Chapter 38 Exclusive Release Chapter 38 [Everything is ready, except...]
The music in the dance floor softened again, the violinist slowly strummed the strings, and the atmosphere became melodious and soothing.
Esposito retreated to his mother's side. His father, the previous Prince Esposito, had passed away, leaving only the mother and son living in the empty castle.
At that moment, he bowed and invited his mother, "Beautiful lady, may I dance with you?"
*
On the other hand, Elias van der Berg was a gentleman of great self-respect.
"Madam, your invitation to dance is extremely rude, so I refuse."
He slowly backed away until his back sank into the sofa. Yuan Ning took his hand and took two steps forward, her high heels touching the tips of his leather shoes.
Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and a smile appeared on her face: "Mr. Van der Berg, may I have this dance?"
Yuan Ning was happy to coax him a little, after all, he was a gentleman whose appearance was very appealing to little girls.
She spoke in a soft, gentle voice, like a feather, and a sweet, non-aggressive smile, even with a touch of coquettishness, graced her face.
"Please, please, you're such a kind person."
Her eyes curved into crescents, her dark pupils filled with light, focused solely on him.
She knows when to show her claws and when to hide her sharpness and reveal her soft belly.
Elias slowly straightened up, moved closer to her, and his eyes turned dangerous.
Wynne, your ever-changing nature and your candid "I want" are precisely what make you so endearing.
Her breath was warm, carrying the slightly tipsy, sweet scent of her recent dance, which didn't match his at all.
Yuan Ning tilted her head and looked at him with clear eyes and great patience.
“Wynne,” he called her name, his voice a few decibels lower than before, “wouldn’t it seem like I lacked manners if I refused you?” His eyes held a faint smile as he gazed leisurely at Yuan Ning.
Yuan Ning followed up, saying, "That's because you naturally possess the best manners, Mr. Van der Berg, you are truly charming." She looked directly into his eyes and blinked gently.
She gave him another gentle pull, and he stood up with her barely noticeable strength.
It's another waltz.
He held his palm up in an inviting gesture, and the instant Wynne placed her hand in his, he closed his palm and held her tightly.
The boundaries have long been blurred into the tides under the moonlight.
As they danced, they drew ever closer.
His hand, which was around her waist, warmed her through the fabric and enveloped her.
It was a soothing dance tune, and many people rejoined, swaying and rocking slowly in the center of the dance floor.
The dance floor was like a deep sea bathed in soft light. The soothing three beats, like the tides, propelled the elegantly dressed dancers as they swayed and twirled.
Their relaxed postures and soft conversation created a flowing backdrop.
Elias and Yuan Ning stood in the center of this languid, warm current.
She nestled gently in his arms, swaying softly to the music, able to hear his heartbeat and smell his fragrance.
Thump, thump, thump, one sound after another.
Their breaths mingled silently, creating a private and sweet atmosphere.
The music lingered, leaving only the slightest, instinctive swaying.
Yuan Ning closed her eyes. In this quiet embrace under the watchful eyes of everyone, she felt a strange sense of peace she had never felt before.
Elias's chin gently brushed against the soft strands of hair on the top of her head.
Then, he lowered his head and whispered a question that only reached her ears: "Tired?"
Yuan Ning didn't look up, but simply shook her head in his arms.
"No, it just feels a bit unreal."
"Where is it unrealistic?"
His thumb gently and slowly caressed the curve of her waist, which was covered in velvet.
"To be able to dance with you in a place like this."
"Wynne, why didn't you tell me you were coming here today?"
Yuan Ning's eyelashes trembled slightly, and before she could answer, the music reached a magnificent turning point.
He lifted her up with his hand behind her waist, and Yuan Ning's body arched backward with his force.
Her back curved into an arc, and the emerald green velvet skirt spread across the shimmering floor like a giant flower suddenly blooming in the night.
Her long, black hair broke free from the slight restraint of her bun and cascaded down like a waterfall, the ends almost touching the ground.
This posture instantly propelled her from the warmth of their previous embrace to a state of complete control.
Her neck was fully extended, then quickly returned to its original position.
She returned to his embrace: "Why should I tell you?"
*
As the ball ended, people gathered in twos and threes at the entrance, their greetings and farewells mingling softly. One after another, long, luxurious limousines arrived.
Esposito strode over to Yuan Ning, his arm curtsying in a natural and solicitous gesture: "Wynne, get in my car, I'll take you home."
Since he brought Wynne here, he should naturally be the one to take her back; they are the best partners tonight.
Esposito's voice carried a natural familiarity, and before Yuan Ning could answer, a voice rang out from behind her.
“No need for that, Prince Esposito.”
Elias van der Berg finished his conversation and walked over with a leisurely gait. He didn't raise his voice, but his figure standing behind Yuan Ning already conveyed a sense of belonging.
