He had spent a somewhat busy weekend, and Lin Yuhui was in low spirits. He disliked being assigned work or being surrounded by noisy crowds. It seemed he had not yet recovered from the retired life in his old age in his previous life.
度过了一个有些忙碌的周末,林语晖有些不悦,他不喜欢被安排工作或者处于人群之中的喧嚣.似乎他还没从上辈子残年的养老生活状态中恢复过来.
At least not mentally. Should he strive for his career? The drive for that had long faded away. Besides, he already possessed everything, so there was no need to struggle anymore. Should he pursue love? Her? No, he already had Grace. What about seeking eternal life? What would he do with immortality? Spend forever clinging to his career and love here? He let out a chuckle. He had experienced death before, so nothing could ever tie him down.
至少精神上没有,去为事业奋斗吗?好像早已没了那样的心气,再说自己现在啥都有了,哪还需要什么奋斗啊.要去追求爱情吗?她?不,自己已经有格蕾丝了.要追求永生吗?永生做什么?永远守着这里的事业和爱情?呵呵,不至于,自己又不是没死过,还有什么能拴牢自己呢.
He stared blankly out of the glass window in his office, watching the indistinct figures of employees moving about in the office hall. At this moment, a slender figure dressed in black flashed past. The door was pushed open, and the woman stood right in front of Lin Yuhui, pulling him back from his trance to reality.
在办公室里目光呆滞地透过玻璃窗,看着办公大厅里员工恍惚晃动的身影.这时一个纤细苗条的黑色身影在面前一闪,推门进来已经站在了林语晖的面前,把他从出神中拽回了现实.
It was his secretary Blair. Though she also worked for Hunter, she was a departmental secretary mainly responsible for liaising and communicating between various departments, so she did not appear before him very often.
是秘书布莱尔,虽然她也是亨特的秘书,但她是部门秘书,主要负责各部门关系和沟通,出现在自己面前的时候并不多.
She had long, straight black hair. Against the fair skin of a Western white woman, the luster of her hair even glinted with a dark bluish black hue. Today she wore a close-fitting long-sleeved blouse of glossy black silk with a V-neck. The hem was neatly tucked into her waistband, making her slender arms with ruffled cuffs look all the more charming.
她有一头黑长直的秀发,再加上西方白人女性的白净皮肤,那一头秀发的光泽甚至闪着青乌色.今天她穿了一件同样黑色的V领亮泽丝绸贴身长袖上衣,下边缘掖进了裤腰的紧致利落,显得她那荷叶袖口的纤细双臂更添妖娆.
Her lower garment was also black, made of matte twill linen. The trousers fit closely around her pelvis and hips, loosening starting from the upper thighs and turning into wide-leg pants, which made her look brisk and elegant as she walked.
下身同样黑色,但是面料没有光泽,斜纹亚麻布料,裤型裁剪在骨盆臀部贴身,大腿根部就开始松弛,再往下就是阔腿长裤了,走起路来清爽飘逸的感觉.
"Mr. Hunter, please check your emails. I will explain your work schedule for today to you."
"亨特先生,请查收一下邮件,关于今天你的工作行程安排,我为你讲解一下."
Before Lin Yuhui could reply, she walked behind the desk, bent down to operate the computer and opened his work emails.
没等林语晖搭话,她已经走到办公桌后,亲自屈身操作电脑打开了他的工作邮件.
She opened the attachment and displayed it in full screen, then began to explain.
点开了附件内容全屏展示,然后开始讲解.
"Mr. Hunter, the investors you received last time were very satisfied with your reception and explanation. They have invited you to their home for lunch today..."
"亨特先生,上次你接待的投资人对你的接待和讲解非常满意,所以今天邀请你去他家里共享午餐..."
Listening to her explanation, Lin Yuhui wondered if she would go with him. He hoped someone could handle trivial matters for him, unwilling to waste his time on such things. He turned his head, about to speak, but his eyes fell on the line of her neckline. Her slender shoulders trembled slightly as she moved her arms to operate the screen. Lin Yuhui quickly shifted his gaze to her face.
听着讲解,林语晖想问,你也一起去吗?因为他希望有人为他处理一些杂务,懒得自己浪费时间在那些地方.扭头之间还未开口,却窥视到了她的领口风光,她纤细的胳膊操作画面的时候肩身也在轻轻抖动,林语晖赶紧把目光移到了她的脸上.
