Chapter 518: Tour Across America (Part 2)
When the weather is hot, Su Qing would also gently wipe the sweat off Zhou Yuwen.
In the desert night.
The stars were brilliant,
Zhou Yuwen pitched a tent and made a campfire beside the jeep.
The two of them were stargazing together, and Su Qing said to Zhou Yuwen, it would be nice to return to our past lives now.
"If we didn't have so many misunderstandings, if we hadn't divorced, maybe we could still be as happy as we are now," Su Qing said to Zhou Yuwen, hugging her knees.
Zhou Yuwen smiled after hearing this and said, "We're very happy right now."
Su Qing said nothing, resting her head on Zhou Yuwen's shoulder.
Zhou Yuwen gazed at the campfire in front of him, lost in thought.
Su Qing is still so sentimental, but the truth is, if Zhou Yuwen weren't strong enough, how could he be so happy, reborn?
Then there would be no Ferrari, no Jeep that could be replaced at any time.
What seemed like a trip across the United States for the two of them,
was actually followed by business cars and RVs, one after the other.
Bodyguards hired from a professional security company followed them around the clock.
In the resplendent sky, there twinkled one light after another.
Su Qing said, the stars in the sky are beautiful.
What she didn't know was that among these stars were drones responsible for their safety.
During those fifteen days, except for the occasional whim of camping outdoors, they mostly stayed in hotels.
Su Qing gave Zhou Yuwen a list of designers, telling him that though those people were skilled, a building didn't need so many renowned designers. Su Qing just wanted to take the opportunity to visit them and learn about their insights on design.
In the process, Su Qing truly wanted to recruit emerging designers who didn't have representative works yet, and due to their age, were unsatisfied with large companies. Hearing that someone was willing to hire them at a high salary, they were all willing, and some even used an ancient Oriental saying, "A true gentleman would die for a true friend."
Besides these designers, Zhou Yuwen took Su Qing to visit Aunt Susan, who was forty-seven. Susan was French, forty-seven years old now, and the years had added many wrinkles to her face, but the wrinkles didn't make her look old; on the contrary, she appeared in good spirits and reasonably slender.
She lived reclusively at a countryside estate, spending her days painting and drinking wine.
When Su Qing and Zhou Yuwen found her, she refused to see Su Qing.
Truly living as if untouched by earthly matters.
Su Qing was turned away, but she wasn't disheartened and said to Zhou Yuwen, "See, I told you she's different from others."
"She's not the kind of designer who does it for money."
Zhou Yuwen said she wouldn't design for money.
"But one way or another, there's always a reason for something else."
Zhou Yuwen called Lu Wanting, asking her to help investigate Susan, discovering that she had a marriage and a child.
Because she lived too freely, she didn't fulfill her duties as a mother.
Hence her child is now in jail in France.
After understanding these things, Zhou Yuwen asked Lu Wanting to help resolve the issue.
Nowadays, Lu Wanting managed a financial institution worth billions, so she had the means.
It took just two days.
Zhou Yuwen brought Su Qing to see the old designer again.
Su Qing still seemed unwilling, saying to Zhou Yuwen, "It's useless; Teacher Susan isn't the kind to design for money. She definitely won't take me as an apprentice, so let's drop it and not waste time."
"Let's go and see; maybe she'll change her mind."
Su Qing snorted after hearing this, saying how impossible it was.
When the two of them approached the gate of Suzan Manor again,
Su Qing thought that Zhou Yuwen was wasting his effort.
But then, a steward came out, nodding slightly at the two, saying, "Madam invites you two in."
"?"
Su Qing was stunned, turning her head to Zhou Yuwen, almost not daring to believe it.
Zhou Yuwen shrugged and said, "See, things still have a chance to change."
Susan's estate was large and should accurately be called a wine estate, with farmers employed by Susan to plant grapes and dry wine.
There was a building resembling a castle at the estate, but Susan didn't live in it. She lived in a two-story wooden cabin not far from the castle, specially trimmed by local farmers, along the riverside, primarily wooden, appearing very pleasant.
When the steward led the two over, Su Qing saw that wooden house, her eyes lit up, and she told Zhou Yuwen it was simply a paradise on earth, like a utopia.
"Building a hut in the human realm, without the sound of horse and carriage."
Su Qing recited two lines of poetry to Zhou Yuwen.
Zhou Yuwen merely smiled; from outside the estate to inside, Zhou Yuwen realized this estate was extensive, making Zhou Yuwen feel that Susan should be quite wealthy. Why couldn't she even handle her son's matters?
However, the estate was truly beautiful. Initially, Zhou Yuwen was quite satisfied with his villa in the United States, but after seeing Susan's estate, he found his own taste rather mediocre. Rich people indeed know how to live.
The two of them were led into the wooden house by the housekeeper.
Inside the wooden house, a forty-seven-year-old woman was painting with her back turned to them.
The housekeeper went over and whispered to Susan, probably saying that the visitors have been brought over.
Susan nodded, turned back to look at Zhou Yuwen and Su Qing.
Her eyes were truly a profound blue, unmistakably original, not looking a day older than forty-seven.
She glanced at Su Qing, then at Zhou Yuwen, finally asking the housekeeper in a low voice in English, "Which one is Zhou Yuwen?"
Before the housekeeper could speak, Zhou Yuwen impolitely said, "I am Zhou Yuwen, madam."
Susan raised her head to look at Zhou Yuwen, nodded slightly, and said, "Thank you for your help."
"It was a small effort."
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen smiled faintly, thinking it wasn't that hard to invite her. It was all because she put on airs, but a little effort made it possible to invite her.
Zhou Yuwen expressed in English that he really liked Madam Susan's architectural designs.
"This is my wife,"
Zhou Yuwen introduced Su Qing, who was a bit nervous meeting Susan, as during her years as a designer, Susan had been a leading figure in the industry.
Zhou Yuwen straightforwardly said that his wife admired her very much and hoped to learn from her for a while.
Upon hearing it was for apprenticeship, Susan felt a bit troubled and said, "I haven't taught anyone before."
Zhou Yuwen replied, "It's no problem. There's a first time for everything."
After speaking, Zhou Yuwen smiled at Susan.
Susan thought for a moment, then asked Su Qing, "Do you have any works?"
Su Qing immediately, nervously, presented her designs to Susan.
Next followed a private chat between the two, and Zhou Yuwen didn't disturb them, idly asking the housekeeper, who was even older than Susan, if the estate belonged to their family head?
Instead of being a housekeeper, this person seemed more like Susan's nanny. She glanced at Zhou Yuwen and replied that it wasn't madam's but belonged to her friend, and madam was staying here as a guest.
Zhou Yuwen nodded, said "Hmm," and asked, "Do you know how much an estate like this would cost to buy?"
The housekeeper shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, I don't know those details."
Zhou Yuwen felt a little regretful.
No matter what, Su Qing had been reborn from the future, and being well-acquainted with Susan's design style, even if her talent was average, she could still impress Susan on the first meeting, evoking a feeling of regret for not meeting sooner.
After listening to Su Qing's understanding of design, Susan couldn't help but look at Su Qing differently, even having an illusion about herself.
How could she have spent decades studying architecture,
only to feel as though she'd always been living in the shadow of this Oriental girl upon meeting her?
What exactly is going on?"