The break was almost over when Zheng Yu'an finally made himself a cup of coffee. Qin Hanguan was still agonizing over the "honeymoon period" issue. Zheng Yu'an, holding his cup, joked, "If it were a real boyfriend-girlfriend honeymoon, why even go on a date? Just get into bed."
You really dare to say such things. Qin Hanguan clicked his tongue and said, "That's Yan Shuwang we're talking about. What are you thinking?"
Zheng Yu'an said nonchalantly, "That's the point. The few times I've met him don't mean anything. It's just like being ordinary friends."
He absolutely had to go to the pottery exhibition on Saturday. Even if Yan Shuwang's attitude was ambiguous, Zheng Yu'an wasn't the type to back down at the last minute.
Besides, between adults, what was there to avoid so desperately? The finance circle was so small, and Yan Shuwang was at the very top of the pyramid in the central circle. Zheng Yu'an couldn't afford to offend him; he was more likely to try to curry favour.
The Benshi Art Museum wasn't far from Guoxiang. It had a car park, not big, but enough. Zheng Yu'an was going as Yan Shuwang's friend this time, so he didn't contact An Dai and drove himself there.
Bai Jian had been to Suzhou many times and was already well-known in pottery circles. His exhibitions attracted not only enthusiasts but also outsiders who came to admire his work. Zheng Yu'an had even bought a bouquet of flowers and gave it to Bai Jian at the entrance.
"I heard Director Yan invited you?" Bai Jian asked, holding the baby's breath flowers that had been arranged into a ball. He looked very pleased. He handed Zheng Yu'an a signature book. "Leave your name?"
As Zheng Yu'an wrote, he chuckled, "Teacher Bai, is this considered expanding your customer base? Will there be follow-up visits?"
Bai Jian was embarrassed by his words and pretended to hit him with the flowers. Zheng Yu'an didn't dodge and smiled as he flipped through the signature book, spotting Yan Shuwang's name.
"Director Yan has already arrived?" he asked.
Bai Jian nodded. "He's inside."
After greeting Bai Jian, Zheng Yu'an went inside to find Yan Shuwang. He looked through two exhibition rooms before finally spotting him in the leftmost one.
The museum wasn't large, but the structure, with its upstairs and downstairs design, was quite clever. The hall downstairs had an extension platform on which a Japanese white pine was planted. The shadows of the pine needles were uneven and mottled, reflected on the wall. The branches stretched out, taking up half the wall. The occasional swaying of the pine shadows added a touch of Zen.
Yan Shuwang was standing in front of that shadow, his long hair tied back and draped over his shoulder.
For some reason, Zheng Yu'an thought of the line, "A gentleman stands beneath the pine, a gentleman like the bright moon."
To create the light and shadow effect, the lighting on the platform was also carefully arranged. When Yan Shuwang turned his head and saw Zheng Yu'an, the white light happened to fall on his face, softening his extremely striking features.
Zheng Yu'an watched him walk over, from light to dark. The light and shadow on Yan Shuwang's face overlapped, each frame like a beautifully painted portrait.
"When did you arrive?" Yan Shuwang asked as he approached him.
Zheng Yu'an seemed to finally wake up, awkwardly averting his gaze. After a long pause, he said, "Not long ago."
Yan Shuwang nodded. "Let's go take a look upstairs," he said.
Bai Jian's works were mainly displayed on the first floor. The second floor was a studio exhibition, which had attracted quite a crowd. As Zheng Yu'an and Yan Shuwang went upstairs, they ran into some familiar faces.
Yan Shuwang also had acquaintances, clearly not from the same circle as Zheng Yu'an. The two were forced to separate. As Zheng Yu'an spoke, he couldn't help but glance over at Yan Shuwang.
He suddenly remembered An Dai's words: "People divide circles very clearly. You're on this side, they're on that side. You can't cross over, and they don't want to come over either."
"Director Zheng, you don't look too well," someone nearby asked with concern.
Zheng Yu'an was startled, forcing a smile. "It's hot. I might be a little stuffy."
He chatted with them perfunctorily for a few words, then raised his head again. His eyes met Yan Shuwang's. They were separated by the aisle in the middle, their gazes quietly locked.
The people beside Yan Shuwang seemed curious and asked a few questions. Yan Shuwang shook his head. He reached out his hand, looking at Zheng Yu'an, and said calmly, "Zheng Yu'an, come here."
"Zheng Yu'an."
Yan Shuwang patiently held out his hand, his eyebrows slightly raised, the corners of his eyes seemed to be spreading into a smile. He repeated, "Come over here to me."