Chapter 30 "After all, Miss Liang's ex-husband didn't sit down..."
The two exchanged a glance, one above the other. Jiang Jiaoming looked away, casually glancing at the terrace, and then glanced at Liang Kongxiang, seemingly unintentionally, as he looked back.
On the spacious staircase, Liang Kongxiang went up the handrail, one step behind Cao Lengyu. Cao Lengyu blocked most of her body, and only her right hand hanging by her side could be seen.
Caught in the middle, Cao Lengyu was both amused and exasperated. What kind of situation was this? She had come here to act as a peacemaker. It seemed that tonight's meal was destined to be anything but innocent.
"President Jiang," Cao Lengyu greeted him as she walked up, then asked knowingly, "Why aren't you going in?"
Jiang Jiaoming pointed to the wooden private room door, which was half-open and had a rectangular gold-plated plaque with the room number on it. "It's stuffy in there, I came out for some fresh air."
Without Cao Lengyu's cover, Liang Kongxiang's entire body was exposed. She was still wearing that pure white short shirt, which covered her thin body, and her long hair was draped over her back, making her look like she had just taken a shower.
Liang Kongxiang didn't avoid his gaze. Seeing him leaning against the balcony door frame with his arms crossed, looking down at her, Liang Kongxiang looked back at him indifferently and called out, "President Jiang."
Damn it, it's that "General Manager Jiang" title again.
“Miss Liang doesn’t seem too happy,” Jiang Jiaoming said, still leaning against the wall. “What’s wrong? Is this not to your liking?”
“Not at all,” Liang Kongxiang smiled and pushed open the door first. “President Jiang has good taste. The dishes and people he chooses are just to my liking. I should learn from him.”
"You knew it would suit your taste before the food even arrived?" Jiang Jiaoming followed him in, closing the door behind him with a soft thud. "You still trust me enough."
"You've always had good taste." Liang Kongxiang realized that the implication in her words was too obvious, so she replied casually, too lazy to argue with him further.
However, this place is indeed quite nice. A huge painting hangs on the left side of the table, with rich and dynamic colors, and the style is very similar to Turner's. There is also a glass window in front of the table, with the afterglow of the setting sun floating on the azure sea, and seabirds circling on the shore...
Although the scenery is beautiful, being bombarded by both real and fake views can easily lead to visual fatigue and annoyance.
She looked away and sat down at the table.
A blue and white tablecloth covered the rectangular dining table, with a transparent vase in the center containing several holly bushes, resembling more than a dozen pale blue fingers with long barbs spreading outwards.
Someone pushed the door open and came in.
"Oh, everyone's here," Zhang Bingjie said, still holding the door open with his left hand. He glanced inside, let Wang Jianbai go in first, and then followed Wang Jianbai in. "Looks like Mr. Wang and I are late."
Liang Kongxiang greeted them all and said with a smile, "It's not late, we just arrived too."
"Where's Louis?" Zhang Bingjie pulled out a chair and sat down next to Liang Kongxiang, with Jiang Jiaoming opposite him. He turned his head, thinking that the room wasn't big and didn't seem like a place where someone could hide. "Where is he?"
“He’s sitting on the terrace enjoying the breeze,” Cao Lengyu said. “I saw him on my way here. He’s probably shy. Maybe I should go and call him.”
“I’ll go,” Zhang San said with a smile. “Director Cao has been busy all day, and I’m the only one who’s free here.”
Wang Jianbai didn't seem to care much about the mixed-race boy. Jiang Jiaoming rarely attended dinners, so how could he possibly have been invited for some "film crew safety issue"? He probably had ulterior motives. At the table were just him, Cao Lengyu, Jiang Jiaoming, and Jiang Jiaoming's childhood friend—it was truly unclear what he was up to.
"Will we finish filming here in about a month?" Jiang Jiaoming asked casually.
Just then, the door opened again, and Zhang San and Louis came in together. Louis glanced at Jiang Jiaoming, and was then led forward by Zhang Bingjie, who was very friendly with him.
Hearing the noise, Wang Jianbo turned his head and glanced at the scene. He thought to himself that this little T-mixed-race girl was quite good-looking, and he felt that her eyebrows and eyes resembled someone. "Yeah, it's estimated that it will be early March at the latest. The plan is to finish filming by March 5th."
After he finished speaking, he didn't hear Jiang Jiaoming respond. Looking over, he saw that Jiang Jiaoming was staring at the green-eyed mixed-race man, seemingly lost in thought.
"Please sit here," Zhang San said, pointing to the head seat on Louis's right. "Thank you for your concern about the safety of our crew."
Louis glanced at Cao Lengyu and Liang Kongxiang, his lips tightened, and he sat down, glancing at the cutlery in front of him without saying a word.
