Surrounded by Wolves
Spring nights were cool and quiet.
Soaked deep in their vase, the roses had drunk their fill, their petals slowly unfurling. Crystal-clear, fresh and radiant.
Under cover of night, they were taken out and arranged into a proper display, carrying with them a soft patter of dewdrops. In the stillness of the late night, every drop sounded unusually clear.
One stem after another was tucked into the narrow opening of the slender vase until the mouth was completely filled. Fresh rosewater was then poured into the vase. The angles of each stem adjusted, anchored carefully in place.
The man of the house had a particular talent for flower arranging, with every movement refined and gentle. Coaxing them into their most striking form. A broad palm cradled the blossoms, watching them settle, obedient, into his hand.
The most well-behaved little roses, shaped entirely by his hand. A light touch was enough to send a sheen of rose dew glistening across the petals.
Late into the night, with no one watching, he quietly admired the languid beauty of the supple branches. As though every petal and leaf had surrendered completely to his hands.
Perfectly yielding.
~~
But Jiang Wu had always been the sort of person who knew she was wrong and dared to do it again anyway. So, the next day, Jiang Wu didn’t think she had done anything wrong. She firmly believed that Huo Qingzhi was seriously twisted!
His tastes were seriously twisted.
How could someone like him be that way?
He looked like such a proper, respectable man.
Jiang Wu was sitting in the restoration room, and even as she thought this, she could still feel a faint soreness along her hips, but there was no way she dared run away again and, with some embarrassment, she had to admit to herself—
That kind of pleasure was dangerously easy to become addicted to. Yet the moral restraint that was always there made her afraid to think too deeply about it.
How could she possibly become addicted to something like that with her brother?
Just then, Bu Yu, sitting beside her, also came across yesterday’s campus discussion thread. “Ah, that was your brother?”
Jiang Wu gave a stiff little smile. “Yeah. I didn’t expect it either.”
Bu Yu sighed. “Their School of Management really keeps things locked down.”
“The program itself isn’t open to everyone,” Yao Peixue explained. “It’s a small cohort. Not just anyone gets selected into it.”
“Other than yesterday’s opening lecture, none of the other classes allow students to sit in.”
Which meant the campus post only covered yesterday’s session. It had quickly ballooned into a massive thread.
Bu Yu no longer needed Jiang Wu to send her any photos. Several secretly snapped photos of Huo Qingzhi had already been posted in the thread, though the moderators kept taking down the unauthorized images just as fast.
With nothing better to do, Jiang Wu also clicked into the popular thread on the campus forum.
The original poster was probably a male student. [Observing a big shot’s lecture]
The attached photo, taken from the back of the room, showed the large screen up front, catching just a corner of Huo Qingzhi’s figure. Only the sharp outline of his features could be seen, along with the shoulders and sleeves of his coat and the long fingers arranging his lecture notes.
Nothing especially remarkable about the post itself, but since it didn’t show his face, the moderators had left it up, and it had since become one of the most popular threads on campus.
Jiang Wu still couldn’t bring herself to look directly at the man’s long fingers in the photo. Resting there on the clean white pages of his notes, a single tendon drawn taut with the motion.
It was difficult not to imagine how those same hands, only the night before, left her utterly helpless—how they had explored, lingered, and toyed.
She scrolled past the photo, just about to close the thread, when she suddenly noticed a highly upvoted comment that had been pushed to the top.
[I remember now. I remember everything. He’s the older brother of that senior, Jiang Wu, from our school.]
Below it was an old photo of Jiang Wu from her university days.
Jiang Wu’s lashes trembled. It was the same photograph a paparazzo had secretly taken of her three years ago. The photo had once spread all over the internet.
[Oh, it’s her.]
[Wait, the person in this photo looks really familiar. Is this the same one?]
[Image loading…]
Someone replied:
[Holy crap, big brother caught his little sister playing on her phone during class. No wonder he told her to move from the back row. Is he really that strict?]
[Looks like a strict dad. (Just kidding.)]
Jiang Wu clicked on it nervously, only to see that the image had failed to load.
Soon, the entire floor of comments was gone.
Jiang Wu unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Before long, every comment containing her name had also been deleted completely.
