readytorunbook Chapter 132 Deeply Affectionate Blue
Chapter 132 Deeply Affectionate Blue
The morning sunlight gently filtered through the gaps in the curtains, falling on Bai Li's face.
She slowly woke up and habitually stretched.
A new day, and a new million-dollar credit limit arrives in my account.
Bai Li first transferred half of the credit limit to Jing Ye, who would then help arrange daily expenses, company cashier duties, and so on, so Bai Li wouldn't have to worry about any of that.
Remembering that Guan Cha had spent a lot of money on a private tea party last time, she needed to "replenish" her contracted partner's funds in order to better maintain their relationship and keep their goodwill intact. So she allocated a portion of her funds to Guan Cha.
Sure enough, the notification sound rang out at the right time.
[Guan Cha's favorability +1]
Guan Cha's favorability rating: 62
Immediately afterwards, a message popped up saying that the tea shop was closed.
After a period of interaction, Guan Cha's favorability rating has reached a stable level of 60 points.
Guan Cha: Thank you, Mr. Bai.
Guan Cha: I also practiced my skills diligently today.
Guan Cha: [Image]
Click on the image of the white pear.
The picture shows an exquisite tea set. The tea in the teacup is clear and bright, and the tea leaves are unfurled.
The perfect light and shadow fall on a hand, making it very white, with clearly defined knuckles, giving it a unique beauty.
The fingertips were slightly red, possibly from being scalded by the tea.
Bai Li couldn't help but smile when she saw the picture.
Guan Cha started practicing tea ceremony very early this morning...
It should be so that it can be used at the next tea party, further enhancing the quality of the social event.
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "How come there are so many 'drama queens' around me, a lazy bum like me?"
White Pear: Be careful not to get burned.
Guan Cha's reply came quickly.
Guan Cha: Okay~ Thank you for your concern, Mr. Bai.
Bai Li waited and waited, but didn't hear the notification sound that her favorability had increased, so she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
OK OK.
Guan Cha is so realistic.
Showing concern is less effective than transferring money.
To test this idea, Bai Li's lips curled up slightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and she quickly tapped the screen, "investing" all of her remaining quota for the day into Guan Cha.
This time, the favorability rating notification sounded quickly and precisely.
[Guan Cha's favorability +1]
Guan Cha's favorability rating: 63
Guan Cha: !
Two consecutive large transfers left Guan Cha completely bewildered. He stared at the continuous transfer notifications on his phone screen, his eyes widening instantly, his heart pounding rapidly, the "thump thump" clearly audible in the quiet room, and a blush gradually spreading from his cheeks to his ears.
"Bai Li... how could she be so generous!" Guan Cha murmured to herself, her voice full of joy.
Shirai is so kind, especially when she's so generous with the money, it's just wonderful.
Suddenly, as if he had made up his mind, he slowly stood up, his steps a little unsteady, as if he had not yet recovered from this huge surprise.
Then, he walked to the cabinet, took out a bundle of incense, and lit it with a devout gesture.
Guan Cha, holding a lit incense stick, approached a half-length portrait.
The person in the portrait is clearly Bai Li, with a smiling face and outstanding temperament.
Guan Cha looked up at the portrait, her eyes filled with reverence and fascination.
He slowly bent down and bowed deeply, his movements solemn and slow, before carefully offering the incense stick in his hand.
"May the Goddess of Wealth bless you..."
Fortunately, Bai Li was leisurely going downstairs to have breakfast at the moment and could not possibly see what was happening at Guan Cha's house. Otherwise, the thought that someone was worshipping her at home would keep her up at night.
However, this is just how some crazy person appreciates people.
It's both outrageous and reasonable.
In Guan Cha's world, Bai Li has become an unattainable figure in his heart, the key person who can lead him to the pinnacle of wealth and power.
He placed all his expectations and desires on Bai Li, and this intense and passionate emotion gradually evolved into the almost fanatical worship he has today.
It might be hard for others to understand, but for Guan Cha, this is the most genuine expression of his inner feelings.
