One Life, One Incarnation, Beautiful Bones

27

"Trust me, all the assets under his name are clean." Mei Xing removed his glasses, folded them up, and tucked them into his jacket pocket.

Shi Yi did not truly comprehend what she was hearing, but she was getting the vague sense that by "clean", he meant in comparison to the other people in the Zhou family. Mei Xing wanted to laugh as he saw the look in her eyes that showed she wanted to ask but did not dare to. "What's wrong? Don't understand? And afraid to ask?"

She nodded.

"Actually, there are some things I do not understand either and also am nervous to ask." Mei Xing placed the cap back on his fountain pen and then set it beside the document. "How much did you know about him before you became his legal wife? And, from what I understand, it was a marriage that had not yet received the nod of approval from the Zhou family."

This question came as no surprise.

The only thing that was not expected was that Zhousheng Chen had not explained to him the actual situation.

Shi Yi thought for a moment. "Besides knowing that he likes science and research, I don't know anything about him."

What she did understand was the feeling he gave to people. Apart from that, there was nothing about him that was within her expectations. She even had a faint inkling that what she had come in contact with was just the surface, those things that were the least important. The true core of who he was - his background, his character, and even his likes and preferences - she knew absolutely nothing about.

Mei Xing's eyes seemed very deep as they examined her. After a while, he laughed, "His courtesy name is 'Changfeng.'"

"Changfeng," she repeated.

"Have you figured out where that name is derived from?"

"From afar, the gale ['chang feng'] blows in. Great waves rise up, like a lonely field high upon the mountain ridge."

Mei Xing laughed and finished off the remaining half of that line of poetry. "Crashing against the shore or ferociously against one another in the narrowed channel. You really were able to guess from where it was taken."

"Rhapsody of the Gaotang Shrine[3]" - such a famous poem, it would have been very surprising for her to not know it.

However, as she reflected deeper upon the meaning behind his courtesy name, it did not seem to be an accurate reflection of Zhousheng Chen's nature. These lines were obviously describing Mount Wu's immense and mighty surging river waters that were unequaled. His temperament, though, was very reserved and detached.

This man, Mei Xing, was born of a traditional background also, and when he spoke, he tended to be quite witty and casual, so their conversation was very enjoyable. At last, after all the official matters had been attended to, he asked her whether she had ever been to Bremen before. Shi Yi shook her head. He seemed very interested in inviting her out for a meal together, but Shi Yi very politely refused and remained alone in the hotel.

She enjoyed the quiet and was not worried about being bored.

There was plenty of time, so she went online and checked some introductions and recommendations for this city, planning that these next few days, when Zhousheng Chen was busy, she could go wander around by herself. With headphones on, she flipped through some websites while occasionally listening to some of the new competition demo recordings that had arrived in her email inbox, and in this way, she whittled away the entire afternoon. Unexpectedly, the faint aroma of tea wafted in, and Shi Yi finally noticed that someone was in the living room.

She stepped out and saw that it was Zhousheng Chen.

She did not know when he had returned, but he was now creating a very pleasant atmosphere as he brewed tea. In front of him was an entire tea set that had likely been brought out not long ago. The water had already boiled and was emitting steam off to one side.