Wanyi arrived at the museum at 9:30 in the morning.
Since she had just started her internship, she didn’t want to risk arriving right on time—or worse, late.
Perhaps it was still a bit early, because the place was almost empty.
She placed her backpack on her desk, put on her ID badge, and headed straight to her assigned exhibition area.
For Andrew’s exhibition, part of the setup was handled by the artist himself, while the rest was completed with the help of the museum staff.
In addition, Song Wanyi needed to collect materials during the process—photos and clips that could later be passed to the publicity team for video editing.
She walked to a corner, put on rubber gloves, and began unpacking the exhibits.
One by one, she carefully took each item out and checked it against the inventory list.
If any piece showed signs of damage, it had to be photographed immediately.
Once everything was verified, she labeled each item accordingly.
As she bent over the list, her teammate Xiaoyou joined in to help.
The walls had already been prepared a few days earlier.
Now that the pieces were unpacked, the next step was to hang them according to the organizer’s requirements.
After confirming the final layout together, they directed the workers to bring in leveling tools and ladders.
Each painting’s position and order had to align with the artist’s theme and narrative flow.
Even the direction and spacing needed constant adjustment.
Arranging an exhibition wasn’t just physical labor—it was also a process of understanding the art itself.
Though the air conditioning was on, by the time they were done, Wanyi was drenched in sweat.
“Wanyi, time to eat!” Xiaoyou called out.
Wanyi paused, setting down the brush she had been using to dust off the exhibits.
“Coming!” she replied, pulling off her gloves and wiping her forehead.
She picked up her staff meal—only to realize that today’s food was noticeably better than usual.
“Today’s menu looks great,” she commented casually, taking a bite of ribs.
“I heard the big boss upgraded the meal standard to treat everyone,” Xiaoyou said.
“Wow, the capitalist finally decided to spend a little,” Wanyi joked with a grin.
“Exactly. You never even see him normally—he only shows up for major events. And now he’s suddenly concerned about staff meals?”
Wanyi didn’t think much of it. She quickly finished lunch and threw herself back into work.
After five days of intense, efficient preparation—
The exhibition was finally complete.
This time, the show would run for three days and was invitation-only, not open to the general public.
….
Opening Day
All staff gathered at the venue at 8 a.m.
Everyone was already busy making final preparations.
The curator, Anna, repeatedly emphasized key points in the work group chat.
It was clear that a lot of effort had gone into this event—and the standards were exceptionally high.
After all, this was the first day, when all the important guests—including Andrew himself—would be present.
By 9 a.m., guests had already begun arriving with invitations in hand.
Wanyi was stationed at the entrance, helping guide guests and assist with reception.
The parking lot outside was filled with luxury cars and business vehicles.
It was obvious the attendees were wealthy—after all, it wasn’t uncommon for people to purchase artworks on the spot at such exhibitions.
At 9:30, a message came through the walkie-talkie: an important guest was about to arrive.
Everyone straightened up, eyes fixed on the entrance, afraid of making even the slightest mistake.
Soon, two black Maybachs pulled up one after the other at the main entrance.
From the first car, a man in a navy double-breasted suit stepped out.
His tall, lean frame was perfectly complemented by the tailored British-style suit, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His toned arms subtly showed through the fabric, giving him a powerful presence.
After stepping out, he fastened his jacket and walked toward the car behind him.
From the second car, a man with flaxen hair and a full beard stepped out.
Smiling, he approached the man in the navy suit.
The moment she saw him, Wanyi recognized Shen Yuxun.
And the foreign-looking artist must be Andrew.
“Hello, Andrew,” Shen Yuxun greeted him in fluent British English, his pronunciation smooth and refined.
Something about his accent made him seem even more gentlemanly.
“Hi, William,” Andrew replied, stepping forward to hug him.
Curator Anna quickly approached and guided them inside, while security cleared a direct path for them.
Wanyi watched as they walked in, chatting and smiling.
“Oh my god, the big boss is so handsome,” Xiaoyou whispered excitedly beside her.
“Mm,” Wanyi agreed. She had already noticed his striking presence the first time she met him.
