Increased goodwill
A few minutes later, Chi Zhuo returned to the car carrying a delicate bag and handed it to Lin Tingyue.
Lin Tingyue took it blankly, opened it, and saw that it was a cheesecake and a cup of hot milk tea from her favorite shop.
She looked at Chi Zhuo in surprise.
Did Chi Zhuo get out of the car just now specifically to buy these things for her?
As the car started, Chi Zhuo's expression didn't change at all, as if he had only done something insignificant.
"This is your reward."
Lin Tingyue looked at the dessert in her hand, but her feelings were very complicated. She understood Chi Zhuo less and less.
Back at her apartment, Lin Tingyue didn't eat any dessert. Instead, she took a picture and sent it to Xia Xiaoran.
What does he mean? Is he going to slap you and then give you a sweet treat?
Xia Xiaoran quickly replied: Maybe, if you don't like it, just throw it away.
Lin Tingyue stared at the cheesecake for a long time, the rich aroma tantalizing her appetite. She really couldn't bear to throw away such a delicious treat.
I simply typed it out: This... is a bit too wasteful, isn't it?
Xia Xiaoran sent a hungry emoji:
So, I'll go to your house, and you can just drop it off for me; that way, nothing will go to waste.
Lin Tingyue: ...
In the end, Lin Tingyue's rationality prevailed, and she decided to eat it anyway. After all, it was given to her by Chi Zhuo, so why not eat it?
As she ate, she felt that the unpleasantness of the day was not so lingering in her heart anymore; at least the food temporarily filled some of the void left by her grievances.
But she couldn't understand why someone like Chi Zhuo would personally buy these things for her. Was it really just as a reward for acting?
Lin Tingyue felt as if two little people were fighting in her head, one agreeing and the other disagreeing. She couldn't figure it out no matter how much she thought about it, and finally attributed it to Chi Zhuo's control methods.
She's gotten used to living under someone else's roof now, so she's not as cautious as before, whether it's eating or taking a shower.
Even though the rooms were on the same floor, she couldn't see Chi Zhuo. She even wondered if Chi Zhuo might have starved to death in the study.
However, Chi Zhuo wouldn't let her go, and she was too lazy to bother with him. So, when she occasionally passed by, she wouldn't even glance at him before hurrying past.
For three days in a row, she worked overtime at the company, leaving early and returning late each time. She no longer had the mood to think about those messy things.
Recently, Lin Tingyue received an invitation from a small art exhibition institution where she had previously submitted her work, inviting her to submit a more detailed proposal and specifications.
Upon hearing this news, everyone else in the office was happy for Lin Tingyue, since they hadn't been able to get any projects lately.
"Hey, Tingyue, does that mean you're going to gain more recognition this time?"
Lin Tingyue smiled modestly, "It's still early, this is just the beginning."
Other colleagues came over to congratulate her, saying, "Lin Tingyue is so outstanding!"
Lin Tingyue smoothed her hair and smiled very happily.
In the following days, she devoted herself to perfecting the work, researching, drawing sketches, and revising the explanatory text, afraid of making any mistakes.
It wasn't until night fell and her last colleague reminded her that the company was closing that she realized how late it was.
She checked her phone, but it was already out of battery and the screen was black.
She panicked instantly and hurriedly charged her phone.
It's so late, Chi Zhuo will definitely ask about her whereabouts. He might ask why she's not home yet, and he'll definitely get angry. What if…
She dared not think about it and could only grit her teeth and wait for a while. Soon, the phone was finally able to be forcibly turned on.
She checked the messages two or three times, but there were no phone calls, no text messages, and even the WeChat messages were still from three days ago.
This was undoubtedly another heavy blow to her; Chi Zhuo didn't care at all whether she went home or not.
She sat in the office for a while longer, until her phone battery was almost depleted, before leaving dejectedly.
Lin Tingyue was startled by her own thoughts. She actually dared to hope that Chi Zhuo would care about her. She was just a pawn in Chi Zhuo's game, and pawns shouldn't have any expectations.
As for Chi Zhuo, he's a cold and ruthless block of ice; he has no heart at all.
Lin Tingyue scolded Chi Zhuo from beginning to end before she felt a little better.
As soon as she stepped out of the company gate, she saw that familiar car, and the back window was half open, revealing Chi Zhuo's face in front of her.
Lin Tingyue just stood there dumbfounded, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Chi Zhuo was downstairs? When did he arrive? Was he waiting for her here on purpose, or just passing by?
"What are you standing there for? Wait for me to open the door for you?"
Chi Zhuo's words were still infuriating, so cold and ruthless.
Lin Tingyue snapped out of her daze, quickly clutched her handbag, ran to the other side, and hurriedly got into the car.
She had a lot of questions in her mind, but seeing Chi Zhuo's cold expression, she didn't dare to ask any more.
Chi Zhuo turned his head, his gaze falling on Lin Tingyue's tired face. "You've been at the company all day?"
"Hmm..." Lin Tingyue responded softly, not knowing what Chi Zhuo meant by those words.
"What are you busy with?"
Lin Tingyue went straight to the point about today's events: "I'm busy with an exhibition."
"What exhibition?" Chi Zhuo asked.
Lin Tingyue was somewhat surprised that Chi Zhuo would care about these things. She answered truthfully, "It's a New Sprout Charity Art Exhibition. It's not large in scale, but it mainly supports young artists."
