Ye Shuya glanced down at the towering 12-centimeter heels she was wearing and let out a sheepish chuckle. "If it weren't for these high heels, I wouldn't mind at all," she admitted with a hint of irony.
Su Yao pondered for a moment, then, with a courteous gesture, he requested a pair of disposable slippers from the hotel staff. As he handed them to her with a warm smile, he asked, "Does this change your mind?"
She felt both amused and exasperated; the idea of slippers with an evening gown seemed utterly incongruous. Nevertheless, she slipped into the slippers, her high heels now dangling from her right hand, and began to climb the stairs side by side with Su Yao.
Su Yao paced himself with a deliberate slowness, each step exuding an innate sense of superiority. By the time they reached the seventh floor, Ye Shuya was huffing and puffing, struggling to keep up with his leisurely stride.
"Th... Third Young Master, could you slow down a bit?" she panted, her composure slightly frayed at the edges.
Su Yao halted and looked at her, his eyes gentle yet commanding. "Su Yao," he introduced himself, extending his hand in an offer of assistance.
"Huh?" she responded, momentarily bewildered.
"My name," he clarified, his hand still extended in a gesture of support. "May I help you?"
She gazed at his outstretched hand as the sensor light above them flickered and dimmed, casting a momentary shadow over them. A flicker of unease danced in her heart; this man was too refined, too perfect in every way, and his attention towards her seemed to carry an undercurrent of ambiguity that was both unsettling and enticing.
But such ambiguity was undeniably captivating.
With a smile, she reached out and placed her hand in his. "Which 'Yao'?" she inquired, her voice steady.
"The 'Yao' in 'distant'," he replied, enveloping her hand in a firm yet gentle grip.
"I see," she murmured, committing the name to memory.
Upon reaching the presidential suite on the top floor, Su Yao remained as composed as ever, while Ye Shuya felt utterly exhausted. He nodded at her and mentioned he was heading to the restroom.
She tried her best to maintain her dignity, sinking into a plush chair and composing herself. The sheer curtains were drawn back, revealing an unobstructed view of the bustling city below. The nightlife of Haishi was a spectacle of vibrant lights and indulgence.
Ye Shuya took out her phone and dialed Qin Wei.
"A Qin, can you guess where I am?" she asked playfully.
"Hmm?" he responded, his curiosity piqued.
"Remember the man I told you about? His name is Su Yao, the 'Yao' in 'distant'. Right now, I'm with him in the presidential suite of Haiyi Hotel. Tsk tsk, are you worried about your girlfriend?"
"I trust you. Besides, Su Yao might not be interested in you," Qin Wei teased.
"Hey, A Qin, your girlfriend isn't bad-looking, right?" she retorted, a hint of mock offense in her voice.
Qin Wei chuckled. "You are very beautiful, but Su Yao is wealthy, and you... are not," he pointed out, his tone laced with humor.
"You really know how to bring me down," she grumbled, but her voice was filled with affection. "Don't worry. No matter how charming Su Yao is, I won't leave you."
At that moment, Su Yao returned, raising an eyebrow as he caught her on the phone. "Talking to your boyfriend?" he inquired.
She responded with a simple "Mm-hmm."
After a thoughtful look, Su Yao shifted his gaze. "The night view of City C is quite impressive," he commented, before adding, "Are you a student at C University?"
Ye Shuya let out a light laugh. "Do I look like a student at my age?"
He observed her carefully for a moment. "A doctoral student?"
"No, I'm a teacher at C University," she clarified with a smile.
"I've seen you before," Su Yao stated.
Ye Shuya was taken aback.
"The bamboo grove at Maritime University is quite artistic. I've been there several times, and each time, I could hear you talking to your boyfriend on the phone. Hmm? Your boyfriend's name is Qin Wei?"
She was stunned. "Every time?"
Su Yao nodded with a smile. "You always seem to be complaining to your boyfriend... Hmm? Song Xiao or Lin Yu?"
Ye Shuya felt a wave of embarrassment. She hadn't expected that her private complaints to Qin Wei had been overheard. She confirmed softly, "Yes." To change the subject, she asked, "Are you a painter?"
Su Yao looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
She gestured with her hands. "That day, I saw you painting in the bamboo grove. It was very beautiful and had a great visual impact."
Su Yao seemed to have no recollection.
Ye Shuya tried hard to recall the painting. "The background was dark gray, and there were these very amusing bamboos..."
"Amusing?" Su Yao interrupted, a curious tone in his voice.
"It's not a derogatory term, I... I..." She became flustered, feeling the heat of embarrassment despite the cool air. Su Yao's smile was calming, allowing her to collect her thoughts. "I mean, the bamboos you painted were very charming."
Chen Li had mentioned that Su Yao was an emerging artist who had won the Wilpries Award. Although she couldn't remember the lengthy name of the award, she understood that winners of such accolades typically possessed a certain level of skill. And as a layperson, she didn't have the right to comment on the bamboos as amusing. Besides, the mastery of such artists was often beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
Ye Shuya firmly believed in this.
Ye Shuya held a conviction as unwavering as the stars in the night sky.
"Cute?" Su Yao pondered the word, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "Do you appreciate abstract art?"
She replied with candid honesty, "No, I'm afraid I don't. I lack the artistic flair, the innate ability to comprehend the abstract. And I've always been puzzled by the existence of abstract art. Why must a perfectly good painting be distorted in such a way?"
"Consider the night view outside," he said, gesturing towards the window. "The beauty of the night scene is accentuated by the darkness of the night. The existence of abstract art..." His gaze intensified, and he suddenly inquired, "What do you teach?"
"I'm from the Chinese Department," she answered.
He smiled, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "I took you for someone from the Foreign Languages Department."
"Really? What makes you say that? I barely scraped by in my college English exams. During my postgraduate entrance exams, English almost tripped me up," she said with a touch of seriousness. "I still admire those who master multiple languages."
"Really?" Su Yao echoed, this time in French.
Ye Shuya was taken aback. Then, with fluid ease, he spoke a sentence in German.
Her eyes widened in astonishment. "Su Yao, you're incredible. How many languages do you speak?"
He chuckled, the sound low and captivating. "No more, just four: English, French, German, and Chinese."
"Amazing. C University should hire you as a professor. The head of the Foreign Languages Department always boasts to students about his knowledge of three languages."
Su Yao simply smiled, his eyes dark and mesmerizing, as if they could lure one into a deep, enigmatic pool.
She averted her gaze and said, "Gam nei sik m sik gong baak waa?"
"Huh?" This time, it was Su Yao's turn to be stunned.
Ye Shuya grinned triumphantly. "Hey, can you speak Cantonese?"
"No, I can't. Are you from Hong Kong?"
"No, I lived in City N for a long time. City N is a coastal city, very close to Hong Kong," Ye Shuya explained, her eyes twinkling. "Talking with you is really interesting."
"It is an honor for a gentleman to receive such praise from a lady," Su Yao responded with a gallant tilt of his head.
Later, when Ye Shuya left, it was Su Yao who escorted her home. Chen Qi had vanished without a trace. After Ye Shuya returned home, she received a call from Qin Wei.
"YaYa? How was your conversation with Su Yao?" Qin Wei asked.
"Su Yao is a man of handsome elegance, humor, and wit," she described with a hint of admiration.
"You're making me jealous," Qin Wei teased.
"Hehe, of course, he doesn't compare to you," she said, gazing out the window at the view, a smile tugging at her lips. "Ah Qin, I will always be with you."