Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

One moment Lacey was in the Victorian house of a lady named Zola, and the next she was in her college dorm room. She blinked, bewildered, trying to make sense of what was in front of her.There are two beds in this dormitory, the clean and tidy one is hers, and the sheets on the bed have been used since she was a freshman.The other bed belonged to her roommate, and the coverlet looked as if it had never been washed. The first thought that crossed Lacey's mind was that she had to get Becca to make her bed and clear her desk and— Then she suddenly realized a fact.Although the brain figured it out, it was unacceptable psychologically.She takes a step back.That's when she noticed a change in her body.She was at least seven to eight kilograms thinner than she was ten minutes ago.

Her mind cleared.Although she still couldn't believe it, everything in front of her eyes seemed so real. "Mirror." She said aloud, trying to recall all the things in college.Where is it hanging—ah, yes, behind the wardrobe door. Opening the closet door, the twenty-year-old she rushed into view. An Lacy, who was staring back at her in the mirror, was someone she hadn't seen in a long, long time.What is presented in this beautiful mirror is not only the eternal and beautiful body.No, Lacey still remembered that body.Every morning when she wakes up, she thinks about the beautiful body she once had - and misses it.She misses the days when she could bend, stretch, and spin with ease and grace.

The body of the man in the mirror was not the cause of her astonishment.Much to her shock was the hopeful look on the young girl's face. "When did I lose that?" she asked aloud. "When did I change?" Lacie, who looked back at her, had a pair of bright green eyes full of smiles.This is a girl full of confidence, convinced that she is going to conquer the world. This girl would not have imagined that she would end up as a housewife busy with community service; this girl would not have worried that her husband would leave her for a woman half her age. Lacey put her head close to the mirror, turned left and right, and looked at her face from various angles.No fine lines, just smooth, radiant skin.Twenty years of playing tennis in the sun and swimming with my children at the club, all the damage to my skin has disappeared.Maybe this time she will know how to put on more sunscreen lotion.

"And this girl is not afraid of anyone." She looked at the person in the mirror and said.The thought shocked her, too.Since when did she get scared?Was it when she realized she couldn't achieve a great dance career after all?Or when she confessed her failure and fled back to her hometown to beg for mercy from Aaron?What changed the girl's original bright eyes? When the phone rang, Lacie jumped, looking around to see who would answer.Then she remembered that it was her phone and she was supposed to answer it. "Hello?" she responded tentatively. "Lacy? Is that you?"

It's Aaron. "Yeah." She forced out a monotone.She had spent her whole life with him, so now she had a strong urge to tell him about her experience.But she finally held back.Could she tell him how she left him for New York ten days before the wedding, and twenty years later he was messing with Bambi? "You have a strange tone. Are you sick?" Has he always been this flat and boring?Where did all the romantic talk go? "I'm not sick." She said softly, clutching the microphone tightly.She tried to recall what Aaron had been like in the year before he graduated from college.

"Anyway, you don't sound right," he said, exasperated. "I'm just calling to tell you that I'll pick you up at eight tomorrow morning and we'll drive home together." Lacey knew that Aaron's car would break down on the way to her school, and that his whole spring break would be spent looking for parts to fix it.It turned out that she was alone at school that week. "Are you listening?" he asked, almost angry this time. "Well, I'm listening," Lacey said. "I was just thinking I'd love to see you. What do you think we'll do together next Monday?"

"Together? Are you kidding me? Didn't your mother and my mother count every minute of our time? We have to prepare for the wedding. You know what they want better than I do." At thirty-nine now, I know what they're busy with is a waste of time, she thought.What happens after the wedding matters.Maybe if she and Aaron had spent more time together, had more conversations, Lacie might not have escaped to New York— "You're really weird," Aaron said. "Hopefully tomorrow will be all right. We've got a lot to do next week. My mother has some important people over to spend the weekend with us and I think we'll have to discuss where we're going to live when we're married."

