Huayu 2015, the Artist of Light and Shadow

……

Lu Yunzhou's mother took Zhang Ruonan and her daughter for a casual stroll around West Lake.

Unfortunately, it was still too hot in Hangzhou in August.

After walking a few steps, the three of them were covered in sweat and had no motivation to appreciate the scenery of West Lake.

Finally, the three of them hid in the Yintai in77 shopping mall by West Lake to kill time.

Lu Yunzhou's mother paid the bill and bought some small gifts for Zhang Ruonan and her daughter.

With time running out, the three of them decided to go their separate ways.

"I just rented this place, so the conditions are rather basic. I won't invite you in. Tomorrow, I have to go to the suburbs to choose a location for a warehouse, so I'm afraid I won't be able to see you off."

"It's getting late. I've booked a hotel for you nearby, so you should get some rest. You've all had a tiring day."

Before leaving, Lu Yunzhou's mother arranged everything in an orderly manner.

Finally, she looked at Zhang Ruonan with great regret, and even couldn't help but pat her little head: "I really envy your family, three daughters and one son. It must be very lively, right?"

"Unlike my family, we only have one son, it's so quiet and lonely. I really hope he can get married soon and give me a few more grandchildren."

Zhang Ruonan's mother also felt a sense of empathy when she heard this.

As parents, watching their children grow from naughty kids into adults, the next thing to worry about is their marriage.

At this moment, the mother looked at Zhang Ruonan with affection and said modestly, "Although four children are lively, they can also be a headache when they get naughty. Especially their academic performance, it really worries me. In this respect, they are just like their father, not like me at all. I had excellent grades when I was a child."

"It's the same in our family."

Our family is different. My son has amazing musical talent, just like me.

Lu Yunzhou's mother chatted with Zhang Ruonan's mother for a few more minutes, then checked the time and said with some reluctance, "It's really time to go. Let's have a good get-together next time we're back in Wenzhou."

"Sis, let me see you off."

Zhang Ruonan and her daughter escorted Lu Yunzhou's mother to the subway station before waving goodbye.

……

Back to the hotel.

Seeing Zhang Ruonan gesturing to her new clothes with a big smile on her face, her mother suddenly asked, "How is it? Did Mommy trick you?"

"Why……"

Zhang Ruonan understood immediately and sighed softly in agreement, a perfectly timed look of regret on her face: "This auntie is a very nice person. I imagine her son is a good person too."

"Unfortunately, we were destined to meet but not to be together."

"I sincerely wish that the brother I've never met can find a gentle and lovely girlfriend."

Although the blind date didn't go well, she accepted the gift and, judging from her mother's opinion, seemed to have a good relationship with the woman.

Who knows, my younger siblings might even receive red envelopes from each other during future Spring Festivals.

Zhang Ruonan would give the highest score to such a generous person.

"Mom, try this hat on, it's really stylish."

"Really? Let me try it. You know what, it's actually pretty good. Xiaonan, look closely at me. With this hat on, only the lower half of my face is showing. Doesn't it have an Italian flair? This profile, doesn't it look like Monica Bellucci from 'Malèna'?"

Faced with her mother's malicious question, Zhang Ruonan nodded repeatedly with a serious face and full of conviction: "It's just like it! Mom, if I have the chance, I will definitely make a movie for you, and the name will be 'The Beautiful Legend of Rainbow Bridge Town'!"

The mother was immediately amused by Zhang Ruonan, but after laughing, she corrected him seriously, with a hint of arrogance, "What Rainbow Bridge Town? It should at least be 'The Beautiful Legend of Yueqing'!"

……

Zhang Ruonan had a good night's sleep in a star-rated hotel by West Lake and then enjoyed a buffet breakfast.

She was extremely satisfied with her trip to Hangzhou.

However, Hangzhou is a nice place, but it's not my home.

"Next month, Ms. Zhang Ruonan will make a triumphant return!"

The mother and daughter, carrying bags of their spoils, took the high-speed train back to their hometown.

The high-speed train journey from Hangzhou to Yueqing took more than two hours, and I arrived home just in time for my family's dinner.

"Dad, we're back."

Zhang Ruonan rushed into the house first and put all the bags on the sofa.

Seeing this, Dad couldn't help but ask, "How is it?"

