Episode 32 A Suspected Encounter
Lin Ying will accompany Wang Duo to a charity art exhibition this Saturday. They are the two invitations that were given to Pierre when he signed the contract.
Looking at it this way, rejecting Jiang Shu's invitation to Disney was inevitable. She was glad that she had a reason to refuse.
This feeling was like the first time she used the villa key and opened the door to find it empty. She felt relieved, yet also a little disappointed. But she was no longer the Lin Ying of the past, so even if she felt a sense of déjà vu, she wouldn't dwell on it.
Ever since that night when he drank with Cheng Xinran under the moon and talked about the past, Lin Ying felt freed - perhaps some things were not knots at first, but after being left for a long time, they naturally became twisted into a ball. In fact, they were just some old silk threads, covered with dust. After taking them out and shaking them off, life went on as usual.
After lunch, she sent her daughter to the weekend daycare center as usual and drove to the art exhibition herself.
The exhibition venue is located in a villa of a wealthy businessman in Gubei. Although it is charitable in nature, it is a private project, so the exhibition is not large in scale and is more like a wine tasting or tea party in form.
After she parked her car, she saw the boss himself at the entrance. He seemed to have been waiting for a long time. Wang Duo was wearing a casual dove-gray suit with a retro suspenders lining. His glasses were polished to a shine, but he was still very secretive, looking like a celebrity gentleman.
This is also the image he usually gives people.
After signing in, the staff smiled and extended their hands to guide us - "Mr. Wang, Madam, this way please."
This kind of misunderstanding happened to the two more than once or twice. Every time they went out, someone would mistake them for a couple. Over time, Lin Ying would make arrangements for Wang Duo in advance and even take the initiative to introduce him to the other party. This was to show her thoughtfulness as a subordinate and partner, and to avoid the embarrassment of being mistaken for each other.
But in recent years, Lin Ying vaguely discovered that she seemed to be the only one who was really troubled and embarrassed by this. Wang Duo himself not only didn't care, but even enjoyed it.
"You're so young, yet you're always mistaken for my wife. I'm really sorry for you, Lin Ying."
"Mr. Wang, you're joking. You're not that much older than me anyway."
Hearing this, Wang Duo suddenly asked thoughtfully, "Do you really think so?"
Lin Ying pretended to be nonchalant, "Of course, you are recognized as the most well-maintained boss in the company."
She went to the bar to get two glasses of champagne, and handed one to him. The two of them clinked glasses and drank, finally moving on from the topic.
The works in this exhibition are mostly by young artists, with unique styles and genres, and even the illustrations are particularly artistic. These works, which combine commercial and aesthetic value, are truly the trendsetters of the art industry in the past two years. At such events, the attendees come from a variety of industries, but almost all of them are successful, either original artists or investment magnates.
During the exhibition, Lin Ying frequently took the initiative to engage with other guests. In the past, Wang Duo would have chatted with her nonstop, but today, he was acting out of character. Aside from a few polite greetings and acknowledgments, he was practically frugal with words, focusing solely on drinking...
After several rounds of negotiations and conversation, Lin Ying suddenly felt a slight heaviness in her lower abdomen. She didn't know if it was because she had eaten too little at lunch, or because she had drunk too much... Considering that she was with her boss now, she could only bear it for the time being.
"I haven't asked you yet, how are things going between you and Cen Shuo lately?"
Just as they were getting out of the crowd, Wang Duo asked this question for no apparent reason. Lin Ying was slightly surprised. "He's performing quite well and is also interested in becoming a regular employee..."
"You know I'm not asking about jobs."
His tone was calm, but the look in his eyes that fell on Lin Ying's face was clearly a questioning that did not allow for any excuses.
Wang Duo has been in the world of fame and fortune for many years, and has changed his face several times when dealing with people. How could he not see the little tricks between her and the intern?
She had to tell the truth: "My personal feelings won't affect my work. Besides, my feelings for him aren't that deep...it's just a passing fancy."
"You are not, Lin Ying."
Wang Duo swirled the champagne in his hand, and bubbles rose. Behind the glasses, Lin Ying caught a glimpse of the pair's playful eyes. "You are more nostalgic than you think."
"What do you mean by that?"
Her lower abdomen was cramping again, and she dejected a little and put down the wine for the time being.
"I want to advise you not to easily believe a man's sincerity, especially a young man."
