He had said, with a perfectly straight face, that he would like it.
Celia Sterling had taken him seriously.
It was a romantic art film set in the Republic of China era, filled with period elements like neon-lit dance halls and a veritable feast of elegant qipaos. Through stunning cinematography, the director told the epic story of a love affair between a songstress in Seraphina and the son of an old magnate—a romance born in the smoke of war and fated to end in separation.
She rarely watched films from the Republic of China era. Driven by a mix of curiosity and a desire to explore something new, she watched the screen intently. Every so often, she would turn to discuss a plot point or two with Silas Norwood.
Racking her brain, she deliberately chose topics she thought a man like Silas would appreciate:
"Silas, do you know much about the rickshaw culture of that time? That movie, *Rickshaw Boy*, left a deep impression on me..."
Silas: "Mm."
