Chapter 58 Even at the lowest point, they were panting…
Her colleagues at the magazine noticed that Jiang Nuanyu had been in very poor condition for the past week. Each day seemed to be worse than the last.
Although there wasn't a strict clock-in time, Jiang Nuanyu went from being one of the earlier arrivals to being the last one to arrive every day. Her work maintained its excellent standard, but sometimes she would unconsciously repeat the same meaning more than once. She also consumed far more coffee than anyone else.
Jiang Nuanyu was already slender, looking even more bony than her French colleague who was naturally large-framed and had to strictly control her diet, resembling a life model. But lately, she has given the impression of being thin and haggard.
Before leaving work on Friday, Lino came over and asked Jiang Nuanyu if she needed a short vacation. Jiang Nuanyu immediately declined, saying that she had no plans to take a vacation at the moment. Lino didn't say anything more, just wished her a pleasant weekend.
Before leaving the magazine office, Jiang Nuanyu thought about it more and more and felt that Linuo's expression and tone just now seemed to be more than just a casual question.
She realized that she hadn't been in good spirits these past few days, and after thinking it over, she suspected that she had made some oversight at work. So she decided to take her computer home and secretly work overtime over the weekend to sort out her recent work.
However, when she got home, Jiang Nuanyu felt extremely tired, even more so than during the day.
Without coffee to keep her occupied, she couldn't concentrate at all. She read an email over and over again two or three times, but still couldn't grasp its core meaning.
Realizing her inefficiency, Jiang Nuanyu sighed deeply, swept her hair back, held her head in her hands, stared blankly at the empty wall for a while, and then got up to take a shower.
As she came out of the bathroom, drying her hair, she felt her head was still spinning, but if she drank coffee at this hour, she would have no chance of falling asleep that night.
She lingered in front of the computer until her hair dried naturally, then finally gave up and closed the computer.
Tonight, she wants to get a good night's sleep.
So she opened a bottle of wine.
On the platform, by the bedside, the lamp was on, casting a circular shadow with blurred edges on the floor and the edge of the bed.
It was late at night, and Jiang Nuanyu had fallen asleep nestled on her pillow.
Her cheeks were flushed an unusual red, and the blanket only covered her waist. She seemed to be asleep, but her breathing was not steady, and her chest was rising and falling noticeably.
On the carpet, the wine glasses were empty, as were the wine bottles.
For the past few nights, Jiang Nuanyu drank almost a bottle of liquor each day until she was nearly unconscious. As soon as it was light, she got up as usual to wash, put on makeup, and go out to work.
She was aware that her current state was unsustainable, but she optimistically believed that it was only temporary and that she would return to her original state as time went by.
*
It was Monday again, and at the meeting, Jiang Nuanyu, as usual, presented her latest ideas. As always, her ideas received enthusiastic feedback from everyone.
After the discussion, Jiang Nuanyu, like a fish stranded and thrown back into the sea, picked up her cup of coffee from the table and drank several mouthfuls in a row.
The sour and bitter black coffee stimulated her taste buds and invigorated her. She silently breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "See? I told you there wouldn't be any problems."
Following her was Mark Trey, who was sitting to her left.
If she hadn't arrived late today and there hadn't been only a seat left next to Mark Choi, she definitely wouldn't have taken the initiative to sit next to him.
Mark Cui began to speak. Jiang Nuanyu quietly put the coffee back on the table, steadied the laptop on her lap, and switched the screen back to the document specifically for recording the meeting content.
She pressed Enter twice and typed "Mark:". Even so, she had a feeling she wouldn't write many more lines after that.
After all, Mark Trey's ideas were either very similar to her chosen topics, so she didn't need to focus on recording them; or they were so uninteresting that there was nothing she wanted to discuss.
Mark Choi's topic this time focuses on a Korean designer. He is enthusiastically describing how Korean the designer's style is.
Jiang Nuanyu pursed her lips, suppressing the urge to twitch her lips.
She had raised a similar idea last month, selecting a work by a Chinese designer, and Mark Trey's explanation at the time was—
"Isn't this designer's style too heavily influenced by Chinese elements? Nora is probably used to working for a magazine in China. I'm worried that this style will only resonate with Chinese people, while our magazine's audience might prefer more international content."
