It fell from his fingertips

Regardless, the previous paintings were all meticulously retouched to perfection with the help of Mr. Lu's friend.

Tang Luoqing was very satisfied.

During this time, it happened to be the weekend, and Zhou Yanchen, who had been away on a business trip for about ten days, returned for the second time.

Unlike their brief meeting last time, Zhou Yanchen could stay in Beijing for a day and a half this time.

Just then, Zhou's mother called to invite them home for dinner, so he took Tang Luoqing back to the Zhou family's old house.

Before dinner, Zhou's mother chatted with Tang Luoqing in the living room, holding his hand. When talking about her eldest son, she couldn't help but sigh, "Your eldest brother has been away on a business trip abroad for several days. I don't know if he will be able to come back this week."

Zhou Yanchen, who was peeling an orange beside him, interjected, "I heard my brother might not be back until next week, depending on the project's progress."

Tang Luoqing listened without saying a word.

Her impression of her older brother was still from the time he handed her candy in the car and the chance encounter on a rainy day.

In my memory, that person was always aloof, restrained, and always in a hurry, as if an entire world separated us.

So after dinner, when Tang Luoqing heard a noise at the door and saw Zhou Jinbai return, she was slightly taken aback.

The man at the door looked travel-worn, his suit jacket draped over his forearm and his shirt cuffs rolled up twice, as if he had just come directly from the airport.

He greeted Zhou's mother as soon as he entered the room, his gaze sweeping across the living room. It lingered on Tang Luoqing for less than half a second before he looked away.

Tang Luoqing subconsciously stood up and whispered, "Big Brother."

The man nodded, his tone exactly the same as usual: "Coming."

Then he turned around and went upstairs to the study, saying only two words from beginning to end.

Tang Luoqing sat back down on the sofa, thinking that her older brother was still very cold.

That makes sense, though. He just got back from a business trip and must be too tired to talk. Besides, she's just his younger brother's girlfriend. Does he expect his older brother to chat with her?

Not long after, Zhou's mother noticed it was getting late and suggested that Zhou Yanchen and Tang Luoqing stay the night.

Zhou Yanchen didn't care, but Tang Luoqing didn't really want to.

I always feel embarrassed living at my boyfriend's house before we're married.

Zhou's mother was still trying to persuade her, and Zhou Yanchen chimed in from the side. She stood in the middle of the living room, the words of refusal stuck in her throat, but she didn't want to offend her elders.

Just then, her phone rang. Tang Luoqing nodded apologetically to Zhou's mother and went to the balcony to answer the call.

On the other end of the phone, Lu Yu's voice was tinged with excitement: "Ms. Tang, the suggestions my friend gave you last time turned out really well after you revised them. I showed them to a few colleagues today, and they all said that this batch of manuscripts is particularly inspired."

Tang Luoqing was also happy to receive recognition. She said a few words quickly and then hung up the phone.

Back in the living room, Zhou's mother was still waiting for Tang Luoqing's reply. Clutching her phone, she was caught in a dilemma.

At this moment, the door to the study on the second floor opened from the inside, and Zhou Jinbai walked out. He stood at the top of the stairs, glanced down, and said calmly, "Yan Chen, the supplementary agreement for the North City project needs to be submitted first thing tomorrow morning. Come with me to the study now to check the data."

After saying that, he turned and went back to his study.

Zhou Yanchen was taken aback. He put down the orange peel, stood up, and said to his mother, "Mom, I'll go upstairs first."

"Then I'll go back too."

Tang Luoqing then took the opportunity to speak.

Seeing how busy her son was, Zhou's mother decided not to keep him any longer and asked the driver to take Tang Luoqing home.

Tang Luoqing walked out of the Zhou family's old house and looked back. The light in the study on the second floor was still on, and the curtains were half drawn, so nothing could be seen.

When Tang Luoqing got home, it was already very late, so she washed up and went to bed.

The next day, since Zhou Yanchen's flight was in the afternoon, he returned in the morning, had lunch with Tang Luoqing, and then hurriedly returned to Haicheng in the afternoon.

Life has returned to Tang Luoqing and Naitang, one person and one cat.

Fortunately, Tang Luoqing was so busy that she didn't have much time to lament how busy Zhou Yanchen was.

Moreover, Lu's first draft is due next week, and she still has one last drawing to finish, but unfortunately, at this crucial moment, she has no inspiration.

Tang Luoqing threw down her pen in a melancholy mood, slumped onto her desk, and stared blankly at the drawing paper.

