"The old man's health is not good after all..." Liu Gao said lightly.
"As long as the old man is still here, we can still support this family. It's like me. When I'm outside, others still have to consider the Jiang family's reputation behind me. Over the years, I've learned a truth: only when you have strength will others talk to you about morality. Otherwise, who would talk to an ant about morality? If the old man falls one day, what you and I have now, others want to take away and eat away, and there's nothing we can do to stop them. This big family, without a strong enough successor, will eventually die..."
Zhao Yue said, "Although Lu Wei is young and promising, he is still much older than Hong Shao..."
"Xu Zhimo met Lin Huiyin in Europe when she was sixteen, and they fell in love. How old was Xu Zhimo at that time? He was eight years older than Lin Huiyin and was already the father of two children. Lin Huiyin's conversation, knowledge and understanding attracted even Xu Zhimo, who was knowledgeable! How does she compare to Lu and Jiang today?" Liu Gao said, "Besides, it's not that everything goes as planned. This kind of marriage relationship must be done with extreme caution. There must be no mistakes in every link, and every button must be in place. To put it bluntly, this is no longer a matter between the two of them, but a grand project between the two families. It's enough to just decide on the general direction, and all that's left is to follow the steps and let it come naturally."
Zhao Yue hesitated and asked, "Is this really what the old man meant? Don't let him misunderstand you..."
Liu Gao said complacently, "I have been on the shoulders of the Jiang family for so many years and have seen so many things. I can still see the pattern and direction. Even if the old man does not show up, the Jiang family and the people protected by this family can see this clearly. This will be the common wish of everyone. Even if the old man is unwilling to take this step, he still has to take his descendants into consideration. Is it true that he does not consider future generations at all? When people get old, they will inevitably consider the affairs related to the continuation of their bloodline. I believe... the old man is already considering it."
There was a knock on the door, and Liu Gao and his wife stopped talking. Liu Gao regained his dignity and said calmly, "Come in."
An office worker stood at the door, turned on his headset, and then walked in at Liu Gao's signal, saying, "Director Liu, there's news from the front desk that someone wants to see Miss Jiang Hongshao, saying it's her classmate."
Zhao Yue and Liu Gao looked at each other in surprise.
Liu Gao frowned, "Classmate, male or female?"
"A man. He gave his name as Cheng Ran... He said Miss Jiang arranged it."
Liu Gao said, "Tell him that there is no one named Jiang Hongshao here..."
The clerk was about to go out to communicate by radio, but Liu Gao looked out the window at the two figures at the end of the misty trail and stood up again, "No, I have to go there myself."
…
Cheng Ran got off the car at Baoguo Temple and climbed up a section of the mountain road. The main reception building of the hotel came into view. When Cheng Ran arrived at the door, he had actually seen some clues. Some black vehicles with rare license plates passed the gate directly, did not stop in the public area of the ordinary building, drove straight into the internal road, turned a few corners, and went to the direction of Building No. 8 with a sign. From here, in front of that building, there were some Audis and Passats, and even Toyota SUVs, Prados and Land Cruisers parked.
Cheng Ran went straight to the lobby of Building No. 5, which was open to ordinary guests, and gave out Jiang Hongshao's name. The front desk notified them via radio and asked him to wait nearby for verification.
Not long after, a middle-aged man wearing a well-tailored suit, nearly 1.80 meters tall, with an extraordinary demeanor and shrewd eyes, walked over from the corridor. After seeing Cheng Ran, he did not show any self-righteousness in front of a junior. Instead, he said with a little enthusiasm, "You must be classmate Cheng Ran?"
Cheng Ran was stunned for a moment, not understanding how such a person could appear. But it seemed that he should be related to Jiang Hongshao's family. Maybe he was a relative who was responsible for arranging matters
He nodded.
The man said, "It's unfortunate. She has something urgent to do today. One of her important friends is coming over. I'm afraid she can't entertain you. But it doesn't matter. Since you are here, I will arrange a room for you." His eyes passed over Cheng Ran. Cheng Ran looked over there. That was the direction of Building No. 8. There were many people waiting there. He stopped talking and said, "Take a rest today and have some fun. We will cover the relevant food and accommodation expenses."
