koala
19
Last night's rain and kisses seemed like a dream.
When Lin Ju woke up, she was a little dazed. When she saw Zhao Xingcan lying beside her, she came to her senses and realized that this was not a dream.
She sat up, and Zhao Xingcan put his arms around her waist from behind and held her in his arms.
Zhao Xingcan didn't open his eyes. His throat trembled and he said hoarsely with fatigue, "Sleep a little longer."
Lin Ju didn't respond. He paused slightly and picked her up.
He moved slightly, and Lin Ju sat between his legs, facing her.
Lin Ju was wearing a crescent-white silk nightgown with thin straps draped over her shoulders. There were a few slightly red marks on her delicate collarbones.
She just looked at Zhao Xingcan without any defense.
She was like this last night, full of affection and ready for you to pick her.
But Zhao Xingcan did not let his desire take over after all. For some reason, he always had a feeling of reluctance to let Lin Ju go.
Zhao Xingcan half-lowered his eyes, rested his head on his hands, and then slowly opened his fingers together, which was a sign language. He wanted Lin Ju to sleep a little longer.
Lin Ju looked at his somewhat clumsy sign language and felt sad.
Although Zhao Xingcan's sign language is not standard, as soon as she thinks that this person is learning it for her, it feels like all the flowers in the world are blooming for her.
She raised her hand and responded in sign language.
I still have to go to the exhibition.
Zhao Xingcan tilted his head, frowned slightly, and tried to understand with difficulty.
Lin Ju chuckled. She had rarely seen Zhao Xingcan so distressed, and it was all for her. She fell into his arms, smiled, and took the mobile phone on the bedside table, typing something for him to see.
Zhao Xingcan put his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. On the phone she picked up, he lazily typed out a line of words one by one with his index finger.
I'll go with you.
After a night of rain, the scorching heat dropped a lot. The ferns under the eaves climbed up the brick walls, and the courtyard was full of lush greenery. The swimming pool, which had not been used for a long time, was half full of water, with fallen leaves floating in the water.
Zhao Xingcan had returned to Hai City to attend Xu Shimin's wedding. Xu Shimin was the eldest son of the Xu family, about the same age as Zhao Xingcan, and this was his second marriage. However, this second wedding was even more extravagant than the first, with many celebrities and dignitaries invited.
Although the Xu and Zhao families are old friends, Zhao Xingcan is not familiar with Xu Shimin.
Zhao Xingcan actually didn't need to come specially to participate, but taking this opportunity to return to the country to meet Lin Ju privately was a good job.
Zhao Xingcan took over the job from his grandfather and took a week off for himself.
Seeing his carefree appearance, Old Master Zhao couldn't help but sigh, "That Xu family kid is remarried, and his ex-wife even gave birth to two children for him. What about you? You're not young anymore, you'll be thirty next year. I've introduced you to several girls from good families, but you just won't go and take a look."
Zhao Xingcan put his hands behind his back and smiled, "I like beautiful girls."
Old Master Zhao laughed angrily, "The girl from the Qiao family is very beautiful. You have seen her, but why don't you take any action?"
The girl from the Qiao family is the rumored girlfriend in France who is widely rumored in the circle.
It’s strange to say, it was just an arranged meeting, but it was filmed and spread.
That day, Zhao Xingcan did not tell his grandfather that he already had a girlfriend.
Perhaps, in his heart, he was also hesitating about the future development of his and Lin Ju.
He had never spent so much time on a woman.
It was obvious that I approached her just out of curiosity and interest, but it gradually evolved into wanting to take care of her, wanting to send her messages, telling her that the sunset in Paris was beautiful, wanting to ask her if she had eaten well, reminding her that eating less ice in the summer was bad for her health, and wanting to take her out to play secretly during boring work hours.
His change is too obvious.
Feng Longlu reminded him more than once not to get too involved.
People like them, born into powerful families, have the best resources, but also lose their freedom. So-called love will become a disaster in a smooth life, and no one is willing to take such a risk.
It is difficult for them to fall in love with ordinary people, let alone Lin Ju who is disabled.
If Zhao Xingcan continues to act so recklessly, he will easily go off track.
Of course Zhao Xingcan also realized it.
But he always has a kind of self-confidence that he can control it. He doesn't think that he will be burdened by love. He still goes his own way and lets the vines grow wildly.
