Xin Qing hid in a remote corner and looked at Ailey, who was looking for her excitedly.
She didn"t know that there was a masquerade in the manor tonight, or she would have hidden in the room. Ailey came across her and insisted that she should wear a high-open cheongsam and pretend to be a seductive maidservant. Xin Qing couldn"t bear her anymore and she sneaked away when she was observing a handsome guy.
While she was drinking juice, the crowd became noisy. Everyone grew very excited. Before she had time to hide a little further, a beam of light was shooting on her. All the eyes turned to her.
Xin Qing, like an illuminator, looked at the light on her body, totally lost. Before she could figure out what the situation was, the host on the stage rushed over.
"Beautiful Chinese doll!" He bowed politely and said, "You are our Lucky Star tonight, congratulations!"
Xin Qing quickly waved her hand and said, "I think you misunderstood. I did not attend the ball at all."
"Lucky Star can get a chance to visit the secret room. Are you going now or after the dance?"
Xin Qing wanted to refuse but her words stuck in the mouth. A secret room? The place where treasures are said to be kept?
"I will go now!" She answered without hesitation.
Ailey rushed through and clutched her hand in a scream. Xin Qing moved her eyebrows and did not speak. She followed the host all the way through the gallery full of design works. They stopped in front of a huge frame with an abstract painting. A strange parrot was staring at her. The host gently tapped on the corner of the parrot"s beak for three times, and then poked the eyes with his two fingers. Following a squeak, the painting was split into two, revealing a long ladder.
"Chinese doll, please come with me!" The host gestured her politely.
Xin Qing followed him slowly down the steps and saw a golden door at the bottom. Hand on the doork.n.o.b, the host smiled at her and said, "You can go in and visit by yourself. You have half an hour. When you leave, you can take away one piece of work!"
Xin Qing was surprised and happy. She could even choose one to take away! She nodded and was about to say thank you, when the host reached out to her and said, "You can"t take pictures inside. Please give me the camera. I will return it to the lady just now!"
"Sorry!" Xin Qing smiled and handed him the small camera in her hand. Ailey ran over and put it in her hand just now.
The host gave her a smile, "It doesn"t matter, I wish you a happy evening!" Then he opened the door.
Xin Qing seemed to have entered a bizarre world. In a room of nearly 300 square meters, strange pieces were everywhere, and paintings on the wall varied greatly. Xin Qing saw a crayon drawing, which was totally blue. But a strange thing happened as she walked closer. The color gradually changed. At last, it became the same pink as her clothes. Xin Qing carefully picked up the black vase on the side table and put it in front of the painting. The painting quickly turned black.
"Oh! It"s like a chameleon." She walked slowly around the house and admired the designers for their wisdom. Half an hour later, she heard the host knocking the door.
"Chinese doll! I am sorry to disturb you, but time is up." Xin Qing picked up a painting quickly and opened the door. "Thank you, I have finished my visit." She raised the picture in her hand and asked, "Can I take this one?"
"Of course!" The host looked at the work she had chosen. It was a painting of a baby. The baby crawled on an eggsh.e.l.l with a pair of white wings on the back. Those black eyes were staring at the world ignorantly.
"It seems that you like children very much!" The host gestured and led her away.
Xin Qing did not return to the ball but went back to her room directly. The next day, she got up early and was about to leave. But downstairs, she saw Meyer and his sister standing there and waving to her, fully packed.
"See! I said that she must take the early train!" Ailey waved at Xin Qing, and Meyer shrugged at her helplessly. He knew that this Chinese girl didn"t want to have more contact with them, but Ailey didn"t know when she should back down.
"You are also so early?" Since there was no way to escape, Xin Qing could only greet them.
Ailey grabbed her arm and asked while shaking it, "Xin Qing, you also got a piece of work yesterday, right? What did you take?"
"Ailey!" Meyer looked at his sister with disapproving eyes. "Do not pry into other"s privacy."
Ailey pouted, "I just ask! Besides, are we not friends with Xin Qing?"
"Hehe..." Xin Qing pretended to laugh. I was not familiar with you at all. But she still said, "Nothing, just a picture." The she broke free of Ailey"s hands and stepped back a little. "I have to go, or I"ll miss my train."
Ailey nodded hurriedly and dragged Meyer along, "Right, right, let"s go. We"ll talk about it on the train!"
Xin Qing touched her forehead helplessly. There was no need to ask. Another journey for three.