"This is the meeting location. The drive takes about one hour. A helicopter is also available..."
"这里是会面地点,乘车大概一小时行程,直升机..."
"No, let's take the car. We can set off early."
"不不,乘车吧,我可以早点启程."
Hearing this, Blair turned her head and looked at him to confirm.
听林语晖这么说,布莱尔扭过头眼睛看着他,确认一下.
Blair had pale blue eyes, just like the light blue of shallow lakes or bays, a captivating Tiffany blue that could take one's breath away at first sight.
布莱尔有着一双淡蓝色的眼睛,就像浅水湖泊或者海湾的淡蓝色,蒂芙尼蓝,一眼就能夺魂摄魄.
Long after Blair had left to arrange the schedule, Lin Yuhui still leaned back against the sofa, lingering on the memory of those pale blue eyes. It was as if he was staying in a thatched stilt house in the Maldives, surrounded by shimmering pale blue seawater. The sea breeze brushed past, bringing the warmth of the white sandy beach, while the waves rippled gently, glistening under the blazing sun above.
安排好行程布莱尔已经离开了很久,林语晖依然后仰把头靠在沙发上回味着那双淡蓝色眼睛,仿佛自己已经置身于了马尔代夫的茅顶高脚屋了,被闪亮的淡蓝色海水包围着.海风轻拂,带来白色沙滩的炙热,海波轻轻荡漾,闪亮着头顶烈日的晶莹.
Any man with Lin Yuhui's wealth and appearance would surely have the urge to court her, yet Lin Yuhui had no such thought. She was beautiful, but she did not belong to him.
想必是一个男人如果有了林语晖这样的物质和外貌条件都会萌生追求她的念头,但是林语晖没有这样的想法,她很美但是不属于自己.
How could she become his if he never made an effort? Could good fortune fall into his lap out of nowhere? Still, he had no desire to pursue anyone. Was he still trapped in the shadow of another woman? Apart from women who took the initiative to approach him, like Grace who came to him by chance and fate, he was unwilling to chase after any woman who caught his eye. He had raised his standards, simply to wait endlessly for that person who might never return.
不去争取怎么会成为自己的呢?等着天上掉馅饼吗?可就是没有了去追求什么的意愿,难道还是走不出她的阴影吗?除了自己送上门的女人,像格蕾丝这样自己有意愿又充满了机缘巧合,自己似乎还是不愿意追求那个让自己眼前一亮的异性,自己提高了门槛,只为给她留着归来无期的等候.
"Mr. Hunter, it is time to depart for the noon meeting. A car is waiting for you at the main entrance downstairs." A reminder message came from Blair.
"亨特先生,中午的会面该启程了,楼下大门口已经准备了车辆在等候." 布莱尔发来了提示信息.
Lin Yuhui put an end to his reveries and stood up to leave.
林语晖停下了自己之前的遐想,起身离开.
He walked out of the building. It was a clear morning. The sky was pure and bright, and the sunlight shone brilliantly like light passing through crystal, illuminating the square in front of the company building.
走出建筑大楼,今天是一个晴朗的上午,天空清澈,阳光如同穿过水晶泛着晶亮照亮公司大楼前的广场.
A sedan marked with the company logo was indeed parked at the foot of the front steps, evidently prepared for him. Lin Yuhui had never ridden in this car before and had no idea the company owned such a luxurious vehicle. Had his treatment been upgraded? With this thought in mind, he walked towards the car.
走下门前台阶那里果然停着一辆轿车,车身有公司的标识,看来就是为自己准备的.只是林语晖之前没坐过这辆车,不知道公司还有这样的豪华装备,怎么自己的待遇升级了么?心中寻思着,林语晖走到车前.
It was a large modern luxury vehicle that combined retro streamlined lines with modern technological design. The whole car was silver grey with a low-slung hood. Sharp body lines separated the hood from the front fenders and extended all the way to the car sides. The low front wheels were mostly concealed, with only the bottom edges of the tires touching the ground. Surprisingly, there were two wheels arranged front to rear on each side.
