Chapter 17 "Let's go, let's go home."...

Chapter 17

During her senior year of high school, Fu Linzheng accompanied her while she practiced the violin.

For a while, they sat at the same desk. One day during physics class, she was secretly looking at a violin sheet music when the book accidentally fell under the desk. As the teacher walked over, she panicked, but Fu Linzheng was the first to pick up the sheet music.

The physics teacher was a serious, middle-aged man with a receding hairline. When asked what he was doing, Fu Linzheng lazily stood up and said, "Teacher, isn't it obvious? I've been thinking of teaching myself the violin recently."

The physics teacher knew he was smart, and he both loved and hated him. "What time is it for you to be learning the violin?!"

The boy, dressed smartly in a white shirt and black school trousers, smiled lazily and said, "Teacher, nowadays schools require students to develop morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and practically. You know, I'm already so excellent in other areas, shouldn't I learn a musical instrument to cultivate my character? I can't be someone with a weakness."

The whole class laughed. The physics teacher tapped him on the shoulder with his book, suppressing a smile: "Stand there until the end of get out of class!"

The class continued, and Rong Weiyue's heart was pounding. She looked up and saw Fu Linzheng leaning against the window, lazily raising his eyebrows to glance at her. The mole on his eyelid stood out in the sunlight, hiding a smile.

After class, Fu Linzheng kept her in her seat: "My sweet girl, I stood for you for a whole class as punishment, how are you going to thank me?"

She thanked her apologetically, "Shall I treat you to an ice pop?"

"You think you can just fob me off with an ice pop? Rong Weiyue, you're heartless."

The image of what he had previously insisted on doing flashed through her mind, and her usually cool expression flushed slightly: "Nothing else will do..."

He laughed, "I was thinking of at least three popsicles. What did you imagine? Your thoughts are not so simple."

"..."

After school, Fu Linzheng dragged her to the convenience store, but instead treated her to a meal, saying, "I didn't know you could play the violin."

Rong Weiyue lowered her head: "I learned it when I was a child, but I rarely practice it anymore."

Seeing the fleeting sadness in her eyes, his nonchalant tone softened: "Why can't I practice?"

Perhaps because she had been suppressing her feelings for too long, she couldn't help but confide in someone: "My dad said that all I can do now is seriously prepare for the art exam. Playing the violin is something that is not my proper job. If he finds out that I am practicing at home, he will get angry."

Fu Linzheng found it laughable: "Your dad really uses the cramming method to educate you, he can't even let you relax for a bit?"

Rong Weiyue said she wanted to participate in a city violin competition, and the school selection would be held soon. Fu Linzheng leaned down to look at her:

"How about I take you out to practice the piano tonight?"

So, around 8 p.m., while she was doing her homework in her bedroom at home, she received a message from Fu Linzheng. She quietly locked the door, first took the violin to the boy downstairs, and then climbed out the window.

"Dare to jump?"

He raised an eyebrow at her.

Without hesitation, Rong Weiyue jumped down.

She wore a pale lotus-root-colored long dress, like an almond-flavored rose falling into his arms. Fu Linzheng caught her firmly, a smile playing on his lips, his laughter reaching her ears:

"My sweet baby, you're so brave!"

She gripped his arm, her heart still pounding: "Actually, I was afraid you wouldn't be able to catch me, and I'd break my bone..."

Fu Linzheng patted her head and looked down at her:

"How could that be? I can always catch you."

Then Fu Linzheng took her to the school's art building, opened a practice room and led her in, saying that the school's practice rooms were limited and that he could only help her get two hours a day for practice, and that she could come to practice in the morning next time.

"You can leave your violin here with me, and I'll come with you every day."

Rong Weiyue was bewildered; "No need, it's too much trouble for you..."

"What's the trouble? I'm happy to do it."

Fu Linzheng handed her the zither he was carrying: "Practice with peace of mind, I'll wait outside."

Fu Linzheng walked out, and after a while, a melodious piano sound came out. He leaned against the railing and looked inside. The girl was sitting in front of the violin stand, with a violin on her shoulder. Her black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, her slender arms held the violin bow, and her profile had a clear and gentle look.

