiaping examined the car's interior and asked, "Did you just buy this car, or did you rent it?"

Ju Hui had intended to keep quiet the whole way: "Ao Nan lent it to me; I haven't figured out the car buying process yet."

"You need a Beijing license plate quota to register your vehicle; I can give you one."

"How will it be given? Inheritance? Or transfer? Are you planning to be my father or my husband?"

Bian Jiaping stared at Ju Hui for a moment: "Anything is fine, if you need it."

"Get out!"

“You want the company quota for Yun Que? I’ll get it sorted out for you. The same goes for the house.” Bian Jiaping finished speaking and turned to look out the window.

I opened the car window, and the wind howled in.

He became one with the autumn of Ruobei.

"Hmm." Ju Hui said in a muffled voice, her emotions unreadable. "Don't rush to make amends. Let me see the house first before deciding whether to accept your apology."

Bian Jiaping remained silent.

The car was parked in front of Sheng Qijing's house, where Bian Jiaping had first come to pick her up.

The house on the map is located next to the loft, and it really is next door. It shares a wall with Sheng Qijing's house, and they are 0 meters apart.

Bian Jiaping frowned: "You said his house was nice to live in... were you trying to annoy me? Never mind, I didn't think too much about it, and I didn't intend to buy so close by. This is the only house with a similar layout around here."

The location was somewhat awkward. Ju Hui nodded, took her hand out of her pocket, and prepared to push open the door to enter the courtyard to look at the house.

"Squeak—"

The familiar place came alive again. Sheng Qijing came out from next door, dressed in a black suit, looking like he had just arrived on a dusty morning.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Sheng Qijing greeted him with a smile.

I don't know if it was Ju Hui or Bian Jiaping.

"Ju Hui, do you have time to chat?"

Ju Hui admitted that this was a huge choice. On one side was Bian Jiaping, with whom she was finally about to reconcile, and on the other side was Sheng Qijing, with whom she also had a lot of questions to ask. She gripped the iron gate of the courtyard, unable to push it open or close it, her voice like a series of sighs.

"Go."

Bian Jiaping gave her a push.

"I'll have a smoke, then I'll go inside and wait for you."

As the smoke rose, Ju Hui and Sheng Qijing disappeared from his sight, but Bian Jiaping felt a stomachache again and quickly put out the cigarette.

As the autumn wind blew, the former owner of this courtyard, in a refined mood, planted two persimmon trees in the yard. The fruit, orange-red, hung high, and one could sit and watch them all day.

Bian Jiaping stared at the fruit scraps that had fallen last year for a long time.

He received a long-awaited voice message from Ju Hui:

【Jiaping, you can go now. We can look at houses together again next time. Um... sorry, I have to go now.】