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When the plane landed smoothly at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the tropical heat could be felt even through the porthole.
Xu Jia and Lin Ruoyin walked out of the cabin one after the other, followed by Zhou Hui and Xiao Tang with their luggage.
The air conditioning in the van that picked her up was blasting. As soon as Lin Ruoyin sat down, the temperature difference made her shiver slightly.
Almost simultaneously, Xu Jia said to the driver, "Excuse me, could you please turn the air conditioning up a little?"
"It's okay," Lin Ruoyin said, feeling fortunate that she had come prepared, as she took out a light gray cardigan from her bag. The corners of her lips unconsciously curved up in a relaxed state. "I listened to you and brought a light jacket."
As soon as he finished speaking, both of them were slightly taken aback.
Xu Jiaqing cleared his throat and briefly explained the arrangements for the next two days: "We'll rest this afternoon and adjust to the time difference. At 7 p.m., we'll have an informal dinner with the chairman of the academic committee of the Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance at the hotel's rooftop restaurant."
"Okay." Lin Ruoyin nodded, shifting her gaze from Xu Jia's face, which had just been caught off guard and whose expression had changed subtly for a moment, and turned her head to look at the palm trees and modern buildings rushing past the window.
The weather in Kuala Lumpur was hot and humid, but the sky was a dazzling blue.
Lin Ruoyin covered her eyes with her hand, and under the small patch of shadow, the corners of her mouth, which were upturned in a good mood, were visible.
At 6:50, she left the room.
Xu Jia lived next door to her and was already waiting at the elevator door.
Seeing that Xu Jia was wearing a simple white suit, Lin Ruoyin knew that her judgment was correct.
She was also wearing a champagne-colored suit. She knew that tonight's dinner, though informal, was in fact an important cultural initiation and should not be taken lightly.
While waiting for the elevator, a hotel employee pushing a service cart passed by. Upon seeing them, he smiled and nodded, saying, "Good evening, sir and madam."
His gaze was polite, yet also carried a hint of self-assurance, an appreciation for the perfect couple.
Lin Ruoyin: "..."
Xu Jia pretended not to hear the address and simply pressed the elevator button: "We're here."
The elevator took us to the top floor. The restaurant had a semi-open design, overlooking the dazzling night view of Kuala Lumpur. Dr. Suleiman was already waiting by the window. He was a refined Malay gentleman in his early fifties, wearing thin-rimmed glasses.
“Mr. Xu, welcome back to Kuala Lumpur.” Dr. Suleiman stood up, shook hands with Xu Jia, and smiled warmly. His gaze then fell on Lin Ruoyin.
"Dr. Suleiman, this is Ms. Lin Ruoyin, a very outstanding designer," Xu Jia introduced naturally.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Suleiman." Lin Ruoyin nodded slightly. "It's an honor to have the opportunity to speak with you."
“Miss Lin’s Chinese name is beautiful.” Dr. Suleiman gestured for them to take their seats.
Dinner began in a relaxed atmosphere.
Dr. Suleiman recommended several Western dishes with Malay flavors to them. After the waiter poured lemongrass water, he slowly began to speak: "Mr. Xu mentioned earlier that you are interested in Malaysia's cultural heritage."
Xu Jia smiled and naturally turned the topic to Lin Ruoyin: "Ruoyin has a lot to say about this."
Lin Ruoyin met Xu Jia's gaze knowingly and then met Dr. Suleiman's gaze: "Yes, especially in several representative handicraft clusters in Malaysia. For example, the goldsmith workshops near Kuala Lumpur Central Market that insist on using the ancient 'filigree' technique."
Dr. Suleiman raised an eyebrow: "You know about 'lace'?"
Lin Ruoyin nodded. "I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but I read in a book about Asian metalworking art that this craft originated in the Mediterranean. After being introduced to the Malay Peninsula by Arab merchants, it merged with local aesthetics, forming a more intricate and delicate style. Craftsmen need to repeatedly hammer and stretch pure gold until it becomes gold wires finer than a hair, and then, with skillful hands and decades of experience, weave them into a hollowed-out mesh structure."
Lin Ruoyin said with great respect: "The book mentions that this process tests two things the most: first, the uniformity of the gold wire, which must be kept consistent throughout the entire manual operation; second, the temperature during welding, as the slightest carelessness will cause the delicate gold wire to melt or deform."
“Unfortunately, there are no more than five artisans in the area who can still master this skill,” Dr. Sulaiman said. “The youngest is Haji Ahmad, who is 58 years old this year. His father and grandfather were both goldsmiths. But he said that his son gave up continuing to learn the craft in order to get married to his girlfriend as soon as possible and chose to become a programmer in Kuala Lumpur.”
Lin Ruoyin and Xu Jia both paused slightly upon hearing this.
"...That's such a shame. It's not just the loss of a craft, but also the disappearance of patience for life and the pursuit of art."
As Lin Ruoyin spoke these words softly, Xu Jia had to take a deep breath to calm the inner turmoil caused by the turmoil of memories.
Dr. Suleiman gazed at her for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Few people approach this from this angle. Most people just think that ancient crafts are suitable as a tourist attraction."
"The most appealing aspect of ancient things is that they embody a complete aesthetic system and the relationship between people and objects. This is also the core idea behind our new project."