Lacey was about to tell him they were going to buy the old Bayville house, but she shut it up.One thing is certain, Aaron hasn't changed.He was as domineering at twenty as he was at forty. There was a thick, cream-colored envelope on the table by the phone.Lacey clipped the microphone to her shoulder and opened the envelope with her hands.It was an invitation from Fang Haiwei V, inviting her and other guests to spend the spring break at his home.If she accepts, a car will pick her up tomorrow morning. Part of her wanted to tell Aaron that she had other offers, and then thought, why ruin the relationship?Why cause unnecessary harm?

"I'll be ready," Lacey said into the phone, as sweetly as possible. "But be sure to call me if you have any questions." "What do you mean by that?" Aaron demanded fiercely. "It's not interesting, I just thought-forget it, don't mention it. If you call and no one answers, then I must be in the dance class." "When were you not there?" he asked. Hearing what he said, Lacey hung up the phone.She'd blamed herself for getting away with it all these years, and now she remembered why she'd done it: He'd always been self-righteous.A man who is confident that he is right in everything.

But then the Aaron she married was no longer self-righteous.He's still domineering, and sometimes too much, but Aaron has learned to be humble. Lacey's eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the note board in front of the desk.Could it be that she changed him?Was it her avoidance of New York that made him change his wayward attitude? What an irony, she thought.Over the years of her marriage, she had blamed herself for her mean behavior, and now she saw that she might have done him good by ditching Aaron. "Yeah." She smiled and picked up the phone.If getting rid of him made him better, what would her weekends with other men do?

Thinking of this, she couldn't help laughing; then she dialed Fang's mansion and accepted Fang Haiwei's invitation. Five minutes after arriving, Lacey began to regret her decision.What is she doing?They housed her in a two-bedroom guest house with three other girls.They initially invited her to their events, and when Lacey declined, they began whispering criticism behind her back.Lacey hadn't been this young for a long time, and she had completely forgotten the open and secret struggles between girls. Lacey wanted to give them a hard time and tell them that they didn't have to fight each other to get the best guy, and that there were plenty of good men in the world. "Where are you from?" a girl asked Lacey. "Which one are you majoring in?" Her tone cannot be misunderstood: Lacey does not belong to the group of people who frequent the Fang Mansion. In terms of rewards, Lacey was also secretly wondering why she was invited.But just as she was avoiding the girls and their grilling, she understood what she would tell her daughter.Lacey was invited because of her dancer figure.Don't the sons of rich families fall in love with some "unsuitable" girl first, and then marry a well-known Shuyuan whose father is a big landlord? "I'm too old for this game," Lacey told herself, leaving the guest room. After she left the guest room, she began to wander around.When she saw a flat basket on the ground, a pair of women's gardening gloves and some tools, she picked them up and began pruning roses. "Are you bored now?" A voice asked from behind her. Lacey turned her head and saw an older woman standing on the path.She was wearing a dress that had been laundered many times and a sweater that looked like it was twenty years old.But Lacie would bet that the half-inch crystal hanging from the gold skull chain around her neck was a real diamond.This woman is the mistress of the place. "Sorry," Lacey said, handing out the wicker basket. "This must be yours, I have no intention of—" "It's okay," the woman said with a smile. "I'll just sit in the shade and let you get on with the pruning. Honestly, I don't like gardening. I do it because my doctor told me I had to get some exercise." "And gardening is a gentle exercise," Lacie said, laughing. "At least that's what men think. Personally, I've never found cow dung to be romantic." The old woman laughed loudly. "Me too. But they gave me this assignment, so I have to make it look like I did it." Her hint was so clear that Lacey smiled back, picked up the pruning shears and began picking off the withered roses. Mrs. Fang sat down on a small iron chair under a nearby oak tree. "Which one are you?" she asked. "No, wait a minute, you must be that dancer. No one can have your graceful posture without years of hard work." Lacey had to tilt her head to hide the blush on her face. It had been a long time since anyone had