It fell from his fingertips

When Tang Luoqing got home that evening, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The thank-you banquet went smoothly, and the debt of gratitude that had been weighing on her mind for several days finally came to an end, making her feel much more relaxed.

Zhou Yanchen followed her in, casually tossing his car keys on the entryway cabinet. He bent down and nuzzled Tang Luoqing's head, asking, "You're so happy after thanking my brother?"

"certainly,"

Tang Luoqing turned back to Zhou Yanchen and smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Otherwise, I'll always feel like I have something on my mind, and I'll be restless."

"OK,"

Zhou Yanchen chuckled and ruffled Tang Luoqing's hair before walking into the bedroom: "I'll take a shower first; you don't like the smell of smoke on me."

"Um."

Tang Luoqing felt a sweet warmth in her heart, walked to the living room, sat on the sofa, and picked up her phone to read messages.

Just then, Zhou Yanchen's phone on the coffee table rang, the screen lit up, and a WeChat notification popped up.

Tang Luoqing didn't pay attention.

But then a second and a third sound came through the screen, as if the other party had sent several messages in a row, which was particularly noticeable in the quiet living room.

Tang Luoqing glanced at it casually, but the smile on her face slowly faded away with that one glance.

The pop-up window clearly displayed "Su Leqi" as the contact name, and the latest message was prominently displayed on the screen: "I've made plans with Lao Chen and the others. It's my birthday on the 17th of next month. We're going to a bar and drink until we drop. It's a Sunday. If you're going back to Beijing, figure out how to get out. If you're in Haicheng, let me know in advance, as Lao Chen and the others might not be available."

Tang Luoqing knew Lao Chen and his friends; they were Zhou Yanchen and Su Leqi's childhood friends. They were known in Beijing's entertainment circle for their love of partying. Zhou Yanchen used to go out all night with them, go mountain racing, and do countless outrageous things.

Tang Luoqing tightened her grip on her phone, feeling a heavy weight in her heart.

Last time, Zhou Yanchen clearly told her that Su Leqi had asked him out for drinks, and he refused outright. But this message from Su Leqi…

A noise came from the direction of the bedroom. Tang Luoqing panicked and quickly looked away, pretending that she had been playing with her phone.

Zhou Yanchen walked out, drying his hair, the ends of his black hair dripping water. His bathrobe collar was loose, revealing his well-defined collarbone.

He walked to the sofa, not even glancing at the phone on the coffee table, and directly bent down to pick Tang Luoqing up from the sofa. He rubbed his chin against the top of her head, his voice hoarse from just taking a shower: "Baby, I missed you so much."

He was enveloped in the fresh scent of shower gel, mixed with a faint mist of moisture, and his body felt warm in my arms.

Tang Luoqing leaned against Zhou Yanchen's chest, listening to his heartbeat. The heart that had been clenching just now softened uncontrollably again.

Then, the phone on the coffee table rang again, the screen lit up briefly and then quickly went dark again.

Zhou Yanchen glanced at the phone on the coffee table, but didn't stop walking. He carried Tang Luoqing straight to the bedroom.

"Don't you want to see who sent you the message?"

Tang Luoqing couldn't help but speak, making it sound like a casual question, not daring to let him detect her probing.

"What's so interesting about it?"

Zhou Yanchen lowered his head and smiled at Tang Luoqing, his tone casual yet coaxing: "My girlfriend is the most important person. Even if the sky falls, nothing is more important than being with you."

The man spoke frankly and openly, and his eyes were equally frank and open, so Tang Luoqing couldn't tell whether he was telling the truth or not.

As if remembering something, Tang Luoqing reached out and wrapped her arms around Zhou Yanchen's neck, casually mentioning, "By the way, I was thinking of going to Haicheng for a trip next month, okay? You're overseeing the project there, so I'll come and keep you company."

After saying this, Tang Luoqing felt a tightness in her chest and stared intently at Zhou Yanchen's expression.

If he really intends to return to Beijing on the 17th to meet Su Leqi, then if she mentions going to Haicheng, he will most likely find an excuse to decline or change the time.

Zhou Yanchen nodded without hesitation, gently placed Tang Luoqing on the bed, leaned over and supported himself above her, and pinched her cheek with a smile: "Okay, I was bored over there by myself. When you come over, I'll take you to eat their local specialties."

Zhou Yanchen agreed too readily, without the slightest hesitation.

The weight that had been hanging over Tang Luoqing's heart finally lifted.

Perhaps she was overthinking it.

Su Leqi was just sending the message out of habit, and Zhou Yanchen didn't take it seriously at all, let alone intend to accept.

It seems he's genuinely trying to change and truly wants to be with her.

Tang Luoqing smiled and gave Zhou Yanchen a quick kiss.

For the next three days, Zhou Yanchen stayed in Beijing.

He was usually always out and about, constantly attending social gatherings, but this time he was unusually well-behaved, spending most of his time with Tang Luoqing, except for occasionally answering a few work calls.

The next day, Tang Luoqing was going to the shared art studio in the cultural and creative park to revise the second draft of the Qinyuan series. Zhou Yanchen, having nothing else to do, went with her.

The shared art studio is located on the top floor of a shared library deep within the cultural and creative park. The ceiling is very high, and huge floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of natural light, which falls on the rows of easels.