Dr. Suleiman was clearly intrigued. "For example?"
“Take Penang batik for example,” Lin Ruoyin said. “I’ve read that real handmade batik involves drawing wax lines little by little with a special copper pot pen, and then repeatedly dyeing with natural plant dyes. Different plants, such as turmeric, indigo, and mulberry leaves, produce subtle color differences and unique vitality. But now the market is flooded with imitation batik made with chemical dyes and machine printing.”
“You’ve hit the nail on the head,” Dr. Suleiman said with a touch of emotion. “Each piece of genuine batik is unique. The way the dye combines with the fiber, and the ‘ice cracks’ that appear when the wax cracks, are all accidental works of art created through the collaboration between nature and the artisan. But consumers want cheap and uniform pieces; no one is willing to pay ten times the price and wait ten times for such an accident.”
"Therefore, we need to rebuild value narratives and channels," Xu Jia said. "Let people see that the time, experience, and natural gifts behind chance are the real luxuries."
Lin Ruoyin and Xu Jia's back-and-forth conversation finally made Dr. Suleiman clasp his hands, a curious smile appearing on his face. "You two have come here not just to revisit familiar places, or to discuss the aesthetic value of craftsmanship with me, have you?"
Xu Jia and Lin Ruoyin exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them in that brief exchange of eyes.
“Doctor,” Xu Jia began, “to be honest, we are rethinking a project. We hope to become part of the local cultural ecosystem, a living platform that connects tradition and modernity, art and the market.”
Lin Ruoyin continued, "The space we envision will draw inspiration from local architectural wisdom, such as the ventilation structure of stilt houses and the shade design of arcades. But more importantly, we want to invite goldsmiths like Haji Ahmad to set up workshops in our space so that visitors can see firsthand how a gold thread is created."
She paused, then looked at Dr. Suleiman: “We know this sounds idealistic. But if we don’t try, those things you just mentioned that are disappearing may really only exist on museum information plaques.”
Dr. Suleiman remained silent for a long time.
The only sounds at the table were soft background music and the faint clinking of cutlery in the distance. A waiter quietly came forward to refill their water and then quietly retreated.
Finally, Dr. Suleiman slowly began to speak: "In the past five years, I have met with at least twenty developers who all claim to respect culture and integrate tradition. But in their proposals, traditional craftsmanship is merely decorative patterns on the renderings, and the finished artwork is just a background wall in the lobby."
He looked at Lin Ruoyin: "You are the first person among all of us who can accurately point out the difficulties of the 'filigree' process and distinguish between turmeric dye and mulberry dye."
He then looked at Xu Jia: "And you are the first to not rush to promote the project, but to let professionals demonstrate the depth of cooperation."
Dr. Suleiman smiled, this time with warmth: "Tomorrow afternoon, there will be a small discussion within the alliance, which will be attended by several core committee members and community representatives. If you would like, I would like to invite you to give a formal presentation."
Xu Jia immediately replied, "It is our honor."
Lin Ruoyin's eyes immediately lit up with anticipation.
“Then,” Dr. Suleiman raised his glass, “I look forward to seeing a more complete concept tomorrow.”
Dinner ended around nine o'clock. After seeing Dr. Suleiman off, the two stood side by side under the spacious eaves of the hotel entrance. The tropical breeze of the night carried the damp fragrance of flowers.
"Tonight went very smoothly." Lin Ruoyin suddenly spoke, turning her head to look at Xu Jia. "Thank you for helping me make the connection."
Her sincere tone, coupled with a natural smile, made Xu Jia pause slightly...
He hadn't seen her smile at him for a very, very long time.
The light from the corridor lamp fell into her eyes, like shattered stars.
Xu Jia shifted his gaze to the distant traffic, his voice calm: "No need to be polite. The cooperation agreement clearly states that Mohe can also profit from this project."
Lin Ruoyin ignored Xu Jia's deliberately stiff tone and distant words, and continued, "Thank you for your proposal. To be honest, I was moved when I first heard it. It made me feel that the Xingyu project was more meaningful because it really has the potential to change things."
Xu Jia remained silent for a long time. The night wind ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, and his profile flickered in and out of focus in the light and shadow of the corridor lamps.
He finally spoke, his voice low: "I just don't want to see more young people like Haji Ahmad's son, forced to bow to reality and give up what they truly love."
These words were spoken softly, yet they were like a sharp blade, slashing through the air from somewhere five years ago.
Lin Ruoyin's heart was slightly stung by those words.
She suddenly realized that the gentle and idealistic designs in the plan were not only to hold an umbrella for others, not only to move Dr. Suleiman, but also a belated compensation that Xu Jia gave to himself.
The air was still for a few seconds. The faint sound of a car horn could be heard in the distance.
The regret of separation is like a thorn, remaining deep within me. Although the pain has gradually faded with time, it is still there.
However, the meaning of separation seems to have remained as well.
At least, in any case, he preserved his original aspirations on the path of art and ultimately did not become the kind of person he despised the most.
"It's late, let's go back. We need to prepare for our presentation tomorrow."
Xu Jia turned to look at her. Her gaze was hazy but resolute, and she was looking straight ahead.
He gazed at her for a moment, but ultimately did not look forward like her; instead, he lifted his foot and walked back.
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