Chapter 79#

第79章#

The piano music still drifted melodiously above the hall, soothing and deep.

Qiao Nanqi’s sudden standing up was out of place.

Although Zhou Yueqing couldn’t hear what was said on the other end of the phone, this instant change made her feel puzzled, and also gave her the impression that Qiao Nanqi seemed much easier to talk to than before.

So she seized the opportunity and said, “Mr. Qiao was just joking, right? Before, when I gave the medical team to Zhao Rong, didn’t you promise to be lenient and not continue helping Ruan Cheng deal with us?”

Qiao Nanqi glanced at Zhou Yueqing. All the emotions that shouldn’t have appeared on him, brought about by the name “Zhao Rong,” were suppressed, making Zhou Yueqing so cold that she forgot what she was about to say.

All his previous actions of retracting his sharpness seemed to be only because of that phone call; all his amenability was just an illusion.

He merely lowered his head slightly and said condescendingly, “Did I break my word?”

—No.

He had only asked a question, but Zhou Yueqing already had the answer in her heart.

Qiao Nanqi had only promised her not to help Ruan Cheng, but he hadn’t promised her that he wouldn’t act himself.

From beginning to end, she had assumed that this young master Qiao from Yangcheng would leave after helping the Ruan family a few times. Qiao Nanqi had never actually guaranteed anything or promised anything.

Zhou Yueqing’s expression grew increasingly unpleasant.

Qiao Nanqi had no mind to deal with her at this moment.

He turned to leave, but the hall was used for a banquet today, and only the main entrance was open for entry and exit.

Since Zhao Rong was coming, he would surely enter from there.

—At this moment, the person was already at the door. Ruan Cheng had hung up after a single sentence, so he must be meeting someone at the entrance.

Qiao Nanqi looked up at the upper level of the hall.

At the entrance.

Zhao Rong entered with Liang Youjun, and someone immediately stepped forward. He took off his trench coat, and a staff member took it to hang it in the inner room.

He himself disliked light-colored clothing. Today, he was still wearing a pure black shirt, with only a decorative brooch on the chest pocket, subtle but not monotonous. He didn’t possess the aggressive temperament of someone like Qiao Nanqi or Ruan Cheng; his nature was peaceful, yet this peace seemed carved from gold and jade, exquisite and noble.

People entering at the same time glanced at him and couldn’t help but stop and look a few more times.

Liang Youjun stepped forward and followed behind Zhao Rong.

He saw Ruan Cheng walking over with a young man, whom he vaguely recognized as a not-so-famous, rather low-key artist.

Liang Youjun whispered to Zhao Rong, “Boss, I’m familiar with this. Do you want to be a bit more like them?”

Zhao Rong hadn’t been to such occasions much before and didn’t pay much attention to such matters.

But he did know that in such settings, people of a certain status would more or less bring someone along, partly for appearances, and partly to avoid monotony during conversations. The people brought could be genuine partners, or simply companions.

He had been to such an event in Yangcheng once before, but he hadn’t brought anyone then. However, people in Yangcheng still considered him the third young master of the Chen family, so no one paid him much attention.

In this regard, Liang Youjun was indeed more experienced than him. He smiled and said, “Suit yourself.”

Liang Youjun linked his arm with Zhao Rong’s.

He was indeed very discreet; it was more like his wrist was gently resting on Zhao Rong’s arm, without any real force.

But from a distance, it certainly looked the part.

When Ruan Cheng stopped in front of Zhao Rong, his gaze unconsciously swept over Liang Youjun, looking at where Liang Youjun was holding Zhao Rong.

He smiled meaningfully, “So, Mr. Zhao’s taste is like this now?”

Zhao Rong’s eyes flickered, and he said casually, “What? What does ’now’ mean? Does Mr. Ruan know my taste from before?”

Qiao Nanqi was behind Ruan Cheng; both of them knew this implicitly.

Zhao Rong didn’t shy away from it.

