Chapter 9 "She's unhappy, I want to comfort her."...
Chapter 09
Finally, Fu Linzheng carried Rong Weiyue to the medical room in the parking lot.
This is his professional team. After examining Rong Weiyue, the doctor said, "It should be acute intestinal spasm. She didn't eat well after catching a cold, so her stomach and intestines are weak. The stimulation triggered a sensory nerve stress response. She must rest well and not cause any more trouble."
Fu Linzheng, recalling what had just happened, frowned with guilt, his throat tightening: "Is it serious?"
"It's nothing serious. Take some medicine first. Are you allergic to any of the medications?" the doctor asked.
Before Rong Weiyue could speak, Fu Linzheng said directly, "She is allergic to cephalosporins and aspirin."
She paused, taken aback.
She had only mentioned these things to him once before, how did he remember them...?
The male doctor glanced between the two of them, raised an eyebrow, and said he was going to get the medicine. After he left, Fu Linzheng poured her a glass of warm water: "Drink some water first."
Rong Weiyue took the medicine and sucked on it, her face still pale and haggard. Fu Linzheng asked in a hoarse voice, "Does it still hurt a lot now?"
She didn't look at him: "I'm feeling a little better."
"I asked my assistant to bring me some porridge. I'll drink some before taking my medicine."
Rong Weiyue responded faintly. Fu Linzheng told her to lie down and rest. His phone rang, and he went out to answer it. It was someone from the company reporting the situation to him.
"The receptionist said that Ms. Rong waited at the door for four hours. They told her to go back first, but she didn't leave."
The little girl waited for him for so long while her stomach hurt...
Fu Linzheng's face was extremely pale. "Why wasn't she informed of her arrival?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Fu, but you previously mentioned that you don't want to be disturbed during meetings unless there's an emergency..."
"Everything related to her is an emergency."
His tone was cold: "Inform us immediately next time she comes."
"Yes, Mr. Fu..."
Soon, the assistant Huaiyu brought over the porridge, which he had just rushed down the mountain to buy. The doctor also brought over the prescribed medicine, teasingly instructing, "She's too thin. Her constitution is so weak that she's prone to illness. You have to take good care of her."
Fu Linzheng remained silent. Several young members of the convoy rushed in through the door: "Brother Zheng, we heard you brought a woman with you?!"
The news that the boss had just carried a woman to the infirmary had already spread throughout the convoy. Several people rushed over to see for themselves and exclaimed, "Hey, isn't that your sister-in-law?!"
During high school, Fu Linzheng often brought Rong Weiyue to training. Everyone in the team knew that she was the girl he had been pursuing for a long time and really liked. But for some reason, they broke up when they went to college. After that, Fu Linzheng seemed to have become a different person. He trained and competed like a madman, as if he wanted to shift all his attention to his career. He couldn't even find a female mosquito around him.
Everyone thought he'd finally found love today, but it turns out it's the same girl from before. It seems there's more to the story.
"Brother, what's going on? You and your wife got back together?!"
The group got used to calling Rong Weiyue that, but it was a major taboo for her with Fu Linzheng before, and no one dared to mention it.
The man blocked their view, his eyes narrowing slightly: "The front wing modification and tuning are done? So free?"
"Oh, so it seems they didn't get back together." Otherwise, given Fu Linzheng's personality, wouldn't he be smugly celebrating with drums and gongs and banners throughout the entire convoy?
Several people egged him on: "Bro, your girlfriend is right in front of you, the opportunity will be fleeting, good luck, after you're done chasing her come right back to training."
Fu Linzheng kicked them and told them to get lost.
After the others left, he looked at the medicine and porridge in his hand, pushed open the door to the ward, and Rong Weiyue opened her eyes. He walked over and said, "Get up and eat something."
She sat up weakly, and Fu Linzheng placed the porridge and side dishes in front of her, and also put the medicine and water aside.
Seeing that it was bland white porridge, she slowly stirred it with a spoon. After a while, Fu Linzheng's helpless voice fell: "You've already stirred it into soup and you still won't eat it? Or should I feed you?"
She said in a muffled voice, "No need, I'll eat it myself."
