Chapter 203 London

Song Ni returned to the Song family for two days to appease her parents, then flew directly to England. Song Jing originally wanted to scold her, but Song Ni immediately brought up Tang Tang. The lecture he was about to give turned into a series of instructions. “Your sister-in-law’s skin is quite sensitive; please take this cream for me.” “Don’t take her with you to eat whatever you want; her stomach is not good.” “Come back immediately after the show. You’ve been to London so many times; there’s no need to explore further.” Song Ni: ... Perhaps it was Song Ni’s speechless expression that made Song Jing pause. He then raised his hand and rubbed her head. “You can go see Big Ben if you want.” Song Ni snorted, remembering how she insisted on going to Big Ben every time she visited London, so it wasn’t too much to ask. Song Jing sighed, feeling a little wronged. “Your sister-in-law hasn’t been home for half a year.” Song Ni: ... “Stop pretending.” Song Jing grinned and said no more, just handing Song Ni another card. Song Ni raised an eyebrow, took it, and her attitude immediately changed. “I’ll come back immediately after the show.” Song Jing: ... Hmph, did he not understand his own sister? If he wanted her to do something, he had to offer some benefit. ... Song Ni was scheduled to arrive in London a day earlier than Tang Tang. Vivian specially went to the airport to pick her up. “Krist, I’m so glad you could come to my show. Bartley has been subtly asking me for your flight information these days.” Song Ni blinked. “But he won’t even talk to me.” Vivian huffed. “That old man is putting on airs. He’s actually not angry anymore.” Song Ni didn’t understand Bartley as well as Vivian did, and hearing her words, a weight lifted from her heart. She rarely felt insecure, but ultimately, it was the regret of her youthful impetuosity. When she finally regretted it, she realized she wasn’t as confident as she thought. She also hadn’t had the chance to immerse herself in creation for a long time. Song Ni didn’t hold back and frankly stated her current situation. “Vivian, I’m not sure of my level right now.” Vivian hugged Song Ni’s waist. “I believe in you, you are very… ” Vivian blinked, thought for a moment, and finally remembered a Chinese word she had recently learned. “Awesome, Krist, am I saying that correctly?” Song Ni: ... “Where did you learn that?” Vivian tilted her head, frowning. “Is it not right? A Chinese man I met taught me the other day.” Song Ni’s mouth twitched. “That Chinese man is very… awesome.” So this was how Chinese culture was transmitted. Indeed, the “national essence” was the most effective everywhere. Vivian naively believed Song Ni’s words, leading to the frequent use of the word in their conversations. Every time Song Ni heard Vivian say the word with immense pride and certainty, she felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. When she met Bartley again, Song Ni no longer had the youthful arrogance of the past. She respectfully called him “Teacher.” Bartley was not satisfied with her attitude. “Krist, it’s only been two years, why aren’t you as brave as before?” Song Ni’s eyebrows twitched. Brave? Perhaps audacious. Back then, her ambitions were sky-high, and she had completely disregarded Bartley. Her attitude towards him was naturally somewhat abrupt. Now, hearing his words, Song Ni had a rough idea. Bartley likely enjoyed her personality. “Teacher, you don’t know, but there’s an old Chinese saying: ‘One day as a teacher, forever as a father.’ We must respect our teachers.” Bartley didn’t understand the meaning of “One day as a teacher, forever as a father” and frowned in displeasure. “Then why weren’t you like this when you first met me?” “I didn’t call you Teacher then, either.” Bartley: ... Krist hadn’t changed at all. “Now that you’re willing to call me that, are you willing to come here to study?” A flash of surprise crossed Song Ni’s eyes. “You’re willing to take me?” Upon hearing this, Bartley glared at her. “I heard you’re married. Can your honey tolerate this?” Song Ni was fortunate to have good English skills; otherwise, with Bartley’s way of speaking, she wouldn’t understand what he was saying. “I haven’t told him about this yet.” ... Bartley’s attitude was unexpected for Song Ni. She thought she would have to put in some effort to persuade him to take her as a disciple. Vivian, while preparing for the show, ran over to complain to Song Ni. “Krist, this old man has been on my case for the past two years, and nothing I do is right. After you arrive, you must stand on my side.” Song Ni raised an eyebrow. “To get scolded together?” Vivian smiled and patted Song Ni’s arm. “No, Bartley has missed you for two years, he definitely won’t bear to scold you.” Missed her… Song Ni’s lips twitched a few times. She really wanted to correct Vivian’s choice of words. Song Ni had rarely attended international shows as Miss Song in recent years. Tang Tang was a jewelry designer and had a place in the fashion industry. Most of the time, she attended as Tang Tang’s family member. Especially for Vivian’s show, it was different from usual; there weren’t many extraneous people, and only those with closer relationships were invited. Seeing Vivian’s care for Song Ni, other ladies curiously asked who Song Ni was. Vivian simply smiled and said Song Ni was her good friend, not mentioning that Song Ni was about to become Bartley’s student. However, some were observant. “Then why is she chatting so happily with Bartley?” Bartley held high prestige among these wealthy young ladies. They even had to try hard to please Bartley to wear his designs. Apart from Vivian, Bartley’s student, they had rarely seen him so close to a young woman. Most importantly, this young woman appeared elegant and distinguished, likely a daughter of some prominent family. Vivian knew their intentions and smiled at them. “Don’t worry, even if Bartley designs clothes specifically for her, she might not accept them.” Other ladies: ?????? She wouldn’t even wear Bartley’s clothes? Who was this woman? Through Vivian’s subtle maneuvering, the other ladies became even more curious about Song Ni’s identity. Fortunately, Song Ni always maintained a cool and distant demeanor in public, so the other ladies dared not approach her rashly, fearing they might offend someone important by accident. Vivian originally wanted Song Ni to stay at her apartment, but Song Ni refused. If her brother found out she let her sister-in-law stay alone in a hotel, he would tear her apart. Back at the hotel, Song Ni washed up and lay on the bed, picking up her phone and looking at it idly, not really focusing on anything. Because she was tired, nothing registered. When she came back to her senses, she found her phone screen displaying flight information from the UK to the US. Song Ni stared at it for a long time but ultimately did not click on it. Cheng Ling had already returned to China. She hadn’t called to ask for fear of hearing something she shouldn’t. Song Ni stared blankly at her phone, silently making a decision. By the time she finished her business in the UK and returned home, it would be about time. Lu Fang had mentioned that Tan Zheng went to Yan City every year around the New Year. And now he was still in America. Yan City… She would go there on his behalf.