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Returning to the Lu residence from the club, Lin Ruoyin seemed like a soulless shell.
I walked alone into the empty entryway.
The tear stains on her face had long since dried, leaving behind a tight, astringent feeling.
The spot where my lip was bitten was still throbbing, a reminder that what had just happened was not an illusion.
She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Hot water poured down, washing over her skin, but it couldn't wash away the bone-chilling cold.
She changed into soft pajamas, lay down in bed, and curled up into a ball.
My body was utterly exhausted, yet my mind was unusually clear. In the darkness, my senses were amplified: the lingering rough touch on my lips, the dull pain from my wrist being gripped so tightly, the chill of the cold tabletop, and my own scalding tear.
Deep in my mind, some distant images surfaced uncontrollably.
University art studio.
An early summer afternoon.
The feel of sunlight, the smell of paint.
Xu Jia, dressed in a pure white T-shirt, had specks of cobalt blue on his fingers as he held the brush. He was gazing intently at the large expanse of warm gold on the canvas, his profile almost divinely focused in the light. Then, as if sensing her gaze, he turned his head, his wisps of hair fluttering gently in the breeze, his eyes reflecting the swaying shadows of the trees outside the window. He gave her a smile devoid of any gloom, his eyes crinkling and clear as day.
Everything seemed to be coated with a soft filter.
However, the filter shattered today.
The boy in the art studio turned around, his eyes bloodshot, his expression violent, as if he wanted to tear her apart. The light and shadow began to distort, and the colors began to peel away. The boy's clear eyes were gradually swallowed by the unfathomable darkness in the man's eyes; his warm smile twisted into a mocking, cold smile.
She closed her eyes, trying to force herself to sleep. But her eyelids were heavy, and her consciousness hovered on the edge of wakefulness and drowsiness, repeatedly awakened by nightmarish fragments.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky outside the window began to turn gray.
When Lu Yan woke up, the sunlight outside the window was already streaming in through the gaps in the curtains.
At 8:20, he went downstairs and headed towards the restaurant.
Lin Ruoyin sat at the dining table with her back to him, a cup of coffee and a nearly untouched sandwich in front of her.
She wore a light gray cardigan, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, sunlight dancing on her hair. From behind, she sat ramrod straight, as always.
But as Lu Yan approached, his pace involuntarily slowed down.
Lin Ruoyin wasn't eating breakfast, nor was she looking at her phone. She was simply staring quietly at the ginkgo tree in the courtyard outside the window, its leaves already beginning to fall, her gaze unfocused.
Then, Lu Yan saw it.
Tears slid down her cheeks, rolling silently down her face, lingering briefly on her chin, and finally dripping onto the back of her hand holding the coffee cup.
She didn't move, not even raising her hand to wipe it away. It was as if the tear hadn't come from her eye, as if she hadn't even realized she was crying.
But Lu Yan saw it.
Just as he stood frozen in place, Lin Ruoyin moved.
She seemed to suddenly awaken from some thought, quickly raising her hand to wipe her cheek, the movement swift and discreet. When she turned to look at him, there were no tear stains on her face, only her eyes, which, even from a distance, Lu Yan could see the remaining red veins and a trace of water that hadn't been completely concealed.
"She's awake." She said in a normal tone.
"Hmm." He responded, walked to the opposite side of the table and sat down. Without looking away, he stared directly at Lin Ruoyin's face and asked, "What happened?"
Lin Ruoyin paused slightly, then met Lu Yan's worried gaze and said, "The financing isn't going well..."
Lu Yan sighed softly, but he felt more sorry for Lin Ruoyin.
“I thought about it all night last night,” Lin Ruoyin continued. “I plan to start a new company.”
Lu Yan raised his eyes again, his gaze towards Lin Ruoyin filled with slight confusion.
Lin Ruoyin: "The Lu family wants to turn things around in the current situation, but there are too many obstacles and it's too difficult. So I'm thinking, maybe we shouldn't be so fixated on saving the whole ship."
She paused, her tone becoming even more resolute: "We will retain Lu's core high-end customization business. All other non-core businesses will be packaged and divested. I will personally take charge, returning to the essence of jewelry design, and re-operating these businesses using a light-asset, design-heavy model. Once the new company is established, it can also cooperate with Lu's, mutually driving traffic and empowering each other."
Lu Yan fell silent. He needed to process this sudden and bold proposal.
By divesting most of its businesses and establishing a new company, Lin Ruoyin is personally overseeing its operations. This means she is leaving the Lu Group's existing system and starting afresh. It is indeed a glimmer of hope; at least some people can find a lifeline.
but……
“The board of directors will not agree,” Lu Yan finally said. “They would rather sink the whole ship.”
"So you need to persuade them."
"I?"
Lin Ruoyin looked at him with unwavering trust in her eyes. "You are the heir of the Lu family, their only son. This plan can only be approved if you propose it."
Lu Yan was not confident that he could push forward such a disruptive proposal.
But why should he let her bear so much alone, shedding tears in the morning light?
"Okay." Lu Yan heard himself say, his voice surprisingly steady. "I'll go get it."
Lin Ruoyin named her planned new company "Yin Sheng".
On the day Lu Yan proposed Yin Sheng at the board meeting, the air in the meeting room almost froze.
