Lu Yi was stunned.
After all, they had only met once, and it took her a moment to react before she could match the face in front of her with Lin Jinshen's name.
"Hello, Mr. Lin, Lu Yi."
"Lin Jinshen."
The perfect replica of the beginning of a WeChat chat.
Online chats can be put aside at any time, but face-to-face chats cannot.
Lu Yi held her breath. In her job, she had to deal with people all the time, and there had never been a lull like today. She drew a smile to her lips and asked, "How did you recognize me, Mr. Lin?"
She tried to break the ice with a question.
But that trick obviously didn't work on Lin Jinshen. As soon as he opened his mouth, the atmosphere around him became even colder: "I've seen your photos."
"You are no different from your photos."
There was no embellishment, and his tone was as blunt as a stone that hurts your hand. Perhaps that was his way of speaking.
Lu Yi couldn't get used to it in a short time. She rarely had a moment where she didn't know how to react, and she didn't know if the comment "You look just like in the photo" was a compliment or a put-down.
"Mr. Lin has a good eye," she said, gritting her teeth.
"It's distinctive, so it's not hard to recognize."
"..."
The conversation had once again run out of things to say, and Lu Yi didn't want to save it.
"Mr. Lin."
The hotel manager rushed over. He had been informed that the prince was coming, and his nerves were on edge. He thought something had gone wrong yesterday, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that they were just meeting someone again. However, he was still nervous, and before he arrived, he urgently inspected and corrected the situation.
"Since it's exhibition time, the exhibition hall is already closed, so I brought the key."
Behind the manager, there were several other staff members waiting to be deployed at any time. It was a large group of people holding their breath and concentrating, similar to the situation she had encountered yesterday.
"Please," Lin Jinshen said.
"Okay," Lu Yi pursed her lips.
The manager extended his hand: "Miss Lu, this way please."
The two of them had known each other for more than a month before and after this exhibition ended. At that time, the manager had not thought that the person he greeted every day could be his future boss.
He checked himself and was glad that he had not been negligent in the usual way.
"Thank you."
They took the staff corridor, and in addition to the manager, there were other staff members in front of and behind them. It was not clear how long they would follow, and if they followed all the time, the scene would be too strange.
It didn't seem like a blind date, but rather a management inspection.
Lin Jinshen's expression was cold as he was used to being surrounded by people.
The unnatural look on her pursed lips did not make her a leader, but rather an extra commentator who would explain the exhibition to Lin Jinshen.
Lu Yi entered the elevator after Lin Jinshen, followed by the manager who pushed the button for the third floor. The elevator was slightly crowded after the staff entered, so she had to move to the side, not only to the side, but also close to Lin Jinshen.
The breach of social distance made her feel uncomfortable. She lowered her head and her gaze, and in her line of sight were Lin Jinshen's long, straight legs wrapped in Western-style pants, the lines exuding the firmness and strength of his muscles.
From the close distance, she could smell the scent that belonged to him.
It was very special, cold, like a piece of agarwood buried in the snow. When she breathed in, she felt the cold first, and then a very light but lingering woody aroma.
The scent was not heavy, but it was aggressive.
It didn't go into her lungs, but into her brain, and she wondered which men's cologne on the market had this scent.
No, at least she didn't recognize it.
Lu Yi unconsciously held her breath, and when the elevator door opened, the smell of the confined space was dispersed, and she took a deep breath without being noticed.
Entering the corridor, the manager talked about the success of the exhibition, with many guests giving positive feedback, and the theme and experience were eye-opening.
"Miss Lu has both charisma and talent, and this collaboration was also very enjoyable. I hope we can have this opportunity again next time".
Manager Lu Yizhi was just being polite, and she smiled faintly and said, "Manager Chen is too kind. I still have to thank President Lin for still being willing to make room for art today."
She looked up, and her eyes briefly met Lin Jinshen's. They were cold and did not falter in response to her polite compliments.
The manager laughed and coincidentally agreed, "Yes, our President Lin has always attached importance to the humanities in the hotel, including the usual requirements for us."
The group arrived at the exhibition hall.
The manager took out the key and opened the door. Lin Jinshen told him and the other staff to go about their work, and that he would call them if he needed them.
"Okay, Mr. Lin, Miss Lu," the manager said and left after greeting them.
Now it was just the two of them.