Wang Duo elaborated, "Young people don't know their limits. They can pour out boundless love on people and things they're interested in, and they take such love for granted. But some of this is just a sense of novelty born of their lack of experience, or even hormones. The scary thing is, they can't tell the difference themselves, and they deliberately make it difficult for others."
At this point, Lin Ying pretended to laugh, "That makes sense, but I think all men are like this, regardless of age."
Perhaps not expecting her to make such a comment, Wang Duo couldn't help but give in. "Yes, you have been married before, and I was abrupt."
"Boss Wang, I'm very grateful for your recognition and support of my work over the years, but I have my own judgment on matters of the heart. This doesn't conflict with my work, and I won't let the two conflict. Besides..."
She stroked her increasingly restless belly and decided to speak frankly—
"I hope your trust in me is genuine. Actually, I've long seen that Pierre's agency was a resource you had planned to give me, but something went wrong, and Cen Shuo intercepted it midway. You were originally planning to use this as a pretext to make me owe you a private favor, right?"
I've heard from Chen Can before that Wang Duo's parents were Hong Kong's old money, but his generation fell into decline. He inherited a mediocre asset, and after graduation he came to Shanghai alone. After more than ten years of ups and downs, he built his current foundation thanks to his unyielding tenacity and stubbornness.
But this stubbornness rarely shows up in front of Lin Ying.
What everyone sees of Wang Duo is more of a reserved, calm and steady person on the surface, but beneath the pair of glasses that make him look elegant may be his unknown side.
He chuckled, as if nothing was unexpected:
"Can I ask how you figured that out?"
"I have to thank Pierre for the invitation last time. I did some research before coming here today. The curator of this exhibition is a gaming company, formerly known as Jiashimei Studio, founded in Shenzhen. Initially, they shot to fame with a set of original illustrations. The owner then started a business and teamed up to create their own game. While their overall revenue isn't as high as that of big IPs, their aesthetic is top-notch, and their art design has become a key factor in their success."
I followed their owner’s social media and found a photo of him and Pierre. It was taken when he was studying in Hong Kong. With Pierre’s recommendation, his works were exhibited in a public art exhibition, and you were one of the sponsors of that exhibition.
Actually, with your connections, it wouldn't be difficult to contact Pierre, the famous painter in Hong Kong, but you still gave me this opportunity. I didn't know how to start the conversation, but today, since you're asking about my personal matters, I'm going to spill the beans. Please don't think it's abrupt."
This statement was so perfect that Wang Duo naturally looked at him with new eyes.
"Hearing you explain it, I'm even more convinced that handing the gallery over to you was the right decision. Indeed, I had originally planned to personally take you to meet an old friend of mine so we could get to know Pierre together. I had no idea Cen Shuo actually knew Pierre, and I certainly didn't anticipate this event bringing you together. It's just that Pierre has such a wide circle of friends, even the interns, and you're so perceptive, it makes me, the boss, seem overly concerned."
Bosses are good at flattering themselves. They are allowed to do all the bad things and say all the good things, but it is still the subordinates who are fooled.
Lin Ying was slightly dissatisfied, feigning indifference. "Even if Cen Shuo wasn't around, I could still ask my brother for help. Have you forgotten? He's the only friend Pierre would actively meet in Shanghai."
Hearing a hint of anger in her words, Wang Duo sneered and went to the bar to get two glasses of champagne, handing one to Lin Ying. With another crisp sound, the bubbles began to rise hurriedly, and the pain in Lin Ying's lower abdomen became more intense...
"Sorry Mr. Wang...I have to go to the bathroom."
The moment she turned around and put down her wine glass, a knife seemed to appear in her body, suddenly attacking her lower abdomen. The pain there was like a knife twisting, twisting her legs to numbness, and she fell uncontrollably to the corridor...
When she woke up again, the warm yellow light from the ceiling warmed her whole body.
After she regained consciousness, she realized that the warmth came from the blanket covering her body. Looking around, the environment in the private ward was particularly comfortable, as she was the only one there.
"Lin Ying, are you okay?"
Seeing her wake up, Wang Duo immediately came over from the window, his face full of worry and relief.
According to Wang Duo, he was pale and sweating profusely at the time. He immediately contacted a doctor he knew and had her rushed to the emergency room...
"I'm familiar with Dr. Hu, and luckily the clinic is nearby, even closer than the public hospital."
Hearing this, Lin Ying felt dejected. It was truly disappointing. The pain hadn't come earlier or later, but had to happen while she was at an exhibition with her boss this weekend. It would have been fine, but she had to faint right in front of her boss...
