Chapter 81

“Nianyi, I have to admit, these photos you took are very mature,” Sun Mengyao said over the phone after a brief pause. “But I can also see your hesitation. These pictures give me completely different feelings, so the emotions they convey are different too.”

Yu Nianyi held the phone in her right hand and carefully carried the takeout to the dining table with her left. She nodded. “Yes. Some were taken in my hometown, and some are from Songshan Park, where Xi Yu-jie and I went recently.”

“Mm, I’ve heard of Songshan. You captured it beautifully.”

“But scenery is only scenery. What matters most is how the creator sees it and how they express that.” Sun Mengyao asked, “Nianyi, do you have a concept in mind?”

Yu Nianyi sat down, her gaze falling on the takeout bag. Wang Jie’s restaurant logo was printed clearly on it, along with the dishes they usually ordered.

“Nianyi?” Sun Mengyao said.

Yu Nianyi smiled. “Mm, I’m here. I guess I still don’t have a strong enough idea.”

The line went quiet. After a moment, Sun Mengyao said, “How about this? I have some works I think are pretty good, and they might inspire you. You can look at how they were created and feel the emotions in them. If anything comes up, we can talk again anytime.”

Yu Nianyi nodded. “Thank you, Sister Mengyao.”

“Don’t mention it.”

After hanging up, Yu Nianyi let out a long breath. Her phone buzzed several times as Sun Mengyao sent her the images.

She skimmed through them roughly, then opened Xi Yu’s chat box.

Xi Yu had left early today. By the time Yu Nianyi was fully awake, only breakfast had been delivered to the table. Xi Yu also wasn’t coming back at noon, saying she didn’t have enough time and would just eat at the company.

Yu Nianyi looked at their last call record. It had only lasted two minutes and thirty-six seconds, and it had only been half an hour since they’d spoken.

If Jiang Chen said that was the case, then Xi Yu was probably still busy now.

Yu Nianyi tapped the input box. Her finger hovered over the keyboard for a long moment before she backed out.

Her finger then settled back on the chat window, and she slowly scrolled up through their message history.

It didn’t take long before she found the video Xi Yu had sent before the New Year, and she opened it.

“...There are quite a few Chinese people here; they’re setting off fireworks...”

Scattered pops of fireworks sounded, and faint laughter from women and men drifted in the distance.

Yu Nianyi glanced at the time. It was eight in the evening.

She lay down on the table and sighed to herself. Then she tapped Xi Yu’s icon and opened the chat box again.

[Yu Nianyi: When will Xi Yu-jie be back?]

[Yu Nianyi: Have you eaten?]

...

She didn’t know how long had passed before she vaguely sensed something familiar.

Xi Yu’s scent.

A strong jasmine fragrance.

Yu Nianyi couldn’t help inhaling it, then opened her eyes in a daze.

The bedroom light was still on. Xi Yu was sitting on one side of the sofa, her eyes lowered as she looked at her quietly. “Did I wake you?”

The light was still a little harsh. Yu Nianyi closed her eyes, instinctively hiding in Xi Yu’s shadow and burrowing into her arms.

“No...”

“Why didn’t you go back to the bedroom to sleep?” Xi Yu’s voice was very soft. Yu Nianyi could clearly feel herself being held in her arms; Xi Yu was stroking her hair, her fingers circling near her ear.

Yu Nianyi tightened her arms around Xi Yu’s waist, blinking slowly as she looked up at her. “I wanted to wait for Xi Yu-jie to come back.”

Xi Yu met her gaze, then raised a hand to Yu Nianyi’s cheek and naturally rubbed her earlobe. A tingling itch spread through Yu Nianyi’s ear; she shrank back slightly, then lifted her head and kissed Xi Yu’s chin.

“Xi Yu-jie, you worked hard,” Yu Nianyi murmured sleepily, still half-asleep, her voice soft and sticky.

Xi Yu curved her lips, looking at Yu Nianyi calmly.

“For the next while, I won’t be able to get off work on time.” Xi Yu leaned in, her hand slipping between Yu Nianyi’s legs as she lifted her up effortlessly.

Yu Nianyi’s head tilted to one side, and she settled steadily against Xi Yu’s shoulder.

“Next time, remember to go sleep in the bedroom. The sofa isn’t comfortable.”