With no appetite, Rong Weiyue didn't touch the side dishes, mechanically shoveling porridge into her mouth as if swallowing iron. Seeing this, Fu Linzheng helplessly left the ward, returning with a jar of candied winter melon: "Would you like some of this?"
Once, she was sick at school and could only drink porridge. She didn't want anything to go with it except for candied winter melon. Fu Linzheng ran to the supermarket outside the school to buy candy and rushed back. Her friend saw the arrogant young master coaxing a girl to drink more porridge like a child.
Later, Fu Linzheng would always keep a jar of winter melon candy in his desk drawer for emergencies. She just didn't expect that he would still have it after so many years. She nodded slightly, added sugar, and the porridge became sweet and appetizing. She took a few sips and said in a low voice, "Aren't you going to training? Go ahead and do your work. Don't worry about me."
He turned his eyes away and said casually, "The car has a problem and is still under repair."
Rong Weiyue didn't say anything more. Fu Linzheng took her proposal and said, "I'll take a look at this."
She responded softly.
Finally, after she finished her porridge and took her medicine, she lay down to rest, and he went out.
As the stomach pain gradually subsided, Rong Weiyue recovered and got out of bed to leave the ward. She saw Fu Linzheng still sitting at the door, holding a project proposal in his hand, his back hunched, his incredibly long legs slightly apart, and his baseball cap covering the coldness in his eyes.
Fu Linzheng had just returned from training. Seeing her, he closed his file, got up, and walked over. "Why didn't you lie down a little longer?"
"I'm much better now, I'm fine."
The man gestured to the proposal: "I've read what you wrote, the idea is excellent."
"Thanks."
In the dimly lit room, only a faint golden light shone through the high window of the side door, casting a glow at their feet.
After a moment of silence, the aroma of mint, blueberry, and tobacco filled the air. A tall man stood in front of them, his deep, husky voice saying, "Sorry, I was driving too fast just now."
"It's nothing, I'm just not feeling well," Rong Weiyue said, lowering her eyelashes. "I'll go back now."
As she was about to leave, her wrist was gently grasped.
"I send you."
Rong Weiyue's gaze, which had been lowered, paused, landing precisely on his left wrist.
When she was seven years old, she began to learn filigree inlay. Rong Chengye taught her to weld with a leather tube. At that time, she was too weak and did not hold the leather tube properly. She burned her left wrist and cried in pain, but her father forced her not to cry.
Later, the wound scabbed over, leaving a crescent-shaped scar. She thought it was ugly, so she always deliberately covered it with her hands or clothes. When Fu Linzheng found out, he didn't say anything. But the next day, he got a crescent tattoo in the same spot and said to her with a lazy smile, "What's ugly about it? This crescent is so beautiful. I'll get one too. When we walk out holding hands, won't it be obvious at a glance that we're a couple?"
The tattoo, which was closest to my pulse, is now gone.
He probably gave up on this relationship long ago.
Rong Weiyue lowered her eyelashes. "No need, you go about your business."
He stared straight at her, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
In the silence, only the ticking of the clock on the wall could be heard.
Rong Weiyue withdrew her hand and said softly, "Fu Linzheng, I know you hate me. Every time we meet, it ends badly. Don't worry, I will keep my distance from you outside of work and try my best not to appear in front of you."
Fu Linzheng looked at her, his throat feeling like it was full of sand.
The bite marks on my arm are throbbing again.
She nodded aloofly as she walked out of the infirmary and headed for the door, calling a taxi on her phone. A black Mercedes-Benz G-Class pulled up, and her assistant got out: "Ms. Rong—"
She looked over and froze.
Isn't this the person who placed a large order for congratulatory gifts at the studio last week?
“Brother Zheng asked me to take you home. There are no buses around here, and it’s hard to get a taxi,” Huaiyu said with difficulty. “He said if I don’t get you home, I shouldn’t come back tomorrow. Please let me go.”
She couldn't hail a car by phone, so she had no choice but to agree.
After getting into the car, Rong Weiyue glanced at Huai Yu in the passenger seat and broke the silence: "So, was it Fu Linzheng who asked you to place that longevity peach order last week?"
