Chapter 40 On the eve of the heavy snow, even...
The interview with Yu Miao was scheduled for the afternoon after filming ended.
Considering that staying at the art museum for the interview would unnecessarily increase the working hours of the staff, Jiang Nuanyu changed the interview location to a coffee shop about 20 minutes away by car. Compared to the art museum, the atmosphere there was more relaxed, which facilitated the subsequent conversation.
Of course, Yu Miao's opinion was also sought on this point.
After the two sat down at a booth by the window in the coffee shop, Jiang Nuanyu took the initiative to order: "What would you like to drink?"
Yu Miao leaned back in her chair and said, "Anything is fine."
Do you prefer it with milk, or black coffee?
"Anything is fine."
Jiang Nuanyu looked up at her.
After spending half a day together, she felt that Yu Miao was indeed quite picky, but sometimes, she was also quite casual.
She nodded, didn't ask for a specific answer, and simply ordered two lattes and two desserts: a matcha mille-feuille and a slightly sweeter strawberry mousse.
"Thank you for taking the time to do this interview." After placing her order, Jiang Nuanyu pointed to her phone. "To ensure accuracy in the later recording, I'll be recording the interview with my phone. Is that alright?"
Yu Miao nodded: "Okay."
After she finished speaking, she pursed her lips. Unlike her eye makeup, her lip color was light, almost nude.
Jiang Nuanyu smiled slightly: "Okay."
Before Jiang Nuanyu could even speak, Yu Miao, as the interviewee, asked first, "What kind of people do you usually interview?"
Jiang Nuanyu opened the voice memo, tapped record, put her phone on the desktop, thought for a moment, and answered: "Artist, designer, entrepreneur, celebrity, most of the time it's these."
Yu Miao listened, then slowly blinked: "Then... me...?"
Clearly, she doesn't consider herself to belong to any of the above categories.
Jiang Nuanyu smiled and said, "Actually, I don't think my interviewees have to be people under a certain label. Everyone has their own unique qualities. When I first saw your paintings online, I thought they were very special. The style and expression of your works seem to be completely different from those of ordinary painters."
Yu Miao fiddled with a strand of hair in her hand, remaining noncommittal.
Her hair was black and straight, with neat bangs that just covered her eyebrows. She raised her eyebrows, and the color on her eyelids suddenly spread out.
She said, "I don't consider myself a painter."
Jiang Nuanyu nodded, waiting for her to continue. But several seconds passed, and Yu Miao remained silent.
Realizing that her round of expression had ended, Jiang Nuanyu spoke up, continuing the conversation: "If you don't consider yourself a painter, then I can ask how you define your painting process? And how you define your artwork?"
"My painting is... just fiddling with colors?" Yu Miao asked uncertainly. "My artwork... is just a bunch of colors that I've created?"
Yu Miao answered very seriously, point by point, but her answers seemed to defy common sense.
Jiang Nuanyu paused for a moment, silently pushed the interview outline aside, and asked with a smile, "Then why did you want to arrange today's shoot outdoors?"
“Because I’ve never taken photos outdoors before… uh—” Yu Miao tilted her head and asked, “What’s this? An artistic photo?”
Jiang Nuanyu laughed, not taking it too seriously, and said, "That's a fine way to call it."
"Oh. That's because I've never had an outdoor photoshoot."
"Is it really that simple?" Jiang Nuanyu asked.
Yu Miao raised her eyebrows again: "Is this considered simple? What about something complicated?"
Jiang Nuanyu said, "I thought that someone as artistic as you would choose the outdoors because you have some special ideas or concepts that you want to convey."
Yu Miao twitched the corner of her mouth: "Well... there really isn't one."
Jiang Nuanyu smiled and asked, "How did you start drawing with electronic devices? Did you think that electronic art would be a promising direction for the future?"
“No.” Yu Miao shook her head firmly and said, “I just think it’s very interesting and fun to freely adjust the colors and proportions on the screen and then turn them into the way I want them to be.”
"How long did you spend drawing on paper before using electronic devices to create? Was it related to your major?"
