Chapter 1276: GHOSTED?
Chapter 1276: GHOSTED?
LUO WEI TIAN looked at his youngest son sitting in the passenger seat beside him. His mind went back to the unexpected phone call he had received from Luo Jin earlier that day.
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He was reviewing the next page of the development plan for the new hotel when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and saw it was Luo Jin calling. This surprised him because Luo Jin rarely called at this time of day. But he picked up the call right away.
"Xiao Jin? Is everything alright?" he asked.
"Dad," Luo Jin's voice came through the phone, more subdued than usual. "Can you get us an invitation to a charity event tonight? The one that's an art auction that would be held in Shenzen Sky Tower."
Luo Wei Tian's brows furrowed slightly. He was actually already invited by the organizer to that very event, but he never intended to go. He had never enjoyed those kinds of gatherings. Even though they were labeled as charity events, they mostly felt like opportunities for people to flaunt their wealth. He much preferred to donate to charities directly, without all the unnecessary show.
His sons felt the same way about these events. So Luo Jin's request came as a genuine surprise. But he did not mention that and simply asked, "What made you suddenly interested in a charity event?"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Luo Jin answered. "Yuqi and her father are going to be there. I... I want to see her."
Yuqi? The young woman his son was so taken with? Luo Wei Tian was confused about why she and her father would attend a charity event all the way over in S City. He was fairly certain her family was based in B City. It was as if Luo Jin could sense his confusion through the phone line, because he added;
"Her father is Su Cheng Han, a national level artist. He's being honored with a lifetime achievement award at a ceremony tomorrow. But before that, they're appearing at this charity auction tonight."
Luo Weitian was not sure what surprised him more. The fact that Su Yuqi was the daughter of the famous Su Cheng Han, even someone like him, who knew little about art, recognized that name. Or that his son seemed to know Su Yuqi's schedule in such detail. He felt concerned. Was his son alright? He hoped Luo Jin was not being inappropriate. He did not track that girl's itinerary, right?
"Dad? Are you still there?"
Luo Jin's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He cleared his throat. "Yes, I can get us invitations."
"Thank you, Dad."
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Given his position in the business community, bringing another person to the charity event was easy. Secretary Gao had the arrangements completed within the hour. Now their car was moving smoothly through the evening traffic, carrying them toward the Shenzen Sky Tower where the event would be held.
Secretary Gao had explained the event was a black-tie affair with cocktails and food served during the auction. Because of this, both he and Luo Jin were wearing matching black tuxedos.
He had asked Luo Ren if he wanted to join them, but his eldest said he'd rather work overtime at the office. That's why only he and Luo Jin were attending the event together.
If he was being completely honest, Luo Wei Tian would have much preferred to spend the evening at home. These formal events always felt like a waste of time to him. But he could see how much this meant to Luo Jin. So he'd put on the tuxedo and prepared to suffer through an evening of small talk and overpriced art for his son's sake.
He looked at Luo Jin again. His son had been quiet ever since they left the house, just staring out the car window. While Luo Jin was never particularly talkative, they usually managed some conversation when it was just the two of them. This prolonged silence told him something was definitely wrong.
He cleared his throat softly, drawing Luo Jin's gaze away from the window. When his son finally turned to face him, he spoke carefully. "Xiao Jin," he began, in a gentle but very concerned tone, "you've been very quiet this whole ride. Did something happen? Does it have to do with Su Yuqi?"
Luo Jin was taken aback by his father's question. It was exactly what was bothering him. He had not expected his father to be so direct, or to guess the reason behind his mood so accurately.
But then again, he should have known his father would figure it out. After all, he had practically spelled it out by suddenly asking to attend this charity event just to see Su Yuqi. Of course his father would connect his quiet mood to her. The direct question still caught him off guard, leaving him momentarily unsure how to answer.
Seeing his son's reaction, Luo Weitian knew he had guessed right. "What happened between you two? Did you have an argument? Is that why you're stalk— ahem! I mean, is that why you know her schedule?"
If his mood was not so low right now, Luo Jin would have found it funny that his father almost called him a stalker. The problem was, he could not honestly deny it. When he thought about how he had tracked down Su Yuqi's schedule, he had to admit he was acting exactly like one.
Once he accepted that Su Yuqi might be avoiding him, his actions over the past few hours did seem excessive. He had repeatedly called her phone, checked all her social media for updates, and then asked his older brother to find out if Uncle Su was attending any events besides the one where he would receive his lifetime achievement award. Fortunately, Luo Ren got the information, which was how he learned about this charity event.
Luo Jin let out a humorless laugh. "That's just it, Dad. We didn't have a fight. She just... decided to ghost me out of nowhere."
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