She left the thread, but throughout the entire day she still found herself checking it from time to time. Fortunately, no one mentioned her again, and no one mentioned that he was her brother.
Jiang Wu relaxed a little.
After they finished work for the day, the three of them went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.
Then, out of nowhere, she overheard someone at the next table say, “Didn’t our university’s Institute of Cultural Heritage have that goddess senior who got expelled?”
“Jiang Wu? Was she expelled? I thought she left after graduating.”
“That’s not important. What’s important is that I saw her tycoon big brother from Hong Kong yesterday.”
“I saw the post. I know. Huo Qingzhi is Jiang Wu’s brother.”
“They used to be brother and sister.”
“I never knew they had that connection.”
Jiang Wu swallowed her tea with some difficulty, but Bu Yu and Yao Peixue, by contrast, looked completely calm. They accepted the brother-sister relationship between her and Huo Qingzhi even more naturally than she did.
It was as though everyone already knew they were siblings and that really wasn’t a secret. It was hard to imagine.
This pair, who were seen by the public as the ideal older brother and younger sister, both elite professionals each in their own field — what really went on between them behind closed doors. Something forbidden seemed to exist between them, quietly taking root and growing stronger.
After dinner, Yao Peixue suddenly noticed, “You haven’t been going back to the dorm lately.”
Jiang Wu paused before reluctantly admitting, “Can’t help it. My brother is back in town.”
“He wants me to go home every day.”
Yao Peixue muttered, “He really is strict.” Then she remembered the question she’d asked earlier. “Oh, right. Does he interfere with you dating?”
Jiang Wu answered, “He catches me getting married.” Once he caught her, it would be straight to marriage.
Yao Peixue tried to smooth things over between the siblings. “Your brother must be doing it for your own good.”
Jiang Wu smiled and said goodbye to Yao Peixue and Bu Yu before heading home.
Huo Qingzhi was already back from work. He’d told her before dinner he’d cook for himself at home.
As soon as Jiang Wu entered the house, she spotted the plate of sweet-and-sour plum ribs he’d made, cooling on the kitchen counter. Their glossy, vibrant color seemed to beckon her closer.
Huo Qingzhi was cleaning up around the island counter. His fitted black knit shirt outlined his tall, well-built frame.
Seeing him busy, Jiang Wu wandered into the kitchen to get some yogurt, grabbed a pair of chopsticks along the way, and, while Huo Qingzhi wasn’t paying attention, secretly stole a piece of rib.
The tangy sweetness, balanced by the rich savory flavor, spread across her tongue.
Happily chewing on the bone, Jiang Wu turned around and immediately found Huo Qingzhi leaning against the doorway, watching her with unhurried amusement.
Jiang Wu looked away. “I was just checking whether it had gone bad.”
Huo Qingzhi raised an eyebrow. “Did it?”
“No. It’s pretty good.” Jiang Wu tossed the bone into the trash, gave the kitchen another casual once-over, and wandered off as though nothing had happened.
Huo Qingzhi remained where he was, watching her pass by. Then, unhurriedly, he asked, “Who wrote that piece of calligraphy in the study?”
Jiang Wu was caught off guard. “He didn’t tell me who he was. Maybe he’s a retired man around here who enjoys calligraphy.”
Huo Qingzhi nodded.
Indeed, Old Master Wen practiced calligraphy as a hobby. Whether he truly regarded it as merely a hobby was another matter. What mattered was the identity of the person who had written it.
“Next time you see him, bring him a gift.” Huo Qingzhi handed her a box.
Jiang Wu wasn’t even sure she’d have another chance to see the old man again. “I did give him my card, but he hasn’t contacted me.”
She opened the box Huo Qingzhi had given her. Inside was a painting — an antique piece of calligraphy or art, not especially valuable, more of a modest courtesy gift.
Jiang Wu understood what he meant, having accepted something from the old man, so naturally she should give something in return. “Okay.”
She was about to put it away in her cabinet when Huo Qingzhi stopped her as she passed in front of him. “What are you supposed to say now?”
Jiang Wu knew perfectly well what he wanted to hear, but deliberately refused to say it. “I’ll give you one back next time.”