Xi Yu carried Yu Nianyi toward the bedroom. The room was dark, and the curtains blocked out almost all the light. Yu Nianyi opened her eyes and could faintly make out Xi Yu’s blurred profile. She obediently nodded, trying to force herself awake, but she was still drowsy.

“Did you shower?” Xi Yu asked after a moment.

The bedroom fell quiet for a few seconds. Yu Nianyi slowly opened her eyes and, a beat late, nodded.

In the darkness, Xi Yu glanced at her, then slowly set her down before pulling back the quilt and covering Yu Nianyi with it.

“Sleep,” Xi Yu said.

Yu Nianyi lay on her side and, on impulse, wrapped Xi Yu’s hand in hers and brought it to her lips to kiss. “Do you have to get up early tomorrow?”

“I do.”

“Same as today?”

“Yes.”

“Then remember to wake me up tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“I want to see Xi Yu-jie off...”

“...”

“...We only spent a little time together today. I miss you so much.”

“I thought about you at dinner... in the car... and even at the park...”

“I also ran into that auntie from last time... She asked me why you didn’t come.”

The hand she was holding moved slightly, and Yu Nianyi’s hand was caught in Xi Yu’s palm. Xi Yu leaned down until their foreheads touched, then tilted her head and kissed her gently.

It was Xi Yu’s taste; a warm breath slipped in, carrying a dizzying fragrance.

Yu Nianyi stared at Xi Yu. “Did you drink?”

Xi Yu hummed softly, her lips slowly withdrawing. “Can you still smell it?”

“Of course.” Yu Nianyi tilted her head back and kissed Xi Yu’s mouth again. “My nose is very sensitive.”

Xi Yu smiled, then propped herself up. “Just a little.”

Yu Nianyi nodded, then heard Xi Yu say, “Songshan Park. Once I’m done being busy for a while, we’ll go together again.”

“Hehe, okay.”

“Sleep.”

“Mm.”

“Good night.”

Yu Nianyi hummed in response. “Good night.”

Then soft lips touched hers again, warm and jasmine-scented. Yu Nianyi smiled and finally let go of Xi Yu’s hand, satisfied.

-

“Nian Nian.”

Yu Nianyi frowned and opened her eyes through the blur. Xi Yu was sitting in front of her, looking down at her.

“Didn’t we agree last night that you’d get up to see me off?” Xi Yu asked in a low voice, smiling.

Yu Nianyi instinctively pulled the blanket over her head. After holding out for a few seconds, she yanked it down again and opened her eyes to look at Xi Yu.

Xi Yu was tying up her hair, winding an elastic band around it to secure it.

Hearing the movement, she looked over unconsciously. Yu Nianyi pulled back the blanket and sat up.

Xi Yu smiled. “Breakfast is on the table. Remember to eat it while it’s still hot.”

Yu Nianyi nodded and followed Xi Yu into the dressing room, watching as she put on her coat and wrapped a gray scarf around her neck.

Xi Yu walked to the door, and Yu Nianyi followed.

Xi Yu turned back, patted Yu Nianyi’s tousled hair, and said, “I’ll order takeout for lunch today. I’ll try to come back early tonight.”

Yu Nianyi nodded and took a few small steps forward, lightly hugging Xi Yu.

Xi Yu’s eyes curved; she lowered her head slightly and deepened the embrace.

After seeing Xi Yu off, Yu Nianyi no longer felt sleepy. She hurried through washing up and breakfast, then collapsed onto the sofa by herself and buried her head in the series of works Sun Mengyao had sent her.

Some she was very familiar with; some were especially niche and full of emotion. Every piece had its own distinct qualities.

Sun Mengyao’s exhibition was unquestionably an excellent platform. If she could show her work in Sun Mengyao’s gallery and gain some exposure, it would definitely be beneficial for her future development.

Whether she planned to take graduate entrance exams, work freelance, or go in another direction, it would all help.

Yu Nianyi sighed, and an inexplicable anxiety began to rise in her. But the more anxious she became, the harder it was to think clearly; it was difficult to calm down the way she once could when creating freely.

Her phone suddenly lit up with a call. The screen showed Sun Mengyao’s name.

Yu Nianyi quickly swiped to answer.

“Nianyi, are you free this afternoon?”

Yu Nianyi nodded. “I’m free.”

