Chapter 41 On the Speculation of Sour Oranges

"And what about you?" Zhou Jiayan asked, sniffling.

Jiang Zao couldn’t help but laugh. "What does this have to do with me?"

Blowing her nose forcefully into a tissue, Zhou Jiayan continued, "You were sent here, and even sent your own father to prison. What are your plans for the future? Are you seriously going to depend on my brother for the rest of your life?"

Jiang Zao paused, then smiled. "It’s not as tragic as all that. I have a higher education, after all. No matter how reliable Zhou Licuan may be, I won’t spend my entire life relying solely on him. People need their own pursuits."

The conversation drifted, and Zhou Jiayan’s sadness eased a bit. She shifted the subject to Jiang Zao’s painting.

"I saw your painting at the last exhibition. That show wasn’t right for you. Don’t go again," Zhou Jiayan declared.

Jiang Zao laughed. "You have a keen eye, I’ll give you that."

Zhou Jiayan bristled. "I’ve taken art appreciation classes since I was a kid. I can tell. That exhibit was just to make another up-and-coming artist look good. All the works were there to prop up that guy who paints in the cyberpunk style."

Jiang Zao nodded. "Yes, a cyberpunk wasteland, a steampunk spring—when I was setting up, I could see it clearly."

Zhou Jiayan was surprised. "Then why did you go? Willingly playing second fiddle?"

Jiang Zao shrugged. "The artist is the son of the professor who invited me. He’s been the golden child since birth. The professor probably just asked me along to pave the way for his son."

"You’re not angry?"

Jiang Zao shook her head. "Not at all."

Zhou Jiayan was exasperated. "They’re using you, and you go along with it, happy to play the supporting role. How can you be so spineless?"

Without waiting for a reply, she stood up and stormed off. "I have to call the organizers myself! As if their son has any real talent—the work was a mess, neither skillful nor aesthetic. Hiding behind the guise of innovation to sneak in his own agenda, not afraid of crashing and burning. Honestly, anyone can get into these shows nowadays..."

Jiang Zao scratched her head, not daring to stop her. She hadn’t finished what she wanted to say.

She wasn’t angry because that professor had once recognized her talent. Her first painting was sold thanks to the connections he provided during her university years. Even though he took a cut each time, without him, she wouldn’t have finished her studies so smoothly.

After this, she and the professor were even; their paths would not cross again.

...

Zhou Jiayan was inexplicably driven to seek justice for Jiang Zao and spent the entire afternoon haranguing the exhibition organizers. In the end, they called Jiang Zao personally to apologize, finally pacifying the young lady.

That evening, when Zhou Licuan returned home, he was surprised to find the two "troublemakers" not at odds, but instead sitting together amicably, eating tangerines.

The tangerines were tinged with green and extremely sour. Zhou Jiayan kept puckering her face, while Jiang Zao ate them with relish, even teasing Zhou Jiayan for drooling over the fruit.

"Are they good? Let me try one," Zhou Licuan said, coming over and putting his arm around Jiang Zao.

She broke off a segment and popped it into his mouth. It was so sour that he nearly spat it out.

"This is so sour! How can you eat it?"

Zhou Jiayan, finding an ally at last, quickly chimed in, "See! I told you there’s something wrong with your taste buds."

Jiang Zao paused, then recovered quickly. "Maybe I’ve caught a cold—my nose is stuffy, so even my sense of taste is affected."

Setting the tangerine aside, she took Zhou Licuan’s arm. "How’s everything going on your end?"

He stroked her hair gently. "Everything’s fine. Don’t worry."

Zhou Jiayan pouted. "Did you come back alone?"

Zhou Licuan replied, "The gardener at the gate needed a hand, so Du Bin stayed to help."

Unexpectedly, Zhou Jiayan seemed to have an epiphany. "Who cares about him! As long as you’re back, I’m going to my room."

Zhou Licuan was baffled and turned to Jiang Zao. "What’s with her? What happened with Du Bin?"

Jiang Zao didn’t answer, but started humming an old childhood song: "A girl’s thoughts are not for a boy to guess—"

Zhou Licuan was even more confused and sat in a daze for a long time... Forget it, the less trouble, the better.

...

After appearing on an interview program, Zhou Kuan, who was meant to remain a behind-the-scenes executive, entered the public eye with his refined and intelligent demeanor, drawing enormous attention.

Three days after the edited interview clip trended online, Zhou Kuan officially announced his appearance as a guest on a slow-paced variety show.

...

It was a program set in the countryside, featuring influential celebrities who worked and played in rural life, experiencing local culture and promoting local specialties.

It was an excellent project to support farmers, and Jiang Zao had been looking forward to its broadcast—if only Zhou Kuan weren’t involved.

Zhou Kuan was scheduled for three episodes, about ten days of shooting. The show aired as it was filmed, and by the time Zhou Kuan’s episodes broadcast, Zhou Licuan would have just finished his surgery.

One day, after a long day at work, Zhou Licuan came home early, only to find Jiang Zao not painting.

He entered the bedroom to change, surprised to find her still lying on the bed.

"At this hour, shouldn’t you be hard at work in your studio?"

Jiang Zao had just awoken, her voice still drowsy. "I was a bit tired today, so I didn’t paint."

He turned to change his clothes. "Rest if you’re tired. You can paint whenever you want. Balance is most important."

Jiang Zao remained lying there, gazing at the snowy white ceiling. "You’re home early. Is everything settled at the company?"

He nodded. "Because of my ‘stubbornness,’ Gao Chenggong can no longer participate in the ‘Little Raindrop’ charity project. The official announcement came out today. The project has been very profitable, and it’s a great investment. Now it’s too late for anyone else to get in."

Jiang Zao sneered. "I bet Zhou Kuan is watching you closely. Such a rare blunder on your part."

Zhou Licuan, now changed, came to sit beside her on the bed. "Isn’t he just? He’s up in the mountains of Province N filming a variety show, and he’s already broadcasted this matter through the program. Once it airs, everyone will see what a useless boss Zhou Licuan is."

Jiang Zao turned to look at him. "So, what do you plan to do next?"

Zhou Licuan lay down beside her. "Today, I lost my temper with my team. Now the whole company knows how badly I’ve lost. Let’s just wait for Zhou Kuan to ‘save the day’ by bringing the project back."

...