"I only draw on my iPad."
Yu Miao paused for a moment, and seeing that Jiang Nuanyu was still waiting for an answer, she added, "I'm a civil engineering major. But I haven't graduated yet, I'm a junior."
The contrast was too great. Jiang Nuanyu took a breath, raised her eyebrows slightly, and then sighed and smiled, "Unexpected. Very special."
At the art gallery, Jiang Nuanyu mostly wore a gentle smile, which was very warm and approachable, yet seemed to be separated from her true emotions by a barrier. But Yu Miao noticed that her smile this time was different.
She had a beautiful smile; the corners of her lips curved, revealing glimpses of her cheeks beside her teeth, and even her eyes seemed to sparkle. Yu Miao was infected by her smile and smiled back, pursing her lips.
As they were talking, the waiter brought over coffee and dessert. Jiang Nuanyu took the opportunity to stuff the outline on the table into her bag and put it aside, and then moved her phone, which was recording, further inside.
When she looked up, she saw Yu Miao with his elbows on the table, staring intently at her.
“You didn’t use highlighter,” Yu Miao carefully examined her face, “your skin is really good.”
Her gaze and praise were quite direct. Jiang Nuanyu was slightly taken aback for a moment, then politely replied, "Thank you. But I'm wearing makeup today."
"No, no, no." Yu Miao didn't agree with her modesty. "It's that kind of luminous glow. I know you're wearing makeup, but what I mean is that it has little to do with what you're talking about."
Faced with this persistent praise, Jiang Nuanyu had no choice but to accept it graciously: "Thank you."
Seeing that Yu Miao was interested, she followed up on the topic of makeup: "Your eye makeup today is very special. Is this color combination also your doing?"
Yu Miao put a spoonful of cake into her mouth, then licked off the cream from the spoon with her lips and licked away the residue with the tip of her tongue, nodding, "Mmm."
After swallowing her food, she said, "Last week I watched a documentary that featured blue peacocks." Her eyes lit up immediately.
"When male peacocks court, they spread their tails, and the feathers have many eye-like patterns, and the colors are especially beautiful! So when I was doing my makeup today, I tried out that color scheme. Except this time I wasn't doing it on a screen, I was doing it on my own face..."
Using this topic as a starting point, Yu Miao completely opened up.
She talked about everything from her first painting to her initial motivation for posting her work on social media, to her interesting and quirky experiences that made her a "celebrity" at school, and even trivial matters in her studies and life that were completely unrelated to the interview topic.
Yu Miao doesn't seem to care much about conventional social etiquette. When introducing her nail art, she would suddenly grab Jiang Nuanyu's hand and examine her nails closely. She would also ask about Jiang Nuanyu's work and life, her words filled with pure curiosity, not inquisitiveness.
No matter the topic, Jiang Nuanyu took it very seriously. She also abandoned the conventional interview process and used an unconventional approach, matching Yu Miao's pace, and tried her best to have a "barrier-free exchange" with her.
At the same time, Jiang Nuanyu didn't forget to capture the valuable parts of the conversation that would make it into the final draft. Fortunately, Yu Miao's sharing, though fragmented, was fresh and unique enough that there was still plenty to write about.
The interview lasted for almost two hours, and even though the second round of coffee was almost finished, Yu Miao still showed no sign of leaving.
In winter, the sun sets early, and as the sky outside the window began to darken, Jiang Nuanyu finally used this opportunity to politely end the conversation.
Before parting, Yu Miao called out to her, waved his phone, and asked, "Can I add you on WeChat?"
Jiang Nuanyu replied without hesitation, "Of course."
*
After leaving the coffee shop, Jiang Nuanyu took a taxi back to the magazine office.
As I passed the front desk, I happened to run into He Anqi, who was getting ready to leave work.
"Nuanyu? Why are you back?" He Anqi asked in surprise.
Logically, after the afternoon interview, Jiang Nuanyu could have gone straight home without needing to return to the magazine office. The magazine office, her home, and the coffee shop where she interviewed Yu Miao form a nearly equilateral triangle, so there's no question of them being on the same route.