Zhang Ruonan thought her father meant, "How did the blind date go?"

As she took a nice belt out of her bag and placed it on the table, she casually said, "Dad, this is a gift for you. As for the blind date... I'm sorry to disappoint you. The other person seemed very busy with work and didn't even come. You can't blame me for that."

To everyone's surprise, when Mom came in, she said with a serious expression, "I've found out, they're not acting as domestic agents for Italian brands. The profit margin isn't high that way."

"In addition, the wholesale price for goods sold in Italian department stores is only 3.6% of the original price, and you have to order 500 million yuan worth of goods at once. There are also offline stores to stock, so the upfront capital pressure is too great."

"They found a factory in Italy, registered a trademark there, hired a retired Italian designer, and then sold the finished products back to China, pretending they were Italian products, in preparation for building a mid-range luxury brand in China."

Profiteer!

This way, profits will at least double.

But it is indeed a good approach.

While trying on the belt, Dad said, "You should get to know them better and see if we can pull this off. They have relatives in Italy, and we have relatives in Spain too."

The mother shook her head, feeling that things weren't that simple: "Would someone who's been in business for decades just casually share their secrets? There must be a crucial point here that we haven't figured out. If we rashly imitate them, we'll definitely lose everything."

"What you said makes sense."

Dad admitted he had been a bit rash, nodded slightly, and said with a hint of admiration, "Their family is very decisive. They realized the leather business in Wenzhou wasn't doing well, so they went directly to Italy to find a new path."

"Their brothers are all very intelligent. If Xiaonan marries into that family, she definitely won't suffer."

Zhang Ruonan then realized what was going on.

Good grief, I wasn't going on a blind date at all!

It's clearly a smokescreen set up by my parents for their business investigation!

"Xiao Nan is still young."

Mom ruffled Zhang Ruonan's hair and said with a hint of regret, "However, that boy is really good-looking. He just graduated from the music academy, has a great temperament, and is very handsome. But he seems to be a workaholic, walking with a brisk pace. He must be a very decisive person."

Just graduated from music academy?

What does this mean?

Wasn't he supposed to be a 30-year-old "old man"?

Ah!

Zhang Ruoyao (Second Sister), you brat, how dare you lie to me!

"Mom, who are you talking about? I don't see them." Zhang Ruonan now felt that even if she died, she wanted to die knowing the truth.

The mother asked with a puzzled look, "Didn't you see? Didn't I give you a meaningful look when he came over?"

"I remember you clearly bumped into him face-to-face, and you even smiled at him. He smiled back at you too. What's wrong with you now? Have you lost your memory?"

Ah!

It's him?

That handsome young man with a unique charm!

Wait a minute, what does he actually look like?

Zhang Ruonan is now desperately trying to recall, but she can't remember what Lu Yunzhou looks like at all.

I only remember that one moment when our eyes met, the sunlight was streaming in from the window and fell on the other person's face, making their cheeks look almost translucent.

A halo of light shimmered on it.

Apart from that, all she remembered was that when Lu Yunzhou smiled, there was a slight curve at the corner of his eyes, and his eyes were deep and dark, like a calm sea.

Just like the sea in front of her house, it made her feel very close to it.

At this point, the father readily admitted his mistake: "It's also my fault for being a bit too hasty. Xiaonan is indeed still young; let's wait a couple of years before making a decision."

"When the time comes, I'll look at other suitable families. I'll find someone I know well, someone with good character, and someone whose family doesn't cause trouble."

No no no no no no no!

Zhang Ruonan's feet had already left the living room, but at this moment, she felt her feet suddenly become uncontrollable, and she was backed up in the same spot.

"Is there anything else?"

The father looked at Zhang Ruonan with some doubt.

Zhang Ruonan nodded earnestly, staring with her big eyes, trying her best to make her gaze look sincere and humble.

Seeing her father's brow furrowing deeper and deeper, Zhang Ruonan knew the time was right. She immediately switched to obedient and sensible mode, her voice becoming incredibly soft: "Dad, actually, I've thought about it carefully. It hasn't been easy for the family to raise me all these years. Besides, I'm already 18 years old, an adult. It's time for me to share the burden for the family!"

爸！

Give me another chance!

Please!