Chapter 48
"What's wrong?" The phone rang. Tang Yuchuan stared at the screen, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally picked up the phone.
On the Chinese New Year's Day, Zou Ping called him. He hesitated whether to answer the call, but was worried that something really happened, so he answered it anyway.
The other party called but didn't speak.
"I..." Zou Ping was about to say something.
"Ping!"
I heard someone calling Zou Ping's name on the other end of the phone. It wasn't noisy, but it was definitely not quiet either.
On the other end of the phone, Zou Ping's voice trembled slightly: "I... will call you back later."
In the workshop of Maison Clairvoix, Zou Ping was assigned by her assistant to check the embroidery samples of the limited series.
The other party said that she was an assistant assigned to her by the company, but Zou Ping felt that she seemed more like a supervisor.
“Every stitch must be precise to the millimeter, otherwise it will affect the silhouette of the entire garment.”
"Even when adjusting the sewing machine, you must confirm with the technician. Any deviation in the stitching could ruin the entire sample. No one is responsible for your work except you."
"There are also limited series drafts sent by the Paris workshop. Please confirm whether the oil painting elements fit the silhouette of the clothing."
"There are also photographic references sent by the Paris team. You need to confirm the proportions and placement of the paintings on the clothing."
“At 2 p.m., don’t forget to have a remote meeting with the set design team to discuss how the show lighting will interact with your paintings. Also, discuss with the designer how the fabric texture will match the painting material, as well as the logistics arrangements.”
"Before evening, send today's design adjustment record to the brand project manager, along with suggested revisions."
Her fingers trembled slightly on the other end of the phone, her eyes fixed on the sample, and she was thinking about the next itinerary in her mind. Every task was like a heavy stone weighing on her shoulders.
More than an hour later, she found time to call again, and Tang Yuchuan picked up immediately: "Are you still working? There is no holiday for the New Year abroad, right? Are you too tired?"
Zou Ping always thought she was strong, but when she heard Tang Yuchuan's concern, she couldn't help crying for some reason.
"What's wrong with you?" Tang Yuchuan felt a little panicked when he heard Zou Ping's sobs.
Zou Ping took a deep breath and told the person who came to check with her in French to wait a moment. She then said softly, "I'm really busy... I haven't had a full night's sleep in a long time."
Tang Yuchuan was silent for a moment, then whispered, "Then...or just don't do it."
"But the termination fee is very high..." Her voice was light, as if she was exhausted and was only relying on her willpower to hold on.
"It's okay. I can pay for your termination fee. If you're willing, you can send me the contract and I'll ask a lawyer to look it over for you." Tang Yuchuan's tone was gentle but serious. "Your health is more important than anything else. You've accumulated a lot of work during this time, so you don't have to stay on this platform."
"Forget it." Zou Ping refused without hesitation.
In fact, he really liked Tang Yuchuan's initiative to help her. It seemed as if there was still a connection between them, and he was still willing to do something for her, just like when they first met, he offered to help her, and when they met for the second time, he really helped her.
But she just liked to hear his attitude, but she didn't want to rely on his money. This time she came to France, except for the initial momentary anger, and later, she stayed because she wanted to make a name for herself on her own. In this way, no matter what her relationship with Tang Yuchuan was in the future, she could love him equally and look him in the eye when she looked at him.
There was a brief silence. Only the faint sound of breathing could be heard on the phone.
"Tang Yuchuan..." Zou Ping whispered, as if afraid that being too loud would disrupt some fragile balance. "Are you... with Tan Jing?"
Tang Yuchuan was silent.
Silence was the only answer he could give.
He was weighing whether to use Tan Jing as a shield, and was also guessing what Zou Ping was thinking. Perhaps after a year abroad, she no longer liked him, so there was no point in lying.
He didn't want to be too sentimental, but he was also afraid that he wasn't being too sentimental.
Zou Ping's breathing was slightly rapid, and she didn't seem to want to hear the answer: "Tang Yuchuan... I... I still like you, I like you very much."
He closed his eyes and responded silently in his heart: I like you too.
But reason weighed on his chest like a cold stone. They were not suitable.
