Chapter 62 Intoxication In today's dream, you didn't avoid me.
For the next month or so, Ning Jiu devoted all her energy to the psychological project led by Professor Jiang.
Her newly free time quickly turned into a busy period, from the lab during the day to the computer late at night, she barely had time to think about anything else.
New Year's Day is just around the corner, and the New Year will follow immediately. Time is tighter than we imagined.
Living in Ning Duyun's apartment for the past few days, Ning Jiu gradually got to know her aunt's temperament—on the surface, she was decisive and efficient, but in reality, she also revealed a tender and meticulous nature in the details of life. She would quietly place a cup of hot milk on the coffee table when Ning Jiu worked overtime until late at night, and she would also fold up the blanket that she had draped on the sofa the night before before leaving in the morning. In the process of getting along, the initial awkwardness gradually faded away without her realizing it.
In her spare time, Ning Jiu often goes to the Jingyuan Concert Hall near her apartment, where Ning Duyun is the general manager.
Recently, due to being busy preparing for the New Year's concert, we have been rehearsing intensively almost every day after the official performance.
It was there that she met the famous pianist Shang Yunning and a stunningly beautiful girl named Yin Lian, whose clear and cool eyes made her impossible to ignore at first glance.
Yin Lian's piano playing is very special. Unlike the usual ornate or virtuosic playing, her performance has a clear and penetrating power, with a pure feeling that is almost stripped of pretense, making people want to hold their breath and listen.
Another song has come to an end.
There was no audience during the rehearsal; only a few staff members, including Ning Duyun, were sitting in the audience.
Yin Lian sat quietly at the piano, the light falling perfectly on her cool and defined profile. Her expression was calm and composed. When faced with the praise from the staff members below the stage, she simply smiled faintly, humble and polite, without the slightest arrogance.
Looking at her aloof and ethereal features, Ning Jiu suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen her somewhere before. She couldn't help but chuckle at her own inconsistent memory.
Practice makes perfect. Because of the close relationship between Ning Duyun and Shang Yunning, she took the opportunity to introduce Ning Jiu to Shang Yunning and Yin Lian. When talking about her niece opening her own studio at such a young age and achieving remarkable success in a short period of time, even a composed person like Ning Duyun couldn't hide the pride in her voice.
Compared to his dignified aura on screen, Shang Yunning appears much more approachable up close. Ning Jiu learns from Ning Duyun that Yin Lian is also a graduate of the Florence Conservatory of Music.
“Xiao Jiu’s birthday is coming up soon,” Ning Duyun said, her voice becoming sentimental after a few drinks at the dinner after rehearsals. “It was Auntie’s oversight before, so we have to make up for it this time.”
“I’ve already arranged with Jingyuan Concert Hall to reserve the best-viewed private room for you on your birthday. That day happens to be a special performance before Christmas, and I’ve asked them to add a solo to the piece as my birthday gift to you.”
The special performance she mentioned is a traditional concert held annually at the Jingyuan Concert Hall a few days before Christmas.
On her birthday, Ning Jiu sat in a private box, watching the full symphony orchestra and choir perform one after another on the stage. The entire concert hall was brightly lit, decorated with festive red and gold, bringing warmth to the cold winter at this moment.
The second movement of Dvořák's "Symphony No. 2: The New World" played in my ears, a masterpiece that evokes a sense of belonging and nostalgia.
Ning Jiu understood Ning Duyun's intention, and a faint warmth rippled in her amber eyes.
Wow, what beautiful fireworks!
"There's a fireworks display today? I didn't hear anything about it."
"Look, look! That golden thing is cascading down like a waterfall!"
"Hey, get your phone out quickly, let's take a picture!"
Just as the performance of "Symphony No. 2010" was ending, a loud commotion suddenly broke out in the corridor.
Ning Jiu walked out of the private room and saw a crowd gathered in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor, chattering amongst themselves. Ning Duyun happened to be coming up from the first floor, and when he saw her, he smiled and reached out to pull her to the window.
