hollywood billionaire

Chapter 536 Night Tour of the Metropolis (Part 2)
Good evening, Ms. Horton.

Han Yi and Zhao Youzhen greeted Quincy Horton almost simultaneously, then turned their gazes to exchange nods and smiles with several museum staff members behind her. Their demeanor was composed and their manners impeccable.

"I apologize for disturbing you all at this time. I hope this has not disrupted your plans for the evening."

Han Yi raised his hands in mid-air, his tone relaxed, carrying just the right amount of apology.

"I just want to find a quiet time to see where we should put Klimt's works."

Holding a gold medal in one's hand makes all the difference. After saying this, Han Yi could feel the air in the entire exhibition hall seem to freeze.

As a woman, Yu-jin was even more perceptive and could notice even more. She could glimpse the eagerness that the staff member was trying to suppress in his pupils as they contracted and then dilated; she could see the hint of excitement that secretly overflowed from his polite and professional smile; she could hear the breathing that suddenly stopped and then became heavy again a few seconds later; and she could even notice Quincy Horton swallowing a mouthful of saliva and the small gesture of unbuttoning and then buttoning his suit jacket before answering.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is not without masterpieces—Edgar Degas's *The Dance Class*, Winslow Homer's *The Gulf Stream*, Caravaggio's *The Musicians*, Jacques-Louis David's *The Death of Socrates*, Emmanuel Leutzer's *Washington Crossing the Delaware*, Vincent van Gogh's *Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat*, and Claude Monet's *Bridge over the Water Lilies*… Each of these paintings holds an important place in art history due to their extraordinary uniqueness and pioneering spirit. But even among them, *Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II* is a timeless masterpiece whose brilliance cannot be overshadowed.

If they can actually snatch this painting from MoMA... then the Metropolitan Museum of Art will have a lot to tell in the first quarter of next year.

The contemporary art department here will also welcome its third prominent figure, following Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol.

“Mr. Han, you’re too kind. We work at a museum and have no plans for tonight or any other night.”

Quincy Horton shrugged and casually made a lighthearted joke about how museum staff were all bookworms, cleverly easing the tension and eliciting knowing smiles from his colleagues and the two distinguished guests behind him.

"Whether or not there is a plan, I don't think anyone wants to be stuck in the place where they work every day for too long."

Han Yi had no intention of exchanging pleasantries. On one hand, their unusual visit had forced the staff to extend their working hours, which made him feel somewhat guilty. On the other hand, he cherished the opportunity to revisit this place with Zhao Youzhen and hoped to make the most of every minute from this moment forward.

"So please don't keep us any longer. Yoo-jin and I will just look around on our own and leave when we're done." At this point, Han Yi suddenly remembered something and spread out his left hand, "Oh, please forgive my rudeness, this is my girlfriend and business partner, Zhao Yoo-jin."

“It is a great honor to meet you here, Ms. Zhao.” Quincy Horton shook Zhao Youzhen’s hand, her gaze shifting between the two women. She understood the needs of her two distinguished guests and knew exactly what she should do next. “Our curator, Mr. Hollein, was very excited to hear of your visit and has been looking forward to meeting you for months. As you know, Mr. Hollein is from Austria, and Klimt holds a special place in his heart for him. It is a pity that he is not in town at the moment, but he asked me to convey his sincere greetings to you and wish you a pleasant evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

"Please also convey my gratitude to Mr. Hollein for arranging this visit in such a short time." Han Yi placed one hand on his chest. "In addition, please tell him that I look forward to meeting him, which will surely be one of the proudest moments for him as an Austrian."

“I will certainly pass on your message, Mr. Han.” Receiving such a clear signal, Quincy Horton could no longer hide his joy. The deputy director of the Exhibitions and International Programs Department's chest heaved twice, and the corners of his mouth suddenly turned upwards into a bright smile. “Now, my colleagues and I will ensure that your evening visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art will not be disturbed. But please note, Ms. Zhao, Mr. Han, you may occasionally encounter some maintenance staff and security guards on night patrol. However, they have all been informed of your upcoming visit, so they will not approach you unintentionally.”

"To make your nighttime tour smoother and more comfortable, we have prepared two maps and two audio guide devices for you. If you need any further assistance during your tour, please feel free to call me—I believe your staff has already given you the number. Alternatively, just tell any staff member you encounter what you need, and they will assist you immediately."

"Thank you again for your visit. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is honored."

After speaking, Quincy Horton and his colleagues took a half step back, bowed slightly, and made a gesture of farewell. Then they quietly and quickly disappeared into the shadows at the entrance of the exhibition hall, leaving the area entirely to Han Yi and Zhao Youzhen.

About a minute later, the sound of the door closing drifted in from afar, the footsteps disappeared instantly, and the world fell silent.

The magnificent exhibition hall was empty, with only countless lifelike Hellenistic sculptures breathing silently under the soft nighttime spotlights, as if they were about to awaken. The air was filled with the unique atmosphere of a museum, a blend of old wood, varnish, and ancient time.

“Now, this place belongs to us.” Han Yi turned to Youzhen, smiling and extending his hand. The English words he spoke sounded particularly soft and clear in the empty hall.

"Say it again," Yu-jin whispered, placing her hand in his palm.

"Now, this place belongs to me..."

Before Han Yi could finish repeating his words, Youzhen wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss.

"I belong to you now."

After a long while, their lips parted, and Zhao Youzhen's eyes were filled with seductive charm.

The extreme romance displayed by the man before her through his wealth and power made her unable to resist.

He shut the whole world out just to welcome you in.

Tell me, which girl could resist this?

Of course, Han Yi didn't give her any room to restrain herself. He put his arm around Youzhen's graceful waist and leaned in, as if to absorb all her breath and soul.

