Chapter 61:

The text on the screen was not large, and Zhou Jingchuan tilted his head, drawing even closer to her.

He pointed to the pictures of several auction lots in succession. "Out of these three, which one do you think has more collection value?"

Tang Xi pointed at one of them with her finger, her voice sounding like a meandering mountain spring. "Look at this 'censer'. Although it's an item from the Thirteen Factories of the late Qing Dynasty, the tiles and jades on it probably date back to the late Tang Dynasty..."

She explained clearly and earnestly, completely unaware that her head was almost touching Zhou Jingchuan's.

As she spoke, her sweet breath drifted slowly, brushing against the man's senses like a cloud, or like a kitten extending soft paws to playfully scratch him.

"Therefore, my opinion is that both this 'censer' and this jasper incense burner are worth bidding on." Having said that, as if wanting to consult Zhou Jingchuan for his opinion, she naturally turned her head to look at him.

Only then did she discover that the man's face was so close to hers—so close that there was only half a finger's width between them.

His features seemed magnified, becoming even more perfect, and his eyes were like whirlpools on the ocean surface, carrying an attractive force that made one sink into them.

His thin lips had a natural color, and the corners of his mouth curved up imperceptibly.

Tang Xi hurriedly pulled back, a blush rising unnaturally on her cheeks.

She had been too focused and hadn't realized he was so close to her.

Her heart was pounding wildly, as if its rhythm had been disrupted.

"Well, I'll listen to you." Fortunately, Zhou Jingchuan didn't seem to mind. "What about you? Is there anything you've got your eye on?"

Tang Xi shook her head. She only authenticated; she didn't collect.

Without a substantial family fortune, who would dare buy antiques just for display and appreciation?

She didn't know how many antiques Zhou Jingchuan owned; she had only heard people say that the ones he bought back from abroad and donated to the state were worth eight figures.

At that moment, a waiter knocked on the door to prepare to serve the dishes.

Tang Xi hurriedly put away her phone and sat up straight.

"What are your plans after you finish your work here?"

The waiter nearby was serving soup to the two of them, and Zhou Jingchuan looked over, asking as if it were a casual inquiry.

"I still want to continue in this industry." Her work these past few days had helped her regain the passion she had back then.

Seeing those exquisite costumes made by her own hands, worn by the actors, and projected onto the big screen was a deeply joyful and proud thing.

"Have you ever thought about starting your own studio?"

Tang Xi certainly had, but her qualifications were not yet sufficient, and she had zero experience in management.

"My company in Beijing can assist you in establishing a studio. I will take a twenty percent stake and handle management and operations, while you only need to focus on doing your own job well." The man's voice was calm, but to Tang Xi, it sounded like towering waves.

Her eyes lit up, unable to conceal her surprise. "I don't know which company Mr. Zhou owns in Beijing yet?"

"Huanyu Film and Television."

Tang Xi felt like her mind was blowing up.

So that famous Huanyu Film and Television actually belonged to Zhou Jingchuan.

No wonder the company's productions were all collaborations between the mainland and Hong Kong; it turned out the major stake was held in Hong Kong.

If she had Huanyu Film and Television as her backing, her endeavor to open a studio would definitely succeed.

Many people started studios nowadays, but very few survived the trial of the great waves simply because they lacked the support of truly massive capital.

Tang Xi was tempted, and she was eager to try.

However, if she owed Zhou Jingchuan this much, she would truly never be able to repay him.

Catching a glimpse of that conflicted little face, Zhou Jingchuan smiled inwardly.

Without needing to guess, she must be pondering in her heart how to repay him.

Yet, he wanted her to owe him—the kind of debt she could never repay in a lifetime.

"I am only putting up twenty percent of the capital; you will have to figure out the rest yourself. I am a businessman and I don't do losing deals. I am investing because I believe you will bring value to me. If you cannot, I will withdraw immediately."

The man's business-like attitude clearly established his stance as an entrepreneur.

Yet this actually solidified Tang Xi's determination to cooperate with him.

She had never quite figured out Zhou Jingchuan's attitude toward her.

She didn't understand the man himself, and the rumors she had heard were a mix of truth and falsehood.

If he wanted to pursue her, she knew she didn't possess the kind of charm that could make a bigwig bow; if he merely regarded her as an ordinary friend lending a helping hand, his occasional ambiguous attitude left her lost in the fog.

She still remembered Huo Tian's words: that he kept a woman at Pingdingshan.

She might be his secretly married wife, or she might be his kept canary.

She had heard him say "I love you" over the phone with her own ears.

That murmured tone, the pampering of someone willing to give up everything for the other person, was not fake.

"When you finish your work here, we'll discuss this matter further." Zhou Jingchuan picked up a piece of fish and placed it in her bowl. "Have a taste. It's very tender."

It was her favorite part: the fish eye.

Tang Xi could not hide the surprise in her eyes.

Fish eyes were a part that many people avoided like the plague. Among the people she knew, no one liked to eat them, and some even found them a bit repulsive.

Yet she indulged in it endlessly.

When she was a child living in a residential compound, the children from several families liked to go from house to house begging for meals.

When she went to Zhou Jing's house, his mother would cook fish, and Zhou Jing would always pick out the fish eyes in advance and put them in her bowl.

Zhou Jing's mother didn't understand why and even gave him a pat on the head, saying, "You brat, don't scare Xi Xi."

Zhou Jing protested loudly, "She's the one who loves eating them."

He even said that one day he would invent a dish specifically called "Stir-fried Fish Eyeballs."

Tang Xi looked dazedly at the man beside her. He was eating at a leisurely pace with a great appetite, obviously not taking the matter to heart.

However, why did he know she liked eating fish eyes?

"What's wrong? Don't you like this?" Zhou Jingchuan glanced at the untouched plate in front of her, then suddenly seemed to understand. "Is it hard to get used to? Linjiang fish is most famous for its eyes. They aren't fishy; the meat is tender and juicy."

So, was the fish eye the most precious part of the fish, which was why Zhou Jingchuan gave it to her?

Pushing her suspicions aside, Tang Xi picked up the fish eye and bit into it. "No, I like it."

With a single bite, the juices burst out in her mouth, indeed fresh and tender.

~~~

On the way back, Tang Xi found herself gazing blankly at the night view outside the window.

Ten years had passed. She had originally thought all those things had faded away, yet they were vividly recalled because of a trivial matter.

She could even remember his gestures and the subtle expressions on his face when he spoke back then.

The youthful swagger and unbridled spirit were like a brand; even if buried by sand, a gust of wind would still reveal the engraving.

Zhou Jing, are you still alive?

If you are alive, I hope you are doing well now.

I no longer hate you.

"What are you thinking about?" A low, husky voice sounded by her ear.

Tang Xi turned her head. The light and shadow playing across the man's face seemed to overlap and then part from the shadow in her memory.

She shook her head firmly.

Impossible. Zhou Jingchuan could not be Zhou Jing; otherwise, why wouldn't he acknowledge her?

"Tang Xi." He called her name earnestly, his eyes holding the reflections of both her and the night.

Tang Xi stared at him in a daze, her heart skipping a wild beat for no reason.

She was surrounded by his aura, a heavy masculinity that made one lose their way.

"In the future, don't call me Mr. Zhou anymore." He curved his finger and gave her forehead a light flick. "It sounds too distant."