Open provocation
18
Xu Gaoyou stayed in Hai City for two days. It happened to be hot weather during these two days. The outside was as hot as a furnace, and the only sound was the chirping of cicadas. It was impossible to go out on such a day. Xu Gaoyou was very sensible and did not mention to Lin Ju that he wanted to go out to play.
In a month, there will be a youth art exhibition at the Central Art Museum in Hai City, and Li Tai recommended Lin Ju to participate. Lin Ju has not had an easy time recently, as she is busy preparing works for the exhibition.
Zhao Xingcan reserved the entire eighth floor for Lin Ju, even partitioning off a room for her to use as a studio. She spent the entire day there, while Xu Gaoyou wandered around. He knew Lin Ju was an art student, and at home, he would sometimes hear his stepfather talk about her, often with some disapproval of her artistic studies.
In Lin's father's opinion, if you study this kind of art, you will be unemployed after graduation.
Xu Gaoyou actually agreed with Lin's father's point of view to some extent.
But at this moment, when he stood here, surrounded by Lin Ju's works, those sculptures seemed to be alive, staring at him.
He walked to a white sculpture of a girl, raised his hand and stroked the girl's cheek, where there was a tear.
As soon as his fingers touched it, it felt like an electric shock. He withdrew his hand and took a deep breath.
Xu Gaoyou's flight is at 8 o'clock in the evening. The airport in Hai City is very large, so he has to go there two hours in advance.
After dinner, Xu Gaoyou called a car online. The traffic was heavy at the time, so the car would take about ten minutes to arrive. Lin Ju waited with him on the roadside.
In the evening, the summer days are long, the sky is indigo blue, and there are clusters of bright orange clouds in the distance.
The wind blew against her face, still stifling heat. Lin Ju suffered through the bitter summer heat, and at times like this, it felt especially unbearable. She lit a cigarette, still a peach-flavored one.
When Xu Gaoyou saw the diamond-wrapped lighter in her hand, he couldn't help but ask, "Sister, is your lighter very expensive?"
"Zhao Xingcan gave it to me." Lin Ju stroked the tiny diamonds with his fingers, his eyes filled with uncontrollable longing.
Xu Gaoyou lowered his eyes, "Sister, is he good to you?"
"Yes, very good."
"It's too easy for someone like him to be nice to someone." Xu Gaoyou habitually retorted, but seeing Lin Ju lower her eyebrows, he immediately said: "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that, I just don't want you... to get hurt."
Lin Ju smiled faintly, shook her head, held the cigarette between her slender fingers, took a puff, and slowly exhaled the smoke.
She said: "I know what I am doing, and I can't stand hearing people say bad things about him."
Xu Gaoyou's face instantly turned dim and even pale. Fortunately, Lin Ju was looking elsewhere, and fortunately, the late taxi drove over.
He turned his head away, forced a smile, and said goodbye to Lin Ju.
Lin Ju waved to him, and he got into the car. Since they were far apart, he used sign language.
[Sister, next time you come to Beijing, I will take you to eat delicious food.]
The Youth Art Exhibition was about to begin, and for a whole month, Lin Ju had been living a life of working day and night to catch up on the progress.
The exhibition theme was "Endless Summer," and Lin Ju had prepared two works. On the opening day, she looked in the mirror at her dusty, dusty self and couldn't help but smile. She changed her clothes, applied some sunscreen, put on a hat, and took a taxi to the exhibition hall.
In the car, Zhao Xingcan sent her a message asking if the art exhibition was going well.
Lin Ju stayed up late and felt dizzy. As soon as she got in the car, she closed her eyes and didn't look at her phone.
After arriving at the exhibition hall and entering, she went straight to her own booth.
This art exhibition is not large in scale. It is hosted by Professor Li Tai and his purpose is to provide opportunities for these young artists.
Because it was a weekday, there weren't many people visiting the exhibition. After walking around the exhibition hall, Lin Ju sat down in the cafe next door.
She ordered an iced American coffee and sat on the sofa in front of the glass window. Perhaps because she was too tired, there was always a slight tinnitus and tingling in the ears wearing hearing aids.
A shadow was cast across from him, and a hand waved in front of Lin Ju's eyes.
She opened her eyes and was stunned when she saw the person opposite her.
"Lin Ju, I heard from Teacher Li that you also participated in the exhibition. I came here today thinking that I might meet you." Wu Wangfeng looked at Lin Ju with a smile. He was Lin Ju's senior, and they were both students of Professor Li Tai. They often had interactions at school.
Lin Ju greeted Wu Wangfeng and turned her head to look at the woman beside him.
Wu Wangfeng introduced: "This is Wang Yue, my girlfriend."
Wang Yue has short hair cut to her ears, a delicate face, and a tall figure. She looks like a model cut out of an advertising magazine.
Lin Ju took a closer look and felt that it was quite familiar. Maybe she had seen it in a magazine.
"I'm going to buy some coffee. Lin Ju, what would you like to drink?"
"Thank you, senior brother. I have American coffee, so I don't need it." Lin Ju pointed to the table.