The rapid breathing and intense heartbeats of the two people mingling together seemed to echo faintly between the classical sculptures cast two thousand years ago, more alluring than any Southern European serenade ever played beneath a lover's window.

"Nine months ago, when you first glimpsed me here, did you ever imagine that one day you would come back here with me and do this kind of thing?"

It's unclear how much time passed—perhaps just a moment, or perhaps an eternity—before the two slowly separated. Han Yi's voice was slightly hoarse with emotion as he brushed his fingertips across her slightly flushed cheek and softly asked...

"Do you think you're some kind of incredibly handsome guy?" Zhao Youzhen blinked at him, smiled, and replied in Chinese, "Nine months ago, when I first saw you here, I just thought it was such a coincidence, so coincidental that it was a little scary."

“Looking back now, maybe it was destiny.” Han Yi switched back to Chinese as well. “Yes.” Zhao Youzhen rested her head on Han Yi’s shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief. “From complete strangers to chance encounters, and on the other side of the entire United States, a chance encounter that we couldn’t avoid. I’m not religious, but every time I think of that day, I can’t help but feel that maybe there really is a God in this world, and that He arranged all of this. He wanted us to meet, He wanted us to be together.”

"Perhaps this is the truth."

Han Yi's left hand hovered in mid-air for a while before finally gently resting on Youzhen's back. He was now completely convinced that the future superstar with whom he had forged a close and unbreakable partnership, as described in the memo, was none other than Zhao Youzhen. He couldn't think of anyone else but her.

This way of forming a cooperative relationship is indeed close and unbreakable.

"Have we been to this showroom before?"

To stop Zhao Youzhen from thinking about theological questions, to stop himself from speculating on the ultimate meaning of the memorandum, and to seize this precious night and permanently etch it into their shared memories, Han Yi patted Youzhen and casually changed the subject.

"It seems not." Reluctantly leaving Han Yi's embrace, Youzhen looked around the room. "After we finished watching the Asian Hall last time, we went to eat, so we probably haven't been to this side at all."

"I remember that too." Han Yi nodded. "Shall we start our stroll from here?"

"it is good."

"Should we use the voice guide?"

"No." Youzhen shook her head firmly, took the two devices from Han Yi, and put them into her bag. "I want to talk to you."

“Okay.” Han Yi glanced at the map, then took Youzhen’s hand and walked towards the west side of the museum. “This is exhibition hall number 162, called ‘Lion-Levy and Shelby-White’s Courtyard,’ which is modeled after a villa courtyard from the Roman Empire.”

"It's spectacular."

Zhao Youzhen strolled to the center of exhibition hall 162, suddenly looked up, and her gaze met the deep night sky beyond the towering glass dome. She was astonished to discover that although the dazzling lights of New York wove a web of light, making the night sky seem unreachable and Manhattan utterly unrelated to stargazing, in this secluded tranquility, as she gazed intently upwards, she discovered clusters of stars beyond the dome, piercing through the entire city, quietly twinkling for her.

"What a nice view."

"I never expected to see stars in New York. I've never noticed them before." Following Yoo-jin's gaze upwards, Han Yi's heartstrings twitched slightly. Then, his gaze gradually moved downwards, passing over the silhouette of Jo Yoo-jin outlined in the dim light, and landing on the black marble fountain with a diameter of nine feet beside the two of them.

"look."

Following the sound, Youzhen's pupils contracted slightly. Water is nature's most beautiful mirror, and at this moment, the flowing water in the fountain reflected all the beauty in the Greek and Roman galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art: the elegant Ionic columns, the various Hellenistic sculptures, and the arched dome framing the entire starry sky.

The once distant stars beyond the dome now seemed to be under a spell, falling into the pool and transforming into countless tiny diamonds against the dark background. They appeared more tangible and denser and more dazzling than they did in the real sky.

A column of water quietly rises from the center, then transforms into countless droplets that gracefully fall, creating delicate ripples on the surface. It is this ceaseless rhythm that brings the underwater starry sky to life. The reflections of the stars ripple, deform, and shatter with the ripples, then instantly reform, as if not solidified points of light, but countless living, luminous fireflies, silently dancing and playing beneath the surface, weaving with nearby points of light to form a flowing galaxy.

"Look, there's a shooting star!" Youzhen pointed at the water, both surprised and delighted, and raised her voice, her clear shout echoing like ripples in the exhibition hall.

"Where?"

Han Yi frowned and observed carefully. Each star looked like a shooting star because each star was stretched by the ripples, creating swaying filaments of light.

"That's the one!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, Youzhen didn't have time to help Han Yi find the shooting star in the pool before she eagerly looked up at the night sky again.

Puzzled, Han Yi craned his neck along with her, straining to find the silver line in the sky that should have been so obvious. But no matter how hard he tried, the stars in the sky did not change their course for him; they simply remained silently in place, gazing at him and blinking their bewildered eyes along with him.

A moment later, still bewildered, Han Yi looked away and cast the image towards Youzhen, wanting to ask her where the shooting star she had seen was. However, he found that the girl had already clasped her hands together under her chin, closed her eyes, and was muttering something to herself.

In an instant, all of Han Yi's confusion turned into relief, which then transformed into a faint smile at the corner of his mouth and dissipated.

It turns out, she just wanted to make a wish.

"Thank you, boyfriend."

After a long while, Yoojin, who had made a long wish, finally opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of white air that could be seen to be shaped, and only spoke after it had completely disappeared.

"You've thanked me so many times today." Han Yi took her hand again and squeezed it tightly. "Thanking me again would be too formal."

"This thank you isn't because you brought me to the Metropolis tonight." Youzhen squeezed Han Yi's hand. "This thank you is for your willingness to keep this secret for me."

"The secret of the two of us... being together."

(End of this chapter)