London, England.
The last day of 2028.
"Mia, it's great that I can still see you at home on New Year's Day. At this time in the past few years, we could only share happiness with each other through video. Do you have any plans today? I really like that you can come and join us. New Year’s Eve Party.”
In the rented apartment of Cao Aiqing in Tavistock Square, the well-dressed girl walked out of the room. Her roommate in the living room immediately sent an invitation to spend the New Year's Eve together in the evening. But obviously, Cao Aiqing already had an appointment today, and seeing that The posture, this is about to go out.
"Sorry Emily, I... have an appointment with a very important person tonight."
A hint of regret flashed across the white girl's face with her polite refusal, but when she looked up and down Cao Aiqing's formal attire, she smiled and said:
"Could it be that your lover in China came to London to see you again?"
"no."
Emily was stunned and said hesitantly:
"Then...will you come back tonight?"
Cao Aiqing smiled helplessly, "I guarantee that you can see me making breakfast for you at home on the morning of the first day of the new year."
After hearing this sentence, Emily smiled happily and praised her repeatedly.
Wearing a British-style brown windbreaker with horn buttons and an off-white turtleneck sweater, Cao Aiqing, who was walking in the entrance, squatted down, carefully folded the trousers of her jeans in a circle, stood up, and took out a pair of clothes behind the mirror in the entrance. Wearing a white knitted hat, she took a look in front of the mirror after putting it on. She felt that this outfit was a bit more cute and youthful. Thinking of the person she was going to see later, she took off the hat again and scratched her head. Tie the last part of the hair into a low bun, tuck the remaining part into the bun or twist it around, and finally tidy up the broken hair to bring out some volume.
In this way, it looks both formal and relaxed and casual.
"How do I look like this?"
Cao Aiqing leaned out from the entrance and asked his roommate for his opinion.
"She's like a heroine straight out of a Korean drama~! Mia, Sarahei~!"
"Aha, even though I'm not Korean, I accept your compliments~!"
After receiving the approval, Cao Aiqing felt a little more confident about her outfit today. She took down a scarf from the hanger at the door, and after thinking about it again and again, she put the knitted hat into her backpack and went out.
This girl is actually very afraid of the cold.
London in winter is covered with snow, and the city is covered in silver. Today's temperature is only minus 4 degrees. After leaving the apartment and going downstairs, Cao Aiqing looked at the falling snowflakes in the sky, and she exhaled a ball of white hot air into her palms.
It rarely snows in the port city. During the first few years when she came to London, the girl looked forward to winter the most. However, when the snow was the heaviest every year, she was not in the UK. Maybe it was God's will.
But this is not a regret, because whenever she returns to China, someone can always arrange for her to do something more enjoyable than watching it snow.
But this year...
Even if I return to China this year, that person shouldn't be able to spare time to accompany me like in previous years, right?
I heard that the investment scale of that drama is large and the cast is luxurious. This is a very good opportunity for that person. If the drama is successful after it is launched, then he will have a firm foothold in the domestic film and television industry.
I can't let him get too far away, I have to work harder!
The kind and motivated girl encouraged herself in her heart, pulled a scarf to cover her lips, and put her hands into the pockets of her windbreaker. The biting cold wind made her cheeks blush slightly.
Cao Aiqing found a cafe that was still open, ordered a cup of hot cocoa and drank it while warming his hands and took a taxi to Duke Street.
This is the most traditional art trading street in the West End of London. The famous White Cube Gallery is located here. It was designed by the world-renowned minimalist architect Claudio Silvesterling. Although the exhibition space is slightly Although it is small, it is also one of the most influential commercial galleries in Europe.
Cao Aiqing has been to these places many times. Because today is the New Year, many shops on the street have been closed for rest. However, there are still some Christmas decorations from the previous few days on both sides of the street, and the shops that are still open sporadically are full of customers. Minus, although the whole street is a little less prosperous, it is not deserted.
A small truck stopped on the side of the road, and several workers were carrying some decoration supplies back and forth. This was an unnamed gallery, and it was also Cao Aiqing's destination this time.
She followed the workers and walked in. The overall area of this gallery was not large, but the space utilization in the duplex design was very large. Opening a personal gallery on Jazz Street, where land is precious, would be a huge success in the whole of Europe. In the art trading circle, he can definitely be regarded as a "celebrity" level existence.
"Ai Qing, you're here."
From above, a greeting came.
Cao Aiqing raised her head and saw an elegant and dignified woman calling her. She rested her hands on the guardrail made of fair-faced concrete. She wore a flannel coat casually draped over her shoulders, lined with a slim-fitting white suit. It embellishes her whole person's composure and neatness.
At this moment, she was smiling and looking down at the girl.
"Sister Bai~"
"Well, come up."
The girl called out cheerfully, and after receiving a response, she climbed up the stairs on the side.
This woman is the important person Cao Aiqing talks about. At the same time, she is also He Tianran's biological mother, Bai Wenyu.
In this timeline, the two women met in the year when Cao Aiqing first came to the UK. He Tianran mentioned that his mother was working in Europe. If there was a chance, the two of them could get to know each other and let them work overseas. A girl who has no relatives or friends to rely on can have an elder she can rely on.
It happened that Bai Wenyu had also known about Cao Aiqing from the news about her contact with the housekeeper Wang Ma. She had long wanted to meet this son's sweetheart.
Bai Wenyu worked at Sotheby's Auction House in her early years as a professional auctioneer and curator. She was promoted to director five years ago and has been based in the UK. Her years of art trading activities have accumulated a lot of contacts and connections for her. Fame, she resigned from the auction house last year and officially became an independent art dealer.
Over the past few years, Bai Wenyu has become more and more fond of Cao Aiqing. This has nothing to do with whether she is his son's girlfriend, but if he insists on bringing it to this level, it may be that this person is the same as him when he was young. What a wonderful girl, at about the same age as herself at that time, she chose the opposite path to her own.
Bai Wenyu knew that Cao Aiqing did not confirm the relationship with He Tianran in order to study abroad, even though the two truly loved each other.
In this regard, as the boy's mother, Bai Wenyu did not put any pressure on Cao Aiqing in this regard, but instead affirmed and supported this approach.
Because she knows very well what a woman will give up for love...
She herself is a living example.
Damn... I'm already in pain before it even starts...
(End of chapter)