The night outside the window was as dark as ink, but it was suddenly illuminated by the exploding fireworks. Huge bursts of firework flowers burst in the air, golden light cascaded like a waterfall, and clusters of red and blue flowers bloomed one after another, as if setting the entire winter night on fire.
"Only a very wealthy family could afford to hang this up. It must cost hundreds of thousands of dollars."
"Wow, that's incredibly extravagant. We could never afford to spend money like that even once in our lives."
Hearing exclamations from people, Ning Jiu looked out the window. Her beautiful pupils reflected the dazzling light and shadows that fell upon her. For some reason, she suddenly recalled the night when she was eighteen, the grand fireworks that seemed familiar, which had once illuminated her youth with vibrant colors, but had also vanished in an instant.
Same date, similar fireworks.
So many years have passed, Ningjiu naturally believes this is a coincidence.
Fireworks are set off every day, but tonight's just happened to be a bit bigger.
As a completely unrelated bystander, all she needed to do was appreciate the awe-inspiring spectacle of the dazzling fireworks; nothing else concerned her.
Thinking this way, my previously turbulent emotions calmed down considerably.
My phone kept vibrating in my hand. Pei Yueli, Gao Hexin, Li Mingyuan... one familiar name after another sent me birthday greetings via text message.
Ning Jiu looked down at the stream of blessings pouring in on the screen, her lips curving into a smile. She was busy replying to each one when she suddenly felt her arm being gently touched.
A tall, slender figure flashed past the stairwell. She paused, turning her head to catch a glimpse of the figure, when Ning Duyun's voice rang out beside her.
"Xiao Jiu, Xiao Lian just told me the birthday cake has arrived. Shall we go into the private room first?"
Ning Jiu quickly forgot the little incident from earlier and walked back to the private room with Ning Duyun.
A newly delivered cake was already on the table, its cream whipped into delicate, soft frosting, and adorned with a few blueberries that Ning Jiu liked in the center. The candles had not yet been lit, but it was already as beautiful as a small work of art.
She took the cake knife from Ning Duyun and cut two pieces. The two were eating and chatting happily when there was a soft knock on the door.
"Miss Ning Jiu, Sister Du Yun, excuse me." The door opened to find the assistant in charge of miscellaneous tasks in the concert hall, holding a dark envelope and looking somewhat reserved.
"I just saw a gentleman leave this at the door with Miss Ning's name on it. It must be for you."
Ning Jiu and Ning Duyun exchanged a glance, the latter also looking surprised, indicating that this was not one of the surprise segments she had arranged.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Jiu went over to take a look. In the assistant's hand was a neatly pressed dark blue envelope. The paper was thick and heavy, with fine gold foil lines along the edges. It had a slight undulation when touched, unlike the material of an ordinary envelope.
With some doubt in her heart, she still reached out and took it, then tore open the seal.
When her gaze fell on the contents of the card inside the envelope, Ning Jiu's previously nonchalant movements froze, as if she had been nailed to the spot.
On the gray-black background, there was originally only a dim shooting star with a thin tail, as if it would disappear into the night sky at any moment. In the lower left corner, there was a minimalist mini flashlight.
With her hand trembling slightly, she pushed the flashlight switch, and the card, as if triggered by a mechanism, suddenly burst forth with a dazzling beam of light, blooming into a colorful halo that illuminated the entire card.
The originally dull shooting star, illuminated by this beam of colored light, slowly revealed its hidden details, and the special coating covering the card's surface reflected a unique luster under the light.
From Ning Jiu's perspective, it was as if a gray shooting star was gradually illuminated before her eyes, eventually transforming into a dazzling golden arc, its tail trailing colorful fragments of light, before streaking across the night sky once more.
......
With a snap.
The hand that was just gripping the doorknob suddenly lost its grip and let go.
Ning Jiu gripped the card tightly, so hard that her knuckles turned white. Ning Duyun noticed her unusual expression and was about to ask her something when he was startled to see a sudden redness appear at the corner of her eye.
"Little Jiu, you—"
"Excuse me, Auntie, I might have to go out for a bit."
