Chapter 13 Wine
Luo Hongjun shivered violently, instantly sobering up considerably.
His gaze returned to the wine glass, and only then did he realize that he had crossed the line. To be honest, he had never seen such a domineering and oppressive aura in a person before, and this person in front of him was only twenty-three years old.
At this moment, he didn't care about the embarrassment of losing face in public. After all, he had been in business for more than 20 years. He laughed it off and said, "Yes, yes, he's young, so it's better for him to drink less."
"Look at me, I forgot in a moment of confusion..."
Song Mingli looked at him with a half-smile: "Once you're out here, you'll be the face of Guangyun. President Luo will have to be more careful in the future."
Luo Hongjun gritted his teeth. Today, not only SK's people were sitting here, but also most of his subordinates, including several of his old rivals who didn't get along with him. This was a huge embarrassment to him.
However, he still laughed and said, "Be careful, be careful."
The large, well-defined hand finally rose, and Song Mingli leaned back slightly, reverting to his previous nonchalant and detached posture.
The atmosphere that had just become tense in the private room began to flow again. Everyone raised their glasses to toast each other, but they no longer dared to be as unrestrained as they had been at the beginning.
Ying Shixue straightened her clothes and went out for some fresh air, making an excuse that it was too hot.
The evening breeze was cool, and the leaves rustled in the wind. Ying Shixue rested her chin on one hand on the window railing, squinting her eyes as she felt the gentle breeze.
It was a rare moment of tranquility, reminiscent of Carl's Serenade or a watercolor painting in the forest, where everything in the world seemed to rush away, and all the pain and emotions were carried away to the distant sky.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him, getting closer and closer until they stopped beside him. Then, a weight landed on his shoulder, and the warmth and breath of another person instantly enveloped him.
"It's windy by the window, so don't stand there for too long. If you feel stuffy, you can go to the connecting corridor for a while."
Ying Shixue slowly turned around, smiled when she saw the person who came in, and said, "Aren't you going to continue talking to them?" Her tone was relaxed to the point that she herself didn't realize.
Song Mingli already regretted it. He straightened the man's clothes and said, "There are other people in charge in the private room... You're drunk."
Ying Shixue blinked slowly, seemingly unaware of the situation, still leaning lightly against the window railing. This posture caused his collar to slip slightly, revealing a section of his slender, fair collarbone.
No matter how cold and rational he appears during the day, it's only at this time that he shows some of the softness of a boy his age, making people feel as if he's still the child who, when he was scolded, would come over and let him pat his head, awkwardly comforting him.
Song Mingli felt a pang in his heart. He slowly exhaled, and Ying Shixue dodged his outstretched hand, glaring at him with some dissatisfaction.
Because of the height difference, he had to tilt his head back to see Song Mingli, and this angle allowed the light to shine more into his eyes, creating a hazy, shimmering effect, while he appeared completely oblivious.
Why does he see me that way?
Song Mingli's breathing quickened slightly, but Ying Shixue turned her head away and walked to the other side of the corridor on her own.
-
When Ying Shixue woke up the next day, it was already nine o'clock in the morning. Her head was throbbing with a dull pain, as if it were being pierced by a rusty nail.
He checked the time on his phone and realized it was already this late.
The room was a suite provided by the hotel, with all kinds of facilities and toiletries. Ying Shixue got out of bed to get a change of clothes to prepare to take a shower, while checking for any job information.
Surprisingly, the message list was quiet, except for a message from Song Mingli: "I'm awake now and ready to eat."
Water gushed down, and the bathroom quickly filled with steam. Ying Shixue stood naked under the showerhead, recalling the events of the previous night, a hint of disgust showing between her brows.
This kind of slick and purposeful dinner party, and that greasy-haired, pig-headed Luo Hongjun with his disgusting gaze—if Song Mingli hadn't stopped him from drinking first, he might have really been unable to resist smashing the bottle over that guy's head.
Ying Shixue slowly let out a sigh of relief, leaning back slightly. Her back trembled instinctively when it touched the cold tiles, but her eyes became even clearer.
He didn't actually drink much last night, but the alcohol had a strong aftereffect. When he realized something was wrong, he went outside for some fresh air and seemed to run into Song Mingli in the corridor again.
What happened after that is even more unclear. Judging from what I saw when I woke up this morning, the other party must have taken him back to the hotel.
Ying wiped the snow off, turned off the shower, grabbed a bathrobe, tied it around her waist, and stepped outside, leaving behind subtle wet stains and watermarks along the way.
I can't drink so much next time.
Before changing into her outdoor clothes, Ying Shixue thought to herself.
-
When Ying Shixue came downstairs, a series of dishes, including fresh shrimp dumplings, custard buns, and hot soy milk, were already laid out on the table. Song Mingli sat on the sofa next to him, his legs naturally crossed, with the newspaper that had just been delivered that morning on his lap.
He was unusually not wearing his usual shirt, and instead wore a pair of non-prescription silver-rimmed glasses, which slightly softened his overly aggressive eyebrows and eyes, giving him a more refined appearance.