As Fu Linzheng watched, his heart pounded with heat, and his throat felt itchy.

He desperately wanted to hide her away, to let only he see her, but she was so outstanding that she should stand on a dazzling stage to shine and soar higher.

Later, after Rong Weiyue finished practicing the zither, she went outside and saw him: "Are you always outside?"

"Wow, with such beautiful piano music, I finished all the practice tests right away."

Rong Weiyue's ears turned slightly red as she thanked him, "I hope that when I grow up I can have my own music room. I don't necessarily have to become a great violinist. As long as I can play the violin, I will be very happy."

Fu Linzheng smiled and said, "I know, that's easy."

"What's easy?"

"I'll set up a practice room for you in the future, and I'll accompany you to practice and to competitions."

She was slightly taken aback. In the cold winter night wind, Fu Linzheng wrapped a scarf around her neck and leaned down to look at her tenderly: "Rong Weiyue, tell me whatever you want in the future, and I will make it happen for you, okay?"

From childhood to adulthood, Rong Chengye never prepared a music room specifically for her. She never told her family what she liked because they always disagreed.

But the boy's bright eyes reflected her, and he said he wanted to fulfill all her wishes.

Despite their incredibly youthful age and the fact that they had no future to speak of, his words were fervent and resolute, as if he could truly do what he said.

At that time, Rong Weiyue didn't dare to take those words seriously at all.

But six years later, he kept his promise.

Looking at the room, Rong Weiyue's heart pounded as if sprinkled with popping candy, an unknown emotion churning within her, causing a soft spot to crumble.

After a long while, she edited her chat with him, unsure of what to say, and could only offer her thanks.

Rong Weiyue sat down in a chair, opened the sheet music, picked up the violin, nervously stroked it a few times, took a deep breath, and slowly began to play Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons".

Six years have passed since that incident, and she has never participated in any violin competitions again, nor has she dared to play the violin in front of outsiders.

As the soft strains of the piano began to play, Hu Hu lay down on the carpet to keep her company.

After finishing her piano practice, she felt much calmer. She walked to the sofa and sat down. The neon lights outside the window changed colors. She rested her chin on her hand, looked at Hu Hu at her feet, and murmured softly, "I didn't even know when your father tidied up this place."

Huhu licked her hand, and Rong Weiyue lowered her eyes: "He probably just happened to have some free time and helped me tidy up, but I'm still very touched. I feel like... I owe him more and more."

She didn't know how to repay him.

Before going to bed that night, Rong Weiyue sat on the edge of the bed looking at the moon. She thought back to when Fu Linzheng had asked her after graduation what kind of house she wanted in the future. Leaning against him, she dreamed:

"I love the sea the most. When I grow up, I want a seaside villa with blue and white rooms, like the azure waves. I want my favorite flowers in the back garden. In winter, it snows outside, but there's a warm fireplace in the room. I also want a glass music room and a dog. At night, I can lie on the sofa with you and watch the moon and listen to the tides."

This was her dream, but after they broke up, she never thought about it again.

They reunited during this time, and Fu Linzheng helped her a lot, both in terms of work and housing. She should thank him properly, both emotionally and logically.

The next day, she called Yin Lu and told her what had happened. Yin Lu was shocked: "My God, Fu Linzheng is too good to be true! He even remembered that you wanted the music room! So how are you going to thank him? How about you offer yourself to him? Give him a wife!"

Yin Lu grinned mischievously, and Rong Weiyue scolded her helplessly. Yin Lu said seriously, "A rich second-generation like Fu Linzheng doesn't care about cars or houses. Although we can't afford to give them to him, the sentiment is the most important thing. He's not someone who cares about money."

After thinking for a long time, Rong Weiyue first went to the mall.

By the weekend, there was still no news from Fu Linzheng. After much hesitation, she took the initiative to send him a message:

Fu Linzheng, when are you coming back?

The reply came quickly.

Fu Linzheng: [What's wrong?]