Huo Qingzhi watched her scurry back to her room, with one eyebrow lifting slightly.
Honestly, though, Jiang Wu really had no idea when she would see that old man again. For all she knew, he might have already thrown away the business card she’d given him.
Fortunately, it was the weekend. Yao Peixue invited Jiang Wu to stroll around nearby Qingyi Garden.
Yao Peixue said there was an old structure in Qingyi Garden that had been closed for several months for maintenance and restoration. It had recently reopened, and there had been a lot of visitors.
It was probably also because spring had arrived, bringing warm weather and flowers in bloom. More and more people were coming out to enjoy the spring scenery and tour the garden.
As Jiang Wu walked through the grounds with Yao Peixue, she saw many people taking pictures at the entrance—photographing the garden’s plaque and doorway.
Freshly repainted.
Clearly just finished.
Jiang Wu walked closer and suddenly saw four large characters: Spring Harmony, Bright Scenery.
How should she put it?
The calligraphy looked very familiar. It looked almost exactly like the one hanging at home.
Then Jiang Wu heard an older man nearby remark, “A gentleman with a wall full of honors really does write differently from ordinary people. Just looking at it gives you a sense of peace and prosperity.”
Jiang Wu turned to look. But a moment later, she reconsidered. Maybe it only looked different because she remembered it incorrectly.
Jiang Wu and Yao Peixue wandered around the garden for a while when, out of nowhere, Jiang Wu received a phone call.
An unfamiliar number.
She answered. “Hello?”
A familiar elderly voice came from the other end, cheerful and lighthearted. “It’s me. ‘Spring Harmony, Bright Scenery.’”
Jiang Wu was a little surprised, but she recognized him immediately. “Oh, it’s you.”
“I’m sorry to bother you when you’re resting,” the old man said, sounding a little embarrassed. “But we have a painting at home that’s developed some mold spots. I tried wiping them off a couple of days ago and somehow made it worse.”
“I didn’t want to trouble you, but I’m honestly out of options. Would you have time to come take a look?”
“Of course.” Jiang Wu had been wondering how to return the favor anyway.
The old man laughed. “I’ll pay you according to your usual rate.”
“No need for that.” Jiang Wu agreed and arranged to visit him on Sunday.
She took the painting Huo Qingzhi had given her and went to the appointment. Following the address the old man had given her, she found the place.
The address led to a back entrance. It was tucked away in an unremarkable little alley. Yet the more Jiang Wu looked around, the more familiar everything seemed. As though she’d seen this place somewhere before.
The alley was lined with connected residences with several households, but with large courtyards, hard to tell where one ended and the next began.
Jiang Wu walked around once, stopped in front of the door to confirm the address, then gripped the bronze door ring and knocked. An auntie soon came out to open the door and greeted Jiang Wu.
Jiang Wu briefly explained why she was there, and the woman invited her inside.
“The old man told me you’d be coming today.” The auntie led Jiang Wu into the courtyard. “He’s been waiting for you in the front hall.”
Jiang Wu acknowledged her as she followed her through the pavilions and courtyards into a classical-style garden.
The garden was small but exquisitely designed, with winding paths that seemed to curve endlessly. From a distance, Jiang Wu could make out what looked like several smaller courtyards tucked into different corners.
The courtyard was filled with carefully restored rockeries and stonework, clear green ponds, and a stone bridge leading to a large patch of newly planted lotus flowers.
The housekeeper led Jiang Wu through several twists and turns until she was beginning to lose her sense of direction. Only then did they reach the residence in the rear courtyard.
Jiang Wu thought they had finally arrived, but the housekeeper led her through the central courtyard and into yet another compound. This area felt even more lived-in than the rear courtyard.
Apparently, the family let two large orange cats roam freely. Jiang Wu spotted one sprawled along the top of a wall, basking in the sunlight. Its fur gleaming gold in the light, giving it an unusually regal air, and a tiny red-cord bell hung around its neck.
Looking at it, Jiang Wu suddenly missed Bingbing a little.
She pulled her gaze away, only to be distracted again by the vases and furnishings in the central courtyard. “That celadon…”
The auntie followed Jiang Wu’s gaze and simply smiled. “Just an old family piece.”