The moment Ruan Cheng knew he was in Zhuxi, he didn’t expect to keep it from Qiao Nanqi. But now he had settled down, and his marriage to Lu Xingping had happened months ago. In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed since his breakup with Qiao Nanqi, so everything should be settled.

Qiao Nanqi… should have moved on, right?

It had been so long.

This person wouldn’t still be so persistent.

Zhao Rong collected his thoughts and walked inside, hearing Ruan Cheng ask him, “Why did you suddenly change your mind?”

“You said ‘suddenly’,” he smiled, “Of course, I suddenly felt like coming.”

Ruan Cheng walked very slowly, for some reason, as if he wasn’t in a hurry to go in at all, but rather wanted to stop and slowly admire the scenery—if there was any scenery here.

Zhao Rong had no choice but to follow his pace, slowing down.

As they entered, Zhao Rong also encountered Zhou Yueqing, who was just leaving.

For some reason, Zhou Yueqing’s face was very unpleasant.

Seeing him, Zhou Yueqing was startled.

She frowned, looked at Zhao Rong, then subconsciously turned her head to look inside the hall, and suddenly showed a look of realization.

But just as she was about to speak, Ruan Cheng said unhappily from the side, “Miss Zhou, Mr. Zhao is my guest today.”

Zhou Yueqing glanced at him.

After a moment, she said with an unclear meaning, “So that’s how it is.”

With Ruan Cheng there, she naturally wouldn’t linger and left.

Zhao Rong felt that the atmosphere between the two of them just now was a bit strange.

But the Ruan family and the Zhou family were already at odds, so it seemed normal for things to be strange.

He continued to go in with Ruan Cheng, and the two introduced their respective companions to each other.

In their conversation, Zhao Rong sensed that Ruan Cheng seemed very curious about the relationship between Liang Youjun and him. In a few words, there was an underlying inquiry about why Liang Youjun was by his side.

Actually, there was nothing to hide; Ruan Cheng wasn’t a stranger.

But Zhao Rong felt a bit strange, so he held back a bit and vaguely said, “I just brought him along when I came here. He had nowhere else to go, and I had no one by my side, so that’s how it is.”

This statement could be interpreted in any way.

Ruan Cheng still wanted to ask something, but Zhao Rong said, “Mr. Ruan, I came here this time not just to talk about the investment we discussed before.”

“You’re not going to invest in me again, are you?” Ruan Cheng deliberately showed a worried expression, “That would be difficult for me.”

“No, I also want to lead some projects myself. Of course, I have to start from registering a company, finding people, and building a team. I will handle these things slowly, but after that, I will still need to cooperate with Mr. Ruan. As for what to do… we discussed it when I was in Yangcheng.”

In these past few years, especially before Chen Da and Chen San fell, Zhao Rong found everything inconvenient except for entertainment. He indulged in it the most, even developing some ideas.

Some of these ideas, even in Yangcheng, Zhao Rong hadn’t seen anyone implement, let alone in Zhuxi, which was not as prosperous as Yangcheng. Although the Zhou family was an old hand in the entertainment industry here, they actually followed a relatively traditional path, without much novelty.

It wasn’t impossible to intervene.

What was needed was boldness.

Previously, Zhao Rong lacked this boldness.

“I remember…” Ruan Cheng narrowed his eyes, “At that time, I thought Mr. Zhao’s idea was very good, but your self-assessment was ‘inexperienced, simple ideas.’ Don’t you think so anymore?”

“People’s ideas aren’t always unchanging.”

That being said, this decision was actually made by Zhao Rong just a few minutes ago.

He had clearly deliberated for many days, constantly hesitating.

But sometimes decisions come so suddenly. It might be because of the novelty of this completely different circle from Yangcheng the moment he arrived, or it might be because of Zhao Ming’s repeated words, or even because the opening notes of the piano music he heard upon entering were a bit shaky, then slowly and smoothly ascended, which surprisingly resonated with his current state of mind…

He suddenly made up his mind.

