Chapter 51 Chapter 51
It's spring and the scenery is bright, with traffic flowing like a rainbow.
The atmosphere in the car was delicate and awkward. Qin Jianhe's previously warm smile froze slightly, but he held on. The creases in his bulging cheeks reflected a darker thought.
He was intent on being a lobbyist. It wasn't just because Zhong Xinli had visited him overnight, tearfully asking him for help in setting up a match. It wasn't just because the Lijiang Consortium had just publicly announced its intention to cooperate, giving Z Company and Lu Ye plenty of face.
Moreover, Zhong Xinli's parents were close friends with him. In the past two years, financial business had become increasingly difficult, and he had long wanted to retire at the peak of his career, grab a big client, and leave in style.
But Qin Jianhe had just started when the steady and mature young man opposite him blocked his way without any respect.
Lu Ye... He always gives room to the other party. When did he become so sharp?
Shen Xingyu stepped forward to help: "Likes and dislikes are all based on one's own heart. It's the least important thing. As long as we can make a success of the business, that's all that matters."
Lu Ye took a deep breath and said, "I think so too. I believe that Mr. Zhong will clearly distinguish between public and private matters."
Qin Jianhe remained silent.
Ah Li had grown up under his care, a truly wonderful girl. He couldn't understand why Lu Ye would so clearly say, "I don't like it." Given Lu Ye's temperament, he wouldn't have been so resolute in stating his stance in front of him.
"A-Li has been in Europe for a long time and doesn't like to get involved in the family business. If her parents hadn't insisted, she wouldn't have returned to inherit the Lijiang Group. Oh, she's an art major, so if she doesn't do anything professionally, we should be more understanding."
Art? Shen Xingyu was secretly shocked, but then suddenly realized. No wonder his words and actions were so elegant, his temperament so detached, and sometimes even a little... contemptuous of others.
These days, rich daughters are often spoiled and pampered. Unless they come from a wealthy family that places special emphasis on education, many of them can be overbearing. Girls at a young age start making videos showing off their wealth and donning internet celebrity makeup, while boys exhibit unruly personalities. Shen Xingyu is accustomed to these younger siblings.
But Zhong Xinli has a kind of otherworldly and sophisticated aura. After a few words with her, you can feel that her preferences and tastes are different from those of ordinary people. The other rich girls also have elegant styles, but she is just more outstanding than them.
For example, at this time on Monday morning, many young men who have just returned from studying may still be sleeping soundly in bed, but Zhong Xinli has already started an art exhibition in her own venue.
The theme she chose was "Earthly World", which included her own works as well as many of her collections.
A low-key business car stopped in front of the exhibition hall. Zhong Xinli left a group of visitors and Shi Ran went forward to greet them.
In the few seconds before the car door slid open, even she, who was full of thoughts, couldn't help but look at the jade-like Li River.
The Li River winds its way through S City, dividing the densely packed skyscrapers on either side. Willow trees on the west bank are green, their branches brushing against the bank.
Her family's business and her own name were both taken from this word.
The sudden spring breeze made her heart melt. Zhong Xinli couldn't tell whether it was because of the warmth in the wind or the figure of the man standing against the wind.
Lu Ye stroked the collar of his dark blue hand-embroidered shirt, a thin navy blue suit jacket slung across his arm. His well-fitting trousers accentuated the long, straight lines of his legs, and his matte leather shoes were spotless.
He was aloof and reserved, his brows calm, his chin slightly raised, standing behind Boss Qin with neither servility nor arrogance. Anyone who saw him would have immediately calmed down, but a button on his collar was undone, revealing a stretch of jade-like skin that was so inviting.
Zhong Xinli couldn't help but look down and examine her dress. It was a simple, elegant, modified qipao, a light yellow base embellished with vibrant florals and buds, paired with shallow-heeled buckled shoes. Luckily, she felt a little relieved and stepped forward to greet him.
"Ali, I brought people here to support you. I hope you won't be unwelcome, right?"
Qin Jianhe moved sideways, exposing Lu Ye completely in front of her, intentionally signaling them to say hello.
Lu Ye understood Mr. Qin's thoughts and took the initiative to step forward, but he was still a little far away. Fortunately, his arms were still quite long.
"Mr. Zhong, I came here because of your reputation." He was calm and indifferent, his tone was soothing, and his demeanor and appearance were no different from every time he had dealt with you before.
Zhong Xinli held his hand and forced herself to meet those eyes that were as frozen as a cold pond, without a trace of emotion to be read.
She had clearly seen Lu Ye's other eyes. Last night, when he lowered his head to feed the snack to the girl's lips, those eyes were filled with tenderness and sparkling light.
Zhong Xinli collected her thoughts, not wanting to think about what happened last night. It was a rare occasion when she honestly expressed her dislike for those who pursued fame, wealth, and capital, but she didn't receive any response from Lu Ye.
Maybe she was a little too sharp? Looking back, it seemed a bit out of control.
"Uncle Qin, Mr. Lu, Mr. Shen, please come in. I'll show you around."
Shen Xingyu, who was following at the end, smacked his lips in surprise. He had a deep understanding of human nature, and in his opinion, the scorching gaze this rich girl was casting at Lu Ye was already obvious. Therefore, he was even more worried about Lu Ye.