Jiang Nuanyu slowly typed a few keywords from Cui Mark's words on the keyboard, then deleted them, repeating this process.
That way, at least she appears to be listening attentively.
“This pattern, which often appears in the designer’s work, is inspired by the chrysanthemum knot from Korea.” Mark Choi turned the computer screen to the audience. “As you can see, this element is cleverly used and presented in clothing and accessories.”
The other colleagues nodded knowingly as they looked at the pictures Cui Mark was showing. Jiang Nuanyu was sitting closest to Cui Mark, so she couldn't see his presentation for the time being.
It won't have a big impact, and she's not in a rush to see it.
Mark continued his introduction. When the computer screen returned to its original position, Jiang Nuanyu glanced at it casually, intending to look away, but was drawn to the image on the screen.
She stared intently at it and couldn't help but exclaim, "Isn't this a Chinese knot?"
The colleagues' attention, including Cui Mark's own, was initially focused on Cui Mark's subsequent explanation. No one expected Jiang Nuanyu to suddenly raise a question.
There was a brief silence for a couple of seconds. Soon, Mark Choi laughed and said, "You may have misunderstood, Nora." His tone was full of tolerance and patience as he explained, "This element is called the Chrysanthemum Knot, which is a type of traditional Korean knot."
Jiang Nuanyu looked at his screen, tilted her head slightly, and didn't say anything.
“Perhaps it just looks similar, but it’s not actually the same thing?” My French colleague said. “I did see this element in a Korean movie called ‘Moon Shadow’.”
“I’ve seen that movie too!” another colleague chimed in. “One of the main characters is Bae Eun-chae. When the movie was released, many people around me went to see it because of her. I was only focused on the stars and the plot and didn’t notice the Korean element.”
Jiang Nuanyu had never heard of chrysanthemum knots, nor had she seen the movie they were talking about. But when she saw the elements in the pictures Cui Mark showed her, her first thought was of Chinese knots.
Listening to everyone's comments, Jiang Nuanyu frowned, speechless for a moment. At that moment, she had no concrete evidence to support her thoughts and opinions.
Mark Trey continued to elaborate on his chosen topic, and the subject was thus brought up.
On Thursday afternoon, Lino organized another meeting.
In addition to the relatively fixed group meeting on Monday mornings, Lino sometimes holds a shorter discussion on Wednesdays or Thursdays, depending on the situation, to supplement and adjust the work schedule that is already halfway through the week.
Jiang Nuanyu sometimes felt that one-on-one conversations might be more efficient, but the people here seemed to value team communication, so she gradually adapted.
The theme of this meeting was almost singular—the topic proposed by Tremark on Monday, which Lino decided to adopt.
This surprised Jiang Nuanyu.
It wasn't just because Tremark's topic was adopted, which was a low-probability event in the group, but also because, according to Lino's usual pace, she typically needed at least a week to evaluate, compare, and revise before finalizing a topic.
Even topics that are less time-sensitive are sometimes shelved for more than two weeks. But Mark Trey's topic was adopted in just three days.
Upon hearing Lino's words, Mark was overjoyed, and his smile appeared several times more genuine than usual.
“Mark, you’re in luck,” Lino said. “This issue’s cover star is from Asia, and Marianne wanted more Asian-related features in the issue. You suggested this topic on Monday, and after I showed it to her, she thought it was worth a feature article.”
Mark was unsure of Lino's meaning. His smile was still on his face, and he hesitated before asking, "...This issue?"
“That’s right, that’s the second thing I wanted to say,” Lino said. “If all goes well, this feature will be published in the next issue of the magazine. So, you only have a little over a week and a day before the deadline.”
“No problem!” Mark nodded repeatedly. “I will contact the designer for an interview as soon as possible.”
“Okay,” Lino said.
After the meeting, Jiang Nuanyu returned to her workstation, recalling her video call with Marianna back in Beijing. At that time, Marianna had clearly stated that the *Chaleur* team valued her Asian cultural background, and now it seemed that was indeed the case.
It's a bit of a pity that her previous topic didn't get this opportunity.
Perhaps, as Lino said, Tremark was a bit luckier.