Huaiyu scratched his head and smiled: "Yes, but Brother Zheng does plan to give his grandfather a birthday gift. He doesn't want you to know. I... I should have worn a mask just now."
"No need, you squint your eyes, they're very easy to recognize."
"..."
She composed herself and explained, "What I mean is, squinty eyes are a very distinctive kind of handsome."
"..."
Huaiyu chuckled dryly and changed the subject: "President Fu has a competition the day after tomorrow, and the board of directors had several important meetings today, so he postponed training to the afternoon. He also has to rush to another city tonight, so his schedule is very full."
"When you had the accident, he carried you to the infirmary. I thought he had hit someone with his car," Huaiyu joked, but couldn't help saying, "Miss Rong, I've never seen him so panicked before, not even on the field."
Rong Weiyue lowered her eyes, her gaze rippling with emotion. Her heart felt as if she had bitten into a lemon peel, bitter and astringent.
So, does he still care about her even a little bit?
But how could that be?
Since their reunion, Fu Linzheng has been so cold and indifferent, not even willing to say a word to her. And she had spoken so harshly back then, how could she possibly have any expectations?
She didn't speak, staring blankly at the scenery outside the window.
After the car went down the mountain, Yin Lu called and said she wanted to have dinner with her that night. The meeting on the other end was still going on. Rong Weiyue told Huaiyu the school address and decided to go find her.
Yin Lu's school was located near the senior high school, Lan Gao. It was the time for students to leave school, and they were walking home in groups. Book stalls and stationery stores were packed with people, and the food carts on both sides of the street were emitting the aroma of fried skewers and wraps.
She bought a bottle of green orange sparkling water, sat on a chair under the banyan tree and drank it, the light of the setting sun shining on her.
In the distance, the man inside the car watched quietly.
After a while, he got out of the car, bought a cake, called over the shop owner's son, and bribed him with a candied hawthorn: "Secretly give this cake to that sister."
The little boy blinked mischievously: "Brother, why aren't you going by yourself? Did you do something wrong?"
Fu Linzheng raised the corners of his lips, a hoarse, bitter voice rising in his throat:
"Yes, my brother upset her. Can you help me cheer her up?"
In the distance, Rong Weiyue sat down. Soon, a little boy came over and said, "Sister, my dad said you used to come to our house to buy cakes often. He recognizes you. This is for you. I hope you are happy every day and don't cry."
Rong Weiyue looked over in bewilderment, and the owner of the cake shop smiled at her.
A tender feeling welled up in her heart, and she smiled as she gently patted the little boy's head.
"Thanks."
The little boy ran away, and Rong Weiyue looked down and saw that the box contained her favorite green orange cheesecake.
Suddenly, memories flooded back.
She remembered that one night during her senior year of high school, she had an argument with her father and ran away from the filigree factory to stay in the square alone. She called Fu Linzheng, who was worried and said he would come to find her. She suddenly asked, "Fu Linzheng, do you want to be with me?"
The person on the other end paused for a moment, then scoffed, "What do you think? I've gone through all this trouble to chase after you just so we could be good friends?"
She said in a muffled voice, "I suddenly want to eat the green tangerine cheesecake from the shop near the school gate. If you buy it for me, I'll agree."
Fu Linzheng was stunned: "You're not lying to me, it's that simple?"
"I'm not lying to you."
The call ended abruptly. It was past ten o'clock on a deep winter night. She had been waiting for a long time, and just when she thought he wouldn't come, a figure ran towards her under the warm yellow streetlights in the distance.
Fu Linzheng was dressed only in a thin gray sweatshirt and jeans. Even though it was the season when the water was frozen, large beads of sweat were hanging on his forehead, and his hands, which were red from the cold, held a cake box as if it were a precious treasure.
As if breaking through all obstacles, he looked down at her, panting, the corners of his lips melting away the ice and snow: "I bought the cake."
The young master's clothes and trousers were covered in mud, wet and dirty, because he had rushed over in a hurry because he was afraid she would leave, and he had accidentally tripped and fallen.
Pulling up his sleeve, she saw a large red and purple patch on his elbow. Rong Weiyue's tears fell onto his hand. "Fu Linzheng, are you an idiot...?"
