It didn't take long for a painting to be completed.
The venue fell into complete silence.
"Bravo!"
It wasn't until Professor Zhang's applause that the venue erupted into thunderous claps.
"I'd like to present this painting of pine and cypress to you, Professor. May you stay as robust as these ever - green trees," Shen Jianyi said to Professor Zhang as she put down her paintbrush.
On the rice paper was painted a cliff, and on the edge of it stood pine and cypress trees, undaunted against the wind, fully showing the integrity of a literati.
Professor Zhang was overjoyed and his eyes were full of admiration.
This Lu Jinsheng really had good taste!
Jian Xi was so angry that she dragged the dazed Jian Xiao away from the scene.
This farce only made Shen Jianyi more famous.
"Mrs. Lu is really full of hidden talents," someone commented.
"Mrs. Lu is young and capable. She and Mr. Lu are truly a perfect match," another one chimed in.
Shen Jianyi forced a smile and nodded vaguely while listening to these compliments.
She would soon forget these words. After all, it was just a painting. How many of them were really sincere? Most of them just wanted to curry favor with the Lu family.
Halfway through the birthday banquet, Lu Jinsheng was called away by Professor Zhang to discuss something. Shen Jianyi noticed Zhou Sang standing alone not far away. With a straight face, she walked towards him.
Zhou Sang seemed to have anticipated her coming and had been waiting for her.
"A, you're still as capable as ever," Zhou Sang said with a meaningful smile on his face when she got closer. "I'm glad I picked you out from so many people."
Shen Jianyi didn't want to waste any time talking to him.
Staring at the scarlet red wine in her hand, her eyes were dark. "I had nothing to do with Xu Wenji's death."
The smile on Zhou Sang's face gradually faded.
He shifted his gaze from Shen Jianyi to the distance. "The person in the surveillance camera was you. But it's for the best. Xu Wenji made a big mistake. Even if he didn't die, he would have spent his whole life in prison."
"I had no reason to kill Xu Wenji. Since you've already decided it was me, why would I bother?" Shen Jianyi frowned. "Moreover, do you really think I'd be so careless as to let you trace it back to me?"
She wasn't being arrogant. She had absolute confidence in herself.
Zhou Sang retracted his gaze.
Instead of answering her question, he said, "I don't want to talk about this anymore, A. No, maybe I should call you Mrs. Lu now. I've seen how deeply in love you and Lu Jinsheng are. I've decided to let bygones be bygones. You can just stay in the Lu family and be the young mistress."
Zhou Sang's unusual attitude made Shen Jianyi frown slightly.
An inexplicable sense of unease welled up in her heart.
"What about the chip?" she asked.
"I'll ask Sam and Vivian to continue the investigation. You're no longer part of our organization, so you don't need to interfere."
"Really?" Shen Jianyi sneered. "So I'll just carry the stigma of being a traitor and let people think I betrayed my companions?"
She couldn't accept that.
She, Shen Jianyi, would never allow anyone to smear her name.
Even if she was no longer part of the organization, she had to get to the bottom of this.
She turned around and left without noticing the fleeting coldness in the man's eyes behind her.
Watching her leave, Zhou Sang took out his phone and made a call.
"Make her leave the Lu family. With Lu Jinsheng protecting her, there will be more trouble in the future."
...
Shen Jianyi was in a rather low mood.
She had thought Professor Zhang might scold her or be on guard against her.
She never expected that he would so casually agree to let her leave the organization and not let her interfere in any of its affairs.
It was as if... he couldn't wait for her to stop meddling.
Lost in thought, she walked aimlessly in the garden.
Suddenly, a scene in front of her made her stop in her tracks.
Not far away.
Lu Yuan was talking to Lu Jinsheng in a low voice.
Suddenly, as if she were a bit drunk, she staggered and seemed about to fall onto Lu Jinsheng.
Lu Jinsheng took a step back indifferently.
"Why are you here?" he showed no intention of reaching out to help her.
Lu Yuan gave an innocent smile. Since she couldn't lean on Lu Jinsheng, she simply leaned against the pillar of the corridor.
"Dad asked me to come on behalf of the Lu Corporation to congratulate Professor Zhang. Are you not happy to see me, big brother?"
There was a hint of coquetry in her eyes.
Looking at those eyes, he couldn't help but think of Shen Jianyi's eyes.
But Yi Yi would never talk to him in such a tone.
"I haven't settled the score with you for what happened last time," he said coldly.
Lu Yuan raised her head as if recalling what had happened between her and Lu Jinsheng.
"Are you talking about the drugging incident, big brother?"
"What else?"
Seeing her so casually mention this, Lu Jinsheng's displeasure grew.
"I'm warning you. Don't try to cause any trouble under my nose. Whether it's about getting into the Lu Corporation or Huaqing, stay away from Yi Yi."
"Why are you so mean to me, big brother?" Lu Yuan blinked innocently, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm just an orphan adopted by Dad. I naturally do whatever he tells me... I know you like sister - in - law, so I've never done anything to hurt her. Why do you have so much hostility towards me?"
"You—"
Just as Lu Jinsheng was about to speak.
"What are you talking about?" Shen Jianyi suddenly walked over.
Lu Yuan turned around in surprise. When she saw Shen Jianyi, she forced a smile on her face.
"Sister - in - law, you're here. I was just telling big brother about how you helped me out at school."
Helped out?
Hearing these words, Lu Jinsheng frowned even deeper.
He looked at Shen Jianyi in confusion.
He knew her temper.
Lu Yuan had offended her bottom line many times. But for some reason, Yi Yi seemed to treat her... differently.
"Sister - in - law, big brother seems to have some hostility towards me. Can you talk to him and ask him not to hate me so much?" Lu Yuan said weakly as if she hadn't noticed the strange atmosphere between Lu Jinsheng and Shen Jianyi.
Such a straightforward request made a vein on Lu Jinsheng's forehead throb.
Shen Jianyi gave Lu Yuan a cold look.
"I've told you not to cause trouble under my nose. My patience is limited."
Just now, she had clearly tried to lean on Lu Jinsheng on purpose.
With Lu Yuan's scheming, she couldn't have been unaware that Lu Jinsheng disliked her.
Why was she still so blatantly approaching Lu Jinsheng?
Hearing the same words as Lu Jinsheng's, Lu Yuan didn't show the slightest sign of unhappiness. Instead, she nodded meekly.
"Sister - in - law is right."
"Let's go," Shen Jianyi said to Lu Jinsheng, too lazy to talk to Lu Yuan anymore.
The birthday banquet was coming to an end, and there was no need to stay any longer.