Chapter 38 The Study So why is her photo with him? ...
Jiang Huai woke up in the middle of the night and saw that no one was on the bed next to him. He called Gu Yinyan's name but received no response.
Liang Yizhi also glanced at Gu Yinyan.
Was he not in his room last night either? Could it be during the power outage?
She then thought that since the power was out, even if Gu Yinyan had gone downstairs, he might not have seen them.
Gu Yinyan remained calm: "I'm in the bathroom."
Jiang Huai: "Then why didn't you answer when I called you?"
"In the middle of the night, who knows if you're talking in your sleep?" Gu Yinyan picked up his cup and took a sip. "Where did you go last night?"
Jiang Huai only remembered this incident because Liang Yizhi mentioned the power outage last night. Gu Yinyan's explanation didn't give it much thought. With the focus shifting to himself, Jiang Huai avoided the topic, saying, "I just went out for a stroll and enjoyed the scenery."
The weather on the second day was much better than the first; the sky cleared, and the scenery was quite different.
Yesterday's schedule was too full, so there were no plans for this morning. Everyone rested and got ready before setting off.
They went go-karting, grass skiing, and visited the aquarium. In the evening, they finally set off for home.
Before leaving Tongzhen, Liang Yizhi found a moment to speak with He Xintu alone.
She bought a bottle of water and handed it to him: "Are you thirsty?"
He Xintu accepted it: "Thank you."
Liang Yizhi waited for him to finish drinking the water before speaking: "After we return to Yucheng, I would like to invite you to a concert. Do you have time?"
He Xintu laughed and said, "I have plenty of time. I'll wait for your message."
"Okay. I'll contact you again later."
Liang Yizhi hesitated, then said, "Um... you don't need to take what I said that night too seriously. I don't want you to do anything, just let things take their natural course."
He Xintu thought for a while before replying, "Don't worry, I didn't take it to heart. It's all in the past. Everyone has things they like and dislike, which is normal."
Liang Yizhi nodded.
He didn't bring up her confession that night, perhaps to avoid embarrassing her. She felt relieved; she didn't want their relationship to become too awkward.
Back in Yucheng, no one wanted to trouble He Xintu to take them home, so they asked him to drive to HOOK. Gu Yinyan then had driver Lao Zhang wait there and take everyone home in turns.
For several days in a row, Liang Yizhi returned to her original daily life.
Because she had been away for two days and hadn't practiced the violin, she came back and worked overtime to practice until her fingers ached. There was a new piece in the repertoire for her upcoming performance.
After the orchestra rehearsal, Liang Yizhi and Wu You went to a nearby shopping mall for dinner.
The two of them strolled around, commenting on the restaurants as they went. Generally, for casual meals like this, they only chose those that were delicious and affordable, ignoring any establishments with overly elaborate decor or high prices.
As she passed a Western restaurant, Liang Yizhi glanced inside unintentionally.
Her gaze swept over the figure, then returned, and she saw a very familiar one.
If she weren't facing directly out the window, a quick glance might not have been enough to recognize her.
What is Lin You doing here?
It's not surprising that a shopping mall located in a bustling downtown area would appear here. However, out of concern for her friend, Liang Yizhi paid special attention.
More than a month ago, when she met Lin You on the street, she was dressed simply, wearing an apron from a milk tea shop. Although she was unadorned, she looked simple and pretty, like a college student who hadn't graduated yet.
However, today is exceptionally different.
Her outfit was clearly carefully chosen; her long hair was styled in curls, and her clothes leaned towards a mature look. With such an exquisite appearance, this date must have been very important to her.
Liang Yizhi's eyes swept over the person opposite her again.
She could only see his back; he was a man wearing glasses and a suit.
The atmosphere of their conversation seemed quite pleasant; Lin You leaned forward slightly, appearing to be very attentive to the conversation.
Because of those few glances, Liang Yizhi slowed her pace. It wasn't until Wu You caught up with her and called out twice from ahead that Liang Yizhi snapped out of her daze and caught up.
"What are you looking at?" Wu You peeked out from outside the glass door. "Someone you know? Should you say hello?"
"It's nothing, we just look a bit alike."
She looked away and continued chatting with Wu You, but her mind was already occupied by other images.
What is the relationship between that man and Lin You? Liang Yizhi couldn't help but wonder.
Is it a blind date? Or a romantic relationship?
The other person looks like a businessman and an elite; could Lin You be being scammed? Should she go back and check things out again?
In short, Liang Yizhi had a gut feeling that what she saw was a bit strange. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it, and worried that she was just worrying about things that weren't her business.
What if they're having a legitimate blind date, and she shows up without reason and ruins the whole thing?
Liang Yizhi ultimately didn't ask any more questions.