Seeing that he was not good at speaking and looked pitiful all alone among the adults, Cao Lengyu deliberately struck up a conversation with him: "Aren't you busy at the shop today?"
Upon hearing this question, Jiang Jiaoming's gaze also fell on him. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Liang Kongxiang and sneered inwardly. She had hidden herself well enough, not glancing at Louis even once from the moment she arrived.
“The store doesn’t need me today,” Louis said.
The door opened again, and the waiter brought out the dishes on a tray, quickly filling the table with white plates.
Liang Kongxiang frowned slightly upon smelling the distinct seafood aroma. After taking a closer look at the food on the table, she realized that it was all seafood.
She frowned and glanced at Jiang Jiaoming across from her.
Jiang Jiaoming didn't look at her. He reached for the corkscrew, opened the wine bottle, and asked Wang Jianbo, "Would Mr. Wang like some?"
"Have some." As soon as the cap was opened, a rich aroma of red wine filled the air. Looking at the pure color of the wine in the glass, Wang Jianbai smiled and said, "President Jiang really has good taste. Is this wine local?"
"Shouldn't you show sincerity when you're treating someone to a meal?" Jiang Jiaoming glanced at Louis, his left hand still holding an empty wine glass. "Want some?"
Louis hesitated, looking at the empty glass, wondering whether to take it or refuse, when Liang Kongxiang suddenly turned her head to look at him and asked casually, "Are you an adult?"
Jiang Jiaoming's long, slender fingers gripped the bottle without moving, and the cup clicked as it was placed back on the table. He leaned back with his arms crossed, looking at Liang Kongxiang expressionlessly.
Zhang Bingjie's heart skipped a beat when he met the man's expression. Why was this young master's temper flaring up again? His face was so cold...
“You’re an adult now, you can drink.” Louis, who had been sitting upright, leaned back, as if waiting for Jiang Jiaoming to pour him a drink himself.
Zhang San thought to himself that this little brat was pretty arrogant, but when he came to his senses, he saw that Jiang Jiaoming was indeed treating him like a good brother, politely filling his glass. Could a kid really drink that much?
Jiang Jiaoming poured the wine slowly, the bottle making a soft clicking sound as it hit the rim of the glass. The red wine dripped down the rim until it was level with the glass. He put down the bottle and gestured for the man to drink.
When Wang Jianbo saw that Jiang Jiaoming, such a high-ranking CEO, personally poured him wine, he joked, "President Jiang is quite concerned about the safety of the film crew."
After Jiang Jiaoming finished pouring the wine and put down the bottle, he took a tissue to wipe his hands, crumpled it up, and threw it aside: "It's too late to take it seriously if problems arise."
“That’s true,” Wang Jianbo nodded in agreement. “The approach of early detection and early resolution, and prevention, is still the right one.”
Unbeknownst to him, his unintentional remark had pleased Jiang Jiaoming.
Jiang Jiaoming raised his glass and clinked it with Wang Jianbo's, then leaned back in his chair and chuckled, "Mr. Wang and I are thinking the same thing."
Wang Jianbai was completely unaware of Jiang Jiaoming's implied meaning, but even if Cao Lengyu and Zhang San were stupid, they could figure it out by now.
The two of them are clearly at odds; they must have had a falling out.
Cao Lengyu glanced at Louis's somewhat familiar face out of the corner of her eye, stared at it thoughtfully for a while, and then suddenly leaned close to Liang Kongxiang's ear and asked in a low voice, "Didn't I ask you before if you thought Louis looked familiar?"
"Hmm?" Liang Kongxiang leaned to the left to hear Cao Lengyu's words more clearly.
"That kid who makes really bad bread."
Liang Kongxiang frowned slightly, as if recalling something, then belatedly asked, "...Is that so?"
"Why don't you just ask?" Cao Lengyu said this in her ear, and as if nothing had happened, she asked Louise while Jiang Jiaoming and Wang Jianbai were chatting: "Did you work at a bakery before?"
Everyone at the table instinctively turned to look at Louis, with Jiang Jiaoming looking at Liang Kongxiang. She was also looking at Louis.
Tsk.
“Hmm.” Louis took a big gulp of red wine without even frowning, and said with his eyes downcast, “I remember you.”
Cao Lengyu smiled in surprise, "It really is you... How come you guys look like you're growing backwards? You look much more handsome now. You used to be too skinny, like a bamboo pole."
She phrased it tactfully: Louis wasn't this handsome before. He was always dressed in rags, and she didn't know if it was the local cultural style or what, but he always wore a hat to hide most of his face.
"What kind of fate is this?" Zhang San had a feeling there was a story behind it. He asked Cao Lengyu while picking up a golden scallop, coating it with cornmeal, and looking at Cao Lengyu from the left and Louis from the right. "Sounds like we've met before?"