这是一辆现代的大型豪华车,有着仿古的流线型和现代技术的科技感.全车银灰色,机头低矮,与前轮翼子板有明显线条分割,一直延伸到侧面车身,低矮的前轮也被遮挡了,只露出轮胎接触地面的下缘,惊奇的是这辆车有每侧纵置前后两个车轮.
Curious, Lin Yuhui walked to the rear of the car. It adopted a fastback design. The huge curved rear windshield sloped down from the roof and transitioned smoothly to both sides. The rear wheels were also shielded, with only one tire visible on each side, which meant this was a six-wheeled car.
林语晖好奇地走到了车后部,这辆车的后车身是溜背的造型,硕大的弧面后风挡从车顶向后延伸并且向两侧圆滑过渡.车辆的后轮侧面也是遮挡的,只是单个轮胎,就是说这辆车是六轮的.
As he was looking at the car, the rear door opened automatically. Lin Yuhui got in casually. The door closed slowly, and a display screen in front of him began to show passenger information and route information, accompanied by a female voice announcement that sounded much like Blair's voice.
正观赏间,车子后门自动打开了,林语晖顺势坐了进去.随着车门慢慢关闭,面前的显示屏开始显示乘客信息,路线信息,并伴随着女声播报,听起来有点像布莱尔的声音.
Feeling curious, Lin Yuhui asked.
林语晖有些好奇,便问.
"Is it Ms. Blair speaking to me?"
"请问是布莱尔女士在和我说话吗?"
"Hello, Mr. Hunter. I am the administrator of Providence Capital. I communicate with passengers using familiar voices."
"亨特先生您好,我是普罗维登斯资本管理员,我会用乘客熟悉的声音与您交流."
"I see. Alright, let's set off." Lin Yuhui knew he was talking to an AI system. Yet he could not help feeling as if he had been drawn into an inner circle. They knew a great deal about him, while he knew nothing about them or the true background behind Providence Capital.
"哦,好的,我们出发吧."林语晖知道和他对话的是个系统AI,只是怎么有点自己被加入团伙的感觉呢?自己被他们熟知,却对他们毫无了解,也不知道那个普罗维登斯资本有什么深层背景.
The car drove through the urban area of Las Vegas and headed west past Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It soon left the main road and turned onto a narrow lane winding through the canyon. A gate marked this as private territory, off-limits to hikers.
车辆行驶穿过拉斯维加斯城区,向西经过红石峡谷国家保护区,很快离开了主干道,进入一段峡谷间小路,私人领地有大门,不允许登山者进入.
True to its name, the canyon was lined with jagged red rock walls eroded by wind and rain. The car traveled along the deep and narrow canyon floor. Sunlight hit the vertical red rock walls and reflected down to the ground of the canyon, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.
峡谷就如同它的名字一样,都是风雨侵蚀而成的红色嶙峋石壁,而林语晖乘坐的车辆就行驶在这样峡谷的底部,幽深而狭窄,阳光照亮垂直的红色岩壁,然后又折射到峡谷底部,给人压抑的感觉.
After traveling through the winding canyon for a while, the sound of running water grew louder. The car passed through a single-lane passage carved into the rock behind a waterfall and arrived at a spacious open area, a secluded wonderland hidden deep in the mountains.
经过一段曲折峡谷的行驶,在峡谷深处,随着越来越近的流水声,车辆在岩壁内侧开凿的单行线里,驶过一个瀑布的内侧,眼前来到了一片开阔空间,有些曲径通幽处的感觉,别是一片洞天.
The car continued forward past a garden and stopped in front of a building carved into a vertical rock wall, deep within the quiet clearing. Before Lin Yuhui could figure out what to do next, a male attendant walked over and opened the car door for him.
前面穿过花园,到达了这块峡谷空地的僻静深处,车子停在了一个垂直岩壁上开凿的建筑之前.还没等林语晖想好下一步要做什么,走到车旁的男性服侍人员已经为他打开了车门.
"Welcome, Mr. Jaden Hunter."
"亨特・杰登先生,欢迎光临."
"Thank you." As he spoke, Lin Yuhui took a close look at the attendant. It was a robot, just like the ones he had at home.
"谢谢,"道谢之间,林语晖留意打量了这个侍者,他是机器人,就像自己家里那种.
"This way, sir." With these words, he turned around and led the way.