After she told Lin You that she could help her transfer her father to a hospital in City A, Lin You politely declined.
She said her father's condition was alright at the moment, and she didn't want to put too much strain on him, so she wanted to wait and observe further. Since she had said that, Liang Yizhi didn't waste any more words trying to persuade her, and told her to contact her again if she needed help.
Judging from Lin You's current state, she seems to be much better than before. She looks like she has absorbed nourishment, and compared to her timid and cowardly image a month ago, she has become radiant.
Hopefully, her help made a difference.
Liang Yizhi thought to herself silently.
-
Another week has passed.
To thank her good friend for helping her find a job, Liang Yizhi decided to visit her friend's art gallery.
She still felt uneasy about what happened when she met Lin You last time.
Upon entering the art museum, Liang Yizhi was greeted by her long-lost friend. A group of people stood in the middle of the exhibition hall, with Sean standing in front of a white wall, directing workers to hang the paintings.
She called out to him, "Sean."
Shang En looked in Liang Yizhi's direction, and upon seeing her, his eyes immediately curved into a smile: "Yizhi? You've come."
She greeted and gave instructions to the people around her before coming over.
"It's so hard to see you," Sean joked, feigning displeasure.
Liang Yizhi laughed and said, "You're the one who's busy, the great painter."
Liang Yizhi and Shang En have known each other for many years. Shang En's father and Liang Yizhi's father were longtime friends, and the two little girls often hung out together when they were young. Later, Shang En's family immigrated abroad, but they would come back every year to visit their elderly relatives, so they would only meet up during holidays.
Sean is constantly flying around, while she's a working woman who goes to work, rehearses, and performs on time every day. How could she possibly be as busy as him?
Liang Yizhi looked at the artwork that the workers had just hung on the wall and asked, "What's the name of that painting? It's really beautiful."
"You mean that one?" Sean glanced at it. "That's the piece I've been preparing for the longest time this time. You have a good eye."
"What's the name?" "The Iris."
"That's really good."
Liang Yizhi sighed.
Sean has a high talent for painting and solid skills, so when she was only eighteen years old, she became a well-known young painter at home and abroad.
Liang Yizhi greatly envied her. Although she had some talent in music, she was completely clueless when it came to painting. She could only appreciate it; if she were asked to paint, she might as well just blindfold Shawn and scribble a few random strokes.
Realizing she hadn't given away the gift she brought, Liang Yizhi raised her hand and picked up the beautifully packaged bag: "It's a gift I bought for you."
Sean saw the logo on the gift bag and exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you buying me something? You're being so kind."
Although he said that, Sean's smile was genuine.
Liang Yizhi remembers that Shang En had a lot of jewelry from this brand, except for a bracelet. It wasn't expensive, but it was hard to buy. It wasn't available in China, and she had to ask around at several stores before she finally managed to find it.
Sean was delighted to receive the gift, but then narrowed his eyes and said, "This isn't, is it, for your friend again?"
"Absolutely not." Liang Yizhi raised both hands and solemnly declared, "You were already troubled enough by asking for my help last time. Besides, this is just a small gift, I didn't mean anything by it."
Sean grunted twice.
Liang Yizhi glanced around at the people in the hall: "Lin You isn't here today, is she?"
"You need to see her?" Sean said. "But unfortunately, she took the day off."
"She's taking leave? Is she sick?"
"That's what they say," Sean gave her a look, "but as for the reasons for taking leave, you know what I mean, right? Who knows if it's real illness or not?"
Liang Yizhi knew Shang En's character; she was kind and gentle, and rarely made assumptions about others without knowing the full story. She wouldn't normally care about something as trivial as Lin You taking leave; she'd simply let it go. But the fact that she brought it up meant there was something fishy going on.
Liang Yizhi asked, "What happened?"
Sean patted her shoulder: "I advise you not to worry too much about Lin You."
"Do you remember what you said to me when you first recommended her?"
Liang Yizhi thought back for a moment.
She told Sean that a friend of hers had fallen on hard times, her father was seriously ill in the hospital, and they urgently needed to raise money. She also had a wrist injury, so she wanted to help her find a less demanding and more stable job.
Sean said, "Actually, when she first came, I felt quite sorry for her. She worked very hard, and sometimes even when I didn't ask her to work overtime, she would take the initiative to help."
“But recently… how should I put it? I don’t know if there’s something else going on with her.” Shang En glanced around and whispered in Liang Yizhi’s ear, “Has Lin You found some powerful backer recently? Didn’t you say her family went bankrupt? But I’ve noticed that the bags she’s been carrying and the things she’s been using lately aren’t cheap.”
"A couple of days ago, she wore a new necklace. You know that brand that starts with C, right? It costs tens of thousands. I'm not trying to guess, but it just makes people curious."
