Chapter 31
Seeing that she was unaffected by those comments, he looked at her seriously and thought, "I only see a principled, talented, and beautiful lady."
Li Chi'an looked up at him, and their eyes met in the moonlight, and they were speechless for a moment.
As the tasting event drew to a close, guests began to depart.
Yu Shi personally escorted Gao Yinxi and Li Chi'an to the door.
"I had a very pleasant evening. Thank you for the invitation." Li Chi'an looked at Yu Shi.
Yu smiled and said, "Thank you for letting me hear such beautiful music." He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Goodbye."
Gao Yinxi immediately interjected, "Young Master Yu, please keep in mind the photography exhibition I mentioned to you last time."
She and Yu Shi only added each other on WeChat today, and there has been no progress on the photography exhibition.
Gao Yinxi is always patient when it comes to getting things done.
"Okay, I'll go back and have my assistant organize it. If there's a suitable one, we can discuss it in detail."
Yu Shi nodded in agreement, but his gaze remained fixed on Li Chi'an.
"no problem."
Hearing Yu Shi say this, Gao Yinxi was very happy, as it seemed the photography exhibition was on track.
On the way back, Gao Yinxi said excitedly, "An'an, Yu Shi is obviously interested in you! Did you see the way he looked at you?"
Li Chi'an turned his gaze away from the passing lights outside the window and looked at Gao Yinxi with a smile, "Maybe he likes it, so what?"
She is not ready to start a new relationship yet, and she doesn't think there's anything going to happen between her and Yu Shi.
You don't deserve happiness if you don't mention that you've already been married before.
Rather, it was the imprint of the past that ultimately shaped her; the older she got, the less she believed in the weight of the word "relationship."
Because there are so many factors for survival, the proportion of "emotion" naturally becomes less.
"What do you mean 'so what'?" Gao Yinxi rolled her eyes. "The Yu family is a top-tier wealthy family in Xianghai City, and Yu Shi himself is an elite graduate of a prestigious university. He's a handsome guy that countless socialites want to climb up to. Aren't you tempted? Isn't it worth your effort?"
Yuan Er left early because his son summoned him.
Gao Yinxi had the driver bring another car to wait for her. This time, besides the driver who was blocked by the partition, there were only the two of them in the car, which was perfect for discussing private topics.
“I lack the motivation to work hard,” Li Chi’an said with a wry smile. “The current situation is very good, but I’m not ready to pursue it for the time being.”
Gao Yinxi stared at Li Chi'an in surprise, then quickly understood why she was acting this way. She felt a mix of emotions, including complicated feelings and heartache. "He doesn't seem to care about your... past."
“It doesn’t matter whether he cares or not,” Li Chi’an sighed. “What’s important is that I’m not thinking about starting another relationship right now. I need time to heal from the trauma, and I don’t think it’s a good time to be in a relationship while I’m recovering.”
“You’re just too serious about relationships,” Gao Yinxi said. “Anyway, I think it would be a real shame if you missed out on Yu Shi.”
Is it a pity?
Perhaps.
After all, Yu Shi was indeed a very outstanding man.
Li Chi'an gently stroked the jade bracelet on his wrist, lost in thought.
...
Xu Zhuwen's back pressed against the cold stainless steel railing. The night wind swept across the high-rise terrace of her twentieth-floor apartment, causing her thin nightgown to billow slightly.
On the phone screen, the property manager's message was polite yet authoritative: "Ms. Xu, your unit's management fee is three months overdue. Please pay it as soon as possible. The maintenance costs for the newly renovated common areas are relatively high. Thank you for your cooperation."
The property management fee was originally tied to Qian Song's card.
It's possible that because Qian Song hadn't paid her property management fees for three months, the property management couldn't wait any longer and sent someone else to urge her, with the message being sent directly to her bank card.
She could afford to pay three months' worth of property management fees.
She suddenly found it ridiculous. Qian Song said a while ago that the company was raising funds and would soon make a lot of money. Then he said that the fundraising would not be so quick and that he needed several million yuan to keep the money in circulation. She believed him and tried her best to help him with the money. She never expected that he would not even pay the property management fees.
This apartment was rented after their relationship stabilized. It was close to her workplace, but not in the city center. The apartment was new, but the rent was not expensive, and the property management fee was even lower.
For the past few months, Qian Song has been spending lavishly outside every month. The money he saves from just one meal could cover his property management fees, but he just won't pay.
Xu Zhuwen felt both angry and disappointed.
What's wrong with this man?
You can say you're facing temporary difficulties and can't attend to the company's problems, but what about the property management fees? Can't you even afford to pay for those?
This is a question of whether it was intentional or unintentional.