Breakfast is prepared by the chef, both Western and Chinese, and is served steaming hot.
Lin Ju went downstairs and looked at the table full of food, and couldn't help but sigh.
Zhao Xingcan was not surprised by this. He pulled out a chair for Lin Ju to sit down. "These were all arranged by my grandfather." He had a poor appetite since waking up this morning. He poured himself a cup of coffee and said as he drank it, "I came back this time because of his instructions. He knew I was staying here, so he asked the housekeeper to send some people in."
"Why didn't I see it?" Lin Ju looked around.
Zhao Xingcan pinched her chin and pointed her towards him, a smile in his eyes, "Of course you can't see it. They will come out after we leave."
Lin Ju blinked, and Zhao Xingcan loosened his hand and leaned over the table, tapping it lightly with his fingers. He said slowly, "I always feel that you have lost some weight compared to last time. Is it because I'm not here that you haven't eaten well?"
"No, I eat it with every meal, really. Don't look at me like that. Touch my arms, they are all muscles." Lin Ju raised his hands, his arms at right angles, and his slender arms bulged slightly.
Zhao Xingcan gently wrapped her small fist with one hand, hummed softly, bent down and leaned over, rubbing his nose lightly against hers, and his lips fell on her cheek.
"Then you should eat well too." Lin Ju hooked her arm around his neck and took the coffee from his other hand, "Don't just lecture me."
Zhao Xingcan laughed.
Lin Ju took so long to prepare breakfast that she accidentally knocked over a glass of milk and got her clothes wet.
She went upstairs to change. Her wardrobe was empty, filled with clothes prepared for her by Zhao Xingcan. Lin Ju chose a lotus-pink halter dress and removed her hairband, revealing her waist-length, black, curly hair cascading down her back. Her skin was as white as snow.
She looked at herself in the mirror with flushed cheeks, covered her pounding heart, lowered her head, looked at her shadow on the ground, and let out a long sigh.
Lin Ju felt like she was possessed by a demon. Every minute she spent with Zhao Xingcan, she became unlike herself.
The door behind her was pushed open. She raised her head and saw Zhao Xingcan leaning against the door, looking at her in the mirror.
Lin Ju didn't turn around, they looked at each other through the mirror. Zhao Xingcan stood up, walked behind her, raised his hand, and a diamond pendant necklace fell from his palm.
The light outside the window was brilliant, shining through the dense branches and leaves, and just happened to pass through the diamond, so bright that it was blinding.
Lin Ju narrowed her eyes, Zhao Xingcan turned slightly sideways and hooked her hair with his fingers.
Just like the diamond-covered lighter he gave her before, he casually said, "I saw it while strolling around Paris. I think it suits you."
I don’t know how many carats the diamond is, and it feels heavy hanging around my neck.
Lin Ju turned her neck, and the cold stone slowly cooled her heart which was almost burning.
She could finally breathe easier.
…
The rain had stopped and it was the weekend again. The museum was much busier than before, and the entrance was packed with cars. Zhao Xingcan drove around a lot before finding a parking space.
Lin Ju's road rage was always there, and he couldn't help but say something when he saw someone driving inappropriately. After driving around for half an hour, Zhao Xingcan's expression remained unchanged. He was always very stable in this kind of situation.
This made Lin Ju seem even more irritable. She was still mumbling after getting off the car, but she spoke fast and her pronunciation was not standard.
This reminded Zhao Xingcan of the same situation he had with this girl in Wanning. She wasn't as gentle as she looked, but a fire burning inside. If you got close to her, she would be warm, but if you got too close, she would turn to ash.
When Zhao Xingcan was thinking about whether he should move away a little, his arm tightened and he was pulled behind him.
A motorcycle sped past him and sped away.
Zhao Xingcan's mind was wandering, but he suddenly came back to it, opened his eyes and looked at Lin Ju who was standing in front of him.
Lin Ju tensed up, turned around, grabbed his arm with both hands, and asked anxiously, "Did you get hit?"
Zhao Xingcan lowered his eyes, and his arm, which was tightly grasped by Lin Ju, actually felt a little painful.
He shook his head slowly, a faint smile in his eyes, "I'm fine."
"You scared me to death, and you could still laugh. I almost got bumped." Lin Ju let go of his hand and muttered in an unstandard manner again.
