1171 There’s No Such Logic in the World
When Shen Li arrived at the National Art Association, Lin Yaohui was already waiting for her and he led her directly to Yu Pingchuan’s office.
After Mei Yanqing’s surgery, he had rarely come over. Yu Pingchuan was the one who handled most of the matters.
After about twenty minutes, the door was pushed open and Yu Pingchuan walked in.
“Ah Li, did you wait long?”
Shen Li shook her head and said, “No. Has your meeting ended?”
“That’s right,” Yu Pingchuan said with a smile. It should have ended a long time ago, but there were a lot of things to do today, so it was delayed. So, shall we go to Jinse Bay now?”
“Okay,” Shen Li replied and followed him out.
When they arrived at the corridor, they happened to bump into a few members of the National Art Association who immediately greeted Yu Pingchuan and Shen Li politely.
In fact, they were all Shen Li’s elders, but Shen Li was Mei Yanqing’s disciple so most of the people here were ranked behind her in terms of seniority.
While they were chatting, Shen Li looked up and saw a familiar figure walking around the corner.
It was Shi Yang.
Beside him was his assistant, who was saying something to him.
“… I’ve already checked the schedule for the event next Monday and everything is going smoothly. Also, the cake you ordered is ready and will be delivered to your residence in an hour.”
Shi Yang nodded. Then, as if he had suddenly noticed something, he looked up.
Shen Li was standing with Yu Pingchuan.
She was wearing a black hoodie, jeans, and a baseball cap on her head.
At a glance, she looked very cool and sassy.
She was really different from her…
Only when the hat covered her eyebrows and eyes did she show a somewhat pleasing resemblance.
As he thought of this, he suppressed the emotions in his eyes and smiled at Shen Li.
Shen Li’s eyebrows furrowed.
She did not know why, but she felt as if Shi Yang had just given her a scrutinizing look.
However, when she tried to distinguish it carefully, that feeling disappeared again.
When she looked at him again, he was still as gentle and elegant as he was every time she saw him. The look in his eyes behind his glasses was calm and gentle.
Yu Pingchuan and the others also noticed his arrival and exchanged a few pleasantries.
Shi Yang looked at Shen Li.
“Did Shen Li come here today to pick up Elder Yu?”
Shen Li’s expression was indifferent as she spoke.
“Yes.”
Her attitude seemed a little cold.
Shi Yang paused, as if he did not mind. He smiled and said, “Then it must be something urgent. We won’t delay you any further.”
Yu Pingchuan coughed and said, “Master is still waiting at home, so we must hurry.”
“I see.” Shi Yang stepped aside with a smile. “Then, you should not keep Elder Mei waiting.”
When everyone heard him, they immediately agreed.
Without staying any longer, Shen Li and Yu Pingchuan left.
The other people left, one after another. Shi Yang did not look away until the two figures had disappeared around the corner.
The assistant whispered, “This Shen Li is a feisty girl. Among other things, she has such a feisty temper. I can’t believe you like her paintings so much. This girl…”
She was so cold towards Shi Yang that she did not seem to show any respect towards him.
“Why be so bothered over a child? Besides, just because I like her paintings, does that mean she’ll treat me differently?”
Shi Yang smiled, but his voice was a little fainter.
“There’s no such logic in this world.”
Hearing this, the assistant did not dare to comment further and just nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
Shi Yang took a few steps forward before he turned to look back again.
The tall and slender figure had disappeared.
He said, “Forget it. I’ll just pick up the cake myself later.”
The assistant was a little surprised, but he quickly responded.
“Alright, I’ll let them know.”
Shi Yang did not say anything further. Instead, he turned and left.
…
“Ah Li, do you have a problem with Shi Yang?”
Yu Pingchuan could not help but ask as soon as they got into the car.
Shen Li held the steering wheel and looked straight ahead as she calmly said, “No, I don’t.”
“Then today, you…”
It was not the first time Shen Li had met Shi Yang. She had been polite to him before, but now, she did not even seem to have that much politeness left.
Shen Li replied, “I can’t say I have an opinion. After all, we’re not close. I just don’t like him.”
Yu Pingchuan felt very helpless upon hearing this answer.
“You’re becoming more and more like Master in this aspect.”
Every time Mei Yanqing mentioned Shi Yang, he would always do the same.
There was no reason, it was just annoyance.
Moreover, he could not even be bothered with any superficial pleasantries.
Shen Li was noncommittal on that.
Now, whenever she saw Shi Yang, she could not help but think of Tao Siwen and those fake paintings.
Yu Pingchuan knew that she was stubborn, so he did not try to persuade her otherwise.
“Forget it. If you don’t like him, then so be it.”
Master did not like him anyway.
Yu Pingchuan quickly changed the topic.
“Did you bring over the painting today?”
Shen Li nodded and said, “Yes. I want to ask Master and you to take a look.”
At the mention of this, Yu Pingchuan’s interest was piqued.
“That’s great! You don’t know this, but ever since Ronai called Master, he’s been talking about this every day. You’re even busier than before now, so I’m sure it’s not easy to produce a painting. Master will definitely be happy to see it.”
Shen Li’s lips curved in a smile.
…
The two of them soon arrived at Jinse Bay where Mei Yanqing was already waiting for them.
Shen Li took the painting and went in.
Mei Yanqing had read as he waited in the study for half an hour. Now, the anger that he had felt towards Ronai had finally subsided and he could not hide the smile on his face as he ate.
“Although Ah Li doesn’t produce many paintings now, each one is better than the last.”
Yu Pingchuan secretly gave Shen Li a thumbs up.
He realized that the matter of coaxing her master still had to be left to her.
He thought about how much injustice he had suffered during this period of time.
Mei Yanqing spoke in a generous manner.
“Oh yes, Ronai has always liked your paintings. You should give him a call later to make him happy too.”
Shen Li was dumbfounded.
Yu Pingchuan was stunned.
In what way was this a way to make someone happy? He was clearly trying to regain his pride, right?
However, Mei Yanqing had clearly made up his mind. Shen Li and Yu Pingchuan looked at each other and tactfully remained silent.
“By the way, are you planning to auction off this painting?” Mei Yanqing asked.
Shen Li shook her head.
She still had lingering fears from the previous auction, so now, she would not be making such a decision so lightly anymore.
Moreover…
She still owed Lu Huaiyu a painting.
Yu Pingchuan smiled and said, “Ah Li produces fewer paintings than before, so it’s good to keep some on hand.”
Shen Li coughed.
She probably would not be able to keep this painting.
She remembered her other purpose for coming here today and looked at Mei Yanqing with a serious expression on her face.
“Master, there’s something I need to tell you. The appearance of my fake painting is related to Tao Siwen.”
Mei Yanqing and Yu Pingchuan were both shocked by this.
“What?”
Shen Li briefly told them about what Lu Huaiyu had found out, and their faces grew darker and darker.
“It’s more or less possible to find out about what he did overseas, but it’s much more difficult to find out this in China. So I’m guessing that someone in the National Art Association must have helped him.”
Mei Yanqing’s brows were tightly knitted.
After a long time, he said in a deep voice, “I see.”
1172 Longing Is Faster Than Light
After lunch, Shen Li played chess with Mei Yanqing for a while before leaving.
It was evening by the time she reached home.
She entered the keycode before entering.
“Dad, I’m back.”
No one answered so she looked up and realized that Shen Zhijin was not in the living room.
She changed her shoes and put the painting back in the studio. After some thought, she went to knock on the door of the study.
The sound of footsteps could be heard before the door was opened.
Shen Zhijin stood behind the door, looking at her with his clear and handsome eyes.
“You’re back? I’m sorry. I was reading just now, so I didn’t hear you.”
Shen Li’s gaze swept across the desk behind him.
There was a thick and heavy copy of “Sunspot” on it.
It was a basic book in the field of astronomy, but Shen Zhijin was reading it.
She remembered this book. It was the one that Gu Tingyin had bought to read, but because she had not been able to understand it, she had given it to Shen Zhijin.
Of course, she had given him more than one book.
Shen Li could still remember the beautiful handwriting on the title page and the sketch of a little person scratching his head in distress at the foot of the page.
Her father had been so engrossed in the book that he had not heard her enter.
Moreover, it was such a simple book for Shen Zhijin.
Shen Li paused and her eyes curved in a smile.
“It’s nothing. I just wanted to ask you what we’re having for dinner. I saw a mango ice cream cake in the fridge. Did you buy it for Mom?”