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As usual, Shirai arrived at the restaurant to have breakfast, only to find that Jingye, who was always well-prepared and had a gentle smile, seemed a little off today.
His eyes were unfocused, and his movements seemed somewhat slow. When setting out the tableware, he even accidentally knocked over a cup.
The glass shattered on the floor with a loud crash, instantly breaking into pieces. Glass shards scattered everywhere, the crisp sound particularly jarring in the quiet restaurant, startling Bai Li and causing her to tremble slightly.
"Jingye, what's wrong?" Bai Li immediately stepped forward and asked with concern.
Jingye reacted almost instantly, apologetic smile appearing on his face: "I'm sorry, Miss Bai, I was distracted." As he spoke, he subconsciously bent down to pick up the shards of glass from the ground.
Seeing this, Bai Li quickly stopped them, saying, "These can be handled by others."
She carefully examined Jingye, silently wondering to herself, "Did she not sleep well?"
Jingye's face showed obvious signs of fatigue.
Could it be that the recent application for the film's production license has been too much of a headache for him?
During this period, he has been keeping track of the progress, running around, finding connections, and submitting materials. He must have put in a lot of effort.
Thinking of this, Bai Li's eyes showed a hint of heartache. She gently patted Jing Ye's shoulder: "You look terrible. Go and get some rest, okay? Don't worry about the dragon emblem. I'll figure something out. There will be a turning point."
Bai Li's thoughts drifted back to Wu Hai. During their previous conversation, although Wu Hai hadn't explicitly stated it, his words subtly implied that the Dragon Mark issue wasn't without a solution, provided a crucial breakthrough was found.
The breakthrough came at that auction not long after.
Hearing Bai Li's concerned words, Jing Ye was slightly taken aback, as if he hadn't expected Bai Li to be so perceptive in noticing his unusual behavior.
He instinctively wanted to deny it, to say it had nothing to do with the dragon emblem, it was...
But when the words reached his lips, seeing Bai Li's worried and sincere eyes, he opened his mouth, then swallowed them back down.
In the end, he simply nodded slightly, as if using all his strength to force a smile that was more like a grimace, and said softly, "Okay."
His voice was hoarse, tinged with a sob that he himself was unaware of.
Jingye slowly lowered his eyes, not letting Baili see the complex emotions in them.
There was gratitude, guilt, and even more so, helplessness and frustration towards myself.
Jingye bowed and turned to leave, her lowered eyes revealing a sense of relief mixed with a hint of unspeakable pain.
He knew that his departure might be the only way to protect Bai Li.
But Bai Li, and all of this now...
He simply couldn't bear to part with it.
As Jingye reached the corner, she subconsciously paused, turned her head slightly, and gazed at Bai Li's back, as if she wanted to etch her image deeply into her heart.
At this moment, a thousand words converged in his deep blue gaze.
If eye contact can also be kissed.
So he has already kissed her.
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A few days ago.
The night was as dark as ink, spreading out thickly.
Only a warm yellow light shone from the window of the quiet room, appearing particularly lonely in the darkness.
Jingye sat upright at his desk, and the air around him seemed to freeze with his silence.
Before him lay a pile of documents containing film censorship comments. His brows were furrowed, his eyes focused and sharp as he carefully compared the dense text.
Over the past three months, he has studied these rejected opinions countless times, and he knows every word and sentence by heart.
Finally, after countless readings and reflections, he caught a faint clue.
—All the review comments were made by a reviewer surnamed Ruan.
The moment she discovered this crucial information, Jingye's fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound, her brain racing.
As a former steward of his former master's family, he knew the family's situation inside and out. Even though he had been gone for a long time, the intricate family relationships and hidden secrets were still deeply imprinted in his memory, so familiar that he could recall them at will.
The family had an extremely large number of branches, but he still remembered one of them, a branch that remained in the country.
— Nguyen.
This discovery made him catch his breath; it felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly, and an ominous premonition quietly grew in his heart.
This is by no means some unrelated coincidence.