Wu Wangfeng nodded and asked Wang Yue, his girlfriend said she wanted a latte.
He went to buy coffee. There were quite a lot of people queuing up, so Wang Yue sat down on the sofa, right across from Lin Ju.
Lin Ju lowered his head to look at his phone, noticed her gaze, raised his head, and saw that she was talking.
She hadn't put on her hearing aid yet, so she didn't know what Wang Yue said at the beginning and only saw the second half of the sentence.
【I'm warning you, don't tell anyone.】
Lin Ju blinked, not understanding.
At this time, Wu Wangfeng came over with coffee. "Here, your iced latte." He handed the coffee to Wang Yue and was about to sit down when Wang Yue suddenly pushed his arm and said, "Honey, I'm a little hungry. Let's go eat first, okay?"
Wu Wangfeng agreed with a smile, then looked at Lin Ju, "Lin Ju, do you want to join us?"
Lin Ju noticed Wang Yue's visibly nervous gaze. She didn't understand how she had offended him, and she definitely couldn't eat the meal.
After Wu Wangfeng and the others left, Lin Ju lowered her head and looked casually at the watermarks seeping out of the iced coffee on the table.
She tapped it lightly with her finger, and her frown suddenly relaxed. Her expression changed and she remembered.
In several dinner parties that Zhao Xingcan attended, among the female companions that the imprisoned young General Zheng brought with him, there was a beautiful face that looked exactly like Wang Yue.
At that time, her name was not Wang Yue. As Mr. Zheng's female companion, they had a unified name, Nina.
In that circle, those so-called female companions may have a nickname. Mr. Zheng’s is Nina, Feng Longlu is used to calling her dear, and many powerful and wealthy men also have their own nicknames.
So is it her? Zhao Xingcan also has a name for her.
What would her name be?
Lin Ju raised his head and squinted his eyes to look outside.
The scorching sun is so hot, but the light that shines through the glass is so cold that it seems to freeze people to pieces.
…
Because of the exhibition, Lin Ju often met Wu Wangfeng on site, sometimes at dinner time. Wu Wangfeng invited her many times, and she couldn't refuse, so she agreed.
Wang Yue was also there. She was afraid that Lin Ju and Wu Wangfeng would be alone together.
At the beginning, she was with Mr. Zheng for money and became Nina by his side. It was not a glorious thing.
Wu Wangfeng is the one she will not be able to date in the near future. Although his family background is not as good as those of the second and third generations, he also has three properties in Hai City. For Wang Yue, marrying Wu Wangfeng is a more reliable choice.
But she didn't expect that the female companion Zhao Xingcan brought with him was actually Wu Wangfeng's junior.
She didn't know if Lin Ju had listened to what she said in front of him. Seeing that the exhibition was about to end, she just hoped that before that, Wu Wangfeng would never know about her experience.
This hot day ended with a rainstorm, and the high temperature warning on the weather forecast turned into a thunderstorm warning.
When I came out of the restaurant, the sky was covered with dark clouds. With thunder, heavy rain poured down.
Wu Wangfeng said he would drive the car over and asked Lin Ju and Wang Yue to wait at the door of the store.
The rain suddenly came down hard, and the wind carried the rain towards people.
She wore a white vest and gray trousers today, with a gray and white plaid top, which was very consistent with her current cow and horse persona.
The rain soaked most of her clothes. She stepped back and someone suddenly grabbed her arm.
She looked up, Wang Yue’s face was hidden in the shadow, and she whispered, “I’m talking to you, didn’t you hear me?”
Lin Ju looked at her lip movements and was stunned. She really didn't hear it just now.
She subconsciously touched the hearing aid on her ear and turned her head away. "Sorry, can you say it again?"
"It was the same last time. Are you pretending to be deaf and dumb?" Wang Yue had a feeling that she was playing a trick on him, so he grabbed Lin Ju and pushed her into the rain.
"I've always disliked you. Who do you think you are? You're just like us. Zhao Xingcan was just playing with you. I've heard he's been in France for the past few months, attending parties and always bringing his new female companion. He doesn't want you anymore."
It all happened so suddenly that she couldn't open her eyes due to the rain. Everything in front of her was blurry, like an out-of-focus pirated movie.
She stood there in a daze. Wang Yue pointed at her and said from the steps, "I'm warning you, stay away from Wu Wangfeng. Don't let me see you again."
This groundless malicious speculation left Lin Ju baffled.
The rain poured down on her, and even in the hottest summer day, she shivered suddenly.
At this moment, a black car drove past her, its tires rolling over puddles of varying depths, and then slowly stopped.
The headlights of the car came on, Lin Ju covered her eyes with her hands, and the next moment, she was embraced in a warm embrace.
The scent of wormwood mixed with rain moistened her nose.
Zhao Xingcan hurriedly got out of the car, opened his black long-handled umbrella, and stepped into the puddle with his expensive leather shoes. The splashing water wet his trouser legs.
He ran to Lin Ju's side, tilted the umbrella towards her, and hugged her from behind like many times before.