“Good. Then how about seven this evening, at the same restaurant we ate at last time? It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other; let’s have a meal together.”

“Okay.”

Yu Nianyi remembered that restaurant very clearly. She didn’t trouble Jiang Chen again and called a car herself.

It was the same private room as last time, except this time only Sun Mengyao and An Ning were there.

As soon as they saw Yu Nianyi come in, they both stood up at once and greeted her with smiles.

“You really came right on time. Traffic on the way?” An Ning asked with a smile.

Yu Nianyi nodded. “A little.”

Sun Mengyao pulled out the chair beside her and motioned for Yu Nianyi to sit first.

“I remember school doesn’t start for more than ten days. Why did you come so early?” Sun Mengyao asked.

Yu Nianyi said, “The exhibition starts in early April, and the schedule is pretty tight too. I wanted to come early and get things ready.”

Sun Mengyao nodded. “That’s true. This year’s schedule is a bit early. If you work it out carefully, these two days are also about the right time to confirm the theme and start drafting.”

She studied Yu Nianyi for a moment, then said casually, “Xi Yu really didn’t come with you. Wow, she really is a busy person.”

An Ning immediately laughed. “We mainly came to see Nianyi today. Now that she’s here, that’s enough.”

Yu Nianyi smiled. “Xi Yu-jie has been really busy at the company lately; she leaves early and comes back late every day.”

“Oh, right.” Sun Mengyao turned to An Ning. “I remembered. Sister, do you still remember? The last time we ran into Xi Yu at the restaurant.”

“I remember. She was talking business, wasn’t she?” An Ning said.

Sun Mengyao clicked her tongue a couple of times and said to Yu Nianyi, “Nianyi, you really should see what Xi Yu looks like when she’s working. She’s a completely different person from when she’s eating with you last time. That day, Xi Yu was basically the very image of a company boss; she was too serious, too intimidating. It’s only when she’s her usual self that she seems human.”

Yu Nianyi blinked, then couldn’t help laughing. “Is it really that exaggerated?”

An Ning laughed too and agreed, “It’s not exaggerated. After all, the first time anyone sees President Xi, they don’t dare to speak to her.”

“So Nianyi really is impressive,” Sun Mengyao said, changing the subject as she poured Yu Nianyi a glass of grape juice. The next second, a staff member opened the door and brought the dishes to the table.

Yu Nianyi could roughly guess the main reason for this meal. It might have been Sun Mengyao checking in on the progress of her work, or perhaps, because of Xi Yu, the two seniors who were already relatively well-known and experienced in the art world had come to reassure her.

“I heard from Xi Yu that you like drinking juice,” Sun Mengyao said.

Yu Nianyi looked at the liquid in the glass, took a sip, and nodded. “Yes. I picked up the habit while painting sometimes, and I never managed to change it later.”

Sun Mengyao laughed. “Hahaha, same as me. Although I have different habits when I paint.”

Yu Nianyi looked between them, and An Ning raised a hand to cover her lips as she smiled softly. “She has to listen to music while painting, and it has to be really upbeat music. She says only that can give her the desire to create.”

Sun Mengyao folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. “I’ve always felt that painting without listening to music is as strange as going out without shoes or walking without looking at the streetlights.”

An Ning spread both hands in a helpless expression.

Yu Nianyi laughed along, fully agreeing with Sun Mengyao’s view.

Throughout the meal, Sun Mengyao and An Ning talked to Yu Nianyi casually, like friends. They didn’t bring up the exhibition at all. Yu Nianyi had originally thought she’d still need to mind her words carefully, but now she had completely relaxed.

Only after getting to know them better did she realize how especially nice both of them were, and how funny they were too; they could always find so many interesting little things in life.

The meal was very pleasant. By the time dinner ended, it was already ten at night.

“Nianyi, how are you planning to get back?” Sun Mengyao asked.

Yu Nianyi looked at her phone. Xi Yu hadn’t sent any new messages. She locked the screen again and glanced around.

“We’re going in the same direction as Xi Yu’s place. We’ll drop you off on the way,” Sun Mengyao said.

An Ning also nodded. “It’s probably not easy to get a cab at this hour anyway. You can ride back with us. Don’t be polite.”

Yu Nianyi said, “Okay, then thank you, Sister Mengyao, Sister An Ning.”