Shen Xingyu had a subconscious feeling recently that Lu Ye probably had a crush on someone, and that person definitely wasn't the one in front of him.
Zhong Xinli walked in front with a graceful figure, leading the way for the three people.
The art exhibition she planned was originally scheduled for next week, but something that happened last night made her feel uneasy, so she paid three times the deposit overnight to reschedule.
"I drew this myself." She paused in front of a photograph in a birchwood frame. "It's a slum on the outskirts of Paris. It's less than half an hour's drive from the Champs-Élysées, and you can even see the Eiffel Tower from here."
Lu Ye blinked indifferently, his eyes swept to the next work, which was surprisingly almost the same as the previous one.
"This is a photograph, and the scene is exactly the same." Zhong Xinli introduced it to him with a smile.
Lu Ye leaned over slightly and saw the name on the nameplate. Zhong Xinwu, isn't that the guest who will fill in the spot on "The Last Days"?
Seeing him raise his eyebrows, Zhong Xinli explained: "Xinwu is my cousin. We studied there together."
So that's how it is. Lu Ye nodded, thinking of the little incident yesterday, and couldn't help but hint at it.
"Does Mr. Zhong still plan to let him continue on the show?"
What he was thinking was that An Jiyue had been suspended for offending her. If the Lijiang Group decided to withdraw its investment, Zhong Xinwu would certainly follow suit and the frequent cast changes on this show would only make the situation worse.
"Xin Wu said it was very interesting and he would continue to participate in the recording."
Her tone was reserved and she was willing to follow suit. She refused to admit that she wanted to give in, but instead used her cousin's wishes as a shield.
Last night, Zhong Xinli asked Director Zhang about the young director, and Director Zhang replied that the director and Lu Ye were college classmates. She guessed that this was why Lu Ye was speaking up for his old friend. She had already embarrassed him at the scene, so she should be generous and magnanimous to avoid being seen as sarcastic.
There was no emotion in Lu Ye's eyes, as if he had just asked casually.
He was as calm as water from the moment he got off the car. He said almost nothing all the way, showing no emotion on his face. His sharp features were like an ice sculpture, not moving at all.
Zhong Xinli vaguely felt that he was still unhappy.
They had met at dinner parties, at meetings, and even live-streamed side by side. Lu Ye always answered her questions in a friendly and polite manner. Although there was distance in his eyes, he was always relaxed.
But today, there was only a desolate silence in his eyes, and his tall body showed a listless look. It seemed that he did not want to come to her exhibition from the beginning, and even if he came, he was unwilling to talk to her.
They walked to a small room with a spiral staircase. The staircase was narrow, so Qin Jianhe and Shen Xingyu tactfully stayed outside and only pushed Lu Ye in to accompany Zhong Xinli.
Zhong Xinli led him up the ladder.
"This is the work of one of my teachers. He spent a year traveling throughout a region in the Middle East and condensed his observations into the landscape of a room. Look at the subtle arrangement of the floor in this room—"
Lu Ye bent down and looked, his body stiffened, and his dark eyes lit up in surprise.
Densely packed crowds of people, objects, and scenery intertwined and interwoven, forming an endless miniature world beneath their feet. Children shivered in a cluster, soldiers dragged their broken bodies forward with difficulty, and medical staff carried stretchers amidst the artillery fire...
He was so lost in thought that he forgot there was someone beside him until Zhong Xinli called him from above.
"Chief Lu, why don't you come here and take a look? The higher you go, the better the view."
Zhong Xinli stood at the top of the stairs, chuckling at him. Lu Ye straightened his aching back, realizing that he hadn't even finished reading a single corner.
However, if even this small corner is so rich, how exquisite must the setting of the entire room be? Lu Ye was amazed.
Zhong Xinli, who was standing at the top, had not heard his response for a long time, and could not help but lean forward with the help of the railing. Seeing his expression full of admiration and emotion, she felt a little relieved.
She took great pains to invite Lu Ye to this exhibition just to justify the arrogance she had inadvertently revealed yesterday.
You see, I'm not a cold and cruel person. I've recorded a lot of worldly experiences.
But Lu Ye suddenly raised his eyes and looked straight at her, his voice coming from below in a gentle and clear voice.
"Ms. Zhong, do you know why your teacher added this step to the work?
“I guess he is not trying to let visitors see everything, but rather to imply that we visitors, who appear to be compassionate, are actually just outsiders who are high above and looking down on the suffering of others.
"And your teacher actually passed through that war-torn city."
He lowered his eyes to look at the seemingly real suffering in that corner. The stagnant water in his eyes rarely moved, flickering with a slightly choked emotion. After a long time, as if his mood had finally calmed down, Lu Ye raised his head and looked at her again.
"Ms. Zhong, I have no intention of offending your work. Your perspective on the same scene seems to be one of scrutiny, while your brother's is more of an experience.
“You are at a very high altitude, so the scenery you see is naturally different, and the people’s hearts you feel are even more different.
"So, those who you see as chasing fame and fortune, and who are only interested in money, may, from another perspective, be just a group of people who endure the reality and work hard in order to realize their dreams and ambitions.
"Unfortunately, I am one of them."
Lu Ye remained calm and responded to her ridicule of An Jiyue the night before with clear eyes:
"But I really don't do anything for money."
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