“And his English sounds amazing,” Xiaoyou continued, clearly smitten.
“Focus on work,” Wanyi reminded her.
As it neared 10 a.m., more guests poured in, and the opening ceremony approached.
Soon, everyone gathered in the central hall.
Andrew, Shen Yuxun, and several cultural department leaders stood in the front row.
Anna stepped onto the stage to give her speech.
“Hello everyone, I’m Anna, curator of Yunshang. On behalf of the organizers, I’d like to warmly welcome all our guests. A special welcome to Mr. Andrew, who has traveled all the way from the UK. This is also his first exhibition in China. Let us wish this exhibition great success.”
The audience responded with enthusiastic applause.
Andrew then took the microphone and spoke briefly.
“Thank you all for the warm welcome, and special thanks to William for the invitation. We’ve known each other for five years, and he has always been dedicated to promoting cultural exchange between China and Europe. Thanks to him, I’ve had the opportunity to hold my first exhibition here in this great country. I hope everyone enjoys a fresh and inspiring experience.”
After the speeches concluded,
The exhibition officially began.
Guests were free to explore.
Wanyi, meanwhile, needed to return backstage to prepare for guided tours.
Since she lacked experience, her sessions were scheduled for the following days—
After all, the first day was reserved for the most important guests.
“Wanyi, Wanyi.” The curator’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.
“Got it,” Wanyi replied immediately.
“Head to Area C right now and take over the guided tour. Mengmeng lost her voice—you’ll have to fill in,” Anna said urgently.
After days of nonstop overtime, Mengmeng had suddenly fallen ill. With no better option at the moment, the curator had no choice but to send Wanyi in.
Based on her usual performance, she was reliable and conscientious—someone who could be trusted to handle the responsibility.
Wanyi hurried toward Area C.
All staff were required to wear formal attire today. Since she didn’t own anything suitable, she had borrowed a white blouse and a black knee-length skirt from a colleague.
The outfit accentuated her long, straight legs, and paired with black heels, she naturally drew attention.
Her hair was tied up neatly, with a few loose strands softening her features. A light touch of makeup made her look more composed and confident.
“Everyone, this is my assistant, Song Wanyi. She’ll be leading the tour for this section,” Anna introduced her.
Shen Yuxun and Andrew had been chatting casually, but when Wanyi approached, the group fell quiet.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Song Wanyi. If you have any questions during the tour, please feel free to ask,” she said with a polite smile, hands clasped lightly in front of her as she smoothly slipped into professional mode.
Luckily, she had already memorized the script the day before.
Standing among the crowd, Shen Yuxun was—as always—impossible to overlook. At this moment, he was watching her intently, a hint of curiosity in his gaze.
“Please follow me,” Wanyi said, steadying herself as she guided them forward. She gestured toward the first painting.
“At first glance, this appears to depict a mythological story. However, the figure here isn’t just an ordinary bull. It represents Zeus, the king of the gods. He transformed himself into a bull because he had fallen in love with Europa, a mortal woman. As we know, Europa was a Phoenician princess in Greek mythology. Zeus carried her away to another continent, which was later named after her—Europa, what we now know as Europe.”
Her posture was poised, her explanation clear and confident—even Anna looked at her with newfound admiration.
Shen Yuxun studied her quietly.
Perhaps because of the occasion, she wore light makeup today, making her look slightly different from her usual bare-faced self.
It was as if she had found her place here—
Radiant, self-assured, and quietly shining.
This was where she belonged.
Not worn down by the hardships of life.
Her talent and resilience deserved to be seen—and treasured.
….
After an hour-long tour, Wanyi felt a bit exhausted.
She bid everyone goodbye and returned to the break room.
It was empty—everyone else was still busy.
She slipped off her heels, which didn’t quite fit since they were borrowed. The back of her heel was slightly chafed.
But compared to the small physical discomfort, the sense of accomplishment she felt mattered far more.
At least hard work brought results—unlike some things in life, where no matter how much effort you put in, it made no difference.
