CITM - 56

Ever since Bai Wenfu took Ye Yun’s ring, she had been subtly uneasy. It was as if, all of a sudden, his shadow enveloped the entire city. He was in the dark, she was in the light, and everything became full of suspense and doubt, leaving her with an unsettling feeling of being lost in a fog.

Two days later, Zhou Zeyang called Ye Yun to go to the cultural center. Many local businesses that had signed up to exhibit were invited today to confirm their exhibition slots. A factory the size of Ye Mao’s naturally couldn’t compete with the more famous local manufacturers, but because of their connection with Boss Yu, they were able to be brought along.

Zhou Zeyang, of course, wouldn’t miss this opportunity for networking. He also brought Ye Yun news: the organizers valued the participating units’ innovative technologies and cultural backgrounds. Among the fabric manufacturers present, some had brought silk craftspeople with them.

Normally, it wasn’t easy to visit these artisans, so having this opportunity to meet them was well worth the trip.

The units attending today, in addition to bringing their technical backbones, would also bring their best products, similar to a small internal exhibition. Ye Ru, listening nearby, was eager to go and broaden her horizons, so they brought her along.

However, upon arriving at the entrance of the cultural center, they learned from Boss Yu that entry required tickets, and only registered units received them, with only two allotted to them.

Whenever the cultural center held events, there were always many small vendors at the entrance, which Ye Ru found quite interesting. Since Ye Yun and Zhou Zeyang were there for official business, Ye Ru said, “It’s fine, you two go ahead. I’ll browse around at the entrance.”

Since that was the case, they had no other choice. Ye Yun pointed to a teahouse across the street for Ye Ru, telling her to wait there if she got bored.

After giving instructions, they followed Boss Yu. Zhou Zeyang suddenly turned back and warned Ye Ru, “Don’t run off, no one will find you if you get lost.”

Ye Ru retorted defiantly, “I have a mouth under my nose; I can find my way back even if I get lost.”

Zhou Zeyang took out some change and handed it to her, “Buy yourself something to eat.”

With that, he didn’t give Ye Ru a chance to decline and strode away.

Ye Ru had only been in Shanghai for a short time, and the things sold by vendors in the city were new to her. Everything seemed curious.

The registered exhibiting units entered one after another. A large group of people came from a distance, heading straight for the venue. As they passed the stalls at the entrance, Bai Wenfu, walking among the crowd, turned his gaze to Ye Ru, observed her, and stopped.

When he stopped, the people with him also stopped. The vendors didn’t know why these leaders suddenly stopped in front of their stalls and thought they were going to drive them away, showing uneasy expressions.

Ye Ru also sensed something was wrong and turned around. When she looked, she realized that many people dressed like big bosses were standing behind her, and they were all looking at her, which truly startled Ye Ru. But then she met Bai Wenfu’s gaze, her mouth slightly agape, too surprised to speak.

“What are you doing here?” Bai Wenfu asked, confirming he hadn’t mistaken her.

Ye Ru pointed inside the cultural center and said incoherently, “Can’t get in, no ticket, I’m waiting for my sister and them at the entrance.”

Bai Wenfu raised an eyebrow slightly, “Come with me.”

Ye Ru reacted and quickly followed Bai Wenfu. Walking beside him, Ye Ru’s heart pounded. She wasn’t sure if her eldest sister knew he was also in Shanghai. What if they ran into each other later? Last time, her eldest sister said they had no contact. It would be so awkward if they suddenly met.

Ye Ru’s mind was a mess, and her face was tense. She planned to quickly find Ye Yun as soon as she entered and tell her the news.

Bai Wenfu shifted his gaze and asked her, “When did you arrive?”

Ye Ru replied cautiously, “Just recently.”

As they reached the main entrance, Ye Ru nervously asked, “Do you have any extra tickets?”

Her question made the people around them smile. Bai Wenfu hadn’t answered her yet when the staff at the door made way, and Ye Ru, dumbfounded, followed them smoothly into the cultural center. No one asked them for tickets, and her hanging heart finally settled.