At this moment, Naitang jumped up and rubbed her fluffy head against Tang Luoqing's hand. She scratched the kitten's chin with her fingertips, and suddenly the Qinyuan Garden, which she hadn't been able to enter during her last visit to the cultural and creative park, popped into her mind.

She couldn't go in last time, only glimpsed it from afar, but she always felt that the courtyard held the feeling she was looking for.

It is said that the courtyard is full of lotus flowers, as well as pavilions and towers of old houses, creating a particularly beautiful atmosphere, making it a great place for photography.

Unfortunately, it's a private courtyard and we can't go in.

Tang Luoqing sighed, but decided to visit the cultural and creative park again.

She immediately slung her sketchbook over her shoulder, changed into a bamboo-colored casual cheongsam, and went out.

The afternoon sun was warm and soft, making one feel lazy. There weren't many people in the cultural and creative park, and she wasn't interested in looking at the illustration displays along the way, walking straight to the deepest part of the park.

The wooden gate of Qinyuan Garden was still closed, and the wooden sign at the entrance that read "No Entry Without Invitation" remained standing.

Tang Luoqing stopped at the door, stood on tiptoe, and looked inside while holding onto the wooden fence with both hands.

An unidentified flower in the yard was in full bloom, its tiny golden blossoms adorning the branches and leaves. A gust of wind would blow a few blossoms down and they would fall to the ground.

She stared for a long time before reluctantly turning her gaze away, taking out her sketchbook and pencil from her portfolio, and squatting down against the fence.

Since we can't go in, we might as well draw the outside.

The pencil glided across the paper. Tang Luoqing tilted her head slightly, her brows furrowed, and the pencil tip paused occasionally before quickly continuing to draw.

Sunlight fell on the top of her hair, like a layer of light gold trim. A few strands of hair fell down, making her cheeks a little itchy. Tang Luoqing rubbed them with the back of her hand, not noticing the faint pencil dust on the tip of her nose.

On the second floor, in the pavilion, beside the stone table.

Grandpa Lu was holding a white piece, pondering where to place it, when he saw Zhou Jinbai on the other side pause in his movements.

He held a black chess piece between his fingers, hovering it above the chessboard, but his gaze wasn't on the board. Instead, he was looking at something else through the dense foliage.

"Jin Bai? Time to make a move."

Grandpa Lu tapped the chessboard.

Zhou Jinbai snapped out of his reverie, his fingertip landing a black piece on the star point, and said apologetically, "Sorry, I was thinking of a move earlier."

Lu Yu sat to the side watching the game, and joked with a smile, "My grandpa's in good form today, so be careful not to lose."

Zhou Jinbai didn't reply, looking down at the chessboard, but his gaze behind his glasses unconsciously drifted towards the outside fence.

In that one glance, he clearly saw the girl squatting outside.

Wearing a bamboo-colored dress and carrying a bulging sketchbook, she squatted on the ground, tilting her head back to draw, her pen moving swiftly across the paper, occasionally wrinkling her nose.

The man's fingers tightened slightly as he placed the chess piece, his knuckles turning slightly white.

After placing his piece, Old Master Lu looked up at Zhou Jinbai across from him, stroking his beard with a smile: "Why are you so distracted today? You never seem to lose focus when you play chess."

"Feel sorry."

Zhou Jinbai spoke calmly, his fingertips lightly brushing the edge of the chessboard: "Please go first."

That being said, the pace of placing the pieces was still noticeably slower than usual.

His gaze always seemed to have its own will, occasionally drifting towards the fence before quickly returning, as if he were pondering a chess game.

At this moment, Lu Yu got up to go to the tea room on the first floor to get a new tea bag. He pushed open the side door and walked out. Just after turning the corner, he bumped into Tang Luoqing, who was squatting outside the fence.

He stopped in his tracks and immediately recognized that this was the artist he had recently signed.

"Miss Tang?"

Lu Yu walked over curiously and greeted him with a smile, "What are you doing here?"

Tang Luoqing was drawing intently and seriously when she suddenly heard someone call her name. Startled, she dropped her pencil on the ground with a "clatter".

She hurriedly looked up and saw that it was Lu Yu. After a brief moment of surprise, her face turned red.

Tang Luoqing quickly stood up, brushed the dust off her skirt, and greeted him awkwardly, "Mr. Lu, hello. What brings you here..."

Tang Luoqing glanced at Lu Yu's back in surprise. Was he coming out of the garden?

"This is my grandfather's garden."

Lu Yu waved his hand, his gaze falling on the sketchbook in Tang Luoqing's hand, then glancing at the gate of Qinyuan Garden, and instantly understood: "You want to come and see Old Master Lu's garden?"