“…” That “old family piece” happened to be a piece of history too.
Jiang Wu stepped into what looked like a reception hall and saw neatly arranged solid-wood furnishings, calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, and cabinets filled with porcelain, jade, and various bronze carvings.
While she was distracted by the surroundings, the auntie gestured toward the room ahead. “We’re here.”
It appeared to be a study beside the reception hall, decorated in a similar style. The auntie indicated the room. “Please wait here for a moment. I’ll go get the old man.”
Jiang Wu nodded and thanked her.
After the auntie left, she wandered around the study for a while. Her attention was caught by one of the folding screens, and she followed the panels inward, one after another. At the far end, Jiang Wu came across a cabinet, unannounced.
The cabinet was enclosed behind protective glass. Through it, she could make out a neatly pressed dark-green uniform. She couldn’t make out the rest clearly, only the rows of medals and service honors displayed above it. Almost instantly, she realized what she had stumbled upon and hurriedly stepped back out.
Pretending she hadn’t seen anything, Jiang Wu stood properly to one side of the study. Just then, the old gentleman walked in from outside. “Have I kept you waiting?”
“No, I just got here.” Jiang Wu took out the box. “I really liked the calligraphy you gave me last time.”
“My family and I felt bad accepting such a beautiful piece without giving you anything in return, so I brought this for you.”
“Oh, you really don’t have to.” The old man waved his hand. “You’re being too formal. Take it back.”
Jiang Wu simply placed it on the table beside him and opened the box. “Why don’t you look at it first? You might like it.”
“I won’t.” The old man turned his head away. “Take it back, take it back.”
Jiang Wu unrolled the painting and spread it out in front of him. The old man paused. For a brief moment, his expression softened. He looked at the painting, then at her.
Jiang Wu smiled brightly and met his gaze.
“All right, all right.” The old man turned and went to the cabinet beside him. After rummaging through it for a while, he took out a small object.
Then he generously held it out. “I’ll trade with you.” It was a jade qilin seal, and it had clearly been around for quite some time.
His manner was almost childlike, like a child swapping favorite treasures with a good friend.
Jiang Wu couldn’t win against him. “Okay.” At worst, she could make sure to properly take care of all these old treasures in his house.
The old man went to retrieve the painting with mold spots and showed it to Jiang Wu. After a quick inspection, Jiang Wu found that the mold was relatively minor. Fortunately, he had contacted her as soon as the painting showed signs of damage. It wouldn’t be difficult to deal with.
The old man sat opposite her and watched as she used a small brush to gently clean the painting. “Am I causing you trouble?”
“Not at all.” Jiang Wu answered honestly. “This trip wasn’t a waste at all. I’ve learned so much just by coming to your home.”
“Hahaha.” The old man laughed. “I was actually worried you’d find our home boring. It’s full of old things passed down through the family. I’m one of them too.”
“How could I?” Jiang Wu was genuinely surprised by what he said. “Things like these in your home are hard to find anywhere else.”
“I really like places like this.” Jiang Wu had always loved beautiful things with a sense of history. And since this was already her field of study, the place was practically paradise to her. She could sit almost anywhere and spend hours looking at everything.
The old man laughed when he heard that. A hearty, resonant laugh.
“I mean it.” Jiang Wu thought he didn’t believe her. “I wish my home looked like this.”
The moment she finished speaking, footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by the housekeeper’s voice. Someone had apparently arrived.
The auntie was telling the visitor, “The old master is receiving a guest.”
“I know.” The person didn’t seem concerned about whether the old master was receiving anyone and walked straight inside.
Jiang Wu was sitting in the room, and the voice sounded vaguely familiar. She looked up and came face-to-face with Wen Ciying.
Wen Ciying stood at the doorway; her gaze moved back and forth between the two of them, and she sighed helplessly. “Grandpa.”
Jiang Wu’s eyes widened. “Grandpa?!”
The old man smiled. Then cheerfully answered, “Eh!”
It wasn’t clear which of them he was answering.
For a moment, the room fell completely silent. Even the wind outside the window seemed louder than before. It stirred the branches and leaves with a rustling sound that surrounded them, making Jiang Wu’s heart tremble as well.