Jiang Nuanyu had never heard of the designer behind the Cui Mark project before. Thinking of the so-called chrysanthemum knot, she casually looked it up.
There is indeed a term "Korean chrysanthemum knot" on the encyclopedia, but Jiang Nuanyu feels that it looks too much like a Chinese knot.
Unless you deliberately compare them or have a special understanding of the two, you simply can't see the subtle differences. In fact, you could say that if someone who has seen Chinese knots before saw them, they would think that the chrysanthemum knot is the same as the Chinese knot.
Jiang Nuanyu searched for the designer's previous works, and what surprised her even more was that the patterns, clothing details, and decorative motifs in this South Korean designer's works almost uniformly carried a strong Chinese style. If she didn't know the designer's nationality, Jiang Nuanyu would have thought the designer was a native-born Chinese.
If that's the case, where does the "Korean flair" that Cui Mark mentioned at the meeting come from?
Jiang Nuanyu flipped through the designer's portfolio images one by one. The Chinese knot buttons on a certain shirt looked like those found on traditional Chinese Tang suits; the color of the fabric on another skirt resembled the ink wash technique of traditional Chinese ink painting; and the embroidered patterns on the hat were strikingly similar to auspicious beasts from classical Chinese mythology...
The more she looked, the more something seemed off. Once could be a coincidence, twice might be too, but how could she explain it if almost every core element could be clearly correlated with traditional Chinese culture?
Jiang Nuanyu didn't want to be so hasty, so she looked up relevant interviews with the designer. In Liao Liao's information, the designer never explained the source of inspiration, only vaguely mentioning "Korean tradition." Cui Mark's choice of subject matter also emphasized Korean style.
Jiang Nuanyu couldn't help but imagine: after Cui Mark's feature is published, will people who see it assume that these elements are all from South Korea? Just like her French colleagues' attitude towards the chrysanthemum knot at the topic selection meeting.
Jiang Nuanyu felt indignant and thought she should do something. But how could she change the situation on her own?
Should we ask Lino for clarification? But she's just someone raising objections, not an authority figure. Won't Lino think she's being overly sensitive?
Speaking out online, suggesting this might involve cultural appropriation? But what if this is over-interpreted and affects the magazine, and she's seen as a troublemaker by the company?
However, she only felt familiar with those traditional elements and did not have a systematic understanding of them.
Jiang Nuanyu realized that to make her doubts hold water, simply feeling that "something was wrong" wasn't enough; she needed stronger support—
She needs to investigate thoroughly and understand the situation completely; she can't just rely on her feelings.
With that in mind, after returning home that evening, Jiang Nuanyu began to study the elements in the Korean designer's work that were highly similar to traditional Chinese culture.
She meticulously examined the origins, development, and evolution of each element, as well as its application in contemporary design, consulting academic papers, relevant books, and browsing materials from various related websites and social media platforms, attempting to find evidence of cultural belonging.
The more she investigated and learned, the deeper her understanding became, and the more profound her feelings became.
Thinking back to her time working at Florian, she had met an artist who specialized in traditional culture. Despite the risk of potentially disturbing him, Jiang Nuanyu took the initiative to contact and communicate with him, adapting to the time difference, just to obtain more direct information.
She worked almost day and night, relying on coffee and alcohol to get only two hours of sleep a day, even on her days off.
She doesn't reject cultural integration; in fact, she sees it as an inevitable trend in cultural inheritance. However, what is, is; the origins of the elements being integrated must be clearly explained. Culture can be borrowed and integrated, but its source must be respected and clearly identified.
*
During Monday's meeting, Mark Twist shared his project's progress, indicating that he had completed interviews with designers the previous day and was still working on the interview transcripts.
While Cui Mark was speaking, Jiang Nuanyu was silently preparing herself. After hesitating for a long time, just as Cui Mark's part was about to end, she finally politely raised her hand to indicate, "I have a small question."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone looked at her. Jiang Nuanyu remained calm and said, "Last week, after Mark mentioned this designer, I found it very interesting, so I looked into it. I was pleasantly surprised because I found that many of the elements she was good at using didn't feel unfamiliar or difficult to understand to me as a Chinese person."
She raised her eyebrows and subtly changed her tone: "But she seems rather mysterious. In some interviews and her own social media posts, I haven't found any source of inspiration for her work."