“Yes.”
Shen Zhijin’s thin eyebrows relaxed.
Shen Li asked, “I don’t think I heard you mention that mom likes to eat mangoes too, did I?”
As soon as she asked this question, she suddenly understood something.
Shen Zhijin was the one who liked mangoes.
Shen Zhijin smiled.
“She always bought this flavor for her birthday. She didn’t eat much of the mango, but the ice cream was all hers.”
Shen Li’s fingers twitched.
Whenever Shen Zhijin mentioned the past, it was clearly a memory from many, many years ago, but it still seemed as vivid as yesterday.
He rubbed her head.
“Tangtang, would you like to eat beef brisket with tomatoes today?”
Shen Li came back to her senses and nodded, “Yes.”
Shen Zhijin smiled and said, “Alright.”
…
The dinner was very sumptuous. After the meal, Shen Zhijin even brought out the cake.
It was a small six-inch cake with mangoes piled on top.
Shen Li saw him take out some candles and inserted them one by one.
There were twenty in total.
Shen Zhijin turned off the lights in the dining room until only the faint light from the living room shone in.
The sky outside the window had already darkened.
Whoosh–
Shen Zhijin lit up the colorful candles on the cake.
The wind blew in from the window, and the candlelight flickered. It seemed that even the red camellias that were in full bloom next to it were swaying with it.
Shen Li looked up at him.
The warm light reflected on his face, making his eyebrows look even more handsome. His long eyelashes cast a faint shadow on the depths of his black eyes, making him look cool and calm.
He went through this series of actions very smoothly and naturally, as if he had done it many times.
Not ‘as if’.
In the past few years, he had indeed done this.
Shen Li remembered that Yan Qiu had mentioned that Shen Zhijin never celebrated any festival.
Neither the Mid-Autumn Festival nor the Spring Festival.
However, it turned out that it was not that he never celebrated anything.
He would celebrate Gu Tingyin’s birthday by himself.
Camellias, a cake, and candles.
Everything was so formal, not a thing was missing.
She looked at the candles and finally asked, “Dad, why… are there twenty candles?”
Shen Zhijin was quiet for a while, as if he was recalling something. After a while, a faint smile flashed across his lips.
With this smile, the cold and distant temperament around him dissipated a little, revealing a gentleness that was rare for outsiders to see.
“Shen Zhijin! My birthday is in three months!”
At that time, they had only known each other for less than a month.
“Shen Zhijin! What flavor of cake do you like?”
It was clearly her birthday, but she had continuously asked him questions.
“Shen Zhijin, did you really not prepare a birthday present for me? Did you really, really, really not?”
She felt extremely aggrieved.
“Shen Zhijin, guess what wish I made just now? If you ask me, I’ll tell you!
He had never been interested in such things, but at that moment, he actually had the intention of exploring them further.
However, before he could even ask, she had already impatiently told him.
“Oh! Then let me tell you in secret… I hope that today is my twentieth birthday!”
She sneaked over, but her eyes were so bright that nothing could hide them. The starlight and love in them seemed like they were about to overflow in the next second.
“The legal age of marriage for girls in Hong Kong City is sixteen, but in the inland areas, it’s twenty! ”
She clasped her hands together and prayed devoutly, “Twenty years old!”
What she wished for was not to be twenty years old, but for him.
One of the candles fell over, causing Shen Zhijin to gather his thoughts and laugh.
“She likes it.”
…
At night, after Shen Li had taken a bath, she changed into her pajamas and prepared to sleep.
However, as she tossed and turned in bed, she found that she did not feel sleepy at all.
She sat up and felt a little thirsty, so she slipped into her slippers and went out to get a glass of water.
However, after a few steps, she saw a tall figure standing on the balcony.
Shen Zhijin.
There was a telescope on the balcony, which he seemed to be looking through.
It was already 12:30 at night. Shen Zhijin’s work and rest schedule were extremely regular. Other than the occasional work needs, he rarely stayed up at this time.
Shen Zhijin turned around, as if he had heard a sound.
The temperature in the Capital had dropped these few days, and the night wind was particularly chilly.
He was wearing a thin gray sweater and black casual pants, his figure tall and straight.
However, the dark night seemed to have draped a layer of loneliness over him.
“Tangtang.”
He said gently.
Shen Li hesitated for a moment, but still walked over.
“Dad, why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Shen Zhijin paused for a moment. I have slight insomnia, ” he said.
Shen Li was silent for a moment.
Even if he did not say it, she understood that there would be some times that he would not be able to get through by sleeping.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pony pillow on the rattan chair on the balcony. The tea on the small table next to it was half-drunk, and it seemed to have turned cold.
It was as if an invisible hand had suddenly clenched her heart. When she breathed, even her chest hurt.
He had lived like this for so many years.
“Tangtang.”
Shen Zhijin seemed to have guessed what she was thinking and called out to her.
Shen Li looked up.
Shen Zhijin paused for a while.
“You know that any matter with mass can never surpass the speed of light. But…”
The dark night seemed to have trapped all light.
But…
“Longing is faster than light.”
1173 Next Move
Fenghu Peninsula was a high-end neighborhood located on the West Second Ring Road of the Capital.
This was where Shi Yang lived.
At seven o ‘clock in the morning, he went out for a morning run.
What was different from usual was that he was holding an exquisite and beautiful square box.
He went to the trash can and put the square box down.
A woman in her late twenties passed by, seemingly on her morning run.
“Good morning, Mr. Shi Yang!”
She stopped to greet him, her eyes filled with unconcealable admiration.
Shi Yang turned around and nodded with a faint smile.
“Morning.”
Although Shi Yang was over forty years old, he was still single. He possessed a refined and personable temperament and was also a famous landscape painting master in China. He was excellent in all aspects.
Naturally, he was not lacking in admirers.
This woman clearly had such thoughts.
She came here on her morning jogs every day, hoping to run into Shi Yang. However, he was very busy, so they did not run into each other often.
Of course, the woman was surprised to see him today.
She glanced at the square box and saw that there seemed to be a whole cake inside. She was a little surprised.
“Mr. Shi Yang, isn’t it a bit of a waste to throw away the cake without eating it? ”
The cake looked very nice and was from an expensive brand.
Shi Yang paused, but the smile on his face did not change.
“It’s spoiled so the only choice is to throw it away.”
The woman let out an “Ah.
“So, that’s why it can’t be eaten. What a pity.”
Shi Yang ran out of patience, so he turned around and prepared to leave.
The woman was stunned.
“Mr. Shi Yang, aren’t you going for your morning run?”
Shi Yang gave a faint smile.
“I suddenly remembered that I forgot something so I have to go back.”
The woman looked disappointed, but she did not say anything.
Shi Yang’s attitude was always the same. He always appeared to be very easygoing, but whenever anyone wanted to get closer, it would always seem like there was an invisible barrier between them.
“Is that so? Then… alright.”
She pointed ahead.
“Then I’ll take my leave first, alright?”
Shi Yang nodded but did not say anything else. He walked toward his house.
The smile on Shi Yang’s face only faded when he heard the woman’s footsteps moving away.
He pushed his glasses up his face, and the thin lenses reflected a cold light.
It was really annoying.
He turned back again.
The cake had been placed next to the trash can and would soon be disposed of.
Even though he had carefully picked it out and even though he had not touched it since he had bought it yesterday.
He stared at it for a while and said softly, “Since you like a lively atmosphere so much, I don’t think you’d be in the mood to eat alone.
“There should be someone to accompany you.”
…
[ President Shen, something has happened to Xiang Yao. ]
Shen Li had just finished processing the data in the laboratory and was about to sit down to rest when she received a message from Zhao Xuan.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Fu Niannian suddenly called out to her, ”
“Little Junior Sister, would you like to drink milk tea? My treat!”
Shen Li raised her head, ”
“Senior Brother, what’s the happy event?”
Fu Niannian stretched.
“The revision for my thesis is finally done. Isn’t that great news?”
Tang Yi said faintly, “Senior Brother, I still have to submit a manuscript. What if…”
Fu Niannian almost picked up his laptop and threw it at him.
“Can you shut up? Do you still want to drink milk tea?”
Tang Yi immediately shut up and nodded.
Of course he did!
“I’m fine with anything,” Shen Li said.
Fu Niannian waved his hand.
“Then I’ll order the most expensive one for Little Junior Sister!”