Rong Weiyue slumped onto the sofa, struggling to find the right words: "I want to thank you for your help during this time. I'll treat you to dinner when you get back."

In the training field, a man in a black racing suit stepped out of his race car, his long legs striding off the track. Seeing the message, he abruptly removed his helmet, his expression darkening: "And then you're moving out?"

Rong Weiyue: ?

What is this all about?

Sensing he might have misunderstood, she said, "No, it's just a simple thank you. Don't worry, I've signed the rental agreement and won't breach it."

Fu Linzheng replied with a message: "Probably next Thursday."

Rong Weiyue: [Okay.]

On the other end, Fu Linzheng sat down. The team manager came over to give him feedback on the data. After finishing his water, the man threw the bottle into the trash can and said calmly:

"We'll fill the next two days with training so we can finish the tests as soon as possible and go home."

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Fu Linzheng crossed his long legs on the coffee table, leisurely fiddling with a lighter.

"I can't stand the change in environment here, I can't stay here for even a minute longer. Beijing is much better."

Team Manager: ...?

-

The weekend has passed, and a new week has begun. The production team of "Frost and Snow Chant" has already paid the deposit and entered the detailed design phase.

In the morning, she drove to her studio, but found that the car battery kept giving a warning. Even though it was fully charged and charging was normal, the battery drained very quickly once she started driving.

Rong Weiyue contacted the 4S store, and they told her to drive the car there and that it would take a few days to get the test results.

So these past few days she's been taking the subway to and from get off work. Because she has to transfer, what used to be a five-minute commute now takes half an hour. Although half an hour isn't much, it's hard to go from luxury to frugality these days, and she still finds it troublesome.

On Wednesday, after Rong Weiyue finished designing a longevity peach gift, she took a taxi to the city center in the afternoon to attend a trade fair for imported handicrafts.

This is a trade platform that is regularly held in Beijing. Many foreign handicraft brands participate in the exhibition. In addition to exchanging and learning from each other, they can also seek opportunities for cooperation.

Upon arriving at the entrance, Rong Weiyue took a picture of the trade fair and posted it on her WeChat Moments for promotion. Inside, she saw Russian lacquer painting techniques, chatted with the person in charge, and tried making one herself. She then mentioned that she had brought filigree inlay tools, and the person in charge enthusiastically invited her to demonstrate on the spot.

Many people gathered around to watch. A young woman was wearing a gentle, light blue Suzhou-style long dress. She had a gentle face, long hair that reached her waist, and slender, jade-like hands that were filigreeing.

Finally, Rong Weiyue tied a delicate love knot and combined it with the lacquer painting, handed it to the other party, and said in English with a smile: "I wish you peace and happiness, and that everything goes smoothly. The lacquer painting technique is very beautiful, and it can also be combined with our filigree inlay."

Applause erupted, and the Russian female owner of the lacquer painting factory smiled and shook hands with her: "Ms. Rong, could you please give me your business card? I hope we can have the opportunity to cooperate."

"sure."

Rong Weiyue handed over her business card, and several foreign exhibitors also noticed her and came over to talk to her.

In one afternoon, Rong Weiyue had handed out all the business cards she had brought.

I don't know how many collaborations will actually happen, but at least I've tried my best.

As she was preparing to leave in the evening, someone sent her a WeChat message.

Senior student He Wei: [Weiyue, I saw your WeChat Moments. Are you at the Lanxin Trade Fair? Where are you? I'll come find you. We haven't seen each other in so long.]

She had a falling out with Zhao Xin over renting a place and didn't really want to see He Wei, fearing it would be awkward.

Rong Weiyue rubbed her itchy eyes and replied, "Senior, I'm about to leave."

He Wei: [I came all this way to find you, I'm here now, where are you?]

When pressed for an answer, Rong Weiyue didn't know how to refuse, so she could only say that they were almost at the entrance of Area A.

He Wei: [Okay, then wait for me at the door.]

Rong Weiyue rubbed her eyes, and her right eye suddenly became blurry. She looked down and saw that her contact lens had fallen into her hand.

Oh no, I can't get it on...