Xu Zhuwen felt that everything she had recently suffered was no more difficult than what her cousin Li Chian had experienced. Why were men like this?
She didn't understand, and out of spite, she didn't want to help Qian Song fill this hole, but when she forwarded the message to him, he didn't even reply.
You didn't borrow any money from Yinxi, so she's too lazy to even go home?
She could no longer deceive herself that the other person was busy with their career; love and not love are actually very simple.
If it exists, it exists; if it doesn't, it doesn't.
I sent a message to Qian Song this morning, and it's late at night now, but he still hasn't replied.
During this time, Xu Zhuwen was caught in the internal struggle of not receiving a reply from the other party, and she was in a very bad mood. Occasionally, when she got really angry, she wanted to block Qian Song on WeChat and delete all the messages. If she deleted the messages, she wouldn't be able to see their chat history and wouldn't feel so anxious.
But she was also worried that she might block the other person in the heat of the moment, leaving them with nothing to talk about.
Qian Song had said long ago that he didn't like being too emotional, and that blocking people on the spot was childish and immature.
But the other party didn't reply to her messages, and she couldn't control herself from getting worked up. Xu Zhuwen was in a bad mood all day.
Suddenly, a new message popped up on my phone.
Xu Zhuwen's gaze involuntarily fell on the phone screen.
Gao Yinxi threw photos into the "Business Mutual Praise Fairy Group," and the screen was flooded with them; quite a few photos were thrown.
Xu Zhuwen remained silent for a while, then couldn't help but open her phone and carefully look at the photos Gao Yinxi had posted in the group chat.
The scene shows a corner of a private club's terrace, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the inner hall.
My cousin, dressed in a modern Chinese-style dress, leaned against a white marble railing, holding a pink drink in her hand, with the city's vast lights in the background.
The night breeze ruffled her half-up long hair, and her profile appeared serene and distant in the hazy light, as beautiful as exquisite porcelain. Her gaze was fixed on the dimly lit depths, carrying a sense of detachment.
Other photos include Li Chi'an engrossed in looking at paintings, Li Chi'an chatting with people with a gentle smile, and a short video of Li Chi'an sitting in front of a guqin playing the instrument. Each photo is as beautiful as a painting, as elegant as a lady.
"Audrey: @Artist Xu, look at An An's beautiful photos!!! She's a goddess tonight!!!"
It's truly magnificent, truly beautiful, and breathtakingly charming.
These photos and short videos, like a cold ray of moonlight, instantly pierced through the churning anger, grievances, and belated regret in Xu Zhuwen's heart.
A wave of soreness welled up in Zhu Wen's eyes.
Why does she choose to live this kind of life, brooding alone at home, feeling down while looking at the property management's payment reminders on her phone, while her friends shine brightly at private appreciation events for upper-class residents?
This comparison made her feel very uncomfortable.
An empty silence instantly enveloped us, more suffocating than the sound of the wind outside the window.
This meticulously decorated, bright, and tidy apartment now feels like a cold, gilded cage.
Her stomach churned, reminding her that she hadn't eaten dinner yet.
Xu Zhuwen, unusually, did not reply to her friends' messages immediately. She went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and wanted to find something to eat, but after carefully searching through it, she found that she had no appetite.
I had no choice but to close the refrigerator and pour myself a glass of water.
The phone screen lit up again, and notification sounds came one after another.
It's that same group again.
Gao Yinxi's message was filled with a series of pink bubbles.
Audrey: [Images][Images][Images] Ahhh! Sisters! Time to scream! Watch me!!! [Heart][Heart][Heart][Crying][Crying]
The first picture is almost blinding.
A huge pink diamond ring, perfectly cut under strong light, lies on deep purple velvet, its brilliance radiating, as if imprisoning a concentrated rainbow within it.
The second photo is of an oil painting hanging on the wall, with pale purple irises and pure white calla lilies arranged in a clear crystal vase. The lighting is handled with extreme delicacy, creating a serene, expensive, and understatedly beautiful scene.
"Audrey: My silly goose!! He shoved the stuff at me in such a hurry, before I could even finish a sentence, his urgent call came through! He was practically dragged away by his son's nosebleed call!! [crying][laughing through tears] But!!! The ring and the painting are mine! This painting is absolutely gorgeous, I'm going to put it in the corner reading area of our hotel lobby, paired with that new Baxter velvet sofa I just bought, a perfect combination! [spinning][spinning]"
The messages kept popping up, and Gao Yinxi's excitement was obvious; one could predict how much fun she had that night.
Not long after, Li Chi'an also replied to the message in the group.
"Qi An Yi Chi: [shy][shy] It's all thanks to Yin Xi and her family's Er Geng that we had this place! @Xu Zhu Wen Jie, it's such a pity you didn't come. There are so many beautiful art collections here. If you had come, I could have discussed them with you."
