Chapter 194: Partiality Breeds Prejudice
Chaosu Liang closed his umbrella, and the resort’s waiter stepped forward to take it and invited them back to the hall for a banquet.
The executives remained silent, waiting for Chaosu Liang to decide.
The man’s shoulders were soaked with raindrops, the fabric stained a deep color, and his hair, which he hadn’t cut, was damp and messy on his forehead.
Chaosu Liang was a rigid and pedantic person, his clothing, hairstyle, and preferences all stubbornly traditional.
Many people’s preferences change to some extent over time, but he was like an old piece of wood left behind by the passage of years.
“Old Wang, thank you for waiting. The restoration of the ancient building relies heavily on you.” He nodded slightly, glanced at Liancheng, and invited Professor Wang to go first, “Liancheng, it has also been a long time since you’ve seen each other. One day under the apricot rain, a lifetime of gratitude for your teacher’s kindness. Today, you are the guest of honor, please take the main seat.”
Liancheng followed closely behind.
The group passed through covered corridors, with ancient-style white walls and grey tiles, water dripping from the eaves onto the empty steps. Outside the square courtyard were green bamboo branches, and in the deep night, the stone lanterns glowed dimly, illuminating the path ahead.
Liancheng was in the center of the crowd, one step behind Chaosu Liang. She had already realized he was holding her luggage and had tried to snatch it several times amidst the crowd’s jostling.
Chaosu Liang had eyes in the back of his head and kept up with Professor Wang’s conversation, avoiding her attempts in advance every time.
She couldn’t help but grit her teeth, and was drawn into the conversation, “Liancheng has missed you very much these past two years, but unfortunately, you have been busy, and we haven’t had the chance to meet.”
Actually, there were opportunities.
Chaosu Liang’s project was approved, and he specifically hired Professor Wang as a restoration consultant.
At that time, Liancheng went to find Professor Wang after learning about it. He called back from his office and refused Liang’s offer. Upon seeing Liancheng, his anger was suppressed, and he endured it, taking a deep breath.
He asked her, “Liang Liancheng, many of the materials for ancient architectural restoration are only affordable by the country, and there are also the restoration craftsmen. The investment for these projects can easily reach hundreds of millions.”
“Merchants seek profit. The preliminary blueprints guarantee everything, but once the promotional materials are sufficient, and the national inspection is passed, they might run out of funds, or worse, the restoration might be indefinitely shelved.”
“I have experienced this kind of trickery no less than four times. But your brother said that even for your sake, he would invest until the restoration was complete. How much truth is there in that statement, can you guarantee it?”
Liancheng could not guarantee it; her guilt and shame were evident on her face.
Professor Wang closed his eyes, a chest full of inexpressible sadness and bitterness turned into a sigh of disappointment, “You are from a capitalist background, after all. You should leave.”
Later, Professor Wang retired, and Liancheng visited his faculty apartment many times, but he was never there.
Liancheng thought he was disheartened and unwilling to see her. Chaosu Liang, as if bestowing a favor, informed her, “Old Wang accepted the offer and is living in Qingxi Valley with his wife.”
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the protection of ancient architecture has become increasingly complete, and only scattered relics remain in desolate mountains or remote and secluded places.
Qingxi Valley’s conditions were like a secluded mountain nest a few years ago, and Professor Wang, who cherished his wife for half his life, would never let her suffer.
Liancheng’s heart grew cold then. She contacted Professor Wang, but he still refused to meet, only saying, “It’s good for now, just let them start the repairs.”
“Yes, I’ve been quite busy,” Professor Wang looked back at Liancheng.
Just as he was about to say something, they arrived at the designated small hall by the water.
It was winter, and the water pavilion’s doors and windows were closed on three sides. Warm air was turned on indoors. When the waiter opened the door, a warm orchid fragrance permeated the room, which was a bit too cloying.
Chaosu Liang frowned, “Remove the incense, and open a small window against the wind for ventilation.”
The waiter immediately complied but subconsciously glanced at the executives.
The executives exchanged glances, their eyebrows and eyes inexplicably turning towards the end of the line. Zhang An had just walked a short distance when Liancheng’s suitcase appeared in his hand.
“I’m sorry, Director Liang,” one executive took the blame proactively, “We thought you liked it.”