Jiang Nuanyu didn't know how to explain her behavior; perhaps she herself hadn't figured it out.
After a moment of internal struggle, she finally uttered two words: "Overtime!"
She had a smile on her face, but her expression betrayed her exhaustion. He Anqi said, "Why are you working overtime every day? If you really can't bear to leave us... then stay?"
Jiang Nuanyu knew He Anqi was teasing her, but at this moment, she really couldn't come up with a joke.
She gave a weak laugh, lifted her foot and walked towards her workstation, waving as she said, "Bye-bye, see you tomorrow."
"Okay, see you tomorrow." He Anqi didn't say much more and turned to walk towards the elevator.
Jiang Nuanyu walked to her workstation and glanced out the window. It was completely dark outside. The curtains that covered the entire floor of the office area were half-drawn, and the pale image of the editorial department was reflected in the section of glass that wasn't covered.
The glass windows were brightly lit, casting dappled shadows. Some people were leaving get off work with their bags, while others were working overtime according to their own schedules.
Jiang Nuanyu poured herself a glass of warm water, sat back down, and began typing the interview transcript for the afternoon on her computer screen.
This was originally a task that could have been assigned to Feng Shasha or He Anqi; all they had to do was give them the recording. But Jiang Nuanyu chose to do it herself.
The original interview outline was hardly needed; however, with Yu Miao, the traditional interview framework proved inefficient and useless. Yu Miao's unrestrained and unconventional thoughts and expressions were the greatest value of this interview.
Jiang Nuanyu has always had a good memory, and since it was a recent interview, even though there was a recording, she was able to read the entire script from memory.
After clicking save, she leaned back in her chair, stretched her aching neck, and glanced at her colleagues around her.
Half of the people who were originally supposed to stay to work overtime have already left.
Fortunately, half of them haven't left yet.
She picked up her phone and was genuinely surprised to see a long list of unread messages on the screen.
She slapped her forehead—she'd forgotten to turn off the mute function again after the interview.
She quickly unlocked her phone to check, and all the messages were from Yu Miao. Several of the picture messages were of paintings she had finished but hadn't publicly shared; she had mentioned them to Jiang Nuanyu during the afternoon interview.
There's also a video link in the middle—the "Blue Peacock" documentary.
Jiang Nuanyu replied, "I just saw the message, I'll read it~"
After sending the message, she figured she didn't have any work to do at the moment, so she simply forwarded the link to her computer, plugged in her headphones, and started watching the documentary.
Yu Miao's phone vibrated. She replied, "Mmm."
Jiang Nuanyu didn't reply, turned off her phone screen, and continued watching the documentary.
In the video, accompanied by light and melodious music, the sounds of flowing water, gentle breeze, and various animals in nature are interspersed with intermittent narration. The scene shows the sun rising in the east, and a blue peacock leisurely strolling beside a clear stream...
Jiang Nuanyu watched intently for a while, then glanced at the progress bar and realized that only thirty seconds had passed.
She couldn't help but admire those with an artistic flair. She could appreciate Yu Miao's eye makeup inspired by blue peacocks, but found it difficult to resonate with the documentary that inspired it.
She only realized she had been daydreaming when the narration started.
Nevertheless, she continued watching, as if she had been given a task.
When you have something to do, you don't have the energy to think about anything else. This approach may seem hypocritical, but it's necessary. Just like escapism may be shameful, but it's useful.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and when she looked up from the screen again, she was alone in the large office area once more.
It's been like this for the past few days.
The desolate, blank scene before my eyes and the documentary sounds in my ears seemed to be clashing, as if something was wrong with either of them.
Jiang Nuanyu took off her headphones, stared blankly for a few seconds, and then closed the webpage playing the documentary.
Without any particular purpose, she picked up her phone, and the screen immediately opened to her chat with Yu Miao. Out of curiosity, Jiang Nuanyu clicked on Yu Miao's Moments (WeChat's social media feature).
