doing nothing
When Zhang Chenglin and Jiang Xiaoxiao arrived at Jiang Xuyin's house, Jiang Xuyin was in the kitchen, discussing food with Aunt Wen.
“It’s rare to see a young lady who never lifts a finger having such an interest,” Jiang Xiaoxiao said with a smile as she stood at the kitchen doorway, teasingly adding, “Sister.”
Jiang Xuyin's hand holding the kitchen knife trembled. He looked up at Jiang Xiaoxiao standing at the kitchen door, and half of Zhang Chenglin's shadow beside her.
His eyes were empty and lost.
Jiang Xiaoxiao realized it almost instantly, sighed, and asked her, "You didn't forget that I was coming to Shandong today, did you?"
The confusion in Jiang Xuyin's eyes dissipated, and he nodded calmly again.
“No,” Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at her “what’s wrong?” expression and couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “You still asked A-Lin to pick me up in person.”
"He orders people around and then washes his hands of the business?"
After hearing Jiang Xiaoxiao's words, Jiang Xuyin's gaze returned to Zhang Chenglin, calm and indifferent.
Zhang Chenglin lowered his eyes, pretending not to see, and said, "Mom."
Jiang Xu nodded, but did not reply.
After washing her hands, Jiang Xuyin and Jiang Xiaoxiao went into the living room together. As ordinary sisters who hadn't seen each other for a long time, they certainly had a lot to talk about.
Unfortunately, Jiang Xuyin and Jiang Xiaoxiao are not ordinary sisters. Jiang Xuyin is quiet and introverted, and speaks very little. Jiang Xiaoxiao is not particularly extroverted, but compared to Jiang Xuyin, she talks far too much.
Just like Zhang Chenglin and Ji Yuxing, when the two of them are together, one of them is always talking non-stop, while the other seems quiet and doesn't say much.
Zhang Chenglin and Ji Yuxing stayed at Jiang Xuyin's house for dinner that night, and then ran away without hesitation. Jiang Xuyin didn't intend to keep them, and Jiang Xiaoxiao tried to persuade them to stay, but to no avail.
Zhang Chenglin and Ji Yuxing went out the front gate. The old butler locked the door, blew out the light at the end of the porch, and happily went back to his small room to sleep with his kerosene lamp in hand.
"Things haven't been very peaceful outside lately, but Shanghai is doing alright..." Jiang Xiaoxiao said, her voice suddenly trailing off.
Because Jiang Xuyin, who was sitting opposite her listening to her speak, was not thinking about this at the moment.
Jiang Xiaoxiao looked in the direction she was looking and saw a tightly closed, pitch-black door.
That's the direction Zhang Chenglin just left in.
Jiang Xiaoxiao sighed silently, what a pair of sworn enemies.
Jiang Xuyin and Zhang Deyue came together because of love, and their relationship has remained as good as ever for decades. Even after marriage, they are still like they were when they were dating.
Zhang Chenglin was born when Jiang Xuyin and Zhang Deyue's relationship was at its peak, so Zhang Chenglin received almost all the love and affection from Jiang Xuyin, Zhang Deyue, and his elder brother Zhang Shengmin. When Zhang Chenglin and Jiang Xuyin were together, they were always seen as a loving mother and filial son, a sight that others envied.
The turning point came after Zhang Deyue's death. Not only did the public believe this, nor did the Kuomintang members believe it, but even Chiang Kai-shek and Hsu Hsin believed that Zhang Chenglin would definitely take over Zhang Deyue's mantle and become the leader of the Kuomintang.
After all, that was Zhang Deyue's life's work. Zhang Shengmin was also very outstanding, but in Zhang Deyue's heart, he could never compare to Zhang Chenglin, who was more intelligent.
However, the result was that Zhang Chenglin did not take over the Kuomintang, but instead remained the son of a disgraced official who was seen by the world as "idling away his time".
Jiang Xuyin loved Zhang Deyue so much—he loved him as a person, his career, and everything he possessed.
