Smile Code (Lost Laughter) 失笑 - Zhu Le 祖乐

48

In the silent receiver, one breath means I care about you, two breaths mean I like you, three breaths mean...

Apart from work, Gu Yi lay in bed for a week, feeling listless. The one most concerned about her was Xu Guanrui, who had been sent to Korea and still called her overseas. In a bathroom in Hongdae, he spoke over the phone: "It's so damn noisy here, I really didn't want to come if it wasn't for the business trip. Korean really sounds rude, it's all yelling... Do you have a favorite celebrity? I'm going to KBS tomorrow, I'll get an autograph for you..."

After hanging up, Gu Yi felt like she was burning up with a fever, dizzy and exhausted. Liang Daiwen's chat window had been silent for a long time, buried several screens deep. She habitually glanced at the camera when opening the door and, after shutting it, walked back and forth in her room wearing size 43 sneakers that didn't fit, almost tripping several times.

The trash cat was quietly still, and the robot showed no response.

She had lost a few pounds, and her clothes were a size smaller. When Gu Yi arrived at the office, her complexion was pale. Jacqueline glanced at her during the meeting. Since that drunken night, the stern leader seemed to pay more attention to her, and her workload had only increased. After the meeting, Jacqueline seemed to remember something: "This afternoon, there's a talk with HF Designer Union at Bulgari, Lindsey is going with me."

Gu Yi mainly handled new media, dealing with backend data traffic every day. It was supposed to be Pony's job to attend events with Jacqueline, but given that Bypass might need to release an article or maybe Jacqueline was satisfied with her recent image, Gu Yi carefully touched up her makeup. The car drove along Tiantong Road, with the old, low buildings of the 7 Pu Road fashion wholesale market on the left, and two tall Italian-style buildings on the right, adjacent to the renovated Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce and the North Suzhou River. A glance captured the folded nature of Shanghai. Jacqueline's high heels dangled from the tops of her feet, and her cheekbones seemed even more hollow than before, but her appearance didn't feel as cold, as she squinted and put on sunglasses: "The client specifically asked me to bring you. Where did you two meet?"

"I don't even know who the client is..." The car turned into a clean parking lot, the black-and-gold Bulgari logo on the ground looking imposing and elegant. Jacqueline rarely reached out and pinched her neck: "Pull yourself together, don't embarrass me."

If it weren't for work, Gu Yi would never have come to the Bulgari hotel in her life. Following Jacqueline inside, the elevator went straight to the apartment. The two model rooms were opened up in the middle for the event, a 600-square-meter space. Gu Yi looked around: luxurious, the atmosphere lighter than the club downstairs, but she couldn't connect the space with the feeling of home. The two connected living rooms were spacious, with abundant natural light and a clear visual flow, but not at all cozy. All the furniture was in dark brown with creamy-colored walls, and the sofas were Burgundy red. The bookshelves were filled with thick art books made from copper-plate paper, giving off a texture that also created a sense of distance. The mirrors were from the top Italian brand Alessio, and the kitchen lacked any warmth, as if it could only make cold dishes. The bedroom had three floor-to-ceiling windows, and the bathroom's glass walls provided a view of Lujiazui, everything in full view.

At the HF Designer Union's sharing session, brochures were neatly arranged on the table, displaying the names of Zhang Qingya and several designers, with "Tsingya Chang" in gold-foil italic font at the front, just like her elegant and refined face. The disruptive girls who had been seen at the previous accessibility session also appeared, dressed in eccentric outfits, sitting on chairs in front of Gu Yi, with the legs of the chairs almost pressing against her shoes.