Just as he had suddenly changed his mind to come, he also suddenly changed his mind, no longer wanting to muddle through life like this.

If he wanted to do it, he would do it.

Ruan Cheng seemed a little surprised by his sudden decision and reacted for a while before slowly saying, “How is it that I don’t meet you often, but every time, I feel like I’m just getting to know you?”

Zhao Rong just smiled and said nothing.

“That’s because Mr. Ruan has a broad vision and sees a lot,” Liang Youjun was clearly very adept at such occasions. He still held Zhao Rong’s arm and said jokingly, “Someone like me, when I see my boss, I just feel how lucky I am.”

They had been inside for a while, and the piano music had already changed.

Just now, it had been very smooth from beginning to end, but now it was reaching its conclusion, the notes getting lower and lower. It should have flowed smoothly and freely like a thousand-mile river, but just as Liang Youjun’s words fell, it suddenly trembled.

—Although the person invited to this party was highly skilled, why did they sound so inexperienced?

Zhao Rong thought, as Ruan Cheng picked up two glasses of wine from the side and handed him one.

He waved his hand, “I don’t drink.”

Liang Youjun looked around and said, “I don’t see any juice.”

At this moment, a waiter was clearing a table nearby that had clearly been used.

Zhao Rong first asked Ruan Cheng and the others to wait a moment, then walked over to the waiter and said, “Excuse me, could I have a glass of juice? Room temperature is fine.”

The other party naturally agreed and continued clearing the table with his head down.

But the waiter paused, then suddenly picked up a small item from the table.

“…Strange,” the waiter murmured to himself, “Did a guest leave this behind?”

Zhao Rong, who was about to turn around, had only subconsciously glanced, but when he saw the cufflink in the waiter’s hand, his steps halted, and his expression changed slightly.

Seeing the waiter about to take the cufflink to find its owner, he reached out and said, “May I see it?”

“Is this yours?” The other party placed the cufflink in his palm and asked him.

The cold touch of the metal transmitted through his palm, and the tangible feel in his hand combined with the close observation confirmed to Zhao Rong that he hadn’t mistaken it.

He was a little slow to react, but still said, “…Yes, it’s mine.”

Everyone who came here was wealthy or influential; it was impossible for anyone to lie for such a small cufflink. The waiter naturally didn’t doubt him, picked up the cleared items, and left.

Zhao Rong stood still, looking down at the small cufflink in his palm.

The cufflink had a swallow pattern, with a light blue gem for the swallow’s eye, subtly radiant, light and luxurious. The entire cufflink was plated with a silver-gray metallic color, clearly meant to match light-colored clothing.

This decorative gem was originally dark black, making it more understated.

When he bought it, he felt that the light blue striped white shirt suited Qiao Nanqi perfectly, and the swallow pattern on the cufflink also resembled the subtle, ethereal scholarly temperament of the man, but the cufflink was too understated.

Qiao Nanqi shouldn’t be understated.

So after buying that suit, Zhao Rong specifically found someone to replace the black gem on the cufflink with a light blue one.

This suit was not a custom-made style, nor were the cufflinks a limited edition sold only as a pair.

But this particular pair of cufflinks had light blue swallow eyes.

All at once, Zhao Rong recalled Zhou Yueqing’s strange reaction when she saw him leaving earlier, and Ruan Cheng’s eagerness to prevent Zhou Yueqing from saying a single word to him.

Qiao Nanqi…

Zhao Rong slowly clenched his fist, gripping the cufflink in his palm, and subtly scanned the scene.

If Qiao Nanqi were on the first floor, with his understanding and familiarity with him, he would have seen him at a glance when he entered.

With this thought, Zhao Rong slightly raised his head and glanced at the piano’s location on the third-floor platform.

Then, he withdrew his gaze, put the cufflink into his pocket, turned around, and walked back to where Ruan Cheng and the others were.

Liang Youjun had already toasted Ruan Cheng on Zhao Rong’s behalf. Seeing him return empty-handed, he said, “Boss, weren’t you going for juice?”

