Chapter 57: The Alt

Several crystal chandeliers shone with dazzling brilliance, and their piercing light created an illusion of dizziness in the mind.

A tall and well-built young man stepped into the hall, surrounded by four or five extraordinary-looking men and women. He was dressed in a sharp, tailored suit that clung to his imposing frame, radiating an immediate sense of overwhelming pressure.

"Welcome, Mr. Williams." Professor Edward walked over warmly to shake hands with his distinguished guest.

The air was permeated with a unique scent belonging exclusively to the vanity fair, a heavy blend of expensive red wine and the high-end perfumes worn by the guests present.

The hall instantly transitioned from profound silence to buzzing commotion.

Numerous guests stepped forward to shake hands and converse with the newcomer, their interactions laden with polite formalities, hidden probings, and feigned familiarity.

Everyone wore a smile, though beneath each smile lurked varied calculations, all of them attempting to have their names remembered by the young man at the center of attention and to forge a connection with him.

They all called him "Mr. Williams," unaware that the man they were currying favor with also had a Chinese name—one that belonged to a hidden past known to no one here.

And belonging to that same unknown past stood Jiang Ying, quietly lingering to one side.

She stood near a round table with a handful of other guests, completely unremarkable, simply watching Lu Zhixi from a short distance away.

Jiang Ying felt like a long-dormant computer suddenly hooked up to a power source, booting up data related to "Lu Zhixi" for the first time in ages.

An electric current crackled through her brain, spreading across her entire limbs. Her heart beat at an erratic, bizarre rhythm, while her rationality loaded sluggishly, failing to produce a single definitive result.

That aloof, sharp, raw, and immature boy seemed to have completely transformed into someone else. He was mature and handsome, surrounded by throngs of admirers, standing just an arm's length away from her yet remaining as distant as thousands of miles.

The power of time was greater than they had ever imagined; it seemed Lu Zhixi was doing exceptionally well in his own world.

Professor Brown, mingling among the crowd, happened to spot Jiang Ying standing quietly by the round table to the side. Out of good intentions to help his students expand their networks, he called out in a moderate voice, asking Jiang Ying to come over and say hello.

Lu Zhixi seemed to catch the sound of this long-unheard name. He abruptly paused his conversation with the person beside him, raised his gaze to look in the direction of the voice, and froze slightly.

At that moment, Jiang Ying met his eyes.

The clinking glasses and mingling guests around them blurred into indistinct figures. Sounds faded and drew near, making everything feel utterly surreal.

She subconsciously wondered: What should I do now to appear appropriate? Should I smile? Should I say hello?

"That is my student," Professor Brown introduced.

Perhaps out of courtesy to the professor and his wife, Lu Zhixi took the initiative to walk toward her, saying gently, "I'm very glad to see you."

"Me too," she replied a beat too late, managing a faint, pale smile.

The two exchanged a polite greeting in English, shaking hands briefly before letting go instantly.

Professor Brown continued, "If I remember correctly, you two are also alumni of Huada University, aren't you?"

Assuming Jiang Ying was unaware, the professor explained to her that young Mr. Williams had previously studied at Huada for a year and mentioned that he could speak Chinese.

Lu Zhixi did not speak; he simply kept his eyes fixed on her. Jiang Ying remained silent as well, nodding only in polite agreement.

She had thought the topic would end there, but Professor Brown was exceptionally talkative and brought up another matter: "Ah, that's right, Ying likes playing tennis, and Alex used to be a tennis player. How interesting, you two share so many things in common."

Lu Zhixi finally spoke, asking softly, "Have you kept playing tennis?"

This time, he spoke in Chinese.

The familiar language and familiar voice slipped straight back into her ears.

It took Jiang Ying a stagnant second to reply, "Yes, but I'm very amateur."

Hearing this, Lu Zhixi smiled slightly. "Someone as excellent as you would excel at anything you do."

Jiang Ying lifted her eyes sharply, catching sight of those familiar amber eyes gazing intently at her.

Before she could fully collect her wits, Professor Edward approached with a congressman, interrupting their conversation. Jiang Ying took a few steps back and was promptly pulled aside by Yamei.

"You should have exchanged business cards with him or asked for his contact info!" Yamei said excitedly.

Opportunities always arrived unannounced, and leaving even a tiny impression on someone of such high status was never a mistake. Yamei deeply regretted not striking up a conversation herself earlier, and now that the congressman had arrived, there was definitely no chance to butt in anymore.

Just then, a blonde, white-skinned woman of about fifty approached Jiang Ying and extended her hand. "Hello, I am Emily Lawrence. It's a pleasure to meet you, and this is my business card."

Emily wore exquisite makeup, carried herself with decisive efficiency, and possessed the quintessential aura of a corporate elite. The card identified her as the COO of the Williams family's parent group.

"Hello, Ms. Lawrence," Jiang Ying shook her hand.

"Just call me Emily."

Yamei eagerly sidled up to introduce herself to Emily, who exchanged a couple of polite pleasantries before immediately turning her attention back to Jiang Ying.