Almost the instant she finished speaking, Ning Jiu hurriedly ran downstairs, bypassing the assistant at the door.
The sounds of fireworks exploding outside were still echoing, but she had no time to care. Lifting her skirt, she plunged into the crowd.
The crowd surged, the lights were blinding, and it was the time when the audience was leaving after the performance. The noisy conversations rose and fell, and shoulders were constantly being pushed and shoved. The air was filled with the smell of perfume and the cold wind. Ning Jiu was so crowded that she felt dizzy and had to stand on tiptoe to find him.
It wasn't him... it wasn't him... it wasn't him after all.
The noise gradually subsided, and the bustling crowd thinned out.
A night breeze swept into the concert hall entrance, leaving only a slight winter chill.
Ning Jiu stood quietly at the door, watching the bustling crowd gradually turn into a desolate and quiet place.
The colorful light from the card illuminated her profile, making the surroundings seem even more desolate.
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After that day, everything seemed to return to normal.
If it weren't for the card in her hand, Ning Jiu would almost have thought it was all a dream.
The experiments continued as usual, with one task after another on the schedule. It wasn't just about the studio's affairs; they also had to take care of the school's research projects.
Her master's program was not yet finished, but based on her performance, she was already qualified to graduate early. Shen Zhiying had told her that as long as she continued at the current pace, she could formally apply for early graduation after the new year.
Sometimes, when the night is still and quiet, Ning Jiu would inadvertently glance at the card placed in the corner of her desk, and her heart would suddenly clench, as if it had been gently pricked by a needle.
In just one month, she was already trapped in this emotion and couldn't break free.
However, Joel Berlin was trapped in this state for a full six years.
As the New Year approached, Professor Jiang's project successfully came to an end. Ning Jiu's contribution was evident to all. The combination of psychology and big data greatly promoted the team's research progress. Professor Jiang specially invited Ning Jiu and Chen Poyao to a year-end dinner, saying that he wanted to take this opportunity to thank the team for their hard work.
The year-end dinner was scheduled for Deyuan, a well-known luxury hotel in Beijing. Deyuan is a long-established Sino-German joint venture hotel located in Tai'an District of Beijing. It has gradually evolved into an entertainment venue frequented by the wealthy and privileged second-generation rich in Tai'an District, and has almost become a landmark of a certain social circle.
Professor Jiang had booked a private room on the third floor of the Deyuan Hotel well in advance, thinking that it would be a quiet place for a meal and also convenient for everyone to discuss the final work on the project. However, when he arrived that evening, the hotel manager greeted him apologetically and explained that the power and lighting system in the private room area on the third floor had temporarily malfunctioned and the entire floor was unusable.
"The incident happened suddenly. We will try our best to arrange the most suitable seats in the lobby for everyone and waive the private room fee for tonight as an apology."
The manager was clearly under a lot of pressure, forcing a smile and apologizing repeatedly. Judging from the fine beads of sweat on his forehead, it seemed that it wasn't just this table of guests who was apologizing.
Professor Jiang could only sigh upon hearing this. He turned to ask everyone what they thought, and seeing that they all agreed it was fine, he decided not to disturb their rare moment of enjoyment and led them to the dining hall with the manager.
Although the hall wasn't a private room, it was still decorated in a magnificent style. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the high dome, and classical piano music flowed from the center of the stage. The night view of Tai'an District could also be seen from the window seats. The lights and the aroma of wine intertwined, creating an unexpectedly good atmosphere.
At first, everyone was a little annoyed by the last-minute change of seats, but as the dishes were served one by one and the drinks were served, everyone was gradually infected by the atmosphere, and the laughter and conversation grew louder as they raised their glasses.
Professor Jiang raised his glass and looked around, noticing that Ning Jiu's glass remained untouched, and casually asked with a smile.
"Xiao Jiu, you don't drink?"
Ning Jiu smiled slightly and simply replied that she was allergic to alcohol.
"Xiao Xiye! Why are you so late today?"
"Haha, it would be abnormal if he arrived early."
