Chapter 51
With a tight schedule of live-streaming tasks every day, Lin Langyi also set up a set of equipment in Dingpu Community, so he no longer had to sleep in the company every day.
The livestreaming room for Ying Shan Lake pearls remains popular, largely due to the diverse product range, from high-end to low-end, with truly ingenious designs. The design institute's sign has also been put up, and with Yuan Fei leading the team, it's gradually taking shape.
Some of the models were designed by Chi Shu. In addition to the crown he had previously won, he also had many other designs that he had made privately, all of which were sent to Lin Langyi's office at once.
He was internally referred to a mid-range luxury brand. Although the brand is relatively young, it was originally a newly established branch of a luxury brand, so its prospects are bright and its future development potential is good.
The only drawback is that this brand has very few branches in China; the only two are located far away from City A.
After the "slap incident," Chi Shu wrote three or four long and sincere essays on WeChat, repeatedly apologizing and promising that he would authorize Ying Shanhu to reproduce and sell all his future works, asking her not to block him.
Lin Langyi replied coldly, only telling him to focus on finishing his last year of university and then go to a big city to work hard.
She didn't read or reply to any of his subsequent messages.
But to her surprise, he came directly to the company to find her.
Lin Langyi is currently preparing for an upcoming inspection by higher-level bureaus and offices, and every day is filled with endless reports to write and countless on-site visits.
Unfortunately, Chi Shulai was still outside at the time, so he had to wait outside the office for an hour and a half.
When Lin Langyi returned to the company, he still obediently stood guard at the door, leaning against the wall and staring blankly at the ceiling.
"What do you want?" Lin Langyi looked him up and down in one glance.
He grew thinner and thinner, and his skin was pale, the kind of bloodless, cold, pale color that comes from being soaked in water for a long time, seeping from his bones and flesh.
“We don’t have classes in our senior year, so I’ll be going to W City for an internship in the second half of the year. I might only come back occasionally if there’s something at school.” He still smiled sweetly at her. “So before I leave, I’d like to meet with you again, Sister Langyi, and pick up my things.”
Beside his legs was a square, transparent gift box tied with ribbon. Lin Langyi glanced at it and saw that it was a complete assembly of the Taj Mahal made of pearls. The pure white base was adorned with pearls in dark tea gold and royal gold on the top, like a scaled-down Lego set, yet it exuded the unique luster of pearls, making it exquisitely beautiful.
“I’m still working on other landmark buildings.” Chi Shu picked up the ribbon and followed her into the office. “I’ll send it to you when I go to W City.”
Lin Langyi sighed and said seriously, "Chi Shu, you really have great hands-on skills and a good sense of aesthetics. You should develop your career well in the future."
"I understand, sister." Tears welled up in his eyes, and he swallowed repeatedly, finally managing to force them back. "Besides the work-related items, I'll send you all the drawings and models I designed privately. No matter what, Ying Shan Lake will always be my dream."
Lin Langyi looked at his teary eyes, handed him two tissues, and patted his shoulder: "Alright, alright, I hope we can meet at the top again in the future, okay?"
He pressed the tissue to his eyes, closed them, and the tissue quickly became damp.
He nodded vigorously.
After that, Chi Shu talked about his ideas for the new product and even took out his laptop to show her the initial draft.
His abilities were undeniable. Lin Langyi listened in for a while, and the two discussed for a long time. Time flew by and it was already evening.
"I'll take a taxi back myself," Chi Shu said, packing her things. "It's much more lively here than before, and it's easier to get a taxi."
Lin Langyi thought for a moment and then said, "It's not appropriate for you to come empty-handed. Let's have a meal together... Do you want to eat at the cafeteria?"
Chi Shu smiled and said, "It's food."
The food in the company cafeteria wasn't as plentiful in the evening as it was at lunchtime, so Lin Langyi asked the chef to prepare a special meal for them in a private room.
I happened to run into Yuan Fei and her design team while we were having lunch. The team doesn't need to be in the office every day. Yuan Fei requires us to come to the company two days a week, Tuesday and Friday, and we work from home most of the time.
"Want to eat together?" Lin Langyi waved her hand. "Perfect timing, we have a dish for our great designer, Mr. Yuan, to take a look at."
