Xiaoyu blinked her big, watery eyes and said to Gu Santong, "Grandpa, when we move into the big villa in the future, can you take us with you? We want to live in a big house with you too!"
Gu Santong laughed heartily upon hearing this, reached out and gently patted their little heads, replying, "Alright, alright, my good darlings, don't worry, Grandpa will definitely build you the most beautiful villa in the world so you can live in it!"
After hearing this, everyone present couldn't help but laugh, amused by the two innocent and carefree children. Laughter filled the room.
On the eve of the start of the school year, sunlight filtered through thin clouds, dappling the ground and creating patches of light and shadow. Jones, dressed in a well-tailored suit, slowly stepped into the Song family's gate.
“Song, I came here today specifically to say goodbye. I will be departing for England early tomorrow morning. In addition, I have completed the divorce proceedings with Bai Mei, so you no longer need to consider my feelings and take care of her.”
His voice was deep and firm, and his eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and determination.
Jones continued, "It's utterly ridiculous! She's a complete ingrate, an ungrateful wretch!"
What's even more infuriating is that she actually made a baseless accusation that there was something more between us—that's absolutely outrageous! This unfounded accusation is a huge insult to both of our personalities!
It turns out that, thanks to the abundance of experienced and highly professional lawyers in Hong Kong, and Jones's British citizenship, the divorce case was resolved quickly.
Only now did Song Ziqing realize that Jones had not only married quickly, but also made such a decisive and resolute decision to divorce.
"Huh? Aren't we just teacher and friend? Bai Mei really has a knack for making connections. By the way, what about your kids?"
Song Ziqing said with a surprised look that she had no interest in Jones's marital status, but she never expected that Bai Mei would misunderstand the relationship between her and Jones.
After a moment of silence, Jones replied, "If she wants to give birth to the child, I will provide living expenses to raise the child until adulthood. If she chooses not to give birth to the child, then the villa I gave her before will be enough as compensation."
In fact, there were some things Jones didn't mention, such as the fact that he had given Bai Mei several portraits he had painted himself, modeled after her.
Each of these paintings is exquisite, and their market value is as high as millions.
However, in his view, these works could not be considered masterpieces from his peak period; at best, they could only be classified as ordinary works.
If they were to produce truly outstanding works, a single painting could probably fetch millions or even more!
"That's good." Song Ziqing breathed a sigh of relief.
"Please take good care of yourself while I'm gone!"
Jones's deep, pool-like eyes were now filled with endless emotion as he gazed intently at Song Ziqing, as if trying to imprint her image in the deepest recesses of his heart.
The lingering affection and reluctance in his eyes were truly touching.
The most important reason he divorced Bai Mei was that he discovered she was too sensitive and had truly discovered his innermost thoughts.
He himself couldn't believe that at his age, he had actually found love.
However, the woman was already married, and the love he encountered was not at the right time or in the right place.
Song Ziqing nodded slightly to reassure the other person: "Yes, you should also take good care of yourself. The journey is long, I wish you a safe and smooth trip."
No need for many words; a single glance or a smile is enough to convey more than a thousand words.
Silence speaks louder than words; all the unspoken thoughts are contained within.
The next morning, as dawn broke, Jones, pulling his suitcase, resolutely embarked on a new journey.
He walked further and further away until his figure completely disappeared at the horizon.
Song Ziqing stood quietly by the window, watching his friend leave.
The brilliant sunlight poured down, like a golden veil draped over her, bringing warmth and a gentle touch.
Lin Chengyu stood beside her with a frown, his face full of displeasure, and said, "Ziqing, if you plan to study abroad in the future, you'd better choose to go to the United States. I really don't want to see you getting too close to Jones, after all, he's interested in you."
Upon hearing this, Song Ziqing was astonished and widened her eyes, asking, "What? Jones likes me? How come I didn't notice at all? Aren't we always good friends and mentors?!"
Besides, wasn't he obsessed with Bai Mei before? He didn't listen to any of our advice. Now he says he likes me, but I feel absolutely nothing. Let's just pretend we don't know anything about this.”
Upon hearing this, Song Ziqing's lingering feelings of attachment to her husband, which stemmed from the impending separation, vanished instantly!
She thought to herself, being admired by such an old man is hardly something to be happy about!
Song Ziqing turned to look at Lin Chengyu and said seriously, "Jones and I are just friends, don't overthink it. Besides, I've already decided that when we go to graduate school, we'll go directly to the United States. After all, it's the current political, economic, and cultural center, and it should be more suitable for our future career development."
Lin Chengyu's expression softened upon hearing this.
“Okay, I thought the artistic atmosphere in Hong Kong wasn’t as good as in Europe, so I wanted to take you to study in the UK. Now that you’ve made a name for yourself in the US, applying to graduate school there shouldn’t be any problem.”
Over the next year, Song Ziqing and Lin Chengyu were busy with their studies while also starting preparations for their trip to the United States.
They collected information and contacted schools, keeping themselves busy but fulfilled.
During this process, Song Ziqing would occasionally think of Jones, but the feeling was merely the longing between friends.
They would call each other from time to time to exchange their ideas on creative work.
Jones especially enjoyed discussing the latest popular painters and painting styles in Europe with her, and would often send her art books from various countries.
Even Song Ziqing's paintings were included in the American Artists Association, and a special album of her paintings was published.
Later, Lin Chengyu helped her publish several picture albums in Hong Kong, which sold very well.
As these art books were sold, Song Ziqing's reputation as a female painter gained increasing attention in Hong Kong.
After all, she was the first painter from Hong Kong to hold an exhibition in the United States, which was very pioneering.
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