However, when he looks up at people, that feigned calmness disappears, and he inevitably reveals a bit of intimidating sharpness.
However, his imposing aura had clearly subsided at this moment. Song Mingli asked, "Awake?"
Ying Shixue hummed in agreement and sat down at the table: "Don't we need to continue the talks today?"
“The rest can be left to Wang Feng and the others,” Song Mingli said casually. “After you finish eating, come with me somewhere.”
Tang Ronghan was still driving. Yuancheng was not a big city to begin with, and the car drove around and around until it finally stopped at the side of a small alley.
This is probably a demolished building that was abandoned. There are low-rise buildings around it, and inside there is a three-story gray building with the words "Lian's Antiques" written on it.
Song Mingli led him into the shop, where a waiter immediately came to greet him. Upon seeing him, the waiter exclaimed "Ah!" and bowed even more respectfully.
Song Mingli: "Next month is my father's birthday. He has always loved calligraphy. You also studied it for a few years when you were young. The paper, brush, and ink are all ready. Come and see how these inkstones are." He turned to the shop assistant: "Have your boss bring over the ones I ordered here."
The waiter, who was busy serving tea and water, immediately got up to call him upon hearing this.
The exterior of this small building looks gray and unassuming, but the interior decoration is extremely exquisite, with winding corridors and pavilions arranged in an ingenious and elaborate manner.
Ying Shixue withdrew her gaze, picked up the freshly brewed tea on the table, and took a small sip.
Yuancheng is not considered wealthy among the many cities and districts of Deen State, but due to its geographical location bordering the other three states, it has opened many antique shops, and people from other places often come to buy and sell. Judging from the scale of this shop, it should be one of the most famous shops in the state, with unique collections and channels.
But why bring your father here when you're buying him a gift? Ying Shixue put down her teacup, about to say something, when the shop owner hurriedly arrived with his assistant.
Two large glass cases were opened one after the other in front of him, and Song Mingli asked in a completely natural tone, "Take a look and see if there's anything you like."
Ying Shixue glanced at him suspiciously, then stood up and looked at the inkstones.
To be honest, these are indeed rare treasures, and what's even more astonishing is the almost astronomical price tag below. The owner and his assistant were standing next to me, handling them very carefully the whole time.
Song Mingli: "Do you like that Duan inkstone?"
Ying Shixue suddenly snapped back to reality. Only then did he realize that he had been staring at it for too long. He took a small step back, neither saying that he liked it nor that he disliked it.
Song Mingli had already looked at the shop assistant: "Wrap this up and put it separately, then wrap the Tao inkstone below and put it in a box with the writing brush, ink, and paper."
The boss immediately beamed with joy: "Yes, yes."
Song Mingli: "And that purple jade Buddha statue," he looked at Ying Shixue, his tone casual: "You can present it to Father at the birthday banquet."
In just a short while, the amount had already reached eight figures. The whole store was filled with joy. The old shop assistant went to the inner room to carefully bandage the wound, Song Mingli went to handle the procedures, and the boss stood by with a smile.
The others were at the other end of the shop, leaving only a young shop assistant on duty at the door.
Ying Shixue pondered for a moment, then casually remarked, "The interior decoration of the store is quite nice."
The young shop assistant was still an apprentice. He was a local from the city and had seen a lot of good things in the two years he had been there because of his kinship with the boss. Now that the deal was done, he looked relaxed and his tone became cheerful: "Yes, yes, we renovate here several times every few years. The fire lanes are all newly built, just in case there is a fire or theft."
"Oh?" Ying Shixue looked at him: "There was a fire here?"
The young waiter hesitated for a moment, then said tentatively, "No, I haven't..."
"On the way here, I saw a burned-down house to the south, which looked like no one lived there."
The waiter exclaimed in surprise, "You've already seen that area? It's still quite a distance away!"
Ying Shixue said in a relaxed tone, "There were many forks in the road when we came, and I took a few detours without realizing it."
"Has anything happened over there?"
He has fair skin and a handsome face. He usually exudes a cold and aloof aura, but when he looks at someone like this, he becomes extremely focused, as if the whole world is only looking at that person.
The young man, who had initially intended to keep quiet, became somewhat smug after being looked at by the man and spilled everything: "That was originally the most remote house in the area, with mountains behind it. A crazy woman used to live there, but about ten years ago, one summer, a fire broke out on the mountain and inexplicably set the house on fire as well, burning it all to the ground."
Ying Shixue's fingers tightened beneath her sleeve, yet her face maintained a perfectly measured hint of outsider curiosity: "Has no one lived there since?"
“No, we don’t go there. We heard that it’s…” The waiter’s tone trailed off in suspense. He looked around cautiously, his brows furrowed, and finally leaned close to him and whispered, “It’s haunted.”
What are you doing?
A male voice exploded in her ears like thunder. The waiter jumped back as if he had been whipped with an electric whip. Ying Shixue turned her head sharply. Not far away, the boss was standing by the door frame, his face shrouded in gloom.
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