Once they entered the cultural center, the group became busy. Some manufacturers came over to exchange greetings, and there were also clerks who came to coordinate work.

Ye Ru stood alone, looking around. Bai Wenfu walked a couple of steps away with a clerk but turned back to Ye Ru and said, “Do you want to browse by yourself, or should I find someone to take you around?”

At that moment, Ye Ru had already spotted Zhou Zeyang through the crowd. She quickly said, “No need, our factory manager is over there, I’ll go by myself.”

Bai Wenfu nodded. Ye Ru, emboldened, whispered, “Thank you, brother-in-law.”

She carefully observed Bai Wenfu’s reaction. He said nothing, a slight curve on his lips, and then left.

Zhou Zeyang was talking to someone when his gaze shifted, and he saw Ye Ru walking over with a calm expression. He almost thought he had seen wrong.

“How did you get in?”

Ye Ru mysteriously told him, “I snuck in with someone.”

Zhou Zeyang marveled, “You’re quite capable, girl.”

“Where’s my sister?”

Zhou Zeyang looked around, “Haven’t seen her yet. There are a lot of people; stay with me and don’t wander off.”

Under the factory manager’s authority, Ye Ru could only obediently listen for now.

________________________________________

Since it wasn’t a formal exhibition, the venue was somewhat chaotic, with many products brought by manufacturers piled to the side.

Ye Yun arrived quite early and chatted with two fabric manufacturers. Later, she saw Yan Shihua and, not wanting to invite bad luck, went to another area.

When she reached the furniture manufacturers’ section, she immediately spotted the rosewood dressing mirror and stopped, striking up a conversation with the manufacturer. She learned that this factory specialized in producing mahogany furniture. This rosewood dressing mirror, in particular, was carved by an artisan from a three-generation lineage. Both the selection of wood and the carving technique were of superior quality, making it a truly high-end item.

In the distance, a group from the organizing committee walked over, informing everyone to prepare and enter in order according to their numbers. Many manufacturers gathered to get their number tags.

Ye Yun saw Bai Wenfu’s figure from afar. He was dressed in black clothes and pants, hands in his pockets, his cold and sharp aura particularly noticeable in the crowd.

Ye Yun shifted her body, shrinking behind the dressing mirror, and told the furniture manufacturer, “You go register first. I’ll come back to find you later.”

After speaking, Ye Yun exited the crowd and went to the tea break area, where staff had prepared hot water for self-service.

Ye Yun had just picked up the thermos and poured a cup of water when a cold voice suddenly sounded behind her, “Why are you hiding when you see me?”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she abruptly turned around. Bai Wenfu stood behind her, his straight posture carrying an undeniable presence as he approached her.

Ye Yun immediately glanced left and right, making sure no one else saw them, before returning her gaze and saying, “To avoid suspicion.”

Bai Wenfu scoffed coldly, unceremoniously snatching the cup from her hand and drinking from it himself.

Ye Yun opened her mouth, about to leave, when Bai Wenfu unhurriedly blocked her path, cornering her against the wall.

He bent down, his gaze pressing close to her face, his tone tinged with a playful indifference, “Are you that afraid of getting involved with me?”

His body enveloped hers. The noisy environment, the possibility of people walking by at any moment, their proximity was too intimate, so intimate that her heart trembled: “Shouldn’t I be afraid?”

His gaze quietly watched her: “Are you afraid I’ll disturb your current life?”

Ye Yun gripped the hem of her clothes with both hands, lowering her head to avoid his gaze: “I’m afraid of getting a bad reputation. Please be merciful and don’t make things difficult for me.”

As soon as her words fell, footsteps drew closer and closer: “Boss Bai, it starts in fifteen minutes.”

Ye Yun had nowhere to hide and instinctively grabbed his lapel, using his broad physique to shield herself.

Bai Wenfu lowered his head and swept his gaze over Ye Yun’s anxious expression. He said to the clerk, “Understood, you go first.”

The clerk caught sight of a woman’s feet, realizing something, and although he didn’t approach, he still curiously craned his neck.

