Lin Su returned with two exquisitely bound copies of *The Peony Pavilion*. A simple stage had been set up on the waterside terrace not far from the pavilion, and the dining table was now filled with over a dozen crab dishes.
After quietly taking her seat, Lin Su waited for the maid standing beside Simon to finish softly introducing each dish before handing over the scripts. "Mr. Westeros, here are the original lyrics of *The Peony Pavilion*. I'm not sure which form of Chinese you've studied, so I've selected both traditional and simplified versions."
Simon picked up one copy and glanced at it. It was the traditional version, which he didn't bother to switch, and casually flipped it open.
Although he couldn't write in traditional Chinese, reading it was no problem at all. Even with his two lifetimes and a change of identity, Simon was no exception.
In fact, Simon preferred traditional Chinese calligraphy because the traditional characters better captured the structure and essence of the Chinese language.
Noticing Simon's choice of the traditional script, Lin Su's eyes flickered slightly, but her tone remained unchanged as she said, "The entire opera of *The Peony Pavilion* consists of fifty-five scenes. We won't be able to finish it in one meal. I've selected the most famous scene, 'The Interrupted Dream.' Would that be acceptable to you, Mr. Westeros?"
Simon, engrossed in the opening lines of *The Peony Pavilion*, replied, "Let's start a little earlier. Save 'The Interrupted Dream' for after the meal."
Lin Su was momentarily taken aback. She glanced at the table full of dishes and quickly understood. She nodded, "Alright."
A moment later, the sound of traditional Chinese instruments drifted from the terrace.
Lady A listened to the melody in the background as a maid demonstrated the use of the crab-eating tools. She stole a glance at her boss, who had already started using the tools while quietly conversing with Lin Su.
Despite having witnessed so many of his peculiarities, Alison was still amazed by her boss's fluent Chinese, which he used so comfortably in conversation.
Moreover, compared to other countries, Alison noticed her boss had a particular affinity for China.
Her boss disliked Japan, and it wasn't just because he had been "chased out" the previous day. It was a deeper, instinctual dislike.
For China, even though the man tried to conceal it, she could sense a natural closeness.
This reaction was the exact opposite of how most Westerners viewed Japan and China.
No matter what, Alison would never think too deeply in that direction, so she was inevitably more curious.
However, after following him for so long and accumulating so much curiosity, Alison realized that many of her questions might never be answered.
The young translator beside her, Chen Qing, noticed Alison's daze and smiled as she reminded her in English, "Miss Norris, if you find peeling the crab too troublesome, you might want to try this Snowflake Crab Meat dish. It should suit Western tastes."
"Sure."
Alison smiled and nodded.
Chen Qing enthusiastically handed over the utensils and explained the dish again in English. After seeing Alison begin to enjoy the dish, she subtly withdrew her attention from the woman. She glanced at Simon and Lin Su, who were still chatting while peeling crab, and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes. She had been chosen to be Simon Westeros's translator, but unfortunately, the man didn't need one at all. Her role was reduced to serving his assistant, leaving her with no opportunity to converse with him.
"Chen, is something wrong?"
Alison's voice pulled Chen Qing back to reality. She quickly shook her head with a smile and instructed a maid to bring her a portion of the Snowflake Crab Meat. After some thought, she decided not to use chopsticks but instead opted for the knife and fork provided for the guests, just like Alison.
As they began to eat, the conversation naturally dwindled.
Over half an hour later, the meal ended. After the maids had cleared the table, Simon washed his hands with tea and picked up a cup of warm ginger tea. Only then did he turn his attention to the stage not far away.
Lin Su had timed everything perfectly, just in time for *The Interrupted Dream*.
"The dream returns to the warbling orioles, scattering the spring light everywhere. One stands in a small courtyard, the incense burns out, the embroidery threads are discarded. This spring feels as poignant as last year..."
Having never heard Kunqu Opera before, Simon had assumed it would be sung in a dialect.
During the meal, Lin Su explained that most of the lyrics in Kunqu Opera are close to standard Mandarin. Moreover, today's performance was in the Northern school of Kunqu, which had further removed any dialect influences. Simon found that he could understand the lyrics without needing the script.
Lin Su had been quietly observing Simon's reaction. She noticed that he hardly looked at the script and seemed quite absorbed in the performance, which puzzled her.
When *The Interrupted Dream* ended and the performance continued, she couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Westeros, what did you think?"