Tang Yi kept pointing at himself, his eyes hinting at something.
“Don’t worry,” Fu Niannian said, “You’ll get the cheapest one. ”
Tang Yi was speechless.
He knew he could not count on him!
Shen Li thanked him and looked at her phone again.
Zhao Xuan had sent a few more messages.
To be precise, it was not Xiang Yao, but the Xiang family.
Ever since Tian Zhenzhen had retracted her testimony and declared that her relationship with Xiang Yao had been consensual, the progress on Xiang Yao’s side had been particularly smooth.
After the police completed the investigation, they dropped the case.
Xiang Yao then came out safe and sound.
However, these easy days did not last long before the few companies that had been cooperating with the Xiang family had suddenly withdrawn their capital, and the Xiang family’s capital chain was broken.
The Xiang family was in dire straits, and Xiang Yao himself had accidentally fallen down the stairs. It was said that he had hit his head and was now in a coma.
The whole Xiang family had collapsed almost overnight.
However, their family was just an ordinary nouveau riche without any foundation. Now that so much trouble had happened, no one would help.
Not many people were even discussing it.
After all, this kind of thing happened every day, so it was not rare.
Shen Li was not surprised.
The Xiang family had thought that they could negotiate with the Yu family because they had something on them, but they did not know that they were no match for the other party.
When Yu Cheng had gotten addicted to drugs, Xiang Yao was the one who had done it to him.
How could the Yu family let them off so easily?
Xiang Yao had been cleared of the rape charge and had been let out of prison, thinking that he was free. But in fact, the outside was more dangerous.
Just like the “accidents” that were happening now, as well as the rapid decline of the Xiang family’s fortunes.
It was hard to say if he would wake up in the future.
[ I see. What’s the situation with the Yu family? ]
Zhao Xuan understood what she was asking.
[ Yu Media won’t be able to hold on any longer, and the Yu family doesn’t seem to have any intentions to save it. In addition, ever since Yu Yu took the initiative to resign, she hasn’t appeared in public for a while. I heard that she’s fallen sick and is now recuperating at the Yu family’s old mansion. ]
The Yu family’s old mansion.
She was sick? Was she being kept at home?
Then, she was probably having a hard time.
[ Old Master Yu’s health doesn’t seem to be in good condition either. The battle between Yu Ming and Yu Feng has already entered a stage of white heat, and they could fall out at any time. Now that the outside world is waiting for the results, it looks like Yu Feng has a higher chance of winning. ]
“Little Junior Sister, would you like a normal amount of sugar, more sugar or less sugar?” Fu Niannian asked.
“Less sugar,”
Shen Li said as she typed another line of words.
[ Yu Feng? ]
Although Yu Cheng had been sentenced to life imprisonment and his life completely ruined, the first branch of the family had always had the upper hand in the past few years. Surely Yu Ming would not lose so quickly, right?
Zhao Xuan seemed to be a little surprised.
[ Didn’t you know? There are rumors in the industry that the third master of the Gu family seems to have plans to join forces with Yu Feng. With his support, Yu Feng is naturally more confident. ]
Shen Li was stunned.
Her third uncle?
How had he gotten involved in this?
1174 Net Closed
Yu family home.
Yu Feng was working on several documents in the study when the door was suddenly pushed open.
He frowned, but the moment he raised his head and saw who it was, the impatience on his face intensified.
“Big Brother, I’m busy. If you have anything to say, please come back later.”
These words were said without any trace of politeness. He clearly did not display any respect for Yu Ming as his “big brother”.
Yu Ming closed the door and walked straight over to confront Yu Feng from across the desk.
There was an extremely gloomy expression on his face.
“You’ve joined hands with Gu Tingyun?!”
Yu Feng raised his eyebrows, put aside the documents that were in his hand, and leaned back.
“Big Brother is quite well-informed.”
Yu Ming’s expression turned even uglier.
His brother had not even bothered to hide the sarcasm in his words!
In fact, the news had already spread among their society, but he had only found out today!
He did not know what method Yu Feng had used to convince Gu Tingyun.
Originally, he and Yu Feng could be considered evenly matched, but with Gu Tingyun’s help, Yu Feng was sure to win!
Yu Feng raised his eyes to look at him and suddenly sneered.
“Big Brother, actually, we have to thank your good son and niece for this. If they hadn’t offended Shen Li before, Gu Tingyun wouldn’t have interfered.”
Yu Ming was shocked!
Yu Feng was in a good mood as he enjoyed the change in his brother’s expression. He slowly said, “Why do you think Yu Media fell so quickly? Isn’t it because it belongs to you? Big Brother, you must have heard about the regard that the Gu family and the Lu family hold towards Shen Li. With Yu Cheng and Yu Yu offending her, do you think they’ll be allowed to live a good life?”
Yu Ming opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he could not find any words to refute him.
Yu Feng shrugged.
“Big Brother, as the younger brother, there are some things that I shouldn’t say. But now that the old master is lying in bed, I have to take care of the entire Yu family. If it wasn’t for you, Yu Media wouldn’t have ended up like this. Big Brother, if you’re really thinking about the Yu family, it’d be better for you to give up your shares as soon as possible, so that you don’t implicate the other family businesses…”
Bang!
Yu Ming fiercely slammed the table and angrily shouted, “Yu Feng! Do you know what you’re saying?!”
Yu Feng’s face turned cold as he was being pointed at and scolded. He impatiently pushed his brother’s hand away.
“Big Brother, I’m doing this for the good of the Yu family. You’re also a part of the Yu family. Do you want to watch the foundation that the old man built to be destroyed in your hands? Moreover…”
He snorted.
“Big Brother, you only have one son, Yu Cheng. Now that he’s in jail, his sentence probably won’t be changed even if he appeals. It’s hard to say if he’ll even be able to attend your funeral to send you off in the future. Why are you so persistent, Big Brother? ”
It was a heart-killing move.
These words were like the sharpest knife, ruthlessly stabbing into Yu Ming’s heart!
His face instantly turned pale, and his hands trembled in anger.
“You! You…!”
He knew this better than anyone else, but it was even more embarrassing to hear someone say it out loud in front of him.
Yu Feng did not care.
Because of what Yu Cheng and Yu Yu had done, what room did Yu Ming have to turn things around?
“I will also discuss this matter with the old master later. Big Brother, you’re a smart person so you should know what to do. If you insist on coveting things that don’t belong to you, it’ll be embarrassing for everyone when things get out of hand. Don’t you think so, Big Brother?”
Yu Feng had nothing to fear.
In his current situation, Yu Ming simply did not have the capital to compete with him!
Yu Ming’s chest heaved up and down violently till he gave a bitter laugh.
“Good! Good! I’d like to see how capable you are! Let’s just wait and see!”
After he finished speaking, he turned around and left angrily. When he left, he slammed the door hard.
Bang!
Everyone in the villa had probably heard the commotion.
Yu Feng laughed coldly and flipped open the document again.
Yu Ming would only be arrogant for a few more days.
He had already given him a chance to save his face but he did not want it. Well, he could not be blamed for what was to happen then.
…
At a high-class club in the Capital.
The room was dimly lit and filled with smoke. The strong smell of alcohol mixed with the scent of women’s perfume.
About seven or eight men and women were sitting together, and the atmosphere was lively and ambiguous.
“Mr. Tao, I heard that you recently acquired another good painting which cost 50 million yuan?” A middle-aged man gestured to indicate a number and said flatteringly, “That’s a really big deal!
The people around him were shocked.
A scantily dressed young woman covered her mouth as she gasped.
“Really? It’s just a painting yet it’s worth so much money?”
The man who spoke laughed.
“You guys don’t understand. That’s art! President Tao said that art is priceless!”
The others in the group looked at Tao Siwen even more eagerly.
There were many types of bosses, but bosses who pursued culture and art were rare. These people were usually quite particular.
Moreover, spending 50 million to buy a painting was enough to prove this person’s wealth.
Tao Siwen, who was sitting in the middle, was obviously very happy with these words. He raised his glass and said with a smile, “Actually, money isn’t the most important thing. You should know that there are many paintings that you can’t buy even if you have money. So it was truly a rare piece of luck to be able to spend this 50 million in exchange for a painting that you like.”
A group of people jeered.
“President Tao’s realm is still higher!”
“People like us probably wouldn’t be able to appreciate it even if we saw it. We can’t possibly be compared to President Tao!