Bai Wenfu raised his hand and pressed Ye Yun’s head against his chest, then turned his head back, his gaze sharp: “What are you looking at?”

The clerk was reprimanded and quickly withdrew his gaze, hurrying away.

Ye Yun felt his body heat, her heart pounding erratically, and she quickly escaped him. The warmth in Bai Wenfu’s arms instantly vanished. He pursed his lips slightly, put down the teacup, and said with displeasure, “What do you mean by ‘be merciful’? Explain it to me.”

Ye Yun’s body was pressed against the wall. The scent emanating from him was like a potent charm, dangerous yet captivating. This was a feeling she had never experienced with any other man. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his eyes. In front of him, she was as nervous as an inexperienced virgin, his unintentional touches causing a strong reaction within her.

She was wary of this feeling, and even more wary of him: “Please, for the sake of our past, consider my reputation.”

Her wrist tightened, and she was pulled in front of him. He looked down at her like a hawk: “What past do we have?”

Her memories were a chaotic tangle, her heart damp as if constantly being washed by waves.

She refused to speak further, so Bai Wenfu held her hand and strode forward, directly opening a door and pulling Ye Yun inside. Beyond the door was a long staircase, and cold wind spiraled downwards. Ye Yun struggled to speak, “What exactly do you want?”

Her voice echoed throughout the stairwell, reverberating with harsh echoes.

Bai Wenfu turned around and warned her, “You can yell louder. Draw everyone here, and then we’ll see if you can still deny our relationship.”

Ye Yun instantly fell silent, staring at him with a pale and powerless expression.

Bai Wenfu sneered, “Angry? Get angrier.”

Ye Yun struggled to break free from his hand but was confined in the stairwell by him. She avoided looking at him, so he simply pinched her chin, lifting her gaze, forcing her to look at him.

“You were so thorough; to prevent me from finding you, you didn’t even go back home?”

Ye Yun’s eyes flickered, and she countered with a question: “Didn’t you start a new life? Why are you looking for me?”

His forehead veins bulged, and the light in his eyes was wild and untamed: “To see how you’re doing. If you were living peacefully, how could I vent my anger?”

His knuckles tightened, and the feeling of an empty heart assaulted him repeatedly. Ye Yun’s soft face was squeezed out of shape by him. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice trembled slightly: “It hurts...”

The word was like a sharp thorn piercing his heart. He suddenly released his grip, leaning down to match her height, staring at her endearing eyebrows and eyes: “Do you and I still have any affection left?”

Ye Yun realized this was a trap. If she answered yes, she would be lured back onto a path that disregarded societal norms. If she answered no, she didn’t know what consequences awaited her.

Her thoughts were tangled like hemp by him. She said with a tight voice, “Don’t force me.”

Her brows furrowed, her worried expression tinged with a hint of desolation, like a small boat lost in a thick fog, unable to find its harbor.

His voice fell before her, every word distinct: “If I didn’t have another woman, would you still want to distance yourself from me?”

Ye Yun’s eyes wavered, looking confused. She was no longer a 20-year-old in a detached situation. Now, she was rooted in this city, with too many intricate relationships that forced her to be cautious. Before fully understanding the situation, she wouldn’t put herself at risk.

Ye Yun reminded him, “You should go back.”

Bai Wenfu didn’t press her further, but he also didn’t intend to let her go. He straightened up, his tone cold and hard, “I’m still not satisfied. Stay by my side. I’ll settle accounts with you after I’m done.”

Bai Wenfu gripped Ye Yun’s wrist, giving her no chance to escape, and led her up one flight of stairs. When they reached the door, he finally let go of her.

Ye Yun pushed the door open, and a clamor followed. It turned out that the manufacturers had all come upstairs to wait for registration. Ye Yun froze for a moment, then heard Ye Ru’s voice: “Sister, sister!”

She turned her head to see Ye Ru rushing towards her from beside Zhou Zeyang, muttering, “Sister, I just met...”