Although Yuan Fei is naturally mild-mannered and sensitive, she gradually gets used to taking the initiative to communicate with others after she starts to take on important responsibilities. When opinions differ, she will blush and argue softly, her voice may be soft, but her stance is firm.
She saw Chi Shu next to Lin Langyi and smiled, "Gold Medal God."
Everyone sat around the table for a meal. Lin Langyi handed a photo of the Taj Mahal to Yuan Fei, and after it was passed around, the general feedback was very positive.
Chi Shu put down his chopsticks, took out his computer again, and directly showed everyone the structural perspective of the product center.
"Can it be disassembled?" Yuan Fei asked eagerly, her doe eyes looking expectantly at Lin Langyi and then at Chi Shu.
Chi Shu spread his hands and pointed at Lin Langyi: "It's already Langyi's stuff. If she says it's okay, then it's okay."
Lin Langyi was still chewing and swallowing when she said generously, "What use is it to me? I'll send it over to our think tank later."
As a result, the design team, who originally planned to go home after dinner, got excited and "dissected" the Taj Mahal on site, took photos, and then reassembled it under Chi Shu's guidance.
"I have a plan in mind. I'll make a version in a couple of days," Yuan Fei said as she scribbled furiously in her palm-sized light blue notebook.
"Put it in your office," Lin Langyi said, pushing the finished product towards her. "You can use it as a reference."
“Okay.” Yuan Fei told the rest of the team to go back first, then carried the Taj Mahal to her office for the time being. “Xiao Yi, are you going back to Dingpu Community tonight? My brother wanted to pick me up, but I said I had to work overtime, and now he has something to do and can’t get away…”
"I'll take you home," Lin Langyi readily agreed, then glanced at Chi Shu, who had been following behind her, "Or you could also..."
"I'll go back by myself." He waved his hand repeatedly, and when he smiled, two dimples appeared on his cheeks. "I'm going back to school, it's not on my way."
Even so, Lin Langyi still drove the two of them out of Yingshan Lake. After Chi Shu repeatedly expressed his politeness, he dropped him off at a bus stop where it was convenient to hail a taxi, and then took Yuan Fei home.
When she returned, she pressed the accelerator hard, afraid of missing the live broadcast that evening. She drove all the way to Dingpu Community, parked in her parking space, and was about to get out of the car when Chi Shu called right on time.
"Hello?"
"Sister, there were people around earlier so I didn't have a chance to say it, but I left a mini version of the Taj Mahal in the back seat of your car. The structure is exactly the same. If you want to show it off during your live stream, you can use that first."
Lin Langyi paused in closing the door, glanced at the back seat, and indeed found a small, exquisite Taj Mahal in the corner.
She took it and put it in her bag, hurrying towards the elevator while replying, "Okay, thank you."
After finishing his story, Chi Shu abruptly ended the call.
Lin Langyi lowered her head and put her phone into her bag, when she suddenly noticed the property certificate that was still in her bag and hadn't had time to hide.
It's the same set as the one on the other side.
She wanted to keep it in the office, but worried that it would be too conspicuous if placed with the keys, so in the end she only kept the keys locked in the office. The complete property ownership documents were more suitable to be kept elsewhere—
Lin Langyi turned and walked to the other side.
As she boarded the elevator, she rummaged through her bag for the key she had separated from her bag, unaware that she could see a person sitting on the flowerbed below through the transparent observation elevator.
He sat very deep, cross-legged, with most of his body hidden in the landscape design.
He held his phone face down, using his clothes to block out the light from the bright screen and also to hide the page searching for "Dingpu Community".
As the elevator ascended, he gently pushed aside the branches blocking his view and slowly tilted his head back to count silently.
1, 2, 3, 4...
It stopped on the 17th floor.
So this is the building. Oh, she lives on the 17th floor.
He waited quietly for a while before stretching his legs off the flower bed, stepping onto the ground, brushing the dust off his clothes, and leaving quietly.
*
After opening the door, Lin Langyi didn't even step into the house. She placed the file bag in the entryway, then immediately closed the door and went home.
Unfortunately, things didn't go smoothly today. Halfway through the live stream, her phone kept vibrating.
Lin Langyi excused herself to go to the restroom and left for a moment. Lin Liaoyuan's name appeared on the screen.
He has been staying in G City recently. Lin Xiangshuo's company also plans to follow the example of Yingshanhu, so they need a leader there.