She belongs to him.
Yuan Ning enjoyed the spectacle of the gentlemen fighting over her, so she stood quietly between the two.
But Esposito said, "Wynne, I've looked at the contract you sent me. Get in my car, and I'll double-check it before I sign it."
Yuan Ning's heart began to tip in her favor. She glanced at Elias apologetically; she really couldn't refuse the prince.
Elias raised his chin slightly and looked calmly at Yuan Ning: "Whatever, Wynne. But investors and clients, you should think carefully about who you should be pleasing more."
Yuan Ning was stunned again upon hearing this. There can be countless clients, but there can only be one investor. Elias is the one who holds the power of life and death over her.
Elias glanced at the time and added, "Your Highness, if you wish to sign, you may wish to bring the contract to Percival Capital tomorrow. My lawyers will provide you with a complete set of legally binding documents."
Yuan Ning glanced at the prince, then at Elias, and couldn't help but click her tongue.
She had no choice but to apologize to Esposito, but the prince was easygoing; he wasn't one to hold grudges.
But just as Yuan Ning was about to get into the car, the prince suddenly called out to her, "Wynne," then stuck out his tongue, "I told you he's a wicked man..."
A mischievous smile flashed across Yuan Ning's face before she got into Elias's Bentley.
Charles drove in the front, and the two of them sat in the back seat.
There was silence for a moment.
Although Yuan Ning's smile was fleeting, Elias still caught it.
He frowned deeply.
“Wynne”.
"Um?"
Yuan Ning tilted her head to look at him.
Elias's Adam's apple bobbed, then he asked, "Is your school on holiday?"
Yuan Ning nodded: "Yes, Christmas break."
"How were your final grades?" Elias asked naturally.
Yuan Ning seemed to remember something else and refrained from speaking.
"What's wrong, boss? If I don't get good grades on the final exam, are you going to fire me?"
Elias was taken aback for a moment, then softened his voice: "Of course not."
"Then why do you ask about grades? It's just like those male elders in the family, interfering with marriage, childbirth, and grades."
Elias frowned; that was not what he meant at all.
He was just asking casually, and logically speaking, a top student like Wynne should always be happy to have her grades asked.
Looking at the girl in front of him, he suddenly found it difficult to speak. She seemed like a mischievous girl who was from a different generation than him.
Just like when I was sixteen or seventeen, I couldn't get through to my parents.
But he was lost in thought. He and Wynne didn't have any generation gap; they were from the same generation.
Yuan Ning suddenly spoke up, asking jokingly, "How did your blind date with that beautiful lady go? I heard from the prince that she's Jasper's aunt, that's really something!"
Elias's expression turned somewhat grim.
“Wynne, I’m not on a blind date with her.”
"What are they doing?"
Elias remained patient with her: "The elders want us to get to know each other."
"Then dare you say there's no intention behind this being a marriage alliance between you two?"
Yuan Ning asked the question quickly, without even realizing that her tone had a questioning quality.
Elias's gaze fell upon her with great intensity and lingered for a long time.
Yuan Ning finally came to her senses: "I, I didn't mean that."
“Wynne, if you want to assert sovereignty…”
"I already said that's not what I meant, I was just playing around with you... um—"
Yuan Ning's eyes widened when Elias's lips touched hers.
Then she saw Elias's fragile blue eyes slowly close, his eyelashes trembling as they fell, covering his eyelids and casting a shadow.
He kissed her gently, but his hands gripped her waist tightly, pressing her forward with great force until she was in his arms.
Her hands were forced to rest on his legs.
He first gently kissed her, one kiss after another, the narrow carriage filled with the sticky, wet sounds.
Then, seemingly not satisfied with that, he lifted Yuan Ning up with his large arm, and she easily sat on his lap.
He held her in his arms and kissed her gently.
Yuan Ning felt extremely happy.
She then raised her hand and put it around his neck. In fact, she had wanted to do this for a long time, but there were too many people at the ball, and she dared not do anything out of line.
The tender kiss lasted for a long time. Elias slowly released her, cradled the back of her head, brushed a strand of hair from her temple, and asked softly:
"Wynne, would you like to come with me to Switzerland for Christmas, hmm?"
The dampness and heat of the kiss had not completely dissipated, and the last syllable of his question rose slightly, like a seductive invitation.
Yuan Ning nestled in his arms, almost wanting to agree.
Switzerland.
Yuan Ning's brain, already dizzy from the kiss, felt even more dizzy from this word.
He stroked her head and said, "My family goes skiing in the Alps every Christmas season. If you'd like to go, would you like to come with me?"
Yuan Ning was held on his lap, immersed in his deep-sea-like tenderness and focus.
"Is this a Christmas present for me, Elias?"