“President Tao, why don’t we go back to your room later where I can paint for you, and you can help me appreciate it.”
His words made everyone burst out in laughter.
Tao Siwen looked the woman up and down before putting his arm around her waist.
“It’s not that.”
Bang!
The door of the room was suddenly kicked open!
The sudden change shocked everyone in the private room. Tao Siwen suddenly stood up.
“What are you doing? Who are you guys?”
The person in front said in a deep voice, “We’re the police! Someone reported a gathering for prostitution here, take them all away!”
…
Tao Siwen had been captured.
Shi Yang was writing in his studio when he heard the news.
The rice paper was spread out on the table, and he held a brush in his hand as the thick ink spread out.
“Prostitution?”
He did not even raise his head, It was as if he did not care.
“Does his wife know?”
It was not the first time Tao Siwen had done such a thing, but it was indeed a little troublesome to be caught this time.
His wife’s family was quite powerful, so it was just the right time to lure her out.
“This…”
The assistant hesitated and whispered, “She knows about it and has been to the police station, but… But she couldn’t get him out. I heard… that she didn’t even get to see him.”
Shi Yang stopped moving and finally looked up.
“What’s going on?”
The assistant became even more nervous.
” I-It seems that he’s also involved in other crimes. i don’t know the details yet, but… but this morning, Chai Shiming, the vice president of an art gallery, was summoned by the police.”
The room fell silent.
Drip, drip.
A drop of ink fell and formed a black spot on the paper.
Shi Xiang lowered his eyes and glanced at it. There was no emotion on his face. He put down the brush, crumpled the wasted rice paper into a ball, and threw it into the trash can.
“Trash.”
1175 Take a Good Look!
The assistant lowered his head, not daring to make a sound.
Shi Yang rarely lost his temper, but the current situation before him showed that he was furious.
After thinking for a moment, Shi Yang said, “You…”
As soon as he started to speak, his phone suddenly rang.
Shi Yang took a look, and his eyes narrowed slightly. It was a call from the office of the National Art Association.
He paused for a few seconds before finally answering the call.
“Hello,” he said.
“Vice President Shi.” A young voice came from the other end. Chairman Mei has called for an impromptu meeting. It will be held at four o ‘clock this afternoon.
Shi Yang looked at the time. It was just past three o’clock.
It was really ‘impromptu’.
Mei Yanqing was not in the habit of holding such a meeting throughout the year, so it was obvious that there had to be a reason.
As one of the Vice Presidents of the National Art Association, Shi Yang had no reason to refuse, especially when the call had come directly to him without going through his assistant.
“I see. I’ll be there on time. Thank you,” he said.
Then, he ended the call.
The assistant looked over nervously.
“Mr. Shi Yang, this is…”
“Get the car ready, we’re going to the National Art Association.”
Shi Yang spoke in a low voice.
The assistant’s heart jumped.
It was not unusual to go to the National Art Association, but why did it have to be at this time? It was really too sudden.
However, Shi Yang had already spoken, so he could only lower his head and say, “Alright.”
…
At the National Art Association.
When Shi Yang arrived, many familiar cars were already parked in front of the National Art Association’s building.
This meeting was being held very suddenly. But, because Mei Yanqing was in charge, almost everyone in the National Art Association who could attend was present.
When Shi Yang got out of the car, the people passing by greeted him.
“Vice President Shi.”
Shi Yang nodded.
Someone could not help but ask, “Vice President Shi, what’s the purpose of this meeting? Elder Mei has been recuperating for more than a year, so he basically doesn’t bother much about the affairs of the National Art Association anymore. Today, however, he seems to be in such a hurry.”
Shi Yang gave a faint smile as he shook his head.
“I also received notice of it at the last minute, so I’m not too sure either.”
Hearing him say this, the other people around looked at each other and did not ask further any further questions.
They had almost forgotten that Mei Yanqing did not like Shi Yang very much. That was probably why he had not known about it.
Regardless, Shi Yang was still the vice chairman.
Shi Yang did not seem to feel embarrassed. Instead, he gave a gentle smile and said, “It’s almost time, let’s go.”
After he finished speaking, he took the lead and walked forward.
The rest of the people quickly followed.
With Mei Yanqing’s temper, they would really suffer if they were late!
…
The meeting was being held in the conference room on the third floor.
The door had been left ajar. Shi Yang walked to the door and rested his hand on the handle, pausing for a moment.
Then, he pushed the door open–
In an instant, everyone in the conference room looked over.
Shi Yang looked up and saw Mei Yanqing, who was sitting at the head of the oval conference table.
Mei Yanqing’s status was extremely high, and he had an extremely strong aura. Without even needing to say anything, he already exuded a sense of oppression just by sitting there. That subconsciously made people respect him.
Yu Pingchuan was sitting on his left.
He was also the Vice President of the National Art Association, so it was not a problem for him to sit here.
The important point was the person who was sitting next to Yu Pingchuan…
Shen Li.
She sat there, looking very calm. When she looked up, her peach blossom-shaped eyes were dark and calm, without a single ripple of emotion.
Shi Yang paused and smiled faintly.
“I was almost late.”
He spoke as he walked in.
There was a nameplate on the conference table which showed that his seat had been arranged to the right of Mei Yanqing.
His position was opposite Yu Pingchuan.
“Elder Mei.”
He went to his seat and greeted Mei Yanqing before taking his seat.
Mei Yanqing did not say anything, merely behaving extremely coldly to him.
However, he had always been like this, so no one not took it to heart.
Apart from Shen Li, who among those present had not been scolded by him before?
Being able to sit here now was already something that everyone was already thanking the heavens and earth for.
The people behind Shi Yang walked in one after another and sat down in their own seats.
Since Mei Yanqing did not open his mouth, no one in the meeting room dared to say anything. The huge meeting room was deathly silent.
Several people secretly exchanged glances, only to find that no one knew what this meeting was about.
The long that this went on, the more nervous everyone was. Even a fool could see that today’s matter was not simple.
By four o ‘clock sharp, everyone was present.
Any one of the people sitting in the conference room was considered a well-known figure in the country’s painting world.
However, at this moment, all of them tacitly restrained their temper and waited quietly.
Mei Yanqing looked around.
“Since you’re all here, I won’t go through any formalities. There’s a reason that I’m holding this meeting at such short notice.”
Everyone looked over at him.
Mei Yanqing said, “Someone reported that Tao Siwen has colluded with the internal members of the National Art Association to produce and sell fake paintings for illegal profit, and earning an astonishing amount. At present, the police have already obtained some evidence and are continuing to investigate.”
This post was like a stone that caused a thousand ripples!
It was just a simple sentence, but the amount of information it contained shocked everyone on the spot!
“Tao Siwen?”
“A fake painting? Does this mean that someone in the National Art Association has been cooperating with him?”
” An astonishing amount? How much was it? ”
…
At this point, everyone understood that this matter with Tao Siwen was definitely not simple.
Otherwise, Mei Yanqing would not have been alerted.
Shen Li looked up at Shi Yang as she listend to the discussion.
She frowned slightly, as if she was also shocked by the news.
Mei Yanqing said coldly, “From abroad to this country, there is a complete production and sales chain. The scale is huge and the involvement is wide.
As he spoke, he suddenly picked up a stack of documents on the table in front of him and threw them down.
Bang!
The entire meeting room fell silent.
Mei Yanqing summarized the contents of the documents.
“This is a summary of the gallery, exhibition hall, and auction houses in the country that have displayed fake paintings in the past three years. The asterisks behind the names indicate the places that have worked with the National Art Association before. Just how high is this ratio? Take a good look for yourself!”
As he spoke, he threw the thing to Shi Yang.
“Shi Yang, I’ll start with you!”
…
In the dead silence, Shi Yang unhurriedly took the file.
“Alright,” he said.
He flipped to the first page as he replied.
Everyone’s eyes were focused on him.
The air seemed to have frozen, and the temperature dropped to freezing point.
At this moment, it felt as if even breathing seemed to be wrong.
As Shi Yang read through the pages, the flow of time seemed to slow down.
Finally, he finished reading the last page and closed the file.
Then, he passed it to the person sitting next to him, who quickly flipped through it.
Other than the sound of pages flipping, there was no other sound in the conference hall.
Every minute and every second became so unbearable.
Finally, the information was passed to Shen Li.
She flipped it open and saw that One Gallery had been listed on the first page together with her work “Seventeenth Night”.