For this reason, Lin Xiangshuo has been traveling back and forth between the two places recently, while Meng Hui said that the application for a characteristic town is at a critical stage, so she has been staying in City A.
As soon as Lin Langyi stood up, she felt a slight, dull ache in her stomach. She leaned against the bathroom sink and answered the phone.
Lin Liaoyuan's speech was already a bit slurred, sounding like he had drunk quite a bit: "Zhuzhu, Dad had dinner with Cheng Yangkang today, and everyone was happy when we talked about you and Yanjin."
Lin Langyi placed one hand on her lower abdomen, knowing this was just a prelude, and casually hummed in agreement before continuing to listen.
“Actually, as people get older, Dad understands some things more and more. In the end, people still have to earn their own respect so that others will respect them. Zhuzhu, you are doing a great job managing Yingshan Lake so well, which is why our family has confidence.”
Lin Langyi walked out of the bathroom and into the living room, taking out a spare sanitary napkin from her bag: "Dad, I'm still live streaming, just tell me what's wrong."
Lin Liaoyuan hesitated for a moment before speaking frankly: "Zhuzhu, you know that the family wants to expand the scale of Ashuo's two companies as well... Of course, it won't be like Yingshanhu. Yingshanhu took advantage of the favorable policies, with the right timing, location, and people, which is a rare opportunity. Ashuo's two companies only want to expand their existing scale a bit more."
"We need to use the new drip irrigation technology and quickly transform and roll it out. So when Dad was having dinner with Cheng Yangkang today, he mentioned whether we could give 30 to 40 percent of the supply to G City."
Lin Langyi held her phone between her shoulder and shoulder, rummaged through her bag but couldn't find ibuprofen, and then asked, "Well, what did he say?"
“It involves costs, such as transportation costs, storage costs, and all sorts of other things, so it’s not a simple matter.” Lin Liaoyuan himself knew that this matter wouldn’t be easy to accomplish, and continued, “He immediately knew that G City was short of funds, so he didn’t agree. He said that Cheng’s jewelry business was all leftovers from Ying Yuan’s pockets, and unlike Ying Yuan, it didn’t have stores in multiple cities. Therefore, Ying Shan Lake’s supply could already fully cover the needs, and there was no need to purchase goods from other channels.”
This is obvious. Do you think they're stupid enough to increase their own costs and throw money away for no reason?
"Hmm." Lin Langyi had already known this would be the result, so she remained calm and composed. She put her phone on speakerphone and ordered medicine online directly to have it delivered to her home.
"However, Cheng Yangkang still called Yuan Chuyu directly in front of me, as a matchmaker, saying that Ying Yuan could handle this business."
Lin Langyi's fingers, which were holding the medicine, slowed down, and his expression gradually disappeared.
She adjusted her posture: "Oh? And then?"
Lin Liaoyuan said, "Mr. Xiaoyuan is really very polite and speaks very nicely. I think there might still be a chance for this. He said that we need to discuss the specifics in detail."
...
Lin Langyi returned to the camera with a normal expression. After continuing the live stream for another fifteen minutes, she apologized and said she would end the broadcast early today. She then gave away prizes to everyone and closed the live stream.
It would take forty minutes for the medicine to arrive. Only then did Lin Langyi realize that she had forgotten to buy sanitary pads when she was lost in thought. The two daily pads in her bag were useless.
Her mind was racing with thoughts, one thing after another, until she realized she had already dialed Yuan Chuyu's number.
The other party answered immediately.
Before Lin Langyi could prepare her words, she heard soft breathing from the other end.
He didn't say a word.
She paused for five or six seconds before speaking, "Yuan Chuyu?"
"Um."
Lin Langyi realized that she and Lin Liaoyuan were similar in some ways, such as both of them talking nonsense before getting down to business.
But her words sounded more like she was making conversation for the sake of it.
She said, "Why didn't you speak after the call connected? I thought you just accidentally pressed the button."
He paused for two seconds, then calmly said, "I don't know what the situation is like on your end, whether you're on speakerphone or have someone with you, and I don't know what attitude or role I should take when I talk to you."
Lin Langyi paused.
He continued in a low voice, "Should I speak as a business partner, or as a friend of my fiancé, or... I'm afraid that if I speak rashly, I might cause you trouble."