The studio was quiet, with only the soft scratching of pens on paper. Occasionally, people would whisper to each other, keeping their voices low so as not to disturb others.

Tang Luoqing set up his easel, arranged his paints and watercolor paper, and began to refine the lotus pond.

Zhou Yanchen sat on the folding chair next to her. At first, he rested his chin on his hand and watched her draw with great interest. But after less than ten minutes, his phone started vibrating and vibrating incessantly, as if he was texting or chatting with someone.

Two or three people drawing nearby subconsciously looked over. Tang Luoqing's cheeks flushed, and she leaned close to Zhou Yanchen's ear, whispering, "Go out. Everyone's drawing here; it's too noisy."

Zhou Yanchen raised an eyebrow, but didn't refute her. He picked up his phone, gave her an OK sign, and tiptoed out.

After he left, the studio returned to silence. Tang Luoqing composed herself and refocused her attention on the drawing paper.

But as she was drawing, she got stuck.

In late autumn, the lotus pond should be filled with withered lotus leaves covered in dew, with sparse stems and a sense of quiet elegance. However, the things she paints are either too bright in color and lose the sense of desolation, or the lines are too rigid and lack spirit. The light and shadow and the blank space are all twisted together and don't look right no matter how you look at it.

She erased and drew again, drew and erased again, but still couldn't find the problem.

As time went on, Tang Luoqing became increasingly agitated. The more anxious she became, the more confused she became, and Zhou Jinbai's face kept popping into her mind.

The same thing happened last time; she looked at it for several days but couldn't see the problem, while Zhou Jinbai could.

If he were here, he would definitely be able to spot the root of the problem at a glance.

But as soon as the thought popped into her head, Tang Luoqing dismissed it.

I just treated them to a meal a few days ago to express my gratitude, and now they want to come to my door to ask about my painting? That's too presumptuous of me.

Besides, her older brother is so busy, with so many things waiting for him to handle at the Zhou Group, how could he have time to constantly give her advice on these issues? As for Old Master Lu, Tang Luoqing dared not disturb him casually.

After struggling for a long time, Tang Luoqing's drawing became more and more chaotic, and the picture was like a layer of gray fog, making it impossible to breathe.

No, I still need to ask.

So Tang Luoqing packed up her painting tools and drafts, planning to go home first and discuss with Zhou Yanchen whether she could ask her older brother if he was free, even if it was just to say a few words.

She walked out of the studio with her sketchbook in her arms, and there was a person standing by the floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the corridor.

Dusk had fallen. Zhou Yanchen stood with his back to her, a cigarette between his fingers, the flame flickering in the dim light.

He lowered his head slightly, as if listening to someone on the phone, occasionally responding casually. His shadow was stretched long by the setting sun outside the window, carrying a nonchalant and aloof air that he would never normally show in front of her.

Hearing footsteps, Zhou Yanchen turned around and saw Tang Luoqing. He immediately stubbed out his cigarette in the public ashtray next to him, waved his hand several times in front of him to dispel the smell of smoke, and then hung up the phone. He quickly walked over and took the sketchbook from her hand: "Why aren't you drawing anymore? Are you tired?"

"I've hit a roadblock; I can't draw anymore."

Tang Luoqing shook her head, glanced at the phone in his hand, didn't ask any more questions, and followed Zhou Yanchen to the parking lot.

I got into the car, and it slowly drove out of the cultural and creative park. It was already getting dark.

One by one, the streetlights lit up, and the warm yellow light and shadows rushed back on the car window.

Tang Luoqing sat in the passenger seat, holding her sketchbook. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke hesitantly, "Yan Chen, I... I've been stuck on a drawing for a long time, and I can't find the problem. Do you think... I could ask my older brother to take a look? It'll only take a few minutes of his time, it won't bother him for too long."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanchen gripped the steering wheel and said casually, "My brother? He's incredibly busy. He's always in meetings, either on a plane or on his way to one. He's not always available."

At this point, Zhou Yanchen glanced at Tang Luoqing and smiled, his tone indulgent: "But considering you're my girlfriend, it's not necessarily true. I'll ask around for you later?"

"Don't look back."

Seeing that things were looking promising, Tang Luoqing urged, "Can you ask now? The sooner you finish revising, the more at ease I'll feel."

"Okay."

Zhou Yanchen then freed one hand to take out his phone and dialed Zhou Jinbai's number.

After a few beeps, the other end answered, and Zhou Jinbai's deep voice came through the receiver. It was very faint, and there was a faint sound of papers turning in the background, indicating that he was still working.

"What is it?"

"Brother, are you busy?"

Zhou Yanchen's tone was as usual: "I need to talk to you about something. Your sister-in-law is stuck on her drawing and wants some pointers from you. When would be a convenient time for her to come over to see you?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

At this moment, Zhou Jinbai was sitting behind a large desk with a thick stack of project documents in front of him. Upon hearing the words "sister-in-law," the man gripped the pen tighter.

He recalled the investigation report that Assistant Shen had just sent that afternoon. It showed that Zhou Yanchen spent most of his evenings in bars and private clubs in Haicheng during his business trip. Su Leqi was often there, and the two of them went in and out together without any attempt to hide it.

The man's eyes darkened, and he tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. His voice was flat and emotionless: "If this is what you want, then have Miss Tang come to me."