"先生请跟我来,"说着他转身带路走在了前面.
The building carved into the rock wall was fitted with tinted floor-to-ceiling glass windows arranged in a single row. They let in ample natural light and offered fine views. Hidden deep in the mountains, privacy would never be compromised here.
岩壁上开凿的建筑都是茶色玻璃落地窗,单层一字排开,可以很好地采光,观赏风景,反正大山深处的这里也不会暴露任何隐私.
He followed the attendant through the front door and a corridor, then entered the first room he had seen from outside.
随着侍者从前门进入,经过一条通道,随即到达了自己从外面看见的第一个房间.
"Please take a seat, Mr. Hunter. Mr. Braxton will be here shortly."
"亨特先生请坐,布拉克斯顿先生一会儿就到."
"Very well." Lin Yuhui replied. The attendant turned and walked toward the inner rooms.
"好的,"林语晖答应着,侍者的背影已经离去,走向里屋.
He turned around and looked around the furnishings of the room. A solid wood bookshelf stood against the wall near the entrance, with a square reading table and an armchair beside it. A large potted foliage plant was placed in the corner next to the glass window. On his side of the room stood a tea table carved from the original rock of the cave. Lin Yuhui touched its surface; it had obviously been reserved when the space was excavated. Two dark wooden chairs with elaborate carvings were placed beside the tea table. A long sofa leaned against the wall here, presumably for receiving guests. On the wall above the sofa hung wall lamps shaped like white jasmine flowers, with bases resembling green calyxes.
转回身环顾室内陈设,靠进来的那面墙放着一个实木书架,跟前是阅读方桌儿和单人沙发,靠近玻璃窗的墙角里有一盆阔叶绿植.而自己这一侧则是摆着一个岩石茶台,林语晖摸了摸质感,似乎是开凿这个空间的时候整体留下来的,两把深色雕花木椅子在茶台旁边.这边靠墙摆着一个长沙发,应该是招待客人的吧.沙发上方墙壁上布置着白色茉莉花形状的照明壁灯,灯座就像绿色的花蒂.
"Hello, Hunter." The door opened and an elderly man walked in. He had grey hair and looked to be in his sixties, his face covered with the marks of time. He was a white man with a solemn expression and sharp eyes.
"亨特你好,"随着声音,门一开走进来一位老人,头发花白,六十多岁的样子,岁月的痕迹都在脸上,是个白人,面色凝重,眼神犀利.
"Hello. You are..."
"你好,你就是..."
"Just call me Branston." He cut Lin Yuhui off and introduced himself directly, then gestured casually at the sofa.
"叫我布兰斯顿就好,"他打断了林语晖,直接自我介绍,然后很随意地指了指沙发.
"Sit down, make yourself at home."
"坐吧,别客气,"
"Alright." Lin Yuhui agreed, but he did not sit down immediately. He watched Branston pull over a chair beside the tea table and seat himself first, then he took his own seat. Instead of slouching lazily on the sofa, he sat upright, a habit he had formed when facing elders in his previous life.
"好的,"答应着,可是林语晖并没有坐下,而是看着布兰斯顿拉了一把茶台边的椅子,转过来坐下后,自己才落座,而且也没有肆无忌惮地躺在沙发里,而是后背挺直坐在那里,他上辈子面对长辈就是这个样子.
Branston glanced at him. Lin Yuhui did not dare act recklessly, nor did he attempt to probe the old man's thoughts. He figured a powerful figure like this would have defenses against such abilities. His overly respectful manner was quite out of character for Hunter, so he quickly recalled Hunter's past experiences to adjust his state of mind. A fleeting thought crossed his mind.
布兰斯顿看了他一眼,林语晖没敢造次,没有离开身体去查看对方在想什么,因为他也考虑到这样级别的深层人物可能有这方面的防范.只是自己这毕恭毕敬的样子确实不像亨特的做派,于是便把亨特以前的猫女和狐女的记忆在脑子里过了一遍,加上这个老头,放在了现在这个场景里,一个想象的念头一闪而过.
"Do you know why I invited you here today?"
"知道为什么今天邀请你来吗?"
"I do not." Lin Yuhui replied with a slight smile.
"不知道,"林语晖一笑回答.
"My investment team was very satisfied with your performance during the last reception."