At this point, Jiang Nuanyu naturally turned to Cui Mark and asked, "During yesterday's interview, did you discuss her source of inspiration?"
Her words were polite, appropriate, and comprehensive, spoken in a gentle tone, without any hint of doubt. Her question about the source of her inspiration seemed to be merely a matter of "curiosity" stemming from personal interest.
After Jiang Nuanyu finished speaking, the others turned their attention to Cui Mark, waiting for his response.
Mark Trey's expression faltered, and his tone, unusually unfriendly, said, "This isn't the focus of my discussion with the designer. The designer's core concept isn't the culture of a particular country. I believe the feature should focus on fashion trends and modern ideas in the work, rather than getting bogged down in historical attribution."
Jiang Nuanyu was speechless for a moment, and sneered in her heart: I didn't say it directly to save face for you and the designer, but you're trying to shift the blame and turn the tables on me?
The other French colleagues nodded frequently, seemingly agreeing with what Tremark had just said.
Since that's the case, there's nothing more for her to hide.
“I’m not trying to discuss the issue of cultural affiliation.” Compared to her previous gentle tone, Jiang Nuanyu said more seriously, “After all, this is an issue that individuals do not have the right to decide.”
After Mark removed the hat he had put on her, her attitude softened and she said, "Mark specifically mentioned that this designer emphasizes Korean aesthetics, but her works contain too many elements similar to traditional Chinese culture."
She showed everyone the comparison chart she made on her computer: one side featured Chinese elements, and the other side featured so-called Korean elements from some of the designer's works.
She flipped through the pictures one by one, and for each one, the similarity between the two was at least ninety percent—either the color scheme was similar, or the pattern arrangement was similar, or the overall visual appearance was similar.
Looking at the clear comparison images on the screen, her colleagues had various subtle expressions, but all were surprised and astonished. Jiang Nuanyu paid special attention to Linuo's reaction, noticing that she was frowning slightly, deep in thought.
But Mark Tse remained silent.
Cui Mark frowned and turned to look at Jiang Nuanyu, who met his gaze calmly.
Although there was dissatisfaction in his eyes, there was more helplessness and confusion mixed in: although he had targeted Jiang Nuanyu many times, Jiang Nuanyu had never criticized him.
Jiang Nuanyu didn't look at Cui Mark for long. After turning the computer back, she began to explain: "In recent years, both in China and internationally, there has been a great deal of sensitivity to suspected cultural appropriation. A couple of years ago, a new product released by an international brand caused some controversy because it ignored the cultural origins of the product, which even affected the brand's image in the local market."
"Compared to brands, magazines, as platforms for content output, are more likely to spark discussions because of what they report, and the potential losses after controversy arises are more difficult to predict."
The scene was quiet, and no one objected. The air seemed to tense up.
No one responded immediately. Jiang Nuanyu took a breath and offered her opinion and thoughts, saying, "From the perspective of the magazine we work with, my idea is that if Mark's feature could supplement the report with the designer's sources of inspiration, the content would be more comprehensive and rigorous, thereby reducing the risk of the magazine getting caught in a media storm."
“Nora’s concerns are not unfounded,” Lino said. “Mark, could you double-check with the designer about the source of inspiration for the design?”
Mark Trey gave a negative response: "Our interview yesterday covered all the core points. The designer emphasized that her expression is open and her inspiration is diverse, which cannot be simply attributed to any one factor."
Lino shook her head gently after hearing this.
Mark Trey then tried to obscure the main point, saying, "Actually, many designs in the fashion industry are influenced by different cultures, and the sources of inspiration are often mixed, and do not necessarily have to have a clear origin."
Jiang Nuanyu was not satisfied with this statement and opened her mouth to refute it, but stopped herself in time.
The decision-making power was not in her hands, and there was no point in her saying anything more, so she could only look at Lino.
Lino pondered for a moment and said, "I may need to discuss this issue with the director."
Mark Cui sensed something was wrong, and his expression darkened.
Seeing this, Lino added, "However, Mark, until we have accurate results, your project will proceed as usual."
Mark Tse gave a half-hearted laugh and nodded.
However, Lino's description of "as usual" did not last long.
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