Ye Zhao had just finished tying up her lantern when she glanced at Jiang Che. She then froze, looking at the words Jiang Che had just written, her eyes filled with undisguised amazement: "Your handwriting... is very beautiful."
She couldn't find a suitable adjective for a moment. Jiang Che's calligraphy was excellent. His strokes were smooth and flowing, and each stroke was full of rhythm, making it extremely pleasing to the eye.
Jiang Che continued working, smiling as he replied, "I liked calligraphy when I was a child and practiced it for a while."
Ye Zhao kept praising, "Your running script is beautifully written. I've never seen anyone write running script so well."
Her gaze fell on the words Jiang Che had just written, her eyes filled with admiration and respect.
Jiang Che turned to meet her extremely sincere gaze, his smile widening as he humbly said, "It's barely passable."
Ye Zhao knew he was being modest, and said with a smile, "You're barely passable, how are others supposed to survive?"
The two had only known each other for two or three days, but it felt like they had known each other for a long time, and they didn't feel awkward or embarrassed when they joked around.
There was a willow tree in the courtyard. A gentle breeze blew, and the willow branches swayed, causing Ye Zhao's soft, long hair to be gently stroked.
Jiang Che watched Ye Zhao apply Xuan paper to the lantern, her delicate, fair face displaying an extremely serious expression. Her long hair fluttered in the wind behind her, but she seemed oblivious. For some reason, he suddenly asked, "Ye Zhao, haven't we met somewhere before?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhao looked at him, a hint of confusion in her eyes, and asked, "What?"
Jiang Che smiled and asked again, "I said, haven't we met somewhere before?"
Ye Zhao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Right? I also think you look familiar."
The two smiled at each other. The flowers and plants in the courtyard swayed in the wind. Luo Hui saw this scene as soon as she entered the door and couldn't help but admire them. They were a handsome man and a beautiful woman, like a perfect couple.
Ye Zhao thought Jiang Che's handwriting was beautiful, so she asked him to write a copy for the lantern she made.
"What are you writing?" Ye Zhao asked without looking up as she tidied up her tools.
After asking the question, she didn't receive a reply from Jiang Che. She looked up in confusion and saw Jiang Che smile and answer, "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River."
Sunlight filtered through the treetops and dappled the courtyard, casting dappled light and shadow on Jiang Che's face. For a moment, Ye Zhao even found the smile on his face somewhat dazzling.
"Is it done?" Sister Hui came out of the shop.
The two abruptly looked away from each other, their movements becoming somewhat flustered.
"It'll be ready soon, Sister Hui," Ye Zhao replied hastily.
Sister Hui walked over, picked up the lantern, looked at it, and exclaimed, "Well done! The characters are so beautiful. Did your friend write them?"
After all, she and Ye Zhao were quite familiar with each other. She had come so many times, but she had never seen Ye Zhao write calligraphy.
Ye Zhao smiled and nodded: "That's right, his running script is beautiful, it looks good on the lanterns too."
The two four-cornered lanterns made of bamboo sticks, with Jiang Che's calligraphy pasted on them, looked very unique, and even the proprietress couldn't help but praise them.
Ye Zhao pushed Jiang Che out the door, looked at the two lanterns in his hand, and laughed, "Your calligraphy has elevated these two four-cornered lanterns to a whole new level."
Jiang Che looked at the two lanterns in his hands and said modestly, "My calligraphy is just for decoration. Your lantern-making skills are quite good. These lanterns are small and exquisite, perfect as ornaments for the home."
The sun was warm and the breeze was gentle. The two strolled slowly through the streets and alleys of the ancient city until they finished dinner in the evening. Ye Zhao then pushed Jiang Che back to the hotel, only to run into an acquaintance downstairs.
Upon seeing Jiang Che, Fei Ming hurried forward to greet him: "President Jiang, you're back."
Jiang Che nodded silently, then suddenly heard Ye Zhao call out from behind him, "Fei Ming?"
Fei Ming looked over upon hearing the sound and exclaimed in surprise, "Boss Ye? You... President Jiang, you... you're back?"
He looked surprised and wanted to ask something, but his words came out somewhat incoherently.
Jiang Che asked in confusion, "You two know each other?"
Fei Ming looked at Ye Zhao and replied, "I just arrived in Shangyang a couple of days ago and stayed at Boss Ye's guesthouse."
Ye Zhao smiled at Jiang Che: "So you're Fei Ming's boss, the developer who came to inspect the area these past few days?"
Jiang Che felt a little uncomfortable for some reason: "Yes, I am here to work."
Fei Ming also remembered what Mu Xu had told him, and his eyes darted between Jiang Che and Ye Zhao, as if he was thinking about something.
Jiang Che smiled and looked at Ye Zhao, saying, "You even run a bed and breakfast?"
We spent two days together, and she never mentioned it.
Ye Zhao simply smiled and replied, "Yes, it's in the southern part of the city. I didn't get to see it today, but you can come visit me another time."
Jiang Che readily agreed: "Okay, I'll go take a look when I have time."
Ye Zhao glanced at Fei Ming and said, "Alright, since Fei Ming is here, I won't see you up."
"Okay, goodbye!"
"goodbye!"
Goodbye, Mr. Ye!
Ye Zhao smiled and waved, watching Fei Ming push Jiang Che into the hotel before turning and leaving.
Just as Fei Ming pushed Jiang Che into the elevator, he heard him ask, "Are you very familiar with Ye Zhao?"
Fei Ming quickly waved his hand: "Not familiar at all. I just stayed at her guesthouse for a few days and... I even ate a few meals there."
Jiang Che nodded: "Where is her guesthouse? What's it called?"
"In the south of the city, next to the restaurant where we ate a few days ago, there's a place called Green Field."
No wonder I ran into her there that day, Jiang Che thought with a faint smile.
As the two exited the elevator, Mu Xu happened to be outside. He was somewhat surprised to see them, but didn't ask any questions. When he walked behind Jiang Che, he started winking at Fei Ming.
'Why did you come back with President Jiang?'
I know who that beautiful woman is.
Where did you meet them?
'It's actually Boss Ye.'
The two exchanged glances for a while, but neither understood the other's meaning. Then they heard Jiang Che in the wheelchair start talking about work, and they both listened attentively.
Jiang Che's original intention in coming here was to investigate and write a detailed plan if it was suitable. However, after spending two days with Ye Zhao and learning about many things in Shangyang, he felt that the trip was worthwhile and that the development of Shangyang was imperative.
Listening to Jiang Che's explanation of Shangyang's situation, Fei Ming suddenly felt a little guilty. He had arrived so many days early, yet he hadn't gathered as much information as Jiang Che, who had spent two days in a wheelchair. Was his job even necessary? Fei Ming felt like crying.
As if knowing what Fei Ming was thinking, Jiang Che suddenly said, "I only learned so much after following Ye Zhao around for two days. You don't need to blame yourself, but you have to pay attention to the methods and approaches when doing things. As an outsider, you can't possibly learn as much as a local just by wandering around blindly."
Fei Ming nodded: "I understand, President Jiang. I didn't expect that Mr. Ye, who is from City A, would know so much about the ancient city."
Jiang Che looked at him and slowly asked, "What did you say?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com