Deep Fog Kiss

"Gu Zhishen".

She spoke softly, licking her lips.

"Hmm?" The man raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I--"

Before Jiang Li could finish speaking, her phone suddenly rang in her bag.

She shuddered, and the thought of rushing at him vanished from her mind in an instant.

Jiang Li picked up her phone, glanced at it, and then went inside to answer the call.

"Jing Cheng?"

Gu Zhishen's eyes narrowed as he watched her walk in.

Jing Cheng? That man?

They're calling each other so intimately!

Jiang Li changed her shoes, phone in hand, and walked inside. "Is something wrong so late?"

"It's nothing important, I just wanted to ask you—"

"I drank the honey water."

Before Xiang Jingcheng could finish speaking on the phone, he was interrupted by a clear, crisp voice from above.

Jiang Li suddenly looked up and saw a hand with a wrist bone as smooth as jade appear before her eyes. The fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, holding a glass of water.

Seeing that she didn't take it, Gu Zhishen stretched out his hand in front of her again, "Sober up, so you won't talk nonsense."

Before Jiang Li could even process what was happening, she took it with her hand.

As he withdrew his hand, the man's fingertips inadvertently brushed against her fingers.

Her heart skipped a beat, and when she looked up, the man's eyes remained calm and undisturbed.

"Ginger pear?"

The voice on the other end of the phone pulled her back to reality, "Was someone talking to you just now?"

Jiang Li looked over and saw Gu Zhishen leaning against the bar counter, not saying anything, but not leaving either.

"Oh, my uncle."

"Uncle?" Xiang Jingcheng asked with a gentle smile, "Are you still at your uncle's house so late?"

"He..." This question was indeed difficult to answer, so she casually said, "I just happened to be passing by when I came to see him."

Upon hearing this, Gu Zhishen's eyes darkened as he stared at the girl's profile as she made the phone call, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, right," she quickly changed the subject, "what did you just say you wanted to ask me?"

"There's an alumni gathering this weekend," Xiang Jingcheng asked. "Are you going?"

Jiang Li thought for two seconds, then said, "I won't go."

While studying abroad, she preferred to be alone and didn't make many friends. She was closer to Shen Nianchu, and the two are now best friends and business partners.

As for the others, they were nothing special to her. Even if they met at a gathering, they would just exchange a few pleasantries and go through the motions before starting to brag and compare themselves to others.

Most parties are like this, incredibly boring.

"Since you're not going, I'm not really interested either," Xiang Jingcheng said with a smile. "However, there's an event this weekend that you might be interested in."

"What?" Jiang Li asked.

"An exhibition of paintings by the master Huang Huaixu." Xiang Jingcheng's voice was gentle. When they were in school, he had noticed the information form that Jiang Li filled out. In the column for favorite artist, she wrote "modern painter Huang Huaixu".

Upon hearing this, Jiang Li suddenly looked in Gu Zhishen's direction.

The man sat on the sofa, flipping through a thick art book. On the cover, the three large characters "Huang Huai Xu" were extremely artistic.

In fact, when she was a teenager, Jiang Li didn't understand art and couldn't appreciate art exhibitions.

Gu Zhishen did take her to see several works, all of which were by the master "Huang Huaixu".

Having seen a lot, she has come to understand it somewhat.

Huang Huaixu is a benchmark figure in the history of modern art for the "integration of Chinese and Western art". He advocated "formal beauty" and "abstract beauty" and broke down the barriers between traditional Chinese painting and oil painting.

She discovered that Gu Zhishen particularly admired the master's paintings.

Later, when others asked her if she had a favorite artist, she would answer without hesitation, "Huang Huaixu."

In those years, her hobby was Gu Zhishen's hobby.

Her habits were Gu Zhishen's habits.

Even she herself didn't realize that over the long years, she had picked up many of his similar habits.

She couldn't even tell whether she liked what her friend liked or what he liked.

"Are you free this weekend?" Xiang Jingcheng asked.

Jiang Li looked away. "Let me check the time."

There's been a bit of a problem at the company, and she's not sure if she'll be free this weekend. "If I am, I'll let you know in advance."

"Then I'll wait and see."

When Jiang Li finished her call and looked up, the man also looked up from his book at her.

Those silent eyes held a silent scrutiny.

After finishing her honey water, Jiang Li stepped forward and smiled, "Uncle, thank you this morning."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"I need your help urgently." Jiang Li waved her phone in her hand. "This money is borrowed, and I will pay it back."

"However, I may not be able to pay it back immediately; I'll have to pay it back slowly."

Jiang Li put her hands behind her back, strolled forward, gave a slight bow, and asked playfully, "Uncle, aren't you in a hurry?"

Gu Zhishen looked at her, his deep eyes unfathomable.

His gaze fell on the dimples at the corners of her cherry-red lips, then looked into her smiling eyes. "Whatever you like."

Jiang Li straightened up, smiled faintly, and said, "Well then, goodnight."

She turned and ran upstairs, and as soon as she entered her room and closed the door, she let out a long sigh, her smile fading.

She glanced at the time, quickly sat down, turned on her computer, and started making phone calls.

"Mr. Xu, hello. I'm Jiang Li, the person in charge of Echo. Yes, I wrote the script."

She walked to the window with the phone in hand, a polite smile playing on her lips. "I'd like to discuss our collaboration with you sometime."

After the other person said something, Jiang Li's smile became somewhat awkward. "Okay, sorry, I'll wait for your time."

After hanging up, she dialed another number. "Director Yu, this is Jiang Li. I'd like to invite you to dinner tomorrow. I was wondering if you'd be free? Oh... okay, sorry."

"Hello, Mr. Liu, I'm Jiang Li, the head screenwriter of Echo Studio. Yes, yes, I'd like to invite you to dinner tomorrow. I wonder if you would do me the honor?" Jiang Li smiled, her smile a mix of sincerity and business acumen. "That would be wonderful! I'll be waiting for your time tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, her smile faded. She rubbed her stiff face, then sat back down at the computer, looking at the list of companies that had cancelled their partnerships. She made calls to each of them, forcing a smile.

She responded to everyone, whether politely or impatiently.

After making the phone call, I started sending emails and finally optimized the script.

It wasn't until 3 a.m., when it was almost dawn outside the window, that she finally lay down on the bed, exhausted.

......

the next morning.

A silver-gray Jaguar was parked downstairs at the Xiangtai Group building.

Xiangtai Group is a well-known department store group in Jingzhou, with department stores located throughout the country.

During this rush hour, commuters streamed in and out of the company's main gate.

Shen Nianchu got out of the Jaguar and walked straight into the building.

As she passed the reception desk, she stopped. "Hello, I'm looking for your chairman."

The receptionist looked at her. The woman in front of her was tall and slender. Her fair skin was accentuated by a light blue fitted suit, and her long, straight, black hair was meticulously styled.

Judging from his attire and demeanor, he seemed to be a high-ranking executive in the company, but he was unfamiliar with the person.

The receptionist politely asked, "Do you have an appointment?"

Shen Nianchu stared intently at her. "Make an appointment now."

The receptionist wanted to say that this was not in accordance with procedure, but the woman was too assertive, and she didn't dare to offend her, so she immediately made a phone call.

"Hello, there's a lady on the first floor looking for—"

Before the receptionist could finish speaking, the phone was snatched away.

Shen Nianchu snatched the phone, her tone cold, "Chairman Shen, should I go to your office, or wait for you at home?"