Seated on either side of the long conference table were long-time employees and shareholders of the Lu Group. When Lu Yan stood in front of the projection screen and calmly explained the plan to divest the Lu Group's non-core businesses and establish a new independent brand, "Yin Sheng," led by Lin Ruoyin, the audience was initially silent, but then erupted into fierce opposition.
"Nonsense! This is a family division! This is sabotage!" Li Sanquan was the first to slam his fist on the table and stand up, his face flushed red. "Lu Yan, do you know what you're saying? The Lu family's century-old foundation was built by your grandfather and your father. Now you're going to hand over most of the empire to someone else? And someone with an outsider at that?"
“It’s not about handing it over.” Lu Yan’s voice was surprisingly calm. He stood on the stage, the lights highlighting his more resolute profile than before. “Uncle Li, everyone knows the current situation. The Lu Group is too heavy a ship, leaking everywhere. If we keep clinging to all the burdens, we’ll sink together. ‘Sound Life’ isn’t a separation, it’s a lifeboat. It’s lightly equipped, using a completely new model and design concept to forge ahead. If it succeeds, it can not only save a portion of the business, but also give back to the Lu Group in the future, becoming a new growth engine.”
"Easy for you to say." Another conservative director sneered. "Lin Ruoyin took away the core design team and craftsmanship resources, leaving Lu's Group as an empty shell, just waiting to die with that little bit of haute couture business? Lu Yan, have you been bewitched by her?"
Lu Yan's gaze swept over the director, but he wasn't angry. He simply continued, "The design team and craftsmanship resources aren't being taken away; rather, they're being integrated and utilized more efficiently. 'Sound & Life' will sign a deep cooperation agreement with Lu's Group, sharing R&D results and prioritizing the complex craftsmanship aspects of Lu's Group's high-end custom orders. This isn't internal friction; it's division of labor and collaboration, maximizing the effectiveness of existing resources. What Lu's Group needs to do is concentrate all its remaining energy and resources to safeguard and polish its core essence."
"I disagree! The risk is too great!"
"Chairman Lu is still recuperating, and you're already making such a big move. Don't you have any respect for your elders?"
"I think this is a move by Lin Ruoyin."
A cacophony of doubts and criticisms filled the air. Standing amidst the chorus of opposition, Lu Yan took a deep breath, placed his hands on the edge of the table, and scanned the room with piercing eyes. His voice suddenly rose, drowning out the noise: "Then, please tell me, what's a better way? Continue to wait for death? Wait for Mohe to cut off our supply chain, hollow out our channels, crush our brand value, and then we'll all go bankrupt and liquidate our century-old business?"
The meeting room fell silent instantly.
Lu Yan slowly straightened his back. "I'm not asking for everyone's consent. I'm informing you all that this is the only way for Lu's Group to survive. My father has temporarily handed the company over to me, so I must be responsible for it and for all the employees. I will push this plan forward. I, Lu Yan, am extremely grateful to those who are willing to walk this path together; those who think I'm being reckless can withdraw their investment now, and I will not make things difficult for them."
His toughness and sense of responsibility stunned many veteran officials. Was this still the same young master of the Lu family who used to hide from trouble and only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun?
Over the next few days, Lu Yan displayed unprecedented resilience and skill. He personally visited key shareholders and veterans one by one, sometimes bringing recalculated data models, sometimes simply brewing a pot of tea and sincerely analyzing the pros and cons. When they raised objections, he confronted the issues head-on and proposed concrete risk mitigation plans. He even persuaded two previously wavering directors, securing crucial votes of support.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Ink Core...
Xu Jia's life seemed to be going smoothly.
During the day, he remains the same calm, efficient, and ruthless top leader of Mohe, presiding over meetings, listening to reports, and making decisive decisions without leaving any room for compromise.
But only he knew that every night, as the city's hustle and bustle faded into darkness, he would drive to that old studio hidden in the suburbs, staring blankly at the paintings on the walls.
All those paintings depict Lin Ruoyin.
Lin Ruoyin, lost in thought, resting her chin on her hand by the library window;
Lin Ruoyin accidentally fell asleep while posing for him in the art studio;
When she learned that he had won the award, Lin Ruoyin turned around and smiled at him, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
...
Xu Jia stood in the center of the studio, his gaze shifting from one painting to another.
The person in the painting has a radiant smile and clear eyes, filled with trust and love.
Then, these beautiful images began to distort and overlap, finally settling on the private room of the club.
A pale, desperate face, tightly closed eyes, trembling eyelashes, rolling tears, disheveled clothes, and his own rough hand...
A strong feeling of nausea suddenly surged up from his stomach and rushed to his throat. Xu Jia abruptly arched his back, bracing himself with one hand on the cold edge of the table, while covering his mouth tightly with the other.
The astringent liquid burned my esophagus and throat.
He felt as if his internal organs were being twisted together, being violently squeezed by an invisible force, squeezing out all the filthy fluids.
He raised his head and looked again at the wall full of the pure and beautiful Lin Ruoyin.
The girl in the painting gazes at him quietly, her eyes gentle, as if asking, "Xu Jia, how did you become like this?"
How did I become like this?
Once upon a time, what he hated most were those who, because of their wealth and status, acted superior, arbitrarily judging and trampling on the dreams and dignity of others. Lin Ruoyin's father's words that "art cannot support a person" had pierced his young and proud heart like a knife.
And now...
He used his greater wealth and status to trample on her dignity.
Xu Jia slid down the wall to the ground, clutching his head with both hands.
However, the night is still long.
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