Just as things were getting lively at one table, a burst of enthusiastic and familiar greetings suddenly erupted from another table, attracting the attention of several people around Ning Jiu, who all turned to look.
The tall, imposing man appeared in the hall and almost instantly became the center of attention.
Xiao Xiye deftly took off his suit jacket, which the waiter quickly took from him: "You ordered so much? This is too extravagant. Be careful, or Old Master Liu will scold you for being wasteful again."
Someone on the other side of the table chuckled and replied in a nonchalant manner.
"I'm not paying today. Liangzi lost a bet and is treating us. Besides, with his import and export business, he can make back the money for this meal in the blink of an eye."
Upon hearing this, the young men at the table laughed, but Ning Jiu remained silent, picking at her food, when she heard people whispering among themselves.
"Tsk, these rich young men from Beijing are really generous. That meal and those bottles of wine must have cost at least tens of thousands of yuan. They just invited me without hesitation."
"I'm so envious. We might not be able to match the value of just one of their banquets in a year."
"These people spend money like it's nothing, who wouldn't be envious?"
Halfway through the conversation, Ning Jiu suddenly noticed that the two people seemed to have seen something, and their eyes widened.
"Oh my, this big shot has graced us with his presence today," said the playboy at the next table, who had been so carefree just moments before, but now seemed more wary. "Our table has gained some prestige too."
"Xiao Xiye, did he come with you?" Someone quickly figured out the situation. "What a coincidence! How many times a year does Deyuan have problems with its private rooms? We just happened to be the ones who had to come along. Everyone's crammed into the main hall. Now that Berlin's here, it's like we didn't take good care of him."
"We grew up together, there's no need to be so formal." Xiao Xiye leaned back lazily in his chair and said slowly, "We just finished our work and heard that you had a gathering, so we came over to grab a bite. We'll leave as soon as we're done eating."
"You don't welcome me?"
Another clear voice rang out, and the young master who had been looking at each other in bewilderment instantly changed his expression.
"No way, if you hadn't come, we would have had to come to your door to invite you."
"Sit down quickly and have a drink with us!"
Almost the instant the voice fell, a considerable commotion broke out at the next table, but the people at this table instinctively fell silent.
Chen Poyao clearly recognized who the voice belonged to. She looked up in disbelief, glancing at Qiao Bolin sitting at the next table, and then subconsciously looked in Ning Jiu's direction, only to find that neither of them showed any emotion.
Just one table away.
They were like strangers, never even making eye contact.
The meal took longer than expected. Ning Jiu put down her chopsticks and looked at the people at the table, whose faces were almost all flushed from drinking. Even Professor Jiang, who was usually calm and composed, could not hide his drunkenness and spoke in a louder voice than usual.
Someone walked towards her with a cup in hand, and Ning Jiu instinctively stood up.
He was a Peking University student under Professor Jiang's supervision. His eyes were slightly drunk, but his tone was still relatively restrained.
"Senior Ning, we've been working together for so long, let me toast you."
Ning substituted tea for wine, raising his cup slightly. The other person, seemingly a little tipsy, laughed and added another comment.
"You're such an outstanding senior, I wonder if you have a boyfriend?"
Ning Jiu was startled. Whether it was her imagination or something else, she felt a subtle stillness come from the table next to her, which vanished in an instant.
"No."
She answered decisively.
The hand that was picking up food paused imperceptibly in mid-air for a moment.
The boy's eyes lit up almost immediately after hearing Ning Jiu's answer.
"How could someone as beautiful and capable as you not have a boyfriend?" He subconsciously straightened his back, wanting to volunteer, "I wonder what you like—"
“I’m wondering the same thing. Maybe it’s because you’re under a lot of pressure being with me,” Ning Jiu interrupted him with a smile. “I have high ‘requirements’ in that area. The first few times I stayed up until dawn, but I couldn’t take it after a few days. I’m currently taking Chinese medicine to regulate my body.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the boy's smile froze instantly, his face flushed, and he stammered out an excuse before hastily retreating.