Before she could finish, the door behind Ye Yun was pushed open again, and Bai Wenfu’s striking figure emerged from the passageway. Ye Ru’s latter half of the sentence caught in her throat, her eyelids blinking rapidly.

As Bai Wenfu reached Ye Yun’s back, he quietly dropped a line: “If you don’t want me to make things difficult for you in front of others, come with me.”

The surrounding manufacturers, seeing Bai Wenfu, tried to approach and talk to him. He promptly moved away and walked towards the inner hall, but he slowed his pace, waiting for her.

Ye Yun said to Ye Ru, “I have something else to do.”

Zhou Zeyang looked at Ye Yun’s retreating figure in surprise and asked Ye Ru, “Where’s your sister going? That’s the registration room.”

Ye Ru mumbled, “...That, you’d better not ask.”

Entering the spacious registration room, the organizing committee members were already in place. A long conference table was set up at the front, with name cards placed on it.

Two clerks stepped forward and led Bai Wenfu to the conference table. Ye Yun stopped and didn’t follow.

Bai Wenfu turned sideways and instructed a staff member. Soon, they brought another chair and placed it next to his seat.

Bai Wenfu turned around and looked at Ye Yun, “Come over.”

The other organizing committee members looked at Ye Yun. She was wearing an elegant suit dress, pleasing to the eye, yet dignified.

Someone asked, “Boss Bai, who is this?”

Bai Wenfu calmly replied, “A local consultant I invited.”

His introduction implicitly elevated Ye Yun’s status, and the others naturally stood up politely to greet her.

Ye Yun walked to Bai Wenfu’s side, sat down, and quietly said, “You just make things up as you go. What consultant?”

He slightly turned to the side: “Then how do you want me to introduce you, as an old flame?”

Ye Yun’s face looked unnatural, and she turned her head away.

Bai Wenfu pushed the tea brewed for him in front of Ye Yun: “Here’s yours.”

Just now, Ye Yun’s poured water was snatched and drunk by him. She didn’t stand on ceremony with him either, picking up the teacup, and heard him say, “They’re all local units; help me keep an eye on things.”

Ye Yun looked at the registration desk in front. Registered units were coming in one after another, received by relevant staff members. They needed to fill out registration forms, submit application materials, and booth requirements, among other things.

Finally, unit representatives would go to the conference table for a brief discussion with the organizing committee. The organizing committee would then review and arrange based on the overall situation.

Ye Yun felt like she was on pins and needles sitting next to Bai Wenfu. Some familiar faces would inevitably enter and stare at her with surprise, wondering why she was sitting next to Boss Bai.

Ye Yun didn’t want others to speculate. While Bai Wenfu was talking to someone, she quietly moved her chair a little further away, trying to draw a line between herself and him.

Bai Wenfu turned his head and stared at her. She covered half her face with her hand, but her chair suddenly moved. Bai Wenfu directly pulled her, chair and all, back to his side. The chair legs scraped against the floor, making a sharp, grating sound. Ye Yun, who didn’t want to draw attention, instead attracted the gaze of the organizing committee, staff, and registered manufacturers.

He was doing it on purpose. If she moved away from him, he would deliberately make her uncomfortable. Ye Yun covered her forehead with both hands, angrily kicking him hard with her knee under the table. She almost hit him but then suddenly remembered that the side of his leg closest to her was his right leg, so she quickly lessened the force. It ended up looking more like she had rubbed his knee.

Bai Wenfu raised his eyelids, his gaze hook-like as he looked over, making Ye Yun even more embarrassed.

As soon as she retracted her leg, a warm palm covered her knee, its thumb gently caressing, a tingling sensation like evil seeds scattered inside her body.

The surrounding conversations, the sounds of people moving back and forth, the scratching of pens on paper—all the sounds nervously struck Ye Yun’s heart. She reached her hand under the table to brush his hand away, but he gripped hers in return.

She pursed her lips and looked at him. He met her gaze as if nothing was wrong, and with the most serious expression, he spoke the most outrageous words to her: “Sitting next to me, do you think moving your chair away will make people not think you’re my lover?”