"Once the flowers have bloomed in all their glory, they will fade away, leaving behind ruined walls. The beautiful scenery is fleeting, and who enjoys such pleasures? The morning clouds, the evening rains, the painted boats on misty waters, the splendid screens witness the passing of this time," Simon recited softly, savoring the words for a moment before praising, "The writing is stunningly beautiful, every word is a gem."
Everyone in the pavilion, including Lady A and the maids, couldn't help but show their astonishment at Simon's comment.
*The Peony Pavilion* is most famous for *The Interrupted Dream*, and within this scene, the passage "Once the flowers have bloomed in all their glory" is undoubtedly the crown jewel.
Lin Su had been secretly wondering whether the man could truly understand the performance. Seeing Simon precisely capture the "crown jewel" of the play, she was almost shocked.
Moreover, "every word is a gem"—such a phrase, could it really come from a Westerner who had never set foot in China?
Having grown accustomed to similar reactions from those around him, Simon no longer felt particularly proud or made any effort to conceal his talents. He was, after all, an anomaly in this world; to others, acting "normal" would be abnormal, while being "abnormal" would be expected.
After finishing his ginger tea, Simon said, "Alright, let's wrap up for today."
Lin Su quickly gathered herself and asked, "Where would you like to go next, Mr. Westeros? There are still many wonderful places to see in Suzhou."
Simon stood up and said, "I'll save the rest for another visit. This afternoon, let's head to Guilin. If I remember correctly, Guilin is famous for its stunning scenery, right?"
Lin Su nodded, "In that case, I'll need to make some arrangements."
She couldn't help but take a closer look at the man before her. This wasn't a Chinese expatriate returning to his roots; he clearly didn't have a trace of Chinese blood.
Simon's private jet was stationed in Shanghai, so they returned there from Suzhou.
Lin Su was away for a few hours, making excuses to arrange Simon's itinerary, and Chen Qing, who had been assigned to translate for Lady A, left with her.
Simon could roughly guess what was going on, but he didn't mind.
He took a nap at his Shanghai residence for about an hour, and at 2 p.m., Lin Su and Chen Qing returned to inform him that everything had been arranged.
The distance from Shanghai to Guilin is over 1,200 kilometers, so they had to fly there.
At 3 p.m., the group boarded Simon's private jet and flew to Guilin.
The flight took only an hour and a half, giving Simon just enough time to handle some matters using the private plane's exclusive communication system.
After the Rwandan government suddenly accused France last week, the public spat between Rwanda and France continued.
However, the French government, understanding the situation, quickly took action. They discreetly withdrew the team of agents operating in Reggio, southern Italy, and even called back the two investigative journalists from *Le Figaro*.
After making these arrangements, a senior French government official quietly contacted Dumecap Manor. Janet took the call, and the news about France's involvement in the Rwandan genocide was subsequently removed from the prominent position on the Igrette portal.
Although the situation seemed to have calmed on the surface, Simon knew that the French government's animosity toward him had likely deepened.
To be hated is the fate of the talented.
Being hated by a country was hardly a concern for Simon at this point.
Both Lin Su and Chen Qing came from privileged backgrounds, but this was the first time they had ever boarded a private jet—let alone a luxurious private Boeing 767.
Due to their relatively special status, they weren't seated in the rear cabin like the other attendants but were instead placed in the middle cabin.
As for the front cabin, only Simon and Lady A had unrestricted access. Even the four private flight attendants trained by the Westeros family hadn't yet earned this privilege.
ABCD had initially been trained by Janet as flight attendants, but now the private flight attendants for the Westeros family would only ever serve in that capacity. The possibility of them becoming like ABCD was slim.
In this respect, the Westeros system increasingly resembled a country.
In the early stages of most nations, there were always various upward channels, but as the political structure solidified, these channels narrowed, leading to a rigid class structure.
Any ruler with foresight would not want to see such class rigidity, but when the vested interest groups become too large, it becomes impossible to manage.
The Westeros system was still in a phase of rapid expansion, but Simon
already frequently sensed a tendency toward class rigidity within the system.
Take Nokia and Cisco, for example. In the original history, Jorma Ollila and John Chambers led these companies to their peaks.
However, after the new century began, the long-term control these two individuals maintained over these giants, coupled with their unwillingness to relinquish power, greatly contributed to Nokia's eventual collapse and Cisco's repeated missed opportunities in industry transformations, leading to its gradual decline into mediocrity.