Now, in front of Zhao Xingcan, she no longer deliberately corrects her pronunciation.
"You're quite strong." Zhao Xingcan rubbed the part that she had just grabbed.
"I've already told you, I'm very strong and full of muscles." Lin Ju raised his arms and waved them in front of him.
Zhao Xingcan lifted her arm, like a kitten by the scruff of the neck, and hooked it into his arm. "Let me feel how strong it is."
Lin Ju was ticklish and immediately burst into laughter.
The girl's long curly hair fluttered in the wind, a strand of hair brushed across Zhao Xingcan's cheek, and he smelled a faint fragrance.
At this moment, he felt that Lin Ju was like a fluffy white dandelion that would float away, making him unable to help but reach out and grab her, not wanting to let go.
His thoughts were in a strange and chaotic state.
Isn't that what cute means? She looks around shyly, her head full of evil thoughts and delusions, and her heart full of fear and timidity.
But at this moment, he hasn't realized it yet.
The parking lot was some distance away from the art museum. The trees on this road were sparsely shaded. Lin Ju was so sunburned that she couldn't open her eyes. Her long black hair piled heavy behind her like a small quilt.
Suddenly, a small shadow fell on the hood on her head, and the back of her neck felt instantly cool. She raised her head slightly and saw Zhao Xingcan holding up her long hair with one hand and opening the other hand to block the light.
Lin Ju turned her head, and at such a close distance, she seemed to be able to hear Zhao Xingcan's breathing, which was heavy and continuous, like a drizzle, washing over her heart.
She was like a wet piece of firewood, waiting to be picked up and thrown into a big fire. Only when she burned out would she stop having evil thoughts.
The art gallery was well-air-conditioned. Lin Ju let her long hair fall down and looked sideways.
Zhao Xingcan's forehead was covered in sweat. He wore a linen-colored short-sleeved shirt with a stand-up collar and a small platycodon brooch pinned to one of the buttons on his collar. He covered his neck tightly. He had bought the brooch and left it in the makeup box in Lin Ju's room.
If it weren't for his mischief in the morning, where Lin Ju bit him on the collarbone, leaving a tooth mark, he wouldn't have to go through so much trouble in such a hot day.
Wu Wangfeng happened to be at the entrance, and he made some brochures to give to every visitor.
But he was somewhat absent-minded and kept looking down at his phone.
Lin Ju took the brochure from him and handed it to Zhao Xingcan. Then, she took Zhao Xingcan's arm and shouted to Wu Wangfeng, "Senior brother, Teacher Li is here."
Wu Wangfeng immediately looked up and saw that it was Lin Ju. He let out a long sigh, "Lin Ju, you scared me." He smiled and looked at the person next to Lin Ju, "Who is this?"
"My boyfriend." Lin Ju introduced, "Zhao Xingcan."
Zhao Xingcan nodded slightly, "Hello."
"No wonder. When I drove back yesterday, you were gone. Wang Yue said someone was coming to pick you up. It turned out to be your boyfriend. He's so handsome." Wu Wangfeng perked up and smiled at Zhao Xingcan, "Hello, I'm Lin Ju's senior, Wu Wangfeng."
After a brief greeting and introduction, Lin Ju couldn't wait to drag Zhao Xingcan towards his own exhibition area, saying as they walked, "Don't laugh at me. I have little experience, so I was assigned to a small corner, but I am already very satisfied."
The art gallery was quite large. Lin Ju took him through many twists and turns, and finally they saw her work in a corner near the exit.
The lighting in this area is not very good. The spotlight is foggy and falls on the white statue, as if it is covered with a layer of dust.
Lin Ju gnashed her teeth quietly, feeling nervous. She tilted her head and stole a glance at Zhao Xingcan.
Originally, before Zhao Xingcan came, she didn't think much of her cramped and small exhibition area.
But at this moment, when Zhao Xingcan stood in that small space, the shabby atmosphere of this place was completely revealed.
Lin Ju was a little embarrassed. At the Peninsula Villa, she had seen a pile of antiques from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, priceless objects haphazardly placed in cupboards as if they were ordinary ornaments. Once, Zhao Xingcan even offered her a Qing Dynasty teacup to make her some tea, but she stopped him.