"But if you speak first, even if it's just calling my name, I'll understand."
Lin Langyi never expected to receive such a conciliatory answer, as if he were truly an algae plant that couldn't stand the light of day, only able to quietly unfold its leaves and breathe in some fresh air when things were calm.
He led her away: "Cheng Yanjin is still on the mountain. There are only a few days left in the retreat camp, and I have no one with me right now."
After saying that, she realized it was inappropriate and felt a little annoyed... What was she doing?
She quickly cut to the chase: "Did my dad call you today?"
"Yes."
Her next sentence came even faster: "Don't give me any money."
A low laugh suddenly came from the other end of the line, as if someone was trying not to laugh.
Lin Langyi, of course, wouldn't reveal her true intentions. Just as she was about to use more official terms like "profit" and "return on investment," Yuan Chuyu suddenly said, "This matter can't be explained in a few words over the phone."
He said, "Let's talk in person. I'm coming over now."
*
Most of the shops outside the residential area were closed at this time, and Lin Langyi didn't know what kind of environment to choose to talk to Yuan Chuyu about serious matters.
He casually replied, "In the car."
Ibuprofen hadn't arrived before the door closed, so Lin Langyi slipped on a pair of slippers and went downstairs.
Yuan Chuyu parked in the parking space provided by the apartment across the street, and Lin Langyi opened the back door under his unwavering, deep gaze.
Before I even got in, a brief voice came from the driver's seat: "Sit in the front."
He spoke in a casual tone, not harshly, but his years of wielding power gave him an air of effortless composure and an aura of absolute authority.
Lin Langyi closed the door and returned to the passenger seat.
He drove a pure black Bentley today, with a faint, dry fougère wood scent inside, which smelled exceptionally elegant.
Are you cold?
This was the first thing he said to her after she got in the car.
Lin Langyi turned to look at him. His gaze swept over her face, and his right hand automatically turned down the air conditioner and turned the vent away from blowing directly on her.
Lin Langyi's lower abdomen was starting to feel uncomfortable. She adjusted to a more comfortable sitting position, half-sunken into the seat, crossed her arms over her stomach, and shook her head.
Because she wasn't feeling well, she got straight to the point: "I came here to tell you that you shouldn't invest money in Lin Xiangshuo's two companies. Don't spend all your time doing charity work."
He still had one hand on the steering wheel, turning his head to look at her. His gaze was slow and intense, like a reunion after a long separation. But clearly, they hadn't been apart for very long, at least that's what Lin Langyi thought.
Yuan Chuyu looked at her carefully for a long time before saying in a gentle tone, "The pearl trend is picking up. I just received the second quarter industry report on jewelry yesterday. Yingyuan can indeed collect more pearls."
Lin Langyi choked up.
That makes perfect sense. The price of pearls has skyrocketed, and even the price of the pond she bought from the Zu brothers has tripled.
“But those two companies are different from Ying Shan Lake.” Lin Langyi pressed her arm against her stomach, trying to alleviate her physical discomfort. “Ying Shan Lake’s modern aquaculture has been fully rolled out, while my brother’s two companies are just starting out. If you invest money to place orders now, you are only supporting a small seedling.”
She had anticipated these words, and they came out smoothly: "Otherwise, if it were a good deal, would my dad need to go and attract investment? Pearl farming is done on a yearly basis, and only large companies can afford to take advantage of the gap of several years."
“I know.” Yuan Chuyu withdrew his hand, interlaced his fingers on his lap, relaxed his shoulders and leaned back, saying casually, “Ying Yuan can eat it.”
When discussing serious matters, he always appeared calm and composed, strategizing and planning meticulously. He neither concealed his true intentions nor overly modestly suppressed his abilities.
Both sides are well aware of their respective strengths; it's all about sincerity.
This is what negotiation should be.
In a daze, Lin Langyi felt as if this scene had returned to the time on Jinshaxi Island, when he had also smiled so gently and politely, and laid out the resources and conditions on the table openly and frankly.
Then, as you are now, wait quietly and patiently for her reply.
At that time, she didn't understand and gave the wrong answer, but now she understands perfectly.
Lin Langyi asked bluntly, "Aside from the existing cooperative orders between Yingshan Lake and Yingyuan, how much more stock do you want?"