said that to her. "Do you know why your son invited me?" she asked.She didn't want to pretend she didn't know who this woman was. "I think the important question is, why would you take it?" Lacie didn't look back, but she could hear the suspicion in the woman's voice.No doubt she had seen a steady stream of girls trying to get close to her rich son. "To visit the Fang estate," Lacey said. "I've heard a lot of rumors about the garden here, and I'd like to confirm it for myself." She paused holding the flower shears. "Besides, I also want to avoid my boyfriend for a while to see if there are other men in the world besides him." "It's very clever of you to do that," Mrs. Fang said. "I had at least six people propose to me before my husband and I got married." "And I haven't even dated anyone but Aaron," Lacey said softly. "My God!" Mrs. Fang said. "At your age, you should--crap, my doctor's here, cut me the flowers, and step aside. Don't let him see you. Ah, great! You've got the whole nursery That's it, so he'll report to my husband that I followed instructions." Lacey smiled slightly, hunched her body and hid behind the flowerbed, using the cover of roses to circumvent the path and avoid it. She wandered around the Fang family's big garden for a long time, and when she returned to the guest room, the other three girls were about to leave for the big house to attend the first banquet. "Planning to make a big splash?" One of the girls squinted at Lacey's custom-made trousers and white cotton shirt, and asked sarcastically.There was dust on her cuffs, and needles stuck to her trousers. "No, I was just busy helping Hewi's mother with gardening, and I forgot the time." Lacey said sweetly, watching the girl's face almost turn purple.Everyone knows that the best way for a marriage to work out is through the boy's mother. Seeing the three girls rushing out, Lacey thought to herself, you are so shameless!But she wasn't actually ashamed that she had the upper hand in the war of words.On the contrary, she felt pretty good. She didn't want to go to those parties.She never liked a party, unless it was at her house and she was the hostess, and she knew she had to be there.She bathed and changed, however, because she was a guest after all, and Lacie had a certain opinion about what it means to be a guest. It was a very boring party, the guests were children, and their thoughts were either alcohol or sex.Lacey just felt too old.Her body may still be young, but her mind has already surpassed this stage.She left the banquet before nine o'clock and went back to the guest room, and at half past nine she had gone to bed, and was only awake for a short time when the other second-draft girl came back at three o'clock in the morning. The snoring of the other girls woke her up.Lacey looked at the clock. It was a few minutes past five.She got out of bed and went into the bathroom to comb her hair, make up and dress.But the face facing her in the mirror didn't need makeup. Lacey smiled and forgot even the comb, running her hands through the tighter strands of hair instead; then she went back to the bedroom and changed into jeans and a shirt.Uncombed hair at the age of forty is slightly "messy"; uncombed hair at the age of twenty can be regarded as "sexy". With dew on the grass, Fang's garden seemed even more beautiful in the morning.There were no roaring mowers or gardeners at work, as if Lacie was the only one in this creator's paradise. There was a trail she had seen yesterday but hadn't actually walked on because it looked like someone's private path.But this morning, since no one was around, she ventured up the gravel path, hoping secretly that the little stones would not make so much noise.At the end, separated by a few tree trunks, what she saw was the most beautiful scene she had ever seen.Perched deep in the shade, hung by vines is a summer house.It wasn't as big as her own house--the one she would later own--but it was more charming.Its sloping roof and mosaic walls give it the look of a fairy-tale midday. "Pretty, isn't it?" Somehow, when she turned around and saw Heiwei standing next to her, she wasn't surprised.How did she think she would not recognize him?She didn't want to admit it to Ellie and Maycho, but she'd been keeping an eye on his career progress over the years.She even subscribed to certain odd magazines, because they might have stories about Hewie. Now, looking at him, she knew that he would look better with age.At the age of twenty, he was a good-looking young man with brown hair and brown eyes. He had the most neat teeth that could be corrected with money.But Lacey knew that a little wrinkle, a few strands of white hair, coupled with a still stiff figure would make Haiwei turn