He leaned close to her ear and raised his voice slightly so she could hear clearly, "It's me."
Wang Yue was watching from the side. When he saw that the person coming was Zhao Xingcan, he shouted in disbelief, "Zhao Xingcan? Why are you here?"
Zhao Xingcan glanced over, everything was blurred in the dim light of the rain, but the coldness in his eyes was clearly visible.
He ignored Wang Yue and took Lin Ju into the car.
Wang Yue, however, seemed to have given up everything and shouted behind them, "Mr. Zhao, you're just playing around with Lin Ju. There's no such thing as true love in your circle. I've heard about your female companion in France."
The thunder roared, but it couldn't cover up Wang Yue's voice.
Zhao Xingcan slowly turned to look at her, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, his jawline tense. He must have been utterly disgusted at this moment, after all, he rarely showed such an expression.
But it was only fleeting. Zhao Xingcan lowered his eyes and held Lin Ju tightly.
Lin Ju sat in the back seat. Zhao Xingcan gently closed the car door and rain rolled down the window glass.
He walked around to the front seat, folded his umbrella and got inside.
Water vapor spread in the car, and the damp smell mixed with the smell of leather in the car made people dizzy.
Lin Ju was a little absent-minded, so Zhao Xingcan found some tissues in the car and gave them to her.
"Wipe it first."
Lin Ju reached out to take it, her fingers were covered in a layer of water film, and they looked slightly white and cold.
She said thank you, then tied her hair up and wiped the rain off her body with a tissue.
Zhao Xingcan turned around, lightly stepped on the accelerator, and twisted the steering wheel in his hands.
From the back seat of the car came the sound of fabric rubbing against each other, Lin Ju sighed a little quickly, and the sound of a zipper being torn off.
Zhao Xingcan tapped the steering wheel lightly with his fingers. The rain was too heavy and he didn't dare to be careless. He turned on the speakers and the soft music covered up the sounds.
After using up a pack of tissues, Lin Ju was still sticky. She took off her shirt, revealing her white tank top as semi-transparent. Feeling depressed, she sat down by the car window, hiding herself in the shadows.
Zhao Xingcan listened to the rustling sounds behind him, pursed his lips, and unconsciously felt a little anxious.
He stopped at a red light, and the rain cover covered the entire car, forming a completely enclosed space.
Amidst the gentle music and the rushing sound of rain, Zhao Xingcan turned his head and tentatively said, "Don't take what that woman just said seriously."
Lin Ju had just taken off her hearing aid when Zhao Xingcan's lip movements were blurred by the dim light.
She leaned forward, snapped on her hearing aid, and tilted her head slightly, "What?"
Zhao Xingcan looked at the face that suddenly approached him. There were still a few drops of water stains on Lin Ju's fair face. He raised his hand and wiped it gently, then repeated it gently.
Lin Ju's face rested in his palm, her trembling eyelashes scratching her skin, making her feel itchy.
He heard Lin Ju dragging out the last syllable, as if complaining or acting coquettishly, "The rain was so heavy, I couldn't hear or see her mouth shape. I just saw her pointing at me and talking all the time." She guessed that Wang Yue was like this because she and Wu Wangfeng were too close, but this was just a normal communication at work, and she would not have nothing better to do than talk about her past experiences in front of Wu Wangfeng.
In the last few seconds of the 120-second red light, Zhao Xingcan gently kissed her wet lips.
Lin Ju was in a trance and she opened her eyes.
Zhao Xingcan had already sat back down. She looked at his profile and heard his words of comfort.
The embarrassment, confusion and frustration in my heart dissipated like a wisp of dust.
Back at the Peninsula Villa, Lin Ju took a shower, changed her clothes, and walked downstairs. Zhao Xingcan was leaning against the long wooden table, watering the flowers with a kettle.
"This flower?"
"I had them replaced." Zhao Xingcan tilted his head and looked at her. "I know you don't usually live here, but I wanted you to see fresh roses when you come back."
Lin Ju was stunned for two seconds. She walked over and took the watering can. "This house is too big. I'm scared to live alone."
"I'll transfer my work in France to China, and I'll probably live in Beijing for a while." Zhao Xingcan played with her long hair and said casually, "This way, it will be much more convenient for me to come and see you."
Lin Ju's heart was pounding. She reached out and hooked her arms around Zhao Xingcan's neck, burying her face in that warm neck. She said in a muffled voice, "It's not convenient either."
She said, looking up.
Zhao Xingcan bent down and kissed her, and their breathing became increasingly rapid.
It was pouring outside the window, and the rain light shone into the room along the window frame. The whole world seemed to be covered by rain, and only the sound of rain was left in my ears.
Unconsciously, Zhao Xingcan slowly straightened his back. Lin Ju raised her head and had to stand on tiptoe. But Zhao Xingcan seemed to be teasing her and slowly distanced himself from her.
The kiss made her so passionate that she lost herself in it. Like a kitten being seduced by a cat teaser, she tiptoed around, stumbled, and fell into Zhao Xingcan's arms.
Zhao Xingcan let out a muffled laugh and opened his arms to catch her.
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