The latest post was published two hours ago. It contains photos taken at the art museum this morning, along with several selfies of Yu Miao.
Jiang Nuanyu gave it a thumbs up.
The next one is a half-finished painting by Yu Miao, captioned: "Looks like a sesame dumpling that's been overcooked [glutinous rice ball]."
Jiang Nuanyu smiled silently and gave it a thumbs up.
Yu Miao posts a lot on her WeChat Moments. Contrary to her first impression, she is a girl with a rich inner world who loves to express herself. Her words reveal a childlike innocence and cuteness that is unique to her age and cannot be hidden or faked.
Jiang Nuanyu thought for a moment, "A junior in college, probably around twenty years old."
She inexplicably remembered that the year she first met Liang Qi, she was also a junior in college and twenty years old.
It's been so long already.
A sharp pain suddenly shot through my chest without warning. Now that I was all alone, the emotions that had been suppressed since the daytime finally found an opportunity to burst forth like a flood, constantly squeezing the air in my chest.
She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath.
The cold light from above made her close her eyes, and a surge of emotion welled up in her nose. Her eyes swelled, and she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. The feeling was both itchy and painful.
She didn't know how she had gotten herself to this point.
In the past, she lived alone in the capital city, a vast and complex place, but she could always discern the direction she wanted to go and then stride confidently forward.
Her world, which had been running smoothly, seemed to have changed after she got closer to Liang Qi, amidst repeated upheavals.
But what she still doesn't understand is that, whether in relationships or career, every step she takes is a proactive choice, without anyone forcing or demanding anything of her, yet she still feels a void in her heart, and she can't find anything to fill that void.
What does she really want?
Her ears were wet, her neck was wet, her hair and collar were wet. She could hear her suppressed sobs, her rapid, intermittent choked breathing, but she remained motionless. It seemed that as long as she didn't reach out to wipe them away, the tears wouldn't reveal her helplessness in this moment.
What else can she do?
Skin stained with tears dries and then wets again, until finally turning into a few rough tear stains.
Her neck was stiff and numb. After a moment of dizziness, Jiang Nuanyu slowly opened her eyes. The bright light was painful, and her vision was a blinding blank.
She wiped her chin haphazardly with the back of her hand, blinked her intertwined eyelashes, took a deep breath, and opened the email containing the contract confirmation.
*
A week later, December officially began. Winter had deepened.
The north wind howled through the towering buildings, its low roar echoing through the glass windows. The sky seemed to echo this atmosphere; though it was only past noon, it was already gloomy outside.
Feng Shasha stood by the window, looking at the gloomy sky again and again, and said expectantly, "The sky seems even more gloomy this afternoon! Is it finally going to snow?" She turned to look at Jiang Nuanyu, her face full of excitement, "The first snow in Beijing this year!"
Jiang Nuanyu stared at the computer screen without turning around: "What does the weather forecast say?"
"I didn't look." Feng Shasha turned to the window again, dreaming, "Unexpected snow is so romantic..."
Jiang Nuanyu shook her head and smiled.
In the evening, when it was time to leave work, Jiang Nuanyu was still sitting at her computer in front of her workstation when Tang Xi, dressed neatly and carrying a backpack, passed by and gently patted her on the back.
"Nuanyu, I've sent the initial layout to your email. Take a look when you have time and see where it needs adjustment. I'll revise it when I get home. I'm worried it might snow soon, and my driving skills won't be able to handle it."
Jiang Nuanyu smiled at her: "Okay, I'll look at it now."
Tang Xi said, "You should also leave work early, otherwise you won't be able to get a taxi if it really snows."
Jiang Nuanyu nodded: "Okay, go home safely. Bye-bye."
"Bye-Bye."
Jiang Nuanyu opened her email, and sure enough, the top message in her inbox was from Tang Xi.
Formatting such simple interview transcripts was no challenge for Tang Xi. Jiang Nuanyu quickly glanced through them and offered no suggestions for revision.
