"I would like to request a piece of calligraphy by Master Wuwang from Miss Shi, and I hope Miss Shi can grant my request."
"Huh? From the teacher?" Shi Wan didn't expect that Chu Ningyi's first words to her would be to ask for the teacher's painting.
Seeing Shi Wan looking at him with a puzzled expression, Chu Ningyi paused for a moment and said, "Forgive my abruptness. It's alright if it's inconvenient for you. I hope Miss Shi will forgive me."
Shi Wan looked at Chu Ningxuan's excited and expectant expression and understood. Last time at the Ji family, her identity as Wu Nian was spread, so Chu Ningxuan would naturally tell his older brother that she was Wu Wang's student.
“Miss Shi, although we cannot obtain Master Wuwang’s calligraphy, my wife also greatly admires Teacher Wu Nian’s paintings and hopes that you can grace us with your presence at the Chu family’s gathering.”
Chu Ningyi invited Shi Wan with a sincere expression. Seeing that the eldest son of the Chu family had come to her for the sake of his beloved, Shi Wan did not want to offend him.
"Sure, but the teacher's health hasn't been very good these past few years, so he rarely creates anything anymore. However, I still have a few of his casual sketches from his leisure time. I'll have Ningxuan give them to you later."
"For Mr. Chu to care so much, your wife and you must have a very good relationship." Shi Wan smiled faintly, and the small red mole on the side of her nose made the girl even more radiant and lovely.
Chu Ningyi was surprised that Shi Wan agreed so readily. When he saw the red mole on Shi Wan's nose, his dark eyes darkened again.
Turning his head, he glanced at Chu Ningxuan, who then exchanged a look with Chu Ningyi. The next second, Chu Ningxuan shouted, "Brother, I knew it! The red mole on Xiao Shiwan's nose looks so familiar, but I just can't remember it."
A barely perceptible glint flashed in Chu Ningyi's eyes, but he ignored Chu Ningxuan, that big mouth of his.
Lu Jingyan, who was holding Shi Wan, raised an eyebrow, not missing the fleeting expression on Chu Ningxuan's face.
"Hey! Anyway, we've finished talking, let's have a drink! Let's invite a few pretty ladies over, since Ji Chu and I are still single!"
As soon as he finished speaking, six unfriendly gazes swept over him, and he shrank back sheepishly.
If you don't want to call me that, then don't. Just because you guys have girlfriends doesn't mean everyone else hasn't had one.
"Hey! Ji Chu, let me introduce you, I have lots of resources!"
"I have a woman," Ji Chu's cold, deep, and decisive voice rang out.
"Hey, big brother, the guy who swore he'd rather inherit the family business than get married back then, is he going to be a pure love warrior now?" Ji Meng teased Ji Chu, playing with the lighter in her hand.
"So Brother Ji likes women! I thought he liked men, which is why I had to wear extra layers when I went out with him," Chu Ningxuan added insult to injury.
Shi Wan laughed when she heard Chu Ningxuan's complaints about Ji Chu. Of the four of them, besides Chu Ningxuan and Zhao Zhilin, who had bad reputations, and Lu Jingyan, who had a girlfriend, there was only Ji Chu, whose sexual orientation was unclear.
Even Ji Chu has a girlfriend now, leaving the Kyoto socialite crying her eyes out in the bathroom.
Lu Jingyan looked at Ji Chu, seemingly understanding, "That woman?"
Ji Chu nodded. "Mm."
"She doesn't have..."
"be mine."
Ji Meng seemed to have caught on to something significant, and instantly perked up, "What is it?"
"If you don't understand, don't ask." Ji Chu glanced at her sideways and didn't reply.
“I’m already old enough to be arranged to marry Chu Ningxuan through a blind date. What don’t I understand?” Ji Meng said with a playful expression.
"Right, Young Master Chu..."
"You! Cough cough..." Startled by Ji Meng's words, he was so anxious that he almost couldn't catch his breath.
"Ji Meng, you're never going to stop! Old Zhao has taken your woman away. I, Chu Ningxuan, can't afford to support a Buddha like you!"
The more he talked, the angrier he got, and the angrier he got, the more he picked up the wine and poured it down his throat.
In the corridor.
Chu Ningyi leaned against the wall, tilting his head back and gently exhaling smoke rings, while Lu Jingyan beside him held an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
She was just holding it lightly, not intending to smoke it, as Wanwan couldn't stand secondhand smoke.
"Her father is from country Y, and her mother is from China. They were both staff members of a research institute at a university in country Y."
Lu Jingyan spoke first, leaning lazily against the wall, looking down and playing with the cigarette in his hand.
"In the past?" Chu Ningyi turned his head to look at Lu Jingyan.
"The two died unexpectedly a few years ago while on a business trip to Africa."
Chu Ningyi paused in his hand movements when he heard the word "deceased".
"The Chu family has been searching for an old friend, but they don't know how she is doing now."
“My family sent me abroad for so many years in order to find this old friend, but every time we had a clue, it was as if an invisible hand cut off the clue.”
"It seems she doesn't want us to find out any information about her."
Chu Ningyi took a deep drag on his cigarette, his eyes squinting as the smoke rings he exhaled smudged.
“I’ve met her mother. I was young then, and her mother had a red mole in the same spot as her.” Lu Jingyan’s tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion.
"After her parents passed away, the people she met almost brought her career and life to a standstill. She went through a lot of bad things during that time."
"So I don't want anyone to hurt her again." Lu Jingyan's voice was calm, but his tone was firm.
"If it really is her, our Chu family will treat her well, after all, she is a nun."
"You should find out the truth first before explaining to her."
Lu Jingyan threw the cigarette in his hand into the trash can next to him and strode into the private room.
The atmosphere in the private room became exceptionally lively thanks to the combined efforts of Chu Ningxuan, Ji Meng, and Shi Wan.
Lu Jingyan stared at the three of them, each holding a bottle of liquor, with a dark expression. He rubbed his forehead helplessly. These three drinking buddies always ignored the people around them when they got drunk.
As expected, the outcome of this game was exactly what everyone anticipated.
Lu Jingyan carried Shi Wan, Zhao Zhilin carried Ji Meng, while Chu Ningxuan was left in the private room fast asleep.
...
The gentle breeze of the South Island made Shi Wan reluctant to return to Kyoto.
Having previously agreed to Chu Ningyi's request to visit the Chu family's old residence, Lu Jingyan and his teacher brought the painting with them.
Before they even reached the villa's entrance, Chu Yuan was already there to greet them.
Standing beside her was Chu Ningyi, whom she had met not long ago, and his petite wife in his arms.
Her long black hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and she wore a pale yellow Chinese-style dress. Her round eyes looked adorable when she smiled, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.
Shen Zhiyi nestled close to Chu Ningyi's chest, while Chu Ningyi gently tidied her wind-blown hair.
Meanwhile, little Chu Yuan was squatting on the ground, counting ants.
Sure enough, this couple forgot about their child when they fell in love. It's no wonder that little Yuanyuan has developed such a lively and cheerful personality.
Seeing Shi Wan walking towards them, Shen Zhiyi let go of Chu Ningyi's arm and ran over, placing her hands on Shi Wan's arms.
“吾念老师，终于见到您了，上次阿熠跟我说小煊认识您。我以为他是在跟我开玩笑，我们去国外每次都会拜访无妄大师可他都婉拒了。”
“这几年也见不到您和大师的作品出世，这两年我收藏了几幅大师的作品，我自己也临摹了几幅，还想请老师帮我看看。”
沈知意在看到时婉后手舞足蹈地忘了身边的老公和孩子，一个劲地拉着时婉聊画。
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