all living beings upside down at the age of forty. "Indeed," she said. "Quiet and holy." He smiled, lines showing at the corners of his eyes. “That’s how my mother described it. She designed it and oversaw it the first year after she married my father. She said it kept her from going crazy.” Lacey laughed out loud. "Is your father that bad?" She had read two reports about Hai Wei, and knew his father's "Wei" name. "Worse than that. He's as strong as my mother's—" he cut off, as if he didn't know how to describe his mother. "Be strong," Lacey said. "I guess your mother is the foundation for your father to be so strong. People without a firm foundation cannot move the world." This is the insight she got after meeting Mrs. Fang.If her husband sent a doctor to supervise her, he wanted her to be in good health forever. He looked at her with surprise, even shock. "Yes, you're right. My mother was the toughest of the family, but not many people could see it. My father's personality was too—" "Hot?" "I just wanted to say it, too bluntly, but 'hot' is a good way to say it." She looked back at the summer house deep in the shade, and felt that his eyes were on her. "Why did you invite me?" she asked softly.This question has plagued her for twenty years. "Where did we meet and I don't remember?" "No," he said. "We haven't met formally, but I've been paying attention to you for three years. And—" he broke off, as Lacey turned her head just in time to give him a sharp look. She had to remind herself that this was 1980 and voyeurism was not yet a prosecuted crime, but she didn't like the way he said he'd been watching her. "Wow," Haiwei symbolically shielded his face with his hands in a defensive gesture. "I mean no harm. I'm a guy; guys like to see pretty girls, okay?" Lacey breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Sorry, but as a dancer, every now and then someone..." She waved her hand to replace the rest of her sentence. "I can imagine that with a body like yours, there will be freaks everywhere." Lacie knew she should say something modest, but it had been a long time since she had heard such admiration—and it had been a long time since she deserved it.Turning her head, her cheeks were already red to the root of her hair. "Why did you leave the dinner so early last night?" he asked. "I..." She didn't know how to explain. "I don't know anyone else. There were too many people and the noise was too loud?" He found an excuse for her. Lacey couldn't help laughing. "Exactly. You're very observant, eh?" "Not bad," he said, and she could tell he found her statement rather amusing.Obviously he has long been used to the endless flattery of girls. "Tell me, why did you invite me?" she asked again. "Stop saying it's about my body." "That would be difficult," he said. God!Lacey hadn't flirted with anyone in years.In fact, she never did that?Aaron is not the type to flirt. "Perhaps I should ask why you accepted the invitation," Highway said. "I heard that you are engaged and will get married as soon as you graduate." "His car broke down, and I'd have to spend my spring break alone without coming here. Besides, I'd love to see this place. Maybe I'll tell my kids that I visited Fang Mansion and met Fong Haiwei V, he is now the President of the United States." She just wanted Bo Jun to smile, but he didn't.Instead, he glared at her like she was a witch. "How do you know about my political intentions?" he asked softly. "Oh, I probably heard some rumors!" Lacey tried to hide. "There can be no such rumors," he said. "My whole family thought I was going to follow in the footsteps of my father and uncle and go into the banking world. The idea of ​​politics was just in my head and I never mentioned it to anyone." "Maybe you look like a politician," she said, smiling slightly. "In fact, I can easily picture your face flying on a campaign banner. I can even imagine you going to Congress and the media lauding you as a future presidential candidate." He didn't respond to her smile, but turned to look at his mother's summer house. "I think with you. But my family doesn't like my vision." "Not like their son wants to be President of the United States?" she asked skeptically. He turned his head to look at her for a moment, as if thinking about something. "Would you like to spend the day with me? I mean, just the two of us? We could grab a basket of food and sneak out to the lake to play." Lacie was horrified to find that the idea had attracted her so much.She knew that although her heart was forty years old, she was still wearing a twenty-year-old body, and the emotions surging in her body at this time were things she hadn't felt in many years.A lazy day on the lake with a good-looking man who