She habitually tapped the next unread message; the sender was the Chaleur team:
"Dear Nora Jiang (姜暖瑜)"
Thank you for confirming your joining the Chaleur team! We are pleased to inform you that your official employment contract is ready and can be signed via our electronic signing platform.
Before signing, please ensure you have carefully read the contract terms. If you have any questions about the contract, please contact us at any time. To ensure the contract takes effect promptly, please complete the signing within 3 business days of receiving this email.
Jiang Nuanyu read the text expressionlessly. At the end of the email, the sender attached a link to a contract signing platform. She clicked on it directly, and the webpage redirected to a contract in both French and English.
She didn't look at it in detail again; she had no objections to the contents of the previous confirmation letter. The contract offered by *Chaleur* was for a two-year term, and both parties had the right to decide whether to renew it after the first year. If they wished to continue working together or get promoted, new terms would be signed.
This condition is just right; it won't restrict your actions due to an excessively long contract period, nor will it lack security due to an excessively short one.
In terms of position, although it's not as high as when she was at Florian, her annual income will be almost half again as much as it is now. If she can get promoted smoothly, this figure will be even more substantial in the future.
Although this wasn't her most important condition, the salary was enough for her to maintain a relatively comfortable standard of living in Paris.
She scrolled to the bottom of the page, went through a few simple verification steps, and uploaded her handwritten signature.
She was like a robot going through a process, acting without thinking. Only when she clicked submit did she seem to finally realize what was happening, her finger trembling slightly on the mouse.
The next second, the screen displayed "Signing Completed".
Finally, the dust settled. She quietly made a choice that would significantly impact this stage of her life.
Apart from her colleagues at the magazine, no one knew she was leaving, including her family and Ye Ji.
This also includes Liang Qi.
Her heart still clenched uncontrollably, and as the screen crashed before her eyes, tears welled up in her eyes again.
She closed her eyes and forced back her tears, but she couldn't stay there any longer with a calm mind.
She shut down her computer, haphazardly stuffed her phone, earphones, and other odds and ends into her bag, and quickly walked past several colleagues who were still working overtime, leaving the editorial department at a rare normal closing time.
As she stepped out of the office building, the cold air immediately filled her nostrils, and she pulled her scarf up a little higher.
The wind had died down a bit in the evening, but the sky was still a grayish-white, and the air was much more humid than usual. It seemed like it was really going to snow—the first snow of the year in Beijing.
Although she didn't choose to work overtime, Jiang Nuanyu didn't want to go home. She crossed the square in front of the office building and wandered aimlessly along the road.
It's rush hour now, and the roads are a sea of red cars, with a layer of damp smog in the air, like a layer of organza covering the taillight covers.
In the congested traffic, Peng Ze was slowly inching along the road in a black sedan. His gaze inadvertently swept to the side of the road, and quite by chance, he caught sight of a rather familiar figure.
He stared intently, confirming that the person was indeed Jiang Nuanyu, then looked at Liang Qi in the rearview mirror. Liang Qi had his eyes closed, seemingly resting.
Peng Ze glanced at the people walking by the roadside, hesitated for a few seconds, and then said, "Mr. Liang, it seems to be Editor Jiang up ahead."
Liang Qi slowly raised his eyelids and turned his gaze to the window. However, his view was obstructed, and he couldn't see her.
He didn't speak, and Peng Ze didn't want to make a decision on his own. He simply turned the car silently and moved it to the far right lane.
The car moved forward intermittently, and Liang Qi turned his head slightly, finally seeing Jiang Nuanyu.
Unlike the others who hurried along, she was clearly in no hurry. With her hands in her coat pockets and her head down, she paced slowly, leaving footprints on the ground. The coat she was wearing seemed to be the same one he had seen her in at the hotel entrance the last time.
That day, her emotions towards him were clearly off. But after they parted at the door, she didn't contact him that day. He thought she would sort out her emotions in the next few days and then explain and express herself to him, but he never received a call from her.
It's been about ten days already.
Liang Qi looked away from the car window and said, "Stop the car up ahead."