She was not sure what Zhao Xingcan was thinking. She wondered if this precious person would think this small exhibition was a joke.
Zhao Xingcan didn't say anything for a long time, and Lin Ju couldn't help asking, "What do you think of my work?"
The overhead light was a warm orange, and in Lin Ju's eyes, it looked like scattered diamonds, glittering and colorful.
Zhao Xingcan looked at it a few more times and forgot to answer. When he came back to his senses, he saw the little girl who was noisy when the car was parked just now, with a slightly red nose and a panicked look on her face.
He immediately hugged her and coaxed her, "I don't have any artistic talent, but I think your work is very beautiful. Is it for sale? I want to put it next to my bed so I can see it with my eyes open and closed."
Lin Ju was amused by him and buried her head in his shoulder, "Why are you so smooth-talking?"
This was the scene Wang Yue saw when he arrived.
Lin Ju hugged Zhao Xingshen like a koala hugging a tree trunk.
She found it unbelievable that Zhao Xingcan actually let her hug him like that.
That was Zhao Xingcan. She had heard him mention him many times when she was following Xiao Zheng.
He is a person feared by all the young masters in the powerful circles. Now together with Lin Ju, the two of them are like ordinary lovers, joking and whispering.
Lin Ju noticed Wang Yue, leaned against Zhao Xingcan's shoulder, and turned sideways to look at her.
She pulled Zhao Xingcan's hand away and said, "I want to say a few words to her."
Zhao Xingcan nodded, put one hand in his pocket, and looked at Wang Yue coldly.
Wang Yue stood there stiffly, not daring to move.
She watched Lin Ju walking towards her. Her beautiful face, without a trace of technology, was so beautiful that it made people not jealous.
Lin Ju looked at her and said, "You have to apologize to me."
Wang Yue was stunned, then she said, "You pushed me yesterday and made me wet all over. If you apologize to me now, I will forgive you."
Zhao Xingcan glanced sideways. He thought there would be another quarrel between the women, but he didn't expect that his Lin Ju would actually take the initiative to ask for an apology.
He looked at her with great interest. The woman facing Lin Ju was obviously stunned. For several seconds, she could only squeeze out two words: "Sorry."
Lin Ju smiled and sighed, "I know you're worried about me getting close to Senior Brother Wu, and Senior Brother is especially caring for me, but there's a reason for that." She lifted her hair and said, "I have a hearing impairment, so the professor specifically asked him to take care of me."
"Don't worry, I won't have any contact with him outside of work anymore, and I won't say anything about your affairs."
Lin Ju sometimes didn't understand why these people, who were obviously better at listening and speaking than herself, had suspicions in their hearts but refused to speak out, relying only on speculation and imagination, and then the misunderstandings grew bigger and bigger.
After explaining everything, she looked at Wang Yue's almost dazed expression and reminded him, "I think Senior Brother likes you very much, so I hope you won't let him down."
Wang Yue listened and suddenly felt ridiculous.
What on earth has she been thinking about these days?
She should have discovered earlier that Lin Ju was different from these nameless girls.
She has a name with Zhao Xingcan.
Zhao Xingcan stayed in Hai City with Lin Ju for four days and then had to go to Beijing. Before leaving, he asked Lin Ju if she wanted to go with him.
After asking, I felt like I was being stupid. Lin Ju's exhibition hadn't ended yet. This girl has always been independent and rational, and it's unlikely that she would delay her work because of her feelings.
As expected, he was rejected, and Zhao Xingcan was not surprised.
After Zhao Xingcan left, Lin Ju immediately returned to her life of slavery. Professor Li introduced her to a job he had contracted with his own studio to design a public sculpture for a botanical garden.
The botanical garden covers an area of about 207 hectares. It was Lin Ju's first time there, and he walked around it with Professor Li Tai and others, which took almost three hours.
With such a large project and tight time constraints, Li Tai asked Lin Ju to come and help because he was short of manpower, and Wu Wangfeng also came with him.
The two were assigned to sculpture design at different locations. They met briefly during the period and both smiled bitterly at each other's embarrassed appearance.
When Zhao Xingcan sent the video call, Lin Ju was taking measurements at a certain point. She was wearing a sun hat, her sun-protective clothing was burned by the sun, sweat was coming out of the tip of her nose, and her face, which was red from the sun, looked like it had been fished out of the water.