The word “lover” deeply pricked Ye Yun’s nerves. Just as she was about to explode, he promptly withdrew his hand: “Sit still and don’t make trouble for yourself.”

Next, Bai Wenfu would occasionally ask Ye Yun a few questions, such as the scale of the registered units, their local influence, main sales channels, reputation and strength, business credit, and so on.

Fortunately, the companies that could register today were all well-known manufacturers. Even if Ye Yun hadn’t directly dealt with them, she had heard more or less about them and could generally answer his questions.

However, her answers were stiff, and she couldn’t show her frustration given the circumstances, always looking awkward. Bai Wenfu watched her with an amused gaze. Every time Ye Yun was watched by him, she felt as if a layer of her skin was peeled off, and her face and body felt like they were being pricked by needles.

The furniture manufacturer Ye Yun had chatted with earlier entered and was quite surprised to see her sitting on the organizing committee’s side. As soon as he walked over, he gave her a friendly smile and greeted her.

Ye Yun nodded, then lowered her gaze. Except when Bai Wenfu asked her something and she answered him, she simply sat quietly the rest of the time, not actively participating in their review, and certainly not interfering. Even though the furniture manufacturer in front of her kept trying to establish some kind of eye contact, she could only pretend not to see him.

Immediately after, Yan Shihua swaggered in. He had some strength among the local fabric manufacturers, so naturally, he felt confident. However, his expression slightly changed when he turned around and saw Ye Yun sitting at the organizing committee table.

Bai Wenfu’s peripheral vision glanced at Ye Yun and asked, “What’s your assessment of this unit?”

Yan Shihua, seeing Boss Bai talking to Ye Yun, felt a warning bell go off in his mind and kept urging the clerk in front of him to speed up.

Ye Yun raised her eyes and looked at Yan Shihua’s anxious appearance, a chill rising in her eyes. Then she lowered her head and said, “No comment.”

For other units, she would generally offer a few objective remarks, but at this moment, she refused to answer, picking up her teacup, looking as if it had nothing to do with her.

Although Yan Shihua didn’t know how Ye Yun had climbed to this level with the organizing committee, he was convinced that Ye Yun had spoken ill of him to Boss Bai. He walked over angrily with a stack of materials, placed them in front of Bai Wenfu, and told him, “Boss Bai, don’t listen to others’ one-sided stories. We’re an old factory, with excellent qualifications.”

Bai Wenfu asked casually, “Whose one-sided story did I listen to?”

Yan Shihua’s small, squinting eyes darted towards Ye Yun. Bai Wenfu closed the materials, straightened up, and said, “No one has said anything to me. Your words sound like a confession without prompting.”

He pushed Yan Shihua’s materials aside and said in a business-like manner, “You can go back first. Someone will notify you after the review.”

Yan Shihua wanted to argue a few more words, but Bai Wenfu slightly raised his eyebrow, his stern gaze sweeping to the side. Immediately, two clerks stepped forward and escorted Yan Shihua out.

There was a ten-minute break in between for the organizing committee to roughly discuss the available exhibition slots.

Ye Yun took the opportunity to retreat and found the furniture factory. They were already preparing to leave.

The other party saw her and quickly asked, “Are you a leader of the organizing committee? Can we get a booth?”

Ye Yun waved her hand, “I don’t know either. I’m not part of the organizing committee; I just happened to be there.”

She inquired again about the rosewood dressing mirror but was told that it had been bought just a moment ago. This disappointed Ye Yun a bit. She asked the vendor how much it was sold for, and the furniture manufacturer truthfully told her. Hearing the hefty price, Ye Yun gave up on the idea.

After bidding farewell to the furniture manufacturer, Ye Yun reunited with Zhou Zeyang and his group, and they all headed back.

Bai Wenfu saw that she hadn’t returned for a while and sent Lu Zi to find her. After a short while, Lu Zi walked back and leaned in to him, saying, “Boss Bai, she’s gone. Should I go after her?”

Bai Wenfu tapped his fingers on the cup she had used, a hint of calm loneliness in his eyes, “No need. She won’t go far this time.”