Therefore, in her eyes, Zhang Chenglin's choice was tantamount to betrayal—betrayal of the Kuomintang, betrayal of Zhang Deyue, and betrayal of their family.
Thus, the once loving mother and filial son have turned into a tense standoff, and they can never go back to the way things were.
*
The next morning.
As soon as Zhang Chenglin appeared at the entrance of Huayue Tower, a quiet commotion began to break out inside.
First, Aunt Rong quickly sent someone to serve the gentleman in the main hall, and then she hurried upstairs to call Fengyue.
The noisy and dazzling performances on the stage have all changed their style. The music is gentle and flowing, and the dancers' movements are slow and graceful... all of which are the styles that Zhang Chenglin likes.
When Zhang Chenglin first came to Shandong, many people were unaware of the situation. Some local bullies even caused trouble because of the sudden change of dance music at Huayuelou. Later, as news of Zhang Chenglin and Ji Yuxing's residence in Shandong gradually spread, those powerful landlords became much more obedient.
Nowadays, even if the music at Huayuelou suddenly changes, people will not only no longer be dissatisfied, but will feel just like the people in Huayuelou, both nervous and eagerly anticipating it.
When this matter eventually reached the ears of Ji Yuxing and Zhang Chenglin, Zhang Chenglin didn't react much. As the son of Zhang Deyue, he had received countless such flatteries throughout his life.
Ji Yuxing chuckled and joked, "Who says a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake? That's because the powerful dragon isn't powerful enough."
-
At that time, Fengyue had just gotten up and was lazily leaning against the chaise longue by the window to wake up.
She was originally the top courtesan at Huayuelou, and her status there was already very high. Now, thanks to Zhang Chenglin's "appreciation," her status at Huayuelou has risen even higher. Even if she doesn't show up for several days, Aunt Rong won't care about her.
"Knock knock—"
There was a knock on the door, the sound carrying a hint of barely perceptible anxiety. Feng Yue opened her beautiful, amorous eyes and said lazily, "Coming right away."
Aunt Rong responded, and as she was about to leave, she added, "Hurry up and pack your things. I'll have someone keep him downstairs for a bit."
Feng Yue stood up, yawned lightly, and said softly, "No need."
Aunt Rong outside the door was stunned for a moment, but said nothing and turned to go downstairs to greet the person.
When Zhang Chenglin pushed open the door, Feng Yue was sitting in front of the dressing mirror, drawing her eyebrows. When she saw Zhang Chenglin, she simply lifted her beautiful eyes and glanced at him in the mirror.
"gentlemen."
Zhang Chenglin didn't respond. He walked to Fengyue's side and watched as she gently pinched an eyebrow pencil and carefully drew on her willow-leaf eyebrows with her slender hands.
After watching her finish drawing one eyebrow, Zhang Chenglin reached out and took the eyebrow pencil from her hand, and, imitating her, clumsily and carefully drew her other eyebrow.
"They've become bolder."
After a long while, Zhang Chenglin suddenly spoke.
Feng Yue felt a sudden panic, and hurriedly opened her beautiful eyes, looking at him with confusion in them.
“Now that I’m here,” Zhang Chenglin said with dissatisfaction, but his expression remained emotionless, “you don’t even show your face.”
Fengyue had never seen him like this before; his serious dissatisfaction carried an imperceptible undercurrent of accusation and grievance.
Like a child acting spoiled in front of their mother.
Feng Yue's eyes darted around quickly, then she spoke as she lowered them: "It was my fault."
With lowered eyes and gentle voice, she exudes tenderness and affection.
She looks most alluring when she's like this.
Zhang Chenglin paused slightly as he applied makeup to her eyebrows, then looked down at her and said, "Don't seduce me."
Feng Yue lowered her eyes and smiled lightly, but her smile froze the moment she looked up at the mirror.
She wasn't the only one "admiring" her eyebrows; Zhang Chenglin was too.