Lin Ju didn't think much about it and clicked it directly.
On the other side of the screen, Zhao Xingcan was dressed in a neat suit, his usually loose hair pulled back, revealing his flat and broad forehead. He leaned on the balcony, holding a cigarette in one hand, and looked at Lin Ju's miserable appearance, a slight wrinkle between his brows. "How did you become like this?"
He had heard Lin Ju talk about her new job yesterday, and the girl had rarely complained about being tired. Now, it seemed more than just exhaustion; it was practically exhaustion.
Lin Ju wiped the sweat off his face, waved to his colleagues, and jogged to the shade of the tree with his cell phone.
She let out a long sigh, squatted under the tree, rested her chin on her knees, and stared at Zhao Xingcan on her phone.
"I didn't expect it to be so hot in the botanical garden today." She leaned forward, her head close, almost squeezing herself into the screen. "Zhao Xingcan, you look so beautiful today. I missed you."
Lin Ju, who said this, did not look very good.
Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was stuck to her forehead, but her eyes were wet and red, which made people feel distressed.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
Lin Ju shook her head, then nodded, "I want lemon tea, with lots of ice."
"Eating too much ice is bad for your health. I don't remember, but last time you ate something cold, you had stomachaches for a long time during your period." Zhao Xingcan still remembered that just last month, this girl ate three cans of ice cream and had stomachaches for three whole days. He wanted to rush her to the hospital.
But even though he said that, less than twenty minutes after he hung up the video call, Lin Ju received the lemon tea sent by Zhao Xingcan, and all the members of the project also received some.
For the next month, even during the most unbearable summer heat, someone delivered iced drinks every day. Everyone in the project received some, and they all knew it was Lin Ju's boyfriend who sent them.
During his free time, Wu Wangfeng sipped his lemon tea and asked curiously, "Lin Ju, what does your boyfriend do? He's quite good-looking. Is he an artist?"
Lin Ju thought of Zhao Xingcan's confusing face and couldn't help but laugh, "He helps out with his family's company, but I'm not sure what he does specifically."
"You have a good boyfriend, we can get along well." Wu Wangfeng gave advice with the air of an experienced person.
…
It was already late autumn when the botanical garden sculpture project was completed.
Almost everyone was tanned twice, and Lin Ju was no exception.
On the last day, after the design work was completed, the entire project had a dinner together.
Lin Ju, wearing a hat and carrying a large pink water bottle, walked slowly at the back. She had a leisurely day today, with little to do, and she kept checking her phone as she walked.
Wu Wangfeng, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped and turned back to call out to Lin Ju.
"Lin Ju, is that your boyfriend?"
She glanced up carelessly, and saw a black car with a serial number parked in the backlight. Zhao Xingcan leaned against the car, wearing a dark gray linen shirt and black trousers. He pulled his lips together, raised his hand, and bent his fingertips slightly.
Lin Ju's expression instantly brightened up, and she ran over like a puppy, wagging her tail.
Wu Wangfeng was so anxious that he whispered from behind, "Junior sister, junior sister, girls should be reserved! Oh!"
Everyone in Project 1 burst into laughter. Lin Ju's ears were burning with anger, and she threw herself into Zhao Xingcan's arms with a red face.
Zhao Xingcan took a step forward and hugged her tightly. The girl in his arms was small and soft, with a slender waist. He lifted her up and felt that Lin Ju had lost some weight.
Lin Ju buried her face in Zhao Xingcan's chest. After a while, she remembered that she was now disheveled.
Zhao Xingcan called her, but she didn't even look up. She said sullenly, "I don't look good right now."
He chuckled, lifted Lin Ju's hat, pinched her chin, and turned her towards him.
The little girl's face was sunburned and her forehead was sweaty. She had no makeup on, and her long eyelashes drooped on her eyelids. Her skin color had transitioned from snow to pink.
He couldn't help but lower his head and kiss the shiny tip of the nose.
Lin Ju suddenly opened her eyes. At this moment, colleagues from the project came over and made a series of jokes. Wu Wangfeng even said with a smile: "Junior sister, ask your boyfriend to join us for dinner."
Lin Ju looked at Zhao Xingcan with cautious expectation in her eyes.
Under her gaze, Zhao Xingcan smiled and said yes.
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