Chapter 102 She highly suspected that Tong Zhongyuan was pursuing her
When the Cultural Heritage Department arrived, they had just finished their inspection. Qin Tian handed over the remaining work to them and left the port with Tong Zhongyuan.
It wasn't too late when they left the harbor. Nearby, a large artificial lake, infused with seawater, offered shelter from the waves while still allowing for a pleasant sea breeze. It was a popular spot for sailing. She and he gazed out over Dishui Lake. When he left Shanghai, he hadn't even considered Lingang New City, so he said he'd never been to Lingang. Now that they were there, she wanted to be a good guide.
"Would you like to go for a walk? There's a new planetarium nearby, and a beautiful library by the lake."
"Are you familiar with this place? Do you come to the port often?"
She didn't answer. The sea breeze blowing across Dishui Lake ruffled her hair. She said nonchalantly, "Actually, there's a large cemetery nearby. My mother is buried there. I come here every year."
White sailboats sailed on the sea, and children played and chased each other on the sandy beach. That day, she and her father came here and saw the sea. He said, "Let's stay here. She will like it."
"I want to go see my aunt, can I?"
She looked up, and her reflection in his dark eyes filled his entire world. She looked away: "Next time, it closes at 4 o'clock."
"Okay. Next time we'll come in the morning."
People always love making impossible promises, as if one day we might actually be able to fulfill them. Every next time seems years away, every other day seems a distant prospect. She forced herself to ask, "Have you decided? Should we go home or should I take you for a walk? The library should still be open."
"I've made up my mind." He saw her desolation. "Let's go to Disneyland."
If you can't go to the saddest place in the world, then go to the happiest place in the world.
Mid-October in Beijing is at its most beautiful. The maple leaves in Xiangshan are crimson, and the ginkgo trees in Ditan Park are yellow. Tang Zhixu missed his flight and was late. He'd worked late and slept until noon. He had to change to an afternoon flight, landing at 4 p.m. The journey from the airport to the Jiade office building took more than an hour. Wang Anji, from Jiade's calligraphy and painting department, was the one who greeted him. When he called to apologize, the anger in his voice was palpable.
Wang Anji was called in by his boss to work overtime. The autumn auction had already concluded, and the exhibition phase had already begun. Tang Zhixu had cut in line after the Shanghai Museum had given him a heads-up. He knew how things worked in this industry: punctuality wasn't important, and being a big shot was the norm. But this newcomer wasn't a big shot yet. Not only was he not a big shot, but his qualifications weren't even close to reaching the level of Jiade.
Tang Zhixu finally arrived at Jiade. Wang Anji's first words were, "Teacher Tang, why bother coming to Beijing in person? You could have just sent it by courier."
Tang Zhixu understood what he meant and said with a smile, "How could that be? I'm not here to give you a painting. I sincerely want to meet Teacher Wang."
Don't strike a smiling face. Wang Anji didn't say much to him, simply taking the painting and leaving it at that. Tang Zhixu hadn't had time to paint since returning from the United States, and the only painting he could offer was the Peach Blossom Spring. The problem was that the Peach Blossom Spring was quite long, and as a new artist, giving him such a large painting right off the bat was a bit of a challenge. Sure enough, when he took out the Peach Blossom Spring, Wang Anji's expression became even more disdainful.
As Tang Zhixu unfolded Peach Blossom Spring, Wang Anji's expression gradually became serious. This guy's style was similar to Pan Tianshou's, yet he had his own unique style. He was indeed quite capable. But in this industry, being a good painter was only part of the equation; qualifications, seniority, a mentor, and endorsements were also essential. Simply being a member of the Shanghai Museum's Painting and Calligraphy Research Department was too limited. An auction house does more than just collect and sell. As mentioned above, this was his first time at the China Fine Arts Museum, so he couldn't let it go unsold. Simply issuing instructions without providing operating funds would be a difficult task for him.
Seeing his apprehensive expression, Tang Zhixu thought that it was indeed not easy to get into Jiade. But it didn't matter. He would just treat it as a trip. Whether it succeeded or not was not something he could control.
"Teacher Tang, in addition to your work, I also need your resume. Is this your first time at Jiade? Besides your work, I also need to introduce you as a person. At least I can find you on Baidu Encyclopedia."
The resume had already been sent out. Tang Zhixu thought to himself that his implication was not that he was embarrassed, but that his resume was indeed too lackluster.
Seeing that he was silent, Wang Anji thought he didn't understand, so he had to give examples to explain.
"So, don't you work at the Shanghai Museum? Are there any friends with them, like Cui Ruzhuo or Fan Zeng? Have you ever taken photos together, painted together, or something like that? If they happen to be the painters in our autumn auction, I'll put your work behind them."