Seeing her expression change instantly, Zhang Chenglin was also a little unsure and hesitantly asked, "...Doesn't it look good?"
Feng Yue: "..."
These willow-leaf eyebrows are as thick as two sword-shaped eyebrows, don't you think?!
But seeing Zhang Chenglin's hand tightly gripping the eyebrow pencil at his side, it was clear he was nervous—very obviously nervous.
Feng Yue sighed without changing her expression, then smiled and said, "It's beautiful."
If anything is unattractive, it's definitely her smile.
Zhang Chenglin remained silent, staring directly at her: "You're lying to me."
Feng Yue: "..."
Oh, you know that yourself.
Feng Yue looked up at him and asked with a smile, "Is this the first time Young Master has done someone's eyebrows?"
Zhang Chenglin was taken aback and did not answer.
"Take another look at it." After a long while, Zhang Chenglin handed her the eyebrow pencil and said.
Fengyue still smiled and methodically removed the eyebrows he had drawn, then with a few strokes, drew a new eyebrow that was exactly the same as the other one.
Zhang Chenglin looked at her delicate and beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows, which were indeed much more pleasing to the eye than his own, and walked away in a huff.
Fengyue looked at the figure sitting by her bed through the mirror and chuckled silently.
She then got up and walked to the person's side, her slender hand, which had been holding the eyebrow pencil, gently resting on the person's shoulder, and her thin lips parted slightly: "What's wrong? Did you encounter something difficult?"
Zhang Chenglin wasn't surprised at all that she could see through it, after all, she was always much better at reading people than he was.
"Have you ever paid special attention to someone you can't have, someone you've always longed for but never gotten?" Zhang Chenglin suddenly asked after a long silence.
Upon hearing this, Feng Yue tightened her grip on his shoulder slightly, and the image of that light blue figure uncontrollably appeared in her mind.
Seeing that she didn't answer, Zhang Chenglin looked up at her and asked again, "No?"
"Sir, why don't you tell me about your troubles?" Feng Yue said with a light laugh, "Perhaps I can help you relieve your worries."
Feng Yue's smile was so natural that Zhang Chenglin even thought the sadness he had just seen in her eyes was fake.
"Never mind," Zhang Chenglin said, but didn't say anything more. "You wouldn't understand anyway."
Feng Yue lowered her eyes and did not answer him.
Zhang Chenglin was about to say something when there was a sudden knock on the door.
Zhang Chenglin: "Speak."
Zhang Chenglin's tone wasn't exactly bad, but it was certainly not pleasant either, so much so that the person knocking on the door hesitated for a few seconds.
I was afraid that I might disturb some beautiful moment that I shouldn't disturb.
"Mr. Zhang, Mr. Ji says he has something important to discuss with you and would like to ask you to come down to the first floor."
"Understood." Zhang Chenglin stood up and walked out without saying a word. He had known Ji Yuxing for many years, and Ji Yuxing would never be in such a hurry to send someone else to find him unless it was something particularly important.
And it happened at a time like this.
Zhang Chenglin met Ji Yuxing at the entrance of Huayuelou. Ji Yuxing was standing by the car, his face full of obvious anxiety: "Old Tan called us over, saying that Zhuang Yanbin has made a move."
Zhang Chenglin's expression hardened, and he got into the car with Ji Yuxing, heading towards Tan Yuanbo's residence.
It was only when they arrived at Tan Yuanbo's residence that they learned that not only they had come, but also Sheng Dongsheng, who should have been in Shanghai at the time.
"Mr. Sheng."
"Mr. Sheng."
Ji Yuxing and Zhou Zhu called out to the others, but Zhang Chenglin, lost in thought, stood to the side without saying a word.
Sheng Dongsheng didn't mind and told them to come sit down quickly.
"If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be in Shandong for the next few days." Sheng Dongsheng said this while looking at Zhang Chenglin, but without any other expression.
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