Feeling dizzy, she regretfully avoided buying this new daily disposable lens and, after some hesitation, removed the other half of the lens.

I'm no longer dizzy, but my vision is completely blurry.

I have 300 degrees of myopia, and I can't even see my surroundings clearly.

She hadn't brought a spare pair of glasses with her, so she slowly made her way outside. It started raining heavily. The expo had just ended, and many cars were driving out, causing a traffic jam. The sky was overcast.

Rong Weiyue stood in front of the rain curtain, her voice calling out, "Weiyue—"

She turned her head and saw He Wei's familiar figure walk up to her, hug her, and seeing her bewildered look, she smiled: "What, you don't recognize me after such a short time?"

"No, I wasn't wearing my glasses..."

He Wei, dressed in a bright red dress, was stunning and alluring. She handed her the gift box she was carrying: "Here, I brought you a gift."

Rong Weiyue noticed it was an expensive cosmetics brand, "Senior, you don't need to..."

He Wei shoved the gift into her hands: "Oh, please accept this. I'm sorry about what happened to my cousin before. I want to apologize to you."

"It's okay, the matter between him and me has been resolved. He has paid what he owed, so there's really no need."

“You’ve moved on, but I can’t get over it. I’ve always felt sorry for you and made you suffer.”

Rong Weiyue declined again, and He Wei looked embarrassed: "Weiyue, I'm embarrassed to ask you if you're going to refuse me like this. Actually, I came to you because I need something from you."

Rong Weiyue roughly guessed, "What?"

He Wei smiled and took her hand: "Recently, I've been trying to get a chance to cooperate with Xin'an Media, but I don't have any connections. However, I found out that Mingheng and Xin'an have a long-term cooperative relationship. I was thinking, don't you know the heir of Mingheng Group? You must have a good relationship with him, right? Can you help me make the connection?"

As He Wei was speaking, a light drizzle fell outside, weaving obliquely into the air. Rong Weiyue heard the sound of an engine, and her gaze shifted slightly, just in time to see a blue-black supercar parked on the side of the road below the steps.

In the hazy water curtain, the sharp, low-slung lines of the car body exuded a suppressed sense of power, like a lurking beast. The car door opened, and a tall, imposing figure emerged from the car, holding a long, all-black umbrella. He raised his eyes, seemingly looking in her direction.

The rain and mist blurred the details of his facial features, but instead made his outline even clearer—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and incredibly long legs, like a still frame that stepped out of a movie.

Rong Weiyue's heart skipped a beat, and she felt that he resembled Fu Linzheng.

But it's only Tuesday, how could it be him...?

Lost in thought, He Wei's voice pulled her back to reality: "Could you please ask President Fu for me? He can solve this with just one phone call."

Rong Weiyue snapped out of her daze, her expression turning somewhat pale, and said, "I'm sorry, senior, I can't help you with this. Fu Linzheng and I don't have the kind of relationship you're imagining."

He Wei frowned: "Wei Yue, I'm really overwhelmed lately. If I don't close this deal, I'll be packing my bags and leaving. Can you help me make the connection? After six years of friendship, how can you just stand by and watch me fail? I used to consider you a friend."

"So after six years of friendship, you just introduced me to your cousin's place to rent an apartment? Don't you know what kind of person he is?"

He Wei's expression stiffened slightly, and Rong Weiyue said calmly, "I can't help you, I'll be leaving now."

As Rong Weiyue was about to leave, He Wei grabbed her: "Weiyue, I apologize for the house incident. Besides, you didn't suffer any losses, did you? I'll treat you to dinner tonight to make amends."

"I have an appointment," she said, making it up.

"What appointment do you have? Stop right there..."

Before Rong Weiyue could shake off He Wei's hand, a force pulled her back, and then a tall, imposing man blocked her way.

The damp air stirred up a faint aroma of blueberry, mint, and tobacco, which lingered in the air and instantly filled the nostrils.

Fu Linzheng looked at He Wei, his cold and weary voice falling:

"She and I had plans, is there a problem?"