Jiang Nuanyu's attention was entirely focused on her feet, or perhaps not at all; it was hard to say. In any case, she failed to notice in time that a car had stopped beside her.
Peng Ze lowered the passenger window and leaned out from the driver's seat, saying, "Editor Jiang—"
Jiang Nuanyu was startled by the sound. She turned around and tilted her head. When she met Peng Ze's gaze through the car window, she was even more surprised.
“It’s cold outside, please get in the car.” Peng Ze glanced at the back seat and said, “Mr. Liang is in the car too.”
Jiang Nuanyu subconsciously looked towards the back of the car. The black windows reflected the surrounding lights, but she couldn't see the people inside.
For some reason, her instinct was to refuse: "No need to trouble yourself, it's not that cold..."
Peng Ze noticed her hesitation and quickly paved the way before she could say something more firmly against it: "Anyway, this road is still blocked and won't be open for a while, so please come up first."
He had blocked all other options, so Jiang Nuanyu hesitated for a moment before walking over.
Liang Qi was sitting on the right side of the back seat and was getting up to make room for her when he saw that light-colored figure slip into the front passenger seat.
He paused slightly halfway through his movement, then moved to the left and leaned his upper body into the seat.
Jiang Nuanyu noticed his reaction, but she really didn't want to sit in the same row as him. She didn't know what she was afraid of.
But remaining silent would be too inappropriate, so she turned her head and whispered, "Thank you."
Her thanks were not directed at anyone, and Peng Ze did not dare to respond. However, Liang Qi, who was sitting in the back, also remained silent.
An eerie silence fell over the car for a few seconds.
Peng Zexian asked first, "Where is Editor Jiang going?"
Jiang Nuanyu: "..."
None of the three people present, including herself, expected that she would be stumped by such a question.
She genuinely had no idea where to go, but to the other two men, her brief silence seemed more like an attempt to conceal something.
Jiang Nuanyu thought for a moment and said, "I...go home. Let's go home." She quickly added, "Um, once we get past this traffic jam, it'll be easier to get a taxi. I'll take a taxi back. Thank you, Mr. Peng."
The thank you was pointed at, but Peng Ze kept his eyes fixed ahead, only curving his lips slightly, and didn't dare to respond.
Before the quiet tension could once again spread through the car, Liang Qi suddenly asked casually, "Just got off work?"
Jiang Nuanyu nodded without turning her head, "Mm."
"You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
She immediately replied, "I've already eaten."
An answer that showed no sign of thought.
Liang Qi remained silent for a long while.
Peng Ze also sensed that there was something fishy about what he was saying, and quickly glanced at the rearview mirror. He saw Liang Qi's face hidden in the shadows of the back seat, his clear black eyes staring straight ahead, expressionless.
Jiang Nuanyu knew that Liang Qi didn't believe her, but she had still lied to him, which made her feel quite bad.
She didn't even understand why she lied to him, but the lie was already out of her mouth and couldn't be taken back.
This time, Liang Qi didn't speak up.
Jiang Nuanyu lowered her head, turning the ring on her hand, but her mind was entirely focused on the back row. She hoped Liang Qi would say something else to her. No matter what he asked or said, she was prepared to blurt out the truth.
The car finally drove out of the most congested section of the road and gradually picked up speed. Liang Qi finally spoke: "After you drop me off, take Editor Jiang back."
This sentence was said to Peng Ze.
Jiang Nuanyu stopped turning the ring, a subtle tear appearing in her heart.
He probably won't talk to her again today, she thought.
Jiang Nuanyu belatedly realized the meaning behind Liang Qi's words; clearly, he had other plans later. If it was an official business engagement, having Peng Ze by his side would certainly be more convenient.
She then said to Peng Ze, "I'll just go back by myself; it's easy to take a taxi."
Peng Ze listened intently but didn't answer; he couldn't decide this matter either...
After a few seconds, Liang Qi said, "It's on the way."
Jiang Nuanyu remained silent.
He insisted on seeing her off, but she felt that his tone was colder than any of his previous words.
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