Elias gently shook his head: "This is not it."
Yuan Ning was breathing slightly, her fingers unconsciously curling at the base of his nape.
"Okay, that's fine... Uh, no, that won't work."
She suddenly remembered, "I'm going to Paris with Eleanor for Christmas to see the fashion shows."
Elias's expression changed, but he still asked gently, "Think about it again? Which one would you rather go to?"
Yuan Ning's heart was torn between a sweet dizziness and reality.
The Paris haute couture show was a career development opportunity she couldn't miss, and spending Christmas in Switzerland with Elias and skiing in the Alps with his family was equally meaningful to her.
Two destinations, two social circles, two possible future paths.
Yuan Ning was stumped by his question, her heart pounding restlessly in her chest.
A trip to Paris is a pilgrimage for all fashion professionals; on the other side... lies the unknown, his own territory.
She opened her mouth, but found it difficult to give an answer immediately.
Then, he did something that Yuan Ning didn't expect.
He took out his laptop, his fingertips sliding across the touchpad, still holding Yuan Ning in his arms.
The screen displayed his electronic calendar, with December 21-26 marked "Switzerland - Gstaad," and then on December 27, he added a new mark: "Paris - Ritz Hotel."
"The press conference is on the evening of the 27th, right?" he asked, resting his chin on her shoulder.
Yuan Ning nodded blankly.
"The flight time from Zurich to Paris by private plane is about one hour and fifteen minutes."
He put away his computer.
“You can stay in Gstaad until the 26th and spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with me and my family.” He looked at her, his gaze deep. “Then, I’ll take you to Paris so you can make it to your press conference and your appointment with your friends.”
“Like this,” he pulled her closer again, his lips near her earlobe, his voice low and husky, “you won’t have to choose between the two.”
Yuan Ning leaned on his shoulder, able to smell the warm scent of his neck skin, mixed with the leather of the carriage and the cool, refreshing fragrance emanating from him.
Looking out the car window at the New York night view, she seemed to see the snow-capped Alps and the dazzling crystal chandeliers of the Ritz Hotel in Paris.
She gently suppressed her excitement, raised her arms to wrap around his neck, buried her face in the crook of his neck, and whispered in a muffled voice:
“That’s cheating, Elias.”
He said he couldn't help her cheat on her life.
He didn't answer, but tightened his arms around her and gently rubbed his chin against the top of her head.
Yuan Ning was taken to the apartment building.
The two remained inseparable, with Elias holding her tightly.
"Elijas, I'm home."
“I know, Wynne. I’ll pick you up the day after tomorrow, okay?”
Yuan Ning buried her head in the crook of his neck and nodded gently: "Okay."
The car had been parked for a long time, so long that the driver, Charles, had already turned off the engine and disappeared into the shadows of the front seats, as if he didn't exist.
The apartment lobby was quiet and deserted late at night, with only the warm yellow light and the sound of their footsteps.
The two figures were reflected in the elevator mirror.
He held her hand and wouldn't stop until he had taken her all the way to her doorstep.
The elevator slowly ascended, and the numbers on it changed.
In the enclosed space, silence once again spread.
With a "ding," the elevator arrived.
He led her out and walked all the way to the door of her apartment.
Yuan Ning fumbled for the keys, her fingertips trembling slightly. He took them and opened the door for her.
Standing at the doorway, light streamed in from inside the house, drawing a line of light and shadow at their feet.
Yuan Ning stood inside the door looking at him. After a long silence, she spoke, "Would you like to come in and sit down for a while?"
Her lips were very dry, and when she spoke, her upper and lower lips seemed to stick together.
That's just incredibly sexy.
Elias stood in the shadows outside the door. After a while, he raised his hand and touched the top of her head.
Goodnight, Wynne.
Goodnight, Elias.
Yuan Ning gave him one last look, and the other person took a step back.
"See you the day after tomorrow," he said.
"See you the day after tomorrow." She nodded.
She slowly closed the door, and the other person finally turned around without looking back.
Yuan Ning leaned against the door, as if she could still feel his kiss on the top of her head.
She slowly, very slowly slid down to the floor, her entire body, from her toes to the tips of her hair, bathed in warm honey.
She couldn't help but bury her face in her scarf and rub it against it, like a satisfied and affectionate cat.
In the quiet apartment, only her own breathing and those subtle heartbeats could be heard.
She raised her hand and gently touched the top of her head with her fingertips, imagining what it would feel like for Elias to stroke her head.
The corners of my mouth turned up uncontrollably, and I couldn't suppress it.
She simply stopped pressing down, jumped onto the bed in a few steps, and kicked her legs up hard.
An unprecedented, overwhelming sense of happiness, like melting snow in spring, a feeling so unfamiliar yet so real, made her want to cry, yet even more so, want to burst into laughter.
