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墨書 Inktalez
Song Pearl was reluctantly awakened and, upon seeing the information on the webpage, did not show much surprise on her face.
"It's quite beautiful. This image design shop is really good and knows how to seize advertising opportunities," she glanced at the computer and finally replied, "There are not just my photos up there; there are many others as well. The infringement of portrait rights is quite serious. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, right?"
"You really have a good mindset!" Qing Wenyu shot a sidelong glance at Song Pearl. "Did you not see the replies below?"
"I saw them. It's not like the rice is uncooked anymore; there's nothing embarrassing about it. Just get used to it," she said before turning over and going back to sleep, mumbling, "I've wasted several hours here with you; I still have a mountain of work to do when I get back..."
"!" Qing Wenyu sighed in exasperation and turned off the phone to sleep. Was this woman smart or foolish?
Song Pearl did not immediately return to Resort. The scale of Resort was still not very large, and the management was orderly. Even if she left for ten or fifteen months, it wouldn't be too chaotic.
A call came from Qing Wenyu's family. After returning, they first went to his hometown for dinner. It was Song Pearl's first time visiting the place where Qing Wenyu's parents lived.
After getting married, she had little interaction with her in-laws. Although Tian Yue was quite kind, Qing Yuansheng had never liked her much, so she tried to keep her distance.
Perhaps they arrived too early; after they got there, surprisingly, no one was home.
"My mom might have gone to play cards with friends or maybe went grocery shopping. You can go inside and rest for a bit, get familiar with the environment," Qing Wenyu instructed Song Pearl. He drove away, saying, "I'll stop by the company for a bit and come back with Dad later."
Feeling bored, Song Pearl sat in the living room for a while before stepping outside to explore the house. The place where this elderly couple lived was quite spacious, and there was a garden of decent size filled with various flowers and plants emitting a pleasant fragrance. Next to the garden was a clear and transparent pond.
The pond housed many Koi, which gathered in groups of three or five, wagging their tails playfully. Song Pearl crouched down by the pond, and those Koi, which had been wandering around, flocked towards her. Some even leaped high out of the water.
She couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.
"Do you all think I'm a fish? I'm not!"
The water in the pond was not deep. Song Pearl reached her hand into the water, and a fish swam over, nudging her palm with its mouth. It felt cool and ticklish.
Song Pearl extended her other hand, and suddenly, something darted out from the bushes. Song Pearl was startled. She withdrew her hand and stared intently at the object.
It was a White Cat. This cat looked so familiar!
Song Pearl's brow twitched twice. The cat met her gaze for a moment before running straight to the edge of the pond, fixated on the Koi swimming in the water, its eyes shining brightly.
Then, she saw it raise a paw and swiftly swipe at the water. Song Pearl's heart tightened. She genuinely worried for the Koi in the pond.
The fish scattered in all directions, and the White Cat's paw missed its target. It lay down in disappointment, its pair of orchid-like eyes glinting coldly as it watched the water's movements.
This cat seemed just like that one from before!
Song Pearl looked at this pure White Cat and reached out to catch it. However, before her hand could touch the cat's body, it suddenly extended its paw and scratched Song Pearl's hand before swiftly jumping aside.
Four clear claw marks instantly appeared on her arm, oozing red blood.
These claw marks?
Images flashed through Song Pearl's mind; scenes from when she worked at the Machinery Factory suddenly surfaced. Perhaps it was all just a coincidence!
After all, she had once been ill, and that cat might have just been a figment of her imagination.
She held her hand up to her mouth and exhaled softly.
"What’s wrong, Pearl? Did that cat scratch you?"
Song Pearl looked up and saw Tian Yue walking over with a basket of vegetables.
She smiled shyly and instinctively hid her injured hand.
"No, Mom, did you go grocery shopping?"
"Yes," Tian Yue said with a smile as she bent down. A cat quickly ran over and nestled at her feet, rubbing its plump body against Tian Yue's pant leg.
"Such a naughty one," Tian Yue laughed, setting down the basket and picking up the cat. The cat was very docile in Tian Yue's arms, occasionally nudging its head against her arm.
"I got you a dog, but you didn't want it. Then a friend of mine bought this cat. When I went to visit, this cat really took a liking to me and followed me all the way home. So, I swapped the white dog for White Cat. Isn't it cute?"
Tian Yue smiled gently while holding the cat, which also squinted its eyes and meowed softly, looking just like a mother and daughter pair.
"Pretty cute," Song Pearl said reluctantly while covering her slightly painful hand.
"Let's pick some vegetables first. Later, I'll cook a hearty nutritious meal for both of you," Tian Yue said as she set the cat down, found two stools, and sat in the garden with Song Pearl to pick vegetables.
The cat lay obediently by her feet, not moving at all.
Song Pearl found the cat incredibly annoying. Several times while washing the vegetables, she glared at the arrogant cat, but White Cat continued to squint its eyes, ignoring her angry stare.
The scratches on her hand seemed to disappear while she was washing the vegetables, as if she had never been injured.
When Qing Wenyu and Qing Yuansheng returned, a table full of delicious dishes filled the air with an enticing aroma.