thought she was young and pretty had its allure. He misunderstood her hesitation. "I promise I won't touch a hair on you," he said. "Then I will never go." She replied without thinking, and then both of them laughed. "Then I will refrain," he said, holding out his hand to her with bright eyes, and they were already running hand in hand to the back of the house, but he stopped just before the door. "If you went in with me and we came out with food, it would have spread thousands of miles in a matter of seconds," he said. "What to do is up to you." Lacey looked at him, secretly admiring his thoughtfulness.He knew she was engaged, and now he gave her the opportunity to keep it a secret.How many boys his age would think of such a thing? "You'll be a good president," she said, and she opened the kitchen door and walked in.Just let Aaron hear the wind.Just let Aaron feel what Lacey had felt over the past few months hearing about his assistant Bambi. In the kitchen a cook and two helpers were busy preparing breakfast.From Haiwei's movements of slipping in and out, it can be seen that he is very familiar with the operation of the kitchen.He knows where to put picnic baskets and where the best food is.Lacey watched two helpers put food into Hewig's basket without waiting for him to ask.Fifteen minutes later, he opened the door, and with the food basket in hand, they left the kitchen together. "You do that often?" she teased him. "Never with girls," he said. "If that's what you mean. I do, however, take food from time to time to avoid other people for a whole day." "I thought a young man like you would like parties and girls, and... well, at least parties and girls." They walked quickly, but he still gave her a suspicious look. "A young man like me," he said, chewing the words slowly. "What do you mean by that? Aren't you 'young' like me? But you slipped away from a great party last night." He paused and smiled. "At least they told me it was a great party." "You didn't go?" She asked with wide eyes. "I hate the occasion." "But if you want to go into politics, there must be many banquets that you can't avoid in the future." "I suppose those parties have their purpose, and there's plenty to do when you're not at them, aren't you?" "Indeed," she said, smiling slightly. "So how will your guests feel when they find out that their host and a dancing girl have slipped away? And more importantly, how will your family feel?" "They'll think I'm lucky," Highway said. "As for the others, they can call themselves. Those girls are here for my father's money." "Oh." Lacey said. "What do you mean by oh?" She decided to be honest. "I thought you didn't know that." "How could I be wrong? You won't believe how many times I've had 'accidental' encounters with girls. If there's another guy pretending to drown in a pool, I'm going to—" "Did they have any clothes on when they drowned?" Lacey asked. "Two are wearing clothes, one is not." Haiwei said; they both laughed at the same time. They followed a path to a small stream, and a green canoe was tied to a plank pier. "This creek will meet a river about half a mile ahead," Haiwei said, putting the food basket into the canoe. "Now is your last chance to quit." "Missed opportunity to disappoint those girls? No, kindly. Do you know how to operate this thing?" Haiwei smiled slightly. "I understand. Are you sure you want to spend the day with me?" he asked again, as Lacey was about to step into the canoe. She looked him straight in the eye.His eyes were soft, but she could see the hard foundation beneath the softness. "You look a lot like your mother, huh?" she asked softly. "Indeed." He replied simply. "Her natal family is not as glamorous and coppery as my father's side. But my mother's relatives know what they want, and once they set a goal, they will go all out. They never give up." The way he spoke and the way he looked directly at her made the hairs on her neck shudder.It's almost like he's saying he wants her.Of course her reaction was ridiculous, but that was how she felt.To be honest, she didn't want to see this scene.She doesn't want to decide her future now.All she wanted now was a canoe trip with a handsome boy on this beautiful day. "If you're going to propose to me, I'll tell Aaron and he'll beat you up," she said playfully. Hai Wei's eyes lit up, and then he laughed out loud, and the atmosphere became more relaxed. He helped her into the canoe and said, "I've seen him, he's not my match." "When did you see him?" Lacey asked, and Heywie jumped into the canoe and began pushing the boat off the dock. "Near the school. I told you I've been keeping an eye on you." "Like that kind of voyeur? When you run for president, it won't look good when the opponent