Chapter 5 - 3: A Toast
The golden door of the banquet hall on the north side of the sixteenth floor opened, and Fu Jichen, dressed in a three-piece suit, slowly emerged, with a freshly lit cigarette between his fingers.
As he raised his hand, his cool white wrist was revealed, wrapped with a circle of pure black braided cord, the tail end adorned with a white jade handle piece, which was a vividly carved male lion, asleep with eyes closed.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, alleviating the fatigue brought on by socializing.
Suddenly, a melodious and lingering cello sound flowed out from the southern banquet hall.
The sound was so clear because the banquet hall’s door was not closed.
By some strange impulse, Fu Jichen started walking toward it, his leather shoes stepping on the light gray carpet, obscuring his footsteps, with only the attendant at the door noticing him.
The tall and handsome man was dressed in fine clothes and exuded an overwhelming presence. Having received guests of all kinds, the attendant naturally speculated that this person must be someone either wealthy or noble, nodding respectfully to him.
Fu Jichen ignored them, glancing through the open door inside, at the girl he encountered in the elevator.
She sat gracefully in a carved black lacquer wood chair, a cello cradled in her arms, her half-pinned black hair softly draping beside her cheek, the tips brushing against the rise and fall of her chest. Her indigo strapless starlit gown shone like a galaxy under the white lights. She slightly tilted her head, the half of her face facing the door serene like water. From a not-so-close distance, her lightly pursed lips could be seen.
The girl’s arms drew beautiful lines in the air as she played the cello, the whole dynamic scene appearing as if shrouded in a layer of gentle filter, dream-like and ethereal.
Watching for a while, Fu Jichen forgot about the burning cigarette between his fingers, the burning sensation transmitting to his fingertips. He shook slightly, a long ash fell onto the expensive carpet.
Inside the banquet hall, both those who understood the music and those who didn’t wore expressions of enchantment, either immersed in the flowing, natural sound or captivated by Shen Jianian’s beauty.