“Yes, I came with Kong Xiang when we were scouting locations, it must have been…” Cao Lengyu frowned slightly and hissed, unable to recall for a moment. Wang Jianbai said it had been a year and a half. Cao Lengyu nodded and smiled, saying, “Right, Mr. Wang has a good memory, it must have been a year and a half.”
Not that long ago.
"So you two are old acquaintances, no wonder." Jiang Jiaoming chuckled, looking at Liang Kongxiang: "No wonder Miss Liang takes such good care of him, Louis also takes such good care of Miss Liang."
The way he described their brief encounter sounded like a mutual attraction, leaving both of them speechless. Zhang Bingjie scratched his forehead, feeling incredibly awkward.
"Kong Xiang is so beautiful, isn't that normal?" Wang Jianbo said dismissively. "In this circle, who can be so heartless as not to take care of a beautiful girl? I've heard that President Jiang is quite nice to Miss Zhuang too."
"It's alright." Jiang Jiaoming nodded, his tone indifferent.
“We’ll only say this in private, Mr. Jiang,” Wang Jianbo said. “If you really have some kind of relationship with Miss Zhuang, the termination fee from Hechuan will be quite substantial.”
“I can still afford a hundred million,” he said casually, his smile flippant. With a flick of his wrist, he precisely tapped Wang Jianbai’s nearly empty glass before slowly finishing his sentence: “A smile from a beautiful woman is priceless.”
Wang Jianbo pointed at him with a chuckle.
He knew that Jiang Jiaoming was not a man of many words, so he just listened to it as a joke. After all, Zhuang Yexue had signed an eight-year contract with Hechuan, and it had only been five years. It was too early for her to find another company so soon.
However, Zhuang Yexue and Cao Lengyu seem to have some connection. Could it be that the film's successful investment is actually related to Zhuang Yexue? That can't be...
To say that Jiang Jiaoming has taken a liking to Zhuang Yexue is three parts true and seven parts false. Three parts are because Zhuang Yexue is impeccable in both appearance and talent, so it's understandable that someone would like her. Seven parts are false because that person is Jiang Jiaoming, who is not interested in women. He may look like a playboy, but deep down he is a ruthless businessman.
Wang Jianbo had heard many rumors about him, but he had never seen him do anything improper. He always kept his relationships with girls to a minimum. The only one that puzzled him was Liang Kongxiang at the dinner table.
He had initially pressured Liang Kongxiang to secure investment with a test mindset. The recent trending topics about Liang Kongxiang and Jiang Jiaoming as financial backers had given him some insight into their relationship, and tonight's dinner further solidified his confidence. It seemed that if he could secure Liang Kongxiang's support, the project would have no shortage of investment.
The people at the table had already changed the subject. Zhang San, partly out of curiosity and partly because he saw how bad Jiang Jiaoming looked, wanted to find out for him. He wiped his hands and asked Liang Kongxiang, "Did anything funny happen between you two? I think Louis was very impressed with you."
Liang Kongxiang: "His baked bread is pretty good."
Upon hearing this, Cao Lengyu nodded and gave Liang Kongxiang a thumbs up.
"What do you mean?" Zhang San knew from Cao Lengyu's actions that things weren't so simple, and pressed on, "Is it sarcasm?"
"Not really, maybe Kong Xiang has a special taste and likes to eat things with unusual flavors," Cao Lengyu said tactfully, "It's just that I'm not used to it."
Not knowing if Louis could take a joke, Liang Kongxiang ultimately spoke up for him, "The taste is alright, it's an improvement over the first day."
The first day? Zhang San glanced at Jiang Jiaoming's expression.
"I've been here for several days now," Zhang San said.
"About a week," Liang Kongxiang thought for a moment.
Well, a world war is about to begin. Zhang San shut his mouth, and sure enough, he heard the person next to him who had been silent all along speak.
"Having stayed for so long," Jiang Jiaoming put down his wine glass, the round-bottomed glass making a "click" sound on the table, "you must be so happy you'll forget about home."
Liang Kongxiang: "It's work, there's no way around it."
Jiang Jiaoming unconsciously rubbed the stem of the cup with his index finger and thumb, looked at her, and asked thoughtfully, "What did you play?"
Jiang Jiaoming was the only one who dared to ask so confidently, citing his status as her ex-boyfriend. The others remained silent.
“Watching the sunset, climbing the watchtower, and chasing deer,” Liang Kongxiang said.
After listening, Jiang Jiaoming showed no expression, nodded, and simply commented, "Quite romantic."
“Not all artists pursue these things,” she said with a smile.
The two exchanged barbs, their words sharp and veiled, yet their expressions remained polite and courteous.
Liang Kongxiang was lost in thought, holding the fork; those scenes were indeed quite unforgettable.