"Would you like some red wine?" Tian Yue asked Song Pearl with a smile as they sat at the table.
"Don't." Song Pearl shook her head.
Qing Yuansheng glanced at Song Pearl, his gaze cold and indifferent.
Song Pearl paid no mind, pretending not to see. She glanced at Qing Wenyu beside her and found his attention was not on the table; he was actually playing with the White Cat.
"I remember Pearl could really drink. Once, because of that, she even got Hongqing's partner, President Jin, sent to the hospital. It was after that incident that she met Wu Qiang and his daughter, right?" Qing Yuansheng suddenly said.
"Yes." Song Pearl pursed her lips and shifted slightly in her seat, lowering her head.
"At that time, I really didn't expect you would become a part of our family," Qing Yuansheng continued.
"How could I not have thought of it?" Tian Yue laughed as she brought out two bottles of red wine, filling glasses for several people. "The first time I met Pearl, I felt quite a connection. I thought to myself, if only we could have a daughter-in-law like her!"
"You!" Qing Yuansheng chuckled and shook his head, clearly very considerate of his wife.
Watching the couple interact, Song Pearl felt a bit envious. They were just like Song Shiting and his wife—so natural and harmonious—unlike her and Qing Wenyu, who still felt like strangers to each other.
The White Cat remained sprawled on Qing Wenyu's lap, refusing to leave. Qing Wenyu simply ignored it.
Song Pearl couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of that cat.
"Pearl, since you've already become part of our family, what plans do you have for the Resort in the future?"
After taking a sip of wine, Qing Yuansheng asked.
"The Resort is still in the development stage. We need to continue operating it and work hard to make it better. I can't just enjoy life at home like my mom does," Song Pearl replied, pursing her lips as she contemplated Qing Yuansheng's words.
"Recently, the Resort business hasn't been doing well, and there aren't many guests, right?"
"Yes, I'm trying to find a way."
"I have a suggestion," Qing Yuansheng put down his chopsticks, "Since we are all family now, why not merge the Resort under the Hongqing Group's management as a subsidiary of Hongqing with independent accounting? This way, Pearl, you won't have to work so hard."
Merge the Resort with Hongqing?
Two years ago, it was Hongqing that abandoned Song Family Village, wanting to turn it into a Landfill. Once bitten by a snake, one is afraid of rope for ten years; Song Pearl didn't fully trust Qing Yuansheng.
Although Wu Qiang had done something similar recently, it wasn't the right time for him now.
"I believe women shouldn't be overly dependent on men; they should have their own independent careers." Song Pearl smiled, her hand covering the wine glass. The red wine was sweet and fragrant.
"You should think about it; this would benefit your career development. Although Hongqing is a joint-stock enterprise now, due to the Hong Family's withdrawal of shares, we have become the largest shareholders. So it's quite similar to a family-run business. I hope to see Hongqing develop and grow quickly. If we merge the Resort in, this enterprise will be even more prosperous."
Song Pearl quickly glanced at Qing Wenyu beside her and saw that he had no intention of speaking.
She smiled and replied calmly, "If the Resort can't operate anymore, I would consider selling it to Hongqing. However, right now, this is a wedding gift from my dad; I don't want to give it up so easily."
"Don't push yourself too hard," Qing Yuansheng said with a serious expression. "You are married now and should consider expanding our Qing Family. Don't be too obsessed with your career; it's not good for a girl to be too strong-willed."
Qing Wenyu pulled at the corner of his mouth but said nothing as he picked up his chopsticks.
"Hey, we haven't finished our drinks yet!" Tian Yue noticed the awkward silence and quickly raised his glass. "Come on, let's toast to our family's health and happiness. Cheers!"
The few of them cooperatively raised their glasses and drank them down. Health and happiness are the simplest and most beautiful wishes for every family.
The table was filled with a rich array of dishes, accompanied by fine wine and delicacies, yet Song Pearl found the food somewhat tasteless, and Qing Wenyu wasn't eating much either.
Dining in this place was more exhausting than discussing business with clients, and it felt incredibly constraining.
After the meal, she helped Tian Yue clear the dishes while Qing Wenyu sat on the sofa playing with the cat. She returned to sit beside him and nudged his arm, "Isn't it time to leave?"
He lifted his gaze to look at her. "Mom hasn't had a family gathering in a long time; I hope we can stay here for one night."
But today didn't seem to be the Mid-Autumn Festival! Song Pearl felt helpless and didn't want to leave first, so she sat quietly beside him, staring at the television screen.
Qing Yuansheng went to the study after dinner; it seemed that there wasn't much conversation between the father and son.
"Recently, it's been easy for both of you at work. I've tidied up your room; you both should stay here at least once," Tian Yue said as he brought White Cat back from Qing Wenyu's lap. "Son, I really didn't expect this cat to like you! If I had known you liked cats so much, I should have gotten one for you earlier!"
"How about we take this cat home?" Song Pearl asked with a smile, staring at the elegantly poised White Cat.
She couldn't bring herself to like this cat at all, and there was a deep curse lingering in her mind that she couldn't shake off. She thought it would be better to keep an eye on something that felt dangerous nearby. (To be continued...)
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