When they arrived, Xin Qing declined Ailey"s invitation to their house. But Ailey suggested going to Xin Qing"s place. Xin Qing had to say that she was still looking for a house. As a result, Ailey invited Xin Qing to live in their house. In the end, Meyer took her away. But when she left, she gave Xin Qing her phone number and told her that she could contact them.
When she was finally at home, Xin Qing let out a sigh of relief and threw herself into the sofa. She didn"t know why she acted so indifferent toward Ailey. After all, she had always been very amicable. Xin Qing reviewed her behavior for a while, and fell asleep. When she woke up, it was getting dark. She quickly got up, picked up her purse and went to the nearby supermarket. She had to buy some vegetables and food, so she could lock herself at home and study for a few days. She heard there would be a placement test when the school started, and she didn"t want to be the last one.
Before going to bed at night, she took out the painting with the little baby angel and examined it for a long time. Finally, she decided to hang it above the fireplace in the living room on the first floor. She could see it as soon as she came in. Then she began to study the history of CK and their design philosophy. Zhang Mi and Qianqian phoned her twice, and Chen Ming once. Young Master Shen called her the most. He basically called in every three days. He didn"t care whether she wanted to listen or not, and began to talk about Ying Qingcang. He almost reported Ying Qingcang"s every move to Xin Qing.
Soon, it was March. The CK School started today. Xin Qing dressed up carefully, wearing a long skirt with ethnic characteristics and a small jacket in the style of a Tang suit. She put her hair up with a fox-shaped mahogany hairpin.
She stared at herself in the mirror with satisfaction, and walked to school, wearing a smile. No matter what, she couldn"t bring shame to the Chinese people!
CK school was a huge piece of art, and all the buildings inside were full of design. Besides jewelry design, CK was also engaged in everything related to creativity, including architecture, clothing, etc.
The building where the new students were enrolled was like a transparent box. There was not a single wall for the huge tall building, which was built completely with gla.s.s. When she finished all the procedures, Xin Qing went to the jewelry design area. She didn"t need to ask for directions, since the building was too obvious.
On the left side of the campus, there was a giant gleaming diamond, which was three-story-high. She could tell from her instinct that it must be her cla.s.sroom.
"Xin Qing?" She was enjoying the graffiti on the ground and kept walking with her head down.
"Xin Qing!" The voice came again. Xin Qing heard it very clearly. It was really someone calling her. She looked back and saw a young man smiling at her beside a strangely shaped bench.
"Mey... Meyer?"
Meyer walked up to her with a few strides and said, "What a coincidence! Are you studying here, too?"
"Yes... Yes! You too?" Xin Qing couldn"t accept it for a while. She thought that no one knew her in this place. But as it turned out, there was someone knew her.
Meyer smiled and said, "I"m a soph.o.m.ore."
"I really didn"t see that you study design!" Xin Qing shook her head. Meyer was always wearing jeans and a T-shirt. She thought he was an ordinary college student.
Meyer looked at his clothes, and suddenly realized, adding, "It"s still on vacation. Tomorrow, when the cla.s.s begin, you will see another me!" He glanced at the diamond building not far behind Xin Qing and understood, "You study jewelry design?"
"Yes!" It was much easier for Xin Qing to face Meyer than Ailey, and she didn"t know why.
Meyer said in admiration, "The first time I met you, I thought you have a very good temperament and should be doing something with art. I didn"t expect it to be true. You are even my cla.s.smate!"
"Hehe, I have to check the cla.s.sroom first. Let"s talk later." Xin Qing was eager to see the place she would live in for the next year.
Meyer nodded. "Okay, let"s have dinner together at noon. I can introduce the school to you."
"All right! See you later."
When Xin Qing entered the cla.s.sroom, there were already five or six students in there. She walked silently to the middle and sat down. Soon, more students came in. At last, there came a middle-aged man in slippers, wearing a large flower vest and shorts.
He introduced himself as their main teacher while chewing the gum, and encouraged students to solve their own problems and don"t bother him. Then he left a schedule to them and walked away, still rubbing his head. Xin Qing had never seen such a teacher. She was really surprised. She copied the cla.s.s schedule and was about to leave when several students came around her.
"Hey! Are you a Chinese doll?" A young man with a head of plaits grinned at her.
"Yes, I am a Chinese." Xin Qing answered politely.
A brown-haired s.e.xy beauty with most of her chest revealed examined her all over and said, "Why do Chinese people come to CK? You have the lowest score every time. You are even not qualified for entering CK."