She stood frozen for a long time, unable to believe what she was seeing. For one fleeting moment, she wondered if she’d eaten poisonous mushrooms and was hallucinating.
Wen Ciying knew at a glance that Jiang Wu had been tricked into coming here.
When Jiang Wu first mentioned that she was coming to Beijing, Wen Ciying had mentioned it to the old man, and the old man had urged her to bring Jiang Wu home.
Wen Ciying had also explained that Jiang Wu wasn’t ready yet and needed some time. Then, the moment she wasn’t watching, the old man had managed to trick the girl into coming home. The old man was quite capable.
“Oh, come on.” The old man knew exactly what Wen Ciying’s expression meant. “I know.”
“Look, Wenni came willingly enough, didn’t she? You’re just no good at coming up with ways to bring her here.”
He repeated what Jiang Wu had just said. “Wenni even said that she wished her own home looked like this.”
He clapped his hands. “See? Her wish came true already.”
Wen Ciying gave a helpless little laugh and looked toward Jiang Wu. Jiang Wu was still holding the little brush, completely unable to process what had happened. No wonder this place seemed familiar. She had been here before!
She just hadn’t come inside. Last time, Wen Ciying took her through the front entrance. Today, she’d come in through the back. She had assumed the old man simply preferred to keep a low profile.
When Jiang Wu finally came back to herself, all she managed was, “Ah?”
“No, wait. That can’t be right…”
She began counting it out. “The day I met you…”
“I’d been squatting there for several days.” The old man seriously began imparting his wisdom. “It’s close to your workplace. Of course, you’d wander around there when you had nothing to do.”
“And the moment you came in, I knew it was you. Yingying had shown me your photo, so you were easy to recognize.”
Otherwise, why would he have gone to such lengths to put those antiques on display up on the hill?
He had spent a long time choosing one he liked best, figuring that she would probably be interested in it too.
Wen Ciying looked at the little brush in Jiang Wu’s hand. “You tricked her into coming here to work for you?”
The old man laughed and took Jiang Wu’s tools. “All right. This painting didn’t actually need you to clean it today. I just needed an excuse.”
“Where there’s a will, there’s always a way.”
He didn’t make Jiang Wu stay either. “Yingying, take her around the house first. Stay for lunch at noon.”
“What do you like to eat? I’ll have someone prepare it.”
Jiang Wu moved her lips, but after a long moment, all she could manage was, “Anything is fine.”
“Good.” The old man already had a plan in mind. With his hands clasped behind his back, he happily went off to make arrangements.
Jiang Wu watched his retreating figure, still unable to process everything, until Wen Ciying led her away.
Wen Ciying said something else, but Jiang Wu didn’t hear a word. She was still completely absorbed in the shock of what had just happened.
This was Grandpa?
Grandpa???
Wen Ciying gestured for her not to be surprised. “Grandpa’s always been like this. The older he gets, the more childlike he becomes.”
Jiang Wu finally came back to herself.
Wen Ciying led her into the front courtyard. “He’s mentioned several times that he wanted you to come over and spend some time with the family.”
Jiang Wu looked at her awkwardly. “I wasn’t ready yet.”
It was a good thing Huo Qingzhi had told her to bring a gift. Otherwise, showing up empty-handed wouldn’t have felt right.
“I know.” Wen Ciying led her across an arched bridge, and they had basically reached the residential area. “Actually, you don’t need to prepare anything. You just need to be willing.”
The eldest uncle and aunt had originally lived in the eastern courtyard, while Wen Ciying’s family lived in the western courtyard. But the eldest uncle’s family was often away, so it was usually Wen Ciying’s family who stayed here.
The buildings were linked together, clustered around one another with a powerful sense of family unity.
The courtyards were modeled after traditional architecture, while the interiors were modern residences done in a contemporary Chinese style. Lush greenery filled the grounds, framed by gray brick and glazed roof tiles.
Vines climbed the walls and windows, while broad swaths of sunlight streamed freely inside.
The family had already prepared a room for Jiang Wu as well. It overlooked a small stream and pond in the courtyard, with willow branches hanging down like a curtain of beads. The large windows let in an abundance of sunlight.