Lin Jinshen stood still and did not go in directly, waiting for the lady to go in first. His tall figure felt oppressive when he came close, so he looked at Lu Yi with a straight look. When she was about to lift her leg, he said in a deep voice, "There is one thing. Miss Lu may have a misunderstanding."
"What?"
"I don't understand art. The space provided by the Huating is not a concession of interests for art, but a consideration based on the positioning of the hotel."
"..."
Lu Yi unconsciously gritted her teeth and bit her lower lip. Her full lips dropped slightly. She really only said that as a polite remark and didn't expect him to explain it seriously. He did it not because he had good taste, but because he was a businessman.
As a luxury hotel brand, Huating is committed to providing customers with high-quality services, including good taste.
Exhibitions are good individual works of art.
His tone was flat and unemotional, as if Lu Yi was in a meeting and the boss was bluntly pointing out the flaws in her proposal.
Lu Yi was already thinking about how to get through the next period of time.
Should she pretend to answer the phone and make up some nonsense about the company suddenly having to deal with something urgent to get out of the situation and end the foreseeable embarrassment that would follow?
The answer was no.
It was a clumsy move.
Upon entering the showroom, the familiar surroundings made Lu Yi feel a little more relaxed.
"Can we start now?" Lin Jinshen's voice interrupted their thoughts.
Lu Yi looked confused and asked, "Start what?"
Lin Jinshen said, "Since this is the first time, I don't really know the procedure. Do you want to talk for a while or just get to the point?"
Lu Yi said, "This is my first time too, but I think it should be okay.
The sooner you start, the sooner you can finish.
Lin Jinshen nodded.
Since they were not far apart, she could see his eyelashes, which were dark and thick, so when he looked at people, it gave the illusion that he was paying close attention.
"We already know the basics about each other, so I'll just add a few things. I don't have any bad habits, I don't smoke or drink to excess, I only do it for work, I don't gamble, I don't have any improper relationships with the opposite sex, my family is harmonious, my parents are open-minded, we can live together or separately after marriage, I will put the woman's convenience first, I will try to be a good husband, you can mention your needs and I will try to meet them within reason."
Lu Yi was shocked. She didn't know that you had to give such a long introduction when meeting someone on a blind date. She was inexperienced and unprepared.
"Do you have any questions for me?" Lin Jinshen finished this long speech so fluently that it seemed like he had memorized it beforehand. He looked at her.
"... No, not for now." It was the truth. On the one hand her mind was empty, on the other hand she had never been curious about other people.
Out of nowhere, she thought about Lin Jinshen when she was a student, and whether he had been like that, answering questions with a straight face.
Lin Jinshen didn't know what she was thinking, so he nodded and said, "If you have any questions in the future, just ask.
This line of conversation sounded familiar to Lu Yi, as if it was the last part of one of their meetings. Perhaps because she was in a work environment, she was even more reserved and her tone was more polite and formal: "So, Mr. Lu, is there anything you want to know about me?"
"No."
He explained, "What I want to know is on the information sheet."
"Good."
They walked on, stopping in front of an exhibit called "Breathing" by a pioneering artist. Hanging on the wall, it consisted of a complex, labyrinthine pattern of pipes through which a red liquid, like blood, flowed. Even if you couldn't read the content of the work, you would still be emotionally affected.
After a moment of silence, Lu Yi took the initiative to speak: "I've been in love."
"It's written here," Lin Jinshen reminded her.
"Don't you mind?"
"Do I have to mind?" Lin Jinshen asked in return.
Lu Yi explained, "Since you've never been in a relationship, you probably think it's only fair to say that you haven't."
Lin Jinshen paused for a moment before saying, "There's no need to be fair about such things."
"Okay."
The two continued walking, and they would probably see the whole exhibition.
She thought the next topic of conversation would be him talking about his work, casually mentioning his field, and then talking inscrutably about things she couldn't understand, projecting an image of himself as someone great and reaping her insincere praise. But no, apart from the initial introduction, he never mentioned himself again, and the conversation focused more on the exhibits.
Lin Jinshen would talk openly about his inability to understand the themes expressed in the works, and he would never pretend to know something he didn't in order to show off his knowledge. As he said himself, he didn't understand art.
Lu Yi would express her own opinions, and he would nod occasionally, not understanding but respecting them.
Getting along with him was not as difficult as she had expected.
Frankly speaking, Lin Jinshen's appearance is her type. He has three-dimensional features, deep eyebrows and eyes, and a sense of elitism. However, his temperament is reserved and not aggressive. The combination is pleasant and not offensive.