The man had a cold and stern face, with dark eyebrows and sharp, sculpted features. His aura was icy and unapproachable.

Rong Weiyue was stunned. So it really was him just now...

He Wei recognized the person in front of her and exclaimed excitedly, "Is this President Fu?! I've heard so much about you!"

She handed him her business card: "Hello, Mr. Fu, my name is He Wei, from Chenxi Pictures..."

"He Wei—" Fu Linzheng uttered these two words, then suddenly laughed: "The college senior who introduced her to the house, right?"

He Wei nodded, "Yes, Mr. Fu, Wei Yue introduced me to you before, and we have a good relationship..."

Fu Linzheng smirked: "I haven't heard Yueyue mention it, but you should know that I beat up your cousin, right?"

He Wei gave a dry laugh, "President Fu, that matter is..."

"You introduced her to such a terrible house, and you still want to set her up with your cousin who's in his forties and has a mountain of debt from stock trading? You have a good relationship with him, and then you lead her into a fire pit?"

Fu Linzheng looked at her with a deep anger in his eyes:

"You bullied her and then wanted to ask me for help? Who gave you the guts?"

Having her thoughts exposed, He Wei broke out in a cold sweat. Fu Linzheng's pinky ring swayed as he fiddled with the lighter, his expression cold and ruthless.

"Stay away from her before I completely lose my temper. You'd better try harassing her again."

He Wei knew Rong Weiyue had a good temper, so she wanted to take advantage of her sympathy, but who knew Fu Linzheng would be so fierce.

Who was Fu Linzheng? How dare she offend him? He Wei's face trembled slightly, and she bit her lip: "I won't disturb you any longer, I'll be leaving now..."

As she was about to leave, Rong Weiyue called out to her, "Senior, your things."

She handed over the cosmetics.

He Wei took it and ran away immediately.

Only two people remained.

Outside, the rain fell like a tapestry, pattering on the smooth stone steps and blooming into tiny flowers. Pedestrians hurried past, their footsteps quick and their umbrellas overlapping, creating a scene resembling a watercolor painting shrouded in rain and mist.

Rong Weiyue stood under the eaves, the faint scent of green citrus on her body floating in the air after being moistened by the rain, blending with the mint and blueberry scent on the man in front of her.

Fu Linzheng's words echoed in her ears, her heart pounding slightly. The man lazily said in a cold voice, "What's the point of wasting time talking to someone like this? We've been chatting for ages."

She said softly, "I wanted to leave, but I couldn't..."

"I'm right down the steps, you saw me but didn't come to ask me for help?"

She mumbled, "My contact lens fell out, so I can't see your face clearly."

Fu Linzheng scoffed: "You didn't see my face clearly, but do you think you can't recognize my unparalleled aura?"

"..."

Rong Weiyue looked at him, still a little confused: "Didn't you say you wouldn't be back until Thursday?"

He said calmly, "I just happened to be free from training."

A cart passed by quickly behind them, calling out "Excuse me." Rong Weiyue was about to turn around when her waist was grabbed and she was pulled forward, bumping into Fu Linzheng's arms.

Fu Linzheng was dressed in a black stand-up collar racing suit jacket. He was extremely tall, with a muscular physique like a clothes hanger, and his body was firm and strong. She was slender and petite. When she bumped into his chest, her shoulders were almost half the width of his. His tall figure seemed to envelop her in his wings.

The light blue Suzhou-style long skirt fluttered slightly in the wind and rain, clinging to the man's work pants and sparking. The torrential rain poured in, but was blocked by his figure.

It was like every moment he used to embrace her.

Rong Weiyue's heart skipped a beat.

People came and went around, but it all seemed to have fallen silent.

Fu Linzheng's prominent Adam's apple bobbed, his hand loosened slightly, and he lowered his eyes to gaze directly at her, whom he hadn't seen for several days. His voice was magnetic and hoarse.

So, do you have plans for tonight?

She paused, then realized what she meant: "No..."

Fu Linzheng opened his umbrella and tilted it towards her, his deep, leisurely voice like the rain outside, dripping into the river of her heart:

"Let's go, let's go home."