"Alex only saw the invitation email this morning, and unfortunately, he had a business meeting in New York. We rushed to Boston right after it finished... well, to meet the congressman, so we're a bit late. We'll be staying in Boston for a while... for business arrangements."

Emily rattled off a paragraph to Jiang Ying at a rapid pace, much like casual gossip.

Feeling somewhat bewildered, Jiang Ying hesitatingly replied, "Well, that sounds like a rather tight schedule..."

"Indeed," Emily nodded earnestly. "We're hoping to arrange a dinner tonight with the professor, his wife, and the congressman. I'm currently confirming the attendees; would you be willing to join us?"

*

"Why aren't you going? Getting a free meal out of it sounds pretty nice, doesn't it?"

That night, while Jiang Ying was cooking pasta at home, she video-called Zhou Ning on a whim. Zhou Ning's entire face crammed into the phone screen, plastered with pure confusion.

"I can't leave Nono home alone for too long," Jiang Ying said, pouring the pasta into a plate.

Zhou Ning asked, "Are you sure it's not because you just don't want to see Lu Zhixi?"

"It's not that I don't want to see him," Jiang Ying corrected. "At this point, we're basically strangers. An occasion like that dinner has no necessity for me to attend."

"Didn't you say Lu Zhixi got handsome? You could just go look at a handsome guy."

Jiang Ying picked up her phone from its stand, locked eyes with Zhou Ning on the other side of the screen for two seconds, and surrendered. "Fine, I admit it's because of him. He's changed a lot—more mature, more handsome, and much more distant. But that's normal; several years have passed, and I'm quite happy for him."

"And what about you? How do you feel inside?"

Jiang Ying answered honestly, "I don't know. I feel like my system crashed."

At that moment, a message notification from someone else popped up on the screen.

Lily: 「I'm getting married! The wedding will be held in Italy. You're coming, right?!」

Jiang Ying had kept in touch with Lily over the years and had even met up with her during a previous trip to New York.

Lily and Qi Zhou had officially made things official since last year, skipping straight from engagement to marriage. Jiang Ying wasn't particularly surprised to receive this news.

She sent her congratulations, promised she would be there in person, and then saw Lily's next message: 「Xi-ge will be coming too. You don't mind, do you?」

「It's fine. What a coincidence, I actually already ran into him at a cocktail party today.」

The chat showed "typing..." for a long while before a new message came through.

「So, did you guys sleep together?」

Male beauty was Lily's lifelong obsession. Jiang Ying laughed in spite of herself and told her that she had merely exchanged three polite, conventional sentences with Lu Zhixi.

Lily: 「You've been single all this time, and you bumped into an ex-boyfriend who's also single—what a waste not to sleep with him!」

Lily's words served as a reminder to Jiang Ying that she hadn't experienced the joy of an active sex life in a very, very long time.

At nine o'clock that evening, Jiang Ying took a shower, returned to her bedroom, and stood before the dark brown octagonal cabinet in the corner. She pulled open the drawer and fell into deep thought.

Inside lay a colorful array of fully functional little toys.

She wasn't too tired right now, had no early classes tomorrow, and could easily sleep in after walking the dog. It was an exceptionally suitable night to reward herself.

Jiang Ying stared at the toys for a long while before letting out a long sigh and shoving the drawer shut with a sharp click.

The toys were intimate and convenient, and the machines never grew tired, capable of providing enduring service. Yet after using them for several years, her physical responsiveness to the toys had dulled slightly.

Sexual desire was just like eating and sleeping; a reduction in desire or a failure to satisfy it always bred anxiety.

Jiang Ying lay flat on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as the image of the man she ran into at the hotel earlier that day flashed through her mind.

She had to admit that during certain private moments over the past few years, she had occasionally thought of him.

Lu Zhixi was the only person with whom she had ever shared sexual experience. Jiang Ying suspected that her subconscious perception of sexual pleasure might have been profoundly shaped by Lu Zhixi in ways she hadn't anticipated at the time.

He liked to grip her neck, slap her backside, or massage her stomach during those moments, forming her earliest memories of physical ecstasy.

These were things she couldn't replicate on her own, nor could her toys achieve them.

More importantly, Jiang Ying had long harbored a secret—something she could discuss with no one, yet whose impression grew increasingly vivid through her years of celibacy:

His equipment wasn't just large and pink; it also had a slight curve to it, hooking her soul right out of her body. It possessed a subtle arc, and she had yet to find a perfect substitute for it on the market.

Feeling somewhat defeated, Jiang Ying buried her face in her pillow. Nono, thinking something had happened to her, anxiously jumped onto the bed, circled around her, and nudged her body with its curly little head.

"Nono, I'm fine," she mumbled into the pillow.

Nono whimpered in response, as if trying to comfort her, but a puppy could never understand what could possibly trouble a twenty-six-year-old girl who disliked socializing.

Jiang Ying wondered: Was she really at the point where she needed to start seeking out men? A bizarre notion even crossed her mind—if she could get a mold of Lu Zhixi, that might actually work.

As soon as the thought popped up, Jiang Ying laughed at herself.

Putting aside the fact that she would never actually do such a thing, the chances of her and Lu Zhixi ever crossing paths again were likely slim to none.