She lightly massaged her sore calves and leaned back in her chair.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
“Come down. Basement parking.” It was a message from Shen Yuxun.
Unsure of his intention but not daring to ignore him, she put her shoes back on and headed to B2.
As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, a Maybach flashed its headlights at her.
Uncle Chen got out of the car, opened the rear door for her, and stepped aside.
Wanyi climbed in.
Shen Yuxun sat calmly in the back, his expensive suit catching a faint sheen under the light. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and was reading a document under the soft glow of a reading lamp.
When he saw her enter, he picked up a bag beside him and handed it to her.
Confused, she opened it.
Inside was a box of bandages and a spray for bruises and circulation.
“This is…” she hesitated, surprised. How did he know?
“I noticed the way you were walking. Figured your shoes didn’t fit,” he said, turning to look at her, his deep gaze steady.
“Thank you,” she said softly. He was always so attentive—so thoughtful—that she found it impossible to refuse him.
“If you’re tired, you can ask Anna for leave,” he added. “If it’s difficult for you to say, I can speak to her.”
“No, it’s okay. Everyone’s working hard for this exhibition. I shouldn’t be the one to step away,” she replied. It was her sense of responsibility—her loyalty to the team.
“Alright.” Shen Yuxun lowered his gaze with a faint smile.
“Mr. Shen, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back upstairs,” Wanyi said. She didn’t want to delay her work—and besides, she didn’t really know what else to say to him.
After saying goodbye, she returned to the exhibition hall.
….
Shen Yuxun still had an important departmental meeting that afternoon. He needed to return to the company headquarters by noon.
Attending Andrew’s exhibition had been necessary—so his schedule had to be tightly compressed.
When he arrived at Wanzhen Group headquarters, he took a private elevator straight to the 32nd floor.
In the conference room, department managers were already waiting for the man in charge.
As footsteps approached, Shen Yuxun entered with his executive team and took his seat.
“Please report on the progress of the East City cultural tourism project,” he said, tapping the table lightly to signal the start.
“Mr. Shen… we don’t yet know our main competitor Yuncheng’s bidding price, so we haven’t finalized our strategy,” said Manager Huang from the investment department, wiping sweat from his forehead. His bald head gleamed under the lights.
This project had stalled mainly because of the investment team, and he was scrambling to explain.
“Their bidding price?” Shen Yuxun’s low voice carried unmistakable authority.
“Yes…” Manager Huang lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.
“Then your team meeting privately with their project manager—was that for… building friendships?” Shen Yuxun’s tone sharpened, each word striking directly at the point.
“I—I’ll investigate immediately, Mr. Shen,” Huang stammered, his head dropping even lower.
“I’ve repeatedly emphasized strengthening team discipline. Are you spending the budget on yourselves instead? Now even this kind of issue has reached my ears.” His voice remained calm—but no one in the room dared to speak.
The atmosphere grew heavy with tension.
“You don’t need to know their bidding price,” Shen Yuxun said, leaning back. “You don’t even understand what they actually want. Is your competitive analysis just for show?”
He scanned the room, one hand resting casually on the leather chair, his black watch visible at his wrist.
“All you need to do is leak word to Yuncheng—if we win the project, we’ll let their consulting firm handle cost management. They won’t compete for the land after that.”
In recent years, Yuncheng has been declining rapidly. After failing to transform its business, it had fallen back on real estate and was barely holding on. Faced with a guaranteed profit opportunity, they wouldn’t risk taking on such a massive project.
“Yes, Mr. Shen. I’ll act on it immediately,” Manager Huang responded.
“As for the collusion—submit a detailed report to the executive office by 3 p.m. tomorrow. Your time is limited, Manager Huang.”
With that, Shen Yuxun stood up and left the room.
“Meeting adjourned.”
Everyone finally let out a breath of relief.
Despite his young age, Shen Yuxun was known for his decisiveness and efficiency—very much like Shen Wenliang.
Especially with his emphasis on a light-asset strategy, which allowed the company to thrive even in a struggling market. Under his leadership, the group had risen to become one of the top players in the country’s commercial real estate sector.