Tang Zhixu thought about it, took out his cell phone, and looked through yesterday's photos.
"Is he okay?"
Wang Anji glanced at him and said casually, "Who is this old man..."
His voice stopped abruptly, he enlarged the phone screen with his fingers and stood up.
"This is... An Siyuan?"
Night was falling, and a sea of multicolored Mickey Mouse balloons lit up the golden-pink sky. The moving song "A Whole New World" echoed throughout Disneytown. Disney has that kind of magic, making joy shimmer like a shimmering bubble, permeating every inch of the air.
Qin Tian's heart was pounding, and on the cool autumn night, her back was covered in sweat. She walked with her head lowered, not daring to look at the man beside her. The moment she entered Disneyland, she suddenly understood: she had been right yesterday. In her eyes, he was definitely not the type to go to Disneyland alone with a female colleague. She couldn't say for sure, but...
Why? Why did she start pursuing her before he was about to leave? What did he want to do? Didn't he say he didn't want to have a long-distance relationship? Or was it that the homesickness got to his head? Could it be that he was going back anyway and wanted to get some sleep before leaving? It wouldn't be awkward to just sleep and leave. Aren't foreigners very casual in this regard? Maybe that's why he insisted on having dinner at her house yesterday. But he doesn't look like that kind of person. He shouldn't be short of people to sleep with. Could it be that he really likes her? But so what? She can't go to England, and he can't stay. So, even if he likes her, why let her know?
"This is my first time at Disneyland, how about you?"
Tong Zhongyuan lowered his head and asked her. He originally thought that the atmosphere in Disney was good, and his pursuit could become very natural in the dreamy atmosphere. It would be natural to hold her hand, naturally put his arm around her waist, and naturally let her promise to wait for him for two years. When she agreed, he would kiss her naturally. There was still one day tomorrow, and they would continue to date. If she was willing and the atmosphere was right, he would like to take it a step further, so that the bond would be deeper and more secure. Even if they were in a long-distance relationship for two years, with Qin Tian's personality, she would not regret it if she agreed, and she would not be afraid of Tang Zhixu making trouble. Besides, he would fly over to accompany her whenever he was free. Two years would pass quickly. Once he had moved the studio and got it on track, he could travel between Shanghai and Hong Kong.
But now, he felt like he'd been too optimistic. Ever since entering Disneyland, Qin Tian, far from being swept up in the joyful atmosphere, had seemed preoccupied. She walked with her head down, clutching her chest, her steps fast and heavy, as if she were being chased. If he wanted to hold her hand, he'd have to pull her arms down from her chest first. That was ridiculous.
"Ah?" Qin Tian raised his head as if waking from a dream. "I've been here twice, this is the third time."
He couldn't help but wonder if the person she came with last time was Tang Zhixu, which was why she was so absent-minded. But even if he thought about it, he couldn't show it on his face.
"Then you be the guide, what shall we do?"
Qin Tian looked around. They had turned right as soon as they entered. In this direction were Pirates of the Caribbean and Soar Over the Horizon, both suitable for adults. She told him about these two projects.
He downloaded the Disney app a few days ago, and the weekend fireworks show is at 9 o'clock. Have dinner, play two games, and get to the fireworks area a little early, and the time is about the same.
While playing Pirates of the Caribbean, Davy Jones and Captain Jack Sparrow were engaged in a brawl, and Qin Tian had imagined taking photos there. She hadn't expected her second photo with Tong Zhongyuan to be on the Pirates of the Caribbean ship. She turned to look at him; she'd never seen a look of loss of control on his face. Even when furious, he was cold, never twisted. She wondered if this camera in the dark could be any more effective. If it could catch his weak spot, she'd buy it.
Tong Zhongyuan felt her gaze and immediately turned around and looked at her.
Amid Jack's wild laughter, cannon fire rang out, a powerful torrent surged, sweeping the boat away, screams rang out, darkness fell, and a flash of light flashed by.
After getting off the boat, Tong Zhongyuan passed by a store and saw this photo. In the photo, everyone had a look of shock on their faces, except for her and him, staring at each other in the dark boat.
Tong Zhongyuan bought the photo. Qin Tian watched him from behind at the checkout counter. She was almost certain he was in love with her now. When had it started? Niya? A girl chasing after him? Was it the uninhibited nature of ethnic minority areas that influenced him? What kind of love was this? A fleeting, passionate impulse?
The words that woke her up last night came back to her mind.
If he could really stay for a while longer, if he could accompany her to continue searching for the whereabouts of the gilded plate, if he loved her in isolation, if he said to her, let's give it a try.
There was a small voice in her heart that beckoned: "Give it a try, keep him. Even if it's just for a short time, he once belonged to you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com