reveals this kind of thing." She originally said it as a joke, but he took it seriously. "There you are again," he said. "As if you knew what was going to happen in the future. For the record I don't believe in such things, but are you psychic?" Lacey leaned over the side of the boat and splashed the water with her hands. "No, I won't. I just—" She couldn't find a satisfactory explanation at all.Could she tell him that despite her appearance, she was in her late forties, married and with two almost grown children? "Are you still listening?" he asked. "I'm still listening," she replied, smiling slightly. "I'll be here for at least another three weeks." He was about to respond but then shut up. "I like mysterious girls," he said. "And you are the most mysterious one I have ever seen." "Am I as mysterious as Wei Xinya?" She couldn't help asking.She knew that he married Xinya and had three children with her. "I don't think I've ever heard the name," he said. "Should I have heard?" "No, the time has not yet come." Highway steers the canoe around a tree trunk that has fallen into the creek. "Tell me about yourself." "How do you decide if I'm suitable?" she asked with a smile. Haiwei first frowned, then he smiled. "I have a feeling that you know me well, as if I know myself better than I do. Besides, to answer your question, yes, I want to know if you are suitable." She looked at him and saw ambition in his eyes.Every report she had ever read about Fong Haiwei V talked about his eyes.Contributor Quan says people often mistake Hey-Way for a normal boy-next-door—that is, if you don't look him in the eye.Once you look him in the eye, you see the quality that made him invincible on his way to the White House. "Looking to the future" is the title of one of the in-depth reports. "He never made a mistake," the article said. At no time does this man pop up with a picture of a girl in a bikini sitting on his lap, as if Hayway decided at eighteen that he was going to be president and every move he made since then Work on that goal.His wife, Wei Xinya, is a perfect match for a future president.She's pretty but not glamorous.Highly educated but not high profile.She has a sense of humor, conservative clothing, and a scandal-free family background.There is no doubt that she would be the perfect first lady. Now recalling the description of Haiwei's wife in that article, Lacey realizes that those words are also suitable for her.She is not someone who would cause controversy among the American public.She's not as elegant as Jacqueline Kennedy, but she's not as strong as Hillary Clinton either. "Okay," she said, looking back at Haiwei. "My father was a construction contractor and..." "What magic did you cast on my son?" Fang Meizhen squinted her eyes and questioned Laixi. "Do you know how many young women we've asked him to date and he's not interested? But he's been spending every minute of his time with you for the past two days, ignoring all the other guests." Lacie liked this woman very much.She reminded her of a member of the fundraising committee at her church.If Bereline asked for money, no one could refuse. "You're wondering why a middle-class girl like me can compare to those pure-blooded long-legged sisters, huh?" Lacey asked, raising her eyebrows. "Honey, if you're trying to call me a snob, you won't succeed. My father was a truck driver." Lacey smiled. "Oh? So how many trucks does he have to drive?" This sentence made Meizhen laugh. "Well, he is indeed the boss and the driver, and there are quite a few cars registered under his name. I'm beginning to understand why my son likes you." "He's a serious young man with a serious plan for his life," Lacey said. "His wife is very important to his future." Meizhen was silent for a while, just looking at Lacey thoughtfully. "You've got an old head, huh?" she said, and put her arm around Lacie. "Are you good at using colors?" "You mean painting a house or something?" Lacey asked. "I was painting my summer house when I—" She was going to say "I was pregnant," but managed to say "I was a teenager." "No, I mean Watercolor Day." Meizhen grimaced. "It was my doctor's idea. He said my life was too stressful and I had to relax." Lacey squeezed Meizhen's arm. "They really care about you, don't they? Gardening for exercise and watercolors for relaxation. Doctors come home regularly." "I'm a very lucky person," Meizhen said with a smile. "Do you think you could try drawing?" "With pleasure," Lacey said. "But I don't know anything about painting. All my experience is painting houses. But, to be honest, you don't have to spend time with me. I will arrange myself." "I'd rather have you as a company, actually. Besides, it looks like they've assigned me as