Yuan Ning has never lost the ability to feel happiness.
She hugged her pillow, wrapped herself in the blanket, and began to fantasize about that man.
She meticulously recalled every detail from the first time she met him, trying to remember when he began to like her.
Having savored all the sweet, intoxicating moments, she turned over, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts drifting uncontrollably like the wind across a spring field.
The day after tomorrow, Switzerland, the Alps.
I slept without any dreams.
*
These days, Yuan Ning has consulted almost every Western fabric repair case and document she could find, but she still has no clue how to deal with that dress.
With Elias's vacation just around the corner, perhaps she should put all her work aside, take a good rest, and enjoy her holiday.
The turning point came late one tired night.
She had just finished her final long talk with the Guggenheim Museum's curatorial team about the implementation of the special exhibition when an exhibit from China caught her eye.
It is neither the Tang Dynasty brocade with its shimmering gold threads nor the Song Dynasty kesi with its subdued colors.
Instead, it is a partial view of the Guanyin Sutra transformation on the south wall of Cave 57, Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang.
The document describes the alarming condition: "Severe flaking, brittleness, and paint peeling."
The robes and lotus seat of the Bodhisattva in the painting are covered with large patches of curled and peeling paint, which looks quite shocking.
But what attracted Yuan Ning was not merely the severity of the damage. Rather, it was the attached summary of a brief technical description from a domestic partner repair organization:
"For this type of damage that is multi-layered and fragile, traditional surface removal or overall coverage methods are not feasible. Our team adopted the principle of micro-penetration and layered reinforcement, and developed a plant-based bonding agent by reversing the logic of the three alum and nine dyeing processes in ancient painting. It is injected with extremely low pressure from the edge of the peeling or micro-cracks, so that the loose pigment layer gradually regains its adhesion to the wall base, thus preserving the information of each historical layer to the greatest extent."
Yuan Ning's breath hitched, and she practically lunged at the computer, reading the technical specifications over and over again.
Structure! It's the similarity of microstructures!
The layers of mineral pigments on the mural, about to peel off, are remarkably similar to the stubborn, multi-layered grime on silk crepe, formed by red wine, grease, and the wrong cleaning agents, in that they are "foreign objects stubbornly and multi-layeredly combined with a fragile substrate"!
A completely new idea entered her mind, and Yuan Ning's heart pounded like a drum, all her fatigue vanishing at that moment.
She started searching online for information about Dunhuang. In an interview, Dr. Lin from the Dunhuang Academy gave an example: "We don't just repaint the peeling murals; we use technology to restore those colors that have remained unchanged for millennia, telling people what they've been through. This is a difference in philosophy..."
Yuan Ning was incredibly grateful for every step she had taken. As a special research fellow at the Guggenheim Museum, she didn't need to go through many twists and turns; she simply contacted a grassroots mural restorer there through Dr. Lin.
The other party's name was Gao Ran. After obtaining the other party's contact information, Yuan Ning sent her own information over.
The email was written in both Chinese and English, and was formatted rigorously.
But dresses are different from murals; her idea only arose from a clash of ideas and was very likely impractical.
Gao Ran is a grassroots mural restorer based in Northwest China. Many murals that have reappeared in the world were restored by his own hands. No one is more capable of offering practical suggestions than him.
She received a reply the day after the email was sent.
Yuan Ning was terrified of receiving a rejection, after all, her idea was nothing short of fanciful.
Unexpectedly, the other party acknowledged her in the email first.
“I fully understand the value of this dress that you are emphasizing, but I still cannot make a judgment based on the photo alone. If possible, you can bring the dress to Dunhuang and I will personally restore it for you.”
Of course, prior to this, Yuan Ning promised a substantial donation to the research institute in exchange for their support and cooperation.
The other party's reply was very optimistic, which is undoubtedly good news.
But...should I go back to China?
Yuan Ning hasn't been back to China for a long time.
After that incident, she never thought about returning to China again.
To be honest, she's afraid to go back now.
Moreover, all she has now is a photo of the dress. Can Marta and Mrs. Olivia really trust her to take such a precious dress all the way to China for a whimsical idea?
No matter how you look at it, the chances of success are slim.
Just then, her phone received a message from Elias: "Wynne, have you packed your bags? I'll pick you up at six sharp."
Just hours later, she and Elias will fly to Switzerland for their holiday.
She had to bury the hidden pain about her homeland and the past in her heart for the time being. In any case, returning to China would be at least a matter for next year.
Next year she'll be a year older, and perhaps even more possibilities will open up for her.
Never mind, let's go on a good vacation first.
She took out her phone and texted Elias: "Everything is ready, except for Elias. The kitten is waiting for you. (heart)"
-----------------------
Author's Note: The technical aspects of this chapter are purely fictional.
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