She said she was deliberately making things difficult for him. Fu Linzheng smiled and put his arm around her with his clean arm: "I know, but I finally got you to agree, so I have to seize this opportunity, lest you renege on your promise again."
Rong Weiyue choked up as she recounted the past to him: "Fu Linzheng, I was so clumsy when I was little. Others could learn a simple filigree in a day, but it would take me two days. My dad would leave me at the factory to practice by myself. Every night, my sister would buy me a green orange cake to coax me and take me home."
Tears streamed down her face: "But my sister is gone, and there's no one left to buy me cakes and cheer me up..."
Upon hearing this, Fu Linzheng hugged her tightly, feeling a pang of heartache, and said softly, "No matter what others do, I will always be there for you whenever you are unhappy. Let me stay with Yueyue, okay?"
That night, Fu Linzheng's embrace dispelled all her coldness.
She then realized that there was someone in this world who could withstand the wind and snow, and no matter how many difficulties and obstacles she faced, even if she was battered and bruised, she would still come to her.
Rong Weiyue lowered her head, took a bite of cake, and the familiar fresh scent of green tangerines accompanied by the sweetness of cream filled her mouth.
A gentle breeze caressed my face.
Everything has changed since then.
She looked up at the mackerel clouds on the horizon and blinked her sore eyes.
-
That evening, Yin Lu came out of school to find Rong Weiyue, and the two had dinner together.
After dinner, Rong Weiyue returned home and packed her luggage. The next day, she moved some of the furniture to the office.
She planned to wait until the breach of contract fee arrived before moving all her belongings out. Now she had no trust in the landlord, and her senior was often out of contact due to business trips. She had to defend her rights, and if necessary, she would sue.
At noon, Rong Weiyue was working hard in the workshop when someone came to find her. It turned out to be Fu Linzheng's personal assistant who brought her a nutritious meal.
"This is what President Fu instructed. He said your illness is related to him and he must take responsibility for your three meals a day from now on."
Rong Weiyue politely declined, and her assistant said, "Ms. Rong, Mr. Fu said that if you're not going to eat it, you can just throw it away."
"..."
She had no choice but to accept it. When she opened the lunchbox, she found a sumptuous meal of four dishes and a soup, cooked as if in a private kitchen, with excellent color, aroma, and taste.
Wasting food is shameful, but she still ate it.
From then on, someone delivered meals to her regularly every day, and she was forced to have regular meals.
On Wednesday, the thousand collaborative jewelry pieces were finally finished, but her tenosynovitis in her right hand flared up again.
This is an old problem; every time it flares up, her hand hurts so much she can't use it. Shu Jin offered to go with her to see a doctor, but she didn't want to waste time and said that applying a plaster would be enough.
In the afternoon, she received news that Qingyue Pavilion, Cui'an, and another brand had entered the final selection for prop making for "Frost and Snow Chant". Tomorrow is the final proposal meeting, and they will all come to the site to compete.
The next day, Shu Jin accompanied Rong Weiyue to Mingheng Group. Rong Weiyue greeted the leaders and then saw Xiang Anyue, who was the art director.
When Xiang Anyue saw her, her eyes softened slightly, and she walked over with a slight smile: "Weiyue, congratulations on making it to the finals. I heard the leaders are quite satisfied with your small studio's proposal."
Rong Weiyue ignored her sarcastic remarks and remained expressionless: "Thank you."
Xiang Anyue raised an eyebrow: "Do your best today, and I'll put in a good word for you."
She left, and soon a portly middle-aged man approached. He looked to be in his forties, with a slightly balding forehead covered in a layer of shiny hair gel. His light gray old suit was stretched taut by his belly. He bowed and scraped as he offered the producer a cigarette.
This is Du Haibin, the assistant director in charge of props for the film crew.
When they arrived, Rong Weiyue greeted him politely. Du Haibin looked up at her casually and said, "Rong Weiyue, you must be the owner of Qingyue Pavilion?"
"Um."
Rong Weiyue handed over her business card, which Du Haibin took with his hand, which was picking at the bits of food stuck between his teeth: "Your studio is quite small, but you're looking for a lot of work. Can you handle it?"