To confirm her suspicions, Jingye, after a brief moment of thought, decided to risk contacting her former master's family.
Before leaving, he used his connections and wisdom accumulated over the years to carefully plan within the family, still leaving some informants.
He took out an exquisite brocade box from the drawer, opened it, and inside was a warm and lustrous jade thumb ring, with a delicate texture and a bright color, and some special uneven patterns carved on it.
Jingye held the ring and dialed a number that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
After the call was connected, Jingye did not speak, but simply tapped the table lightly with her ring, producing a distinctive, crisp sound.
The ring struck the table, its sound exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a soft tapping sound.
This is a meticulously designed encrypted communication method. Through layers of encryption, there is no need to worry about any eavesdropping. Only the two people on the call will know the specific content of the communication.
Furthermore, by tapping with a specific object, one can make a preliminary judgment about the identity of the person who has come.
As the knocking sounds continued, the encrypted information was gradually pieced together, confirming the news that Jingye least wanted to hear.
His face turned ashen instantly, and his hand holding the ring trembled slightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
As expected, this time the obstruction by the Dragon Seal was neither a problem with the movie nor with Bai Li.
It's my own problem.
In reality, very few people can escape that family unscathed, like him. Even those who successfully gain their freedom often find themselves unable to find any other decent means of making a living after leaving.
Presumably to protect the "interests" of their family, they would never allow their former servants to serve another master.
Was it discovered that I was working in entertainment venues day and night?
They wouldn't even let go of an ordinary job, let alone someone like him who could openly and blatantly take charge of another company.
Actually, it's fortunate that it was only discovered now.
Jingye's hand fell limply to his side. He looked out the window at the deep night, his chest feeling as if it were filled with a boulder, making it hard to breathe.
This was time he had stolen.
……
In the days that followed, Jingye was caught in a painful struggle.
He wanted to protect Bai Li, but he also knew that his presence would bring her greater danger.
Every time he saw Bai Li worrying about the dragon emblem, his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.
Bai Li did nothing wrong, yet she suffered an undeserved disaster simply because she hired him.
Everyone is working hard, and the film's production is more than half complete; all that's missing is the film's official seal.
If all of this is destroyed because of him, he will probably never forgive himself.
How can someone who cannot walk openly in the sunlight embrace her openly?
After countless days and nights of contemplation, Jingye finally made a difficult decision.
--leave.
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To my beloved lady:
When you read this letter, I will be 30,000 feet in the air.
Please forgive me for leaving in such a cowardly manner without saying goodbye. This is truly against the principles of a steward, but I simply do not have the courage to look you in the eye and say goodbye in person.
While tidying up the study yesterday, I saw the script for "Asking the Immortals," which had undergone its seventh revision, on your desk. You always say, "Problems that money can solve aren't problems," but sometimes reality is so cruel, it seems that no amount of money can overcome these obstacles.
When you asked about my old knee injury before, I brushed it off as a "training accident." In fact, it was the price I paid when I tried to escape when I was eight years old. The sound of steel nails piercing my meniscus back then was just as crisp as the sound of my hesitant footsteps outside your door this morning.
You often say my eyes are like ice in the sea, but you don't know how they melt into the tips of your hair when you turn around, recording the dawns and dusks we spent together.
I have contacted my old informant and found the source of the obstruction in the review of "Asking Immortals" - the family I used to serve. After discovering that I have returned to serve someone else, they are trying to remind me in this way: an abandoned hound should not dream of a new collar.
Their power is immense, and I cannot allow you to fall into deeper trouble because of me.
Please don't worry about me. The third rule of the deacon's code states: When the master is threatened, we are the best shield.
There is a letter in the third hidden compartment of my wardrobe. If I have not returned by the time the cherry blossoms bloom again, I will sink it into the river. I secretly hope that the river will carry these secrets past the Waibaidu Bridge outside your window, as if I had never truly left you.
Finally, I implore you never to investigate my whereabouts.
You taught me that sunflowers don't have to always face the sun, and that's enough.
Your eternal butler
静夜