Cheng Ran looked at the middle-aged man. His demeanor seemed enthusiastic, but his eyes were cold and indifferent, which was completely contrary to his outward emotions. He must be a very good man. After thinking for a while, Cheng Ran said, "She asked me to come here. Can you notify her and ask her to come out and talk to me, or call me to explain."
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Of course, you can, but they went out together early in the morning... Even we can't find her, maybe they won't come back today. So for your own good..."
Cheng Ran was really annoyed by this person's nonsense. He didn't want to listen to all these lies, so he interrupted him and said, "Then I'll wait for her here for a while."
After saying that, Cheng Ran walked to the sofa in the lobby and sat down.
The middle-aged man seemed to have had all his skills drained away. Looking at Cheng Ran's posture, he was actually a little angry in his heart. Who was his status? Not to mention the business he had and the momentum brought by managing so many people, in all the various occasions he had experienced over the years, there had never been anyone who could give him such a cold shoulder. But thinking about it, he felt a little like a lion facing the helplessness of a lamb who was ignorant of the consequences. He didn't know whether to be angry or laugh, but at this time he had already adjusted his expression. Without saying any more words to Cheng Ran, he turned and left.
A moment later, he arrived at the second floor and saw Cheng Ran sitting in the lobby for a while, and finally got up and went out. The muscles on his face twitched, and a light "Huh!" came out of his nose.
…
Jiang Hongshao and Lu Wei walked around the trail. Lu Wei actually talked most about his experiences in the United States, the things he had done with Jiang Hongshao and her aunt, such as when Jiang Hongshao's aunt brought her here four years ago and he treated them to Chinese food in Chinatown, but Jiang Hongshao's aunt said it was not as good as New York, let alone California Chinese food. Or when she was a child in Jingshan Siheyuan, she rode on his neck to pick plums.
Lu Wei noticed that Jiang Hongshao was absent-minded and tried to find more topics to talk about with her. He was also a little confused. When she and her aunt came to Penn University four years ago, the inquiry and admiration in her eyes for him were no longer there. Why
Even when they were walking along the trail, Jiang Hongshao's pace was obviously quickening halfway through. Lu Wei followed with a smile and did not force a topic of conversation. When they finished, Jiang Hongshao apologized to him, walked ahead and went to the front desk.
Lu Wei just watched from a distance, and did not approach her to ask what was on her mind, nor did he want to explore. He knew that some things were there, and would not change in the slightest because of any external disturbance.
…
When Jiang Hongshao asked the manager, the manager surnamed Li said, "A boy did come to see you just now. It was General Manager Liu who received him."
"Where are the others?" Jiang Hongshao asked anxiously.
"I just said I'd wait for you in the lobby, but the person behind me left."
Jiang Hongshao turned around and ran, out of Villa No. 3, and ran along the winding internal road. On the deserted road, the only thing left was the girl's figure passing by quickly.
Building No. 5 is several hundred meters away from Building No. 3. Jiang Hongshao's footsteps crushed the chirping of cicadas in the afternoon and rushed into the lobby. Someone saw her breaking the silence here. Her long hair was a little disheveled. She searched around with her eyes, but found no trace, so she turned around and walked out the door again.
She was already having difficulty breathing, but at this moment, she felt a dull pain in her chest from the intense exercise.
Gate No. 5 was still several dozen meters away from the sentry gate. With her long hair disheveled and her back wet with sweat, the girl rushed out of the gate. Suddenly, her body shook and she stopped.
Suddenly she saw a familiar figure sitting on a rock at the bottom of the slope, his elbows resting on his knees, holding a mobile phone in his hand.
He just sat there, as if he had merged into one with the stone behind him, indistinguishable from the other.
After Jiang Hongshao continued running, the dull pain in her chest intensified, as if some mucous membrane was torn apart under the heavy weight, and her eyes were a little red.