If the two families were to get married, she seriously thought that she didn't seem to mind.
Lin Jinshen looked at her and said, "There is one more thing I need to make clear to Miss Lu in advance. I'm very busy at work and travel a lot, so I don't have much time to spend with my family. I may not be able to fulfill my duties as a husband very well."
Lu Yi's eyes brightened slightly. These were the most touching words she had heard tonight.
With money and leisure time, a husband who didn't come home often would be able to maintain her current situation to the greatest extent, making marriage a mere formality.
Not getting any response from Lu Yi, Lin Jinshen thought that this point was important to her, and after a moment of silence, he added, "But after marriage, I will try to adjust my priorities as much as possible and try to find time..."
"No need," Lu Yi rarely interrupted him, realizing that she was being a bit rude and too obvious. She explained, "That's fine, focus on your work."
"What about you, do you have any wishes?" Lin Jinshen asked.
Lu Yi had thought about it carefully when she decided to follow her family's wishes and get married. She said, "After marriage, I hope to move out and live on my own."
Lin Jinshen nodded, "That's fine."
"I have a job that I like, and I won't change careers in the short term. I will be very busy at work, and I may not be the wife who stays at home and takes care of the children."
"Okay."
"I don't like socializing in the world of fame and fortune, so I'm afraid I won't be able to attend some events with you, but I can do things related to the family."
"Okay."
"..."
Lin Jinshen asked, "Anything else?"
Lu Yi smiled slightly and said, "The last thing is that I don't want any children for five years.
"May I ask why?" Lin Jinshen frowned slightly. This was obviously not in his plan. Getting married and having children are things that are done at the same stage.
Lu Yi said, "There's no particular reason, I just don't feel ready, not ready to go through the process of giving birth and not ready to raise a child."
She looked up at him and asked, "If you can't accept it, I understand.
"Okay, fine."
Lin Jinshen replied after half a second of thought, "You're the boss of your own body, I respect that.
Lu Yi was stunned for a moment. He had agreed too quickly and easily, to the point where she thought he hadn't really heard or cared.
Lin Jinshen probably saw her confusion and said, "If you feel that today's conversation wasn't clear enough, you can have a lawyer draw up a prenuptial agreement, and all these requirements of yours can be written in it.
Prenuptial agreement?
Have we reached such a formal step yet?
The amount of information tonight was simply too much for Lu Yi to process.
After they finished viewing the exhibition, Lin Jinshen wrapped his left arm around his suit jacket and thanked him, saying that he had benefited a lot tonight.
The tone made Lu Yi think of the scene when she taught her grandmother how to use the phone.
Grandpa would also say, "I've learned."
Lu Yi really wanted to laugh.
Before leaving the exhibition hall, Lin Jinshen offered to drive her back. She said she would drive herself, so he arranged for someone to drive her car out of the parking lot first.
During this break, Lu Yi looked at her phone.
A new friend request.
Note: Hello Miss Lu Yi, I'm Zhong Wenlun.
Zhong Wenlun, the youngest son of the Zhong family, whose family is in the shipping business, is also the object of his parents' chosen union.
The Lin family or the Zhong family, in the end, it is up to them to choose.
Mrs. Xu Shuyi sent a message: "I asked Zhong to add you, you two can chat first."
Lu Yi replied: "No need, I already met Lin Jinshen today, let's go with him, don't bother."
Mrs. Xu: "When you go shopping, you know you have to compare prices and look at different products, but when it comes to choosing a marriage partner, why would you just look at one?"
Ms. Xu: "I think Xiao Zhong is even better.
Mrs. Xu: Smiling emoticon.
"..."
Ms. Xu didn't understand that this smiling emoticon looked more like a threat.
Lu Yi compromised and replied, "OK".
The green Mini parked in front of the foyer. She took the car keys, said goodbye and got into the car.
The car drove away slowly, and in the rearview mirror, Lu Yi saw the tall figure who had also left, talking to someone nearby. It might have been work-related, and he cooperated by lowering his head slightly.
Before the meeting, they had no interaction.
Will things change after the meeting? Lu Yi is not sure.
The car has not left the roundabout when her phone rings. She sees a series of unfamiliar numbers with no notes, and after hesitating for half a second, she decides to answer it. She turns on the speakerphone, then puts the phone back on the armrest.
"Hello."
"Lu Yi."
"Drive safely."
The voice is monotone and deep and magnetic, echoing throughout the car.