Chapter 31 Director Liu's matchmaking—she was unwilling to put matters of the heart into her personal life…
"Oh my! Look! Look! I told you these clothes suit you both! You're a perfect match, a match made in heaven!" Director Liu circled the couple, beaming from ear to ear, showering them with compliments, his eyes practically overflowing with the desire to bring them together. The members of the inspection team smiled good-naturedly and echoed his sentiments, while the villagers clapped along. One mischievous young man even whistled.
Just then, the curtain of another room was lifted, and Gu Qingyan came out.
He chose a dark blue robe embroidered with pine and crane motifs in silver thread. This attire was completely different from his usual suits, yet it unexpectedly suited his temperament. The dark blue color made his fair skin appear even more striking, and his posture even more upright and elegant. The silver embroidery shimmered faintly in the sunlight, exuding both nobility and refinement. However, his deep eyes remained sharp, and when he slightly raised them, his innate nobility and imposing presence were inadvertently revealed, forming a stark contrast with Zhou Xubai's gentle demeanor.
He simply stood there quietly, yet his innate air of nobility drew everyone's attention, and a low gasp of amazement rippled through the crowd.
"Mr. Gu looks absolutely stunning in this outfit!" a young female colleague couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice. "His aura is incredible!"
“Yes,” someone chimed in, “it feels completely different from our usual meetings.”
What's even more amazing is that he strolled around seemingly casually, but stopped right on the other side of Lin Yuwei. Although his dark blue and silver-white embroidery was different from Lin Yuwei's moon-white and indigo dress, when they stood together, the two outfits had an indescribable harmony and tacit understanding in terms of tailoring style, the complexity of patterns, and even the charm they exuded, as if they were meant to be side by side.
Sunlight shone on the three of them. On one side was the gentle and refined Zhou Xubai and the bright and beautiful Lin Yuwei, like a perfect couple. On the other side was the aloof and noble Gu Qingyan and the stunningly beautiful Lin Yuwei, who also seemed to be a perfect match!
At this moment, the onlookers were somewhat dazed, unable to discern whether Lin Yuwei looked more compatible with Zhou Xubai standing together, or with Gu Qingyan beside her.
This subtle scene instantly quieted the previously lively and boisterous atmosphere. Everyone's eyes quietly shifted between the three of them, filled with curiosity and amusement. Director Liu's smile also faltered, and his gaze became thoughtful.
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After changing into their distinctive ethnic brocade costumes, the members of the inspection team gathered in the open space outside. "The sacrificial ceremony has officially begun!" the village chief announced loudly. The sound of drums and music suddenly rang out, drowning out Director Liu's excited chatter and dispelling the delicate atmosphere from before.
The crowd quickly formed a long procession, slowly proceeding along the village's main bluestone path to begin their prayer procession. The procession meandered like a dragon, with the sounds of gongs and drums mingling with laughter, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. Many village children excitedly joined in, laughing and chasing each other in the gaps between the crowd, adding a touch of liveliness to the solemn ceremony.
Lin Yuwei was walking side by side with Zhou Xubai, exchanging a few words in hushed tones from time to time. However, at a corner, several children chasing and playing suddenly rushed through the middle of them, separating the two of them. By the time Lin Yuwei regained her footing, Zhou Xubai's figure had already been separated by the surging crowd.
Lin Yuwei was swept forward a few steps by the crowd. Just as she was about to turn back to look for Zhou Xubai, another group of children rushed in from the side, laughing and playing. To avoid them, Lin Yuwei instinctively retreated to the side of the road. However, she forgot that behind her was the shallow stream flowing beside the village houses. Lin Yuwei stepped on a moss-covered stone by the stream, her shoe slipped, and she lost her balance!
Lin Yuwei gasped in surprise, her body involuntarily falling towards the stream bank.
Just at this critical moment, a strong arm suddenly reached out from behind and grabbed her waist with precision and speed. Lin Yuwei felt a steady force holding her back, stopping her fall and pulling her back from the stream, preventing her from falling into the water in a disheveled state.
Lin Yuwei was still in shock, her heart pounding. She instinctively looked up and met Gu Qingyan's deep eyes. His hand was still on her waist to ensure she was steady. The heat of his palm pressed against her skin through her clothes. At that moment, time seemed to stand still, and the surrounding noise became a blur in the background. Lin Yuwei could clearly feel the strength of his arm and the warmth from his chest. Her heart raced involuntarily. In the chaos, the wide, dark blue sleeves of his robe had almost overlapped with her moon-white garment. The smooth, cool fabric of the dark blue robe touched Lin Yuwei's wrist, creating a strange contrast with the warmth emanating from his body.
"Be careful, don't walk near the river." Gu Qingyan's deep voice sounded in her ear, with a hint of tension that was barely perceptible. Then he loosened his grip on her waist, as if his swift and strong support just now was just an unconscious gentlemanly gesture.
Lin Yuwei said softly, "...Thank you." Her breathing was still a little unsteady, and her cheeks were slightly hot, whether from the shock she had just experienced or something else, she didn't know.
Gu Qingyan simply nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment. Once he confirmed she was completely unharmed, he looked away and resumed looking at the advancing group, as if nothing had happened. However, that brief moment of closeness and contact, and the lingering warmth on her waist, were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples in Lin Yuwei's heart that were impossible to ignore.