At first glance, Jiang Wu felt as though she were staying somewhere inside a park.
“Let me know whenever you want to come stay.” Wen Ciying looked at her. “Though it’s a little far from where you work right now.”
Jiang Wu nodded. She did rather like the room. It was furnished with natural wood, facing directly toward the garden in the courtyard.
Wen Ciying brought her inside and showed her. “Your gifts from Uncle and Aunt, as well as from Mom and Dad, are all on your desk.”
“You can take them all home. That way they’ll know you’ve accepted everything.”
Jiang Wu thought that made sense, but when she saw the mountain of gifts in the room, she changed her mind.
“I can’t carry all of this. I’ll just pick a few to take with me. Help me tell them, okay?”
Jiang Wu moved closer and looked at the pile. “Why are there so many?”
Wen Ciying leaned against the doorway and counted them out for her. “It’s not that many. They’re all little things.”
“One for your first visit, one for your birthday, and one for New Year.”
They had given her gifts like these back in Hong Kong too.
Wen Ciying thought for a moment. “Mom may have added a few things of her own.”
“Oh, right. My younger cousin from Uncle’s family asked me to give you something before she left for training this time.”
Jiang Wu felt a little embarrassed. “But I didn’t give her anything.”
“You’ve already prepared more than enough.” Wen Ciying took out the box. “Before the New Year, didn’t you have someone send the family a whole set of silver filigree jewelry and vessels? Everyone got something.”
Jiang Wu froze. Wen Ciying’s words churned through her mind.
Silver filigree…
She had never sent those things, but who had actually sent them in her name was almost immediately obvious. He had given her one himself at New Year, too.
Silver filigree was a traditional heritage craft. It wasn’t so extravagantly expensive that it would make someone feel burdened by the gift, but for a family like theirs, it was especially appropriate.
Wen Ciying opened the box. “Here, a small Qilin pendant bracelet.”
“This seems to be a keepsake from her first national championship. It’s made with gold, jade, and enamel.”
“Wasn’t this important to her?”
Wen Ciying smiled. “She has a whole collection by now.”
“Still not the same.” Jiang Wu said, looking at the delicate charm. “Your first championship is always special.”
Wen Ciying nodded. “True. She said wearing this bracelet would bring her good luck.”
“So, she gave it to you, hoping it’ll bring you a little more luck from now on.”
Jiang Wu took it and smiled. “Why would she think my luck’s bad? I’ve already been very lucky.”
Wen Ciying simply explained the situation at home. “They all know what happened to you in Hong Kong.”
“They also know that, so you stayed there alone so you wouldn’t get them dragged into it while your work situation was unsettled, and you had to endure harassment from those uncles and elders and the media.”
“Everyone at home feels they owe you an apology.”
Jiang Wu fell silent for a moment. She hadn’t expected them to see things this way. She had assumed they would think she was trouble.
Jiang Wu looked at her. “Did you make me sound that pitiful to them?”
“I wouldn’t dare go around telling people about your family’s affairs. I signed a confidentiality agreement with your eldest brother, after all.” Wen Ciying looked at her with a smile. “Sounds more like someone has been regularly sending them updates about you.”
“They knew about some things even earlier than I did.”
Jiang Wu stared at Wen Ciying, silent for a long time. She wanted to ask who it was, but the answer seemed obvious. That person had been sending those updates over here with clear intent behind it. An intent that only made sense because he understood her well enough to know exactly what to send.
The person sending the updates was probably the same person who had been sending gifts on her behalf. He had sent all her grievances to this family, on her behalf. Showing everyone here that she wasn’t what the internet had made her out to be, not what people online had condemned her for.
That she was actually a child worthy of being accepted by this unfamiliar family. A child worthy of their affection.
~~
When Jiang Wu went home intending to ask Huo Qingzhi about it, she received a message that he had temporarily returned to Hong Kong to deal with some matters. He would probably be back in about a week.
Jiang Wu didn’t rush to ask him. Some things were better clarified in person.
Huo Qingzhi told her that no one was home, and if she was afraid, she could go back to the dormitory for a while.