Liang Yizhi voiced her suspicion: "Could it be a counterfeit or something?"
“Impossible. You know my eyes, I can’t be wrong.” Sean said with certainty, “Even if they are counterfeits, how could one person produce so many counterfeits at the same time? That’s too deliberate.”
Shang En is meticulous and familiar with various brands, so it's not surprising that he would notice these changes, but...
Sean spoke softly, saying, "Anyway, I think there are only two possibilities: either she has a boyfriend, or she suddenly became rich."
Based on Sean's words, Liang Yizhi recalled the scene she had witnessed outside the Western restaurant a few days earlier.
Could that man in the suit be Lin You's new boyfriend?
However, according to her observation, the interaction between the two did not resemble that of a couple. Although they seemed to be having a good time chatting, there was no intimate behavior between them.
Could it be true, as Lin You herself said, that her condition has improved recently, so she no longer needs her help? Or has she found a way out on her own?
If that's really the case, then so be it.
Liang Yizhi thought that no matter what the situation was, she should be happy for Lin You.
This topic was really tiring for her, so Liang Yizhi decided to stop thinking about it for now. She took Shang En's arm and said, "Alright, alright. Let's not talk about her anymore. Show me your paintings."
The exhibition that Sean prepared will not open until next month, and she took Liang Yizhi for a walk around the gallery.
Afterwards, Liang Yizhi invited Shang En to a restaurant for dinner. The two chatted about their recent lives. Because they hadn't seen each other for so long, they had endless topics to talk about and didn't go home until almost midnight.
More than half a month has passed, and the weather is getting colder and colder.
When Liang Yizhi opened the calendar to check the performance schedule in the morning, she suddenly remembered that Gu Yinyan's birthday was coming up soon.
Every year when it's Gu Yinyan's birthday, her biggest headache is deciding what gift to give him.
Gu Yinyan lacks nothing and loves nothing, so no matter what gift you give him, it seems not special enough.
After thinking it over, Liang Yizhi decided that since they hadn't seen each other for several days, she should go to Gu Yinyan's house to visit him and have a chat, hoping to find some new ideas for him.
Liang Yizhi greeted Gu Yinyan on her phone and arranged a time.
That evening, after finishing her rehearsal, she went straight to Gu Yinyan's house.
After I rang the doorbell, Aunt Jiang answered the door.
Liang Yizhi greeted Aunt Jiang and asked, "Aunt Jiang, where is Gu Yinyan?"
"Young Master Gu hasn't returned yet." Aunt Jiang poured her a glass of juice. "Miss Liang, please have a seat."
"Thank you, Aunt Jiang."
Gu Yinyan had instructed Aunt Jiang in advance to prepare dinner, saying that Liang Yizhi was coming to eat at their house, and he had specially prepared several of her favorite dishes.
Aunt Jiang asked Liang Yizhi if she was hungry: "I've almost prepared dinner. We can eat as soon as Young Master Gu gets home."
Liang Yizhi smiled and said, "Thank you so much, Aunt Jiang! Your cooking is excellent. I haven't had your dishes in so long, I've been craving them so much."
"Miss Liang, you have a much sweeter tongue than Young Master Gu."
Aunt Jiang had been dealing with Gu Yinyan for a long time, and she always spoke her mind without much interaction. It was rare for her to be with someone like Liang Yizhi, who loved to flatter her. Before they had even exchanged a few words, several wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes from smiling.
Aunt Jiang went back to the kitchen, and Liang Yizhi waited in the living room.
After waiting for two minutes, she felt a little bored. Remembering the opera she had listened to with Gu Yinyan in the study last time, she thought she would go and see if there were any other records or books to pass the time.
The study door was not closed.
Liang Yizhi pushed the door open and went inside.
The study on the first floor is more like a private space for Gu Yinyan to listen to music or engage in other relaxation activities.
The study is spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the balcony, and a Steinway & Sons refrigerator placed in the center of the open space. The evergreen trees outside the window and the soft evening light are reflected on the spotless roof.
The bookshelves and cabinets next to it were filled with books, and there were some organized record cabinets and record players.
Liang Yizhi walked to the table, wanting to look through the records inside.
As she raised her hand, her gaze suddenly fell upon a book on the table, with a white piece of paper underneath it.
As if possessed, she picked up the book and pulled out a white piece of paper that was sticking out from the corner.
It was a Polaroid photo.
In the photo, a girl is wearing a birthday hat and holding a cake. Her nose has been pranked by others with white cream on it, but she is not angry. She stares at the camera with an innocent and radiant smile.
Liang Yizhi was stunned.
She stared at the photo, lost in thought. The girl's smiling face seemed to transport her thoughts across the river of time.
So why is her photo here?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com