"You'll understand once you see the proposal today. I hope it will be approved by Director Du."
Du Haibin scoffed lazily, shoved the business card into his pocket, and walked forward. At the corner, a man was waiting for him, smiling as he offered him a pack of cigarettes: "Director Du, thank you for your help today. Our Cui'an needs your guidance."
Du Haibin is the future direct leader of the props company. Although he doesn't have the power to make decisions, his opinion is very important in this proposal meeting. Du Haibin took the proposal and said in a low voice, "Alright, I will help you. If it succeeds, you have to give me the commission that is due."
"Of course, I've heard that Qingyue Pavilion is quite capable, and the director is very satisfied with her. Is there any chance that things might change?"
Du Haibin looked outside and noticed Rong Weiyue's wrist with the plaster on it. His eyes deepened slightly, and he smiled, "Having strength is one thing, but having room to use it is another."
After a while, the proposal meeting officially began. In the center of the multimedia conference room, a dozen or so crew members sat, with the producer and director in the very middle.
Rong Weiyue noticed that Fu Linzheng was not there, guessing he was still competing in another city.
The three parties took turns to present their arguments, followed by questions from the leaders. When Cui An gave her second speech, Du Haibin asked very simple questions and even made jokes, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
Finally, Rong Weiyue stepped onto the stage and said, "Hello everyone, I am Rong Weiyue, the founder of Qingyuege Filigree Inlay Studio."
She bowed, and the people below were surprised to see how young she was. The screen behind her lit up, and she was wearing a light blue classical cheongsam. She was gentle and graceful, and her explanation was fluent. Many staff members who had not expected much looked up at her.
"This young girl is outstanding."
"This plan is better than the first one..."
Du Haibin listened from below the stage, a hint of coldness in his eyes.
After she finished speaking, Rong Weiyue answered all the questions perfectly. Suddenly, Du Haibin lazily said, "Qingyue Pavilion, a small studio that has been established for less than two years and has less than twenty people, actually proposed to make it purely by hand. Does it mean that our crew has invested millions to wait for an outcome with no guarantee?"
Some people around agreed, and Xiang An Yue said, "Yes, Director Du asked a good question. With the economy so bad right now, we're cutting costs when we're making movies. Miss Rong, why should we raise prices and take on greater risks?"
Rong Weiyue pondered for a few seconds before speaking softly: "I learned filigree inlay because of my grandmother. She was an old filigree inlay craftswoman with sixty years of experience. When I was a child, I saw her filigree in that little house every day, and I always thought it was the most boring and tedious thing in the world."
Rong Weiyue recounted her experience of seeing her grandmother working. She said that she did not approve of it at first, until she saw her grandmother make a gold-inlaid jade begonia vase, which was the most beautiful vase she had ever seen: "At that moment, I began to understand my grandmother. Handicrafts may seem to represent backwardness and outdatedness, but the fact that the filigree inlay technique has been passed down from the Xia Dynasty to the present day represents the wisdom and diligence of the Chinese nation and our cultural confidence."
"Handmade works have more warmth and appear more exquisite on camera. If we want to create an epic masterpiece, every detail will show the crew's sincerity to the audience. It increases the cost a bit, but it's for presenting better visuals. It's not that I insist on handmade, but a good handmade jewelry is worthy of our show, isn't it?"
As she spoke, her thoughts struck the director, who nodded and clapped first, and applause soon filled the conference hall.
Xiang Anyue's face stiffened slightly, while Du Haibin exchanged a glance with Cui'an's boss, his expression somber.
After the three groups finished their presentations, the leaders discussed the matter. Du Haibin came up with an idea, which was approved, and he smiled as he said to everyone:
"All three groups performed well today. How about this, we'd like to add an extra segment – designing and making an earring for the female lead on the spot, so we can see the difference between machine-made and handmade earrings. What do you think?"
Rong Weiyue was slightly taken aback.
Cui An agreed, saying that she had brought all the tools. The first company also made them by machine. The craftsmen from the three companies were invited to the stage, and Shu Jin asked worriedly, "Sister Wei Yue, can your hands operate them?"