Ning Jiu clenched her fist to hide the smile on her lips. Suddenly, she heard a few hissing sounds from the next table. It must be that those young masters had also drunk enough. They stood up unsteadily, put their arms around each other, and discussed where to go for the next round.
Someone noticed something: "Hey, Xiao Xiye, why haven't you drunk much today?"
A lazy voice came from the other end: "We're going to a concert later, so you'd better stay alert."
"Oh my, you've been cultivating your tastes lately," the man teased. "How come I never knew you loved music so much before?"
"Yeah, we used to be able to get you to come for drinks and karaoke, but now you've gone to a concert instead."
"Alright, stop pretending to be high and mighty. You're probably there for some girl, aren't you?"
After a few jokes, the atmosphere became lively again. Ning Jiu saw that everyone had almost finished eating, so she greeted Professor Jiang, who was already a little drunk, and picked up her bag to leave without even glancing at the next table.
As I passed the corner of the hotel corridor, I ran into a figure face to face.
The carefree man was speaking softly on the phone, his tone unusually gentle.
"Okay, I'll be there in a bit."
Ning Jiu paused, and their eyes met inadvertently. Xiao Xiye raised an eyebrow slightly, about to say something, when the drunken shouts of the young masters from the previous table came from behind.
"Hey, Xiao Xiye, where's the Berliner? He's nowhere to be seen."
Xiao Xiye glanced at Ning Jiu seemingly casually, then looked away naturally, covering the receiver with his palm, and spoke to someone behind him.
"I drank quite a bit earlier, so I'm sobering up on the terrace."
"It's been too long since I've seen him. I did drink too much just now," the young man scratched his head, his tone a little hesitant. "Should I go over and take a look?"
"Don't you have other plans?" Xiao Xiye quickly replied. "Alright, go do what you're supposed to do. If he really collapses, it's not our place to worry about him."
As their voices faded into the distance, Ning Jiu tightened her grip, lowered her eyelashes slightly, and concealed the fleeting emotion in her eyes.
I wanted to hurry up and leave, but the moment I touched the hotel door, a wave of suppressed bitterness surged up in my heart.
Almost impulsively, she walked back to the lobby and followed her memory to the second-floor terrace.
The gauze curtains hung lightly, a gentle breeze stirred, and a tall, slender figure appeared and disappeared in the view.
Looking through the gauze curtain, Ning Jiu saw Qiao Bolin leaning against the railing, his upper body leaning forward, one hand gripping the cold metal railing tightly, his slender, white fingers trembling slightly, reflecting an almost pale light under the moonlight.
From her perspective, his Adam's apple bobbed, and the veins on his forearms, with his sleeves rolled up, were taut, as if he were trying his best to suppress some kind of discomfort.
He seemed even thinner than I hadn't seen him for months.
Ning Jiu didn't want to interfere, but seeing him stagger towards the terrace door, his steps unsteady and almost collapsing at any moment, her heart tightened, and she ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it.
She simply stepped forward and reached out to help him up. That was all.
She was telling herself this when the drunk man suddenly raised his dark pupils, his gaze fixed on her, and remained silent for several seconds.
The evening breeze outside the terrace was cool.
Ning Jiu felt a surge of heat all over her body from his gaze, and even her cheeks began to burn involuntarily.
Before she could react, he suddenly leaned down, his lips brushing against hers.
The heat was fleeting, carrying with it the scent of sandalwood.
"That's wonderful." His straight nose slid over her delicate skin, greedily inhaling the sweet scent of her collar. "In my dream tonight, you didn't avoid me."
The last murmur was so soft it was blown away by the wind.
Almost the instant he finished speaking, Qiao Bolin suddenly fell forward, his tall body crashing into Ning Jiu's arms.
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Author's Note: How can Xiao Qiao not be truly drunk? hhh
Type 1 to see how Zhang Bolin lured his wife away [doge emoji]
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The timelines of "The Florence Symphony" and "Golden Berlin" differ slightly, but this does not affect reading.
Chapter 60 is finally solved!! You can read it in conjunction with the VB "preview".
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