In addition to her painting, a similar situation had actually happened twice at Orange Gallery.
Shi Yang’s usual gentle expression faded greatly, and he frowned slightly.
“It looks like there’s indeed a problem with the National Art Association.”
1176 Take Care
“A possibility?”
Mei Yanqing laughed as if he had heard a joke,
“Before these fake paintings are displayed and sold in art galleries and other places, they need to be appraised by professionals to confirm that there are no problems before they can be allowed to be sold on the market. It’s fine if it was just one or two, but there are so many of them… Yet you’re saying that there’s just a ‘possibility’ of a problem!?”
For a painting to be successfully sold, it had to go through a lot of procedures. It was understandable that there would be occasional mistakes, but judging by this summary, this was a very abnormal situation.
One had to know that many of them had cooperated with the National Art Association before. Now that the problem was so serious, all anyone would need to was to think about it to know that the National Art Association was definitely involved.
This also did not include the private transactions.
These people from the National Art Association had a high status in the art world and were respected by others.
To put it bluntly, in the eyes of many people, they had reliable channels and were professionals themselves. It seemed more credible to help sell and buy paintings through them.
This would definitely further promote the circulation of fake paintings in the domestic market.
The scale of interests involved in this was almost unimaginable.
Mei Yanqing’s words were so blunt that he did not leave Shi Yang any face.
Everyone looked at Shi Yang with different expressions on their faces.
However, Shi Yang had always presented himself as a gentle and elegant person. He had never had any direct conflict with the others, especially when he was facing Mei Yanqing.
After a moment of silence, he lowered his head slightly.
“You’re right.”
There was a look of heavy pressure in Mei Yanqing’s clear eyes as he coldly said, ”
“Chai Shiming, the Vice President of Yitang Gallery, was summoned by the police this morning to cooperate with the investigation. If there are any of you who don’t know this, let me remind you that both he and Tao Siwen are relatives.”
He looked at Shen Li and said, “Ah Li, the counterfeit painting of your ‘The Seventeenth Night’ was exhibited in a gallery, right? ”
“Yes,” Shen Li nodded.
Shi Yang looked over. His eyes lingered on her face for a moment before quickly moving away.
Many people exchanged looks with each other.
In fact, they all knew about this. After all, it was because of this that the news of Shen Li being Tree’s Shadow had been exposed.
At the same time, it was also at that time that they had found out that she was actually Mei Yanqing’s youngest disciple.
At that time, it had shocked almost half of the painting world.
Mei Yanqing’s gaze swept across the crowd, seemingly carrying a feeling of invisible coercion.
“Yitang Gallery is a well-known gallery in the country. Logically speaking, it shouldn’t have made such a big mistake. Now that Chai Shiming and Tao Siwen are being investigated, it was enough to prove that there was something wrong with their gallery. Who was in charge of the collaboration with Yitang Gallery?”
In the suffocating silence, a man in his thirties slowly raised his hand and said with difficulty, “Chairman Mei, It… It’s me… but I really didn’t know what was going on!”
He stammered through this short sentence before finally finishing it with great difficulty, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
Shen Li looked at him.
At a time like this, it did not matter whether they knew or not. They would definitely still insist that they did not know.
Since Tao Siwen’s matter had already been exposed, the police would definitely investigate it thoroughly. No one wanted to be involved, so of course, they wanted to get rid of him as cleanly as possible.
In addition, although he was in charge of this matter, there were actually many more people involved, such as those who had assisted in the appraisal of the paintings.
Mei Yanqing frowned and said impatiently, “There’s no need to talk nonsense here. Whether you’re innocent or not, everything will be clear when the truth is out.”
The man’s lips moved soundlessly. He wanted to explain himself, but when he saw Mei Yanqing’s expression, he swallowed his words.
Moreover, what Mei Yanqing said made sense.
Realizing the seriousness of the matter, everyone fell silent.
Mei Yanqing’s expression was solemn as he said, “So, from today onwards, everyone must cooperate with the police investigation. In addition, the National Art Association will also be launching an internal investigation. Those who were involved in the matter of the fake painting should step forward. Those who knew about it should actively report it. They could even apply for leniency. If you hide it and don’t report it, you’ll have to bear the consequences yourself once it’s found out!”
The conference hall was so quiet that one could even hear a pin drop.
Mei Yanqing did not expect them to say anything in person.
He stood up, his eyes falling upon the people’s shoulders again, especially Shi Yang. Then, he snorted coldly.
“That’s all I have to say. Some people… better watch out!”
With that, he left.
Yu Pingchuan immediately followed.
Shen Li stood up and walked around the conference table.
As she walked past Shi Yang, he suddenly turned his head and called out to her.
“Shen Li.”
Shen Li stood still as her eyes met his gaze.
“Mr. Shi Yang, did you have anything else to say?”
Shi Yang looked at her quietly, but the look in his eyes behind the lenses of his classes was hard to see.
Chai Shiming was being investigated, so the happenings at the Yitang Gallery would probably be exposed.
Tao Siwen’s situation was probably even worse.
If he was not careful, those things would leak out from the tear in the gallery.
And this flaw… all of it had started with Shen Li’s ‘The Seventeenth Night’.
He smiled faintly.
“It’s nothing. I just wanted to say that Elder Mei is old and has had surgery before, so he needs to take good care of himself. It’s our dereliction of duty to worry him so much about this matter. Take care of Elder Mei when you get back. His health is the most important. As for this matter… we’ll deal with it ourselves, so please don’t worry too much.”
In the meeting just now, Mei Yanqing had not treated Shi Yang pleasantly from beginning to end. He had also spoken quite bluntly and harshly.
However, even at this time, Shi Yang’s attitude was still so gentle and elegant. He even remembered Mei Yanqing’s health.
Anyone who saw this would probably sigh with emotion. This kind of heart and temperament was really rare.
Shen Li looked at him for a moment before her lips curved into a faint smile. However, the smile did not reach her eyes.
“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Shi Yang.”
After she finished speaking, she also left.
When they had left, the atmosphere in the conference room remained quite depressing.
Shi Yang looked around and said, “I’m sure everyone is clear about Elder Mei’s instructions just now?”
1177 Each Taking What They Need
He tapped on the table.
“Now that it’s all clear, do what needs to be done.”
…
Shen Li accompanied Mei Yanqing and Yu Pingchuan as they walked out of the National Art Association building.
“Ah Li, what did Shi Yang say to you just now?”
Yu Pingchuan turned around to ask.
He had heard Shi Yang calling her name as he was walking out the door.
Shen Li looked at Mei Yanqing and said, “They hope that Master will take good care of his health. In addition, he said they would investigate the matter of the fake painting.
Mei Yan coldly snorted.
“It’s really hard to change a person’s nature. Even at this time, he can still speak so grandly.”
There had been no trace of guilt on his face at all.
Yu Pingchuan helplessly sighed and advised in a low voice, “Master, there isn’t actually any evidence yet…”
At the moment, it was only based on their suspicions. They could not conclude that Shi Yang had something to do with the fake paintings.
“Of course I know that!” Mei Yanqing was very annoyed. “I’m just saying that he’s a hypocrite!
It did not matter if Shi Yang was the one behind Tao Siwen or not, it did not affect his aversion to Shi Yang.
Yu Pingchuan’s head ached. He knew that he would not be able to outtalk his master, so all he could do was shut his mouth.
He looked at Shen Li again, but she was still looking at her phone.
“Ah Li.”
He called out to her.
Only then did Shen Li come back to her senses and look up.
Yu Pingchuan was curious.
“What are you looking at that has you so engrossed?”
Mei Yanqing also turned around.
Shen Li met their gazes and raised her phone.
“Yu Ming has just been removed from his position as the Yu Corporation’s Executive Director and Vice President.”
“So suddenly?” Yu Pingchuan was shocked.
“The news was just released.” Shen Li nodded.
Mei Yanqing furrowed his brows.
“Yu Ming? The Yu family from Haicheng?”
“Yes, he’s Yu Cheng’s father,” Shen Li reminded.
“So that’s him.”
Mei Yanqing’s face turned even colder.
Yu Cheng had provoked Shen Li several times during the competition, and he remembered that clearly!
And Yu Yu did not get along with Shen Li either.
He did not have a good impression of the entire Yu family.
Because of Shen Li, Yu Pingchuan had been paying close attention to the Yu family’s affairs, but even he was still surprised to hear this news.