chaperone to all the young ones today." The way she spoke made Lacey laugh. "It ain't so bad. Just give 'em enough to eat, and keep them out of the bushes, and they'll be all right." "You do have an old mind, don't you? Anyway, come on, get me something. We'll set up a stall by the pool so I can keep up with everyone." In fact, Lacie was glad to have time to quiet down so she could think quietly.She has spent two days with Hai Wei, and she likes him very much.In fact, she didn't just like it. They went to the swimming pool and set up two easels under a parasol. Under Meizhen's leadership, Lai Xi's hands were busy painting, and her mind was busy.She liked Haiwei more deeply than she thought she would.From what she had read about him over the years, she could imagine that he was a man who was good at hiding his inner thoughts. She could love this man, she thought, moving the brush across the paper, trying to paint the scene she saw of men and women jumping into pools.With the intuition unique to women since ancient times, she knew that if she wanted him, she could have him.But what would her life be like with him?Being the first lady was just a joke to her, but she knew that in twenty years he might really run for president.She didn't know if he would actually be elected, but he had a good chance. If she had chosen that path, her life with Aaron, Beja and Zhuo Ming would be gone.She will have different children, different husbands. But Madame Zola said they could choose to forget the life they had.Lacie can choose to live with Heiwei and know nothing about her current family.She could forget that she had gone to New York to develop her dance career and come back with feathers, and that was something that stuck with her.She could forget the lifelong guilt of dumping a childhood sweetheart before the wedding.She could also forget about Becca, the daughter who always complained that her mother was a soft-legged shrimp.Of course Lacey can also forget about Zhuo Ming, that son who avoids any controversy and loves peace and tranquility just like his mother. But what kind of life will Lacey and Haiwei be together?Richer than she imagined.She didn't have to paint her house herself, and she didn't have to put up with Heywig filling the house with immovable antiques.They'll hire an interior decorator... "Fill the house with immovable antiques." Lacey muttered to herself.With a stroke of the brush, she tore off the drawing paper and threw it on the stone platform, then she replaced it with a clean drawing paper.She didn't know that Meizhen was watching her with great interest.Lacey has sunk into her own world, trying to make the best decision for her life - and the paintbrush in her hand is an extension of her thoughts. "He's here." Meizhen said, finally breaking Lacey's thoughts. Lacey looked up and was surprised to see that Meizhen had closed her painting box and was sipping iced tea and eating sandwiches on the small coffee table beside her.When was the food served?Also, they were surrounded by half a dozen girls in bathing suits, peeking at Lacey and whispering. Checking her watch, she realized that she had been sitting in the same place for three hours.And on the stone platform beside her are scattered many watercolors painted by her.Someone spread out those paintings one by one along the stone platform and the surrounding lawn. Lacey realized with embarrassment that she had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she had forgotten where she was. "I didn't notice the time," she said, smiling guiltily.Why are those girls looking at her and whispering?She wanted to tell them that was rude, but she managed to hold back the tone that such a mother would have. "It's okay," Meizhen said. "Actually, there's someone I'd like to introduce you to." Lacey looked up and saw a tall man with gray hair and blue eyes walking towards them.From the way he looked at Meizhen, Lai Xi concluded that he loved her deeply.Was she about to learn some kind of family secret? “蕾茜，亲爱的，”美珍说。“介绍你认识我的一位老朋友，葛弗瑞。” 蕾茜礼貌地伸出手和他相握，但他没有握住她的手，却是走到蕾茜后面拿起一张她的水彩画。 “你在哪里学的？”他问。 这些人可真有礼貌，蕾茜想。“我父亲的建筑行。”她开玩笑地说。 但葛先生没有露出笑容。“给我三天的时间，我就可以指出你所有的潜能。” 最初蕾茜丝毫不懂他在说什么，但美珍已经对她笑了开来。“他是个行家。你那些画非常好。” 蕾茜看着葛先生。“粗糙、原始，但看得出来很有天赋。”他说，又拿起一张画瞇着眼打量。 “粗糙？”美珍说。“得了，弗瑞，亲爱的，你刚才不是问她在哪里习画的吗？” “你认为我可以……从事……我有……”蕾茜迟疑地说。 葛先生还没回答，美珍抢先说道：“弗瑞，亲爱的，你何不在蓝室住下，我知道你很喜欢那个房间，这个星期你就别走了留在这里陪我们？或许你和蕾茜可以一起研究，看她是否真的有绘画的天赋，或者她今天的作品只是昙花一现。” “谢谢你的邀请，美珍，”葛弗瑞说。“我接受了。” 他们同时转头面对蕾茜。 “当然，那是说如果你也同意这么做。”美珍说。 蕾茜深吸口气，因为她明白针对这个问题，她的答案会改变她的一生。“乐意之至，”终于她说。“我想我很愿意弄清楚我除了参加各种委员会之外，是否还有其它的才能。” 这个答案似乎把美珍搞胡涂了，但她只是微微一笑。“你的舞蹈呢？” “我跳得不够高，而我的——总之，这么说好了，百老汇不需要担心我的出现。” 美珍拉起蕾茜的手。“反正绘昼也比较……有用。” 蕾茜明白她的意思是，女人的天职就是为人妻、为人母，而和穿着很少的衣服在众人面前跳跃，绘画显得“淑女”多了。私底下，蕾茜认为绘画可以做为她在竞选路上打发时间的休闲娱乐。 “好，”蕾茜说。“我什么时候开始？”