Fortunately, both companies were now part of the Westeros empire, and the system was not a country. This time, Simon would not let history repeat itself.
The Boeing 767 landed at Guilin Airport at 4:30 p.m.
Simon didn't linger in the city. A boat had already been prepared for him to depart from Guilin, travel upstream along the Li River, and spend the night in Yangshuo.
China's tourism industry had not yet fully developed, and the Li River was far from the bustling cruise ship destination it would later become. It was mid-autumn, and although the south didn't have the desolate chill of northern autumns, the air still carried a faint hint of coolness.
On a clean and tidy, though not luxurious, ten-meter-long white yacht, Simon sat by the window on the second deck, his mood unaffected by the weather as he savored the untouched, breathtaking scenery along the riverbanks.
A low table sat beside him.
Lin Su was demonstrating a tea ceremony for Simon, with Chen Qing seated on the other side. Lady A had been discreetly positioned across from Simon, the farthest from him.
Alison, captivated by the scenery along the Li River, didn't notice these subtle details. Within ten minutes of departure, she had already changed several rolls of film in her camera.
Despite having traveled to many places with Simon over the years, this was the first time Lady A had experienced such a breathtakingly beautiful natural landscape.
After brewing a pot of tea, Lin Su poured a cup and handed it to Simon, softly saying, "Mr. Westeros, please try it."
Since meeting again that afternoon, Simon had noticed that Lin Su had switched from the more casual "you" to the more formal "您" in addressing him. Chen Qing, who had been assigned to assist Lady A, was also noticeably more attentive and warm toward him.
Finding it amusing, Simon didn't bother correcting this shift. He accepted the tea Lin Su offered, took a sip, and nodded, "Very good."
Lin Su refilled Simon's cup after he finished and asked, "What do you think of Guilin, Mr. Westeros?"
Simon smiled, "I'll definitely come back."
"In that case, I hope I can guide you again next time."
"I look forward to it as well."
Lin Su paused for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Westeros, since you came here from Japan, how do you compare Japan and China?"
Simon glanced at her, "It depends on what we're comparing."
Lin Su thought for a moment and said, "Culture."
Simon shook his head and said, "Japanese culture is just an offshoot of Chinese culture. There's no comparison."
At that moment, Chen Qing chimed in, "Mr. Westeros, it seems you hold Chinese culture in high regard."
Ignoring Lin Su's slight frown at Chen Qing's interruption, Simon replied in a gentle tone, "Indeed. China's literature, painting, opera, and so on have, in my view, reached a certain pinnacle. What's even more remarkable is the uninterrupted transmission of this culture over thousands of years, something unmatched by other ancient civilizations."
"Oh, thank you for your compliment, Mr. Westeros."
Simon glanced at the girl with the oval face beside him, smiling as he added, "The people are beautiful too."
Chen Qing immediately blushed and subtly returned a glance to Simon, her eyes curving into a shy smile. "Thank you."
The two women were quite different in appearance. Lin Su, with her heart-shaped face, appeared mature and intellectual, exuding the soft and graceful demeanor typical of Jiangnan women. Chen Qing, with her delicate oval face, almond-shaped eyes, and dimples when she smiled, bore a resemblance to a mainland actress Simon vaguely remembered, also named "Qing."
Simon didn't find this too coincidental.
While ugliness comes in many forms, beauty tends to adhere to certain standards. For example, at China's most famous film academy, the girls selected for the acting department each year often look remarkably similar in group photos.
Lin Su, observing the subtle interaction between the two, became even more displeased with the girl who had ulterior motives.
On the surface, Chen Qing was sweet and agreeable, but Lin Su found her lacking in private.
Earlier that day, Lin Su had been called in by her superiors and received a scolding for being too casual in front of Simon Westeros. While this might help build rapport, it could also come off as disrespectful.
This was not what her superiors wanted to see.
Although she led a team, the only person who had witnessed her interactions with Simon was the girl across from her.
What had happened was clear.
Afterward, her superiors specifically instructed her to give Chen Qing more opportunities to interact with Simon Westeros, emphasizing that the national interest must come first and there should be no personal agendas.
Lin Su felt both wronged and helpless.
What personal agenda could she possibly have?
Given the situation, even if she did, it was clearly not hers to have.
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