“Although Yu Media has fallen, Yu Ming has laid down a strong foundation over the years. It should have been impossible for them to fall so quickly.”
He had heard that because Yu Cheng had been sentenced to life imprisonment, Old Master Yu had high blood pressure and had been sent to the hospital. He had only been released after a long time.
Initially, his body had recovered well, but for some reason, his condition suddenly worsened.
There were even rumors that Old Master Yu’s condition was particularly serious this time, and his mind was not very clear.
The intense internal strife between the two Yu brothers seemed to have confirmed this rumor.
However, he had not expected Yu Ming to lose so quickly.
This outcome meant that Yu Ming had been completely expelled from the core management of the Yu Corporation.
The situation was already hopeless, and he had almost no chance of turning things around.
The entire Yu family’s business had officially fallen into Yu Feng’s hands.
Suddenly, he thought of something and looked at Shen Li.
“Wait a minute. I remember someone mentioning that Gu Tingyun intends on joining forces with Yu Feng… Ah Li, are you involved in this?”
Shen Li blinked.
“Actually, I didn’t know about this matter either. I only found out after hearing about it from someone.
Yu Pingchuan clicked his tongue.
Shen Li’s third uncle was not a kind person.
He would not join hands with Yu Feng for no reason.
The only reason for this was probably her.
“That’s good too. I can only say that his family has brought this upon themselves.”
Shen Li nodded.
“That’s right. If the Yu family hadn’t gone too far, relying on their family’s power to lord over Haicheng all these years, disregarding other people’s lives and trampling on them wantonly, how would they be where they were today?
In the end, they just “deserved it.”
She put away her phone.
“Master, Senior Brother, shall I send you home first?”
…
Haicheng, Yu family.
In the bedroom at the end of the corridor on the third floor, the sound of something falling to the ground could be heard.
Bang–!
The two bodyguards at the door exchanged looks with each other.
He did not need to think hard to know what was going on.
One of them took out a walkie-talkie and said, “Second Miss is not feeling well again.”
The other person immediately opened the door and walked in. The higher-ups had clearly instructed them to pay attention to the second miss’s situation at all times and not allow her to do anything extreme.
When the door was opened, the scene inside came into view.
The entire room was in a mess. The sound just now had been from Yu Yu throwing a book to the floor.
She was curled up at the foot of the bed. Her hair was disheveled, her face full of tears, and her body was trembling uncontrollably.
When she heard the sound, she slowly turned her head and looked over, her eyes unfocused.
“B-Big Uncle…”
She mumbled pleadingly.
Before the bodyguard could say anything, a mocking voice came from outside the door.
“Stop shouting. He can’t take care of you now.”
The bodyguard turned around and bowed respectfully.
“President Yu.”
It was Yu Feng.
It took Yu Yu a great effort to understand what he meant, but she still could not understand it.
She had been trapped here for days and nights, and it was extremely torturous.
She had had enough!
Not caring about anything else, she cried, her voice sounding hoarse.
“… Second Uncle, please… let me see Grandpa… Back then, it wasn’t me…”
Yu Feng looked around the messy room before finally looking at Yu Yu.
It had only been a short while, but she had already lost a lot of weight. Her eye sockets were sunken, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked extremely haggard.
At first glance, she really did look like a ghost.
If one did not see it with their own eyes, who would have thought that the once proud second miss of the Yu family would end up like this?
Yu Feng frowned in disgust.
“The old man has no time to see you. Besides, do you think he wants to see you again?”
If it was not for the fact that she felt that it would be too unsatisfying to settle her hatred directly, how could she still be alive now?
Yu Feng said as he raised his chin, “Take good care of Second Miss. The old master’s health hasn’t been good recently, and the same with big brother. So you should be more concerned.”
“Yes.”
Just as he finished speaking, Yu Feng’s phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, then at Yu Yu one last time before turning around and walking out.
The bodyguard quickly closed the door again.
“Third Master Gu.”
Yu Feng responded very warmly.
“Why did you call me today?”
“Nothing, I just wanted to congratulate you, President Yu,” said Gu Tingyun with a voice filled with laughter.
Yu Ming had been removed from his position in yu Corporation. Anyone who was watching this battle would know that Yu Feng had won.
At this moment, Yu Feng was feeling quite proud of himself.
“Third Master Gu is too polite! Speaking of which, I have to thank you for this!”
Gu Tingyun smiled.
“Not at all. In fact, working with President Yu means we each get what we need. Therefore, everything is as it should be.”
1178 Uneasy
One after another, Tao Siwen and Chai Shiming were investigated. In addition, Mei Yanqing had called for a meeting at the last minute. This made the entire National Art Association nervous.
After the meeting, Shi Yang stayed at the National Art Association for a while, not leaving until later that night.
The night was dark, the streets were bright and the traffic was heavy.
Shi Yang’s assistant glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Shi Yang leaning back in the back seat. He was pinching the bridge of his nose, looking a little tired.
The assistant asked hesitantly, “Teacher Shi Yang, I’m afraid that the National Art Association will be conducting a thorough investigation this time.”
Shi Yang opened his eyes, but there was no emotion in them.
“It’s what should be done. After all, it’s such a big internal problem.”
The assistant’s throat was dry.
How could he still be so calm at this time?
Shi Yang looked at him through the rearview mirror with eyes that were extremely cold.
“What are you afraid of?”
The assistant quickly looked away.
“No, there’s nothing!”
The air in the car seemed to have frozen.
Shi Yang said, “There’s no need to feel guilty about something you didn’t do.”
The assistant bit the bullet and said, “Yes, yes…”
Shi Yang put on his glasses again. The thin lenses reflected the faint light as he moved as elegantly as ever.
However, it was already the end of October and the weather was cold, especially at night. Thus, it probably enhanced the cold gaze behind his glasses.
The assistant’s body tensed up.
Shi Yang took his phone out and began to look through it.
The assistant heaved a sigh of relief, only to find that the palms of his hands were already wet with sweat.
“Has something happened to Yu Corporation?”
Shi Yang suddenly asked.
The assistant was stunned for a moment before he realized what he was asking.
“I… I’m not sure about that…”
All he had been able to think about the whole day was the fake painting. When would he have the time to care about anything else?
Shi Yang was reading the news on his phone.
In the past, Yu Cheng had been the heir handpicked by Old Master Yu, and everyone had silently agreed that the entire Yu family business would belong to Yu Cheng in the future.
But now that something had happened to Yu Cheng, Yu Ming and his side of the family had been defeated, one after another. His defeat by Yu Feng had been very quick.
Of course, anyone with eyes could see that something fishy was going on.
Shi Yang thought for a while, then asked, “I haven’t heard any news about Yu Yu in a while.”
The assistant had not expected him to suddenly ask about Yu Yu, so he quickly replied, “I think… I think she’s not in good health and has been recuperating at the Yu family mansion. But everyone knows that Yu Yu’s in this state due to the collapse of Yu Media.
After causing such a big problem, the second miss Yu had already been marginalized. Thus, she probably had no connection with the Yu family’s assets.
Shi Yang was deep in thought.
It was true that Yu Yu’s misstep in her decision-making had led to problems within Yu Media, but it did not really seem to be that serious.
Her relationship with the Yu family’s eldest branch had always been good. However, before Yu Ming’s incident today, there had been no news about her.
From Yu Cheng to Yu Yu, then to Yu Ming…
Shi Yang narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. After a long time, he laughed.
She had such deep thoughts that were really different from her mother’s.
She really was not very likable.
…
Mei Yanqing had lost his temper during the meeting today. After Shen Li sent him back to Jinse Bay, she and Yu Pingchuan accompanied him to have dinner.
After much persuasion, the two of them finally left.
In the car, Yu Pingchuan could not help but sigh.
“Ah, if this matter is really related to Shi Yang, it’d be so embarrassing.”
Even now, he still felt that this conjecture was too unbelievable.
If it were not for the many coincidences and the many clues, he would never have cast his suspicious gaze on Shi Yang.
“What do you think he’s thinking? It’s understandable that people like Tao Siwen would do this kind of thing. It would be for nothing more than ‘profit’. But Shi Yang… He doesn’t lack for anything. Why would he want to do this?”
Yu Pingchuan shook his head.
