Chapter 63 Chapter 63

Air conditioners run constantly year-round, and the salty, damp sea breeze carried by the ebb and flow of the tides envelops every passerby in a sweltering heat. It's only May, but early summer in P City is already a steamer.

And after driving for just two hours, turning into the deserted and quiet country road on the outskirts of the city, you will immediately find yourself in the cool breeze of the wilderness.

Pushing aside the weeds and undergrowth reveals a whole new world. Hidden among the weeds lie acres of vibrant flower fields. It's early blooming rose season, and the vibrant colors and shapes of the blossoms are dazzling. Because they've been neglected, each blossom spreads out in all directions, exuding a certain wildness.

An Jiyue sat quietly in the car, with the window half lowered, sniffing the faint fragrance.

The first time she visited Zhu Ling's flower fields, she was struck by the vibrant vitality there. It was as if these flowers and plants weren't meant to bloom for anyone, but rather they desperately sucked up the sun and rain, simply to flourish and grow wildly in their limited lives.

They live like humans—perhaps even more soberly than many of us.

The moonlight tonight is as pure as ice and as delicate as a hook.

An Jiyue sat alone in the sea of flowers under the moonlight, feeling comfortable and at peace.

The main hall used for meetings was dimly lit. The long shadows of a man and a woman appeared in front of the door, and soon their footsteps were reflected in the sea of flowers in the courtyard.

The man's thin back was slightly hunched, his hair, which had previously obscured his brow, lifted by the evening breeze mingled with the fragrance of flowers. He lowered his head, his features deep, yet the curve of his face seemed exceptionally gentle in the moonlight.

The woman being stared at by his glass-like eyes had her skirt flying, and she raised her eyes in confusion. After a long time, she finally curled her lips tentatively.

She handed the man a small handmade paper bag, and as if she had made a great decision, she took half a step forward.

The long shadows slowly approached, overlapped, and then separated.

The two people separated, one standing by the door and the other waving goodbye as they walked along the road, until the tall and thin figure of the man got into the car.

A moment later, the door of the tourmaline-gray BMW opened and gently closed. An Jiyue looked through the rearview mirror at the woman's lost, thoughtful face and remained silent.

She remembered that the last time she walked out of this sea of flowers, she had also felt lost. This place was clearly full of life, so why did it always make people feel so lost?

Zhu Ling rested her head on the leather back seat, a rare look of fatigue on her face.

"Director An, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Her voice was also slightly hoarse, perhaps due to Zhong Xinwu's infection.

"Just call me Jiyue." An Jiyue's brown eyes were as calm as a lake, quietly gazing at her. "Sister Zhu Ling, do you want to take a break? Nothing is more important than your health. We can talk tomorrow."

"That won't do. I invited you here, and you even came all the way to pick me up after dark."

Zhu Ling pulled herself up, rubbing her willow-leaf brows and whispering an address to An Jiyue.

"I'll have to trouble Sister Jiyue again. Let's talk somewhere else."

An Jiyue asked in surprise: "Isn't it here?"

Zhu Ling smiled at her tiredly, shook her head, and her eyes were full of apology.

The BMW started slowly and drove smoothly on the deserted country road. The fragrance of the roses became farther and farther away, and finally only a faint trace of it remained, lingering around.

An Jiyue sniffed, belatedly realizing it was most likely Zhu Ling's scent. She turned on the radio, and a melodious tune streamed in, the night breeze blowing from nowhere bringing a sense of relief.

-

They drove all the way to the old town of Guankou.

A few kilometers away from the bright lights and nightlife, there are old and dilapidated buildings scattered around, with lights sparsely lit in twos and threes.

This was once a prosperous place when P City was just emerging. The buildings, now no longer glamorous, were once the envied, top-tier private residences decades ago.

Most of the people who lived here back then were part of P City's first wave of wealthy newcomers. They've now moved to other parts of the city, either to secluded or prime locations in the heart of the city. The old houses they left behind are either vacant or rented out to young people just as passionate as they were back then.

The car stopped slowly. An Jiyue didn't understand what was going on and continued to remain silent.

She had a feeling that Zhu Ling's unusual invitation was neither for business nor for the show.

An Jiuyue had some unreasonable guesses in her mind. She always felt that this inexplicable invitation was more likely for the male guest who she fell in love with at first sight.

Whatever the reason, An Jiyue didn't reject it. Over the past period of time, not only had Zhu Ling's irresistible charm won her over, but her constant cooperation and support for her on the show alone had already made up her mind to make friends with her.

Her brown velvet eyes were calm and peaceful, waiting for Zhu Ling's arrangements.

Zhu Ling said briefly, "Let's go up."

They wore high-end fashion from head to toe, avoiding the critical and suspicious eyes of the security guards downstairs, and took the old elevator upstairs. An Jiyue felt uneasy under the gazes along the way. She happened to be asked by Yue Hui to meet an industry expert today, and she felt that she was dressed a little too much.