After listening, Chi Zhuo didn't speak, but started typing on his phone. He quickly said, "The organizer of the New Sprouts Exhibition is a branch project under the City Art Foundation."
Lin Tingyue was stunned for a moment, not understanding why Chi Zhuo suddenly said this.
"The chairman of the foundation is surnamed Qiao."
Chi Zhuo put down his phone, his tone calm, as if he were talking about something unrelated to tension, but it made Lin Tingyue frown.
Joe?
Could it be that Qiao Wei's exhibition of works, which she has worked so hard to create, is actually within the other party's sphere of influence?
"Is that Qiao Wei?"
Lin Tingyue asked the same question again, and Chi Zhuo did not answer, but his eyes had already given the answer.
Her eyes dimmed, and she even lowered her head. Even if Chi Zhuo laughed at her again, she really didn't have the courage to refute him.
But Chi Zhuo didn't say those things; instead, he showed concern for her work.
"How's the plan coming along?"
Lin Tingyue's voice was a little hoarse, "It's still being revised..."
Chi Zhuo then asked, "Do you need any help?"
This statement was made so casually, as if it were a question asked offhand.
Lin Tingyue looked up instantly, somewhat confused by his meaning. What did he want to do? Use his resources and money to smooth things over? Control her career to control everything about her?
Thinking of this, Lin Tingyue instantly exploded, blurting out, "No need!"
She couldn't continue to be manipulated like this. She couldn't change the crisis of the Lin family's business on her own, but she had to firmly hold onto her own career.
"This is my own business, I can handle it myself!"
Chi Zhuo looked at her silently, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
He repeated her words, "Can you do it yourself?"
His tone was flat, devoid of any emotion.
"very good."
After he finished speaking, he gave this evaluation.
Lin Tingyue was a little confused. Chi Zhuo's attitude was unusual this time. He didn't make any sarcastic remarks or mockery and just let it go so easily.
The two ate dinner in silence, without exchanging a single word.
After returning to her room, she checked the information about the exhibition again. The chairman's surname was indeed Qiao, but it was not Qiao Wei. She searched for information related to the two names again, but still couldn't find any relevant information.
At that very moment, she received an email from the New Sprouts Exhibition Organizing Committee.
She felt a jolt of fear, a sense of unease creeping over her, fearing it might be bad news.
After bowing repeatedly, she finally opened the email.
However, the contents of the email stunned her.
The email informed her that her proposal had passed the preliminary selection, and included the list of the final judging panel, detailed judging criteria suggestions, and even style analysis of previous winning works for reference. The content was unusually detailed.
This is so thoughtful! It's just a small charity exhibition, would the organizing committee really provide such detailed guidance?
She scrolled down in confusion, her gaze suddenly stopping on the list of judges.
Qiao Wei's name was not on the list of judges.
Even the name of the foundation's chairman was not mentioned.
The final judging panel consisted of several independent art critics, scholars, and senior artists, and appeared to be quite impartial.
She breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the doubts in her heart were not completely eliminated.
Just then, her phone vibrated; she had received a new text message from an unknown number:
[Dear Ms. Lin, this is a project assistant from the City Art Foundation. The organizing committee has notified you of the final judging process via email. Please note that the final judging will be conducted anonymously, based entirely on the artistic merit and completeness of the artwork, to ensure fairness and impartiality. We wish you the best of luck.]
The text message came abruptly, and Lin Tingyue hesitated for a moment before pressing the dial button.
But she hesitated to make the call.
She had a vague idea in her mind, and then unconsciously looked towards another room in the corridor.
She quietly went out and stood at the door of the study.
Chi Zhuo's voice could be heard occasionally from inside the room, as if he was still dealing with company matters.
Lin Tingyue stood at the door, hesitant. She wanted to ask clearly whether he had sent the email today or arranged it, but when she raised her hand to knock, she hesitated.
After careful consideration, she decided that it would be better to focus on preparing for this project first. No matter how Chi Zhuo arranged things, her own efforts were the most important.
She was just about to go back to her room when the study door suddenly opened.
Chi Zhuo stood at the door, his figure almost completely blocking out the light.
He looked down at Lin Tingyue, who was clearly startled, his face expressionless.
"What's up?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse from working long hours.
Lin Tingyue's heart pounded, and she subconsciously took a small step back, gripping her phone tightly.
"I...I just received an email from the organizing committee, and also a text message."
She paused, then mustered her courage to look him directly in the eye: "Did you... arrange this?"
Chi Zhuo frowned almost imperceptibly, as if he didn't understand her question. "Arrange what?"
"It's those very detailed review suggestions, and that text message that ensures fairness and impartiality."
Lin Tingyue spoke faster, trying to catch a trace of emotion on his face.
Chi Zhuo stared at her silently for a few seconds, a look that made Lin Tingyue feel like a self-deluded clown.
Just as she was about to succumb to the pressure and turn to run back to her room, he spoke calmly: "Do you think it's necessary for me to go to the trouble of an exhibition of this level?"
For a moment, Lin Tingyue felt utterly superfluous, humiliated like a clown making wild guesses.
With her head down, she heard Chi Zhuo's barrage of attacks.
“If your work catches their eye, it will naturally be selected. If not,” Chi Zhuo said calmly, “anything I do is superfluous.”
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