“In terms of family background, he comes from a family of scholars and is well-off. In terms of status, he’s already the Vice-President of the National Art Association at such a young age and is also one of the top Chinese art Masters in the country. The people who have come into contact with him are basically full of praise for him. What could he possibly be planning?”
He could not understand it.
Shen Li said, “There is no end to human greed and desire. Besides, there’s no such thing as a perfect person in this world. He wears that mask all year round, so he’s probably even deceived himself.”
Yu Pingchuan let out a long sigh.
“Actually, there’s no point in saying all this now. Let’s just wait for the police to investigate.”
Shen Li did not reply.
In fact, she was not optimistic about this matter.
Although Tao Siwen and Chai Shiming were being investigated, there were too many people and factors involved in this matter. It was not an easy task to thoroughly investigate it.
Besides, it was obvious that Shi Yang was a very cautious person. He never made any mistakes.
Why would he leave any traces behind that would put himself in danger?
Moreover, during the meeting today, he had been completely natural from start to end and behaved so naturally that it was as if he really had nothing to do with these things.
This kind of person’s mental strength was not just strong.
At the same time, this kind of person was particularly disturbing.
It was likely that even the people who were most familiar with him might not really understand him.
Shen Li suddenly thought of something.
“Senior Brother, doesn’t Shi Yang have any family?”
Yu Pingchuan was stunned.
“Family? I don’t think so… His parents are gone, and he doesn’t have any siblings.”
“He’s not married? No children?”
“No, he doesn’t.”
Yu Pingchuan shook his head.
“Actually, many people have fallen for him over the years, but he has rejected them all.”
Shen Li’s eyebrows furrowed.
“So, he doesn’t want to get married at all?”
“Probably. But all these years, he’s never had a single girlfriend by his side. When I asked, he just said that he hadn’t met anyone that he liked.”
Yu Pingchuan said, “Maybe different people have different goals.”
He’d never met someone that he liked?
Shen Li’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Hadn’t Shi Yang liked… Gu Tingyin previously?
Just as this thought flashed through her mind, Yu Pingchuan said, “Ah Li, we’ve reached.”
Shen Li came back to her senses and slowly stopped the car.
“Take care, Senior Brother.”
Yu Pingchuan got out of the car and conveyed a few more parting words through the window, “Be careful on your way back tonight. Also, we’ve already begun to investigate the matter of the fake painting, so you don’t have to worry too much.”
Shen Li nodded.
After Yu Pingchuan left, Shen Li sat quietly for a while with her eyes slightly lowered.
She had a vague feeling that something was not right, but she could not put her finger on it.
After a moment, she gathered her thoughts and turned around to leave.
1179 Now of All Times
After that day, Shen Li had indeed reined in her thoughts and spent more time in the library.
– Preparation for the mid-term exam.
Someone posted a photo on the school forum.
The morning sun was streaming in through the huge floor-to-ceiling window. The girl sitting by the window was wearing a black sweater with her hair tied up in a bun. The fine hair of her fringe fell over her forehead. She was resting her cheek on one hand with a pen between the fingers of her other hand. She was reading a book with her head lowered.
The sun shone on her, showing off her soft and lustrous black hair. Her skin was so fair and clear, that it almost seemed translucent. Her thick and curly eyelashes cast two small shadows under her eyes.
She was so focused and calm that she looked almost like a scene frozen in time in an oil painting.
[ Op: I’m so torn. Even this god of learning is so hardworking. What right do I have to lie down and do nothing? ]
The comments below also grew rapidly.
[ F*ck! Is this Shen Li? She’s studying in the library? ]
[ Student god! Did you make a mistake? With your grades, do you really have to do this just for a mid-term exam? ]
[ Stop scrolling! Stop scrolling! Please save the children! ]
[ Tsk, when I first entered the school, I knew that she was a freshman in the Physics Department. Imagine how many other departments’ hearts were hurt? Now it seemed that the heavens were really watching over them. It’s a good thing that such a god-like student didn’t come to my department at this university. Otherwise, this group of old men would really be too ashamed to continue working. [ smile ]
[ I agree! Even my big computer can’t handle it! The school belle is a common sight in school anyway. It’s fine as long as we don’t have to compare our report cards with hers. ]
[ Actually, my Mathematics Department can fight her, but the school belle only has astronomy in her heart, so let’s just leave it to the Physics Department! ]
[ By the way, there are so many comments on this post. Why haven’t I seen anyone from the Physics Department come out to speak? ]
[ They’ve probably gone to study. ]
[ The commenter above is very reasonable.+1. ]
[ The person above. +2 ]
…
As Shen Li casually browsed the forum, she soon received a message from Yan Qiu.
[ Little Junior Sister! Thank you! Now that you’ve shown such a good example by studying for the mid-term exam, we’re in a good state! This will be the first exam since I became a lecturer! Thank you again! [ Thank you! ]
Shen Li took a sip of her milk tea.
[ Senior Brother, you’re welcome. The milk tea is delicious. ]
After sending this message, she looked at the time, put away her phone, and put the spherical astronomy book that was on the table into her backpack. She got up and left.
As a teacher, there were a lot of things to worry about.
…
On Friday afternoon, Shen Li finished her last exam.
The next morning, she packed up and flew to Hong Kong City.
After having lunch with Old Master Gu and Old Madam Gu, she took some time to visit Dutian Racecourse in the afternoon.
Qingfeng had not seen her in a long time and obviously missed her. He kept rubbing his furry head on her shoulder.
Shen Li rubbed its ears and smiled.
“Would you like to go out and run two laps?”
Qingfeng pawed the ground with his hooves.
Shen Li did not ask the horse tamer for help, choosing to lead it out by herself.
Just as they were about to reach the horse track, the neighing of a horse could be heard.
She turned her head and saw a few staff members surrounding a white horse and a horse truck that was parked beside it.
The tamer was leading the white horse to the truck, but the white horse was not very cooperative and kept struggling to retreat.
Shen Li lifted her chin and asked, “What’s going on?”
The horse tamer beside her quickly said, “Miss Li, please wait a moment. I’ll go ask.”
He jogged over and said something to those people, after which, they glanced over at Shen Li.
Very quickly, the horse tamer returned and explained, “Miss Ah Li, that horse is about to be transported away today. Perhaps because it has stayed here for too long, it’s unwilling to leave and its reaction is a little big.
“Transported away?”
“Yes, that horse has an owner,” the tamer said, “I heard that it was successfully auctioned off that the horse race event in August, but it seems that its owner was too busy before and was not able to come for it till now. ”
This was actually normal.
There was a large number of horses that were traded at the horse race event every year. A considerable number of the new owners would choose to leave the horses here for various reasons and task Dutian Racecourse with continuing to help raise them.
Shen Li looked at it for a while and said, “This horse is pretty.”
“That’s right!” The horse tamer laughed. “White horses are rare, to begin with, and this one looks extra beautiful. Otherwise, Mr. Shi Yang wouldn’t have bought it at such a high price.”
Shen Li’s eyebrows twitched.
“Who did you say it was?”
“Mr. Shi Yang!” The tamer said.
Shen Li suddenly remembered that Shi Yang had indeed come here and picked a white horse during the horse race event.
So, it had been this horse.
It’s just that, she wondered why he would suddenly want to take the horse away at this time.
Shen Li asked, “Has Shi Yang been here again?”
The horse tamer was stunned.
“I… I don’t believe so. Ever since he bought the horse, he’s been keeping it in a special stable. As for Teacher Shi Yang, he hasn’t been here at all. I guess he’s been too busy.”
Shen Li stared at the horse, “So, he’s preparing to transport the horse back to the Capital?”
“Yes.”
Shen Li frowned.
It was understandable if Shi Yang was too busy to have the time to take care of the horse.
But…
He should be at his busiest around this time, right?
The white horse neighed again, but with the combined efforts of a few people, they finally got it in the truck.
This was a mobile stable that was specially equipped for such a purpose. Of course, it was actually a relatively closed small space with fodder and so on.
The tamer closed the door.
Qingfeng gently nudged her shoulder.
Shen Li withdrew her gaze and touched it. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled and said, “Alright, alright, stop rushing me. I’ll go with you now.”
As she spoke, she stepped on the stirrup and nimbly mounted the horse!
The horse tamer immediately stepped back and made way for them.
She shook the reins, and Qingfeng happily began to run.
The wind lifted her hair, as she turned to look back again.
The truck that was carrying the white horse had already left.
She frowned slightly and finally looked away.