Rong Weiyue frowned slightly, not expecting this step. "I'll give it a try..."
Bringing her tools onto the stage, Rong Weiyue finished drawing the design and began drawing the silver wires, which involved forcefully threading silver bars through the small holes in the drawing plate to create long, thin threads.
A piercing pain shot through her right hand, making it difficult for her to hold the tweezers. Shu Jin couldn't help but explain the situation, asking if she could go back to live streaming online. Du Haibin said it was absurd: "This is a competition, testing your ability to perform under pressure. Is it fair to the others if your Qingyue Pavilion goes back to live streaming?"
Another assistant director, seeing that Rong Weiyue was really uncomfortable, suggested that they make an exception. Du Haibin said, "It's okay to make an exception, but points will definitely be deducted."
Rong Weiyue's forehead was sweating, and she said softly, "It's okay, I'm fine, I can continue the competition."
It was the final, crucial moment; she couldn't give up.
She continued working, while Cui An beside her worked methodically with the machine. Du Haibin picked it up and exclaimed, "This tassel is really beautiful! Directors, look at how advanced the machines are now, they're just as good as manual labor!"
Someone then compared it to Rong Weiyue's work, saying, "Yes, Cui An's is quite beautiful..."
Du Haibin and the director laughed: "I think they've been hyping up Qingyue Pavilion, but the final product is just so-so. There's no need for us to waste our money."
Various comments and criticisms came from the room, and Rong Weiyue's heart tightened. She lowered her head and forced herself not to be affected.
Her hands trembled as she finished drawing the filigree and began pinching the threads. A sharp pain shot through her wrist, and large beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as she forcefully suppressed the slight trembling in her fingers.
Xiang Anyue looked at him with a faint smile, while Du Haibin looked over and said, "Miss Rong, are you sure you can handle this? If not, don't push yourself. Your health is the most important thing."
He had barely finished speaking when the conference room door was pushed open—
A sudden gust of cold wind swept in the sunlight from outside.
The sound of steady, powerful footsteps could be heard.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, and a figure suddenly came into view.
The man's broad shoulders were accentuated by his all-black windbreaker, making him appear upright and tall with long, straight legs. Sunlight streamed in from behind him, revealing his deep and sharp features. When he lifted his eyelids, the black mole on his right eyelid was faintly visible.
Everyone was shocked—
Fu Linzheng is here?!
The man walked in, his powerful aura of authority overwhelming everyone present.
The discussion was abruptly cut off, and the air seemed to freeze.
Unexpectedly, the big boss suddenly showed up at this small proposal meeting. Several leaders went up to greet him: "President Fu, what brings you here? Didn't you say you were going to another city to participate in a competition?"
"After the match, I changed my flight and came back early."
Everyone greeted him and led him to the front row, explaining the day's schedule. Fu Linzheng's gaze fell on a certain spot on the stage. "What's going on here?"
"We have an impromptu challenge today: the three parties will create an ornament on the spot to see how it looks."
Fu Linzheng observed that Rong Weiyue was sitting on the far side, her eyes lowered as she held a welding torch, her face pale and sweaty, and her right hand red and swollen.
He frowned slightly: "What happened to her hand?"
Someone said, "They say it's a bit of tenosynovitis..."
Fu Linzheng's eyes darkened, and he instantly became furious: "You let her operate the welding torch despite her tenosynovitis?"
Du Haibin chuckled dryly, "It's alright, President Fu is fine. She said she can manage."
Shu Jin, who was standing nearby, was on the verge of tears and couldn't help but interject, "What do you mean it's alright? Our boss has severe tenosynovitis. Can we pause for now? What if she suffers long-term damage to her hand or gets burned..."
Fu Linzheng's dark eyes were sharp and cold. He strode onto the stage and snatched the welding torch that Rong Weiyue was about to turn on. Rong Weiyue was still focused on her work and looked at him blankly: "What are you doing...?"
The entire audience looked on in astonishment.
Fu Linzheng noticed the bruising under her wrist, his eyes darkened, and he surveyed the room, his face as grim as if a storm was brewing, his voice icy cold:
Who suggested the tiebreaker?
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