Liancheng felt again that not all executives were so perceptive. Although Chaosu Liang’s preferences hadn’t changed, he hid them very well in public.
What people heard through rumors was often the opposite of his actual behavior.
After entering the water pavilion, the social interactions began, and they were plied with tea instead of wine, with many people leaving the table frequently.
Liancheng, feeling tired midway, went out of the water pavilion, circled the corridor, and sat down at a pavilion by the water.
She looked at her phone; it was past ten o’clock.
When Chaosu Liang first arrived in the North, he had frequent banquets and social engagements that often lasted until three or four in the morning, and he occasionally stayed out overnight.
The year she took a leave of absence, he monitored her day and night to break her spirit.
He always had his methods, both with her and with his work, endless meetings compressed online, and nightly social gatherings gradually reduced. In the final three months, the market suffered setbacks, so he simply took a break, his desires growing, and his schemes multiplying.
Liancheng couldn’t cope and had suffered too much, she was truly scared and had learned her lesson.
Otherwise, if she had learned that Professor Wang and his wife were living in Qingxi Valley, she would have called the police directly.
Footsteps approached from behind. Liancheng turned her head, her surprise evident for a moment as she stood up, “Professor Wang.”
Professor Wang paused, and in the dim candlelight of the garden, he looked intently at Liancheng, “Are you still angry with me for speaking recklessly back then? You don’t even call me ‘teacher’ anymore?”
Liancheng was stunned, “No, I—” she lowered her head and offered him a seat, “I thought you didn’t like it.”
“Don’t I like you?” Professor Wang sat down, “It was my preconceived notions about you and Director Liang back then that led to many prejudices.”
Liancheng’s face turned red with embarrassment and guilt, “You don’t have prejudice, it was my fault originally.”
She stood to the side, as tense as a tightly strung bow, her gaze fixed only on the surface of Professor Wang’s shoes, “I’m sorry, teacher. If he threatens you again to cooperate in acting, you absolutely don’t need to pay attention. I…”
Liancheng faltered. What could she do? Call the police on the spot?
Liang’s family entered the North as a southern enterprise, and local competitors had been blocking Chaosu Liang for four years. His projects were scrutinized under a magnifying glass, and any action close to the legal line was a leverage point.
Chaosu Liang has remained safe until now, so he must be using gentle means towards Professor Wang. Besides, Professor Wang is not like her; if he had been unwilling for several years, he would have sought help from the police.
Professor Wang was momentarily confused, “Director Liang is not threatening me. There will be a grand celebration for the completion of the restoration work, but they’ve hired professional singers and dancers, so we old bones don’t have to perform.”
He understood Liancheng’s shame and sighed with a smile, “In the end, it was I who misunderstood Director Liang back then, and also hurt you.”
“When people get old, they think their experience is rich, but in reality, they are very stubborn and biased. I didn’t believe Director Liang would abandon his interests to restore the building, because the ancient relics in the Qingxi Valley area are not of high grade, and the more he invested, the thinner the profit.
“Director Liang is a man of few words and decisive actions. Seeing that I didn’t believe him no matter what he said, he directly transferred thirty million yuan in initial funds. He also mentioned that he was in financial difficulty at the time and could only provide this much. Thirty million yuan is not enough for architectural restoration, but it is enough for short-term maintenance. I thought having money is better than having none, so I came.”
“When I videoed with you then, I still had some personal emotions. After two and a half years, except for the beginning of winter last year when Liang’s funds were insufficient, the money hasn’t been lacking at other times; they’ve given whatever was needed.”
Liancheng’s mind felt a bit blank. She looked up at Professor Wang; his face was dark, he had lost a lot of weight, but his gaze was clear, and his integrity remained.
And the insincere, disgusting words, even if forced out of his mouth, would spark fire from his eyes.
Her limbs were still stiff, “Then these past few years, has Mistress been well in Qingxi Valley?”
Professor Wang didn’t notice the probing. He pointed to the opposite side of the small round table and asked her to sit down, “She’s doing very well. People of a certain age really can’t stay in the city. It’s less crowded here, quiet, and the air is fresh. She climbs mountains every morning, and then writes articles when she gets back. Her health has improved a lot compared to a few years ago.”
“This year, she’s planning to publish a book, an analysis of business cases, and she was just thinking of asking Director Liang to write the preface.”