…
Qingfeng ran a few laps around the race track.
By the time Shen Li got off the horse, her forehead was already covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Qingfeng moved closer to her again to pester her again.
“Miss Ah Li.”
The horse tamer quickly walked over.
“Third Master just called and asked if you would like to take a look at the art gallery after you’re done here.”
Shen Li was stunned, “Third Uncle?”
“Yes, Third Master said that he happened to be nearby and heard that you were at the horse track, so he thought to ask you.”
The gallery was not far from Dutian Racecourse, and Gu Tingyun had mentioned it before, so Shen Li agreed to his suggestion after some thought.
“Alright. I’ll talk to Third Uncle personally.”
…
Gu Tingyun’s car arrived quickly.
“Ah Li.”
“Third Uncle,”
Shen Li greeted him and got into the back of the car.
Gu Tingyun smiled and looked at her closely.
“Did you have fun this afternoon?”
Shen Li nodded.
“I haven’t seen Qingfeng in a long time, so I had some fun with it for a while.”
Gu Tingyun looked at her lively eyes, and the shallow dimples that appeared on her cheeks as the smile in the corners of her eyes deepened.
“I hope you’ll like the gallery too.”
1180 What a Pity
“Of course, I’ll like it.”
Shen Li’s lips curved up.
After all, from the design to the construction and the decoration style of the gallery, Gu Tingyun had specifically asked for the people to design it according to her preferences.
How could she not like it?
Gu Tingyun could not help but laugh.
“You haven’t even seen it, yet you’re already saying that you like it? You’re very much like your mother in this aspect.”
Shen Li was stunned.
She had rarely heard Gu Tingyun mention Gu Tingyin.
Gu Tingyun recalled the past, and a sense of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
“In the past, your mother was the only girl in the family so everyone doted on her. She was also a very sweet person and since she was young, she had never disliked any gift that was given to her. It was only once when I gave her a caterpillar and she cried when she opened the box.”
Shen Li’s eyes widened.
Gu Tingyun looked gentle, but there was much more to that unassuming exterior. It was hard to imagine that he would actually do such a thing.
“What happened after that?”
“Later on, your grandfather became very angry and wanted to beat me. Even your grandmother couldn’t persuade him otherwise.”
Among his siblings, the age difference between him and Gu Tingyin was the smallest, so they had always hung out together.
How could the little boy not be mischievous? That time, he had been bold enough to deliberately put a fat caterpillar into a very exquisite box. To show his sincerity, he had even specially used a ribbon to tie a bow around the box for the caterpillar.
The result was that the little princess had immediately burst into tears out of fright, and he had been sternly reprimanded by the whole family.
Shen Li was silent.
Old Master Gu must have been really angry to say that he would beat him.
Gu Tingyin’s status in the family was evident.
“However, in the end, they didn’t punish me.”
Gu Tingyun leaned back in his chair. Even though it had happened many years ago, it was still fresh in his mind.
He laughed.
“When your mother saw that I was about to be beaten, she ran in front of me to stop it. She cupped that caterpillar in her hands and cried until she was out of breath. Then she said that she really liked this gift.”
In the end, Old Master Gu had not touched him and had gone to coax the little princess.
Gu Tingyin had even specially raised that little caterpillar.
Of course, she was still afraid. Every time she went to feed the caterpillar, she would take a long time to psych herself for it.
However, she still kept it for a long time. Later, when the caterpillar died, she had even cried.
Gu Tingyun turned his head to look at Shen Li, and it seemed as if something surged in his eyes. After a long time, he smiled and said, “That’s why I said, Ah Li, you and your mother are really very similar.”
…
The car slowly came to a stop.
The driver said, “Third Master, Miss Shen Li, we’re here.”
Gu Tingyun got out of the car, followed by Shen Li.
There were already people waiting there. When they saw them, they immediately bowed.
“Third Master, Miss Shen Li, please come in. ”
Shen Li looked up.
It was a unique building with a total of three floors. The lower part of the wall was made of white embossed sculptures while the upper part was made of glass.
The design of the entire gallery was simple and elegant, and the colors used were particularly clean and transparent.
“Let’s go in and take a look,” said Gu Tingyun as he led Shen Li inside.
The interior design of the gallery was even more exquisite. There was a spiral wooden stairway, a marble floor that was so shiny that it could reflect a person, and wall paintings made of shimmering mother-of-pearl.
Shen Li had seen the design before, but seeing it with her own eyes was a different story.
The entire space was vast and quiet. Just by standing there, a rich sense of artistic beauty seemed to hit one in the face.
However, there were no paintings on the wall yet.
Gu Tingyun showed Shen Li around as he looked at her.
“It looks like you really like this place.”
Shen Li gently nodded.
“Thank you, Third Uncle.”
“No need to thank me. If you like it, you can hold an art exhibition here in the future.” Gu Tingyun laughed.
Shen Li paused and said honestly, “That’ll probably take a long time. I don’t have many paintings left in my possession.”
Most of her previous paintings had been sold.
Lu Huaiyu owned most of them, but Shen Li felt that persuading him to put them on display for others would be a difficult task.
Gu Tingyun thought for a moment and guessed what she meant.
“That’s fine. This gallery is yours anyway. You can hold an art exhibition or treat it as your own personal gallery. It’s up to you.”
Shen Li’s peach blossom eyes curved into beautiful arcs.
“Alright,” she said.
“There’s a lounge and a studio upstairs. Shall we go take a look?”
“Yes.”
…
It was already past six o’clock when they finally finished visiting the entire gallery.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the transparent glass, casting a warm glow on the ground.
Shen Li’s phone rang and she answered it.
“Grandma?”
Old Madam Gu’s voice was gentle.
“Ah Li, I heard you went to the gallery with Tingyun?”
Shen Li nodded her head.
“Are you coming back for dinner later?”
Shen Li looked at Gu Tingyun with an inquiring expression.
“Third Uncle, Grandma asked if we’re going back to the old residence for dinner tonight.”
Gu Tingyun smiled and nodded.
“Yes, I was planning to take you back there after we finished taking a look around here.”
Shen Li understood and said into the phone, “Grandma, Third Uncle and I will go back later.”
Naturally, Old Madam Gu was happy.
“Alright, we’ll be waiting for you then.”
Shen Li ended the phone call and was about to put the phone away when she suddenly saw a promotional message pop up on the screen.
[ The latest news! Former executive director and vice president of Yu Corporation, Yu Ming, has reported the Yu Corporation for tax evasion and the massive transfer of assets overseas, causing the loss of state-owned assets! ]
Shen Li’s eyebrows raised.
Without any hesitation, she clicked onto the article.
– Yu Ming had actually reported his own corporation!
The incident happened so suddenly, but because it involved the Yu Corporation, the news had quickly exploded on the Internet the moment it was released!
Shen Li’s first thought was that Yu Ming had gone crazy.
With such a serious accusation, even if the Yu Corporation was not completely destroyed, it would still be in dire straits!
She was obviously not the only one who was shocked by this news. The front row of the comment section was full of question marks.
[??? What the f*ck? Am I seeing wrongly? Did Yu Ming just turn in his own family’s company? ]
[ I heard that Old Master Yu is seriously ill, and the Yu family is fighting internally. This person couldn’t win against his younger brother, and he was previously removed from his position within the Yu Corporation. So, is this… his revenge? ]
[ No wonder! Since he can’t have it, he decides to destroy it? ]
[ Tsk, it looks like this person is quite serious. Once the crime of this report is confirmed, the entire Yu family’s business will be finished, right? Even though he lost his fight for the family’s assets, did he have to go to this extent? It’s really possible that the family will lose everything this time! ]
[ The person above might not know this, but this man is Yu Cheng’s father. Yu Cheng was sentenced to life imprisonment and had a drug addiction. His life was ruined. This pretty much means that Yu Ming is no different from never having an heir. Why would he care much? ]
[ Hehe! The Yu family of Haicheng? I’m happy to see this! Check it out! The clearer the investigation, the better! ]
…
“Ah Li, we’re back home.”
Gu Tingyun called out to her.
Shen Li looked up and suddenly realized something.
She raised her phone.
“Third Uncle, this matter with the Yu family… Is it…?”
Gu Tingyun glanced at the article indifferently and raised his eyebrows.
“Ah, what a pity. The contract with the Yu Corporation was just about to be signed.
“It looks like it won’t work out now.
He smiled.
“What a pity.”