But it really hurts!
She was quite sure that this pain was not ordinary menstrual pain.
It has happened occasionally recently, but she has been busy with work and taking care of her daughter, so she has never taken it seriously.
"The doctor suspected you had gynecological inflammation. A color Doppler ultrasound was needed to confirm the diagnosis. Seeing that you were not in good condition at the time, I took the initiative to arrange for relevant examinations so that they could prescribe the right treatment and not delay your condition."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ying couldn't help but glance at the time... It had been an hour, and she had actually completed the examination and treatment while in a coma.
"I'm not in so much pain now... Mr. Wang, I'm really sorry for causing you so much trouble today."
"I'm the one who should feel guilty. I asked you to accompany me to the exhibition this weekend, so I should have taken care of you. There's no need to argue with me about this."
Wang Duo patted the back of her hand gently before standing up and pressing the bell to call the doctor and nurse in.
"Let the doctor come and check your condition. I'll go out and stay away for a while."
When the nurse came in, she took her temperature first. The doctor asked her when the condition started, whether she was taking any medicine, what her living habits and sex life were like, and Lin Ying answered honestly.
Dr. Hu, the attending physician, said:
"You're in severe pain from a ruptured ovarian cyst. Thankfully, you arrived just in time. Judging from your transvaginal ultrasound, the cyst itself isn't large. Fortunately, there's no bleeding, so it's not the worst case scenario. To be on the safe side, I suggest hospitalization for a few days of observation..."
"Doctor, if it's not that serious, can I go home and take care of myself? Please tell me what to do, and I'll follow it strictly. If I feel any discomfort, I'll come back for a follow-up visit."
Although her voice was weak, her attitude of pleading was firm.
"I recommend you stay in the hospital because I'm worried you might be overworked and emotionally unstable. The cyst is the result of pent-up emotions. I suggest you avoid sexual intercourse and refrain from smoking or drinking..."
"I won't drink anymore, doctor!" Lin Ying promised immediately. "I'll follow the doctor's advice and take good care of myself. I still have a daughter to take care of. Please be tolerant, okay?"
Ten minutes later, Wang Duo heard about Lin Ying's attitude from Dr. Hu. Just as he was about to push the door open to persuade her, he discovered that she had already sat up from the bed, changed into her regular clothes, and was ready to leave...
"What are you doing?"
"I just finished talking to Dr. Hu. He said my condition is currently under control and shouldn't get any worse with proper care. I'm going to pick up the medicine and pay the bill now. It's almost time to go pick up my daughter from school."
Seeing her resolute words and actions, Wang Duo knew that it was useless to persuade her, so he had to compromise, "Okay, I'll give you a few days off. You can come back to work after you recover."
"But the gallery is very busy right now, and Pierre's exhibition is..."
"No matter how busy I am, I can still handle it without you. Just focus on recuperating. I'm the boss, so I naturally know how to operate."
Wang Duo patted her shoulder and accompanied her to sign the discharge form and notice, and naturally covered the medical examination and drug expenses.
Just as the two of them had packed up everything and were about to leave the clinic after passing the public waiting area, the backs of a man and a woman caught Lin Ying's attention as they passed by the report collection window.
The girl was very young, without any makeup, but her features were still gorgeous. The man beside her, although handsome, was obviously much more mature than her... The young girl spread out the report in her hand and asked him for confirmation in a nervous tone -
"I took emergency contraception and blocking pills, so I should be fine."
The implication of this statement is very clear: it is another scene where the emotions are so deep that one cannot control oneself.
Just as she was about to brush past him, the moment the man turned around, Lin Ying couldn't help but stand there in shock...
"Brother? What a coincidence..."
No wonder this person's back looked so familiar—and wasn't this the young woman who'd cried so hard at the Bund restaurant earlier? Jiang Shu had flatly denied she was his partner, but now, he'd brought her to a private clinic for a gynecological screening... Considering what she'd just said, the truth was clear.
When Jiang Shu turned around, he saw Lin Ying standing behind Xu Yiwei, and his face was also stunned... He just called out "A Ying?" without knowing why, and the middle-aged man behind her, who had an extraordinary demeanor, approached Lin Ying and asked her -
"Why? Know each other?"
Lin Ying nodded and introduced——
"This is my brother Jiang Shu. Bro, this is my boss, Mr. Wang."
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