"If you had enough funds right now, how much stock would you want?" Yuan Chuyu tilted his head and smiled slightly, then asked, "Or, would you want to acquire other pearl companies directly?"
It will definitely happen.
Her stomach began to clench again, as if someone was grabbing her internal organs and stirring them violently, causing sharp, throbbing pains along with her nerves.
"I understand." Lin Langyi did not do as he wished, but instead unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared to open the door and get out of the car.
As soon as she moved, her arm was grabbed.
"So you don't want to acquire your brother's company?"
A completely unexpected statement.
Lin Langyi felt weak, perhaps because those words had been too powerful, and immediately slumped back into her seat.
She turned her head, her face full of unexpected bewilderment: "Huh?"
He frowned, his gaze briefly falling on the hand gripping her arm: "How could I possibly refuse your father's offer of such a great investment opportunity, which would put actual control of the company in your hands?"
Lin Langyi didn't understand what this had to do with her, and asked, "During the application and approval process for the characteristic town project, where would I get extra funds to—"
She suddenly understood halfway through her sentence, her speech gradually slowed down, and finally stopped abruptly, leaving only disbelief.
She just wanted to use a strategic retreat, like when shopping in small shops, she would pretend to leave and wait for the shopkeeper to relent and offer a lower price.
But what I got in return was this ridiculously low price for buying at rock-bottom prices.
“The aquaculture industry is dependent on the weather, and its stability is inherently high due to fluctuations in market activity,” Yuan Chuyu said calmly, his words carrying the decisive and efficient tone he was used to when working. “Therefore, holding shares is the best way to profit. As for the legal representative, he will be the first to be held responsible if the company runs into problems.”
“When you took over Yingshan Lake, it was a last resort for you to become the legal representative. Fortunately, it is now gradually transforming into a complete industrial chain. After the application for the characteristic town is successful, government funds will also enter the market, so the risks can be gradually shared. But your brother’s company is different.”
"Make him the legal representative, you become the largest shareholder, he takes responsibility, and you strip him of his power to gain actual control. This is the best solution."
Seeing the surprise in her eyes, and no longer threatening to leave at the slightest provocation, he gradually loosened his grip on her arm, saying with a hint of helplessness, "Anyway, this isn't the first time I've taken out a business loan, is it?"
"Yuan Chuyu." Lin Langyi's eardrums were thumping, and she even felt that her stomach pain had lessened. "If you keep doing this, won't those old men in the company fire you?"
His eyelashes fell down, casting a small fan-shaped shadow under his eyes, and he continued helplessly, "Then I can only live off a woman and use my looks to please her. I hope Miss Lin will give me this opportunity."
Lin Langyi, adhering to the principle that mutual benefit is the way to long-term cooperation, proposed: "I think you should stop using loans. Let's sign a commercial order directly, for five or seven years. I will pay you at a price lower than the market price, and you will pay the full amount in one lump sum. I will use this money to invest in the form of shares."
She considered it carefully, and when she looked up, she saw him leaning his head back in his seat, gazing at her with gentle yet powerful eyes.
A smile remained on his lips, as if he were incredibly proud of her.
Lin Langyi gradually stopped talking and met his gaze.
"Yes, you're a clever little Zhuzhu." He smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry, you won't be dismissed. I've already passed the stage where I need to read people's expressions all the time, so I want you to have that kind of freedom too—the freedom to choose, the freedom to say no."
His tone gradually became more serious: "What I hope is that any decision is made by you voluntarily. Whether you choose or not, do or not, it all comes from whether you want to or not, rather than being forced by circumstances or considering the overall situation."
“You have the ability and the luck. I’m doing all this in the hope that this freedom will come to you soon.”
The air conditioning inside the car was barely audible, and the upward-blowing air gently stirred the amulet, causing it to spin around.
Lin Langyi almost forgot that people would pass by in the brightly lit underground parking garage, and that she and he were sitting in the front row, with nothing blocking their view.
She murmured, "I thought you would use this opportunity to ask for another one."
"I have thought about it." He suddenly smiled, utterly honest. "But I hope you can soar higher and higher as you wish, and I hope everything goes well for you."
He followed her gaze to the amulet in the car and smoothed it from top to bottom: "Some parents hope their children won't go abroad because they're afraid that if they settle overseas, they'll be 'unable to support themselves in their old age.' They think that raising such an outstanding child is a waste."