Tang Luoqing was surprised to learn that Lu Yu was Old Master Lu's grandson. Her ears turned even redder as she was suddenly struck by his words. She nodded, "Yes... I've always admired Old Master Lu's paintings and wanted to come here for inspiration, but I couldn't get in..."

As she spoke, Tang Luoqing lowered her head awkwardly, the pencil ash on the tip of her nose becoming even more noticeable in the sunlight, making her look like a little tabby cat.

Lu Yu found the little girl quite interesting and said with a smile, "That's perfect. My grandpa is playing chess right now. Why don't you wait a moment, and I'll go ask if you can come in?"

"Really?"

Tang Luoqing's eyes lit up, as if stars had fallen into them, filled with unbelievable surprise.

"Wait."

Lu Yu turned and went inside.

Lu Yu climbed the wooden stairs to the second floor. The wind chimes under the corridor tinkled softly in the breeze. He walked to the stone table, glanced at the chess game, and then smiled and said, "Grandpa, I have something to tell you."

Old Master Lu was pondering the game while holding a white chess piece. Without even looking up, he tapped the chessboard with his knuckles: "Speak plainly."

"The company has signed a new illustrator, a pretty good young lady, the one Assistant Shen recommended last time."

Lu Yu tilted his head towards the fence, his tone slightly tentative: "She really likes your paintings and came here specifically to find inspiration. She's squatting outside right now, wanting to come in and look at the garden. Do you think... it would be convenient for her to come in?"

Grandpa Lu paused slightly, his fingers holding the white piece, and his brows furrowed slightly.

He scoffed, casually tossing the white piece back into the chess box. The porcelain pieces clattered together with a crisp sound. His tone was indifferent and cold: "These young people nowadays are all commercial. They come in just to take a couple of photos and join the fun. What can they possibly understand? They're just interrupting my game for no reason."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Jinbai paused in the hand that was holding Hei Zi.

He pressed his knuckles so hard they turned slightly white, and the black piece hovered above the board for a full two seconds.

The man lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing the turbulent emotions within them. His jawline was taut, and his face remained as indifferent as ever, as if he had simply thought of a move in chess.

Lu Yu had anticipated the old man's reaction, so he wasn't flustered. He scratched his head and added, "Don't underestimate her. When she sent over her first draft last time, Jin Bai even gave her some pointers, saying she was talented. If someone as discerning as him praises her, she must be pretty good."

Upon hearing this, Old Master Lu raised his eyelids slightly, looking at Zhou Jinbai across from him with considerable surprise, twirling his beard with his fingertips: "Really?"

Zhou Jinbai's fingertips twitched slightly, and the black piece landed steadily on the chessboard.

He looked up at Old Master Lu, and a low, indifferent "Hmm" escaped his throat.

His voice was cool and indifferent, without a trace of extra emotion, but only Zhou Jinbai himself knew that the breath he had been holding in his chest had quietly eased a little.

Downstairs, Tang Luoqing waited anxiously, hoping to get in but also afraid of being rejected.

Seeing Lu Yu turn back, she quickly stuffed her sketchbook into her portfolio, patted the dust off her skirt, and smoothed her hair before cautiously waiting for Lu Yu to speak.

"Let's go, my grandfather agreed."

Lu Yu smiled and gestured for them to proceed.

Tang Luoqing was overjoyed and quickly followed Lu Yu inside, walking lightly so as not to disturb anything.

As Tang Luoqing walked up the steps, the scene beside the stone table in the pavilion caught her eye.

She paused in her steps.

Zhou Jinbai was sitting on a stone bench, holding a black chess piece between his fingers. His face was turned towards Tang Luoqing. Sunlight filtered through the leaves above and fell on him, highlighting the cold and sharp lines of his profile. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing his well-defined wrist bones.

Zhou Jinbai? Zhou Yanchen's older brother?

How did he end up here?

Perhaps due to her surprise, Tang Luoqing lost her grip on the sketchbook, which fell to the ground with a "thud," scattering the sketchbook and pencils all over the floor.

The noise startled the people around the stone table.

Zhou Jinbai raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Tang Luoqing's flushed face, then across the scattered drawings on the ground, his eyes flickering almost imperceptibly.

He put down the chess piece, nodded slightly, and said in a very calm tone, "Miss Tang."

The three simple words were polite yet somewhat distant, as if looking at an ordinary person.

Lu Yu was taken aback. He looked at Tang Luoqing, then at Zhou Jinbai, his face full of confusion: "You... know each other?"

"Yan Chen's girlfriend."

Zhou Jinbai spoke calmly, drawing a clear line between them in one sentence.