Surprise gift
Dr. Li introduced, "This is Mr. Li Fuqiang, the owner of the renowned Foremost Group. Mr. Li is the sponsor of many of our laboratory's research projects. He has been studying in New York for the past six months and today he is visiting the top laboratories here with us."
Xu Anyi smiled, but her heart was in turmoil. This was the man in the photo, posing intimately with her daughter. She immediately understood the arrangements behind this trip to the United States.
Dr. Li chatted with Zhou Meiqi, while Li Fuqiang sat down next to Xu Anyi.
"Miss Xu, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Mr. Li, thank you for your trouble with the medical treatment this time." Xu Anyi got straight to the point.
Li Fuqiang paused for a moment, then said, “I have admired your daughter ever since I saw her at the Christmas ball last year.” He made a point of mentioning the time, lest Xu Anyi misunderstand that he was seeking repayment for a favor.
"I know I'm much older than Zhiwei. But after being single for so many years, I don't want to miss out on someone I want to marry."
Xu Anyi had many questions in her mind, but this was her daughter's matter, and she didn't want to discuss it with others before speaking with her. Her daughter had sent photos last night, which was clearly not unfounded.
"I believe in my daughter."
"Yesterday was Zhiwei's graduation ceremony, and today I'd like to throw her a simple celebration party. If Miss Xu would be willing to attend, Zhiwei would be the happiest."
Zhiwei, who was tidying up at home, received a call from Maggie.
"Zhiwei, congratulations on your graduation."
"Thanks."
"Excuse me, I need your help with something. The client feedback on the house we're working on is very good, but there's just one small thing they'd like to improve."
"The client wants to add a little fox next to the Little Prince on the roof. This is your drawing; it wouldn't be the same style if someone else drew it. I'm so sorry, I have to trouble you."
"No problem, it's just that I'm out of glow-in-the-dark paint."
"There's still some paint in the studio. How about I bring the paint and drive over to pick you up so we can finish up as soon as possible?"
Zhiwei readily agreed.
Xu Anyi, Zhou Meiqi, Dr. Li, and others followed Li Fuqiang to a house. Pushing open the door, Xu Anyi froze. Zhou Meiqi, puzzled, exclaimed, "What a beautiful house! Are party houses like this popular in New York?"
Xu Anyi seemed not to hear, staring blankly at the house—bright, spacious, and elegant, exactly the same as the photos her daughter had sent when the project ended.
She walked in silently, looking up intently. It took a lot of concentration to see the faint golden dots on the ceiling. Zhou Meiqi looked up too, suddenly realizing, "The roof has a faint pattern? Is understated luxury in style these days?"
Xu Anyi murmured to herself, "Maybe it will glow at night?"
"That's interesting?"
Around 5 PM, Maggie picked up Zhiwei and brought her to the apartment building. She thanked Zhiwei again for her help. Zhiwei politely replied, "It was nothing. I'm honored that the client liked the design."
Maggie unlocked the door, and as soon as Zhiwei stepped into the room, she was sprayed with confetti and flower petals. Someone cheered, "Congratulations on your graduation!"
When Zhiwei saw everything clearly, she was so surprised she couldn't close her mouth. Li Fuqiang, her mother, Aunt Mei, Dr. Li from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and Maggie behind her were all looking at her with smiles.
"Zhiwei, congratulations on your graduation."
She sighed, rubbing her forehead, "This is..."
She hugged her mother's waist and rested her head on her mother's shoulder: "Mom, what are you doing here?"
Xu Anyi looked at her daughter—a simple white shirt cinched with a thin leather belt, faded blue jeans, and long, seaweed-like hair simply braided. Without makeup, her youthful face was rosy, her lips red and teeth white, like a woman from a Raphael painting stepping out of a picture.
Youth is priceless. She put her arm around her daughter's waist while glancing at Li Fuqiang. Zhiwei stole a glance at her mother's calm expression and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mom, isn't this room beautifully designed? Maggie and we put a lot of effort into it." Her gaze was drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and she focused intently on touching the glass in the middle.
Xu Anyi thought she was attracted by the view outside the window, but when she got closer, she found that she was looking at the glass itself.
"This stained glass window is quite unique. Stained rose windows are common in churches, but I've never seen a design with a black rose silhouette in relief."
Zhiwei murmured, “It’s not common. I designed it myself. Mr. Li saw my draft and ordered a small ornament from China as a gift for me. I didn’t expect that this time he ordered a larger one and replaced the middle glass. When I left for the last time, it was still ordinary glass here.”
Xu Anyi sighed inwardly, thinking, with such elaborate methods, which girl could possibly escape?
Zhiwei let go of her mother, walked up to Li Fuqiang, and gently shook his hand: "Mr. Li, you actually kept this from me for so long." She looked at Maggie.
Maggie smiled and raised her hand: "I swear, it really was the client's request." Zhiwei smiled knowingly and didn't ask any more questions.
In the kitchen, banquet staff served food at the kitchen island, and everyone helped themselves and chatted. Zhiwei specifically sought out Dr. Li to thank him for accompanying her mother to New York. Dr. Li said amicably, "I also benefited from Ms. Shen's help in being able to inspect and introduce new equipment earlier, which has benefited many people. I also want to thank Mr. Li for his consistent support of our laboratory."
Li Fuqiang chatted with Xu Anyi and Zhou Meiqi about their experiences in New York. Zhou Meiqi said, "I've always heard that New Yorkers are indifferent, but yesterday I saw that they were very warm. Strangers would give each other hugs and blessings."
Li Fuqiang said, "I've been here all this time and I've never seen such a celebration as yesterday. That's the charm of an Ivy League school."
As he spoke, Xu Anyi couldn't help but glance at Zhiwei, feeling a sense of comfort in her heart.
Around 8 PM, everyone said goodbye. Li Fuqiang offered to take Xu Anyi and Zhou Meiqi home and quietly said to Zhiwei, "Do you like this graduation gift? The house is fully furnished. Why don't you stay and experience your new house?"
After everyone left, the house fell silent instantly. The staff had tried to tidy up before leaving, but it was still a bit messier than when Zhiwei last left—and it was precisely this messiness that gave the house a more welcoming and less distant feel.
She turned off all the lights and opened the window. The warm evening breeze of May in New York blew through the white curtains, slowly blending into the gentle night.
The stars on the rooftop gradually lit up. Zhiwei lay on the beanbag chair, staring blankly at the half-bright, half-dim stars above her, as if they were about to blink. Looking at the deep and distant Milky Way, she felt as if she had turned into a tiny speck of dust, and in this vast universe, human joys and sorrows seemed insignificant and out of place.
She looked up at the Little Prince again—did he finally return to his planet and be with his rose? Or was it all just a dream? Or did he yearn for the liveliness of Earth again after being with his rose?
After a long while, only a soft sigh came from inside the room. She turned on the light, guessing that her mother had returned to the hotel, and called Li Fuqiang.
"Xiao Wei, don't worry, I've already taken Miss Xu back to her hotel."
"Mr. Li, my art studio has just opened, and I'm short of a model. Would you do me the honor of being my model?"
If a beautiful woman invites me, I'll go even if it means going through fire and water.
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