"The husband will refuse his wife's transfer to a better position because he feels that if the two of them gradually become mismatched, he will lose control of his lover and end up losing everything."
"Whether it's a parent-child relationship or a romantic relationship, all intimate relationships that attempt to solidify through suppression are essentially oppression and plunder of the other person. Because they are afraid of being abandoned, they want the other person to fall from the sky as well, never having the opportunity to rise in status, so that the only option the other person can choose is themselves, the 'optimal solution.' And I..." He paused slightly, as if a fleeting sob escaped his lips.
He repeated himself, his tone calm and firm: "And I hope to do everything I can to help you succeed."
As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Langyi suddenly leaned forward, grabbed his shirt at the chest, and pulled his upper body down as well. The two were suddenly close together, her forehead almost touching his chin.
Residents walking their pets walked by outside the car, but Lin Langyi didn't even glance at them, nor did she care whether she would be recognized, as if she had really forgotten that their current posture was not innocent.
She didn't say a single nice thing.
She stared at him, cruelly, callously, and deliberately made a cut on his softest side, squeezing his tender cavity as if dissecting a pearl oyster.
She never played by the rules, asking, "Have you read Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?"
He froze, then his breath caught in his throat, his expression went blank, and every subtle gesture seemed to be pleading with her not to continue.
Lin Langyi was not stopped by his earnest appearance. She recited it word for word: "Did I seduce you?"
"Did I ever say anything nice to you?"
"Didn't I tell you clearly before that I don't love you, and I can't love you?"①
She could clearly see his tense cheeks and trembling eyelashes, as if the broken emotions in his eyes were about to turn into mist and flow down at any moment.
She knew his notebook, and she stabbed him in the back in his favorite way.
She hadn't heard his breathing for a long time.
All sounds inside the car stopped, as if even the air itself had frozen.
Yuan Chuyu's back tightened, as if he couldn't bear the weight, and he gave her a sad smile, saying with a slight self-deprecation, "You may have misunderstood. I did those things because I wanted to, and I did them willingly. I didn't mean to ask you for something in return."
"Because if you just don't love me, what can I do?"
"I just like you, what can I do? I've struggled with this for so long, I didn't want to, Lin Langyi, I didn't want to either, but..."
Every word he spoke trembled, the ending notes fragmented beyond recognition. She saw his eyes finally well up with a moist red, his irises covered with a wet, hazy sheen.
He released his grip on her arm completely, all his unspoken words reduced to a single, desperate sentence: "Is it... that you'll never talk to me again, except for work?"
Lin Langyi suddenly grabbed his neck and pulled him down. His body slumped, and their noses collided.
Before he could react, she bit his lip fiercely.
The metallic taste of blood filled the air as she bit and gnawed at his lips, making the wound on his lips bigger and bigger, and then mercilessly sucking the blood that seeped out.
Her lips grew even redder and more eroded, and she heard him unbuckle his seatbelt with a "click," as if unlocking the lock in her mind as well.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, he quickly took the initiative, pressing down on her and casting a shadow over her, along with the scent of ylang-ylang emanating from him. He trapped her in the passenger seat, his entire being seemingly consumed by ruthlessness, forcefully and fiercely responding to her, penetrating her lips and tongue, pressing her completely against the seat back.
Her tongue went numb from his sucking, and she lost all reason due to such intense emotions. She even reached under his clothes and pressed her hand against his skin.
The kiss was abruptly stopped.
Lin Langyi gasped for breath, his breathing rapid, and the sound of him swallowing was clearly audible; his breathing was also disordered.
But when he leaned his forehead against hers, he tried his best to calm his face, which was filled with passion, and his expression became somewhat solemn.
He pulled her hand away from her abs.
"Why are your hands so cold?" He grabbed both of her hands at the same time, rubbing his fingertips against her palms. Finding them equally cold, his tone became harsher, and he said sternly, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Langyi rested her chin on his chest, tilted her head back slightly, feeling weak all over, as if she had been kissed into submission.
She thought for a moment, then honestly clutched her stomach and said, "My painkillers... should have already been left at the door by the delivery person."
Very well, after those words, she saw the most stern and piercing look in his eyes since their meeting that evening.
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