Then came several photos of Li Chian.
The pictures that Li Chian lost were simply photos of her collection.
Xu Zhuwen looked at it carefully and couldn't help but exclaim, "Artist Xu: It's really beautiful."
"Audrey: Right, right? An'an's aura was off the charts tonight!!! She completely stole the show!!! Look at how fast she's expanding her network! So many beautiful women are her fans, she added half of Xianghai City's socialites and heiresses on WeChat tonight! Wenwen, you really missed out on a fortune if you didn't come! [knocking][knocking] @ArtistXu"
Xu Zhuwen replied with several crying emojis in the group chat with a complicated expression.
However, compared to the monotony and shallowness of words.
The phone screen was filled with luxurious images and exciting text, becoming the most glaring presence in the empty apartment, deeply reflected in Xu Zhuwen's eyes, burning her eyes dry.
A strong feeling of nausea rushed from her stomach to her throat. She hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand to suppress the physiological nausea.
Regret is like a poisonous ivy coiling around my heart.
Gao Yinxi's words of advice echoed in her ears.
What if... what if she put aside her pitiful pride, ignored Qian Song's life or death, and just did what she liked and went to play with them?
Is there someone like Xu Zhuwen standing under the spotlight right now, surrounded by celebrities and favored by opportunities?
Instead of now, because I'm feeling down lately and rejecting them, I'm brooding alone at home, facing Qian Song's emotional abuse by myself?
She looked at those glittering lights and shadows as if they were illusions from another universe, unrelated to herself.
The foundation of her and Qian Song's "kingdom" had long been rotten.
The night outside the window was as thick as ink.
In the suffocating silence, the clear beeping sound of the smart lock outside the door indicating the password could be entered could be heard.
Xu Zhuwen froze.
Qian Song? Didn't he say that the company had new models coming to shoot products today, and the shoot would go on all night?
She instinctively held her breath—the electronic keypad lock passed verification, emitting a pleasant "beep" confirmation sound, and then, with a "click," the door was pushed open from the outside.
A strong fragrance mixed with the smell of alcohol rushed in as the door opened, clashing horribly with the sweet and crisp rose and geranium scent that had been filling the apartment.
Qian Song's tall figure staggered in.
He was very drunk, his eyes were glazed over, his cheeks were flushed, his collar was ripped open, and there was even a bit of suspicious sequins on it.
Qian Song didn't even look at Xu Zhuwen. Or rather, his hazy gaze swept across the familiar apartment, and when it finally landed on Xu Zhuwen, who was wearing a bathrobe and had a pale face, he revealed an undisguised expression of annoyance and disappointment.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" he mumbled indistinctly, his voice low but sharp as a poisoned needle, precisely piercing Xu Zhuwen's last remaining support.
He staggered, pushing Xu Zhuwen aside as if she were a roadblock, and headed towards the master bedroom with a clear goal in mind.
Xu Zhuwen stood there, watching him burst open the bedroom door and slam her heavily onto her neatly made bed.
Almost instantly, heavy snoring, reeking of alcohol, filled the bedroom.
The unfamiliar yet aggressive scent of women's perfume mixed with the strong aroma of tobacco and alcohol instantly filled the entire bedroom, overpowering the fragrance that Xu Zhuwen had carefully chosen.
He's back.
The lingering, tainted scents from her revelry outside only intensified her nausea.
Xu Zhuwen covered her mouth, standing stiffly in the center of the living room, as if her soul had been ripped out, and a suffocating feeling welled up in her heart.
Only Qian Song's snoring and his own heavy heartbeat remained in the room.
After an unknown amount of time, she slowly lowered her head and looked at the still-lit phone screen.
In the photo, Gao Yinxi's pink diamond still sparkles with dazzling light.
In the darkness, a cold starlight burst forth in her mind.
...
A few days later, Li Chian unexpectedly received a large package delivered by same-city express delivery.
Unpacking the sturdy wooden box, inside was the ink bamboo painting in wind and rain that she had gazed at for a long time at the tasting event that night!
Unfold the scroll, and a slender, solitary bamboo stands before you, its leaves as sharp as blades.
A simple card drifted down:
"Miss Li, please accept this:"
I apologize for disturbing you. This painting has been gathering dust for a long time, and I fear its brilliance has been wasted. That night, after hearing your music, I realized that the spirit and essence of this painting belonged to you alone. A fine sword is a gift to a kindred spirit, and this humble painting is a gift to a connoisseur. I earnestly hope you will accept it with a smile and not refuse.
"Respectfully presented at the time"
The handwriting is strong and vigorous.
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