On the day they arrived in Xisa Port, neither she nor Cao Lengyu were familiar with the area. After wandering around for an afternoon, they entered a bakery before sunset. A string of English letters was pasted on the glass door, and the handle was made of metal. Liang Kongxiang gripped it and pulled it open, and a cool breeze blew in, as the standing air conditioner in the corner was humming.
Freshly baked bread is tightly arranged on copper-colored four-tiered iron shelves on both sides of the shop. Near the kitchen, there is a glass display case, and next to the display case, a drowsy white-haired old lady sits at the cashier.
Hearing the sound, she opened her eyes, yawned, and stood up sleepily, asking, "What would you like to order?"
"Please allow me to take another look," Liang Kongxiang said with a smile.
“Of course,” the old lady said, then sat back down and called out to the kitchen, “Louis! Is the fresh bread ready yet?”
No one answered from the kitchen, but soon a boy came out carrying a large rectangular baking tray with steaming golden-brown bread on it. He wore a dark green apron and a hat, and his curly hair was pressed down so tightly that it almost completely covered his eyes.
The bread looked very appealing and soft. Liang Kongxiang pointed to the tray in Louis's hand and asked, "How much is one of those breads?"
The old lady glanced at Liang Kongxiang in surprise, then waved to Louis, took the bread, and placed it on the white brick wall of the cashier for Liang Kongxiang to examine closely. She asked, "Are you sure you want it?"
Cao Lengyu and Liang Kongxiang exchanged a glance, then Cao asked the old woman, "Why do you ask that?"
“This is our new employee, still on probation. The bread he makes is terrible. Everyone who comes to buy it always leaves cursing him,” the old lady said. “Dear, I don’t think you’ll like it either.”
"Take two," Liang Kongxiang said with a smile, counting out a few bills from her wallet and handing them to the old lady. "You might get a pleasant surprise."
The old lady praised the kind girl and then lowered her head to find her change.
Louis silently put the two items into a brown paper bag and gave them to Liang Kongxiang along with the change the old lady was giving him.
They sat under the glass window of the shop, while people rode their bicycles on the street, and occasionally someone would pass by the bakery and stop for a few seconds when they saw Liang Kongxiang under the window.
The old lady asked them from a short distance if they were tourists. Cao Lengyu nodded and said yes. The old lady then pointed to the cameras they were carrying and said, "I guess you're having trouble finding good scenery."
"You're so clever," Cao Lengyu said flatteringly. "Do you have any recommendations?"
“Louis can take you there,” the old lady said.
The little boy named Louis was so thin and bony that his long, thin baguette-like arm made people lose their enthusiasm for life. But that was exactly what Cao Lengyu liked; people like that would be great for telling stories.
She whispered to Liang Kongxiang, "Should we go with him?"
Liang Kongxiang turned to look at Louis, but Louis looked away and went back to the kitchen.
“We can give it a try,” Liang Kongxiang said.
Although Louis was a quiet and somewhat gloomy-looking boy, he had a keen understanding of beautiful scenery. He took them to a wilderness where a tall white watchtower stood in the distance, and herds of deer roamed the plains, leaving grass and dirt flying everywhere they went.
The deer ran very fast, seemingly heading into the forest. Liang Kongxiang chased after them, Cao Lengyu's shouts and the sound of the wind from all directions brushing against her ears. After chasing for a while, she stopped, panting, and took out her camera to take pictures.
A brown fawn suddenly fell behind the herd and looked back at the camera from a long distance.
Those clear, bright deer eyes met the small round lens.
Liang Kongxiang finally put down her camera; the fawn had already returned to the herd and run off to a more distant place.
She stood on the desolate plains of Xisa Port, rarely visited by anyone. A fierce wind suddenly rushed towards her from the front, howling past. Ten thousand golden rays pierced through her long black hair. The sun hung above her head, and she stood on the thick earth.
The human soul and the animal soul paused for each other for a brief 0.1 seconds.
“Miss Liang, your appearance is likely to cause misunderstandings,” Jiang Jiaoming suddenly spoke up, interrupting her recollection.
Liang Kongxiang slowly came to her senses and casually asked, "What misunderstanding?"
“You’re misunderstanding that you’re reminiscing about your ex-boyfriend,” he said indifferently. “There’s no need for that.”
Jiang Jiaoming usually wouldn't bring up such a sensitive topic, so Wang Jianbo spoke up at the opportune moment, asking in a jovial tone, "Oh? Why isn't it necessary?"
The entire private room was silent for two seconds as everyone waited for his answer. Jiang Jiaoming then spoke.
"After all, isn't Miss Liang's ex sitting in this private room?"
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Author's note: No one is asking about exes.
Others: The weather is so nice.
Jiang Jiaoming: How did you know I was Liang Kongxiang's ex-boyfriend?
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