"Xiao Lin, you're here?" Director Liu's voice suddenly rang in her ears. Lin Yuwei turned her head and saw Director Liu squeezing through the crowd.
Director Liu grabbed Lin Yuwei's arm and said, "Little Lin, there are a lot of people here. Stay close to Xiao Zhou and don't get separated!" As he spoke, he pushed her towards Zhou Xubai. Lin Yuwei quickly glanced at Gu Qingyan and saw his face darken instantly and a fleeting look of loneliness in his eyes.
After the procession and prayer, it was nearly 1 p.m. The village committee arranged a sumptuous lunch for everyone in the village committee courtyard. As soon as Lin Yuwei and Zhou Xubai entered the courtyard, Director Liu waved to them and left two empty seats next to her, indicating that they should sit down: "Xiao Zhou, Xiao Lin, please sit here so it's easier to chat!"
However, Lin Yuwei stopped in her tracks. The scene by the stream was still lingering in her mind. The warmth of Gu Qingyan's palm and the loneliness in his eyes made her feel uneasy. At this moment, she really didn't want to be deliberately matched up by Director Liu, so she smiled at Zhou Xubai and said, "I happen to have something to talk to Xiao Wang and Xiao Chen from the publicity department. Why don't you go and sit down first?"
Before Zhou Xubai could respond, she went straight to the table of two other girls she knew from the Cultural Bureau and sat down next to them. Zhou Xubai was slightly taken aback, but still maintained his composure and went to Director Liu's table alone.
"Sister Yuwei, why don't you go sit with Director Liu?" Xiao Wang asked curiously.
"It's too crowded over there," Lin Yuwei forced a smile, "It's more comfortable sitting with you guys."
During the meal, the village chief stood up with a bowl of amber-colored rice wine in his hand. His thick local accent echoed in the courtyard: "This wine is made with water from Longxian Well, red yeast from Bijia Mountain, and—" He gestured to explain the brewing process, but many members of the inspection team could not understand the dialect of Longquan Village. They looked puzzled and whispered among themselves, trying to guess what the village chief meant.
At this moment, Zhou Xubai calmly raised his wine glass and said gently to the village chief, "Village chief, may I add a few words for you?" The village chief was worried about how to continue the conversation, so he nodded with a smile.
Zhou Xubai then turned to the crowd, his slender fingers lightly tapping the rim of the wine bowl: "The village chief said that this wine uses three local specialties: the sweet and refreshing spring water from Longyan Well, the unique red yeast rice from Bijia Mountain, and the glutinous rice from Zhang Guying Village." His voice was clear and melodious, stringing together the village chief's scattered words into a vivid story: "The most special thing is that it is fermented in a cedar barrel, a specialty of Weidong. The aroma of the wood will slowly seep into the wine. The older generation says that if newlyweds drink this wine together, they can be as intertwined as the grain of the cedar wood for a hundred years."
His interpretation imbued an ordinary barrel of homemade wine with profound historical and cultural significance, captivating everyone who listened intently and raised their glasses to taste it.
Then the village chief introduced a steamed stream fish. After he finished speaking, Zhou Xubai continued, "This fish has extremely high requirements for water quality; it can only grow in mountain streams. The ancients said, 'If the water is too clear, there will be no fish,' but the clear, sweet stream water here has nurtured a unique variety of fresh fish. When you eat it, you can savor its natural sweetness—the taste of pure mountain water." He not only accurately conveyed the village chief's meaning but also quoted classical texts and interspersed interesting anecdotes, making the local customs, traditions, and legends behind each dish vivid and engaging. The atmosphere at the table grew increasingly lively, and everyone was captivated by his explanations.
A young staff member from the Cultural Bureau couldn't help but exclaim, "Director Zhou, how do you know so much about folk cuisine? You're practically a professional gourmet!"
Zhou Xubai smiled modestly: "My parents are both folklore enthusiasts. When I was a child, I often went with them to various places to collect folklore. I was influenced by what I saw and heard, so I only know a little bit about it."
At this moment, Director Zhang, who knew Zhou Xubai's background, chimed in, "Mr. Zhou is too modest. Everyone knows you are the son of the Zhou Group, your father is a renowned figure in the art collecting world, and your mother is an archaeology professor at a prestigious university. Your family's academic background is unmatched." These words immediately drew a chorus of admiration from the room, and someone seized the opportunity to tease, "Mr. Zhou is so outstanding, I wonder if you have a girlfriend? What kind of girl could possibly catch your eye?"
Director Liu immediately chimed in, smiling as he looked at Lin Yuwei: "Is there even a question? Isn't our Xiao Lin the perfect match? A handsome man and a beautiful woman, they couldn't be more suitable. Xiao Lin, you should really seize this opportunity with such an outstanding young man."
Lin Yuwei had been eating discreetly, but she still couldn't avoid being teased. Hearing Director Liu's words, she felt embarrassed. She and Zhou Xubai were indeed kindred spirits, but she was extremely reluctant to discuss their relationship in front of so many people, especially with Gu Qingyan present...
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Author's Note: Director Liu went to great lengths to matchmake Weiwei and Xubai, partly because he thought they were a good match, and partly because he refused to admit he was getting old... I wonder if anyone else has encountered similar enthusiastic older men and women who just want to shine again in their youthful areas of expertise, proving they're still got it, hahaha [winking emoji]
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