Chapter 576: Chapter 576: Mr. Song’s Photo Maxims to Her
Tang Li sent a text message to Lai Wenyan, not expecting a reply, so after saying “Goodnight” to Mr. Song, she locked her cellphone and went to sleep.
Berlin time, 8:20 PM.
Ji Ming pushed open the half-closed door; the air carried a faint scent of smoke. Upon checking in, Mr. Song had purposely requested a smoking room, not too addicted to smoking, but after a busy day, having a cigarette or two helps to reduce the weariness of body and mind.
When Ji Ming entered, Song Baiyan was sitting at the desk, his left hand, with a watch, holding a half-smoked cigarette between the fingers, and his right hand was holding a pen, writing something on a piece of paper.
As he drew closer, he realized Mr. Song was writing on the back of a photograph.
Ji Ming noticed the stack of landscape photos on the side of the desk.
—All were local pictures of Berlin.
There were images of the Parliament Building, the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Cathedral, and the East Side Gallery…
Ji Ming remembered that before leaving London, Mr. Song had him mail an envelope, likely also containing photos.
That day in Germany Berlin, the evening of May 30th.
On the back of a photo taken on Bodhi Tree Street, Song Baiyan wrote the following words, “Born like a radiant flower of summer, never wilting or fading, enchanting as fire, bearing the burden of a heartbeat and the exhaustion of breath, never growing weary; dying like the serene beauty of autumn leaves, never excessive or disordered, graceful as smoke, even in withering, retaining the pride of fullness and clear bones, more profound than profound. P.S.: True wisdom lies in making friends underestimate your strengths and enemies overestimate your weaknesses.”
As he finished with a period, some ash fell to the edge of the photo.
Mr. Song put the cigarette in his mouth, squinted slightly, and wiped the ash away with a tissue.
A slight carelessness blurred the last few words on the photo.
Then, Ji Ming saw Mr. Song suddenly smile.
“Shall we rewrite it?” he suggested.
But Mr. Song placed the photo in an envelope nearby, took the cigarette to the ashtray and gave it a light tap, “The same words, if written again, would have lost their original meaning, and the principle is the same for doing things.”
After speaking, Song Baiyan picked up another photo.
Noticing Mr. Song’s good mood, Ji Ming quietly stood by.
He had to admit, since Miss Tang successfully caught Mr. Song’s attention, aside from official duties, Mr. Song’s life included more leisure and pleasure.
As Ji Ming watched Mr. Song pick up the pen again, a phrase lingered in his mind, “Even the most mature men can’t help but do delightful things when they fall in love.”
The next day, Tang Li went to Lai Wenyan’s office first thing in the morning.
Leaving behind a fruit basket, it was only 7:40 AM.
Tang Li didn’t leave any note or message, only writing on the card attached to the fruit basket, “Wishing you a pleasant life, from your daughter.”
Lai Wenyan did not want the public to know he had an illegitimate daughter, so Tang Li did not leave her own name. When Lai Wenyan saw the fruit basket at the office door, it was already 9:10 AM.
In less than five minutes, she received a text from Tang Li.
“Dad, I’m going to Lishan to shoot a film today, need to catch a ride, so I can’t wait for you at the office.”
Lai Wenyan glanced at the fruit basket on the ground, snorted coldly, but did not throw away the basket, just let Jiang Yuan distribute the fruit to the staff.
By the time Tang Li sent the message, she had already returned to school.
In the dormitory, she packed up her things. The production team for “Phoenix Concubine” sent a car to take her to Lishan, and right now, the car was waiting downstairs.
Passing by Lai Family’s neighborhood, Tang Li asked the driver to stop. She went back to the Lai Family home for a visit.