"上次你接待我的投资队伍,他们对你的表现很满意,"
"Thank you for the compliment. It was my pleasure to receive them."
"谢谢夸奖,很高兴接待他们."
"Your elder brother also did an excellent job back then. What a pity that he passed away so early." Branston looked at Hunter as he spoke. Lin Yuhui said nothing and held his gaze, waiting for him to continue.
"其实你哥哥之前做得也不错,唉,只是很可惜,他走得早."说着布兰斯顿看了亨特一眼,林语晖并没有回答,对视间等待他继续说什么.
"You rarely took part in company affairs before. I suppose you never got the chance to show your ability."
"之前可能是没有你表现的机会吧,很少听说你参与公司事务."
"That is true. With my elder brother around, there was never much for me to do. My father always valued him more." Lin Yuhui deliberately steered the conversation toward parental favoritism, to prevent the other party from suspecting the drastic changes in Hunter's behavior.
"是啊,有哥哥在,根本轮不到我做什么,我爸爸还是比较器重他."林语晖说着,故意往父母偏心方面带话题,以免亨特前后变化的差异引起对方怀疑.
"I see. Now you finally have the chance to display your talent, my boy."
"哦,那现在终于有你施展的机会了,孩子."
Lin Yuhui kept silent, unsure how to respond to the man's strange tone.
林语晖没有接话,因为他不知道该说什么,对方的语气有些奇怪.
"How is your mother?" Branston's question made Lin Yuhui even more surprised. He wondered why the man brought up Hunter's mother again, yet he answered calmly as if nothing was wrong.
"你的妈妈还好吗?"布兰斯顿这样的问话更让林语晖觉得诧异了,怎么会又提到亨特的妈妈,但是只好装作没事回答.
"She is doing well. Thank you for your concern."
"她很好,谢谢关心."
"Hmm." Branston let out a long sigh and fell silent.
"嗯,"布兰斯顿长舒了一口气,没说什么.
"Has she ever told you about your origins?"
"她有没有和你说过你的身世?"
Lin Yuhui stared at him for two seconds, putting on a look of astonishment, a natural reaction despite already discovering clues about his genetic background. Should he reply? No, he chose to remain quiet.
林语晖愣着看了对方两秒,这应该是正常反应,虽然他早知道了基因方面的线索.然后接话吗?不,他选择了继续闭嘴.
"Ah." Branston turned his head aside and muttered to himself.
"啊,"布兰斯顿,扭头看向一边,自言自语地说.
"We were both young back then, and we made some foolish mistakes."
"那时候我和她都年轻,做了一些糊涂事,"
Hearing this, Lin Yuhui understood his implication. But he found it hard to believe that people of such prominent status would act recklessly and then travel the world to claim their child. He was more inclined to think this was a carefully laid scheme by Branston. He suppressed this thought at once and let his mind wander to imagined scenes of Branston and Hunter's mother in their youth. He stayed constantly alert, fearing the old man also had the ability to read others' minds.
听他这么说,林语晖就明白了,但是他不相信这些家境显赫的人会做糊涂事,然后再去满世界认儿子,他宁愿相信这是布兰斯顿计划埋的棋子.但是这个念头转瞬就被林语晖压抑了,用脑补布兰斯顿和亨特妈妈年轻时酒店开房的想象画面代替,林语晖一直很谨慎对方也有查看自己思维的能力.
"My boy, biologically speaking, I am your father."
"孩子,从生物遗传角度来说,我是你的父亲."
Lin Yuhui did not respond, finding the situation rather ridiculous. Out of nowhere, a man claimed to be his father. He had just acknowledged a father-in-law yesterday, and now a biological father appeared today.
林语晖没有回答,只是有些觉得好笑,平白就有一个人冒出来自称是自己的爹,而昨天自己刚认了岳父大人,今天又冒出个生物爹.
"My boy, I am truly sorry for letting you suffer all these years. I will make it up to you. But the most important thing you need to understand is this: In the past, this business empire focused on the inheritance of capital. Now, the most valuable legacy you inherit is your outstanding genes."
"孩子,很抱歉这么多年来亏待了你,我会补偿你的,但是最重要的你要明白,从前商业帝国重点是资本的继承,但是现在,你继承的最有价值的是优秀的基因."
(Translated by Doubao)