Zhu Ling, however, ignored everyone calmly. She led An Jiuyue to the foot room at the end of the corridor, took out a carefully collected key from the compartment of her handbag, and skillfully opened the door with a rusty keyhole.

The room was covered with heavy blackout curtains. Zhu Ling did not turn on the lights and stepped into the darkness.

Her figure disappeared, leaving An Jiyue hesitant at the door for a moment. After a while, An Jiyue heard a soft female voice calling her from inside.

"Jiyue, come in."

The dim orange-yellow light spread out. An Jiyue stepped half a foot into the threshold and saw Zhu Ling already sitting on the low-legged sofa in the small living room.

The girl at the door was stunned.

Beside Zhu Ling, in the dim room, the walls were covered with sheets of drawing paper. The yellowed, stiff paper trembled slightly with the stirring of the air outside the door, and grayish-white figures flashed across the pages, seemingly greeting An Jiyue one by one.

Every person smiling and frowning on the paper is Zhu Ling.

To be more precise, it was a much younger Zhu Ling. Back then, her eyes weren't as sparkling as they are now, but rather as clear and innocent as a fawn. In the few rare colored drawings, her delicate, firm lips were still pale in color, and the alluring contours of her face were still barely defined.

An Jiyue couldn't help but slowly reach out and pinch the corner of a piece of paper. After examining it for a while, she removed her thumb and saw the faint signature: Xiao Meng.

The two characters are square, but the strokes are free and unrestrained, unconventional, and dashing.

"This is me ten years ago." Zhu Ling said softly.

"Ten years ago?"

"This man is also the man from ten years ago," she continued.

An Jiyue sensed something strange in her voice: "The man from ten years ago? Was he your boyfriend at the time?"

Zhu Ling nodded. She shifted her posture and sank completely into the soft sofa.

“He was my first boyfriend, a painter.

"We met because of his paintings. He was clearly an established painter, but he often disguised himself as a street artist, doing quick portraits. But he couldn't pretend to be convincing. If the artist's appearance didn't meet his aesthetic standards, he would refuse the business. There were also people who were particularly connoisseurs and would force him to paint a piece just because he brought a few small works. Xiao Meng would just paint a few strokes according to his true likes and dislikes, and then use the money he had deceived to buy a cup of coffee.

"That day, when I was passing by, he suddenly stopped me and insisted on painting my portrait for free. I refused and was in a hurry to leave, so he followed me all the way and asked for my contact information."

Zhu Ling's eyes flickered. "Guess what the first thing he said to me was? 'Would you be honored to be my model?'"

An Jiyue's eyes widened instantly, unable to believe it.

It was exactly the same as the first sentence Zhong Xinwu said to Zhu Ling.

An Jiyue blinked and said dryly, "They are all artists... maybe it's just a coincidence."

Zhu Ling propped up her temples, gently closed her eyes, and whispered, "Later, I moved in here with him. He was like possessed, using me as a model for his paintings every few days.

"But I feel like bad luck."

An Jiyue raised her lips suddenly, and was about to stop her from speaking, but Zhu Ling waved her hand indifferently, signaling her not to worry.

She lay on her back, her long hair covering half of her face, her plum-red skirt spread out, and the curves of her legs swayed.

"Ever since he's been with me, he hasn't sold a single painting. The appraisers are like monsters. They frown at his paintings and say they're full of undisguised, sour, and crafty art. They say he's got something on his mind, and that he might as well just paint nudes instead..."

"Xiao Meng told me this as a joke. He didn't think it mattered. Xiao Meng also told me that those people were right. The only person I really want to paint now is you.

"He had no income for two or three years. I had just started working at the time, and the money I earned was not enough to support the level of expenses he and I had previously spent. Xiao Meng never changed his lifestyle, and our previous savings were quickly depleted."

"I work during the day and am asked to model for him at night. Chaumont never dictates my posture. He only wants me to focus on one thing and maintain it for a period of time. He always says that I am charming no matter what."

An Jiyue looked at her hazy curves through the layers of paintings in the orange light, and silently agreed with the painter's statement in her heart.

Equally hazy and moving was her voice, light and dreamy. "Those two years were a waste of money, life, and love. Xiao Meng's inexplicable obsession filled almost every corner of my life. He was willing to arrange everything for me and cared about my every emotion—a frown from me could lead to him questioning all day long. I didn't get off work early, but he would prepare dinner every day and even pair it with red wine. Later, when I told him I didn't like drinking, he personally planted dozens of rose varieties and collected the buds to make scented tea...

An Jiyue was speechless. She had assumed Zhu Ling's fondness for flowers and plants was a refined hobby, and that scented tea was simply a natural development. She had never considered this connection.

Zhu Ling opened her eyes, as if falling back into reality, awakening from a dream. "But when all his friends were implying that I was a troublemaker because of my beauty and refused to help, when he couldn't even afford the last month's rent, and when no matter how much I tried to persuade him to save money, it was futile, I still left."