Once, the barrier of age was enough to make him hesitate. Now, even if the storm of public opinion subsides, whenever anyone mentions his name, the so-called negative information, whether true or false, will still pierce his life like a needle point, affecting those around him.
Sometimes he felt somewhat fortunate that he didn't have many relatives in this world, and thus avoided the problem of being implicated. Although, to some extent, he was actually the one being implicated.
In China, she is a well-known blogger who helps those in need by donating money and painting at the same time. Abroad, her oil paintings and clothing crossover works are also recognized. Being associated with him will definitely affect her future.
The Internet has no memory. After people have a party, it’s the next party, as if they have forgotten everything.
The Internet also has memory. If anything happens again that day, as long as his name is mentioned, all those true and false things will be forever linked to his name.
So he remained silent.
Zou Ping seemed to understand something.
"...Happy New Year." Zou Ping said softly, her voice so low that it was almost inaudible. "If you can find the happiness that belongs to you, I want to... wish you happiness."
She hung up, her fingers stroking the embroidered oil painting samples on the table, her breath falling like fine sand, filling the emptiness bit by bit.
A few minutes later, he sent a WeChat message: "If the pressure is too great, you can return to China to develop your career. Even if there's no romance between us, I'm willing to help you at any time. Of course, if you want to stay abroad to develop your career, I support you, too."
Zou Ping stared at the screen with a blank and complicated look in her eyes.
He is really good, everything about him is good, but he just doesn't love her.
She didn't want his help, she wanted his love, but he couldn't give it to her.
A sigh sank into his chest, and Zou Ping turned his attention back to his work.
Just work. Every stroke, every line, every painting, this is the reality she can hold on to, she reminded herself.
During the New Year holidays, Tang Yuchuan was also busy with work, but he was at home.
The same table, where the two of them had their meal last year, was now piled high with documents. Before he knew it, it had been almost a year since she left him. Tang Yuchuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, how time flies.
Tang Yuchuan sorted out Zou Ping's photos from that year. Although many of them were oil paintings applied to clothing, he still sorted out her parts separately and asked someone to make them into the shape of fireworks.
However, on New Year's Eve, he hesitated for a moment and still did not set it off.
The other person is not around, so setting off fireworks is useless. It can only give yourself psychological comfort. It is impossible for him to be the only one who can see the fireworks. If others see it, the relationship between the two people who have worked so hard to distance themselves from each other may be lost.
So the fireworks were put in the storage room.
Just treat it as a commemoration, Tang Yuchuan thought. Not every firework has to be set off.
Before we knew it, it was around the Lantern Festival.
Tang Yuchuan was preparing his itinerary for an overseas trip when he received Wan Jiaying's call. The company had a project planned for France, and he was debating whether to go. A few days ago, he'd asked around among friends and learned that Zou Ping's schedule was indeed unusually full.
That day, she cried.
After that, they never contacted each other again.
On the other end of the phone, Wan Jiaying's voice was low and urgent: "Yuchuan, you must go to this dinner. You have to personally monitor Jingchuan's patent negotiations."
He looked up at the gray city skyline outside the floor-to-ceiling window, and his heart tightened slightly.
The training he gained in the early years of his business had made him think that he was already able to handle those dinner parties with ease, but after the public opinion storm, such occasions always made him feel extra cautious, as every word he said might be over-interpreted.
Jingchuan's latest patented battery management system technology already holds a significant industry lead. This time, the company was negotiating a cross-licensing deal with another electric vehicle company: they were willing to allow Jingchuan access to their core powertrain algorithms, but only if Jingchuan opened up some of its BMS patents. At the negotiation table, every compromise, even the smallest detail, could determine the success or failure of their future market strategy.
Tang Yuchuan sat on the phone, silent for a moment.
He knew that if he did not actively communicate, negotiate and express his views, market expectations would be shaken and investors' confidence would be weakened.
"Okay, I'll go." He finally answered, his voice calm but hiding the tension in his heart.
He shut down his computer, took a deep breath, and reminded himself: What's past is past. At the negotiation table, only interests matter. Public opinion has no place here; success or failure depends solely on leverage and judgment.
He gripped his phone tightly, mentally calculating the other party's possible strategy: Would they first propose tentative terms? Would they pressure the price? He considered every possible variable in his mind...
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