Shui understood what he ant when she read in the news that Blooming Art Gallery was soon to be sold. She knew the art gallery’s manager well enough and so the shock was evident.
The manager, Mr. Yang, would rather sell his soul than his prized gallery. It was unfathomable for her to think that he would even dream of selling the gallery.
"You are selling Blooming?"
Shui was one of the few artists who held a close relationship with him and was already standing in his office as soon as the news fell upon her ears.
Mr. Yang looked haggard. "Han Shui...Yes, I’m selling...selling..."
Tears welled in his eyes and he broke down. "I’m selling Blooming...! I don’t have a heart anymore! I have sold my soul to the devil!"
"But why? How did you suddenly decide this?"
He wiped his eyes. "You know how the popularity of art galleries has been dwindling these days...Not many are choosing this line of profession and in general, it’s been difficult to sustain...Which is why I have been trying to reach you! How could you abandon !"
"I didn’t abandon you."
"Not picking my calls is abandoning !"
"You were bugging to hold another exhibition but I don’t have anything ready yet. I don’t even have any idea of what I want to paint about. How could I give you any commitnt?"
"Well if we don’t do sothing, then you will see a brand new hotel standing here in a few years ti, huhu..." he sobbed.
"A hotel?" She was taken aback. "My family is in the hotel industry and neither Bro nor Dad never told about this. If they knew, they would have for sure because they know my connection with Blooming. Which hotel chain is doing this?"
"I don’t know much details but so company has been recently bought by a man nad Zhong Sihan."
Her eyes widened.
"Zhong Sihan...? Are you sure?"
He burst into fresh tears. "I will never forget that na!"
"But why is he interested in buying the art gallery? He can build a hotel in any other place."
He sniffled. "I don’t know..."
Shui couldn’t understand Zhong Sihan’s thought process at all. He first bought the plaza and now an art gallery. He already had all the fortune he needed so she was uncertain why the idea of building a new hotel would strike him at this ti.
Is it really out of the blue?
She pondered for a mont and blinked.
Wait a minute. This gallery is close to Hou Lin’s cafe...
Shui didn’t want to believe in her assumptions.
"Let find it out."
Mr. Yang bead. "Really! You will finally paint for and save this gallery?"
"No. Wait...How co my painting would do anything to help you?"
"Don’t you understand your talents! The gallery is losing its spark and other galleries are trying to hog into the spotlight. So if I have an explosive exhibition, the attention would fall back to Blooming. Even Zhong Sihan would be forced to consider his move and I can finally get my soul back from the devil!"
With glittering eyes, he stared at her as if she was the only ans of his salvation.
"..."
She shook her head. "Forget about the painting, Mr. Yang."
His expression dropped.
"But I promise I will look into this...buying issue. I won’t let Blooming be sold."
—
"Who are you?"
Shui jumped when a sudden voice crept from behind her. An elderly woman squinted at her as Shui waited at the entrance.
"I’m Han Shui. I’m here to et Mr. Zhong Sihan."
"I see."
"Yes. Can you tell-"
"So now that he is out of prison, people are coming flocking to his side left, right and centre."
"Excuse ?"
"First that young man and now you. Everybody wants his attention despite him being a criminal," her fists clenched.
The woman’s hostility toward Zhong Sihan that was now getting passed down to her confused Shui. Nevertheless, she let her in and guided her toward his study room.
"Don’t be such a fool!"
They jolted with a harsh exclamation of a voice. As they peered into the study room, Shui’s eyes widened to see Lin standing before Zhong Sihan. He was calm but the sa couldn’t be said about the latter.
They noticed their presence and turned their heads and this ti, Lin was equally taken aback to see Shui in the Zhong villa.
"Huuuuh..." Zhong Sihan arched his brow at her. "What brings you to my house?"
Shui felt a distinct shift in the woman’s deanor and ugly expression contorted further. She stepped in anyway and stood beside Lin, who watched her, puzzled.
"I’m sorry to co unannounced, but there is sothing important I want to discuss with you."
He looked further interested. "Ho? What would Han Huizhong’s great-granddaughter want from ?"
"Why are you buying the Blooming Art Gallery?"
"Oh!"
His previous anger flew away and he looked back at Lin, beaming. "Lin! This is what I was telling you about!"
"What?"
"Now we can work from close by. Well, I thought to buy your cafe but then decided against it. I don’t want to incur my soon-to-be son’s wrath already. So I bought a place nearby your cafe so that we can et everyday!"
Shui’s brow twitched violently. She closed her eyes for a mont and took in a deep breath.
"Mr. Zhong. The Blooming Art Gallery is very precious to the manager. Many livelihoods depend on it and many artists have a close relationship to it."
"Does that artist also include you?" He smiled.
"I speak on behalf of everyone."
"Doesn’t matter. The Blooming Art Gallery is mine."
"And where do you suppose the artists should go?"
"Where were the artists all this ti anyway?" His eyes widened slightly as if stating an obvious point. "Nowhere."
She stared at him. "Excuse ?"
"Ah. Your eyes. They look just like your grandfather. He also hated when I spoke ill of ’art.’" He scoffed. "But do you bla ? There is nothing morable about a bunch of paintings. They just get hung on the walls as decoration in so gallery rooms. People see it, awe over it and then forget about it. So, Miss. Han Shui. What business value does art have anyway?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)