“I’ll get it later.”

“Oh.”

“…”

In front of the grand piano.

Qiao Nanqi sat on the piano stool, his back to everyone below, playing a tune that Zhao Rong might like, based on his limited memories and guesses.

The moment Zhao Rong entered, he was still watching.

But he only saw the bespectacled young man holding Zhao Rong’s hand, both smiling, walking in with Ruan Cheng.

He felt his eyes ache with distress and quickly turned around, pressing the piano keys. Unfortunately, his heart was too turbulent, and he pressed a few keys haphazardly.

Fortunately, Zhao Rong didn’t notice anything unusual.

He listened to Zhao Rong and their conversation, mostly unable to hear clearly, only occasionally catching some words when the music started, ended, or during a calm interlude when the surroundings were quiet.

The few things he heard were mostly exchanges between Zhao Rong and Ruan Cheng about cooperation plans, and the young man occasionally interjecting, his words revealing his understanding of Zhao Rong and the intimacy of their relationship. His heart grew increasingly bitter, but the tune he played had to be cheerful.

Qiao Nanqi felt as if he was torn in half, suffering immensely, yet he had to put himself back together perfectly, unable to show any pain.

Not long after, Ruan Cheng led Zhao Rong to meet other people from the Zhuxi area, and Qiao Nanqi could no longer hear what they were saying.

The person originally responsible for playing the piano had already been sent away by him. He sat there, playing to himself.

He used to often vent his emotions by playing the piano. Now, he didn’t know how long he had been playing, but the more he played, the more he found joy in his sorrow.

Zhao Rong was in a good mood.

Zhao Rong was no longer like before, when he was by his side, with no one to care for him, no one to accompany him during holidays, and even his birthday could only be celebrated with a simple bowl of longevity noodles made by Aunt Li. The things he had brought about, or caused by his negligence, would no longer happen.

Now, Zhao Rong’s surroundings were lively, he had company, he was no longer lonely during holidays, and he stood there, chatting animatedly with others.

All in all, he was happier than before.

—Zhao Rong was doing better now than before.

At some point, Ruan Cheng came up.

Qiao Nanqi’s fingers paused on the keys, and the piano music abruptly stopped.

“…Gone?”

“They called their own drivers, so I didn’t see them off.”

Qiao Nanqi said no more.

He sat for a while longer, thinking that Zhao Rong should have gotten into his car and left. Then he got up, went to the cloakroom where his coat was hung, put it on, and left the venue alone.

But as soon as he walked out the door, his steps suddenly halted.

By this time, night had fallen. There weren’t many tall buildings in Zhuxi, and the starry night shimmered faintly above, surrounded by dazzling lights.

Zhao Rong stood in front, one hand in his pocket, his expression somewhat indifferent. The face that often appeared in his dreams now seemed veiled in a hazy glow under the dim night, and for a moment, it truly felt as if he had walked out of his dream and appeared before him.

Zhao Rong’s coat was very loose, merely draped over him, barely hanging on his shoulders. The collar of his black shirt inside stood up slightly, encircling his neck, accentuating his elegant neck line.

Perhaps for the party, he wasn’t wearing a scarf as he usually did.

It looked as if the wind could directly blow into his collar.

Qiao Nanqi instinctively took a step forward, wanting to button up Zhao Rong’s coat.

The next moment, reason surfaced, pulling him out of the joy of seeing Zhao Rong up close.

He abruptly retracted his forward movement, stumbling back a step.

“I…”

He wanted to explain.

Zhao Rong just quietly looked at Qiao Nanqi.

Beside him, Liang Youjun dared not speak, watching the two of them in a standoff, silent as a cicada in winter.

Unfortunately, Young Master Qiao, who could be sharp-tongued in front of Ruan Cheng and suppress Zhou Yueqing with a few words, couldn’t utter a single word to defend himself in front of a silent Zhao Rong.

“…I’m sorry.”

He could only say that.