Jiang Wu was indeed a little scared of staying in the house alone. But after living in the dorms for too long, she also felt somewhat constrained there. So, she continued with her usual routine—at school on weekdays, home on weekends.
Gu Jingsong invited her to go to the film and television studio lot with him on Saturday.
It was Jiang Wu’s first time there. After asking about what she should wear, she chose a mamian skirt that would be suitable for visiting the set.
Gu Jingsong was a film major, after all, and while they were there, he casually took a couple of photos of Jiang Wu.
She liked them very much. Perhaps the weather had been especially beautiful that day, or perhaps the season was simply at its perfect moment.
Even through Gu Jingsong’s camera, it looked as though spring flowers were blooming everywhere.
As a return favor, Jiang Wu treated Gu Jingsong to dinner at Changchun Garden that evening, which was not far from either of their homes.
Sitting across from Gu Jingsong, Jiang Wu held his camera and looked through the photos. She picked out a large number of them and couldn’t help sighing. “Your professional eye really is something. What if I hire you for a whole day, would this meal be enough?”
Gu Jingsong laughed. “They’re only two photos. Of course it’s enough.”
Jiang Wu’s eyes shifted slightly. “Then can I ask you for one more favor?”
“Sure. What is it?”
Jiang Wu held up her phone to show him. “Can you help me decide which of these cufflinks, tie, and belt would be better as a gift?”
Looking at the pictures she had already selected on her phone from across the table, Gu Jingsong paused. At a glance, he could tell she was buying them for a man. He didn’t answer right away.
After a moment of silence, he patted the seat beside him. “It’s too far away. Come sit here so I can take a look.”
Jiang Wu walked around the table and sat beside him. “I’ve actually been choosing for a while.”
“But I can’t decide which of these three is better. Giving him all three would feel a little too much.”
After all, Huo Qingzhi had helped her quite a lot. She wanted to give him a gift.
Seeing her sit down beside him, Gu Jingsong shifted closer to her and took the phone from her hand. “A belt is too personal. Go with the cuff links or the tie.”
In the end, they settled on a tie. Gu Jingsong asked, “Do you think this color is a little too dark?”
“He likes colors like this. I was actually thinking of picking something brighter for him.”
But Huo Qingzhi wasn’t Huo Yingli.
Gu Jingsong, hearing that, lowered his eyes slightly. “People who like this kind of color usually have a darker side to them, generally.”
Thinking of how Huo Qingzhi really did have a somewhat dark side, Jiang Wu smiled instead. Once she had settled on the gift, she set her phone aside. “You really know a lot about this. Do you study color psychology or something?”
Gu Jingsong noticed her reaction, and his thoughts grew heavier. He set down his wineglass. “We study photography, composition, things like that. When you see enough of it, you naturally start noticing color, too. But that’s only part of it. There’s also scriptwriting and things like that.”
Jiang Wu nodded in understanding. “Then I have a question.”
“If a character has always lived a good life, and she herself doesn’t feel that she has suffered or struggled.”
“But when the narrator describes her, they always feel that her circumstances are tragic, that she’s pitiful, that she has suffered so many grievances.”
“Would the audience feel that it’s fake?”
Gu Jingsong was silent for a moment before answering her. “Things can always be described from different perspectives.”
“It depends on whose perspective we use to understand the character.”
“If, objectively speaking, a character is doing quite well.”
“But the narrator always feels that she’s missing something, that something has been taken from her, that she has suffered a lot, that things have actually been hard for her.”
“Then it’s probably the perspective of someone who loves her.”
Jiang Wu’s casual expression suddenly froze for a moment. Gu Jingsong’s words caught her thoughts and left her momentarily stunned. She stared at him, unblinkingly.
Gu Jingsong realized something was wrong, but by then it was too late to take the words back.
Meanwhile, Huo Qingzhi had just returned from Hong Kong and, seeing that it was still early, he drove to Changchun Garden near the school to pick up some takoyaki for Jiang Wu.
He got into the car and had just started the engine when, through the glass storefront, he suddenly caught sight of two familiar figures in a private booth by a second-floor window. They were sitting very close together, side by side like a couple in love.
From his angle, their closeness looked almost unbearably intimate.